Chapter 1: Weird
Chapter Text
Her back hit the wall, and the air left her lungs in a painful punch. “Sora. How sweet to see you again.”
“It’s Captain Sora to you, Poison Pink,” he growled. “Now justice will take its course. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.” He manhandled her around so her face was pressed against the cold metal wall.
His hand gripped her shoulder. It would have been hard enough to bruise if she was anyone else, but Poison Pink wasn’t an average woman: a fact that the stern-faced Navy Captain seemed to keep forgetting, no matter how many times they faced each other.
She docilely put her hands behind her back
Law paused in his typing. ‘Docilely’? Was that even a word? Even if it was, it didn’t sound right. Too clunky.
She put/twisted? her hands behind her back and smiled sweetly at him over her shoulder. “I think you’re forgetting something, Sora darling.”
“I assure you, I’m not.” He snapped one ring of the handcuffs around her wrist. The handcuffs were reinforced by a poison-proof steel core that her dastardly powers couldn’t melt through: one of the Navy’s major breakthroughs, and one that Sora had been looking forward to using on Poison Pink for weeks.
He paused again. This bit about the handcuffs: too much exposition? Did it slow down the narrative? He’d revisit it later.
“Oh, but you are,” said Poison Pink. She tilted her head back and gave him a beguiling smile. “You’ve forgotten that a girl’s hands aren’t the only way to reach.” She slammed her head back into Sora’s nose.
The bridge of his nose exploded with pain. Poison Pink twisted her hands out of his grip, and before he could castigate himself for his second of inattention, her lips were at his ear. “Better luck next time, Captain,” she whispered, and she disappeared.
He could feel the sticky gloss of her lips on the edge of his ear. His heart was pounding with fury, and his eyes were still watering from her headbutt. But he couldn’t let her get away, not if there was a chance she’d heard the Vice-Admiral’s plans. He had to chase her down, but his legs felt like lead, and his head was dizzy…
The sticky gloss of her lips on his ear. “Damn that woman,” he slurred, and he collapsed to the ground.
Law stopped typing once more, but this time with satisfaction. It wasn’t perfect, but the first draft never was. He would do the first round of editing tomorrow after he got home, or maybe at lunch — if he had the mental capacity for editing after a morning of lecturing, that was.
He leaned back in his chair with a sigh, then took his headphones off and rubbed his hands through his hair. He actually didn’t mind lecturing to the surgical fellows, especially since his specialization meant he could lecture about whatever topic he wanted within the broad scope of cardiac surgery. But the question-and-answer sessions afterwards were intense, and he always felt like he needed a nap in a dark room to reset his brain after talking all morning.
In that way, surgery was easier. The operating room was peaceful in a way that he’d never found any other place to be. There was something uniquely soothing, somehow, about the combination of the scrub nurses’ quiet chit-chat overlaid on the hum of the equipment and whatever music Law had chosen to play through the speakers that day, and he could just let his mind flow effortlessly into his hands as he worked. Sometimes he had to talk through parts of the procedure when he had med students or residents, but most of the time, it was just him and the patient: just Law’s hands and their organs, and the nearly-meditative state of focus and relaxation that he fell into so easily when the thoracic cavity was open wide.
Not that surgery wasn’t exhausting, too; it was no picnic to be on your feet for six hours straight or more. It was just tiring in a different way from the teaching-and-research side of things. But it was normal to be exhausted when you divided your time between surgical rotations and clinical research. And sure, his life would’ve been easier if he’d taken a position at a hospital that didn’t focus so much on medical education. But the Egghead University Hospital had the best-funded cardiac health research program in the world, and nothing mattered more than advancing his research.
In any case, it made sense that Law wanted to drop face-first onto the living room carpet every day when he got home. This was the life he was meant for, the life that Corazon had gifted to him when Law had expected to die before he even hit puberty, and he wouldn’t complain.
The fanfic helped with the exhaustion, though. Writing fanfic was an escape: a way to rid his mind of anything to do with medicine or surgery or research — the things that had been occupying his waking hours for as long as he could remember. And it was an escape that Law hadn’t realized he needed until he stumbled upon the Sora fan comics he’d drawn when he was kid.
That was almost a year ago now. He’d been doing some decluttering one weekend when he found the box: an old file box labelled Trafalgar D. Water Law — 1999 (age 10) in Corazon’s loopy handwriting. Law thought the box might contain important stuff: his medical files from his lengthy childhood hospitalizations, for example, or old documentation from when Corazon formally adopted him after the horrors of the Flevance War. But the box contained nothing but Law’s childhood drawings and notebooks, from when he was completely obsessed with the Sora comic series.
It shouldn’t have surprised him that Cora had kept this shit; he was sentimental to an extreme degree. But as Law started poring through the box of faded kid’s drawings, he found himself getting weirdly choked up. His child self had been obsessed with Sora and his heroic feats against the Germa 66 army, and some of the comics he’d drawn were associated with vivid memories of exactly when he’d drawn them — memories so vivid that he could recall the exact sterile-laundry scent of the hospital linens, and the angle of the light coming through the window at the time he’d been drawing them. By the time he finished reading through two of the childish comics, his chest felt like it was being crushed with the effort of not bursting into tears, and he had no fucking idea why he was so upset.
He stuffed the box of comics back in the corner of the closet where he’d found it. And the next day, on a total whim, he did an online search for fan comics about the Sora series.
He didn’t know what he was looking for, exactly. He didn’t even know why he was bothering to look for fan comics about Sora. It was a waste of time that he could’ve been using to catch up on this month’s cardiac research journals, for example. But it was like a compulsion that he couldn’t ignore.
It was absurdly easy to find Sora fan comics, especially since the Warrior of the Sea franchise had recently been rebooted as a live-action show and a videogame. And it wasn’t a surprise that most of the WOTS fan comics he found were pornographic. X-rated fan comics weren’t what he was looking for, though, so he kept searching, and he eventually ended up finding WOTS fanfiction on a site called AO3. A lot of WOTS fanfiction, actually: enough so that it made him feel a little less sheepish for searching for it.
He skimmed some of the stories he found. And some of them weren’t bad. But they still weren’t quite scratching the itch he had: this new, incomprehensible, aching itch that the box of childhood comics had hooked into his gut. So he closed the dozen browser tabs of Sora fanfic and porn, and he went to get a coffee.
And when he came home from the coffee shop, he sat down at his laptop, and he started writing his own Sora fanfic.
He’d been doing this for nearly a year now. The story was actually based on a seed of an idea he’d had when he was a kid — with a lot of changes and development, obviously, since he was a grown-ass man now — and Law hadn’t planned for the story to have a romance component to it. But the more he wrote, the more he found himself focusing on the clashes between Sora and Poison Pink. And the more he wrote them clashing and fighting, the more dialogue they started to have, and…
Well, it seemed that Trafalgar Law was a fucking romance writer now. Ironic, really, considering that he hadn’t had a serious relationship since med school, and the last time he’d had sex was… Damn, when was the last time? A few months ago? Almost a year? Was it before or after he’d started writing this fic?
Anyway. Writing fanfic was an escape, and a very welcome one. He’d been feeling more relaxed since he started writing, even though the writing process took its own mental toll. But it was a toll that he welcomed, even if it meant his sleeping hours were slowly dwindling down. It was lucky that Law had always been one of those people who functioned well on four hours of sleep.
He stared at his screen for a long moment, warm with the feeling of satisfaction that came with finishing a chapter draft. He really should go eat something now that it was done. His stomach had been grumbling since he got home, but he’d ignored it in favour of getting the end of this chapter written down.
He studied his open chapter draft for another minute. Then he put his headphones back on and checked his email.
There was one new email from AO3 saying that he’d received a comment on his fic. But Law didn’t care. He never replied to comments. The comments people left were always simple things like ‘omg i love it’ or ‘thanks for writing’, and Law didn’t have any response to that, especially since he was writing this fic for his own enjoyment and no one else’s.
He opened the email without any real enthusiasm. And he was surprised to find that the comment was a long one.
MxRead (Registered User) left the following comment on Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure:
I just finished binging this fic in the space of like 12 hours. Thank you so much for writing it! I’ve been looking for a good canon-universe SoraPink fic for ages, and I’ve never found one that hits like yours. And one that has an actual plot, to boot? Chef’s kiss!
I know they’re still in the enemies stage of enemies-to-lovers, but you’re building the tension and parallels between their characters in such an organic way. Their banter and arguments feel so natural that they could be canon. I can’t wait for the payoff! I know this fic is rated M, but I wonder if you have plans to treat us to some E-rated love? 😉 No pressure! Just loving your writing so much that I had to ask!
On a less naughty note: I love your action scenes. There’s so much interesting detail in them that it makes me wonder if you have a martial arts background yourself!
I’m planning to go back and comment on each chapter individually, but I just had to scream and let you know how much I love your work. Thanks again for sharing!
Law was stunned. He’d never received a comment like this before. It was like an in-depth review of his work — but a really nice one, with no critique. He’d seen on other fanfics that people left long comments sometimes, but he’d never thought he would actually receive such a long and detailed comment himself.
He reread the comment slowly. Then he clicked back to his chapter draft and started to edit.
Then he went back to his email and read the comment once more. Damn, this person really seemed to like his fic, which was… nice.
He gazed thoughtfully at the comment for a while. Then he opened it directly on AO3, and he tapped out a reply.
Thanks.
He could leave it that. But it seemed… insufficient, considering how much the reader had said. Actually, they’d asked him some questions, so Law could answer those.
There will be a sex scene. But no plans right now to write explicit sex.
I do have a martial arts background. Kendo. But I’ve fallen out of the habit thanks to work.
He paused and frowned at his response. Why had he mentioned this thing about falling out of going to kendo? That was too much information to share with a random stranger on the internet. Better delete that.
He adjusted his reply, then posted it before he could second-guess himself and went back to editing his chapter draft. He was in the process of tweaking the handcuffs paragraph when there was a sudden wash of light from behind him.
He took off his headphones and turned in his office chair to squint at Corazon, who was standing in the doorway. “Why can’t you knock?”
“I did! You’re listening to your headphones too loud again.” Cora ambled into the room. “Shouldn’t doctors know that it’s bad to listen to their music so loudly? Permanent hearing damage and all that. And why are you always working in the dark? You’ll ruin your eyes.” He picked up Law’s hoodie from the stool beside the desk and started to sit.
“Wait,” Law said. “Cora-san, don’t—”
The stool collapsed under Corazon, and he crash-landed on the floor.
Law sighed and rose from his chair to help him sit upright. “Did you need something?”
“Oh yeah. Dinner’s almost ready.” He crossed his long legs and took the blunt out from behind his ear, then peered up at Law’s laptop. “What are you working on there?”
“Nothing.” Law snapped the laptop shut. “Don’t smoke that in here. I don’t want you—”
“—I won’t smoke it without your supervision, doc. Don’t worry,” Cora drawled. He propped the blunt at the corner of his lips and nodded his chin at the laptop. “You’re working on your fanfiction, aren’t you?”
Law’s heart stopped. What? Fuck. What? How the fuck did he know? “I — no. I’m not — I don’t write fanfiction.”
Cora gave him a chiding look. “Remember who you’re talking to, Law-kun. I did espionage for the Navy. And I’ve known you since you were a shitty little ankle-biter.”
A hot flush crawled up his neck. “You haven’t… read it, have you?” If Cora had been reading his fanfic, he would die. Or kill Cora. Maybe both.
“Nah,” Cora said. “Besides, I don’t know your user name. Yet,” he added slyly.
Law wilted, and Cora laughed. “Oi, don’t stress. I’m not reading your fanfic. But I think it’s great that you’re writing it.”
“You do?” Law said suspiciously. “Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? It just is.” He leaned back on his palms with a happy sigh. “Reminds me of when you used to draw those Germa 66 comics.”
“They weren’t Germa 66 comics,” Law muttered. “They were Sora comics. Germa 66 are the villains.”
“Back then, sure. But I like how the reboot is giving the Vinsmoke family more complexity. Judge is still a fucking asshole, though.”
Law grunted — he wasn’t wrong — and Cora went on. “Anyway, you were so cute with your drawings when you were little. And you were a perfectionist then, too! Remember how mad you got when you thought you couldn’t draw Stealth Black properly?” He put on a high-pitched voice. “‘He’s invisible! How are you supposed to draw someone invisible?’ But you figured it out eventually.” He brightened. “Hey, you know I still have all your Germa — I mean, all your Sora drawings around here somewhere. We should dig them out, read through them! Blast to the past!”
Not happening, Law thought, and he carefully kept his gaze away from the closet. He was not keen to open that box again and revisit the way it made him feel. “Maybe. Dinner’s ready, you said?”
“Almost. The ramen packets said three minutes.”
“You’ve been in here for at least five minutes,” Law drawled.
“Oh shoot. I guess I have.” He unfolded himself from the floor, then smiled. “Oh wait, I didn’t put the ramen in the water yet.”
Law gave him an exasperated look. “You’re going to burn a hole through another pot.”
“Nah, it’ll be fine.” He sauntered to the door. “Three minutes until dinner, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
“Yup. Have fun with your fanfic.” Cora shot him a grin, then closed the door.
Law listened carefully for any telltale sounds of Corazon falling down the stairs. When he heard nothing of note, he turned back to his desk and opened his laptop with a sigh. He was not thrilled that Corazon knew about his… hobby, for lack of a better word. But it could be worse. Corazon wouldn’t judge him for writing fanfic, and he definitely wouldn’t tell anyone.
He was about to open his chapter draft when he noticed that he’d received a new email. He tapped over to his inbox, and his eyebrows rose: the person who had commented on his fic had replied to his reply.
MxRead (Registered User) replied to your comment on Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure:
Hey you replied! It’s like being contacted by a celebrity! I’m so honoured! 🤩
He huffed. What a weird response. Why was this person keeping track of who he replied to? How odd.
He had nothing to say to that — what would he say, anyway? — so he opened his chapter draft and went back to his editing. It took him a minute to realize that he was smiling.
He tsked. “Honoured,” he muttered. “Weird.”
Cora’s voice floated up from the main floor. “Oi, Law! Ramen’s ready!”
“Coming.” He stood up, then paused and read the funny little reply again.
Weird, he thought. He smiled to himself, then closed his laptop and went downstairs for dinner.
Chapter 2: Crush
Notes:
Timeline notes: This takes place a week after the previous chapter.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The bridge of his nose exploded with pain. Poison Pink twisted her hands out of his grip, and before he could castigate himself for his second of inattention, her lips were at his ear: those toxic, glistening lips that haunted his dreams.
“Better luck next time, Captain,” she whispered, and then she was gone.
The sticky gloss from her lips tingled along the edge of his ear. His heart was pounding with fury, and his eyes were still watering from the assault of her skull. But he couldn’t let her get away, not if there was a chance she’d heard the Vice-Admiral’s plans.
He stepped away from the wall to chase her down, but his legs were like lead. Damn it, he was dizzy. That headbutt must have been harder than he… realized…? But wait. Wait…
The sticky gloss of her lips on his ear — her toxic, poison-pink lips.
“Damn that woman,” he slurred. It was his last thought before he crumpled to the ground.
A cliffhanger. Of course the chapter ends on a cliffhanger! You don’t know how this writer does it, but they manage to end most of their chapters on cliffhangers, and it’s the best and worst thing ever.
You chuckle to yourself as you put your phone down. It’s the end of your workday, and you’re relaxing in your office at the medical sciences library of Egghead University. You’re waiting for your friends to come and meet you for dinner, which gave you a perfect pocket of time to catch up on the newest chapter of Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure: the SoraPink fic you’ve been obsessed with since you found it last week.
Honestly, it’s lucky that you only found this fic a week ago, since it meant you were able to binge all fifteen of the chapters that were already posted. Now you’re in the suffering period of waiting for the writer’s updates, but it seems like they post updates every two or three weeks, which is quite frequent. And this means you’ll have time to catch up on leaving comments for every chapter you’ve read so far!
You hear a soft knock. You look up to see Robin, Nami and Vivi standing in the open doorway.
“Hey!” you say warmly. “You guys all came together?”
“We ran into Robin on the way inside,” Nami says, and she comes into your office. “Are we disturbing you?”
“Nope, I was just waiting on you guys. But I am dying to tell you guys about this fic I’m reading. None of you guys read SoraPink fic, do you?”
“That’s from Warrior of the Sea, right?” Vivi says. “I’ve watched a couple of episodes! I saw some posts with people shipping Sora and Poison Pink, but I haven’t read any fic for them.”
Nami tilts her head thoughtfully. “That’s an F/M ship, right?”
“Yep!”
Vivi laughs. “Nami’s not interested, then. It’s femslash or nothing for her.”
“You know it,” Nami says, and she kisses Vivi’s cheek before sitting on the corner of your desk. “You can tell us about your boring F/M fic if you want, though.”
Vivi tuts playfully and squeezes her waist, and you smirk at them. “Thanks. So it’s SoraPink, and it’s just — the character-building is sooo good. It’s like the writer gets inside of Sora and Poison Pink’s heads and lays out exactly why they’re such a complementary match. The actual show writers for WOTS should be jealous. And the sexual tension is just, ugh! It’s so good.”
“Ooh, go on,” Vivi says, and she sits in the chair across from your desk. “You’ve got my attention now.”
You grin at her, then look over at Robin, who’s perusing the bookshelf in your office. “Robin, do you follow WOTS at all?”
“I’m watching the show with Franky,” she says. “It’s quite good. I’m enjoying the intertwined plotlines. The torture scene in last week’s episode felt very accurate.”
Nami snorts a laugh, and you giggle before going on. “Well, if you like the plot in WOTS, you would like this fic. The plot is actually so good that I’m just as invested in the actual story as I am in the romance.”
Vivi’s eyes widen. “What? I feel betrayed! I thought you were my smutty-fics-only soulmate!”
“I am!” you laugh. “I wouldn’t be reading this one if there wasn’t going to be smut. Although — okay, I can’t lie, the writer said he’s not sure there will be explicit smut, but the way the tension is—”
“Wait,” Nami says. “‘He’? This writer is a guy?”
“Wow, really?” Vivi says. “Isn’t it rare for there to be men who write fanfic? Cis men, at least.”
You hastily wave your hands. “Sorry, I don’t know for sure that he’s — that the writer is a man. I just have a feeling.”
“Why?” Nami says dryly. “Does he describe Poison Pink as boobing breastily with her tits?”
You, Vivi, and Robin all burst out laughing, and you throw a crumpled sticky note at Nami. “No, okay? There’s no boobily-breasting. It’s the way he — they replied to the comment I left. It was, like, terse and to-the-point. I don’t know, I can’t explain it. But I’m just imagining this writer as being a guy.”
Vivi coyly rests her chin on her hands. “A guy that you have a fangirl-crush on?”
Nami laughs, and you roll your eyes. “No, you dope. I can’t have a crush on some random faceless writer on the internet.”
“What’s their username?” Robin asks.
“It’s — here, I’ll show you.” You pick up your phone and flick into the fic, and you show your phone to Robin.
She peers at the username. “UtaFan451208.”
“‘UtaFan’?” Vivi says. “That’s a woman.”
“Definitely a woman,” Nami agrees.
You give them a chiding look. “Lots of guys are fans of Uta.”
“Sure,” Nami says, “but they don’t put Uta in their usernames.”
“Are you sure about that?” you say.
She scrunches her nose. “Actually, I don’t know. Maybe they do. Their usernames could be, like, UtaBreastingBoobily?”
Vivi barks out a laugh and elbows her. Robin, meanwhile, is looking rather thoughtful. “I wonder,” she muses. “The username could be a mask.”
“Aren’t all usernames masks?” Nami says. “I’m not going around with my AO3 name being ‘Nami’.”
“Exactly,” Robin says. “Maybe this writer isn’t actually an Uta fan. It could be a smokescreen so they’re even harder to identify.”
“Ooh,” Vivi says. “That’s so mysterious. I love it.”
Nami folds her arms. “So what does that mean, then, if they are using Uta as a smokescreen username? Are we thinking this writer is a guy or not?”
“I think they’re a guy,” you say. “But I’d be happy to be proven wrong.”
“I think it’s a woman or genderqueer based on what’s most likely,” Vivi says. “Not many cis guys writing fic out there.”
“Agreed,” Nami says. “Robin?”
Robin shakes her head. “I don’t have an opinion yet. Not enough information to go off of.”
Nami laughs. “You’re such an academic.”
“Thank you,” Robin says serenely. To you she says, “You can send me a link to that fic. If you vouch for the plot, I’ll trust you.”
“Send it to me too!” Vivi says. “You had me at ‘sexual tension’. But Robin, I thought you didn’t read smutty fics?”
“I usually stick to Gen-rated fics,” Robin agrees. “Either that, or toxic yaoi smut.”
“Those are totally opposite sides of the spectrum!” Nami exclaims.
You and Vivi break into laughter again, and you finally gather your stuff and head out for dinner. Just as you’re reaching the library entrance, though, you realize that you left your laptop in your office.
You wilt a little as you come to stop. “Guys, I’m so sorry. I have to run back to my office and grab something.”
“No problem!” Vivi says. “We’ll wait outside.”
You hurry back toward your office. But as you’re nearing the entry desk into the stacks, you see a familiar figure: a tall, lean man with tousled black hair and two gold earrings in each ear.
“Hi, Dr. Trafalgar,” you say. He’s a world-renowned cardiac surgeon, and one of the lead clinical researchers in the Faculty of Medicine. His focus on the interplay between autoimmune disorders and cardiac surgery outcomes is fascinating, and you’re lucky enough to be the librarian who’s been assisting on his projects for the past year or so.
Although… If you’re being totally honest, his fascinating research and his reputation as a brilliant surgeon aren’t the only reasons you feel lucky to be working with him. In one blunt word, he’s hot. He’s just your type, in fact, from his height to his tattoos to his hooded golden eyes, and it’s always a treat to see him when he comes to the library in person: a circumstance that happens about once a week.
He turns to you with his customary handsome frown, and his eyebrows rise slightly. “You’re here late.”
He’s right; you usually leave work an hour earlier than this. “I was waiting on some friends for dinner,” you explain. “What about you? You’re here quite late too — oh, are you here to pick up that textbook?”
He nods. “I meant to come earlier, but… time got away from me.”
“I get it,” you say sympathetically. You honestly can’t imagine how he manages his life, with his dual roles as a surgeon and a clinical researcher. “You know we can have volunteers deliver those books to your office so you don’t have to pick them up, right? You just need to give us one business day’s notice.”
“It’s fine,” he says, and he presses his thumb against the angle of his jaw. “I need the excuse to stretch my legs.”
“Fair enough,” you say — and you ignore the corner of your brain that’s chirping about how long and elegant his legs are.
You take a step back. “Well, I can tell you for sure that the book is ready for you. Enjoy.”
He huffs, and you pause. “What?”
“Not many people would consider reading a medical textbook ‘enjoyable’.”
“True, but we’re all nerds here. It’s okay to admit that reading a medical textbook gives you a charge. Though I’m partial to romance novels myself.”
A hint of a smile curls the corners of his lips. But you notice that he’s still pressing his thumb into the angle of his jaw.
“Are you okay?” you ask.
He gives you a quizzical look, and you gesture at his hand. “You’re rubbing your TMJ. Are you having a headache?”
He lowers his hand. “...Yes, actually. But it’s fine.”
“Would you like some ibuprofen? I have some in my office.”
His frown deepens a little. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine.”
You give him a chiding look. “I thought doctors would be all about advocating for proper pain control.”
He purses his lips, and you consider backing off; you know you’re being a bit heavy-handed now by offering him painkillers. But you’re no stranger to headaches and jaw-clenching, and you know that what he’s suffering right now can’t be fun.
“Come on,” you say persuasively. “It will only take a second to pop to my office. And then you won’t have to keep rubbing your jaw.”
He sighs, but he falls into step with you. “You’re being… insistent. I’m starting to wonder which of the two of us is the doctor here.”
You smile at him. “Honestly, when you spend as much time helping with people’s medical research as we do, you start to feel like you’re becoming a doctor by osmosis. Not that I’ve got the training or education that you do,” you add hastily. “Shoot, that sounded bad. I just meant that—”
“You pick up information along the way,” he says. “I get it. I can see it.”
“You can see it?”
He nods. “When you’re clarifying things with me by email, I can see how much you’ve learned about my specialization.”
“Oh,” you say in surprise. “Well, that’s great! Anything I can do to be of more help is always good.” You open your office and lead him inside, and you grab the ibuprofen from your desk drawer. “One or two? They’re extra-strength.”
“One is fine.”
You place a pill in his palm. He swallows it dry, then sidles back over to the door. “Thanks. I should get going.”
“I’ll come with you. One second.” You grab your laptop and charger, and you stuff them into your bag while joining him at the door.
You walk together back toward the entrance to the stacks. Law is quiet as you make your way along the hall together, and you opt to stay quiet too. He doesn’t strike you as a small-talk kind of person, which you totally empathize with, especially if he’s having a headache.
You arrive back at the entrance to the stacks, and he slows a stop. “Thanks again for the ibuprofen.”
“Anytime,” you say. “Enjoy the textbook.”
“I’ll try,” he says dryly. “Enjoy your romance novels.”
You chuckle. “I will. And if you ever need a break from the textbooks, let me know. I can give you a recommendation.”
He arches a brow and folds his arms. “You’re recommending romance novels now? Is that within your scope?”
You point playfully at him. “Don’t ever underestimate a librarian, Dr. Trafalgar. I can recommend a book for any topic under the sun.”
He huffs, and the bare-hint of a smile on his lips makes your tummy squiggle with warmth. “Have a good evening.”
“You too. Bye!”
You head for the library exit with a spring in your step. When you step outside to rejoin the girls, Nami widens her eyes. “What took so long?”
“Sorry! I ran into someone I know.”
“Someone cute?” Vivi teases. “You look a little fluttery.”
You scoff and poke her arm, and Robin speaks up. “I started reading the fic you sent. It’s very good.”
“Right?” you say brightly. “The writer has so much potential! I kind of get the feeling they started writing fairly recently, but you know that feeling when you read someone’s work, and you just know they’re going to become one of the best writers you’ve ever read?”
“You totally have a fangirl crush on this writer,” Nami remarks.
“Totally,” Vivi agrees.
You stick your tongue out at them, and the four of you continue to chatter as you make your way down the library steps. As you and the girls head to the restaurant Robin selected, you find yourself wondering if UtaFan451208 will reply to any more of your comments on their fic. Yours was the only one that they replied to, so if you keep leaving more, maybe you’ll get lucky and make a new fandom friend.
A friend, and not a fangirl crush, you think wryly. After all, only an idiot would develop a crush on some nameless random person that you know nothing about, aside from their excellent writing.
Notes:
I never get around to mentioning the girls’ professions in this fic, so I’ll tell you here what they do, in case anyone cares: Robin is a professor of archeology; Nami is a fashion influencer on Tiktok/IG; and Vivi is a hairstylist who’s heavily involved in local politics in her spare time.
Also, Robin is married to Franky. Frobin and NamiVivi forever! 🥰
Chapter 3: Familiar
Notes:
Every chapter does NOT start with an excerpt of SoraPink, don’t worry. 🤣
This chapter takes place a week after the previous one.
Chapter Text
She thoughtfully dangled the broken handcuff from her finger. A poison-proof steel core, hm? The Navy were starting to get clever. Germa’s scientists had been making more advanced tech than this for nearly a decade, of course, but Poison Pink didn’t mind throwing the Navy a bone here and there. Especially if it meant paying a tiny little compliment to that delightful puppy Sora.
She smirked. She had no doubt that the handcuff was Sora’s brainchild. He was the only Navy grunt she’d ever fought who actually took her seriously
Law pulled off his headphones and scrubbed his hands through his hair. It was no good; he just couldn’t focus right now, even though he really wanted to.
It was the comments. Over the past week, MxRead had left long, thoughtful, and amusing comments on every single one of his chapters, including the most recent one that he had posted at the start of the week. Like the first one, each comment consisted entirely of praise with no critique; she complimented his characterization and the romantic tension between Sora and Poison Pink, and she even pulled out quotes from his chapters that she particularly liked and explained why she liked them so much. She also asked him questions: questions about his writing process, how he had come up with various plot ideas, how he’d thought to tie together certain details from the earlier chapters into the more recent ones — a whole variety of thought-provoking questions that even Law hadn’t really considered before.
It was… overwhelming, to be honest. He had never expected to receive such praise for his writing. He wasn’t writing this story to be praised by anyone, after all; he was writing it because… because he just wanted to. Because he’d been driven to start writing it by some insane compulsion that was continuing to fuel him even a year after it had first struck. He had never considered that people would enjoy his work enough to comment on it, and the comments he had received over the past year hadn’t really meant anything to him. But the inundation of long and thought-provoking comments from MxRead was really… It was just overwhelming. And he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
He had replied to that first comment that MxRead had left at the start of the week. But did that mean he had to reply to all of these comments? That would take a lot of time: time that he already had so little of, and which he had to schedule on purpose to be able to write, like he had tried to do tonight. But his attention kept being drawn from his chapter draft to his AO3 inbox. He had read each of MxRead’s comments three times now, but even so, he was finding it hard to focus on his chapter. He kept thinking about the questions that she’d asked, trying to formulate his answers to her questions—
No, not ‘her’. He shouldn’t assume this person was a ‘her’, even if it was statistically most likely that MxRead was a woman.
In any case, his AO3 inbox was a distraction: enough so that he was thinking maybe he should just reply to the comments so he could focus on the actual writing — which was, after all, what he’d been looking forward to this entire week.
He pulled up MxRead’s comment on his first chapter.
MxRead on Chapter 1
Okay, here I am to spam you with love on each of your chapters! Better settle in! 🍿
Right off the bat: I LOVE that you started this story in media res. You immediately had me by the throat by throwing us right into a near-death encounter between Sora and Pink (an encounter that you still haven’t brought up again??? How long are you going to make us wait??? jkjk I’m not really yelling at you, this is all with love I promise!). Such a good way to suck your readers right into the story! I can just imagine how much planning and forethought it would take to imagine a scene like this so far in advance. Are you excited to rewrite the scene later with all the details filled in? I for one can’t wait to see it fleshed out!
I love how a lot of this first chapter is just about Poison Pink — or should we call her Reiju? Which brings me to another thing I love about this chapter, and the whole fic: the way you sometimes use the name ‘Reiju’ and sometimes ‘Poison Pink’, depending on the context, even within her own mind. It’s like, depending on what she’s thinking about, sometimes she thinks of HERSELF as Poison Pink (i.e. her shitty father’s tool, ‘one of the boys’ with her brothers even though they never totally include her) and sometimes she thinks of herself as just Reiju, like when she’s thinking about her mother or Sanji. Also, I am DYING of curiosity to know if Sanji is going to appear in your fic! I personally prefer the canon where his death was faked and he shows up later in the series, but I know there are some angst-lovers who thought the ‘Sanji is actually dead’ alternate universe take was especially poignant. And then there are the evil-Sanji Stealth Black lovers, but we won’t talk about them. 😌 (Full disclosure, I’m a bit of a Sanji simp so I hope he appears in this story as a sympathetic character! But that’s not to say you should change your plans at all based on my hopes — I fully and entirely trust your vision, no matter what you choose to do!)
Omg this comment is getting so long and there’s so much more I wanted to say lmao! But for the interest of time, I’ll just remark that I love how you immediately give us such an amazing BURST of chemistry between Sora and Pink right at the end using only 4 lines of dialogue. Such a masterful punch of tension that made me soooo happy I didn’t have to wait for the next chapter!
Okay, I’ll wrap up this essay and move on to the next chapter’s essay ASAP!
Essay, indeed, he thought. He still couldn’t believe someone had taken the time to leave this much analysis on his writing. He had never taken the time to analyze his own writing like this. He hadn’t even known the phrase ‘in media res’ before seeing it in this comment.
He idly drummed his nails on the desk for a minute before starting a reply.
UtaFan451208 on Chapter 1
The “in media res” opening was the first idea I had when I was planning this story. I am indeed looking forward to writing the fleshed-out scene. You’ll have to wait a while longer for that, though.
I’m pleased that you noticed the shift in how Reiju/Poison Pink thinks of herself and when those shifts happened. Your interpretation is exactly what I have in mind when I’m deciding whether to write “Reiju” or ”Poison Pink”.
I won’t comment on Sanji’s presence (or lack thereof) in this fic. But I prefer the death-faked canon myself. Sometimes I rewatch the mini-series with his death when I’m in an especially dark mood, though.
He paused and frowned. Why had he written that last bit about being in a dark mood? That was too personal. He’d better delete that.
I won’t comment on Sanji’s presence (or lack thereof) in this fic. But I prefer the death-faked canon myself.
Glad you enjoyed the tension in the dialogue at the end. I was pleased with it myself.
Thank you for
He paused again. Was it weird to thank this person for leaving these comments? It wasn’t like he had asked for the comments, so he didn’t really owe them any thanks. But when someone gave you a gift in real life, you still thanked them even if you hadn’t asked for the gift (or if you didn’t like it).
Wait. Did that mean Law was thinking of these comments as gifts? Were they gifts? He supposed they could kind of be seen that way.
Thank you for the essay. I enjoyed it.
He read over his reply for typos, then posted it. And as soon as he posted it, he felt a little cringe for saying he enjoyed MxRead’s essay. Would it make him seem pathetic, as though he was begging for more comments? It wasn’t his intention to come off that way. He hoped that she — that they wouldn’t take it that way.
He went on to the next comment, reading it over slowly once more before starting to craft a reply. He posted the reply, and when his AO3 inbox refreshed, he saw that he had a new comment: a reply on his previous reply, in fact.
MxRead on Chapter 1
Oh yay you replied! I was worried the length of my comments would be annoying, I’m so glad I haven’t put you off (yet! There’s still time!! 🤣)
Aaaaaa you tease, saying we need to wait a while longer! So vague and mysterious!!
Omg I’m so glad that YOU’RE glad that I noticed the Reiju/PP thing! I’ll keep on pointing it out in future chapters!
YES a fellow Sanji-lives-happily-ever-after truther!! Are you watching the live-action WOTS reboot? This is going to make me sound like such a thirsty fangirl, but the actor they have for his flashbacks is so hot I want to die HAHA. But also, confession: I kind of hate myself for this, but sometimes when I’m having a shitty day, I’ll put on the Sanji-dies anime just so I can have a really good hard cry and it makes me feel better. Am I a sicko?? (Don’t answer that!)
You deserve to be pleased with that dialogue! It’s fire!🔥I’ll keep commenting on my fav bits of dialogue as I read!
He huffed in amusement. ‘A thirsty fangirl’? MxRead was a woman, then. That was one mystery solved.
Law settled back in his chair with a sigh. He couldn’t disagree that Sanji’s actor in WOTS was remarkably attractive. He wondered what MxRead would do if she knew that Law actually knew the real Vinsmoke Sanji, and that Sanji had changed his family name and was working now as a chef. And that he bore quite an uncanny resemblance to his own actor, in fact.
He smirked at the thought of how she would react if she knew. He obviously wasn’t going to tell her since Sanji’s life wasn’t his business to share, but still, it was funny to imagine.
Interesting, too, that she watched the Sanji-dies anime when she was in a bad mood. That was a funny coincidence. Funny too that he had refrained from sharing this fact about himself, but she’d just gone ahead and said it.
She said a lot of personal things in these comments, actually, which was… strange. Strangely intimate, considering that they didn’t know each other. But he supposed this was where the online-anonymity thing came into play. If a stranger was being this familiar with Law in real life, he would hate it. But the laptop screen put a distance between them, and that comforting distance somehow made MxRead’s personal comments more entertaining than anything else.
He sat there thinking for another very long minute before typing out a reply.
UtaFan451208 on Chapter 1
I am watching the WOTS reboot. It’s surprisingly good so far, though the anime series from the 2010s is the best iteration of the original material, in my opinion. And agreed — the actor for Sanji is attractive.
If you’re a sicko for watching the Sanji-dies anime on bad days, then so am I.
He posted the reply. Then he immediately regretted it. What if she thought that his remark about being a sicko was too familiar? Inappropriate? Maybe he’d gone too far.
He frowned at the screen, then pulled up his chapter draft. He typed a couple of lacklustre sentences and immediately deleted them, then went back to his AO3 inbox and refreshed it.
She had replied.
MxRead on Chapter 1
OKAY OKAY BUT HE’S SO HOT RIGHT??? Like sir pls, I only have two ovaries??? I am calm about this. I am normal. It’s fine.
I have to admit, I’m surprised you said the 2010s series is the best! I had a feeling you’re one of those hardcore fans who’s read/watched/played every bit of Sora material that’s out there, so I would’ve thought you liked the original comics the best! Just goes to show I shouldn’t assume 😂
Omfg I’m laughing so hard re: us both being sickos!!! That’s so funny! 🤝
Ah. Now this comment would be easy to reply to.
UtaFan451208 on Chapter 1
The original comics are my favourite. I grew up reading them. But the 2010s series is the best. Favourite ≠ best, in my opinion — something that I think the broader fandom would benefit from remembering. Just because I like something the most doesn’t mean everyone does, and vice versa.
What is your favourite iteration of
He hesitated. Should he ask her this question? Too familiar? Asking about her preferences felt like a very familiar thing to do. Or was he overthinking this?
He was obviously overthinking it. She’d been asking him questions from the get-go, for fuck’s sake.
What is your favourite iteration of WOTS?
He posted the reply and tapped his fingers on the desk for a few seconds. Then he stood up and gathered the few pieces of clothing that had accumulated in the office. He folded the clothes and placed them on the stool beside his desk so he would remember to take them back to his bedroom, then inspected his WOTS figure collection for dust. But it was perfectly clean, of course, since he dusted them every week.
He sat at his desk again and refreshed his inbox.
MxRead on Chapter 1
You’re 100% right about favourite ≠ best and fandoms needing to remember it!!! It’s like YKINMK, you know? Just live and let live! But now I’m so curious about why you think the 2010s animated series is the best! Not saying I think you’re wrong, but I want to know why YOU feel it’s the best!
My favourite iteration would have to be the 2010s animated series, in fact! I’ll sometimes just rewatch parts of my favourite story arcs to cheer myself up. I think I’ve watched the Shokugeki filler arc like six times for comfort! Though the stupid tragic Sanji-dies miniseries has me in a chokehold too, I can’t lie. (I really am a sicko!)
I also have to confess that I’ve never read any of the comics… I’m sorry, I’m a fake fan!!
He rubbed his chin. She couldn’t really want to know why he thought the animated series was the best. Law could get way too intense when he was discussing WOTS: a fact that he knew because everyone had told him so when he was growing up. Everyone except Cora, who read all of his childish fan comics and would let him rave on about Sora and Germa 66 for hours while sitting next to his hospital bed. But that was Cora. Nobody else really wanted to talk about WOTS that much.
He really did love discussing the Sora animated series, though. It was too bad.
UtaFan451208 on Chapter 1
I don’t know what YKINMK is. But re: why the animated series is the best — it’s too much to get into in these comments.
You are not a fake fan for not reading the comics. The idea of a “fake fan” is gatekeeping bullshit made up by incels. If you like any iteration of WOTS, then you’re fan. Some of us fans are just more informed than others.
He smirked as he posted the reply. Then he frowned. Was MxRead going to understand that he was joking about some fans being more informed? He’d meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but maybe his sarcasm wouldn’t come through from the way he’d written it.
It probably wouldn’t. His sarcasm didn’t land with people half the time in real life.
Oh well. I guess that’s what emoji are for, he thought ruefully. But he hated using emoji. The only person he used emoji with was Bepo, and only because Bepo looked like an emoji when he made that sad I’m-sorry face.
“Oi, Law! Get your ass down here!”
He lifted his head at Corazon’s voice, then opened his office door and poked his head out. “What do you want?” he yelled.
“The guys are here! We’re waiting for you!”
Law frowned. What guys?
He descended the stairs and followed the sound of the TV through the kitchen. “Who—?” He broke off, and his heart sank.
The living room was packed with people. Corazon and Marco were on the couch, Kid and Killer were each taking up an armchair, and Shachi, Penguin and Bepo were arrayed on cushions on the floor.
“Captain!” Bepo cried. “There you are!” He leapt up from the floor and grabbed Law in a hug.
“Bepo,” he said blankly. “Why are you—?” Oh fuck. Now he remembered: Corazon had press-ganged him into inviting Bepo and the others over so they could play Rugby 2K25: Gold Edition in teams.
He’d totally forgotten about this. He’d been so eager to get some writing done that he’d forgotten to check his schedule when he was partitioning out his scant free time for the weekend.
Kid laughed raucously. “Oi, Bepo, you sure you want to put your fate in this guy’s hands?”
“Law is the best strategist,” Shachi said proudly. “No one makes a better team captain than him.”
“That’s right,” Penguin chimed in. “You’ll see that when we kick your asses, Kid.”
Kid’s scarred face lifted into a mean smile. “Listen to these cocky feckers, Killer. How many points d’you think we’ll win by? Two dozen, three dozen maybe?”
“Make it a square four dozen, partner,” Killer said.
Shachi and Penguin jeered and threw popcorn at him, and Marco chuckled and folded his arms behind his head. “Relax, guys. We’re just going to have fun tonight-yoi.”
“Fuck that,” Kid retorted. “We’re here to win.”
“Roger that,” Killer said.
Corazon grinned and elbowed Marco. “This is why I wanted these guys on my team. They’ll balance you out.”
“Me?” said Marco. “What’s wrong with how I play?”
“You don’t give a shit at all whether you win or lose.”
“True,” Marco said. “I really just came for the snacks. Killer, these pineapple buns are great-yoi,” he said, and he held up a pastry before taking a bite.
Law frowned. He was torn between envying Marco for how relaxed he looked, and being annoyed at his colleague for dropping crumbs on the couch.
He extricated himself from Bepo’s furry embrace and went to the kitchen, and Corazon called out to him. “Hey, where are you going?”
“To get plates. You’re all making a mess.”
“Ah, feck your plates,” Kid said. “It’s finger food! It’s supposed to be messy.”
Law re-entered the living room and plonked a plate and napkin on his knee. “Use a plate, or I’ll slice off your other arm.”
Kid laughed and thumbed his nose with his prosthetic left hand. “That’s a cracking attitude for a surgeon to have. And I’d like to see you try.”
Law ignored him and handed plates to Bepo, Penguin and Shachi, then to Killer. “How’s Rosinante doing in your sessions?”
“He’s doing just fine,” Killer said. “He’s maintaining his mobility, and his stamina is stable.”
“Stable? Not improving?” Law said.
Corazon lazily raised his hand. “I’m right here. You can ask me how my physio sessions are going.”
Law shot him a chiding look. “Or I could ask your physiotherapist directly, since he’s sitting right here.”
“Sorry, Rosi,” Killer said. “Would ye rather tell him about your progress yourself? I just assumed…”
“Nah, you go ahead,” Corazon said amiably. “But you guys can only have five minutes to talk about medical stuff, and then we’re playing this game.”
“Oi, forget waiting,” Kid said, and he picked up his controller and tapped into the game menu. “Let’s play a warm-up round while they’re haverin’ away. No point wasting time.”
Shachi, Penguin and Bepo clamoured in agreement, but Law ignored them all to speak to Killer. “I would have thought his stamina would be getting better. He’s been in remission for a year, he’s been doing weekly physio with you, he’s been exercising like you instructed him. Why isn’t he getting better?”
“This is what’s expected, Law,” Killer said gently. “He’s meetin’ the goals we set for him. He was never going to be running marathons or hiking up mountains.”
“Obviously,” Law retorted. “But…” He trailed off and rubbed his forehead. He knew that Killer was right, and that Corazon was doing well these days. It was remarkable, actually, that Corazon was able to live as independently as he did with both chronic heart failure and a rare virus-mediated autoimmune disorder called Flevance vasculitis: complex conditions whose symptoms each limited the curative options for the other. If only it wasn’t for the fucking vasculitis, then he would have been a prime candidate for a heart transplant… But there was no point getting into the what-ifs about Cora’s health. That always just led him to a dark place.
“Oi, Law,” Corazon said, and he squeezed his arm. “I’m doing great, okay? Just come sit down.”
“Yeah, Law,” Kid chimed in. “Rosi’s looking right braw these days. Cut the fecking cord already.”
Law shot him a withering look, but Corazon laughed. “Woah-woah, Kid, was that a compliment? You’ll give me a heart attack.”
“Don’t joke about that,” Law snapped. “It’s not funny.”
Cora gave him a look: a soft, understanding everything-will-be-okay look that he’d been giving Law since long before anything had been okay. Then Marco nudged him. “Law, did I hear that you were getting another research assistant in your lab?”
“Yes, but it’s an undergrad position,” Law said, and he finally sat on the couch between Marco and Corazon. “It’s only a few hours a week, and they’ll need training on how to properly do a lit search before they’ll be able to contribute anything.”
Marco raised an eyebrow. “Your new RA can’t do a lit search? I thought that was the entire job-yoi.”
“Lit review more than searching. But I don’t take it for granted that anyone who joins my lab can do a proper lit search, especially if they’re in undergrad. Basic training when they enter my lab is to do at least one session with our librarian on how to do a lit search.”
“Sounds dead boring,” Kid remarked.
“Shut up,” Law drawled.
“Yeah, Kid, shut up,” Corazon said, and he threw a peanut at Kid’s head.
Kid grinned and threw a nut back at him, and Law tried his hardest to ignore them and focus on Marco, who was thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “It’s a good idea-yoi. I should suggest it to Hongo in case he’s not doing that already. What’s the name of your librarian? Do you recommend her?”
“Yeah, she’s very good. Her name is Lei. I’ll connect you with her by email.” Law liked the librarian who was assigned to his lab. She was extremely competent at her job, which was the thing that mattered to him the most in a colleague. And as a bonus, she was easy to get along with. She was friendly and funny, but in a subtle, understated way that made him feel at ease, and she didn’t have that irritating habit of making small talk to fill the silence, like most extraverts had. She fell into the rare category of people that he wouldn’t mind being trapped in an elevator with, and in Law’s opinion, this was high praise.
“Sounds good,” Marco said. “Thanks.”
Law nodded. Then Corazon slung an arm around his neck. “Okay, gentlemen, your five minutes of medical talk is up.”
“That wasn’t medical talk,” Law pointed out. “It was research talk.”
“About medical research,” Corazon said. “Doctor time is over now. It’s time for us to decimate you guys in rugby.”
Bepo, Penguin and Shachi booed him loudly while Kid and Killer started up a rugby cheer from their varsity days, and Law slumped a little into the couch. They were all so damn noisy.
Cora spoke to him in a low voice. “You’ll have fun. You know you will.”
He grunted and held out his hand. “Bepo, give me the controller. It’s time to win.”
“Roger, Captain!” He handed over the controller while Shachi and Penguin jeered at a grinning Kid.
Corazon clapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck. You’ll need it.”
Law tsked, and they started the game. As usual — infuriating though this was — Corazon was right: Law did have fun, especially since their team won the impromptu tournament of three matches. They ultimately won by one single point, but still, a win was a win.
“For fuck’s sake!” Kid threw down his controller.
Shachi and Penguin promptly jumped up and started doing their victory dance, which somehow looked like they were swimming and trying to make Kid suck a dick at the same time. Law smirked and laced his hands behind his head. “So much for your varsity-level expertise, Eustass-ya.”
Kid snarled at him, then pointed accusingly at Marco, who was contentedly slumped down on the couch as though he was melting into it. “You gobshite. This is your fault! I told you when you were settin’ up that scrum to put more heavyweights among the forwards!”
“And I told you, I don’t know what that means-yoi,” Marco said. “I thought Rosi said we were playing football.”
Corazon burst out laughing, and Kid shoved his hands through his hair like he wanted to rip it out. “Fuckin’ football? Argh!”
Killer rose from his chair. “Easy, Kiddo. We’ll massacre ‘em next time.” He sat on the arm of Kid’s chair and offered him a cupcake.
Kid glared up at him, then bit off half the cupcake directly from his fingers, and Law rose from the couch and stretched. “Well, this was good. But I’m going to bed. You can all see yourselves out.”
“Captain, stay!” Bepo pleaded. “We haven’t seen you for almost two weeks!”
“You’re goin’ to bed already?” Kid said (through another mouthful of cupcake). “How fecking old are you, ninety? It’s only… Oi, what time is it?”
“Ten past one,” Marco said.
“Right on, it’s early,” Kid said. “Come on then, lads, we’ve got time for another match.”
“No,” Law said firmly. “You’re too loud when you play. You can stay and eat your snacks, but then you’re out. That goes for all of you,” he said, with a warning look at all of them — except Bepo, who was doing the sad-baby-bear face that Law could not look at.
Marco raised his hand. “Sorry, but I’ll have to stick around until the edible wears off-yoi.”
“Wait,” Kid said blankly. “Are you—?” He swelled with anger. “Marco, you wanker. Are you sayin’ you were blazed this whole time?”
Killer, Corazon, Shachi and Penguin started laughing, but Law glared at Corazon. “You gave him one of your edibles? They’re by prescription!”
“You can get the exact same things without a prescription,” Corazon reasoned. “And you know pot doesn’t do anything for me unless I smoke it. Better for someone else to enjoy them so they don’t go to waste.”
Marco chuckled as though to punctuate his point. Law pinched the bridge of his nose for patience, then gave them both a forbidding look. “Fine. But only because Marco is a doctor who usually has good judgment.”
Marco saluted him lazily. “Thanks-yoi. I’ll be out of your hair by the morning.”
Law clicked his tongue and headed through the kitchen, and Cora called out to him. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep tight. I love you.”
“We love you, Captain!” Bepo called. “Thanks for winning for us!”
Shachi and Penguin cheered. Law waved them off and went upstairs, but he didn’t go to get ready for bed just yet. Instead, he slipped into his office and checked his AO3 inbox.
MxRead had left him another reply.
MxRead on Chapter 1
I totally get it — there’s so much to unpack about the entire WOTS universe that we could end up clogging the comment section completely! Suggestion, and please feel free to say no: if you have Discord, we could move the WOTS discussion there? I hope this doesn’t sound totally desperate, but I don’t have any friends who are as deep into the fandom as I am, so you’re the first person I’ve found in a while that I can yap to about it lmao! NO PRESSURE THOUGH, it’s totally fine if you don’t want to make the jump to Discord. We can just keep chatting through the comments! I’m the same username on Discord, if you want to message me there — I’ll leave the ball in your court!
What you said about the gatekeeping is so nice, though. I was kind of joking about being a fake fan, but you’re right and it was really nice of you to say it! But also LMAO fuck right off about being a fan who knows more than others!!! I choked on my tea when I read that! 🤣
Discord? She wanted to message with him through Discord? He didn’t know about that. Discord was for people he knew, like voice chatting when he was gaming with Bepo and the others. He wasn’t in any of those big open-invite servers — those frankly sounded like a fucking nightmare — and he’d never used Discord before to communicate with a stranger.
No, he wasn’t doing that. It was way too familiar. And maybe he ought to see this as something of a red flag, too, that MxRead was willing to message with a total stranger so quickly. As enjoyable as it was to exchange these comments with her tonight, it felt a little too friendly to invite him to message her on Discord. The invitation seemed a little too… eager, maybe? Too willing to trust a person she didn’t even know. She didn’t know that Law wasn’t an obsessive stalker, for example. It didn’t bode well for her judgment.
He leaned back in his chair with a sigh and ran a hand over his hair. Maybe he’d been imprudent and overly trusting by exchanging all these comments with her tonight, pleasant though the exchange was. Amusing, too. And it was refreshing that his sense of humour seemed to land with her. Still, maybe he’d taken this too far.
Although… Discord was an anonymous messaging app. It wasn’t like she would learn anything real about him through Discord unless he wanted her to, and vice versa. So maybe the invitation was a reasonable one and not overly familiar after all. And she had mentioned more than once that they could just keep the conversation in the comments on AO3, so it wasn’t like she was trying to pressure him.
And he really did like talking about Warrior of the Sea.
He frowned at his screen for a long minute. Then he abruptly shut his laptop down and stood up. “I’m not doing this,” he muttered. “It’s too risky.” And with that problem solved, he left his office to get ready for bed.
Chapter 4: Sweet
Chapter Text
This is the beginning of your direct message history with MxRead.
Saturday May 17, 2025
HeartCaptain251615 3:11 AM
This is UtaFan451208 from AO3.
MxRead 10:22 AM
Omg hi! This is so great that you reached out!
First things first, I have to ask: are you actually an Uta fan?
HeartCaptain251615 11:47 PM
Why do you ask?
MxRead 11:50 PM
Your AO3 name and your Discord name are different!
HeartCaptain251615 11:50 PM
My Discord name is for gaming. It’s primarily what I use Discord for.
MxRead 11:50 PM
Fair enough! But you didn’t answer my question about being an Uta fan… 😏
HeartCaptain251615 11:52 PM
Does it matter whether I’m an Uta fan?
MxRead 11:52 PM
The fact that you’re not saying yes or no is giving Uta hate 😂
HeartCaptain251615 11:57 PM
Fine. I’ll admit, I don’t like Uta.
MxRead 11:57 PM
I had a feeling! Actually I can’t take credit, my friend guessed that your AO3 name might be a smokescreen!
HeartCaptain251615 11:57 PM
A smokescreen?
MxRead 11:57 PM
Yeah! Like you’re saying you’re an Uta fan even though you’re not in order to throw people off your trail
HeartCaptain251615 11:58 PM
… It is embarrassing how quickly you figured that out.
Your friend, I should say.
You talk about my fic with your friends?
MxRead 11:59 PM
YES. I told them how much I’m loving it! My one friend has read it too since I recommended it! The same friend who guessed about your AO3 name, actually, and she’s really enjoying it too! Though she’s not as into WOTS as I am so I can’t yap about it in detail with her 🥲
Speaking of yapping in detail! Can you tell me now why you think the animated series is the best? chinhands
Sunday May 18, 2025
HeartCaptain251615 12:00 AM
Chin hands?
MxRead 12:00 AM
Yeah! You know, like:
MxRead 12:01 AM
HeartCaptain251615 12:03 AM
I don’t even know what to say to that gif.
MxRead 12:03AM
Hahahaha it just means I’m super interested! Come on, go off, let’s hear it! chinhands again
HeartCaptain251615 12:05 AM
Are you sure you want to talk about this?
MxRead 12:05 AM
Is that a trick question? Lol I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know!
HeartCaptain251615 12:06 AM
All right. But this might take a while.
MxRead 12:06 AM
I’ve got my tea! I’m ready and waiting!
HeartCaptain251615 12:18 AM
As I mentioned before, the comics are my favourite iteration of WOTS because I grew up reading them. But the comics are subject to the same narrative issues as most of the comics from the time. Pacing is one of the biggest issues — e.g. extensive backstory plotlines being introduced in the middle of a major plot arc and slowing down the momentum of the narrative. The animated series did a spectacular job of editing the pacing in that respect. Women, as always during the so-called golden age of comics, were depicted as damsels in distress or hypersexualized, and this was vastly improved on in the animated series, e.g. the Vinsmoke matriarch’s role being properly fleshed out. The sci-fi mechanics of Germa 66 technology as shown in the comics were limited by the science of the time, which isn’t the fault of the comics’ writers, but the leaps in scientific innovation during the decades between the comics and the animated series allowed for Germa 66 to be fleshed out as a much more formidable enemy.
I could go on about Sanji’s narrative arc and how much the animated series benefitted from the increasing complexity of science fiction thinking re: organic vs. synthetic life/intelligence, but I’ll quit while I’m ahead.
MxRead 12:20 AM
Noooo don’t quit while you’re ahead! You can’t tease me by mentioning Sanji and not tell me the rest of your rant!!!
HeartCaptain251615 12:21 AM
I’ll consider getting into it another day. You’ve been patient enough by reading all of the above. An essay, as you would say.
MxRead 12:21 AM
It totally was an essay and I loved it! I’m literally just sitting here reading your messages and sipping tea like go off king 🤣
HeartCaptain251615 12:21 AM
What are your thoughts on this? You mentioned that the animated series is your favourite. What iteration of WOTS do you feel to be the best?
MxRead 12:24 AM
Honestly? I have a feeling the live action might end up being the best iteration for me. I can’t really say much about the comics since I didn’t read them, but it’s really interesting to hear you comparing the comics and the animated series and how much the series improved on, like, limitations of the time when the comics were made? And honestly, I think that’s what the live action is doing now. I love the animated series soooo much, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not perfect. For instance, I know you mentioned that they depict women better in the series vs. the comics, but the live action is exponentially better in terms of representation with women (and POC, thank fuck!). And I think it’s all like, a sign of the times, you know? I love that it’s reflecting social issues happening in the world today, so it’s not the fault of the animated series, but yeah!
Hahaha I did not conclude my essay with the same flair as you did lmao!
HeartCaptain251615 12:25 AM
No flair is needed. And you’re right. Women are represented with more complexity (and thus accuracy) in the live action.
I didn’t intend to make the animated series sound like the pinnacle of representation in that sense. Sorry if that’s how I came off.
MxRead 12:25 AM
No no it’s okay! I didn’t mean to make YOU sound like you were mansplaining about female representation in superhero media lmao!
MxRead 12:25 AM
Not to assume that you’re a man!!! Fuck I’m so sorry I that just popped out
HeartCaptain251615 12:29 AM
No apology needed.
MxRead 12:33 AM
Can I ask what your pronouns are? I don’t want to misgender you again! BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO TELL ME, no pressure, you can tell me to fuck off if you don’t want to get into it! I’m she/her, for what that’s worth!
HeartCaptain251615 12:40 AM
He/him.
MxRead 12:40 AM
Noted! I’ll be honest, I had a feeling you were a guy!
HeartCaptain251615 12:40 AM
I’m almost afraid to ask why you had that feeling.
MxRead 12:40 AM
Hahaha no no don’t be afraid! It’s just the way you talk in your replies, it feels very man-like. Not chauvinistic or anything like that, I can’t explain it, it’s just vibes 😂
Speaking of replies! Can I ask why you don’t reply to your comments on AO3? Aside from mine, I mean!
HeartCaptain251615 12:41 AM
I’m under no obligation to reply to them.
MxRead 12:41 AM
No of course not! But replying to comments is the best way to strike up conversations about the fandom and make friends!
HeartCaptain251615 12:41 AM
I have no interest in making friends in the fandom. There are too many angry incels.
MxRead 12:41 AM
Omg I almost snorted tea through my nose! I’m laughing so hard!!!
HeartCaptain251615 12:41 AM
I didn’t realize this was funny.
MxRead 12:42 AM
Ok I’m going to pretend I’m not dying laughing so I can reply 🤣 So yes, there’s a lot of angry incels in the fandom, but I’ve found that there are a lot fewer of them in the fanfic space! I’ve only ever had really nice interactions on AO3 with the writers I’ve reached out to!
Also! If you’re not interested in making friends in the fandom, how come you decided to post your fic on AO3?
HeartCaptain251615 12:42 AM
AO3 is an archive with legal protection for its contributors. It’s the best place to post fic.
MxRead 12:42 AM
Sorry sorry, I more meant like, why bother posting it in the first place if you aren’t interested in talking about it with people or making friends? Why not just write it and keep it saved on your laptop/tablet/wherever?
HeartCaptain251615 12:47 AM
Truthfully, I didn’t consider not posting it.
MxRead 12:47 AM
I find that interesting! Like, why post it? Why not just keep it to yourself so no one else could read it?
MxRead 12:55 AM
Uh oh. Did I break your brain by asking you this? 🤣
HeartCaptain251615 12:55 AM
I’m neurologically intact, thanks for asking.
MxRead 12:55 AM
OMFG. Tea through my nose!!! 🤣
HeartCaptain251615 12:58 AM
I should go.
MxRead 12:58 AM
Oh noooo I scared you off by asking you about posting your fic!
HeartCaptain251615 12:58 AM
It’s not that. It’s late in my time zone.
MxRead 12:58 AM
Fair enough, it’s late in mine too! But I’ll just say this: I’m glad at least that you replied to my comments so we can talk about SoraPink and WOTS! And if we chat again, I promise I’ll stop hassling you about why you posted your fic, especially since I’m glad you did!
MxRead 12:59 AM
And I won’t forget that you stopped yourself from writing an essay about Sanji! I’m dying to know what you think about the development of his arc!
HeartCaptain251615 12:59 AM
I’ll keep that in mind. Bye for now.
MxRead 12:59 AM
Bye! Sleep tight!
************
Later that week…
It’s a quiet Friday afternoon at the library. You’re in your office doing your weekly maintenance for the Zotero library for Law’s lab, and you’re mostly locked in on your task — mostly. But let’s be honest: updating the Zotero library is one of your most boring duties. It’s an important one, since keeping the library up-to-date means that inserting citations and building the reference lists for the lab’s publications will be a snap. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that you need a big coffee and an energetic-music playlist to keep you alert and awake while you’re doing this.
Ten minutes later, you decide it’s time for a quick break. You stand up and do a little stretch, and you plop back down in your chair and pick up your phone. You check your email, and you flick around idly on Tumblr and Instagram for a minute. Then a SoraPink meme appears on your Insta feed.
You smile at the meme. UtaFan would enjoy it. Or should you be calling him HeartCaptain now, since that’s his Discord name? You’ll probably start calling him HeartCaptain in your head now that you know he doesn’t actually like Uta.
You snicker to yourself at the idea of him using Uta as a smokescreen. Then you copy a link to the meme, and you send it to him in Discord.
You don’t expect a reply anytime soon; it’s been almost a week since your first conversation on Discord, and HeartCaptain gives you vibes of someone who replies to Discord messages infrequently. But hopefully sending him this meme will spark another SoraPink conversation.
Actually, now that you think about it, you and HeartCaptain didn’t talk about SoraPink at all when you were messaging on the weekend! You’ll definitely have to make up for that the next time he messages you.
You stand up with a yawn and do another quick stretch. Then you settle in your chair once more to get back to work. Before you can really get into the groove, though, a notif pops up at the corner of your screen: you have a new email.
Subject: Last minute delivery
From: Dr. Trafalgar LawI’m sorry in advance for this request. But you mentioned that volunteers are able to deliver books. Can I request a book right now and have it dropped off this afternoon, despite the short notice?
+++ apologies. Let me know.
— Law
Uh oh. The delivery volunteer has already gone out today, so it won’t be possible to grant Law’s request. Although… Hm. What if…?
You quickly check the library inventory to make sure the book he wants is available. It is, and it’ll only take you a couple of minutes to retrieve it from the stacks. And depending on where on campus he is…
You tap your fingers thoughtfully on the desk, then type a reply.
You’re in luck, the book is available! The delivery volunteer has already gone out for the day, but depending on where you need it delivered, I might still be able to get it to you. Where on campus are you right now?
You turn your attention back to the Zotero library. But Law’s reply comes through in less than a minute.
I’m at the hospital right now. But I was hoping it could be delivered to my office on campus. Medsci Bldg.
— Law
Oh good, the Medical Sciences Building is not far from the library at all: a ten-minute walk at most. You can afford to be out of the office for a little bit, especially since you answered some emails during your lunch break.
I can drop it off to your office! What time will you be there?
His reply takes a couple of minutes to appear.
You shouldn’t deliver it. You have more important things to do.
— Law
You smile as you type out your reply.
I wouldn’t offer if I was too busy. And this will give me an excuse to go outside and touch grass!
Seriously though, I don’t mind doing a one-time drop-off, as long as we don’t make this a habit. I just need a photo of the back of your library card so I can sign the book out on your behalf.
You go back to Zotero and set up a couple more articles to upload. A few minutes later, Law’s reply comes through, along with the photo you requested.
OK. Thank you. I’m not sure what time I’ll be at the office, but I’ll email you when I leave here so we can coordinate.
My office number is 821. 8th floor.
+++ thanks again.
— Law
You tap out a quick reply.
Sounds good! I’ll give you my number if you want to text me instead — it’ll be faster to let me know if anything changes. 437-555-5926
You get up from your desk and head to the stacks to get the book that Law asked for. By the time you’ve returned to your desk, there are no further emails from him.
You didn’t really expect any further replies, so you settle back in to work on your ever-exciting Zotero task. An hour or so later, you’re just about ready for another stretch break when your phone buzzes with a text.
437-555-1028 3:15 PM
This is Trafalgar Law. I should be at my office in approx 20 mins. Thanks again.
You send him a little thumbs-up react and save his number to your phone. Then you settle in for another ten minutes’ work on Zotero. You can use the walk to the MedSci Building as your stretch.
Some twenty-odd minutes later, you’re stepping up to Law’s office on the 8th floor. You knock on the door, and his voice calls out from the inside. “Come in.”
You open the door and step inside. His office is a fair size, though it probably looks larger than it is because of how sparsely furnished it is. He’s got a pretty standard desk and office chair, with a couple of chairs in front of his desk for visitors, and he’s got a couch too. But otherwise, it’s just the standard filing cabinets and bookshelves. The only personal touch you can see is a large abstract-ish painting on the wall over the couch: a painting in blues and yellows and blacks that kind of makes you think of a fever dream of a submarine.
Law is sitting on the couch with his head hanging and his elbows resting on his knees, but he rises to his feet when you come inside. “Thanks again for coming,” he says. “You really shouldn’t have done this.”
You smile at him, and he sighs and rubs his forehead. “That’s not what I meant. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. I’ll make it up to you.”
He looks exhausted, the poor thing. Maybe’s he’s just getting off of a long shift. “That’s really not necessary,” you say, and you take the book out of your bag and hand it to him. “Seriously, you did me a favour by giving me an excuse to get away from updating your lab’s Zotero library.”
He grunts an acknowledgement. “Still. I don’t want to set a precedent.”
“A precedent for giving me a reason to take a paid walk?” you say playfully.
A ghost of a smile crosses his face for a split second. “A precedent for taking advantage of your… generosity. I don’t want to be in your debt.” He covers his mouth and yawns.
Damn, you could swear his jaw almost unhinged from how big a yawn that was. You eye him thoughtfully for a second. “Are you a coffee drinker?”
He gives you a quizzical look. “Yeah.”
“Then let’s go grab a coffee downstairs. You can buy for me.”
He frowns slightly… Oh shit. Oh shit, is he going to think you’re asking him out? Nooo! I mean, not that you wouldn’t go out with him, because you totally would, but that’s not what you meant—!
“All right,” he says. “That’s more than fair for taking your time. And I really need one.”
Oh, thank fuck! “Okay, great,” you say, and you sidle out of his office.
He follows you out. You make your way to the elevator in silence, and you can’t help but study his profile from the corner of your eye as you walk together. Damn, he really is attractive. There’s just something about the fact that he’s a doctor, combined with the tattoos and the earrings and the messy hair, like the perfect mix of responsibility and sexiness. Not to mention his height, which is always a plus. But he’s got dark circles under his hooded eyes, and you can see the tension in his jaw and even in his neck. He looks broody and distracted, and you can practically hear how loudly he’s thinking.
He presses the elevator button, and you stand quietly beside him as you wait for it to come. Once you’re in the elevator, you give him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry for whatever’s on your mind.”
He looks at you, and you quickly go on. “You don’t have to say anything. I don’t want to intrude. You just look… kind of disturbed, to be honest. And that always sucks before a weekend. If you even get the weekend off, that is.”
He nods and runs a hand through his hair, and you turn your gaze back to the elevator doors so he won’t think you’re expecting him to talk. But to your surprise, he does. “I’m supposed to drive out to a cabin this weekend. I was planning to get some work done while I’m there, but I forgot I lent my copy of that textbook to one of the PhD students.”
“Ohh,” you say. “Hence the urgency to get a copy.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m extra-glad I was able to bring you the book, then,” you say. “I hope you get a chance to relax and unclench your jaw during your cabin weekend, though.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Is this where you offer me another ibuprofen?”
You bite back a giggle and click your tongue instead. “Sadly, I don’t have any on me right now. But I definitely would have pushed the drugs on you if I had them.”
A tiny smirk curls his lips. “Hm. Good thing I don’t need one right now, then.”
“No headache today?”
“Not today.”
“That’s great! Even the little wins should be celebrated.”
He nods. He still looks distracted, and the smirk has already faded from his face, so you leave him in peace until the elevator doors open.
You step out of the elevator together and head for the coffee shop in the lobby. You wait together quietly in the coffee line, and when it’s time to place your orders, Law looks at you to put in your order first.
“Iced Vietnamese coffee, please,” you say.
Law’s eyebrows rise, and you give him an enquiring look. “Have you had Vietnamese coffee before?”
“Of course,” he says. “But I’ve never thought to get it here.”
“I know, right?” you say. “But it’s shockingly good, considering it’s just a café on campus. No offense,” you say hurriedly to the barista.
“I get it,” the barista says wryly, and he looks expectantly at Law.
He narrows his eyes at the menu for a second before speaking. “I’ll have the same as her.”
You smile up at him. “Excellent choice, if I do say so myself.”
“We’ll see,” he says dryly. “I try to avoid sugar during the day, but…” He shrugs. “What the hell. It’s Friday.”
“Exactly!” you say encouragingly. “And you’re going on a cabin retreat this weekend! Seize the vacation spirit!”
He huffs and follows you over to the other side of the counter to wait for your drinks. He leans back against the counter and folds his arms, and you occupy yourself for a minute with some idle people-watching as the students come and go from the building. Then you glance at him.
He’s looking at you.
Your heart skips. You tilt your head quizzically.
His eyebrows rise a little. Then he tugs his earlobe. “Do you… have weekend plans?”
Aw, he’s so awkward. How can he be both hot and awkward at the same time? “It’s okay. Dr. Trafalgar. We don’t have to make small talk. I’m a librarian, remember? I’m used to the quiet.”
His shoulders loosen visibly. “Would the other librarians appreciate you stereotyping them?”
“It’s not stereotyping if it’s true,” you say cheekily.
He huffs again, and you go on. “Seriously though, I think there’s a time and a place for small talk, you know? Like bridal showers, ugh. Or job interviews. But I’d rather not just be yapping all the time for no good reason. I’ll talk if I have something to say, you know? Otherwise…” You hold up a finger to your lips.
He smiles faintly, and you have the grace to be a little embarrassed at how pleased you are by his smile. You smile inanely back at him, then force your gaze back to the lobby doors so you can pretend to people-watch some more.
“What are your weekend plans?” he says. “If it’s not intrusive to ask.”
“Not at all,” you say. “But are you asking because you want to know, or because you’re doing pointless small talk?”
“Genuine curiosity this time.”
“Oh, this time,” you say playfully.
His lips curl into a smirk — yay! — and you can’t help but smile too as you reply. “Well, in that case, I’m going to a friend’s for brunch on Sunday. Otherwise, just hanging out at home, which I love. It’s nice to just wind down after a long week, you know? Personally, I’m looking forward to just lounging on my balcony and reading all day tomorrow.”
“Romance novels?” he says.
Smutty fanfic, more like, you think slyly, but you’re obviously not going to tell him that. “Something like that. Why do you ask? Looking for a recommendation after all?” you tease. Oh shit, now that was definitely too flirty. Argh, and it just popped out — you didn’t even mean to say it!
He huffs and rubs his mouth. He’s not meeting your eye now, and you can’t decide whether you feel more guilty about flirting with him by accident, or fluttery at how cute he looks right now… No, shut up, you’re not allowed to think he’s cute when you made him uncomfortable!
Oh thank fuck, the barista is handing over your drinks. You take yours with a smile of thanks and immediately take a sip so you can’t say any more stupid things.
Law sips his iced coffee too, then nods. “You were right. It’s good.” He gives the cup a suspicious look, then takes another sip before speaking. “Really good.”
You gratefully seize on the topic. “Unexpectedly good, right? That’s what I’m saying!”
He nods while taking another sip. Then he arches a brow. “I think you’re in my debt now.”
“What? How?”
“For making me aware of this.” He nods his chin at the iced coffee. “You’re tempting a doctor to corrupt his own health with a new addiction. You owe me.”
His tone and expression are so desert-dry that you can’t help it: you burst out a laugh. “Okay, that’s honestly fair. Let me know how I can make it up to you, and I’ll pay you back.”
He gives you one more tiny smile, then steps away from the coffee counter. “Have a good weekend.”
“You too. Drive safe. Get some good sleep before you go!”
His lips quirk in a we’ll-see-about-that kind of way. He turns away and heads back to the elevator, and you thoughtfully watch as he walks away, with his slightly-slouched and long-legged gait. You’ve always thought it was interesting that someone so introverted would choose a profession that requires him to talk to people for most of the day. He must really love the practice of medicine — or his specific surgical discipline, really. Actually, now that you’re thinking about it, you suppose that surgeons don’t have to do as much talking since their patients are unconscious. That must be nice for him, then!
Well, that’s dark, you think. You bite your lip to stop yourself from laughing by yourself in the lobby, and you head on back to the library, sipping happily on your iced coffee as you do. You still have your dreaded Zotero task to deal with, but at least now you have something sweet to make the job more pleasant — and the sweet memory of a certain handsome doctor’s rare and tiny smiles.
Chapter Text
“Sora, darling.”
His heart stopped. It was Poison Pink. How was this possible? “How did you get this number?” he demanded.
Her throaty laugh oozed through the dendenmushi. “Don’t insult me by asking stupid questions. How’s the weather out there at Punk Hazard?”
How the hell did she know where he was? His mission here was meant to be top secret. Admiral Akainu was the only one who was aware of the true nature of Sora’s presence on the ruined island of Punk Hazard.
He needed to think. If it was anyone else but Poison Pink, he would have denied where he was and kept his opponent talking until they admitted their own intentions and location. But Poison Pink’s ability to dissemble and divert was unparalleled.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “The weather is terrible, as you can guess.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t have to guess.”
He frowned. “What do you…?” Belatedly, he realized what she meant.
His guts seized. “Are you… here?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
This time, he could hear the roughness of exhaustion in her voice. Was there something wrong with her? “Poison Pink, answer me,” he said sharply. “Where are you?”
“I’m right where you want me, Captain,” she purred. Then he heard a soft clatter.
“Poison Pink?” he said.
There was no answer. What the hell? “Poison Pink?” he snapped. “Poison Pink, respond.”
The dendenmushi remained silent but connected, and Sora’s heart started to race. “Reiju, respond. Do you need assistance?”
She didn’t respond. Sora exhaled hard, then stood up from the control seat. If Poison Pink really was here somewhere on Punk Hazard, he had to find her and make sure she was alive so he could take her into custody. And he had to do it before the entire facility exploded.
Law stretched, then took off his headphones. Some of the language in this chapter still felt too technical, and he needed to fix the final lines to make the end of the chapter really punch. But it was close to being done.
He took a minute to drink his coffee and bask in his mostly-finished chapter draft. It had taken way too long to find the time to finish this chapter, so it was extra-satisfying now to see it mostly done. He supposed that he should thank Corazon for insisting that they go on this cabin getaway, since the enforced time out of the city meant no in-lab or in-hospital work. Cora had tried to coax him into leaving all of his work at home for the weekend, but Law had to put his foot down about that; his research was too important to take a break from it for an entire weekend.
Still, he could (grudgingly) admit that he was enjoying having the time and space to write. Not that he didn’t have space at home, because of course he did; he had his office, obviously, and he sometimes took his laptop to the living room to write on the couch when Corazon was out. But it was more like… mental space. Just knowing that the hospital and the lab were far away, and that he had no choice but to not work. It was almost like the realization that he couldn’t work had sparked his itch to write, and in the space of this single night, he’d written more than 6000 words.
Damn, he thought. Six thousand words, and he’d loved every minute of writing it. Not something he could really say about any of his scientific papers.
He finished the last dregs of his cold coffee, then stood up and ambled inside to get some more. When he looked at the oven clock and realized it was almost 2 a.m., he changed his mind and made some herbal tea instead.
Mug in hand, he went back out to the cabin’s huge back deck, which faced a forest of young maple trees. The forest was just an expanse of inky darkness this late at night, which suited Law just fine. The view of the stars was a nice one, too, and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed lounging on the deck with Cora earlier tonight, just staring up at the sky and watching the twisting shapes of the smoke from Cora’s blunt as it drifted into the night air.
Okay, fine, he’d admit it: he was enjoying this damn cabin weekend. And he should probably admit it to Corazon too. He’d thank Cora tomorrow morning.
He sat at the table with his tea. And for the first time in more than a week, he opened Discord.
MxRead had been in touch on Friday afternoon. She’d sent him a link to a funny SoraPink meme, followed by a message:
MxRead 2:11 PM
Immediately made me think of you! SoraPink truthers unite! 🤣
He huffed. The meme was funny, he’d admit. But now what? It would be awkward if he just told her it was funny and left it at that.
He gazed idly at his screen for a while as he sipped his tea. Then, finally, he typed out a reply.
Sunday May 25, 2025
HeartCaptain251615 2:07 AM
Nice. Someone should make a meme about the SoraPink truth sneaking up on us assassin-style. Or ninja-style, if we’re thinking Wano era.
He clicked over to the tab for his chapter draft and started pondering how to end the chapter: a task that he’d realized was an oddly difficult part of the writing process. But a few seconds later, he got a Discord notif in the corner of his screen.
He blinked at it in surprise. MxRead had replied, even though it was past 2 a.m.
MxRead 2:08 AM
Lol! Is that how it happened for you? The SoraPink obsession snuck up on you?
HeartCaptain251615 2:08 AM
Yeah. My fic didn’t start off as a romance. It became one while I was writing it, and I just went with it.
MxRead 2:08 AM
Omg you’re kidding! So you just changed gears and started writing the romance into it?
Law frowned. It was hard even for him to pinpoint exactly how his story had… mutated, almost, from a purely action-plot-oriented story into one that was centered around Sora and Poison Pink. But he tried his best to explain it.
HeartCaptain251615 2:13 AM
I didn’t change gears in the sense of making a clear decision to turn the story into a romance. It really was as though the romance snuck up on me. Sora was the protagonist, and Poison Pink as a character made the most sense as a foil for Sora, so that’s why he ended up fighting her in the first chapter instead of, e.g. Sparking Red or Winch Green. But by the time I was writing Chapter 3, the similarities between Reiju and Sora were coming out in the writing more than the contrasts, and there was more dialogue than I had intended.
When I realized what was happening, I actually thought about scrapping the story and starting over, since a romance was not what I set out to write. But I obviously didn’t.
MxRead 2:16 AM
Omg this is FASCINATING. You almost started over?? I’m so glad you didn’t! I love the story just the way it is! It doesn’t seem at all as though you didn’t mean to write a romance! Like, even from Chap 1 it feels like Sora and Reiju getting together is the endgame! And I mean that in a good way — it doesn’t feel at all as though your intention changed from the first chapter onwards
He smirked as he replied.
HeartCaptain251615 2:17 AM
This is where you’ve benefited from only finding the fic recently. I retconned parts of Chapters 1-3 after having posted them.
MxRead 2:17 AM
Hahaha did you really?? Did anyone notice?
HeartCaptain251615 2:17 AM
A couple of people noticed and commented, but they seemed to like the changes. Not that their opinions matter. I did what I had to do to make the story satisfy my expectations.
MxRead 2:17 AM
This is going to make me sound like such a fangirl, but you sound so cool right now LMAO! Like, you’re just writing your story the way YOU want it, and you don’t give a shit what anyone thinks? That’s such king behaviour
He wrinkled his nose a little. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about her calling him a ‘king’, even though he knew it was meant to be a compliment. Actually, she was being so complimentary about his writing that he didn’t really know how to respond.
He frowned at his screen as he tried to figure out what to say. But she messaged him again first.
MxRead 2:19 AM
Can I ask how long you’ve been writing for? This is your only fic on AO3, but what have you written before this?
He relaxed. This was an easy question to answer.
HeartCaptain251615 2:19 AM
I started writing nearly a year ago. This is the first thing I’ve written.
As soon as he sent the reply, he realized he’d made a mistake.
HeartCaptain251615 2:19 AM
Actually, that’s not true. I’ve written academic articles and book chapters. But nothing fictional.
MxRead 2:19 AM
Hang on hang on wait you’re an academic? Are you a professor or something??? (Don’t worry, I’m not a student so I’m not being creepy by asking I promise 😂)
Also wait this is your first piece of fiction? Are you fucking serious??? It’s so good!!! Like no offense to other first time writers but yours is so much better than any other debut fanfic I’ve ever read???
He scoffed. Her typing style made it sound like she was yelling.
HeartCaptain251615 2:20 AM
I can hear your blood pressure rising. Maybe you should take some deep breaths.
MxRead 2:20 AM
LMAO shut up 🤣 No but seriously, that’s crazy that this is your first piece of fiction! You’re doing stuff in your story that’s like, I would expect to see in an experienced author, but not for a debut! Now I’m jealous that you have a natural gift!
So are you a professor??? Please tell me you’re a professor of something totally unrelated to fiction writing. Like quantum physics. Or food sciences!
He smiled. She sounded so bubbly, which would usually be hard for him to cope with in real life. But through the safety of Discord, it was pretty amusing.
That didn’t mean he was actually going to tell her what he did for work, though. His specialization was way too specific and identifiable.
HeartCaptain251615 2:20 AM
I’m not a professor. But I’m not going to tell you what I actually do.
MxRead 2:21 AM
No prob, fair enough!! But I’m going to keep imagining you being a professor of something totally random bc I think it’s funny
He huffed. She was so weird. But now she had him wondering what she did for work. He would have guessed at first that she worked in a literary field or in publishing, with the way she liked to analyze his fic. But maybe that was too on-the-nose. Should he ask her…? No, it was way too personal. Especially since he wasn’t planning to ever tell her what his real job was.
MxRead 2:21 AM
On a bit of a more serious note, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable for acting like a crazy fangirl before! I get overexcited when my fav writers and artists talk about their work, but I promise I don’t run around screaming and crying over you guys IRL 😂
MxRead 2:22 AM
But your give-no-fucks attitude really is rare. I have other fic writer and artist friends, and all of them have had moments of feeling insecure about their work even though they’re incredible at what they do. It kind of comes with the territory, you know? Like, you’re really putting yourself out there when you decide to publish your writing or your art. I think you’re the only writer I know who genuinely doesn’t seem to care what people think of your work
Huh. This was interesting. He had no frame of reference for what she was talking about, since she was the first person in the fanfiction space that he’d ever spoken to.
HeartCaptain251615 2:22 AM
I see what you’re saying. But I’m not a real writer. This is just a hobby.
MxRead 2:22 AM
Nope. Wrong. Wrong wrong. I won’t let you think that way
HeartCaptain251615 2:22 AM
What?
MxRead 2:23 AM
You are NOT allowed to say you’re not a real writer!! Are you kidding me? You’ve written a fic that’s >60k words and it doesn’t feel like it’s even half-finished yet and it’s incredible and you’re saying you’re not a writer bc it’s “just a hobby”? No. No sir. I won’t let any of my artist friends talk that way
MxRead 2:23 AM
You created something with your own brain! You used your imagination and put out a story into the world that wouldn’t exist without you! You’re a WRITER and if you ever say again that you aren’t, I’ll fuck you up (affectionate) 👊
He stared at her message. He… did not know what to say. Aside from the fact that she was really passionate about this.
HeartCaptain251615 2:24 AM
This feels personal.
MxRead 2:24 AM
It is personal!! When you say you’re not a writer, you’re disparaging yourself even if you don’t think you are. It’s like you’re saying your work is fake or of less value just because it’s a fanwork or it’s not published or whatever. But it does have value. It’s a creative work. What you’re doing is important and it MATTERS
MxRead 2:25 AM
Everyone I know who writes or does fan art does it for a reason. And it’s more than just the reason you started doing it. Like, maybe you started writing this story because you want to see SoraPink fucking (sorry maybe I’m projecting now haha), but there’s usually some other reason that keeps you going. Some reason that makes you decide THIS is the thing you’re going to invest your time and your heart into, you know? It’s not like writing or art is easy. Not that I do either, but my friends tell me about it, and I just
sfgjlhdfhg it just gets to me when you say you’re not a writer because you are. You ARE! And your writing matters! Not just to readers like me, but it’s obviously important to you too, otherwise you wouldn’t be putting so much into it
He swallowed hard. This was getting uncomfortable. Her words were starting to make his chest feel tight, as though she was digging into that tender place behind his ribs that the box of childish comics in his closet had opened up, and he didn’t like it. It was like the other day when she asked why he posted his fic rather than keeping it private, but worse.
He abruptly stood up and walked over to the balustrade facing the forest, and he took a deep breath. The air was cool in his lungs, and he closed his eyes as the fresh-leafy smell filled his nose. But he couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said. Some other reason that keeps you going… that makes you decide this is the thing you’re going to invest your time and your heart into.
She was wrong. This wasn’t some soul-deep endeavour on his part. It wasn’t like he was digging into his so-called ‘childhood trauma’ or some shit like that by writing a stupid romance fic. But if she was wrong, then why was he so… pissed?
Ugh, he was pissed at a total stranger on the internet? How old was he, twelve?
Some reason that makes you decide this is the thing you’re going to invest your time and your heart into… He took a deep breath through his nose, then forced himself to unclench his jaw. The last thing he needed now was a headache.
“Oi, Law.”
He jumped, then turned around to see Corazon lounging against the doorjamb. He was wearing pink heart-patterned pajamas that Bepo had given him as a gift, and his blond hair was a messy mop that half-covered his eyes.
Law frowned. “What’s wrong? You can’t sleep? Are you in pain?”
“Nah. I was sleeping. But I had this weird fucking dream, so I woke up and saw you standing out here looking like you’re going to chuck yourself into the forest.”
Law scoffed and turned back to face the trees. “I’m not chucking myself anywhere. You should go back to bed.”
Corazon yawned, then came out barefoot onto the deck and leaned against the balustrade. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
Cora gave him a don’t-bullshit-me look.
He sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. He knew that Cora wasn’t going to leave him alone unless he talked, at least a little bit. But he didn’t know how to talk about this without exposing himself too much. Especially since he didn’t fully understand why MxRead’s messages were making him feel so exposed.
He turned his gaze to the ink-dark forest. And for a while, he and Cora just stood there together in silence.
Finally, Law forced himself to speak. “You said… A couple weeks back. You said it’s a good thing that I write the… the fanfic. Why did you say that?”
“‘Cause it is good,” Cora said. “It’s something you’re doing for fun. Something that you actually want to do.”
He frowned up at Cora. “What do you mean? I only do things I want to do.”
Cora laughed. “Yeah, okay.”
He was stung. “What do you mean? I never do anything I don’t want to do. Like when Kid and Killer keep asking me to play actual fucking rugby with them—”
“Sure, yeah, you say no to people all the time,” Cora said. “But that’s just small stuff. I’m talking about…” He made a face. “Damn. Maybe I’m putting my foot in my mouth. Forget it.”
“No, go on,” Law said tightly. “Don’t stop there. Say what you want to say.”
Cora didn’t reply, and Law bristled. Cora was looking at him as though he was being a stubborn brat.
“Don’t give me that look,” he said irritably, and he turned back to gaze out at the pitch-black forest.
Cora sighed. “C’mere, you little shit,” he said, and he pulled Law into a hug.
Law didn’t hug him back; he just stood there stiffly with his cheek pressed to Cora’s chest. Cora’s pajama shirt smelled faintly like pot smoke, but it mostly smelled like… hugs. Hugs like this, like Cora had been giving him since he was a sickly little ten-year-old spitting vile curses at Corazon and the doctors and everyone, even while the extremely-patient nurses inserted the IV into his arm.
Fuck, he was not going to cry. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood, and he closed his eyes.
Some time later, Cora kissed the crown of his head, then released him. “I’m tired, bro. I’m going back to bed.”
“Okay.” Law rubbed his nose, then rested his elbows on the balustrade once more.
Cora wandered back to the cabin, then paused in the doorway. “Don’t stay up too late, yeah? I love you.”
Law clicked his tongue. “Uh-huh.”
Cora grinned, then closed the screen door. Law smiled ruefully, then finally sat down at his laptop once more.
She had messaged him.
MxRead 2:30 AM
Oh no I scared you off again 😭 I’m sorry for jumping down your throat about this! It’s something very close to my heart bc I’ve seen people get so discouraged about their work, so I just went off at you without even thinking… I’m really sorry. I’ll understand if you don’t reply, but I hope you do! And you have carte blanche to tell me to fuck off in the future if I start getting ranty!
He huffed. At least she was self-aware enough to know she’d crossed a line. Even if Law didn’t exactly know what that line was.
He idly tapped his fingers on the table for a minute. Then he typed out a response.
HeartCaptain251615 2:37 AM
Apology accepted.
He was about to close his laptop for the night when he heard the notif sound.
MxRead 2:37 AM
Omg you replied!! I didn’t scare you off for good, yay!!
She was still awake? She was just as much of a night owl as he was. He slowly wrote out his reply.
HeartCaptain251615 2:38 AM
I’m still here. But I’ll be using that carte blanche as needed.
MxRead 2:38 AM
Hahaha feel free, I mean it! The very last thing I’ll say on this matter though is that you ARE a real writer and I WILL contradict you if you try to deny it again. And now I’m done on the topic, I promise 🤐
He clicked his tongue. She really was persistent about this.
HeartCaptain251615 2:38 AM
Fine. I’m a writer. What about you, then?
MxRead 2:38 AM
Me?
HeartCaptain251615 2:38 AM
Yes. You said you’re going to imagine me now as a professor of tyromancy. So how should I be imagining you?
MxRead 2:38 AM
TYROMANCY. OH MY FUCKING GOD. OF ALL THE RANDOM THINGS.
I JUST STARTED BARKING WITH LAUGHTER MY NEIGHBOURS ARE GOING TO CALL THE POLICE
She was so over-the-top that he couldn’t help it; he started chuckling too. Then another message came through.
MxRead 2:39 AM
Are you asking what I actually do for my IRL job? After you wouldn’t tell me what you do? Nice try mister!!
He smirked and started typing a reply. But before he could send it, she sent another message.
MxRead 2:39 AM
Also, I can’t tell you how to imagine me! You have to come up with my imaginary profession yourself, like how I came up with the professor thing for you (though your tyromancy addition is BRILLIANT and I’m sticking with it)
Weird, he thought in amusement. She was so weird.
HeartCaptain251615 2:39 AM
Fine. But I don’t know how to imagine your profession yet. We’ll see what happens in the future. And how many times I need to tell you to fuck off.
MxRead 2:39 AM
Maybe you can use your tyromancy skills to divine a future where you imagine what my profession is 👀🧀
HeartCaptain251615 2:40 AM
Fuck off.
MxRead 2:40 AM
LMAO STOP I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO GET ARRESTED FOR NOISE COMPLAINTS
He chuckled. Then another message appeared.
MxRead 2:40 AM
Okok I should go! It’s super late here and I haven’t even showered yet, it’s gonna be like 4am before I’m in bed 😂 have a good one!
Omg we barely even talked about SoraPink. We’re talking about SoraPink next time!!!
HeartCaptain251615 2:40 AM
OK. Bye.
MxRead 2:40 AM
Byeee! ✌️
He closed his laptop, then leaned his head back with a sigh. He was weirdly tired now — although it was almost 3 a.m., so it made sense that he was tired. Still, he felt extra worn out, as though he’d pushed himself too hard in kendo or something. And here he’d thought he would just relax a bit by messaging with her. But maybe that was an unrealistic expectation; it wasn’t like their first Discord conversation had been a smooth walk in the park, either.
She was… challenging. Funny and whip-smart, too, but decidedly challenging. Not in an antagonistic way, not in a bad way, but… Frankly, when he’d started messaging her, he hadn’t expected this. Not that he knew what to expect, but it wasn’t for a stranger on the internet to ask him all these questions that made him think so hard. And to think not just about his writing, but about… the reasons why he was writing.
He sighed again and closed his eyes. The problem was this: she wasn’t wrong. He could see her point about there needing to be a good reason that he kept doing this, since it was a significant investment of time and energy. But he couldn’t say whether his reason for continuing was the same as his reason for starting, since he still couldn’t pinpoint why exactly he’d started to write. It had something to do with that box, that fucking box of old childhood comics that Corazon should’ve just thrown away, but he couldn’t explain how.
Regardless, his commitment to his fic really had taken on a life of its own in ways that he couldn’t explain. He enjoyed it, obviously, or he wouldn’t be doing it. But the process of planning and writing and editing the fic was… soothing, too, despite being hard work. It really was an escape: an opportunity to use a different part of his brain, a part that wasn’t occupied by open-heart procedures and journal articles and medical lectures and — most importantly — what would happen if his research yielded no useful results.
That, as always, was the corner of his brain that never entirely turned off. The cruel, pragmatic corner of his brain that was always whispering to him that if his research came to nothing, Cora’s fate would be his fault. If Law’s research endeavours didn’t yield a way for a person with Flevance vasculitis and multiple comorbidities to be a viable heart transplant candidate — if he didn’t find a way to save Cora just like Cora had saved him…
Fuck, he couldn’t be doing this. He knew better than to get into this downward spiral of pessimistic thinking.
He scrubbed his hands through his hair, then stood up and took his laptop and his mug inside. He brushed his teeth and changed into a pair of sweats and a clean t-shirt, and he crawled into his crisply-made bed with a sigh.
A few minutes later, he slid out of bed and made his way down the hall to the second bedroom.
He cracked open the door. Corazon was snoring, curled up on one half of the queen-sized bed and entirely encased in the duvet like a cocoon.
Law huffed. He padded into Corazon’s bedroom, then gingerly laid down on the other half of the bed.
Cora shifted, then tossed a corner of the duvet at him. “Night-night, sweetheart,” he mumbled.
“Night, Cora-san,” he murmured, and he pulled the duvet onto his chest.
It was warm, and it smelled like hugs. Law closed his eyes, and seconds later, he was asleep.
Notes:
Tyromancy is the practice of fortune-telling using cheese. LAW THINKS HE’S SO FUNNY OKAY. 🤣🧀
Chapter 6: Event
Chapter Text
Monday May 26, 2025
MxRead 1:14 PM
HeartCaptain251615 3:18 PM
That’s perfect.
MxRead 3:30 PM
Thanks! I made it myself! Think of it as my first piece of fan art for you 🤣
HeartCaptain251615 3:31 PM
You made that? Just now?
MxRead 3:31 PM
I made it just after my lunch break, but yeah!
HeartCaptain251615 3:31 PM
Interesting.
MxRead 3:32 PM
What’s interesting?
HeartCaptain251615 3:34 PM
I’m gathering evidence for what I imagine your profession to be. You making memes during working hours could mean a number of things:
1. Your boss doesn’t care that you make memes at work
2. You don’t care about pissing off your boss by making memes at work
3. You are the boss/you’re self-employed
MxRead 3:34 PM
Omg an itemized list of possibilities?? You’re such a nerd 😂
HeartCaptain251615 3:35 PM
Says the woman who spent probable hours writing essay-length comments on the SoraPink fanfic written by a nerd.
MxRead 3:35 PM
Hahahaha touché touché! Ok I should get back to work, I was just taking a quick break!
HeartCaptain251615 3:35 PM
Same. Time and tyromancy wait for no man.
MxRead 3:35 PM
DO NOT MAKE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD AT WORK. I’LL ACTUALLY GET IN TROUBLE.
HeartCaptain251615 3:35 PM
Your problem, not mine.
MxRead 3:35 PM
Jerk!!! Later! 😂✌️
You snicker to yourself as you put down your phone. HeartCaptain really is too funny sometimes. And he’s funny more often than you expected him to be at first, based on his replies to your comments. Is he as straight-faced when he makes jokes in person as he sounds in his messages, you wonder?
It is strange, though, that he sometimes taps out of your conversations when you start asking deeper questions about his writing. Your other writer friends all love being asked in-depth questions about their writing process and why they started writing in the first place. You used to love talking about your writing, too, back in the days when you also wrote fic. HeartCaptain, on the other hand, seems to shut down whenever the subject comes up. Although you will admit that you came on strong two nights ago about him not seeing himself as a writer.
You still feel a little embarrassed about that, actually. Maybe you were a little punch-drunk from being up so late. But the idea of him looking down on himself, even if that’s not what he meant to do… It just hit a little too close to home — a little too close to the sore spot you still have, and that’s prevented you from writing anything for years, not since you deleted your own fics from AO3.
Anyway. HeartCaptain really doesn’t know how rare it is to not care about others’ opinions of his writing, and you don’t want anything to chip away at that self-confidence, even if it’s just him saying that he’s not a ‘real’ writer.
Still, you’ll be a little more reserved next time. You don’t want to scare him off for good. Though you do still think it’s interesting that he backs off when the questions about his writing get too deep — and even more interesting that he keeps coming back, even if it’s clear that your questions have poked him the wrong way somehow.
Super interesting, you think. He’s a tough nut to crack, this HeartCaptain. And damn if you aren’t a sucker for a hard nut to crack. Broody-but-soft tsundere-type men have always been your weakness when it comes to romance stories and fics, after all. And he’s clearly intelligent to boot… Wait a second. No! Shut up, brain, this isn’t a romance novel or a fic! This is real life, and HeartCaptain is a real guy out there in the world somewhere, and…
Oh god. Nami was right. You are in danger of getting a tiny bit of a fangirl crush on your favourite fic writer!
You scoff at yourself — you are not telling Nami about this — and you force your attention back to work. You click over to the shared inbox for the medical librarians, intending to get started on the next lit search request in the queue. You’re just starting to set up your search parameters when you see that you’ve received a new email to your individual inbox.
Subject: FW: You’re Invited to the Summer MedSci Research Social!
From: Dr. Trafalgar LawSee below. The invitation said to forward to anyone relevant on our teams.
— Law
You read the invitation. It’s an event hosted by the Faculty of Medicine to thank their research staff and students for their work this year, and to celebrate the faculty’s recent research achievements. It looks like there’s supposed to be a little awards ceremony, too. You take a quick glance at the list of award recipients — hey, Law himself is receiving an award! A joint award, actually, with Dr. Phoenix Marco for a collaborative project they wrapped up around the time when you first got brought onto Law’s team. That’s exciting for him!
The event is on Thursday evening, three days from now. To be honest, you wouldn’t usually go to an event like this; you’re not much of one for big institutional shindigs, preferring instead to stick to social events like small lab parties, or department parties at the most, where you actually know the people involved. But if Law is going to this event…? And if he forwarded it specifically to you…?
You’re not naïve enough to think that the reserved Dr. Trafalgar meant to be anything other than collegial by sending you this invite. Still, maybe you could see it as an opening: a very gentle opening. You’ve had a thing for him for over a year, and you’ve been finding yourself chatting with him more and more when he comes by the library during the week. So maybe you should take this as an opportunity to get to know him in a more social setting and see if it’s worth taking a shot at asking him out?
Your belly squirms at the thought. You, actually making a move on the handsome and broody Dr. Trafalgar Law? The thought is as exciting as it is nerve-wracking. What if he turns you down? Or worse, if he gives you that scowl you’ve seen on his face on occasion when he first enters the library? And if he does turn you down, imagine how awkward it’ll be for you to work together…
Okay, maybe you won’t go so far as to make an actual move on him. But hanging out with him at an event would be harmless enough, right?
You gaze thoughtfully at your screen for a while. Finally, you type back a reply.
I saw you’re getting an award — congratulations! I’ll think about going. Maybe I’ll see you there to congratulate you in person?
You go back to the lit search request you were working on. A half-hour later, once you’ve done some actual work, you check your email again.
Law has replied.
I’m not going. But you should consider it. You deserve the thanks. I can guarantee the food will be excellent.
— Law
Wait, he’s not going? Then why did he forward the invite to you?
You huff a little laugh. Actually, you’re not surprised he’s not going. He doesn’t seem like a parties-and-socials kind of guy. But if he’s not going to be there, then you’re definitely not going to go.
Maybe you could talk him into going, though…? Unless he’s not going because he has something else scheduled instead.
You narrow your eyes at the screen. Then, on a possibly-bold whim, you pick up your phone and open your texts.
4:27 PM
Hey! I hope it’s not too intrusive to text. But how come you’re not going to the event on Thursday? You’re getting an award!
You put your phone down and start compiling resources from the list of hits that your search turned up. A couple minutes later, your phone vibrates with a text.
Trafalgar Law 4:29 PM
It’s fine to text. And I never go to those things if I can help it.
4:29 PM
Even if you’re getting an award?
Trafalgar Law 4:29 PM
Getting an award is even less of a reason to go.
4:29 PM
Some people would say it’s the ultimate reason to go!
Trafalgar Law 4:29 PM
Bully for them. They can have my award.
You snort a laugh. If you didn’t know him better, he would sound like an asshole. But you can imagine him saying this in his deadpan-droll voice.
You try to think of something else to say to keep the conversation going, but you’re at a bit of a loss. You idly read over the invitation again, and then you see that the event is going to be catered by Baratie. No wonder Law said the food is going to be good.
4:31 PM
Even the lure of Baratie cuisine isn’t enough to reel you in?
Trafalgar Law 4:31 PM
Nope.
He’s so stubborn! But somehow, it just makes you want to laugh even more. You smile as you tap out a reply.
4:31 PM
Stone cold lol! Well, I’m grateful for the invite, but I don’t think I’ll be going either
Trafalgar Law 4:31 PM
You should go. It’s a staff appreciation event.
You chuckle to yourself. You can just see him frowning now. You know how you want to reply, but you’re not sure if it might sound too forward… Oh what the hell, you’re on a roll. Might as well see what happens.
4:31 PM
Is this your way of saying you appreciate my work?
The three-dots of typing appear, then disappear. A few seconds later, they appear again before melting away.
You wait for a few seconds more, and when he doesn’t resume typing, you start to regret the slightly-flirty tone of your message. Maybe you went too far.
You sigh and go back to your neglected work. A few minutes later, your phone buzzes with a text.
Trafalgar Law 4:36 PM
Yes. It’s why I forwarded the invite to you. I should’ve been more clear.
Okay, okay, you can work with this! You nibble your lip and think carefully before you reply.
4:37 PM
That’s nice of you to say! But honestly, I’m not a go-to-events-alone kind of girl, I haven’t got the social skills for that lol!
4:37 PM
Let me know if you change your mind about going! We can hide in a corner together eating free Baratie 😂
You read over the texts a few times after you send them. That was pretty neutral-sounding, right? Like, friendly but not too friendly? And not too forward, either. You hope.
You read your texts a couple more times until you start feeling jittery. Then you put your phone in your bag so you won’t be distracted anymore, and you go back to your long-neglected work.
By the time your work day is over, Law hasn’t texted you back. You try not to worry about it too much as you head home, and you manage to distract yourself with an episode of WOTS while you’re eating dinner. By late evening, though, you’re starting to worry that all you’ve managed to do is make him feel uncomfortable, right when he was starting to seem a little more casual around you.
You worry over the situation while you wash the dishes. Then you plop down on the couch with your laptop and open your group messages with the girls.
Lei 8:37 PM
You guyyyyyys help I think I might’ve done something dumb
Vivi 8:37 PM
Oh no what’s wrong??
Nami 8:37 PM
Ooo let’s hear it 🍿
You smirk at the contrast between Nami and Vivi’s responses as you type.
Lei 8:38 PM
Dr. T sent me an invite to this event on Thurs that’s like a staff appreciation thing for the faculty of medicine. You know how I said he can be kind of antisocial but in a funny way? Like he’s antisocial but he’s just saying what I’m thinking 🤣 So he said he’s not going to this event, and I implied that I would go if he changes his mind. And he hasn’t replied and now I’m worried he’s avoiding me because I came on too stronggg
Robin 8:38 PM
This conversation happened in person? Or by email?
Lei 8:38 PM
It started off as emails since that’s what he forwarded to me but then we were texting and he hasn’t texted me back
Robin 8:38PM
Can we see the texts? If you don’t mind sharing them.
Nami 8:38 PM
Yeah show us the receipts!
You take screenshots of the texts with Law, and you send them to the girls. It doesn’t take long for them to chime in.
Nami 8:41 PM
He’s so awkward LOL
Vivi 8:41 PM
Omg these are so cute!
Vivi 8:41 PM
Nami!! 🤣
Nami 8:41 PM
What? He “appreciates” her but not enough to actually go to the thing he invited her to? Girl you can do better 💅
This is the exact kind of feedback you’d expect from Nami, so you snicker to yourself as you wait for Vivi to finish typing.
Vivi 8:41 PM
Omg babe please stop 🤣 Ok ignoring my MEAN GF now
Vivi 8:42 PM
I think this is so cute! He clearly likes you enough to joke around with you
Vivi 8:42 PM
And to be honest about how he doesn’t like going to stuff! I think it’s sweet!
Lei 8:42 PM
Yeah but he didn’t reply… That’s why I’m worried I took it too far
Vivi 8:42 PM
Maybe something came up! He might reply later!
Nami 8:42 PM
Vivi bb it’s been like 4 hours since she last texted him. I’ll bet you 10 berries he’s not gonna reply. He gives scaredy cat to me 🙀
Vivi 8:42 PM
I’ll bet you 20 that he will!
Nami 8:42 PM
🤝
You read all of this in amusement. But in truth, Vivi and Nami’s opinions aren’t the ones you’re the most interested in.
Finally, the opinion you were really awaiting comes through.
Robin 8:42 PM
Nami isn’t wrong. He is awkward. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. And it is nice that he jokes with you while being honest, like Vivi said.
Robin 8:43 PM
I would be patient. Give him some time. Maybe he’s just thinking about whether to change his mind. If he spends this much time thinking about it and then says yes, that’ll be quite significant.
Nami 8:43 PM
How?
Robin 8:43 PM
He said he tries to avoid events like this. If he changes his mind and goes to something he doesn’t usually enjoy because Lei said she’ll go too? I would call that a good sign.
Oh no. What Robin’s saying makes sense, but seeing her put it this way gives you something new to worry about.
Lei 8:43 PM
But now it’s like I’m trying to force his hand into doing something he doesn’t like to do! Isn’t that bad???
Vivi 8:43 PM
Oh I didn’t think of that 🥺
Robin 8:44 PM
You didn’t try to force his hand. You were very subtle, I think. Let’s be patient and see if he replies.
Robin 8:44 PM
I hope he says he’ll attend, though. If he does, you should ask him if you can observe one of his open-heart procedures. I’m sure it would be fascinating to see the inside of a living body.
You laugh out loud at this. It’s such a Robin thing to say, but honestly, you don’t disagree with her; it would be really cool to see Law in action, so to speak. Nami and Vivi don’t seem to agree, though.
Nami 8:44 PM
ROBIN. EW
Vivi 8:44 PM
Um maybe don’t make that request on your first date? LOL
Vivi 8:44PM
Not first date!! Sorry!! First hangout!!
Robin 8:44 PM
Why not? She would be expressing interest in his area of expertise. An area that she’s also interested in, given that she’s the librarian in charge of his projects.
Lei 8:44 PM
I love the idea!! How’s this, if he agrees to go to the thing with me, I’ll ask him if I can observe one of his surgeries sometime
Nami 8:45 PM
I repeat: E W
Robin 8:45 PM
Sounds wonderful. Let me know what he says.
Vivi 8:45 PM
No offense but I’m feeling lucky now that I’m not the one with a thing for a heart surgeon 😂❤️
Vivi 8:45 PM
Or should I say 🫀
Lei 8:45 PM
LMAO corny but ADORABLE thanks 🤣
Nami 8:45 PM
Boooo get off the stage!
Vivi 8:45 PM
NAMI YOU’RE SO MEAN 🤣 You’re lucky you’re pretty!!!
Nami 8:45 PM
Ikr 😌
You smile as they continue to banter. Eventually the conversation shifts to something crazy that happened to Vivi at work, and you start up a movie on the TV to watch in the background while you chat with the girls.
You’ve actually managed to forget about your possible-gaffe with Law when your phone vibrates with a text. You glance at your phone, and your heart skips. It’s from Law!
Trafalgar Law 10:17 PM
I’ll consider going to the event. For the free Baratie. But I am not staying for the award presentations.
You laugh out loud in relief. You didn’t spoil things with him entirely!
Lei 10:17 PM
Deal! I’ll even put on a diversion so you can escape the award presentations if needed! Let me know what you decide in the end!
Trafalgar Law 10:17 PM
I will. Have a good night.
Lei 10:17 PM
You too!
You’re still grinning as you put your phone down. It’s not exactly a ‘yes’ to going to the event, but at least it wasn’t a ‘no’ — or worse yet, being ghosted entirely. And it means something that he was still thinking about this hours later, right? Robin would say it does!
You don’t want to interrupt the chat with the girls to talk about this again, though, especially since you still aren’t sure if you and Law will be going to the event on Thursday. You do tap over to your private messages with Robin, though.
Lei 10:19 PM
He texted! He said he’ll think about going to the thing on Thurs!
Robin 10:19 PM
This is exciting. You’re one step closer to seeing the inside of a heart. ☺️
You laugh at this. You honestly can’t tell if she’s being literal or figurative in a cheeky way, but either way, you hope she’s right.
Chapter 7: Stunning
Chapter Text
On any other Thursday evening, Law would’ve been at home. He would’ve been catching up on medical journals he hadn’t read, or watching something with Corazon while eating dinner. Or, if he was lucky, he’d be working on a chapter of Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure.
Unfortunately, this was not a normal Thursday evening.
He was at the Faculty of Medicine’s research staff appreciation party, and he wasn’t happy about it. The fairy-lights decorating the restaurant’s outdoor patio didn’t please him, and the large-and-loud turnout even less so. Not even the scents of garlic and white wine were making up for the fact that he was about to walk into an evening of forced socialization.
Corazon slung an arm around his shoulders. “All right. Now introduce me to your coworkers.”
Law irritably shrugged him off. “It’s not my job to introduce you to anyone. Marco’s the one who invited you. Go find him and make him introduce you.”
“Aw, where’s the fun in that?” Corazon said with a grin. “C’mon, let’s mingle until your date gets here.”
Law forced himself not to snap at Corazon, but it was hard. Cora was enjoying this entire situation way too much, in his opinion. When Law had told him on Tuesday that he’d be going to a faculty party later this week, he’d been expecting Cora’s surprise; he usually only ever went to one party per year, specifically the end-of-year party, and that was just so he could put in some necessary face time as one of the most prominent members of the medical research faculty. But Law had not expected Cora to say he was coming to this event too, as Marco’s guest. And when Cora started poking about why Law was going to an unnecessary party, he was forced to explain about his gaffe with Lei.
He was still embarrassed about the whole thing, if he was perfectly honest. He hadn’t even really been thinking when he sent her the invite. He saw the words ‘staff appreciation’ in the email, and her face had come to his mind, so he’d forwarded the invite to her. He hadn’t expected her to ask if he was going, and he certainly hadn’t expected her to ask if he was forwarding the invite because he appreciated her work — a question that flustered him for no good reason, since the answer was obviously ‘yes’. Why else would he have sent her a staff-appreciation invite unless he appreciated her?
Still, the question had thrown him off. It made him realize he hadn’t forwarded the invite to anyone else on his research team; Lei was the only person whose face had jumped to his mind, even though he had a handful of newer research assistants and volunteers in the lab who deserved the invite, too. So there he was, feeling jittery and thrown-off by a would-be simple question.
This seemed to be happening to him a lot these days: these little interactions that unbalanced him and made him question himself in ways that he wasn’t used to doing. He didn’t need to question himself most of the time, after all, since he was a meticulous planner with clear-cut goals. He always knew what he was doing and why he was doing it — or so he thought. But now he had MxRead asking him about his writing and making him think about why he did it, and he had Lei asking questions about his otherwise-mindless invitation to an event he hadn’t planned to attend himself. And the end result was this: he was here, at an event on a Thursday evening he could have been using to write, because of guilt.
Yes, guilt: that was the reason he was here. He felt guilty about having invited an excellent colleague to this damn event after she said she wouldn’t know anyone here. So he’d offered to come so that she could feel comfortable coming.
When Law explained all of this to Corazon, he just laughed. And he kept laughing. For way longer than Law thought was warranted. And after that, Cora kept calling this a ‘date’, even though it was absolutely not that. It was just a social event that Law was attending with a colleague to keep her company. And if Cora called it a ‘date’ in front of her, Law would actually carve out his heart and mount it in a box as a trophy.
“She’s not my date,” Law said for the umpteenth time. “And I’m not here to mingle. If you want to mingle, go do it without me.” He took out his phone and checked it to see if she’d been in touch — oh, she had texted him.
Corazon sighed dramatically. “Fine, I’m off. What’ll happen if I smoke, you think?” He pulled his ever-present blunt out from behind his ear.
Law shot him a distracted smirk as he tapped into his messages. “I dare you to do it, actually. Let me know how many arguments you start about the healthcare benefits and risks of smoking cannabis.”
Corazon shot him a grin, then ambled away while lighting the blunt. Law kept an eye on him for a moment, just to make sure he didn’t immediately trip over anything, then turned his attention back to his phone.
Lei (Librarian) 6:57 PM
Hey! I’m on my way. Sorry if you’re there and waiting already! I maybe should have mentioned that I’m always fashionably late!
He huffed, then tapped out a reply.
7:10 PM
You definitely should have mentioned that. I would have made sure to show up after you.
Lei (Librarian) 7:10 PM
So you would have purposely made me wait alone at the event that you invited me to? 😂
He smirked as he replied.
7:11 PM
When you put it that way… Yes.
Lei (Librarian) 7:11 PM
Rude! Just for that, I’ll really drag my feet on getting there!
7:11 PM
Suit yourself. You’ll miss out on the best of the appetizers.
Lei (Librarian) 7:11 PM
Not if you save some for me!
7:12 PM
Right. Because hoarding appetizers is a normal thing to do.
Lei (Librarian) 7:12 PM
Normal is overrated! Added bonus, if you look like an appetizer-hoarding weirdo, nobody will talk to you☝️
He actually chuckled at this. It was nice to talk to someone who seemed to share his introverted (read: antisocial) tendencies. Actually, it was almost uncanny sometimes how her remarks tapped into what he was really thinking. Maybe this evening wouldn’t be a complete waste of time after all. If she ever deigned to actually show up, that was.
He was trying to think of a reply when a piping voice drew his attention. “Hiya, Torao!”
He reluctantly looked up from his phone. It was another one of his research collaborators, Chopper, and he was perched on the shoulder of Roronoa Zoro, whom Law knew from kendo club.
“Tony-ya,” he greeted. He gave Zoro a wry look. “Zoro-ya. How did you get roped into this?”
“I was told there would be free booze. Good stuff, too,” Zoro said. “So far I’ve only gotten three drinks.” He shot Chopper a resentful look. “Where’s the idiot cook? I wanna complain.”
Chopper tutted at him, then beamed at Law. “I’m happy you’re here! I thought you hated faculty events!”
“I do,” Law said bluntly. “I wasn’t going to come. But something came up. I’m meeting someone.” He checked his watch. “She’s late, though. If she’s not here in another fifteen minutes…”
“You’re meeting someone? Like a date?” Zoro straightened as a waiter passed with a tray of drinks. “Oi, I’ll have one of those. Thanks.”
Chopper’s eyes widened. “Are you on a date, Torao?”
Law wilted. Why was everyone so obsessed with this being a date? “It’s not a date. This is a work event. She’s a colleague.”
Zoro lowered his already-empty glass. “You came to this thing just to meet her. So isn’t that a date?”
“Is it?” said Chopper uncertainly. “Human behaviour is confusing…”
It’s confusing for humans, too, Law thought acidly. “It’s not a date. We’re colleagues. She—”
“Dr. Trafalgar, hi! So sorry I’m late.”
He turned at Lei’s voice, and his stomach flipped. She was wearing a summery dress, and her eyes looked bigger than usual — big and sparkly, somehow. And her hair was different, too: dressier than how she usually wore it.
Pretty, he thought. No, not just pretty. She was… stunning. He literally felt stunned by the sight of her, and he was unnerved by how strongly he was reacting to her appearance. It wasn’t the first time he’d had stray thoughts about her attractiveness, especially when she made little jokes with him and her smile curled at the corners. But this was the first time he was really noticing her beauty in such a visceral way.
She was standing next to him now and smiling expectantly. Get it together, he scolded himself. “You finally made it,” he said dryly.
Her smile curled in a way that made his belly wriggle. “I know, I’m really late, I’m sorry. Hi,” she said brightly to Zoro and Chopper. “I’m Lei. I’m the librarian on Dr. Trafalgar’s team.”
“Nice to meet you! I’m Chopper, and this is Zoro.” He rubbed Zoro’s hair.
“I know your work, Dr. Chopper!” she said brightly. “The studies you published on the Mink immune system in particular, since it overlaps with our lab. It’s fascinating stuff!”
Chopper blushed and giggled. “You read my work? That doesn’t make me happy at all!”
She smiled at him, then addressed Zoro. “Are you Dr. Chopper’s research assistant?”
“Nah,” he said. “I came for the free booze.”
She laughed. “He’s a kindred spirit, then,” she said to Law. “Here for the food.”
“Hm,” Law said. “Speaking of, let’s get a drink. Zoro-ya, Tony-ya.” He nodded in farewell to them and gave her a shall-we? look.
She fell into step with him and smiled cheekily as they slipped around the edge of the crowded patio toward the bar. “So where are my appetizers?”
Her smile. “Your…?” Damn it, he needed to get his head on straight. He was an adult man, for fuck’s sake, not a teenager who’d never gone out with a woman before. Not that he was ‘going out’ with Lei, but — argh. “No appetizers, sorry,” he finally said. “I got interrupted by those two.”
“Well, I’ll forgive you this time,” she said. “But I honestly am starving. Would you think I was weird if I told you I didn’t eat lunch on purpose so I could fill up on Baratie at this event?”
Her eyes were twinkling. He felt his own face curving into a smile as he replied. “That’s weird, yeah. But it’s what we’re here for, so you did the right thing.”
“Damn right I did. If I ask for takeout containers from the waitstaff, it would make people avoid us even more, right?”
He was seized by the mad urge to laugh out loud. He twisted his lips to quell it, then gave her a wry look. “You sound like a starving student. Are we not paying you enough?”
Her smile curled into a mischievous grin. “Hey, if you’re offering me a raise for being greedy at a faculty event, I’m not going to say no.”
“We’ll look over the allocation of our funding at the end of the year,” he said in a deadpan tone. “I’ll make sure to put the reason down as ‘staff member’s unapologetic greed’.”
She laughed, and his heart jumped. Shit, he felt like an idiot. He had not expected this. He’d expected to have a tolerable time with her, since he enjoyed chatting with her at the library, but he hadn’t expected this. And as they neared the bar, he started to feel guilty. Was he really reacting to her like this because of how alluring she looked? Was he really this shallow? Maybe it was because he hadn’t had sex in so long…? No, come on, he wasn’t that shallow. It wasn’t like he only enjoyed her company because of her looks. She was humorous, she was smart, they had the same research interests—
“Hi there,” the bartender said politely. “What can I get for you?”
“Uh,” Law said. “I’ll have…” He looked at Lei. “What do you want?”
She ordered a drink, and Law nodded. “I’ll have the same.”
She smiled up at him. “We’ll trade on the next drink, then. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
He nodded and adjusted the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt, then glanced quickly around at the crowd, being careful not to make prolonged eye contact with anyone in case it invited a conversation. When he looked down at her once more, it was to find her gazing at the wedge of his chest that was exposed by the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.
Her eyes darted up to his face, and she grimaced. “Oh god. I’m sorry. I wasn’t ogling you, I promise.”
“It’s fine,” he said — what else could he say? It wasn’t like he could admit that he was fighting the urge to ogle her.
“I was wondering about your tattoos,” she said. “You probably get people asking about them all the time, and I know tattoos can be really personal, so feel free to tell me to fuck off. But I — the — the one your chest. Is it…? How big is it?”
He did get remarks on his tattoos fairly often while at the hospital, mostly from his elderly patients — and mostly about the fact that he had the word DEATH emblazoned across his knuckles. His usual response was that he got the tattoos when he was going through a phase in his early twenties: an overly-simple answer that was amusing and boring enough that it had the desired effect of forestalling any further questions. But as he studied Lei’s inquisitive face, he realized that he didn’t actually mind her asking about them. Maybe because she’d said she understood how personal tattoos could be.
“It’s big,” he said, and he gestured over his chest to indicate how large it was.
Her eyes widened. “Holy shit.”
He smirked, and she blurted a laugh and covered her mouth. “Fuck. That was crass. I — okay, you were going to find this out sooner than later, but I curse a lot when I’m not at work. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not actually.”
“You shouldn’t be,” he said. “There are studies showing that people who curse more tend to be more honest.”
Her face lit up. “Hey, I saw an IG post about that! And then I looked up the sources she cited and found that they were pretty solid!”
He arched a brow. “I’ll forgive the Instagram part of that sentence because of the looking-up-sources part.”
She did a playful little curtsy. “Your mercy is appreciated, Dr. Trafalgar. But what kind of librarian would I be if I didn’t look up the primary sources?”
He huffed in amusement. Then the bartender placed their drinks in front of them.
He nodded his thanks and took a sip. Lei did the same, and Law noticed that her gaze was flicking over his forearms and his hands. If she asked about his DEATH tattoos, would he tell her what they really meant? Only Corazon, Bepo, Shachi and Penguin knew the reasoning behind his knuckle tattoos. And only Cora knew the truth behind all the rest of his tattoo designs. If Lei asked him, would he actually tell her the truth? Or would he stick to the surface-level answer that he usually used to keep people at bay?
Her eyes rose to his face again, and she lowered her glass and hid her mouth behind her hand. “I am so sorry. I’m being so rude just staring at you.”
“It’s fine,” he said wryly.
“It’s not really,” she said, with a seriousness that surprised him. “I hate it when people are like, ‘people who get tattoos are asking to be stared at.’ It makes it sound like you’re trying to get attention by just expressing yourself on your skin, you know? But your tattoos are your own business, even if other people can see them.” She smiled suddenly: that curved little smile that had caught his attention months ago, if he was being honest. “All of this is to say that I’m sorry for staring at your tats. And — okay, I can’t lie, I am wondering about them and why you got them, but I’m not going to ask. If you feel like telling me at some point, I would love to know, but I’m going to leave it to you to tell me if you want to. No pressure.”
He relaxed. That was the thing about her, one of the things he’d noticed about her during their chats at the library: she had this way of making the conversation feel… deep, somehow, but without being intrusive. Her way of asking questions made it feel as though he could tell her things if he wanted to, but she wouldn’t mind if he decided to just be his usual taciturn self. And for whatever reason, the fact that she didn’t insist on the personal details made him actually wonder what it would be like if he did share them.
To stall for time, he took another sip of his drink before speaking. “What about you, then? Do you have any tattoos?”
She smiled. But before she could reply, they were interrupted. “Oi, Law! There you are,” Corazon said, and he squeezed Law’s shoulder. “Marco was looking for you. He wanted to know if you’re coming up to accept the award with—”
“No,” Law said.
Lei snickered.
Corazon’s smile widened in a way that Law immediately found ominous. “Law, don’t be rude. Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Law sighed internally. “Lei-ya, this is Rosinante. He’s my family.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Your—? Oh! That’s nice! Did you bring him as a guest?”
“No,” Law said quickly. “I — it was a coincidence that he’s here. Marco — uh, Dr. Phoenix is his best friend. I didn’t invite him.”
Corazon barked out a laugh. “Wow, that hurts my feelings a little.”
Law clicked his tongue. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah yeah, I’m just teasing you,” Cora chuckled. His eyes lit on Lei once more. “So what were you guys talking about?”
Law gave him an exasperated look, but she replied. “We were talking about tattoos! I was being very nosy about Dr. Trafalgar’s tats, and he was being very patient. He just asked if I had any.”
“Do you?” said Corazon.
Law elbowed him. “Shut up. It’s her business.”
She laughed, and Corazon held up his hands. “Hey, I was just asking the natural question! If it makes anyone feel better, I have a tattoo.” He patted his bicep. “Navy tattoo, right here.”
“Oh!” she said. “Are you in the Navy?”
“I was,” Corazon said. “I’m retired now. Well, medical release, really. Bad heart.” He tapped his chest.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, shi— shoot. I’m sorry to hear that.” Her eyes darted from Corazon to Law and back, and his chest tightened; she was a sharp woman, and he could practically see the gears whirring in her head. Was she going to think the focus of his research had anything to do with Cora’s health? She would be correct if she did, but the thought of her knowing something so close to the chest, quite literally—
“Ah, it’s fine,” Corazon said cheerfully. “I’m doing well these days, aren’t I, Law-kun?”
“Yes,” Law admitted. “But we have to be vigilant if we’re going to keep it that way. Your routine seems to be working. We have to stay on top of it.”
“I know, I know,” Corazon said affectionately. He looped an arm around Law’s neck and smiled at Lei. “This guy. He takes such good care of me. He should’ve been a nurse instead of a doctor.”
“Yeah, well, nurses can’t carry out heart transplants,” Law remarked without thinking.
Cora’s expression softened into the dreaded everything’s-going-to-be-okay look, and Lei’s eyes widened. “Is that why you chose to become a doctor? You were specifically interested in doing heart transplants?”
Feeling a little discomfited now, Law tugged his earrings. “Not… necessarily. I knew I wanted to focus on cardiac surgery, and heart transplants are… complex. Like all transplants are, obviously,” he added. “Tissue matching, high risks of rejection, the immunosuppression required is… It’s a complicated process, especially when autoimmune conditions enter the mix. But you know all of this,” he muttered, and he shot Corazon a resentful look. Why had Corazon gotten them onto this topic? Why did he even have to interrupt? Things were going a lot more smoothly before he’d come over here.
“I do,” Lei said. “But I didn’t know why you chose to study it. It’s really interesting to hear what drew you to focus on cardiac surgery in people with autoimmune conditions.”
Fuck. He could not look at Corazon. “It’s… a specialized topic, and under-researched as a result, which leads to poorer patient outcomes due to the lack of data. And I like making life difficult for myself,” he added, in a feeble attempt at a joke.
She smiled. “You know what, I can almost believe that.”
“Almost?” he said dryly.
“Yeah, almost.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “I don’t know that you like making life difficult for yourself. Maybe it just happens anyway.”
His heart stalled. What? How—? Why would she think that?
Corazon burst out laughing. “Woah-ho, Law. How long has she known you? She pinned you right on the berries!”
She smiled. “Wait, actually? I was just making a guess!”
“You guessed right. Making his own life difficult is like Law’s second job,” Cora said. “Well, his third job, since he’s technically got two already, with the doctor-thing and the researcher-thing.”
“Rosinante,” Law said through gritted teeth, “I need a word. I’ll be right back,” he said to Lei.
“No problem, take your time! I’ll just go hide over there.” She pointed to a quiet corner near some potted plants and a cocktail table draped with fairy lights, then sidled away with her drink in hand.
When she was out of earshot, Law spun on Corazon. “What the hell are you doing?”
Corazon chuckled. “Oh, Law, she likes you.”
“She — no she doesn’t,” he said defensively. “She’s just being herself. And you’re being an asshole.”
Cora’s eyebrows shot up. “What? How?”
“I don’t make my own life difficult,” Law snapped. “And I don’t want to talk about the — your — the heart transplant stuff. Why did you bring that up?”
“I didn’t,” Cora said. “I mean, I didn’t mean to. It just kinda came up.” He gave Law a frank look. “Be honest. You think I’m ruining your date, don’t you?”
“It’s not a—” Law pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked around the crowded patio. “Where’s Marco?”
Cora chuckled. “Okay, okay, I get the message. Clumsy Corazon signing off,” he said, and he tossed off a playful salute. “But she does like you, Law. I’m serious about that.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Law retorted. “She’s just a colleague.” A very attractive colleague that he actually enjoyed being around, but that wasn’t the point.
“Sure,” said Corazon. “A colleague who was giving you the glad eye.”
Law’s face went hot. “‘The glad eye’? What are you, ninety?”
Corazon grinned. “What, would you rather I say she was eyefucking you?”
“Shut up!” Law hissed.
Corazon laughed. “Okay, I can see I’ve done enough damage. I’ll leave you alone now. But she definitely has a thing for you, yeah? And don’t bother lying and telling me it’s not mutual. I’ve got eyes. I did—”
“You did recon for the fucking Navy. I know,” Law muttered. “Now go away.”
“All right, I’m going. I’ll catch you later.” He squeezed Law’s shoulder, then wandered back into the crowd.
Law drew a deep breath to calm his thrumming pulse, then took a gulp of his drink. Fucking Cora, he thought. This wasn’t the first time Corazon had picked at him about his nonexistent love life. But why did he have to bring this up now, when Lei was right there? It was embarrassing. As much as Law adored Cora, he could be so fucking embarrassing sometimes.
In any case, Law did not think that Lei ‘liked’ him the way Cora said. She was just a nice, friendly person who made people feel at ease; it was just who she was. And she had not been eyefucking him. Yes, she’d been looking at his arms and his chest, but that was just because of his tattoos. Furthermore, Law doubted that she was available. A woman like her probably had a partner already.
Not that it mattered if she had a partner, since this was just a collegial… hangout.
He took another gulp of his drink — oops, he’d finished it. He sighed, then met the bartender’s gaze. “I’ll have two pear ciders. Thanks.”
The bartender nodded and started decanting the drinks. Law sighed again, then finally looked over at the quiet corner where Lei had gone—
His hackles rose. She was still standing in the corner, but she wasn’t alone: a blond man in a sharp black suit was talking to her.
Damn cook, Law thought. He tapped his fingers impatiently until the bartender placed the drinks on the bar, then nodded a brusque thanks and took the drinks over to the corner, where Lei was being chatted up. “... would be honoured to cook you anything in the world that your beautiful heart desires. Did I mention that you’re beautiful?”
“You did,” she said warmly. “Like five times.” She met Law’s gaze, and her smile widened. “Dr. Trafalgar!”
“Sorry for taking so long.” He offered her one of the ciders and gave her companion a flat look. “Cook-ya. What are you doing out here?”
Sanji’s smarmy smile shifted into a frown. “Oi, Torao. You know this lovely lady?”
“Yes,” Law said shortly. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the kitchen?”
“Yeah, but we’re short on serving staff. And I’m doing quality spot-checks. Luckily, I put together this tray of tartelettes myself.” He offered the tray to Lei with a flourish and a winsome smile. “Would mademoiselle care for another?”
“Mademoiselle would, even though she already had two,” she said, and she shot Law a mischievous smile as she took another little tart from the tray.
“Take as many as you like!” Sanji urged. “In fact, you can have the entire tray. I’ll hold it for you, of course, since you need your own hands to eat and drink.”
“Or you can leave the tray and go spot-check something else,” Law said flatly.
Sanji’s smile creased into a pout. “Torao, what’s your problem? I was here first. If you want to have a conversation with a beautiful lady, go find another one.”
Law scowled, but before he could find a reasonable retort, Lei spoke up. “Actually, I was here with Dr. Trafalgar first. He was just getting me a drink.” She held up the cider.
Sanji’s eyes widened. “Lei-chan, if you wanted a drink, you should have asked me! I’ll get anything you need! Drinks, food, napkins, a chair — damn, you shouldn’t be standing, you should have a seat—!”
She laughed. “Sanji, I’m fine, really. If you have other duties to get up to, you should probably go do them.”
He sighed heavily. “All right, since you’re not alone anymore.” Then he gave Law a venomous look. “Don’t you dare leave this exquisite woman all on her own again, or I’ll fillet you to teach you manners. Here.” He thrust the tray of tarts into Law’s hand. “Make sure she eats as many of these as she wants.”
Law glared back at him, but Sanji was ignoring him now; he gave Lei one last sunny smile, then glided away into the crowd.
Law sighed and placed the tray on the nearby cocktail table. “I hate saying he’s right about anything, but I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Honestly, I think I dissociated for a few minutes there when he came over to me. He—? He’s actually the Vinsmoke Sanji? And he actually works as an actual chef?”
Law nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “He disowned his family, though, so don’t ask him about the Vinsmokes. He goes by Couteau Sanji now. He says he’s trying to live a normal non-celebrity life, but he goes around acting like that with every woman he sees, so…” He rolled his eyes.
“So you know him well?” Lei said. “You’re friends with him?”
“I know him well enough. We met through a mutual friend — through Zoro-ya, actually.”
“Wow. That’s interesting.” She rubbed her nose, then sipped her cider.
Law gave her an odd look, and she burst out a little laugh. “Sorry. It’s nothing. I just — I’ll have to tell a friend of mine that I met the Sanji tonight, and that he gave me a bunch of free food. It’s surreal.”
“Mm,” Law said. He was feeling more and more resentful of Sanji by the second. The damn cook just had to come muscling in on Law’s… what? This wasn’t a date, as he kept telling himself repeatedly, so he had no right to be annoyed at Sanji for flirting with her.
She tapped his forearm. “Have a tart. They’re really good.” She tilted her head playfully. “They’re mine, technically, but I’ll be nice and share with you.”
He looked at her, with her sparkly eyes and her warm smile, and his shoulders finally started to loosen. Date or not, it was nice to finally get to talk to her without anyone interrupting. “Thanks,” he said, and he took a bite of a tart.
She was watching him with an expectant look on her face. He swallowed the bite of tart, then arched a brow. “Can I help you…?”
She smiled impishly. “It’s good, right?”
He huffed. “You’re talking about it as though you made it.”
She laughed: a pleasantly lilting sound, he noted. “I know. It’s just nice to see you enjoying it. You seemed tense before.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Seriously though, I’m sorry for dragging you to this event. This really isn’t your kind of thing, is it?”
He shook his head. “Anything more than three people becomes a crowd. I can make the most of some groups bigger than that, if I know the people there. But things like this…” He gestured vaguely at the boisterous students and faculty who were occupying the main courtyard.
“It’s a lot,” she said. “I get it. I’m the same. Big parties with strangers is not my thing.”
He gave her an appraising look. “You implied as much. I’m surprised.”
“How come?”
“You seem… socially competent.”
She grinned. “Are you calling yourself socially incompetent?”
He smirked. “You seem comfortable, is what I mean. I’ve seen you in other group situations — research meetings and the like. You always look at ease.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh! That’s — well, that’s good. It’s good to seem socially competent when you’re at work.”
“Hm,” he agreed.
She chuckled. “Shit, I feel like I’m insulting you by accident or something. But honestly, I envy you. When you come into the library sometimes, you have this perfect look on your face that’s like a small-talk repellent.”
“My resting bitch face?” he said dryly.
She snorted a laugh, then covered her mouth before treating him again to that lovely smile. “Hey, you said it, not me.”
“It wasn’t even me who said it first,” Law said. “My friend — well, he’s more Rosinante’s friend. This idiot jock with metal for brains. He said I have resting bitch face.” He arched a brow as he brought his cider to his mouth. “I’m not mad about it, though. And you’re right. It’s an effective small talk repellent.”
“Good for you,” she giggled. “I’m honestly jealous. I know I said before that there’s a time and a place for small talk, but honestly? I fucking hate it.”
His heart lifted. He felt the exact same way. It was unexpected to hear that this was how she felt, though. “Surprising. You seem very good at it.”
She dipped into another mocking little curtsy. “Thank you, doctor. It’s all part of my professional façade.”
He gazed at her in amusement. He was liking this conversation more and more. “So if that’s your professional façade, what are you hiding?”
Her eyes widened. She beamed at him, then ducked her head in a way that made something hot come to life in his belly… Oh fuck, was he flirting with her? He was flirting with her. He was flirting with her? He hadn’t even meant to say something provocative. Fuck, what if he’d made her uncomfortable?
She lifted her head and gave him a playful look, and he was relieved to see that she didn’t look bothered by his clumsy provocation. “Maybe I’m hiding a cave gremlin. I’d usually be curled up on the couch with a smu— one of my romance novels right now.”
He couldn’t resist. “You were going to say a smutty novel, weren’t you?”
Her jaw dropped a little. Then she set her glass on the table and covered her face with a groan. “Oh my fucking god.”
He chuckled, and she gave him a sheepish smile. “I can’t believe — wait, how do you even know what smut is?”
“Because I don’t live under a rock,” he drawled.
Her expression became mischievous again, and she lifted her chin. “Okay, Dr. Trafalgar. So are you telling me that you’re a secret smut reader too, under your resting-bitch-face façade?”
On the verge of becoming a secret smut writer, actually, he thought dryly, but he obviously did not say this. “I’m just saying I’m an informed and educated person on topics beyond my scope.”
“Topics like smutty novels?”
“Yeah. Though you’re clearly more of an expert than me.”
“Oh, clearly.”
She was grinning. And now he was grinning back at her — shit, she was making him feel giddy.
He looked away and rubbed his mouth, then arched a brow at her. “And who said my resting-bitch-face is a façade? What you see is what you get.”
Her grin softened a little, and she tilted her head. “That’s true, in a way. But it’s not the whole truth.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone has a façade,” she said. “Even the people who you think are the most open books. Everyone’s got something that they’re guarding or hiding, even if they don’t know it. Or if they can’t put their finger on it. Everyone’s got something that they don’t tell other people. Or that they don’t tell most people, at least. Privileged stuff, you know? No one is a completely open book. If you’re lucky, you’re an open book to yourself, but even that is — most people aren’t that. Most of us are in denial about something.” She blinked at him, then smiled: a sweet and sheepish smile. “Shit, I really just went off there. I’m so sorry. Chalk it up to the drinks.”
For a second, Law couldn’t reply. He was… struck dumb, really. What she was saying, the stuff about not even being an open book to yourself? It made him think, strangely enough, of MxRead. Even now, almost a week later, he still found himself thinking back to the Discord conversation with her, the one where she’d talked about reasons for writing — and the fact that he still couldn’t exactly pinpoint his own reason for starting to write in the first place.
And now, as he gazed down at Lei, he found himself wondering what kinds of privileged secrets she was holding behind her sparkly and guileless eyes.
He took a sip of cider to gather himself, then gave her a wry look. “Tell me the truth. You’re a psychologist under your librarian façade.”
Her face lit up once more with that dazzling smile. “You think I have the time to be a psychologist and a librarian at the same time?”
“I guess not. Not with all the smutty novel reading.”
She laughed and rubbed her forehead. “Oh my god. You’re never going to let this go, are you?”
“You can’t blame me. You’re the one who first mentioned your interest in romance novels.”
“Okay, fair enough. So what do you read in your spare time, then?”
“You’re assuming I have spare time to read in,” he said dryly.
He meant this as a joke, but her eyebrows lifted sympathetically. “I can only imagine, honestly. What are your work hours even like? 7 a.m. to 7pm? Worse?”
He rubbed a hand over his hair. “It depends on if I’m on service at the hospital. I do rotations with the other cardiac surgeons. If I’m not on service, I have fairly normal hours since I’m at the office or the lab.” He neglected to mention that he invariably took work home when he wasn’t on service. “But even if I’m off-service, Dr. Kureha and I are the only surgeons in Egghead who can do the Hiriluk inversion procedure, so we’re essentially on call at all times for when those cases come up, even though they’re rare. We even have to coordinate our vacations if we’re leaving the city. Which I don’t do often, but…” He trailed off and gave her a flat look. “You don’t really want to hear about this.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Sure I do! I’m the one who asked you about it. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know. But now I’m sad for you. It sounds like a hard schedule to live by.”
He shrugged and sipped his cider before replying. “It’s the life I chose. I don’t regret it.” He would regret it in the future if his research failed, but he wasn’t going to think about that. “What about you? You work… normal hours, I assume?”
“Yup,” she said. “But we’re not talking about that.”
He gave her an odd look. “Why…?”
“Because it’s small talk,” she said. “Small talk is fucking boring.”
He smiled. Damn, she was refreshing. “You’re the one who asked me first about my work hours.”
“Yes, but only in the context of wanting to know what you do in your spare time. It’s not my fault that you don’t have any. Although,” she said pertly, “I guess that this is your spare time that we’re using right now to be here. So what would you have been doing right now if you weren’t here with me?”
He hesitated, and she clicked her tongue and poked his arm. “Dr. Trafalgar! You’d be working from home, wouldn’t you?”
“Most likely,” he admitted. “I make time for… some other things, though. Do you play video games, by chance?”
“Not really. Not that I have anything against them or anything — I was totally obsessed with Link’s Awakening when I was a kid. But I haven’t owned a game system since then.”
“Mm,” he acknowledged. “Well, I play a rugby game competitively with some friends and Rosinante. We watch shows sometimes, and, uh…” He trailed off. He obviously couldn’t mention his writing. But now that he was telling her about his so-called ‘spare time’ activities, he felt vaguely pathetic that he could only name two. He could mention kendo, but it had been months since he’d been to kendo club — a fact that Zoro had recently texted him to taunt him about — so he felt too shamefaced to mention that.
“Hm,” she said thoughtfully. “I was half-expecting you to tell me you paint in your spare time.”
He blinked. That was out of the blue. “Why would you think that?”
“The painting in your office,” she said. “The big one over your couch? It’s a submarine, right? At least that’s what it looks like to me.”
“Yeah,” he said blankly. “That’s — it’s a submarine, yes. Why?”
“I realized earlier that one of the logo-things on the submarine kind of looks like one of your tattoos — this one here.” She rested her fingers briefly on his forearm: the third time she had touched his arm tonight, he noticed. Not that he was counting or anything. “So then I was wondering if you painted it, since it’s, like, a mirroring or something, I guess?” She made a face. “Sorry. Am I totally off-base with this?”
He huffed. “You’re not. It’s not a coincidence that I have this,” and he briefly raised his arm. “But I didn’t make that painting. Rosinante did.”
Her face lit up. “Did he really? He’s a painter?”
Law nodded. “It’s just for fun; he doesn’t sell the paintings. But he hasn’t made a new painting in a couple years now.” He rubbed his chin. “I should make him get back into it. It’s good for— mm.” He was about to say that painting was a good way to keep Cora’s hands and fingers supple, to minimize the symptoms when he had another vasculitis flare. But that was too personal to share.
“That’s so cool,” Lei enthused. “He’s a painter, wow! The submarine in your office is so interesting. It looks like—” She let out a little laugh. “I hope he wouldn’t take this the wrong way, but it reminds me of a fever dream. Or a hallucination or something.”
Law quirked a brow.
Her face brightened even more. “Wait, really? That painting was based on a hallucination he had?”
“Not him. Me,” Law said dryly. “He based that painting off of some fucking story I told him when I was delirious with a fever one time as a kid.”
She laughed brightly — damn, she really had a nice laugh. “Oh my god, that’s so cute! So wait, he — is Rosinante your older brother?”
Law shook his head. He didn’t usually like getting into this with strangers, but with her, he somehow didn’t mind. “Technically, he’s my next-of-kin now. But he was my adoptive guardian.”
Her eyes went wide. “Oh! I — holy shit. Were you—? I hope it’s okay for me to ask, but were you adopted from birth, or…?” She winced. “That’s so personal. I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “And no. I was ten when my parents died.” When almost everyone in Flevance died, he thought grimly, including his parents and his sister Lami. Whether it was from the war and the bombings, or from the weaponized ‘white lead virus’ that wasn’t related to fucking lead at all — the same virus that would have killed Law, if Corazon hadn’t found him hiding among the corpses and rubble of the hospital and insisted on evacuating him from the country for treatment.
The same virus that Corazon had then contracted, thanks to his exposure to Law: the virus whose rare and chronic complications were slowly chipping away at Corazon’s life, year by year.
My fault. Cora wouldn’t be sick now if it wasn’t for me. No, no no, he wasn’t going to think about this right now. He took a big gulp of his drink, then started mindlessly eating another tartelette. Fuck, maybe he shouldn’t have started talking about this after all.
Lei spoke in a quiet voice. “I’m sorry. That’s really fucking shitty.”
He nodded and swallowed a bite of tartelette. “Thanks. It’s… It is what it is.”
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s… Exactly like you said, it is what it is. And I’m sure you’ve had people being like ‘at least you have Rosinante now!’ Which is true, obviously, and Rosinante seems amazing—”
“He is amazing,” Law said roughly. “He’s…” His throat went dry, and he took another gulp of cider to soothe it.
“I don’t doubt it,” Lei said softly. “But that doesn’t take away from the shittiness of losing your parents. And I’m sorry about that.”
He nodded again and ate the rest of the tartelette in one big bite. When he had finished eating, when his throat no longer felt so thick, he gave her a matter-of-fact look. “Tell me about your family now.”
Her serious expression instantly shifted into that stunning smile. “That’s fair. I’ll tell you all about them. But on one condition.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What’s the condition?”
She picked up the last tartelette on the tray. “We need to eat more Baratie while we talk. We’re doing a shitty job of stuffing ourselves. That was the whole point of coming to this thing, wasn’t it?”
Her eyes were dancing with mischief now. He forced himself to keep a straight face as he replied. “You’re right. We’re failing at step one. Let’s go stand by the kitchen entrance so we can snatch the food as soon as it comes out.”
Her eyes widened playfully. “Fucking brilliant. That’s why you’re getting an award tonight, right? Because of brilliant ideas like that.”
“Hey, shut up about the award. Or someone will call me out for not going up with Marco to get it.”
She laughed. And as they edged their way closer to the kitchen entrance, Law realized that he was… happy.
Against all odds, he was actually happy to be here, with her, on this Thursday evening.
***********
He and Lei spent the next couple of hours talking nonstop — talking and eating, that was. It wasn’t even like they talked about anything that serious or deep; the conversation just flowed between them, and it was… easy. And fun. She seemed to find his sarcasm highly amusing, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t charmed by her cheeky teasing, especially since the teasing evolved into clever back-and-forths of repartée that he wasn’t used to enjoying with most people. Or with anyone, really, when he thought about it; he didn’t even banter like this with Corazon.
The only break in their conversation came when the festivities were paused to present the awards, at which point she urged him to hide in the bathroom right before his name was called so he couldn’t be put on the spot. “I’ll text you when it’s safe to come out. And don’t worry,” she said innocently. “If anyone asks where you’ve gone, I’ll tell them you had a sudden attack of IBS. It won’t be embarrassing at all.”
She was ridiculous. And to his own surprise, he was finding it totally endearing. He usually wouldn’t have gone along with something so stupid, but her impish attitude was infectious, and he found himself heading inside shortly before his award was announced, just as she suggested.
As he was making his way to the bathroom, though, Sanji burst out of the kitchen and accosted him. “Oi, Torao. What’s your problem?”
“Eh?” he said blankly. “What problem?”
“Why are you making that lovely lady call you ‘doctor’?”
Law gaped at him. ”What?”
“Lei-chan,” Sanji said. “You’re making her call you ‘Dr. Trafalgar’. Why are you being so rude and cold?”
“I’m not—! I’m not making her call me that,” Law said defensively. “It’s just what she calls me.”
“So why aren’t you correcting her?” Sanji retorted. “No one else calls you Dr. Trafalgar. She probably thinks you’re trying to keep her at a distance! And only the Devil knows why you’d try to do that. A beautiful lady like that should be held close and treasured in your arms at all times!”
Don’t murder him. You’re a doctor, Law coached himself. “I’m not trying to keep her at a distance. I never even introduced myself like that. I sign all my emails to her as ‘Law’, not fucking Dr. Trafalgar. It’s — she chose to call me that.”
“And you never tried to correct her?” Sanji said aggressively.
“No,” he said irritably. “I thought it was just her preference.” But now that Sanji was pointing this out, Law was starting to worry. Maybe Sanji was right in a way, and Lei was calling him ‘doctor’ on purpose — because she wanted to keep some distance between them.
“You need to correct her,” Sanji urged. “You’re being an asshole by not inviting her to use your first name! And how can you not want your name to pass through those luscious lips?” He sighed and clasped his hands together. “Such luscious plump lips, awaiting the right Mr. Prince to sweep her straight to heaven with his kisses—”
“Shut up about her lips,” Law snapped. “And it’s not that I don’t want—” He broke off, then glared at Sanji. “You can flirt with literally anyone else, so go do that. Just let me talk to Lei-ya.”
“Not if you refuse to treat her right! You can’t put boundaries between yourself and a lady like that! Who do you think you are, making her use a title—”
“All right, I get it,” Law snarled. “Shut up about it now!”
“Oi, curly-brows.”
Law and Sanji turned to find Zoro wandering through from the main restaurant. “I need more booze,” he said. “They’re not bringing around enough out there.”
Sanji wilted. “I told you where the bar was. And I already brought you six bottles of sake!”
“I need more. And don’t give me that crap about the bar. You sent me the wrong way on purpose, didn’t you?”
Sanji’s eyebrows rose. Then he folded his arms and gave Zoro an exasperated look. “You were in the parking lot just now, weren’t you? I sent you to the bar, and you ended up in the damn parking lot?”
“You didn’t send me to the bar! I went out to the parking lot because of your lousy directions!”
Law rolled his eyes and stepped away from them. “Idiots. I’ll be going—”
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He eagerly took it out.
Lei (Librarian) 9:13 PM
You’re in the clear! It’s safe to come out! 🫡
He smiled faintly, then tucked his phone back in his pocket and headed back toward the patio.
“Oi, Torao!” Sanji yelled. “You’d better tell her not to call you ‘doctor’ anymore, or I’ll—”
“Mind your own business,” Law snapped, and he escaped onto the patio.
The award presentations were over, as Lei had said, and the patio was noisy once more with the myriad conversations of half-drunk faculty and students. Law scanned the crowd, and finally he spotted her: she was laughing in a corner with Corazon and Marco.
Law’s gut sank a little. He hoped Corazon wasn’t telling her embarrassing stories from when he was a kid.
He sidled over to them. “Rosinante. Marco,” he said cautiously.
Corazon beamed at him. “You told her about my painting?”
“Yes,” he said in surprise. “I — is that what you’re talking about?”
She nodded. “I’m totally pestering him about it, really. I didn’t know the difference between acrylics and oil painting until Rosinante just told me now!”
Corazon chuckled and elbowed Law. “She acts like I know things. Isn’t that precious?”
“You do know things!” she said. “Especially compared to me, since I know literally nothing about painting, but come on, you know lots of things! And you can do both abstract art and normal art, from what I saw in that painting in Dr. Trafalgar’s office.”
Marco thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “I think ‘representational’ is the word you’re looking for-yoi. Abstract versus representational art.”
She snapped her fingers. “Yes! Thank you, Dr. Phoenix. Look how much I’m learning,” she said to Law with a grin. “Maybe I should go to faculty parties more often.”
He smiled back, but he was distracted now by her use of Marco’s title. If she was calling both him and Marco ‘doctor’, that meant… What did that mean? Was she trying to keep him and Marco at the same level, meaning at a distance?
For fuck’s sake, why was he fussing about this? It was all Sanji’s fault. He wasn’t going to think about it anymore.
Corazon was talking. “... would never have picked it up if I hadn’t been discharged from the Navy. And now I’ve got the entire garage to mess around in with the paints, it’s great.”
Law scoffed. “‘Mess around’ is right. He knocks his paints over constantly,” he told Lei. “The garage looks like he vomited rainbows all over the floor.”
She and Marco laughed, and Corazon chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a mess. But it’s a good time. I should get back into it, it’s been a while since I painted anything. But hey, I’m not the only creative one in the house,” he said, and he clapped Law on the shoulder. “Law here—”
“Cora-san,” Law said sharply. Corazon wouldn’t—? No, of course he’d never mention Law’s fanfic. But still, why was he putting Law on the spot?
Cora’s eyes widened. “What? All I was going to say is that you’re a creative soul.” He turned back to Lei. “This guy loved drawing and coming up with stories when he was a kid. Absolutely loved it. I spent years watching this little brat churning out comics by the bucketload. He was faster than Oda!”
Lei’s eyes lit up. “Aw, really? Dr. Trafalgar, you didn’t mention that you’re an artist too!”
“I’m not,” he said.
“He sure is,” Cora said at the same time.
“I am not,” Law said, with a warning look at Corazon. “I haven’t drawn anything since I was a kid.”
Corazon clicked his tongue. “Fine, maybe he hasn’t done it in a while. But this guy’s an artist at heart, I’m telling you.”
Law scowled at him, but Lei’s expression was becoming serious. “You know what I think, honestly? Everyone’s an artist at heart. Real life shit just gets in the way for most people. Like, it doesn’t leave any bandwidth for doing anything creative when you have to spend your whole day at work, and then go straight home to take care of your kids or do chores or whatever, you know? And then some people just never even get the encouragement to do anything creative. It’s like this seed that everyone has, but most people just never get to see it turn into anything because of no encouragement or no time.” She gave Law a warm look. “It looks like you’ve got the encouragement piece in place, with Rosinante cheering you on. I really wish you could have more time to do creative stuff.”
Once again, Law was gripped by her words. She obviously had no idea how close she was hitting to the mark, and how he found himself wishing more and more that he had more free time for his writing.
But he couldn’t talk about his writing to her. He couldn’t talk about it to anyone except MxRead.
Marco started clapping. “Hear hear-yoi.”
Lei covered her mouth. “Oh fuck. I went off again. Sorry—”
“Don’t,” Law blurted. “Don’t be sorry for… You have nothing to be sorry for.”
She lowered her hand, and the warmth in her face made his belly flip-flop. Then Cora clapped him on the shoulder. “Oi, I almost forgot to tell you. Me and Marco are going for drinks after this, so I’ll catch a ride home with him.” He raised his eyebrows slightly.
“Right,” Law said blankly. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Cora said. “Well, we’re gonna go talk to someone else now.” He slung his arm around Marco’s neck and pulled him away. “Marco, you ever think about doing anything creative?”
“Yeah. I’ve thought about painting, actually.”
“What!” Cora exclaimed. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? We’ll get you set up in my garage! Kiddo can make you an easel out of scrap metal or something...”
Law huffed, then turned back to Lei. “Should we camp out at the kitchen entrance again?”
“Absolutely,” she said, and she followed him toward the kitchen door. “What was that you called Rosinante? Cora…? Corazon? Or Cora-san?”
Law’s neck went hot. He hadn’t realized he’d used Cora’s nickname in public. “Yeah. It’s… It was his code name in the Navy. It’s the name he went by when I met him. The… habit stuck.”
“That’s really sweet,” she said softly. “I love that you have a special family nickname for him that’s not ‘Dad’, since you knew your dad.”
Law looked at her. That was exactly what it had always felt like to him.
Her eyes widened, and she made a little face. “Am I overstepping? I’m — fuck, I keep touching on this topic, I know it’s sensitive…”
“No. It’s…” He swallowed hard, then shook his head. “You’re fine. You just… surprise me.”
“In a good way?” she said. “Or in a ‘oh shit, I bought the wrong kind of onigiri and I’m only finding out now that I bit into it’ way?”
He scoffed. “This onigiri example seems highly specific.”
She giggled. “Okay, I might have gotten the wrong kind of onigiri for lunch the other day, and I’m still mad about it.”
“What was the ‘wrong’ kind of onigiri? Be careful in your answer.”
“Uh-oh.” She gave him a hopeful look. “I wanted tuna-mayo, but I got pickled plum by accident?”
He nodded. “All right. That’s acceptable.”
She perked up. “You don’t like pickled plum either?”
“Hate it. So you’re in the clear.”
“Oh good,” she said with a grin. “I would hate to know what would’ve happened if I’d said it was my favourite.”
“You’d find yourself at this event alone. I can’t stand people with bad taste in onigiri.”
She laughed, and he marvelled at how it was possible for her laughter to sound as sparkly as her eyes. Then his phone buzzed.
“Sorry, one second,” he said, and he took it out.
Corazon had texted him.
Cora-san 9:35 PM
DRIVE HER HOME AT THE END OF THE NIGHT DUMBASS
Cora-san 9:35 PM
Just in case that wasn’t clear from my very obvious hinting
Law’s heart skipped at the thought. Driving Lei home, having her sit beside him in the car, in cozily close quarters—?
Shut up, he scolded himself, and he tapped out a reply to Corazon.
9:35 PM
Don’t you have mingling to do?
Cora-san 9:35 PM
😁✌️ILU!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
He clicked his tongue and tucked his phone decisively into his back pocket. “Sorry about that. Let’s eat.”
“Cheers to that!” She turned back to face him and held out a plate loaded with pastry puffs, various skewers and dumplings, and carefully carved raw vegetables with a small bowl of herby-smelling dip.
He raised his eyebrows. He had only looked away for about thirty seconds. “You actually hoarded a plate full of appetizers.”
“Of course! I don’t want anyone else to talk to us anymore.”
Her eyes were twinkling, and her smile was a mischievous curl… Fuck, she really was stunning. And Law felt like an idiot for only now realizing how stunningly likeable she was.
They stayed at the event until the very end: something Law had never done before, since he always left these things after an hour max. As they made their way toward the exit of the patio, she gave him an inquisitive look. “I took the subway to get here. What about—? Oh, Rosinante said you drove, right?”
He nodded, then summoned the courage to do what he’d been thinking about ever since… Well, ever since Corazon had texted him, though he was loath to admit it. “I’ll drive you home. If you want,” he said hastily.
“Oh! Are you sure?” she said. “I don’t want to put you out of your way if we’re not in the same direction.”
“I don’t mind,” he said. “I’d… prefer to make sure you get home safe.”
She chuckled. “I’ve taken the subway home alone way later than this. But okay, that would be nice. Thanks!”
Relieved, he led her to his car. She gave him her address as they settled into the car, and as they were pulling out of the parking lot, she playfully rubbed her hands together. “Okay, time to judge your taste in music.”
He tsked. “Let’s plug in your phone instead.”
“No way!” She hugged her phone protectively to her chest. “Are you kidding? I’d never let someone go through my playlists on the first— um, the first time I’m hanging out with them. It’s too revealing!”
“How is it revealing? It’s just music.”
“‘Just music’?” she exclaimed. “That’s like saying an amazing meal is ‘just food’! I don’t know about you, but I make playlists for all kinds of moods and movies and, like, trips and stuff, everything. And sometimes what I’ll listen to in one mood is so different from another, so you’ll think I’m Patrick Bateman or something if you hear my ‘Murder Everyone Monday’ playlist.”
He shot her a smile. “What—? Hang on. ‘Murder Everyone Monday’?”
“The point is,” she said primly, “that I can’t let you find out about my music taste yet. No way.”
“But you can see mine,” he drawled.
“Yup! And so far, I like what I hear.” She gazed out the window and started humming along softly to the Arcade Fire song that was playing in the car.
He smiled to himself. And for the rest of the drive, they fluctuated between listening peacefully to the stereo, and animatedly discussing her (mostly correct, sometimes deeply wrong) opinions about Law’s taste in music.
The drive to her place was around twenty minutes (and only five minutes from Law’s house, not that that mattered). But it felt much shorter. By the time he was pulling into the parking lot of her apartment building, he was regretting that they’d be parting ways: a strange feeling for him, since he was usually relieved to be on his own again after a night of being social.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, then turned to him with that killer smile. “Well, thank you for the ride, Dr. Trafalgar. And for the—
“Call me Law,” he blurted. “You can — you should call me Law.”
Her eyebrows jumped up. The back of his neck went hot, and he cursed himself silently as he pressed on. “You don’t need to call me Dr. Trafalgar. No one does, really, except my older colleagues and patients. You especially shouldn’t feel like you have to, um.” He cleared his throat. “You should… call me Law.”
She covered her mouth. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable by calling you ‘doctor’! I just—”
“No,” he said quickly. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable—”
She interrupted him. “I respect you, so I just — it’s what pops out, you know? It’s a respect thing. But you’re right, it’s super formal-sounding and it probably makes you feel like fifty years older than you are.”
“Fifty years is a bit of a stretch,” he said wryly. “And you don’t need to respect me as long as you keep helping me get results.”
She smiled, but her head tilted in an appraising way. “You mean that, don’t you? You wouldn’t care if I liked you as long as I did my job well.”
Once again, he was a little stumped. This intriguing woman and her piercing remarks that took him by surprise. “That’s… probably true,” he said slowly. It didn’t matter to Law if his colleagues or students liked him, as long as they were competent. Students and colleagues were transient, after all; they entered your life for a specific reason, and Law didn’t feel the need to deepen his ties with them unless they stayed in his life for a long time, like Marco. But with Lei…
Fuck, he liked her. If he really probed his own feelings, he’d admit that he’d probably been fostering a bit of a crush on her for a while now. And the thought of her not liking him…
“Well, don’t worry about that,” she said warmly. “Because I do like you.”
She—! What? He stared at her, and she flushed: a sudden darkening of her cheeks that made his heart skip. “I like working with you, I mean. I mean—! I like you, too, obviously, not just for the work stuff. You’re easy to talk to, you’re funny…”
“Funny,” he repeated. He was not someone who often got told that he was funny.
She giggled. “Yes, you’re funny! And this was fun. Tonight, I mean, going to the party. The event-thing. It — it was fun.” She took a deep breath and rubbed her nose, then looked him in the eye once more. “I had fun tonight, Law. Thanks for coming with me. I mean that.”
Her expression was so earnest. Her eyes were bright and sparkly under the streetlights, and — damn it, Sanji was right: it was nice to hear his name from her lips.
She was stunning. Funny, insightful, intelligent, and so beautiful that it was stunning. And he was paralyzed by the realization that he hadn’t paid attention to these qualities in anyone for over a decade.
He took a deep breath to calm his jittering heart. “You’re welcome. Tonight was… Yeah. It was fun. Thanks to you.”
Her smile widened. She laughed softly and ducked her head in that shy-coy way, and Law just… stared at her. Fuck, she really was something to stare at. And he felt so fucking dumb and shallow for thinking about how pretty she was when there was so much more about her to like. But it was like her beauty had ambushed him, and now he couldn’t look away.
She met his eye once more — argh, her sparkly eyes. “Okay. Well, I’ll… I’ll see you at the library sometime this week, probably?”
He nodded. “Have a good night. Rest of your night, I should say.”
“You too!” She opened the door, and Law rued the heavy feeling in his gut as she slid out of the car.
Then she poked her head back in. “I love this song!” she said, and she tapped the dashboard. Then she closed the door and waved to him through the window.
He smiled faintly at her, and she gave him one last heart-pounding smile before hurrying up to the door of her building. Once she was safely in the lobby, Law pulled away and turned up the volume so he could properly hear the song that had caught her attention.
The stereo was playing Friday I’m In Love.
He sighed. “I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing,” he said out loud to the empty car.
Chapter 8: Messages
Chapter Text
Lei Thurs, May 29, 2025 11:32 PM
OMG YOU GUYS I HAD THE BEST TIME ADFJHLGKJL
Lei 11:32 PM
I know you’re all probably asleep so I’ll wait until I see you tmr night before sharing all the details but OMG. He’s so hot I can’t live
Lei 11:33 PM
He’s so funny and we were just joking around and talking all night and I’m just so aaaaaaaaaaaa OKAY we’ll talk about it tmr!!
Vivi 11:35 PM
Wait wait I’m awake!! I want to know more!!! Are you still awake?
Lei 11:35 PM
Of course I’m awake!! Who do you think you’re talking to 😂
Nami 11:35 PM
I’m awake too because a certain girl with blue hair woke me up so this better be good
Vivi 11:35 PM
Teehee! 🥰 But YES YES tell us tell us more!!!
Lei 11:36 PM
Okay so he was wearing this blue button up shirt and it was open down to the top of his sternum and I was totally staring at him because he’s so sexy but he didn’t mind. Like he told me it was fine that I was staring at him, which is like??? So nice??? And yes ok I told him I was staring at his tattoos but STILL. We just like. Kept talking all night, and then he drove me home and we were joking around about his music the whole time, and he was just so fgjkghlkf guys my brain is melted butter right now HAHAHA I’m so sorry I swear I’ll be more coherent tomorrow
Vivi 11:37 PM
🍿🍿🍿
Nami 11:37 PM
🍿
Vivi 11:37 PM
LOL omg!!! 🤝🤣💙
Nami 11:37 PM
LOL that’s why you’re my girl 😉
Lei 11:37 PM
We spent the whole time talking. Like nonstop. I honestly didn’t think he was going to be that much of a talker but it was just like, so much joking back and forth and he’s so sarcastic and it’s so funny I just want to open all the buttons on his shirt UGH HE’S SO.
Lei 11:37 PM
HAHA omg you guys with the popcorn 🤣
Vivi 11:38 PM
LOL sorry!!! But we’re both listening I promise!!!
Lei 11:38 PM
Hahaha it’s okay!! I don’t have anything more coherent to say I just ughhhh help I really like him
Lei 11:38 PM
Like we all knew I’ve been lusting after him for ages but this night just made it so much worse/better 😂💀
Nami 11:38 PM
It’s not worse! This is great! You can finally make a real move on him and you can live happily ever having sex all night every night 😌The end
Vivi 11:38 PM
BABE 🤣
Lei 11:38 PM
LOL
Nami 11:38 PM
I said what I said and I’m not taking it back 💅
Lei 11:38 PM
Nooo Nami you’re not wrong! I just ddfjkahlhkg I don’t knowwww
Vivi 11:38 PM
You don’t know what?
Robin 11:38 PM
Hello, I’m here. Just catching up.
Lei 11:38 PM
I don’t know if he’s crazy like me LOL? Seriously though I don’t know for sure if he likes me back the same way. Like what if he just sees me as a friendly colleague
Lei 11:38 PM
Hi Robin!!! 😘
Nami 11:38 PM
Omg. I’m going back to sleep. Vivi wake me up when she comes to her senses
Vivi 11:39 PM
B A B E 🤣🤣🤣
Lei 11:39 PM
Nami you’re so MEAN LMAO
Robin 11:39 PM
It’s hard for us to know what he’s thinking without more information. But if you spent the whole evening talking nonstop, that sounds like a very good sign to me.
Robin 11:39 PM
Would you feel comfortable making a move, such as asking him on a real date?
Lei 11:39 PM
Maybe? I don’t know 😩 I don’t want to fuck this up either since we work together and I really value our work relationship
Nami 11:40 PM
NOOOO UGH come on that’s the worst reason
Lei 11:40 PM
HAHAHA
Vivi 11:40 PM
I thought you went to sleep since you couldn’t be bothered with this convo? 😗
Nami 11:40 PM
You’re lying right beside me bitch
Lei 11:40 PM
LMAO
Vivi 11:40 PM
LMAO
Nami 11:40 PM
I mean it tho, everything you said about him sounds like he’s a total professional and he’ll put the professional stuff first so even if he turns you down (worst case scenario obv) it wouldn’t interfere with your work
Nami 11:40 PM
It’ll be awkward for a bit but who cares! You’re a big girl, you’d be fine 😎
Robin 11:40 PM
I agree with Nami about his professionalism. I can’t imagine he would let this interfere with work, even on the off-chance that he turns you down.
Vivi 11:41 PM
Ditto what they said!
Lei 11:41 PM
Ok you’re right. You guys are right, you’re brilliant. Okok I’ll think about it!!
Nami 11:41 PM
Good! I’m going back to sleep now, a queen needs her beauty rest 😴
Vivi 11:41 PM
A queen sure does 😂 night you guys!
Robin 11:41 PM
Goodnight. See you all tomorrow for dinner. ☺️👋
Lei 11:42 PM
Night!! Love you guys!! 😘
Vivi 11:42 PM
😘🥰
*************
Fri, May 30, 2025 12:03 PM
Hey, happy Friday! I just wanted to say thanks again for coming with me to the research party last night, and for the drive home!
Trafalgar Law 12:47 PM
You’re welcome.
Trafalgar Law 12:51 PM
Thank you for taking the lead on hoarding appetizers. It helped to set the “weirdness” aura around us.
12:51 PM
Anytime! Note for the future, I will always be down for hoarding free Baratie. So if you hear about any more faculty events they’re catering, send them my way!
Trafalgar Law 12:51 PM
I’ll keep that in mind.
12:51 PM
Enough in mind that you would go with me again to stuff our faces in the corner?
Trafalgar Law 12:51 PM
I might be amenable to that. Depending on how incognito I could be at the event. I’d prefer to go in, get the food, eat, get out.
12:52 PM
Omg 😂 You’re making it sound like a stealth mission!
Trafalgar Law 12:52 PM
It is a stealth mission. That’s what the resting bitch face is for. It deflects small talk like a shield.
12:52 PM
Good to know! Taking notes!
12:52 PM
(Also trying not to laugh really loudly in the library since, you know, it’s the library 😂)
Trafalgar Law 12:52 PM
Take notes all you want. I’m not sure they’ll do you much good.
12:52 PM
What do you mean? When is taking notes ever not helpful?
Trafalgar Law 12:53 PM
Spoken like a true nerd.
12:53 PM
Look who’s talking! 😂
Trafalgar Law 12:53 PM
They’re not useful when you’re unable to execute a proper resting bitch face.
12:53 PM
Woah woah, hang on a second! Are you saying you don’t think I can do RBF?
Trafalgar Law 12:53 PM
That’s exactly what I’m saying. Your smile is
Trafalgar Law 12:53 PM
Sorry. Thumb slipped. You smile too much. It’s counterproductive when you’re trying to foster RBF.
Trafalgar Law 12:53 PM
I like that there’s an acronym for this.
12:53 PM
I’m so offended! I can’t believe you think I can’t do RBF! Just for that, I’ll show you a perfect RBF next time you come to the library!
12:53 PM
(And yes it’s a great acronym 😂)
Trafalgar Law 12:53 PM
I’ll be the judge of that. I might have to observe your RBF for a while to make sure it’s effective at repelling small talk.
12:54 PM
So you’ll just wait outside my office watching if anyone tries to make small talk with me? That’s super normal and not creepy at all!
Trafalgar Law 12:54 PM
I thought you said “normal” was overrated. But yeah, now that you point it out, it would be creepy. So I won’t be doing that.
12:54 PM
Guess you’ll have to come up with a new way of testing the effectiveness of my perfect RBF!
Trafalgar Law 12:54 PM
I will. I have serious doubts about its perfection.
12:54 PM
You wouldn’t be a good clinician-scientist if you didn’t have doubts! I can’t wait to give you high-grade evidence of how wrong you are 😌
Trafalgar Law 12:54 PM
I’ll look forward to seeing this evidence.
12:54 PM
Nerd! (Laughing so much rn! But quietly!)
Trafalgar Law 12:55 PM
It takes one to know one.
12:55 PM
I’m not denying it! And hey, you called me a nerd first!
Trafalgar Law 12:55 PM
I have to go. Meeting at 1. Practice that RBF.
12:55 PM
Will do! 😂
*************
Sunday, June 1, 2025
MxRead 12:17 AM
OH MY GOD.
YOU DIDN’T.
THAT CLIFFHANGER AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER YOU JUST POSTED. I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU. YOU MONSTER!! (affectionate)
MxRead 12:31 AM
Also this part though, this whole paragraph:
Poison, he thought: she was poison, and he couldn’t believe a word she said. But in this moment of stillness, of truce, with their armour off and the brazier shedding light and warmth through the room, he wanted to believe that what she was saying was true.
That’s why she’s poison, Sora thought. And he couldn't afford to drop his guard around her at any cost.
I love it so much oh my GOD 😭😭😭 The buildup to this moment was SO PERFECT too. The action scene, the crazy rush for Sora to get her off of Punk Hazard and onto his ship? I was holding my breath the whole time!! I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE’S ON HIS SHIP AND THERE’S ONLY. ONE. BUNK. I’M GOING INSANE
HeartCaptain251615 1:25 AM
I’m glad you liked the chapter.
MxRead 1:28 AM
Are you kidding me??? I loved the chapter! I mean I love every chapter so so much but AAAAAAAA this one was such a banger! I can’t believe you’re doing only-one-bed! I’m so excited I’m going to go insane when the next chapter drops!!!
HeartCaptain251615 1:28 AM
No pressure.
MxRead 1:28 AM
Hahaha no no pressure at all, genuinely!! I know the chapter will be ready when it’s ready, no rush at all! I’ll just be vibrating here about the emotional edging until then 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:28 AM
Emotional edging?
MxRead 1:29 AM
Yes! It’s my term for those slow burn moments when you get us sooooo close to a romance moment but then there’s a cliffhanger or an interruption or something!
HeartCaptain251615 1:29 AM
That’s remarkably accurate.
MxRead 1:29 AM
I know right?? I feel like it should become a mainstream term! But that involves people knowing what edging is and I’m not going to be the one to explain it to them if they don’t already know 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:29 AM
Why not? It’s a normal social practice to have conversations with casual acquaintances about specific sexual practices they might never have heard of. Great icebreaker.
MxRead 1:29 AM
Shut up 😂😂😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:30 AM
Speaking of. I looked up YKINMK. I didn’t realize fandoms were so fraught with arguments about fictional people having sex.
MxRead 1:30 AM
Omg 🤣 You sweet summer child! Unfortunately, there’s nothing that fans love more than kinkshaming each other about their shipping fantasies
Actually I take that back, the thing they love most is just flat-out shaming each other about their ships, whether there’s sex involved or not 🫠
HeartCaptain251615 1:30 AM
So I gathered from what I read.
MxRead 1:31 AM
Now I’m curious about what you read!
HeartCaptain251615 1:31 AM
Enough to know that people have been bullied and doxxed for liking certain ships, or portraying certain ships/characters in a certain way. Not exactly encouraging for wanting to engage with other fans.
MxRead 1:31 AM
Yeahhh… it’s complicated. The bullying can be something else for sure. But I’ve mostly had good experiences over bad ones! I know I talk about my writer friends a lot, but I met all of them through fandoms! I’ve found that if you stick to just talking to a couple of people, and if you vet them carefully before you move to chatting, it usually works out!
HeartCaptain251615 1:31 AM
I’ll take your word for it. I’m not interested in making fandom friends.
MxRead 1:31 AM
But you made friends with me!
HeartCaptain251615 1:32 AM
You’re one person. One is enough.
MxRead 1:32 AM
Aww I’m so honoured!! But also now the pressure is really on to not freak you out and fuck this up 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:32 AM
You haven’t freaked me out (too much) yet. I think we’re good.
MxRead 1:32 AM
I hope so! Otherwise I’d have to go back to screaming in your comments instead of directly in our messages!
HeartCaptain251615 1:32 AM
You scream in my comments still. You left a huge comment on the chapter that you just messaged me about.
MxRead 1:32 AM
I know!! Imagine if I only had one place to scream? I might explode! Nah I’d probably just end up raving to my IRL friends about your fic instead 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:32 AM
It’s interesting that you talk to your IRL friends about fanfic.
MxRead 1:32 AM
Honestly I’ve wondered about that with you! Does anyone in your IRL life know that you’re a writer?
HeartCaptain251615 1:32 AM
One person knows.
MxRead 1:33 AM
Do you talk about your writing with them? Have they read PSBC?
HeartCaptain251615 1:33 AM
PSBC?
MxRead 1:33 AM
Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:33 AM
No and no.
MxRead 1:33 AM
Isn’t that ever lonely for you? That you have this entire story that you put so much care and thought into, but no one to talk about it with? (Except me!)
HeartCaptain251615 1:33 AM
Thanks for putting it that way. I’ll go cry in the shower now while playing My Chemical Romance.
MxRead 1:33 AM
OMG I’M HOWLING 😂😂😂
I’M SO SORRY YOU’RE SO RIGHT. I said that in the absolute worst way possible! I’m so sorry!!! You totally don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, that was like the most biased way I could have said that! Forgive me I’m so sorry 😂😭💀
HeartCaptain251615 1:34 AM
It’s fine. I’m just picking on you. To answer your question, it’s not lonely. I’m writing this story for my own satisfaction, not to make friends.
MxRead 1:34 AM
I know, but it’s still nice to be able to talk about it, isn’t it? Or maybe I’m off base here and you’re just tolerating my constant henpecking about your fic 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:34 AM
You’re not off-base. It actually is nice to talk about it. But it wasn’t what I was looking for when I started writing.
MxRead 1:35 AM
I still find that sooo fascinating! Like I know I’m harping about this now, and you should feel free to use the fuck-off card, but the fact that you post your fic but you don’t care what people think about it or about making connections through your fic? That’s so unusual. It’s so rare and I think that’s so interesting
HeartCaptain251615 1:35 AM
We’re tied, then.
MxRead 1:35 AM
Tied?
HeartCaptain251615 1:35 AM
We both have something we find weird and interesting about the other.
MxRead 1:35 AM
Hey I never said weird!! But honestly I’ll take it. Being normal is boring 🤣
HeartCaptain251615 1:35 AM
That’s the second time this week that someone’s said that to me.
MxRead 1:35 AM
You should listen to them! Let loose! Let your freak flag fly! Tell everyone at work that you’re a smutty fanfic writer who is definitely going to write rated E smut!!!
HeartCaptain251615 1:35 AM
Nice try. I’m still undecided about the rated E smut.
MxRead 1:36 AM
Omg omg omgomgomg
HeartCaptain251615 1:36 AM
What?
MxRead 1:36 AM
You said you’re undecided!! When I first asked you about this, you said you had no plans to write rated E smut!
HeartCaptain251615 1:36 AM
When did I say that?
MxRead 1:36 AM
The first time you replied to one of my comments!
HeartCaptain251615 1:36 AM
How do you remember that?
MxRead 1:36 AM
I have the proof in my inbox obviously 😂 But does this mean you’re changing your mind? You might write rated E smut???
HeartCaptain251615 1:37 AM
I’ll think about it. We’ll see where the story goes.
MxRead 1:37 AM
OHHHH MYYYY GODDDD
Okay I’m calm I’m normal. That’s cool! Let me know what you decide!
HeartCaptain251615 1:37 AM
I thought you said normal was overrated.
MxRead 1:37 AM
IT IS AND I’M SOOOO NOT NORMAL ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU WRITING SORAPINK PORN. But I will pretend to be cool for the sake of not pressuring you 🤣 even though you’re immune to pressure since you don’t care what anyone thinks!
HeartCaptain251615 1:37 AM
You’re really not going to let that go, are you.
MxRead 1:37 AM
Nope! It makes you my role model! I wish to give no fucks someday just like you 💪
HeartCaptain251615 1:41 AM
Question. Is it standard practice when talking to other fans to be so open about smut preferences? Or talking about sex in general.
MxRead 1:42 AM
Oh fuck have I been making you uncomfortable by talking about it like this? I’m so sorry!!!
HeartCaptain251615 1:42 AM
It’s fine. It was odd at first to get used to a stranger talking openly about smut, but it’s fine.
MxRead 1:42 AM
Are you sure? I’m so sorry, I forget sometimes that there are some folks who aren’t used to the openly-horny smut reading community 😭
HeartCaptain251615 1:42 AM
That’s the impression I got. The openly-horny thing, I mean. So that’s normal, then?
Don’t say again that normal is overrated.
MxRead 1:43 AM
Stole the words from my mouth 😂 but yeah it’s pretty normal from what I’ve experienced! My best online friends are people that I’ve bonded with because we love the same smut! Or because they wrote my favourite smut and I screamed in their comments and we became friends 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:43 AM
Sounds familiar.
MxRead 1:43 AM
Exactly! So I promise I’m not being a perv, I’m just being a cheerleading friend 😌
MxRead 1:43 AM
It’s funny actually when you think about it! That some online friendships start like this, by talking about something so private that it sometimes never even comes up in IRL friendships, you know? Like, I don’t know about you, but I have a couple of IRL friends that I talk about sex stuff with, but not at all like how I talk about it with my fanfic friends where we basically know everything about each other’s sex preferences since we love the same smut and we discuss it together 😂
MxRead 1:44 AM
It’s like the bullshit is stripped away when you become friends with people this way. You get to skip over the getting-to-know-you boring stuff and jump straight into talking about things you really care about and are interested in!
HeartCaptain251615 1:44 AM
Things like SoraPink porn?
MxRead 1:45 AM
YES OKAY 🤣 I’m serious though! Like, we’re getting to talk about your writing, which is something we’re both really interested in, but you just told me yourself you don’t talk about it with anyone else. That’s significant! It’s you sharing part of yourself that you don’t get the chance to show to people IRL. You get to be a writer here. You get to be who you are, and that’s so so important
TLDR I just think it’s special that we can be our horny freak selves here and PLEASE please let me know if I ever make you uncomfortable, but also know that my obsession with SoraPink porn comes out of friendship and NOT perviness 😂🙏
HeartCaptain251615 1:46 AM
Understood.
MxRead 1:46 AM
☺️
HeartCaptain251615 1:49 AM
I’ve been thinking about what you said. About the reasons for writing. How they can change from the reasons you started.
MxRead 1:49 AM
Really?
HeartCaptain251615 1:49 AM
Yeah.
HeartCaptain251615 1:53 AM
I don’t have anything else to say about it. I’ve just been thinking about it.
MxRead 1:54 AM
That’s great! That’s really great, seriously, I mean that!
HeartCaptain251615 2:01 AM
We don’t talk about you a lot.
MxRead 2:01 AM
Hahaha what do you mean? We just spent like 15 mins talking about my obsession with SoraPink porn 😂
HeartCaptain251615 2:01 AM
I’m being serious. Most of these messages are about my writing.
MxRead 2:02 AM
I love talking about your writing! It’s why I started pestering you in the first place 😂 But fine, let’s talk about me! Have you decided what my fake profession is yet?
HeartCaptain251615 2:03 AM
I’ve come up with two possibilities.
1. Fiction editor.
2. Professional host. Either at a restaurant, a hotel, or a specialty club.
MxRead 2:03 AM
A specialty club?!?! Like a sex club???
HeartCaptain251615 2:03 AM
Interesting that that’s where your head went. Am I close?
MxRead 2:03 AM
(I’m hyena laughing again I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY)
Ok but first off I’M SO FLATTERED you think I could be either of those things?? Especially a hostess at a sex club!! But now I want to know why you think I’m either of those things!
HeartCaptain251615 2:06 AM
The fiction editor is obvious, I would think. The host thing: you’re friendly. You care about putting people at ease. I was going to say the casual talking about sex plays into the specialty club thing, but maybe that’s just a fandom trait as you said.
MxRead 2:06 AM
🥹😭🙏I’m so glad you think I put people at ease!!! Even though I’ve almost scared you off a couple times LOL
HeartCaptain251615 2:06 AM
It’s fine. I’m getting used to your verbal barrages.
MxRead 2:06 AM
VERBAL BARRAGES WOW 🤣fuck you!!!
HeartCaptain251615 2:06 AM
I’m kidding. You’re fine. You can keep up the verbal barrage. I’ll just use my carte blanche as needed.
MxRead 2:07 AM
You definitely should! I’ll start counting the number of conversations we have where you don’t have to tell me to fuck off! It’ll be like that meme from The Office! Please hold while I make something very important
MxRead 2:12 AM
HeartCaptain251615 2:12 AM
How do you have a meme for everything?
MxRead 2:12 AM
Because I’m a human who uses the internet?? 😂 Don’t tell me you don’t know that meme!
HeartCaptain251615 2:12 AM
I do. But I haven’t watched The Office.
MxRead 2:12 AM
I’m sorry??? You haven’t watched The Office???
HeartCaptain251615 2:12 AM
All right, all right, get it all out of your system now.
MxRead 2:13 AM
How many times have you been hassled for not watching The Office? 😂
HeartCaptain251615 2:13 AM
Enough times.
MxRead 2:13 AM
Omg I can HEAR the pouting through your messages!
HeartCaptain251615 2:13 AM
I don’t pout. I’m not a little kid. There were other shows on TV during that time, you know.
MxRead 2:13 AM
What were you watching when everyone else was watching The Office, then? (I’m still hearing the pouting!)
HeartCaptain251615 2:13 AM
(Shut the fuck up. Oh no, you have to start over the count on that sign in the meme.) I was watching House MD, for one.
MxRead 2:13 AM
(Crying with laughter!!!) Omg House, I loved House! Or I loved most of it at least, I stopped watching at season 7, but yes!!! Ok you’re forgiven for not watching The Office!
HeartCaptain251615 2:14 AM
Thanks a lot.
MxRead 2:14 AM
LMAO ok I’ll tell you something that’ll make you feel better: I actually didn’t watch The Office until a couple years ago. I just torrented it and binged it all at once!
HeartCaptain251615 2:14 AM
That makes me feel marginally better. Moreso that you know how to torrent things.
MxRead 2:14 AM
Why? Do you know a lot of people who can’t torrent things?
HeartCaptain251615 2:14 AM
Can’t or won’t. Glad to know you’re a fellow pirate.
MxRead 2:14 AM
Yeah pirates!! 🏴☠️🤝But now I want to hear you going off about why you engage in piracy chinhands
HeartCaptain251615 2:15 AM
What makes you think I would go off about piracy?
MxRead 2:15 AM
I just have a feeling you have a whole soapbox spiel about it!
HeartCaptain251615 2:15 AM
I have a feeling you have a whole soapbox spiel about it, and that’s why you’re waiting for mine.
MxRead 2:15 AM
Okok guilty as charged 🤣 Ahhhh I want to talk about this more but I’m ACTUALLY getting sleepy and this feels like a big topic that we’ll get caught up in, so we’ll save it for another day!
HeartCaptain251615 2:15 AM
Ok. Bye.
MxRead 2:15 AM
Byeee! 🏴☠️
You chuckle to yourself as you close your laptop and put it aside. You rise to your feet with a big yawn and an even bigger stretch — and then you realize something funny: you and HeartCaptain barely ended up talking about SoraPink and WOTS again. It’s funny how this keeps on happening with him: your conversations might start about SoraPink, but they keep on jumping to other things, and before you know it, an hour or so has passed, and you’ll end up having discussed a whole bunch of things with him.
It reminds you of your conversations with Law, actually, and the way your conversation with him just flows from one topic to the next. HeartCaptain’s dry sense of humour reminds you of Law, too, now that you’re thinking about it.
Or maybe your crazy crush on Law is just making everything remind you of him. Honestly, you’ve been thinking about him so much all weekend that you’re really starting to feel like a lovesick teenager. But you just had such an amazing time with him on Thursday — honestly, you’re still reeling from how much fun it was: at how much fun he was, how sarcastic and clever he was when you were talking all night. You always knew he had a snarky sense of humour under his usual reserve, but seeing that sense of humour come out was just… so dreamy. God, dreamy, you’re calling him dreamy? But he was dreamy, with his tattoos peeking out from his sleeves and the open collar of his shirt and his smiles — aw, his smiles! You always thought it was rare for him to smile, but he smiled so much on Thursday, especially when it was just you and him together, that your heart was flying by the time he dropped you home.
Since Thursday, though, you’ve started feeling uncertain about how interested he is. Sometimes you feel sure that he was interested, like when he dropped you off: the look on his face, how serious but… wide-eyed he was, somehow, when you blurted out like an idiot that you like him. You were tempted to kiss him on the spot right then and there — a move that you ultimately didn’t make, since you had a feeling it would be the wrong move with someone as reserved as Law. But there were those rare moments at times during the night, when he got aloof and quiet, and you started to wonder whether you were pestering him with too many personal questions before he was ready to talk. And then there’s the texts.
You heave a sigh, then pick up your phone and head to the bathroom for a shower. You haven’t heard from Law since Friday, when you had that heart-pounding text exchange — a text exchange that was, in your opinion, undeniably flirty on his end as well as yours. But you haven’t heard a peep from him since then.
Not that you should be expecting to hear from him, since the faculty party hang-out was just a collegial thing, technically speaking. But nothing about that Thursday evening felt collegial to you. Honestly, the whole thing felt like a date to you — a really, really wonderful first date. The kind of first date that you’ve read about a thousand times before in your romance novels, in fact.
But that was Thursday. And aside from the texting with Law on Friday, you’ve heard nothing from him, and you can’t help but feel uncertain and… a little silly, actually, for feeling so fluttery about him, when you’re so unsure whether he feels the same way.
You take a shower and brush your teeth, and you finally drag yourself to bed. When you’re all curled up and cozy, you pick up your phone and flick into your texts with Law.
You wistfully reread the Friday text exchange with him, while also feeling vaguely pathetic for doing so. By the time you’re finished reading the texts, you’re a little mad at yourself. It’s your own fault that you feel pathetic; all you have to do is text him and find out if he wants to go out with you sometime, like Nami suggested. Not right now, obviously, since it’s past two in the morning, but you could do it in the actual-morning. Just rip the bandaid off and all that.
You chew the inside of your cheek for a moment. Then you put your phone down and close your eyes. This seems like a better conversation to have in person, so maybe you’ll wait until you see him next, like when he drops by the library.
Or maybe you’re being a scaredy-cat chicken shit.
You frown at yourself. Now you’re just being mean, you tell yourself. It’s perfectly reasonable for you to be nervous about this, since you really like Law. You had hoped that some chemistry would spark with him at the faculty party, but you honestly hadn’t expected it to feel so… so easy with him, so natural. Talking to him was comfortable and fun and exciting, exciting in a way that made your belly feel warm and tingly even now as you remember it, and you just… You don’t want to screw this up by being too pushy, especially knowing how slowly Law can take to warm up to people, including you.
You let out a little sigh. Maybe sheer dumb luck or fortune will intervene and present you with a perfect opportunity to ask him out in a casual way that he can’t resist.
I should’ve asked HeartCaptain to use his tyromancy skills and see what my love life is looking like, you think. You snicker to yourself at the stupid thought as you get into bed. You can just imagine the desert-dry remark that HeartCaptain would make if you asked him to tell your cheese-fortune.
You snuggle your cheek into the pillow with a happy sigh. And these silly thoughts about Law and HeartCaptain are the last things on your mind before you drift off to sleep.
Chapter 9: Lunch
Notes:
Timeline note to help orient ourselves: this takes place a couple of days after the previous chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Law was displeased.
He scowled as he made his way out of the MedSci Building. How many times was he going to have these conversations with the Dean of Medicine before he got it through his immensely thick skull that Law did not want to teach a second seminar? He was already being generous by teaching one seminar in the first place. And at least the seminar he currently taught was a specialized one for the surgical fellows. But now Vegapunk was trying to wheedle him into coming up with a three-day special course for the cardiology residents, too?
“I’m not a cardiologist,” he said bluntly. “I’m not teaching a cardiology course.”
Vegapunk gave him a knowing look. “Dr. Trafalgar, everyone in the Faculty of Medicine knows that you could double as a cardiologist in a pinch. And as a rheumatologist, for that matter.”
“Whether I could is irrelevant. I’m neither a cardiologist nor a rheumatologist, so I’m not doing it. Ask one of them to come up with the course.”
“They don’t have your specialized knowledge of the topic,“ Vegapunk said. “Your understanding of the immunological and cardiac complications of late-onset Flevance vasculitis, combined with your surgical expertise—”
Law cut him off. “—means I should be using that knowledge and expertise where they’ll actually make a difference: in the lab, and in the OR. Not in a classroom with a bunch of residents who are so inexperienced that the information won’t even stick.”
Vegapunk simply studied him for a moment, and Law bristled; Vegapunk had a look that he gave Law sometimes, this grandfatherly you-young-whippersnapper look, as though Law was being unreasonable and childish. But he knew he wasn’t being unreasonable about this. He wasn’t obligated to teach any courses or seminars at all, and the fact that Vegapunk would have the gall to ask him to teach a second one: one that wasn’t even his discipline?
No way. Not a chance, Law thought. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the door. “I’m going now, unless you have anything to say that was actually relevant to me?”
Vegapunk sighed, then waved him off. “Go on. But I would ask you at least to consider it—”
“No,” Law said, and he headed for the door. When he reached the door, he turned back and gave Vegapunk a resentful look. “This meeting could have been an email.”
Vegapunk only chuckled at Law’s parting shot, which irritated him even more. Vegapunk was a stubborn old bastard, and Law knew this wasn’t the last time he would be asked to take on more teaching duties. But it didn’t matter how many times Vegapunk tried to finagle him into teaching another course; teaching wasn’t a part of his tenure responsibilities, so he was well within his rights to say no.
Take that, Cora-san, he thought. I can say no to whatever I want. He was still smarting a little from Corazon saying that he made his own life difficult for himself: a statement that was not true. His life was only as difficult as any other surgeon-slash-principal investigator for a research lab that was running several specialized studies. It wasn’t like he was adding more burdens on himself just for shits and giggles.
In any case, he was in a sour mood as he left Vegapunk’s office. So he made the rare decision to leave the building for lunch to clear his head. He grabbed his tablet from his office — he could catch up on some reading while he ate — and now he was on his way to a noodle spot where he occasionally got his lunch, when he or Corazon didn’t have time to prep his lunch to bring from home.
Something cold, he thought as he pushed open the door of the shop. A cold lunch would help him cool down. Cold soba, that was it. And a cold drink. Maybe… boba? He didn’t usually get boba without Bepo, since it was Bepo’s favourite treat drink. But… What the hell. He was in a bad mood, and the boba would help. Bepo would forgive him.
He peered at the drinks menu… Oh, they had iced Vietnamese coffee.
Lei likes that. The thought of her came to his mind unbidden — something that had been happening to him a lot since the faculty event last week. At random times throughout the day, he would have little thoughts of her: the earnest look on her face when she shared her opinions, the lilting sound of her laughter when he made some sarcastic joke, the way the fairy lights illuminated her hair, the way she teased him about his music, her smile… That dazzling smile. And sometimes when the thoughts came, he would pull out his phone and tap into his texts with her. He would read their texts again, smiling like an idiot as he did, and his thumbs would hover over the keyboard, as though to send her another text.
And then he would put his phone away and carry on with his day.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to contact her again. He did want to. Truthfully, he had a great time with her at the faculty event: so much so that he kept replaying parts of the night in his mind. But when it came to texting her, his mind went blank. And the idea of asking her to spend more time with him — of possibly asking her out…
Something within him balked at the idea: something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. In any case, it wasn’t like he had time for dating, given his restrictive work hours, not to mention the fact that his research had to come before anything else. This was why he hadn’t bothered with dating for so many years, after all.
But… in all these years, he hadn’t met anyone like Lei.
“What can I get for you?”
He blinked at the cashier. “Uh. Cold soba combo number one. And…” He glanced at the menu once more. “… iced Vietnamese coffee with boba. Thanks.”
The cashier nodded and tapped in his order. While he was waiting, Law took his tablet out of his messenger bag and started flipping through the unread articles in his PDF app. There was one he’d been meaning to read, about Mink antibody therapy for chronic pericarditis that seemed like it would be particularly relevant to the project he was working on with Chopper… What was the title of that article again?
“Here you go, sir.”
He absently nodded his thanks and took his lunch tray to a booth in the corner. He took out his phone and snapped a photo of the Vietnamese coffee boba, then tapped into his texts.
Wed, Jun 4, 2025 12:16 PM
Got this without you. Sorry. It’s been a day.
He attached the photo, then sent it. He had barely just separated his chopsticks when his phone buzzed with a text.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 12:16 PM
without me? how could you? 🥺
Bepo 🐻❄️ 12:16 PM
just kidding!! hehe! looks delicious! i hope it cheers you up as much as a big bear hug! garchuuu~ 🥰🤩🤗🤗🤗
Law smiled faintly, then put his phone aside and took out his tablet. He tapped around until he finally found the damn article he’d been looking for, then propped up his tablet and finally picked up a bite of soba with his chopsticks. He slurped up the noodles, then idly glanced up as he reached for a slice of pickled cucumber—
He froze. Lei was there.
She was sitting at a table halfway across the small restaurant, reading or watching something on a tablet while eating a bowl of noodles. She didn’t seem to have noticed that he was here, and as he stared at her, his heart started to race. Should he get her attention, say hi? Should he go over and join her?
He immediately rejected the idea. He hated when people disturbed him while he was having a nice solitary lunch with his tablet, so there was no way he could bother her in the same way. But he couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t seen her. Especially since there was a part of him that actually wanted to speak to her: a very unusual urge for him to have during lunchtime. But it would be rude to bother her. He couldn’t do it, even if he wanted to—
She glanced up from her tablet, and her gaze met his. And he immediately wanted to sink into the floor for being caught staring.
Her jaw dropped. Then her face lit up with that heart-stopping smile, and she waved her chopsticks at him. Before he had time to do more than raise a hand in greeting, she picked up her phone and started tapping around.
His heart sank. Well, that was a clear dismissal. She obviously wanted to be left alone, which was fine and made sense, since he had come here wanting to be left alone, too.
He forced his attention back to his bowl. Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out, and his heart skipped: it was a text from her.
Lei (Librarian) 12:20 PM
Hi! A fellow noodle lover! I won’t bug you during your lunch break, but if you finish before me, feel free to say hi before you go!
His shoulders loosened as he read the message once, then a second time. Her message was welcoming while highlighting the peace of a quiet lunch break: that uniquely Lei combination of friendliness and respect for privacy that made her so easy to talk to, and which had so enthralled him at the faculty event last week. It was almost as though she’d read his mind in sending this message, and he was forcefully reminded of all the times that her thoughts and opinions seemed to uncannily tap into his own.
He tapped out a reply.
12:21 PM
The same goes to you.
A thumbs-up react appeared next to his text. He glanced up to find her smiling at him.
The back of his neck went hot. He smiled back at her, then forced his gaze back to his bowl and ate another bite of noodles. He tried to read the article he’d opened, but when he found his eyes travelling over the same sentence three times without taking it in, he gave up trying to read and just focused on eating.
He finished his meal in less than ten minutes. When all he had left was his drink, he sat there gazing unseeingly at the blank screen of his tablet, slowly chewing the boba and agonizing over whether it was too soon to go over and talk to her. He was finished eating now, and she’d said he could come say hi whenever he was done… But that was only ten minutes ago. She’d only gotten ten minutes of peace to eat her food. The last thing he wanted was to be the kind of chatty annoyance that he hated.
He sat there for another minute sipping his drink and feeling increasingly irritated at himself. Then, finally, he put his tablet away, stood up and picked up his tray, and dumped his trash. And before he could question what the hell he was doing, he walked over to Lei.
“Hi,” he said.
She looked up from her tablet with that smile. “Hey! How are you?” She gestured for him to sit.
He took a seat across from her. “This is a coincidence, seeing you here. I don’t come here that often.”
“Really? It’s my go-to spot when I don’t have the time or energy to make my own lunch.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I hope you’re not offended that I didn’t invite you to sit with me. But you looked busy, and I know how annoying it is to get disturbed when you’re just trying to have a quiet lunch and empty your head.”
You’re perfect, he thought. Hang on, what? What was he thinking? Nobody was perfect. What was wrong with him? “That’s… I appreciate it. But you look busy, too.” He nodded his chin at her tablet. “Watching something?”
“Oh! No, I’m reading. It’s, um…” She grinned and rubbed her nose, then gave him a conspiratorial look. “It’s a romance thing.”
He smirked. “A smutty thing, you mean?”
She laughed. “No, actually. I save my smut reading for when I’m alone at home.” Her eyes widened, and she hid her face in her hands. “Oh my god.”
“What?”
She lowered her hands to cover just her mouth. “I shouldn’t have… Anyway! No, it’s not smutty. But it’s one of my favourite stories. I’m rereading it for like the fourth time.”
She was blushing faintly, which was… extremely fucking charming. He idly rolled his boba cup between his hands to stop himself from staring at her. “That’s high praise, that you’re reading it again. Would you recommend it?”
She smiled. “Are you looking for romance recommendations now? Looking to expand your reading repertoire into something other than medical journals?”
He scoffed at her jab about the medical journals. Already it felt like she knew him too well. “I might be. Maybe you’ve convinced me that the genre has value.”
She gasped playfully. “You thought it didn’t have value before? So you’re looking for a fight during your lunch hour?”
He chuckled, then settled back and folded his arms. “Go on, then. Let’s hear your recommendation. What’s the name of the book you’re reading there?”
She tilted her head and gave him an appraising look. Then she shook her head and folded her arms, too. “Not yet.”
He arched a brow. “Not yet?”
“Nope, not yet. You’re too much of a romance noob. You’re not ready yet for what I’m reading right now.”
He narrowed his eyes. Then, playfully, he reached for her tablet.
She gasped and grabbed it. “What are you doing?”
“Stealing your tablet so I can see what secret thing you’re reading.”
“You can’t touch someone else’s tablet without permission! Are you insane?” she exclaimed. “That’s like touching someone else’s phone! It’s an unspoken rule!”
He sat back with a smirk and picked up his boba. “I can’t believe you’re not going to tell me what you’re reading.”
“I’ll tell you when you’re ready. When you’re all grown up,” she teased, and she tucked her tablet into her bag. “Seriously though, if you want a recommendation, I can give you a whole ton! I’ll text them to you.”
“Sounds good,” he said. Privately, he doubted that he’d get around to reading her recommendations, since all of his scant free time went into writing his own romance. But he wasn’t going to tell her that.
“Consider it done!” she said happily. She picked up her chopsticks, and he felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t even finished eating, and here he was, forcing her to talk to him.
He started to rise. “I should go. I’m disturbing you—”
“No, no! You don’t have to go,” she said. “Unless you’re busy, obviously. Maybe you have to get back to your office, but you can — you can stay, really. I’d be happy if you stayed.”
She’d be happy? He hesitated, and she waved him down. “Sit, sit. I’m almost done anyway.” She took a quick bite of noodles, then hid her mouth behind her hand as she spoke. “I’m surprised to see you drinking boba. I didn’t peg you for a boba kind of guy.”
“And what’s a boba kind of guy?” he said dryly.
She swallowed her food, then smiled cheekily. “Someone who has the patience to chew their drink. I wouldn’t have thought that would be you.”
He rubbed his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Once again, she was hitting the nail right on the head. “That’s what I used to think. Boba feels like too much work when you’re just thirsty and want something cold to drink. But my friend Bepo got me drinking it. Sometimes,” he added. “Not very often. Usually only when I’m with him.” He gave her a wry look as he picked up his boba cup. “He says it’s calming.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Calming?”
Law nodded. “It forces you to slow down and enjoy the drink rather than just gulping it all down in five seconds.”
“And let me guess,” she said drolly. “You’re usually a gulper?”
“Either that, or the opposite. The drink gets forgotten while I’m doing something else.”
Her expression softened. “I can see that about you. Actually, that makes a lot more sense.”
“What?” he said wryly. “That I forget to hydrate?”
“That you forget to take care of yourself while taking care of everyone else.”
His heart stalled for a second, and she made a little face. “Sorry, was that going too far? Or am I totally off-base?”
He took a sip of his drink to stall for time, then chewed a couple of boba while he replied. “You… could be right. But a lot of doctors are that way.”
“I guess so,” she said. “But that’s too bad. If anyone should be taking care of themselves better, it’s people who work in healthcare.” She scraped up the last bite of noodles from her bowl and gave him an enquiring look. “Did something happen today that made you want the boba?”
“What do you mean?”
“You mentioned that boba is calming. Or that your friend Bepo said it is. Did something happen that you needed to calm down from?” Her eyes widened. “If — oh my god. I’m being nosy. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he said blankly. “You’re not being nosy. It’s…” He trailed off and took another sip of his drink. In truth, he felt a little unbalanced that she’d drawn the connection between his drink and his mood. She kept surprising him with how observant she was, and it was strange for him to be so… seen by someone. Someone who wasn’t Corazon, at least. And it should have been uncomfortable. But with Lei… Was it uncomfortable? It wasn’t uncomfortable, no. But it was… strange.
He slowly chewed and swallowed a mouthful of boba before replying. “The Dean of Medicine keeps trying to make me teach additional courses, even though teaching isn’t a part of my tenure. He asked me again today to come up with a course, for cardiology residents this time. I said no, but still, it’s… irritating.”
She frowned. “Wait. He tried to make you come up with a cardiology course? But you’re not a cardiologist.”
“Exactly,” he drawled. “Which is what I said to him before leaving his office.”
She wrinkled her nose. “He made you come to his office to talk about that? Sounds like a conversation that could have been an email.”
How—? Fuck, this was uncanny. He smiled at her, then started laughing.
She giggled. “Thank you for laughing at my unoriginal joke…?”
He shook his head, still chuckling. “It’s not that. I said exactly that as I was leaving his office.”
She gasped. “You said that to his face? Oh my god!” She burst out laughing. “You actually said that to the Dean of Medicine? Okay, king!”
He smirked. First MxRead was calling him ‘king’, and now Lei? It must be a new slang thing. “Anyway. I was irritated enough that the boba felt warranted. But now…” He eyed the cup ruefully, then shrugged. “I’ll avoid drinking my sweets for the rest of the week.”
“You could always get the reduced-sweetness option next time,” she suggested. “What did you get, actually? Brown sugar tea?”
“Vietnamese coffee,” he said. He declined to share that he was thinking of her when he ordered it.
She gasped and straightened like a meerkat. “Vietnamese coffee with boba? That’s brilliant! I’m going to get one for the road!” She popped up from her seat, then widened her eyes. “Would you—? Should we walk back to campus together? We’re partly going the same way. Unless you need some time to wind down before you get back to your office?”
He shook his head and stood up. “We can walk together.”
She flashed him another beautiful smile, then took her tray to the trash before going to the counter, and he took a moment to compose himself. It seemed juvenile, somehow, for his pulse to kick up every damn time she smiled at him.
A minute later, she came back to him carrying a fresh Vietnamese-coffee boba. “Cheers,” she said, and she tapped her cup to his half-empty one.
He smiled faintly, then led the way to the door and pushed it open for her. Once they were strolling side-by-side on the street, he gave her a wry look. “By the way, I thought you’d like to know: Rosinante used his painting studio this weekend for the first time in years.”
Her jaw dropped. “Wha— really?”
He nodded. “He didn’t manage to do much. Mostly tidying and throwing away dried paints, and we had to go to the art store to get new supplies. But he started a new canvas.”
“Did he really? Oh my god, that’s so exciting!” She did a little skip, and his heart skipped along with her.
He fought back a smile and arched a brow at her. “He made an unholy fucking mess while doing it, too. I’m blaming you.”
“You know what, I’ll happily take the blame. That’s so fun! I’m so happy for him!” She nudged him with her elbow. “What about you, then?”
“What about me?”
“Are you going to start drawing again? He said that you used to love drawing as a kid.”
Law huffed. “Yeah. When I was a kid. I don’t draw anymore.”
“Not ever?” she said. “You don’t ever get the urge?”
He couldn’t tell her that his creative urges these days manifested themselves in written form, not as visual art. “No. And Rosinante blows it out of proportion when he talks about my drawing. Every kid loves to draw.”
“That’s true,” she said. “But he made it sound like you really loved it. Like it was something you couldn’t stop doing.”
“Yes,” he said, a little testily, “but that’s only because…” He trailed off. This was edging into some very personal territory. Did he want to keep talking about this?
“Sorry,” she said softly. “Am I being pushy?”
He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly before replying. “You’re not being pushy. I just…” I had a fucked-up childhood, he thought. Not exactly something he wanted to say to her while strolling down the street. Or that he really wanted to get into at all.
Finally, he came up with a careful answer. “I was sick a lot as a kid. I drew while I was stuck in bed. There wasn’t much else I could do.”
Her expression softened a little: just a little, thankfully, and not the oh-poor-you pity he was dreading. “I see. But still, you chose to draw rather than, like, doing puzzles or reading, right? Or were you too young for reading to be a fun activity yet?”
“I was old enough,” he said. “And… I guess you’re right. But drawing was just more interesting than puzzles or reading. At least I was actually doing something when I was drawing. I was making something that way. It didn’t get boring like puzzles or reading.”
“You liked it because you were creating something,” she said knowingly. “See? It’s like what I was saying the other day. That creative spark that everyone has. Rosinante was right about you having an artistic spirit.”
Damn, she was so optimistic. It would be annoying if it wasn’t so endearing. “Why does it feel like you’re teaming up with Rosinante against me?”
“I’m not! I swear!” she giggled. “I’m just trying to encourage you to light that creative flame!”
“Hm,” he said in amusement. “What’s your creative thing, then? If everyone has a creative spark, what’s yours?”
“Ah.” She ducked her head in that charming way, then gave him a wry smile. “I’m going to sound like a total hypocrite now, but I don’t really have one.”
He tsked. “Really? After all that, and you’re not even doing anything creative?”
“I know, it’s awful!” she exclaimed. “I’ve actually always wanted to take up drawing, but I’ve never gotten around to it.” She cocked her head and gave him a puckish smile. “Actually, no, that’s a lie. I’m just intimidated by the idea of being shitty at it when I start.”
He gave her a chiding look. “Let me get this straight. You’re intimidated by the idea of drawing—”
She laughed and hid her face in her hands. “No, stop! I know I’m a hypocrite!”
He smiled as he went on. “... and yet you’re trying to tell me to pick it up? How is that fair?”
“It’s not! You’re right, I’m sorry,” she giggled. “I told you, I’m a total hypocrite. But at least I’m still a good influence on Rosinante!” She snapped her fingers. “I know. I’ll take up painting with him! Can you ask him if he’ll teach me?”
“Absolutely not,” Law said. “The garage is enough of a mess already.”
She poked his arm. “Excuse me! Who said I was going to make a mess? I might be the most immaculately tidy painter you’ve ever met.”
“In that case, you’re welcome to come. You can clean my garage for me.”
“Sure. How much will you pay me?”
Her eyes were sparkling with mischief, and his heart was starting to race… Calm down, he scolded himself. “You need to be paid for that? I really need to look at the allocation of funds in my lab.”
She laughed, and he relished in the lilting sound as they continued to banter back and forth during the walk. It wasn’t until they reached the library steps that he realized he’d come all the way here with her, rather than turning left at University Avenue and heading for the MedSci Building. He’d gotten so caught up talking to her that he lost track of where he was going.
He paused at the library steps. “I should… get going.”
She stopped too. “Okay. It was really nice seeing you at the lunch place. I’m… This was fun.”
She was right; it had been fun. He felt lighter and more cheerful than he had since… Honestly, since last Thursday. It was a nice change to feel this way, and she was the one who made him feel this way, and he wanted to feel this way around her again. He wanted to spend more time with her. He wanted to… Fuck, he wanted to ask her out. So why didn’t he just ask? Why did it feel as though asking her out would be… irresponsible, or something?
“It was fun,” he agreed, and he tugged his earrings. He should walk away now… Argh, but he didn’t want to. He liked being around her. He liked her, and he wanted to spend more time with her, but there was this stupid impulse in his gut, pulling at him and trying to make him back away—
“Law, I — um.” She nibbled her lip, then gave him a sideways look. “I was wondering if… I dunno. It’s been fun hanging out together. And I was wondering if you wanted to…” She was blushing again, she was fucking adorable. Wait, was she going to…? “Maybe we could go out sometime? A time that’s not a work party or a lunch break—”
“Yes,” he blurted. Thank fuck. Oh fuck, he thought.
Her face lit up in a way that made his heart thump. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’d like that.”
She beamed at him, then let out a breathless little laugh that made his spine tingle. “Okay. Okay, that’s great! Um, I’ll — we can text, we’ll figure something out?”
He nodded, and she giggled again. “Okay. Well, I should, um.” She waved vaguely at the library.
He nodded again — apparently he’d become selectively mute, probably caused by his heart pounding in his throat — and she took a step back. “Okay. I’ll text you later, then. Have a good one!”
“You too,” he managed, and he watched with a pang in his chest as she ran up the library steps. She disappeared through the doors, and Law just stood there for a moment, overwhelmed by the weird mixture of giddiness and heaviness in his belly.
Lei had asked him out. He was going to go out with Lei. This was good. He wanted to go out with her — fuck, he really wanted to go out with her. So why did he feel something in his gut that was almost like dread?
This is stupid, he thought moodily, and he headed back to the MedSci Building.
He spent most of the afternoon in meetings with his PhD students, post-docs, and lab managers, making sure everyone’s projects were going smoothly and finding out what he would need to do to help troubleshoot any issues that had come up. It was a busy afternoon, and he was grateful; it took his mind off of his own stupid ambivalence about going out with Lei. But the thoughts came back as he was making his way home, and he spent the entire drive home thinking about why he was ambivalent about it in the first place.
It had nothing to do with her. She was perf— not perfect, since nobody was perfect. But she… resonated with him. She felt like a match to him, or a mirror of him in a way: a beautiful, more cheerful, friendlier mirror.
Never mind. A mirror was a bad metaphor. In any case, Lei was great, and it wasn’t her that he was ambivalent about. So what the fuck was it that was making him feel like he needed to be on his guard about dating her?
He entered the house. “I’m home,” he called, and he kicked off his shoes and hung up his messenger bag before heading through to the kitchen.
Corazon glanced over his shoulder from his spot on the couch, where he was playing Cooking Mama on Law’s old Wii. “Welcome back, sweethear— woah, what happened?”
Law glanced at him as he washed his hands. “What do you mean?”
“Your face looks like thunder. Who pissed you off?”
He purposely relaxed his face. “Nobody. What do you want for dinner? I’m starving.” He opened the fridge.
“Uh, I think we have leftover rice. Garlic fried rice with eggs?”
“Okay.” He took out the rice, eggs, and some leftover stir-fried vegetables, then took out the garlic and started smashing the cloves.
Corazon unfolded himself from the couch and ambled into the kitchen, and Law glanced at him. “Do you need something?”
Corazon tilted his head. “What happened?”
Law frowned, and Corazon gave him a wheedling look. “C’mon. Just tell me. You know you want to.” He playfully poked Law’s side.
Law tsked and batted him away. “I don’t want to, actually.” He smashed one more clove of garlic and peeled them, then started aggressively mincing the garlic.
“Fine, don’t talk,” Corazon said. “But let me do that. The food will taste bad if you make it while you’re mad.”
“Who told you that?”
“Sanji, obviously. You know what he’s like. ‘Make it with love or don’t bother making it at all…’”
Law rolled his eyes. “Fine. You mince the fucking garlic, then.” He put the knife down and leaned back against the counter with his arms folded.
Corazon sidled over and started mincing the garlic — more clumsily than Law, but it was good enough — and Law gazed unseeingly at the floor while he listened to Corazon’s chopping. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t just be happy about the idea of going out with Lei. He didn’t know where this almost-dread trepidation feeling was coming from, as though the prospect of going out with her would be almost… risky? Dangerous? But nothing about her rang any alarm bells for him. Maybe aside from the fact that she almost seemed to know his thoughts too well when it came to some things, but that wasn’t a bad thing. So why—
“Have you heard from Lei lately?” Corazon said.
Law shot him a dirty look, and he grinned. “Oh-ho. Did I just hit the jackpot?”
Law sighed loudly and went to open the fridge, and Corazon chuckled. “Aw, Law-kun, don’t be mad. Or go ahead, be mad, but you should at least talk about it—”
Law slammed the fridge shut. “You don’t know everything,” he burst out. “Just because you did fucking Navy recon — why did you even ask about Lei-ya?”
“Because the last time you were sour like this was on Thursday after you dropped her home,” said Cora. “You were all, ‘it was great. She’s great’, but you looked like an emo poster boy—”
“All right, enough! Shut up.” He rubbed a hand over his hair, then opened the fridge again and took out a diet cola. He opened the can and took a big gulp, then set it on the counter and ran a hand over his hair again. “I’m going out with her.”
Corazon beamed at him. “Yeah? Good for you! When?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.” He took another gulp of cola, then placed the can on the counter again and folded his arms.
“Wow,” Corazon said dryly. “You sound over the moon about this.”
“I am happy about it,” Law retorted. “I want to go out with her. I really… Argh.” He scrubbed both hands through his hair, then gave Cora an exasperated look. “Is it a bad idea?”
“Why would it be a bad idea?” Cora said. He pointed the knife at the cutting board. “This is ready. Should I start frying the rice?”
The garlic was minced unevenly, with some bits still in chunks. Law eyed it for a second, then decided he didn’t give enough fucks today to fix it. “I’ll do it. How do you want your eggs?” He went to fetch the butter from the fridge.
“Whatever’s easiest.” Corazon sat on one of the kitchen island’s bar stools. “Why do you think it’s a bad idea to go out with her?”
“I don’t know,” Law said. “That’s the problem. It just feels like… Like it’s a bad idea. Or like it’s… risky. Irresponsible.” Wait, maybe ‘irresponsible’ really was the right word. “I shouldn’t be dating when my schedule is already so packed. She’ll get fed up with my work hours, and it won’t work out.”
“That’s a dumb excuse,” Cora said. “If you like this girl enough, you’ll make time for her.”
Law gave him a flat look. “In case you didn’t realize, I can’t just make time happen. I can’t just pull extra hours of the day out of my ass.”
Corazon snorted a laugh. “You know what I mean. If she becomes important enough, you’ll put other stuff aside to make time for her. Also, she’ll understand if your schedule is crazy — wait, she works with you, so she already knows your schedule is crazy. So yeah, your excuse really is dumb.”
“It wasn’t—! I’m not trying to make excuses,” Law said defensively.
“Really?” Cora said. “You’re not trying to sabotage your own chances of going out with a girl that you really hit it off with? And I mean, you really hit it off with her. Even Marco said it felt like we were interrupting something—”
Law cut him off. “I’m not trying to sabotage anything. I’m going to go out with her. I’m just—” He pinched the bridge of his nose, then plucked the butter from the fridge and slammed it down on the counter before grabbing the wok from the cupboard with a clatter.
“Woah, woah,” Cora said. “Okay. Let’s, uh, let’s go sit in the living room. C’mon.”
“I’m not a kid,” Law snapped. “You don’t have to treat me like I’m having a tantrum!”
Cora gave him a really? look.
He felt a pang of shame. He took a deep breath through his nose, then let it out in a sigh and stalked to the living room. He sank down on the couch, and Corazon flopped down beside him. “Okay. So your insane work schedule is a dumb reason to think this is a bad idea. So what’s the reason, then?”
“If I knew, we wouldn’t be talking about this,” Law retorted.
“Okay then,” Cora said evenly. “Describe the ‘bad idea’ feeling. Is it just… Do you get bad vibes from her, or—”
“No,” Law said forcefully. “It’s not her. It is not her. There’s nothing wrong with her. There are no red flags. And — argh, I don’t know.” He rubbed his hands through his hair, then looked Corazon in the eye. “Maybe that’s it. It’s too good to be true. She’s… She feels too good to be true.” He idly rubbed his sternum as he stared at the Cooking Mama pause screen on the TV.
Corazon was quiet: too quiet. When Law looked at him, it was to find Cora beaming at him.
He wilted. “Why are you clown-grinning at me?”
“C’mere, you little shit.” Cora pulled him into a hug.
Law tsked and wriggled. “Get off of me, will you?”
Cora dropped a noisy kiss on the crown of his head, then released him. “I’m happy for you, Law. I think you’ll have a great time going out with her.”
“I think so, too,” he muttered. “But that doesn’t… I still… I just want to be happy about it without the this-is-a-bad-idea bullshit.”
Cora shrugged and slung his arms along the back of the couch. “I don’t know, bro. I can’t explain that. But if you’re not seeing any red flags, then just go for it and see what happens.”
Law pursed his lips and looked away, and Cora laughed. “I know, I know. Trafalgar D. Water Law, do something without a plan? Call a doctor, he must be sick!”
“I am a doctor,” Law said resentfully, and he rose from the couch to go make the fried rice. “Do you want two eggs or three?”
“Three, of course. I’m a big boy. I need my protein.” He started his game back up.
Law smirked, then cut off a knob of butter and tossed it in the wok with some olive oil. He still couldn’t explain this irritating push-and-pull feeling he had, but… Ugh, as much as he hated to admit it, he felt a little bit better about it now that he’d laid it out to Corazon. Not that there was much to lay out, since he still didn’t know what the fuck he was even conflicted about. But he knew this much: he was looking forward to going out with Lei.
Her smile, her lilting laugh, the way her fingers felt on his forearm… Law smiled to himself as he slid the garlic into the hot wok. He was really looking forward to going out with Lei, and for now, that was enough.
Notes:
The Vegapunk stuff isn’t going to become a broader plot or anything. I just needed to give Law something to be mad about. 😂
Chapter 10: Date
Chapter Text
Holy shit you’re going to go on a date with Trafalgar Law!
You’re smiling like an idiot as you run up the library stairs. You had been hoping this would happen since the faculty party last week, that you’d get some opportunity to ask him out, and it finally happened! You’re going to go on a date with him, and you can’t wait! Damn, how lucky is it that you ran into him at the noodle place today? You had actually just been thinking earlier this morning that maybe you should bite the bullet and text him to ask him out, so it was extra fortunate that you ran into him today. And that he took the time to chat with you after he ate his lunch! The fact that he chose to talk to you must mean he likes you, right?
Oh, for fuck’s sake, he said ‘yes’ to going out with you, so he must like you. Even if he gets a little shuttered and quiet sometimes, like he did when you asked about his drawing as a kid. But that’s okay! You’ve always known that Law is a bit of a hard nut to crack, a bit broody. Besides, who doesn’t love a mysterious and pensive man? It’s very sexy, in your opinion, like something out of a romance novel.
You giggle as you step into your office. You can just imagine Nami rolling her eyes at you. Ooh, Nami! You should tell the girls about this!
You set down your bag and plop down in your office chair, and you pull out your phone.
Lei 12:56 PM
YOU GUYS HUGE NEWS I’M GOING ON A DATE WITH LAW
Lei 12:56 PM
I ran into him while I was getting lunch today and he walked me back to the library afterwards and then I just asked him. And he said yes!!!!!
You set your phone down and start getting ready for an afternoon of work. Before you lock in, you check your phone to see if the girls replied.
Vivi 1:03 PM
OMG YAY this is so great!!! Eeeeeeee I’m so happy for you!!!! 💃🎉
Nami 1:03 PM
Same! Finally we can start getting some juicy details! Also good for you taking charge and asking him out. Slay bitch, get your man 😎
Vivi 1:03 PM
HAHA I’m also proud of you! So brave!!!
Robin 1:04 PM
Very brave. How wonderful. What will you do for your first date? Do you have any ideas yet?
Of course Robin is asking the important questions. Ones that you have no answer to, since you’re still just fizzing at the fact that Law said yes. He said yes! Ahh, you’re so excited that he said yes, you can barely sit still!
You grin to yourself as you type out a tongue-in-cheek reply.
Lei 1:05 PM
I’m not sure! Maybe I’ll ask him if I can watch one of his surgeries. Or an autopsy!
The replies are instantaneous and predictable.
Nami 1:05 PM
Omfg NO EW
Vivi 1:05 PM
If that’s what you would both enjoy, then go for it!
Vivi 1:05 PM
NAMI LMAO
Nami 1:05 PM
I said what I said and I’m not taking it back! 🤢
Robin 1:05 PM
Fascinating. Tell me what he says about the autopsy. Maybe I’ll tag along.
Vivi 1:05 PM
ROBIN LMAO you can’t tag along on their first date!!! 🤣
Nami 1:05 PM
YES Robin you should totally go along and make the situation even more WEIRD
Their lively debate continues, and you giggle and put your phone aside. As excited as you are about this upcoming hypothetical date, you’ve got work to do — work for Law’s lab, in fact.
Professional stuff first, you tell yourself. And when you see Law again, you’ll be so ready for some fun.
***************
8:02 PM
Hey! I just thought I’d get the ball rolling and check when you’re available to hang out! I know it’s coming up soon, but maybe this weekend?
Trafalgar Law 8:08 PM
I’m on call this weekend, unfortunately. Are you available next weekend?
8:08 PM
I am! But we can still do something this weekend even if you’re on call, if that’s better for you? I won’t mind if you get called in, I understand that doctor life 🩺
Trafalgar Law 8:08 PM
I appreciate the thought. But I’d rather not get pulled away from you.
Trafalgar Law 8:08 PM
From whatever we’re doing, I should say.
8:09 PM
Aw that’s really sweet 🥹Okay, next weekend then! We can figure out what to do a little closer to the date?
Trafalgar Law 8:09 PM
I might have an idea. Give me a bit of time and I’ll get back to you.
8:09 PM
Ooh intriguing. Okay doctor, you have my attention!
Trafalgar Law 8:09 PM
I would remind you not to call me doctor, except I sense some mockery.
8:10 PM
Not mockery! Just some affectionate teasing!
Trafalgar Law 8:10 PM
Also known as mockery.
8:13 PM
Paraphrased from the Online Etymology Dictionary:
Mockery = act of derision or scorn; ridicule, disparagement
Teasing = to vex, worry, or annoy someone by petty requests or silly trifling, sometimes done in good humour.
8:13 PM
TLDR: teasing and mockery are not the same 😌
Trafalgar Law 8:14 PM
You just quoted a dictionary at me.
Trafalgar Law 8:14 PM
That is the most librarian thing you could possibly have done.
8:14 PM
Thank you!
Trafalgar Law 8:14 PM
What makes you think that was a compliment?
8:14 PM
The fact that I’m taking it as one! And the fact that you’re still going to go out with me! (I hope?)
Trafalgar Law 8:14 PM
That remains to be seen. I’ll keep you posted about that idea I mentioned.
8:14 PM
I’m looking forward to it! 😂
Trafalgar Law 8:32 PM
I still can’t believe you sent me dictionary definitions.
8:32 PM
Stop! I’m laughing so hard!
Trafalgar Law 8:32 PM
Have you been to the Egghead Aquarium?
8:32 PM
I actually haven’t! I’ve been wanting to go but I heard it’s overrun with kids at all times so I hadn’t gotten around to it
Trafalgar Law 8:32 PM
I’ve got a solution for that. They have an adults-only event the evening of Sat June 14, if you’re interested.
8:34 PM
Omg yes I just looked it up, I would love to go to that!
Trafalgar Law 8:34 PM
Ok. I’ll get tickets.
8:34 PM
Oh you don’t have to do that! I’ll pay you back!
Trafalgar Law 8:34 PM
No need. The tickets are free. I have an in.
8:34 PM
What really? How?
Trafalgar Law 8:34 PM
I’ll tell you when we get there. Consider it part of the intrigue.
8:34 PM
Okay doctor, keep your secrets 😂
Trafalgar Law 8:35 PM
You were mocking me that time. Just admit it.
8:35 PM
Affectionately!
8:35 PM
Being serious now, I’m really looking forward to this. I wish it was next weekend already!
Trafalgar Law 8:36 PM
Same here. It’ll be good.
8:37 PM
I’ll let you go for tonight then! Have a good one! Tell Rosinante I said hi! ☺️
Trafalgar Law 8:37 PM
I will.
**************
Sunday, June 8, 2025
HeartCaptain251615 1:04 AM
Here’s my take on media piracy: pirates like us are necessary, because we’re archivists. In this day and age of Big Streamer taking down movies or shows that are “unsuccessful”, it’s necessary to torrent things in order to ensure that there’s even a record of their existence in case they get taken down without warning. And sometimes piracy sites are the only way you can find a rare piece of media. I recently remembered this esoteric 80s anime that I saw parts of when I was a kid, and the only way I was able to find it was by torrenting it. Those of us who engage in media piracy are becoming archivists in an era when the so-called legitimate options, i.e. paid streaming companies, are no longer acting as libraries for content, but gatekeepers and censorers. And the gatekeeping is based either on a) how well the content is performing financially, or b) political bullshit, regardless of the quality of the work.
Not that media should be gatekept based on quality or content either. I just mean that the metrics that streaming services use to take down their own content are fucked. Nothing should be taken down, point blank.
Also, a lot of those big streaming companies are monopolies trying to push out smaller studios that would otherwise be making more original and thought-provoking content. So I like to steal their shit as a “fuck you”.
This is usually where the older generation will try complaining that piracy takes money out of the mouths of the artists who worked on that thing. But if I really enjoy the thing that I stole, I’ll find a way to pay for that thing without going through the streaming service, like buying the Blu-Rays or going to an actual manga store to buy the paper manga. There are ways of putting berries in the right hands without letting the streaming services get their greedy hands on them.
End rant.
MxRead 1:10 AM
Oh my fucking god I am OBSESSED.
HeartCaptain251615 1:10 AM
In a good way? Or should I be changing all my passwords?
MxRead 1:10 AM
LMAO in a good way! Oh my god I can’t even think, it feels like you stole my brain IN A GOOD WAY
MxRead 1:10 AM
You just summarized EXACTLY how I feel about torrenting and media piracy so perfectly. Especially the thing about pirates being archivists now!! 😭❤️I literally have nothing to add. Perfect. Stunning. Brilliant never been seen before 😂🙏
MxRead 1:11 AM
As if I didn’t already have a thousand reasons to be fangirling over you!!!
HeartCaptain251615 1:11 AM
It’s just an opinion. Not even an original one. It’s nothing to fangirl about. You could find variations of the same arguments all over Reddit.
MxRead 1:11 AM
It’s not the point that the opinion isn’t original! It’s the way you worded it and put it all together! I couldn’t have done better and I LOVE that you summarized it so perfectly and I’m going to take screencaps of what you wrote so I can refer to them when people complain about torrenting! If that’s okay with you!!
HeartCaptain251615 1:11 AM
Knock yourself out.
MxRead 1:12 AM
That was such a good way to open a conversation by the way omg 😂
HeartCaptain251615 1:12 AM
Should I have introduced a warm-up topic before I got into the main act?
HeartCaptain251615 1:12 AM
Hey hey Sabaody, how are we doing tonight? How about those parking signs, huh?
MxRead 1:12 AM
STOP. I JUST CHOKED ON MY TEA
MxRead 1:12 AM
Also is that where you live? The Sabaody Archipelago?
HeartCaptain251615 1:12 AM
Maybe. You’ll never know.
MxRead 1:13 AM
Okay I see how it is 🤣 A professor of tyromancy who operates out of a run-down tavern in the Sabaody Archipelago, that’s how I’m imagining you!
HeartCaptain251615 1:13 AM
I’d better also be wearing a filthy butcher’s apron and be surrounded by archaic curios in your imagination.
MxRead 1:13 AM
Shut up 😂 seriously though this is a pleasant surprise to get a rant from you out of the blue!
HeartCaptain251615 1:13 AM
I just finished the first round of editing the next chapter of PSBC, so I had some extra energy.
MxRead 1:14 AM
OMG OMG NEW CHAPTER OF PSBC YEEEEEEEEEES!!!! I mean
Cool! I’m happy for you! It’ll be great to read the next chapter whenever it comes out, whenever you’re ready! vibrating with poorly concealed excitement
HeartCaptain251615 1:14AM
It’ll be out this week. I can tell you that much.
MxRead 1:14 AM
vibrating at a frequency that could shatter glass Sounds great! I’ll look forward to it!
MxRead 1:14 AM
So wait, you just finished editing, but you had extra energy?
HeartCaptain251615 1:14 AM
Yeah. Why?
MxRead 1:14 AM
I would have thought the editing process would be tiring!
HeartCaptain251615 1:15 AM
It is, in a way. I wouldn’t edit if I was already tired, for example. But there’s a rush that comes with knowing the chapter is that much closer to ready for posting.
MxRead 1:15 AM
A true sign that you’re a writer!
HeartCaptain251615 1:15 AM
Explain?
MxRead 1:15 AM
You get energy from the process, even though it takes energy to write! It’s like a symbiotic relationship!
HeartCaptain251615 1:16 AM
Symbiotic, huh?
MxRead 1:16 AM
Yes! Why? You don’t like my word choice?
HeartCaptain251615 1:16 AM
It’s not that. Your word choice has me revising my opinion of your profession. Now I think you’re a biologist.
MxRead 1:16 AM
A biologist now! Excellent! What kind of biologist? You need to narrow it down 😌
HeartCaptain251615 1:16 AM
Entomologist. Specializing in stag beetles that live in the Sabaody Archipelago.
MxRead 1:17 AM
(This is the cutest game ever, I hope you know. I’m crying with laughter.) So wait, if you think I specialize in stag beetles that live in the Sabaody Archipelago, are you thinking we’ll run into each other since we both hypothetically live there?
HeartCaptain251615 1:17 AM
We might. If you come wandering into my tyromancy tavern.
MxRead 1:17 AM
I’ll start looking up local tyromancy taverns right away!!
MxRead 1:25 AM
Oh shoot, did I lose you again? I promise I was just teasing, I won’t actually look into where you really live!
HeartCaptain251615 8:43 AM
Sorry. Work emergency.
MxRead 10:22 AM
Oh no, I hope everything is okay!!!
Work emergency for a tyromancer? Someone must really not have liked their fortune 🤔
HeartCaptain251615 2:08 PM
Hated it. They tried to burn down my tavern. But they released the spirits of cheese vengeance that I keep in all my curios. The bloody murder more than made up for the property damage.
MxRead 2:09 PM
I can’t breathe omfg 🤣I dare you to incorporate this plotline into a chapter of PSBC!
HeartCaptain251615 2:09 PM
Not a fucking chance.
MxRead 2:09 PM
😂😂😂
HeartCaptain251615 2:09 PM
Going back to sleep now. Night
MxRead 2:09 PM
Yes yes ofc! Sleep well!!
***************
It’s finally the night of your aquarium date with Law, and you’re practically skipping with excitement.
You’ve seen him a few times over the past two weeks, when he dropped by the library to pick up or drop off materials. He stayed for longer than usual each time to chat with you, and his little dry remarks and smiles had you forcing yourself to remember that this was a workplace, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to step closer to him so you could smell the faintly-spicy scent of his aftershave. There have been a few good bouts of texting, too, where his flirting and his bone-dry sense of humour had you giggling like a giddy little kid, and all of this has added up to you being buzzy with excitement at the thought of this date: your first real date, in a place that has nothing to do with work, where you and Law can be entirely at ease.
You nibble the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from smiling like an idiot as you make your way to the entrance of the aquarium. You’re about five minutes late, which hopefully means that Law is already here, so all you need to do is find him—
“Lei-ya.”
You jump, then let out a little laugh as you turn to face him. “Hey! There you are,” you say — oh help, he’s so hot. He’s wearing another well-fitted button-up shirt, a royal-blue one with the sleeves rolled up and the collar open to mid-sternum so you can see the intriguing curls of his tattoo… Does he just have a stock of these shirts that he brings out for social occasions? It’s almost criminal how good he looks.
He arches a brow. “Did you just get startled by me saying your name? In a public place? With all these people around?”
Starting out the night strong with the snark, you think in delight, and you prop your fists on your hips. “Are you really ragging on me for getting startled? That’s your way of saying hello?”
His lips curl in a smirk. “Come on. Let’s go inside. We’re late,” he says, and he hovers a hand at the small of your back.
Okay, okay okay, he’s touching you, Law is touching you! And sure, it’s just a very light touch that could be construed as polite, but still: he’s never touched you before!
Calm down before you pass out, you scold yourself, and you give him a pretend-offended look. “I was only like five minutes late. I’m practically on time.”
“‘Practically on time’ is not the same as ‘on time’.”
“So you don’t even allow for a bit of variance in your definition of what ‘on time’ means?”
“Are you trying to use statistical terms to argue with me about the meaning of being ‘on time’?”
“Of course. I’m being scientific about it. Is it working?”
He smiles, then rubs his mouth before giving you a frank look. “I’m glad you’re here. That we’re here, I mean. It’s… been a long couple of weeks.”
Oh god. Does he have any idea how charming it is when he says things like this in his matter-of-fact way? Just plain, unadorned sweetness? It is a fucking mystery to you that he’s not already taken.
You give him a coy look. “If that’s your way of trying to win the ‘on time’ argument, I’ll let you off the hook this time.”
“This time,” he drawls. “So this argument is going to come up again.”
“Probably, since your definition of ‘on time’ is so strict and narrow.”
He clicks his tongue. “Listen, I just remembered I have an early surgery at the hospital tomorrow, so I’m going to go…”
You laugh, and he smirks as he leads you inside. You assume he’s going to take you toward the entrance turnstiles on the right, but he leads you toward the left instead.
Curious now, you follow him. “Where are we—”
“Law!” a piping voice cries. A second later, a big Mink polar bear in an orange staff jumpsuit sweeps him off his feet into a full-body hug.
You gape at them as the Mink stranger swings Law around. You would not have taken Law for a hugger; and in fact, he’s not hugging his Mink companion back. When the polar-bear gentleman sets him on his feet again, he gives you a rueful look as he straightens his shirt. “Lei-ya, this is Bepo.”
You brighten. “Bepo! Law told me that you’re the one to thank for his enjoyment of boba.”
Bepo’s face lights up, and he turns to Law with shining eyes. “You told her about me? Oh, Captain…” He pulls Law into another hug and starts nuzzling him in the Mink garchu tradition.
Law rolls his eyes. “All right, take it easy. You’re going to get fur all over me.”
“Sorry,” Bepo sniffles, and he releases Law again before pulling you into a quick garchu. “I’m so happy to meet you! We didn’t know Law had any friends at work!” He gives Law an enquiring look. “Actually, I can’t remember the last time you went on a date! Can you?”
Law’s expression becomes a little long-suffering, and you have to rub your nose to stop yourself from laughing. “I’m happy to meet you, too. I didn’t know I’d be meeting a friend of Law’s tonight, though…?”
“Bepo works here,” Law explains. “He’s my connection who got us the free tickets.”
“Oh!” You give Bepo a grateful look. “That’s so nice! What do you do here?”
“I’m a marine biologist!”
“Really?” you gasp.
He nods happily. “I mostly work in research, but I do educational activities, too, including tonight—” He gasps and clasps his paws together. “Do you want a private tour later of the Icelandic puffin habitat? Puffins are my area of expertise!”
“Yes!” you exclaim.
“No,” Law says at the same time.
You and Bepo look at him, and his eyebrows rise as he glances from you to Bepo. “Uh. I mean…” He purses his lips a little, then gives Bepo a knowing look. “Maybe another time, Bepo.”
Bepo’s eyes become especially round and shiny. “But Law, you haven’t come to the aquarium in so long! The puffins are nesting now, and some of the eggs are close to hatching!”
Law’s frown is deepening, but his already-slouchy posture is wilting a bit, and you have to force yourself not to laugh again. He clearly isn’t immune to Bepo’s baby-bear eyes.
You widen your eyes too. “It wouldn’t hurt to do a quick little mini-tour of the puffin habitat, would it?”
Bepo beams at you like you’re his new best friend, then gives Law an even more pleading look.
Law glares at him, then finally sighs and rubs a hand over his hair. “Fine. But later. Try to remember I’m on a date. Which I apparently haven’t done in recent or distant memory,” he mutters.
“Yippee!” Bepo hugs him again.
Law sighs loudly and tries to wriggle free. “Bepo, come on—”
“Oi, Captain!” Two men in white aquarium-staff jumpsuits come bounding over and fling themselves on Bepo and Law’s hug.
“You guys — get — off—” Law manages to wriggle his way out of the group hug and sidles over to you: just behind you as though you’re a shield, actually, which amuses you to no end. “Lei-ya, this is Shachi and Penguin. They’re also my friends. Unfortunately,” he adds darkly.
Shachi, Penguin and Bepo all seem unfazed by Law’s grouchiness, and they’re all beaming at you. “It’s so nice to meet you,” you say warmly to Shachi and Penguin. “You guys also work here?”
They nod, and Penguin speaks. “Shachi’s an aquarist. He specializes in saltwater habitats, and—”
Shachi cuts in. “Penguin’s a zookeeper. He tends to the mammal and avian habitats. No one has a better bond with the otters than him.”
Penguin grins and elbows him, and Bepo loops his arms around both of their necks. “Now that we’re all here, let’s go inside and have a drink together!”
“Bepo, no,” Law says warningly. “I told you—”
Penguin elbows Bepo. “He’s on a date, dummy.”
“Yeah, Bepo, he’s on a date,” Shachi chimes in. “He never goes on dates. Give the captain some space.”
Bepo hangs his head. “Sorry…”
Oh no, he looks so sad now! “It’s okay!” you say quickly. “Bepo, it’s okay. And I mean it about wanting that tour of the puffin habitat. We’ll find you later, okay?”
“Hurray!” Bepo chirps. “Law, text me, okay? Have fun, Lei! Let us know if you need anything!”
“Yeah, Law, text us when you text Bepo,” says Shachi eagerly. “We’ll join you guys on that puffin tour.”
“Fantastic,” Law says flatly.
You smile and nudge him with your elbow, but Penguin speaks up before you can say anything. “Yo, I almost forgot.” He digs into a pocket of his jumpsuit and pulls out a huge handful of drink tickets, then shoves them into Law’s hands.
Law frowns. “What—? Did you steal these?”
“I smooth-talked Ikkaku into giving them to me,” Penguin says, and he winks.
Shachi rolls his eyes. “You did not. You begged her, and she gave them to you so you’d go away.”
Penguin pouts at him, and Law takes a step back. “Okay, guys, we’re going in now. Bepo, I’ll text you later.” He rests his hand firmly at the small of your back and ushers you toward the turnstiles.
“See you later!” Bepo calls. “Have fun!”
“Have fun!” Shachi and Penguin chime.
You wave to them, then smile up at Law, who’s still looking disgruntled. “Um, hello? Your friends are so fucking cute.”
“They’re a pain,” he says flatly. He nods curtly to the attendant at the turnstile, who scans his tickets, and Law ushers you through before following you. “They’re constantly on my back to hang out with them more. It’s like they have selective amnesia about my work schedule.”
“They kept calling you ‘captain’. Why is that?”
He sighs. “I mentioned before that I play this rugby video game? It’s with them. They’re my — well, they made me be their team captain. And the guys we play against, one of them is a friend of Rosinante’s: this idiot metalhead who insists that everyone call him ‘Captain’. So Bepo and the guys insist on calling me ‘captain’ whenever he’s around because it pisses him off, and then it just stuck…” He rubs the back of his neck. “It’s juvenile. I should just tell them to cut it out, but—”
“No! It’s—” A burble of laughter escapes you. “Law, it’s cute. It’s cute that they have a nickname for you. And it’s cute how close you guys seem. Have you known each other for a long time?”
“Since we were kids. We met in middle school.”
You gape at him. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“That’s just—! Wow, that’s so long! And you guys have stayed close for all that time? That’s amazing!” Honestly, it was eye-opening to see Law with his friends: with people that he would actually consider friends, as opposed to colleagues that he tolerates socializing with. And as grumpy as he seemed when they were glomping onto him and exposing his non-dating history, you know it’s a front. You’ve been working with Law long enough to know what he’s like when he’s actually irritated or angry — he can be quite scary, actually, in a sexy way — and it’s nothing like the adorably gruff-and-pouty behaviour you just witnessed with Bepo and the others.
He’s comfortable with them, you realize. And the realization melts your heart. If Law felt comfortable enough to bring you here, knowing you would meet his friends — that you would meet more of the people that he actually cares about, in addition to Rosinante…?
Oh help, you really like him. You smile up at him like a fool, and he gives you a suspicious look. “What?”
“I’m just… having a really good time already,” you say softly. Then you give him a playful look. “Even though I have to share you with Bepo later.”
His frown relaxes into a faint smile that makes your heart flip. Then he clicks his tongue and tucks his hands in his pockets. “It’s your fault we’ll be hanging out with Bepo. You could have said ‘no’ to the puffin tour.”
“No I couldn’t! Are you kidding?” you exclaim. “What kind of monster says ‘no’ to a private tour involving puffins?”
“Uh-huh,” he says flatly. “Want a drink? Or twenty, apparently?” He holds up one of the pilfered drink tickets.
You giggle. “I’d love one or twenty drinks. Thanks.”
He nods, and you head to the bar together. As you’re standing in line, you give him a sly look. “So the guys mentioned that you haven’t been on a date in a million years…?”
Law lets out a long sigh. “Yeah. I’ll excise their hearts later. Thanks for the reminder.”
You snort a laugh at the very colourful threat. “Are they right? Has it been that long since you dated anyone?”
He gives you a sideways look and tugs his earrings. “I’ll answer that if you do.”
“Deal. Should I answer first?” you offer.
He relaxes visibly and nods, and you feel a little squeeze of pleasure for making him feel at ease. “I haven’t dated anyone in… Mm, almost a year now. I was seeing someone for a few months that I met through an app, but it just kind of fizzled out. Mutual breakup, so no one’s feelings were really hurt. And after that…” You let out a little laugh. “This is kind of embarrassing, but I had a little fit of ‘what’s the point of dating when I can read a romance novel instead?’”
He chuckles, and you smile as you go on. “So it’s just been me and the romance novels for a while.” You clap your hands playfully. “There. That’s my answer. Your turn.”
“So what you’re saying is that I have to measure up to some huge muscle-bound hunk in your romance novels?” he drawls.
You’re hotter than the muscle-bound hunks in my romance novels, you think, but it’s way too early to say something that bold to him. “Well, you’ve already got the height thing going for you, so you’re halfway there.”
“Halfway there. Right.” He rubs his mouth, but not before you can see him smirking.
You giggle and nudge him with your shoulder. “Seriously, it’s your turn now. When was the last time you dated someone?”
He’s quiet for a long moment: long enough that you actually reach the front of the drinks line before he replies. You both order cans of cider, and you wander into a central area that’s been cleared into a dance floor. There’s a small sound stage with a DJ playing lo-fi music that gives a slick but low-key vibe, and cocktail tables with tall stools around the edges of the dance floor, and you and Law head toward an empty table.
It’s not until you’re settled at the table that he finally speaks. “My last… long-term relationship was when I was in med school. I haven’t really dated since then. Just, um, casual things now and then.” He tugs his earrings, then takes a sip of cider.
“Can I ask what happened to the relationship in med school? If it’s not painful to talk about,” you add quickly. “Sorry if that’s a nosy question.”
“It’s not painful,” he says. Then he grimaces a little. “That sounds bad. But the truth is that it wasn’t particularly painful for me. I got too busy. I had already been hired as an RA in a cardiology research lab by my second year of med school, in addition to the usual course load and practica. I couldn’t find the time for all that and a relationship too, so I… ended it.”
He’s frowning now and gazing into his can. You’re quiet too for a moment, in case there was something else he wanted to say, but when the silence stretches on for a good minute, you decide to poke just a little. “What’s on your mind?” you say gently.
He looks at you. His frown clears a little as he studies your face, and his voice is quiet when he replies. “Nothing. Just… something Rosinante said to me recently.” He sips his cider again before speaking. “The guys weren’t wrong. It’s been a long time since I dated anyone. Actually dated, I mean, not just casual meet-ups.” His eyes widen for a second. “Not that I’m assuming… Mm.” He rubs his mouth.
He’s frowning again, more deeply than before. It’s almost like he’s struggling with himself, and you aren’t sure why.
You gently touch his forearm. “What is it? What were you going to say?”
He’s quiet for another tense moment before finally meeting your eye. His expression is serious — almost hard, actually, with how serious he looks — and it makes your heart skip a beat.
“Law, what is it?” you say tentatively.
“I have to be honest,” he says. “I’m not looking for something just-casual. Not with you.”
Oh god. Oh god, oh god, you can’t throw yourself at him and kiss him right here in public, can you? You can’t, not for a first kiss.
Be cool, be cool, you can reply with words like a functional human being. “Good,” you say. “Actually, that’s great. Because I don’t want to be just-casual with you, either.”
The tension leaves his shoulders, and his smile is so painfully handsome that it’s a real fight for you to not just go in for a kiss right here and now. You figure you should at least spend more than fifteen minutes in his presence before throwing yourself at him.
You smile goofily at him, then drop his gaze, feeling shy and giddy now. “So, um, tell me more about you, Bepo, Shachi and Penguin when you were in school together. Were you the ringleader even then?”
“Ringleader?” he says dryly. “What are we, the circus?”
You force yourself to keep an innocent expression. “You guys are pretty entertaining together. It’s a little like watching a clown troupe.”
He scoffs, and you can’t help but laugh. “A cute clown troupe! Not a creepy one.”
“There’s no such thing as a cute clown troupe,” Law says.
“Well, if there was one, you guys would be it.”
He gives you a flat look. “On second thought, maybe we should just keep things casual.”
You burst out another laugh. “Oh my god, Law! You’re stone-cold!”
He smirks and sips his cider, then sets the can down with a sigh. “Fine. You want to hear about us when we were kids? Actually, this is a good idea. I can get the jump on telling the embarrassing stories about them before they humiliate me later.”
You beam at him and prop your chin on your fists. “Tell me everything. Every embarrassing thing. I want to hear it all.”
He huffs and sips his cider again, then tells you a story about Bepo forgetting his swim trunks one time during gym class and swimming naked in the school pool: an event that caused a huge uproar, including Bepo getting suspended. In protest of Bepo’s suspension, Law refused to participate in gym class until the school reconsidered their regulations on swimwear to accommodate Mink traditions of swimming nude. He tells you a few other stories about himself and the guys while you drink your ciders, and as he tells you these stories, you realize that you weren’t wrong in calling him the ringleader. He really is something like a captain to his group of friends, with a history of defending them against bullies and rebelling against school rules that were prejudiced against Bepo, and against Shachi, too, who’s half-fishman on his mother’s side.
Law isn’t bragging about any of this, though; he tells you these little stories in a matter-of-fact and dryly humorous way, as though he’s just reporting an amusing incident without especially highlighting his role in them, and by the time your cans are empty, you’re even more enamored with him for his modesty and his protective bond with his friends.
He sets his empty can down and gives you an enquiring look. “Want another drink? Or should we look around?”
You would honestly be more than happy to just sit here talking to him all night, but the blue-turquoise-violet hues of the aquarium are beckoning. “Let’s look around,” you say. “It’s my first time here, after all!”
“Right,” he says. “Well, I’m no Bepo, but I know the place fairly well. What do you want to see?”
“What would you recommend?”
He smiles faintly. “Come on. This way.”
He leads you confidently through the crowds, away from the dance floor and into an exhibit wing. As you make your way deeper into the branching hallways, the rooms grow dark in that unique aquarium way, with all the illumination emanating from the tanks themselves and the underlit information placards. The darkness also means the other guests are rendered to faceless silhouettes unless you’re about a foot away from them, making the atmosphere comfortingly anonymous and intimate at the same time, and it feels only natural to loop your fingers around Law’s forearm to keep track of him as you follow him through the fishtank-studded halls.
Yum, his forearms… Your fingertips are tracing along the inside of his forearm now, feeling the veins that thread their way from the inside of his elbow down to his wrist—
He suddenly takes your hand. “That tickles,” he murmurs.
Your breath stalls: his mouth is close to your temple. In fact, he’s so close to you now that you can smell his aftershave. He’s so close to you in the crowd, close enough that if you lifted your chin and pressed up onto your toes, you could kiss him…
Fuck, you want to do it. You want to so badly. But you can’t. Your heart is drumming in your throat, and you’re suddenly paralyzed with just how much you want him. He’s right here, so close to you with his long tattooed fingers wrapped around yours, and you’re too chicken-shit to make the move that you so desperately want to make.
You gulp in a breath. “Sorry,” you whisper to his chest.
“Don’t be,” he says quietly. “Come on. This way.” His fingers glide between yours, and then he’s leading you hand-in-hand through the hall.
You follow him helplessly. As though you could do anything but follow him when his fingers are twined with yours, when he’s leading you through the quietly-chatting aquarium-goers with the certainty of someone who’s been here many times before… Just how many times has he been here, you wonder? Has he just visited the aquarium a lot because his friends work here?
“Law,” you say, “How do you know this place so well? Is—”
He leads you around a corner, and your words abruptly leave you: you’re facing an enormous floor-to-ceiling fishtank of jellyfish. The light within the tank is blue, but somehow, the jellyfish are glowing a bright fluorescent pink. As you watch in amazement, the tank light slowly shifts to pink — and the jellyfish change colour, too, their slowly-undulating bodies shifting to a vibrant magenta.
“Wow,” you breathe.
“Have you never seen jellyfish before?” Law says.
His voice is quiet and close to your temple again. You give him a shy smile as you reply. “I have, but not… never like this. This is… fucking amazing.”
He releases your hand and nods his chin at the tank. “Get closer. You’re allowed. Just don’t tap on the glass.”
You wrinkle your nose playfully at him. “Thanks, but I’m not an idiot.” All the same, your footsteps are cautious and silent as you pad closer to the tank.
A cluster of big jellies are floating right at your eye level. You stare at them in fascination, admiring the fluffy-looking tentacles and their deceptively gentle-looking stingers, and the rhythmic way their bodies flutter as they move through their watery home. For a time, you just watch the jellies, mesmerized by their shifting colours and the lazy grace of their bodies drifting within the tank.
From the corner of your eye, you see Law approaching the tank too. His hands are in his pockets and his gaze is on a cluster of jellies floating a little higher in the tank, and your heart swells at how casual and content he looks: a departure from his resting bitch face when he enters the library most days.
He looks at you. His eyebrow rises, and your cheeks go hot at being caught staring. Quick, say something! “Do you — I don’t suppose you know why the jellyfish change colours? Is it a bioluminescence thing?”
“I think it’s the way the different light wavelengths interact with proteins in their bodies,” he says. “Or the way the light interacts with something they’ve eaten.”
You smile at him. “In other words, you don’t know.”
He gives you a frank look. “You want me to text Bepo so he can answer your questions? I can leave. Give you some one-on-one educational time with an actual marine biologist—”
“No, no!” you giggle, and you tuck your hand through his elbow. “I’m just teasing you. I guess I can forgive you for not knowing everything about jellyfish.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“You’re very welcome.”
For a peaceful time, you and Law stand there basking in the glow of the jellyfish tank, admiring the jellies as they drift on the eddies within their habitat. You’re two spots of stillness among the crowd, standing together quietly while the other aquarium guests murmur excitedly and take photos of the tank before moving on. The longer you stand there, though, the more you can feel your heart picking up at his closeness. There’s something so cozy about standing here with him, gazing up at this beautiful tank with your hand tucked against the inside of his elbow, and the perfect coziness of the moment lulls you into resting your head against his arm.
For another moment, you stand there gazing up at the tank. Then Law slowly pulls his hand out of his pocket. He takes your hand from his elbow, and he carefully twines his fingers with yours again.
He’s holding your hand. Law is holding your hand again, and your heart is racing. A tingly-hot anticipation is spreading through your body, a potent mixture of longing and desire triggered by nothing more than Law’s fingers intertwined with yours… Fuck, should you be embarrassed about this? About just how much you want this — how much you want him? It’s just been so long since you liked anyone this much. It’s literally a dream come true that the guy you like so much is someone that you’ve been drooling over for a year, and to think that he actually seems to like you just as much? It’s kind of crazy to be this fortunate, isn’t it?
He tilts his head down to speak to you. “Not to rush you, but this isn’t what I was going to show you.”
You look up at him in surprise. “It’s not? There’s something cooler than this?”
“What’s cool is a matter of opinion,” he says wryly. “This might end up being your favourite exhibit, but… I was going to show you mine.”
“Let’s go,” you say immediately. “Let’s see it.”
“I don’t want to rush you—”
“You’re not rushing me,” you say. “I want to see your favourite exhibit.”
He smiles faintly, and your heart thumps at the sight. Then he’s leading you through the exhibit hall again, past tank upon tank of beautiful multicoloured fish and anemones and eels and shellfish, but you’re not paying attention to any of it, because Law is holding your hand.
Finally, he leads you into a large circular room. And once again, the sight that greets you makes your jaw drop.
The room is dark, like all the others in the exhibit halls. There are tiers of carpeted bench-style seating, as though this room is used for educational talks or lectures, and the far wall is entirely taken up by a vast floor-to-ceiling ocean exhibit. The exhibit is designed to look like a natural one, of course, with a white-sand sea floor and a lighting set-up that makes it look as though the midday sun is shining down, rendering the tank’s water to a bright-but-soothing turquoise shade. There are rocky-looking pillar formations and huge fronds of seaweed or kelp throughout — and swimming among the pillars and fronds are dozens of rays.
“Holy shit,” you whisper.
He laughs: a soft, husky sound that races down the length of your spine like an electric shock. “Come on,” he says. “This you need to see up close.”
You follow him down the tiers of seating to the main floor, slipping through the other guests until you’re standing right in front of the glass. And now that you’re closer, you can see that many of the rays are resting or fluttering slowly along the sandy floor.
There’s one ray that’s swimming with its belly right up against the glass, though, and you can’t help but laugh: you can see the ray’s mouth, and it looks like a cartoonish smile.
“What?” Law says.
You point at its mouth. “It’s so cute. Look at it!”
He tsks. “It’s not cute. It’s majestic.”
“It can be cute and majestic at the same time.”
He grunts, and you giggle before turning back to the glass with a happy sigh. “God, look at them. Look at how they swim. They’re so graceful. It’s like… they’re like fluid. They’re as fluid as the water they’re in. It’s incredible.”
He nods. He looks very content again, and you take a second to furtively admire how handsome he is before turning your attention back to the tank. “This is something I’ve never seen before,” you say quietly. “I’ve only seen manta rays in shows or movies.”
“I should probably tell you that they’re not all manta rays,” he says. “There are different kinds of rays.”
“Really—? Oh wait, obviously. There’s — stingrays are a different species, right?”
He nods. “Different families. Taxonomic families, I mean. Mantas don’t have stingers, and they eat algae. Stingrays — most other rays, actually, they eat shellfish and crustaceans mostly.”
You smile at him. “You know a lot about these guys. Are they your favourite?”
He shrugs and tucks his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know that I’d say they’re my favourites. But I did a project on them in grade 8. Half the facts just stuck in my brain. My information could be out of date, though,” he adds. “Might be best to confirm with Bepo.”
“Okay,” you say, and you step away from the tank. “I’ll just go find Bepo, then—”
He takes hold of your arm. “I don’t think so,” he drawls, and he pulls you close and takes your hand again.
Oh god, please, he’s going to make you swoon. You smile up at him, then force your gaze back to the tank to stop yourself from mooning over him. “If manta rays — rays, I mean, just rays in general: if they’re not your favourite animal, then what makes this exhibit your favourite?”
“It’s the one that feels the most like the sea,” he says. “The lighting, the rocks… It looks the most like the sea. Like… being in the sea.”
His expression is growing serious as he speaks. You gaze up at him, waiting for him to go on, but he remains pensively quiet.
You turn your gaze back to the ray tank. And for a while, you and Law simply watch the rays gliding gracefully around the rocky pillars and through the fluttering kelp of their environment.
Finally, you decide to chance a question. “Are you very… familiar with the sea?” You make a little face. “Is that a stupid question?”
“No,” he says quietly. “It’s…” He trails off into silence again, and you watch cautiously as his brow creases into a frown.
Finally, he speaks again, and his voice is oddly colourless. “I grew up by the sea. On an island in the North Blue. My family used to… We went swimming a lot. Snorkelling, too.” He shrugs. “I used to love swimming in the sea. Swimming in general, I guess.”
“You don’t swim anymore?” you say softly.
He shakes his head. “I haven’t been to the sea since… before I met Rosinante. And I haven’t really been swimming since high school. I was on the swim team, along with Bepo and the guys. But I couldn’t stay competitive with both the swim team and kendo club, so I gave it up.”
Kendo, you think with interest. Like HeartCaptain! But you push the irrelevant thought aside. “Do you miss it?”
“What?” he says, in the same flat voice.
“The sea. Swimming,” you say. “I can imagine you must miss it.”
He doesn’t reply. He’s frowning deeply now as he watches the rays drifting through the light-dappled depths, and your chest starts to ache as you think about what he’s told you. He used to swim by the sea with his family, but he hasn’t been back since he was adopted by Rosinante — since his family died…
Wait. The North Blue, he said? He grew up on an island in the North Blue? And Rosinante was in the Navy when they met? Wait…
Your heart sinks. You’re realizing something now: something that, if it adds up…? Oh, fuck. You remember learning about a war in the North Blue more than twenty years ago — an especially ugly war that was centered around a particular island, whose population was all but decimated in the violence. Could… Could Law have been there at the time…?
Oh fuck. Oh no. Should you ask? Should you say anything? No, you can’t, it would be so intrusive. But if he told you about growing up in the North Blue, then it might be okay to ask him about it, right…? God, but this is a really sensitive thing to ask about. But he also kind of opened the topic, kind of…?
For a long, agonizing minute, you debate whether to say anything about your suspicions. Finally, you decide to bite the bullet. “Law, can I ask… What island did you grow up on?”
He doesn’t look at you. “What you’re thinking is probably correct.”
Fuuuck. Do you say it? Would it be awful to say it? “Flevance?” you whisper.
He nods tightly, and your gut sinks like a stone. He’s a survivor of the Flevance War? Oh god. Oh fuck.
He looks so stern and distant now, and you immediately wish you hadn’t said anything. “Law, I’m so sorry. I’m… I shouldn’t have asked. But that’s not to say — I mean, if you want to talk about it, I’m—”
“I don’t,” he says curtly.
You feel a pang of hurt at this, but you shove it aside. Of course he doesn’t want to talk about it with you; you’re still a stranger to him, really, and a nosy one at that, asking about something so sensitive. “Of course. I totally get it. Consider the subject dropped.” You release his hand and pretend to zip your lips, and you turn your gaze back to the ray tank. “So you said most of these rays eat shellfish and crustaceans, right? Now that’s the life. Imagine getting to stuff yourself on mussels and shrimp every day? That’s the life for me. If I could get a little white wine along with the seafood, I mean.”
He quirks a brow at you. He’s still frowning, but his expression isn’t quite so cold anymore, and the tightness in your belly loosens a little.
You point at one of the rays, which is swimming with its pale belly close to the glass again. “So are you telling me that in those smiley little mouths, they’ve got beaks or something to crack open clamshells and stuff? Like what an octopus has?”
“Not beaks,” he says. “Teeth.”
You blink at him. You’re genuinely surprised to hear this. “There are teeth in there? That’s so funny! They look so docile.”
“It’s the docile ones you have to watch out for,” he says. “Besides, everything in the sea looks docile.”
His tone is dry in a way that makes you feel hopeful. You nod in a mock-thoughtful way. “So what you’re saying is that everything in the sea is a danger that you have to watch out for? Super comforting to know I’m surrounded by dangers on all sides right now, then.”
Finally, at long last, he smiles. It’s a small smile, but it’s enough to make you feel like you can breathe again.
You give him an apologetic look. “Listen, Law, I’m sorry. I know I ask a lot of questions, and—”
“Don’t,” he says. “Do not be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
You make a little face. “Okay. But I really don’t mean to be pushy. Sometimes I feel like I ask too much—”
“You aren’t asking too much,” he says, a little sharply now. “You’re just… asking questions. It shouldn’t hurt to ask.”
It shouldn’t, but it does, you think sadly. You’re not even sure if he noticed his own wording when he said that, but to you, it feels significant.
“In that case, I’ll keep asking you things,” you say. “And you can feel free to tell me to shut the fuck up if I start poking too much.”
He gives you an odd look, and you tilt your head. “What?”
“Nothing,” he says slowly. “Just… you reminded me of someone for a second.”
You jerk your thumb at the ray who’s still drifting along the glass. “Like this guy, maybe? With his silly smile?”
His frown finally softens, and his lips curve into a smirk. “I thought you said the ray’s smile was cute.”
“And majestic. Don’t forget majestic.”
He arches a brow. “Is this your way of fishing for compliments? You want to be told that you’re cute and majestic like a ray?”
“Obviously,” you say. “What girl in her right mind doesn’t want to be told that she looks like a ray?”
He smiles, then: a broad, proper smile that melts the remaining knot of nerves in your belly. He takes your hand again and twines his fingers with yours, then dips his head down to speak close to your temple. “Shut the fuck up.”
You burst out a laugh. “Wow, that was rude. Listen, I think I would rather spend the evening with Bepo instead, so if you could just text him for me…”
Law grunts in response. He’s still smiling, though, and now you’re laughing, laughing softly as you tuck yourself against the warmth of his chest.
You can feel his smile against your temple now. And when he speaks, his voice is like a warm breeze against your skin. “Do you want to go look at something else?”
“No,” you say softly. “I love it here. It really is like being by the sea.”
He doesn’t reply. But he squeezes your hand, and for a long time, you stay there together with Law, watching the rays and dreaming about the sea.
**************
You move on eventually, backtracking through the exhibit hall to actually look at all the other tanks that you bypassed on the way to the ray room. You spend a long time admiring the jellyfish tank again, as well as a half-dozen other smaller tanks containing other species of jellies, and you eventually find yourselves in a room of dry exhibits, where another bar is set up in the corner. You have another drink, chatting and bantering back and forth with the same ease that you usually have with him: the same heart-pounding, tummy-fluttering ease that makes you really wish you could open more of the buttons on his beautifully-fitted shirt and see the full expanse of his chest tattoo.
When you finish your drinks, he leads you through another exhibit wing, this one focusing on freshwater animals. The displays are just as beautiful, the rooms just as dimly-lit, but the fish and animals aren’t as colourful and flashy, which might explain why this area is less populated than the saltwater wing.
There is one spectacular room, though — a smaller oval-shaped room whose walls are entirely composed of a massive tank full of cichlids. And this is where you and Law find yourselves, sitting on a bench facing one curved wall, watching as the rainbow of fish flicker and flash past each other in a flurry of activity.
“Fucking insane,” you say in awe.
Law huffs a laugh, and you shoot him a smile before turning your gaze back to the tank. “Seriously! When I think ‘freshwater fish’, I’m usually thinking like, goldfish. Or wild salmon, I guess, if I’m being fancy. I don’t think of this.” You gesture at the tank. “I’m not thinking about anything super colourful. And I had no idea that angelfish were cichlids.”
He only smiles in reply. He’s been pretty quiet since you entered this wing, actually: quiet but happy-looking, which is why you didn’t comment on how quiet he is. But sitting here now side-by-side with him, in this beautiful little room with no other guests milling around, you’re feeling bold enough to poke him a bit.
You nudge him with your shoulder. “A berry for your thoughts?”
“Try again,” he says. “My thoughts are worth more than that.”
You burst out a laugh. “Law!”
“What?”
“That’s, like, the cockiest way anyone could ever reply to that question.”
He smirks and rubs his chin, then meets your eye again, and there’s a softness to his expression that makes your belly feel warm. “I’m just glad you like it here. I haven’t… Mm. It’s been a long time since I had to plan a date. It could’ve been hit-or-miss.”
“Well, this is an absolute hit,” you assure him. “I get to see beautiful fish and learn something? And there are no screaming kids around? It’s literally perfect.”
“Mm,” he says. “The company’s not bad, either.”
Your heart flips. There’s a little hint of slyness in his expression now — oh god, oh god, what does that look mean? Does it mean what you’re hoping it means?
You duck your head, feeling all flustered again — for fuck’s sake, stop being shy, you’re going to make him think you don’t want this! “The company will do,” you quip. “Though Bepo’s company would probably be better.”
“Shut up,” he drawls.
You force yourself not to laugh. “I’m serious! I didn’t think touring the aquarium with a marine biologist would be an option. If I’d known—”
He lifts a hand and trails his thumb along the line of your jaw. “Seriously, shut up,” he murmurs.
Your mouth snaps shut. The backlight of the cichlid tank is rippling across his face in lazy waves, casting his face into a relief of black shadows and ethereal turquoise-blue, and the sharp contrast of cool-toned black-blue on his face just serves to highlight the warmth in his eyes: his usually-golden eyes that look almost black now, with how large his pupils are. His expression is serious but soft as he studies you, his gaze moving languidly from your eyes to your lips to your collarbones, then back to your lips.
Fuck, your heart is pounding so hard. You gulp in a breath to steady yourself. “That was rude,” you manage.
“Yeah, it was,” he admits. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I can think of a way for you to make up for it.”
He smiles faintly. Then his hand rises and tips up your chin. “Like what?” he murmurs.
Your lips part on a shaky little gasp — fuck, can you calm down? He’s going to think you’re desperate! And sure, maybe you are desperate when it comes to him, but that doesn’t mean you want him to know it right away!
His head tilts toward yours, and your pulse ratchets even higher. His lips are slightly parted, his nose is just brushing yours now, your heart is beating so hard, you can barely breathe—
Law kisses you. It’s very soft, infinitely gentle, just the pressing of his lips to yours. But the feeling his kiss gives you? This gut-deep rush, as though the delicate press of his lips has awakened an electric arc of want through your body: this sensation is anything but delicate.
You part your lips a little. You can feel your spine arching, too, as though it’s your body’s instinct to curve toward him. Then his hand comes to rest at the small of your back, and his tongue grazes your lower lip.
A whimper escapes you — fuck, shut up, you can’t make noise—!
He abruptly slants his lips over yours and dips his tongue into your mouth.
Your body thrills at his urgency. His fingers are pressing into your back now, and the pull of his fingers has you shifting closer to him on the bench. You lift your hand to the nape of his neck, slipping the tips of your fingers into his raven-dark hair, and when he groans softly into your mouth, the pulse between your legs throbs insistently.
You break from his kiss and brush your nose to his. “L-Law—”
He kisses you firmly. He slides his hand from the small of your back around your waist and pulls you against his chest — as much as he can, while you’re sitting side-by-side on a goddamn bench — and you lick his tongue and pull at the collar of his shirt: fuck, this shirt, the way it looks so good on him, but you just know he’ll look even better without it.
You curve your spine toward him and curl your fingers in his hair, wishing you could press your breasts to his bare skin, and he makes a grumbling sound in his throat that lifts the hairs on your nape. Then, slowly, he peels his lips from yours.
He cradles your neck in his palm and brushes his nose to yours. “Hi,” he breathes.
“Hey,” you whimper. Argh, you are itching to touch him more than this. You like him so fucking much, and kissing him is so delicious that you just want more, more… Should you invite him to come back to your place tonight? But you usually try not to do that on a first date, just in case the guy ends up being a fuckboy... But you can’t imagine that Law would be a fuckboy. And sure, he has those moments sometimes of being distant and aloof, but he’s got good reasons for that. That’s not at all the same as being a fuckboy.
“What’s on your mind?” he whispers.
Oh god, his thumb is tracing the line of your neck… You could melt into the floor right now, really you could. “Nice try,” you say breathlessly. “My thoughts are worth more than that.”
He grins: a wicked little grin that makes you want to drop to your knees in front of him. Then he’s kissing you again, and… god, he’s amazing. His lips, the slick heat of his tongue, the warmth of his body through his shirt and the feeling of his palm on your neck—
“Captain, there you—! Aiee, sorry!”
You break from the kiss with a yelp. Law twists around to glare at the door, where Bepo, Shachi and Penguin are standing. “Oi, get out of here,” he barks.
“Sorry!” Bepo gasps, and he dips into a deep bow while backing away. “Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry!”
Penguin clicks his tongue. “Damn,” he says, and he starts digging in his pocket.
“Told you,” Shachi says smugly, and he holds out his hand. “Pay up.”
Penguin slaps some berries into his palm, and Law rises from the bench. “If you guys don’t get out of here by the count of three…”
“Okay, okay, we’re going,” Shachi says. “But listen, this place closes in an hour, so if you want Bepo to give you a tour of the puffin habitat—”
Law takes a step toward them.
“Go, go, he’s gonna kill us!” Penguin cackles, and he darts away with a laughing Shachi close behind.
Law growls and sits beside you. “He’s right. I am going to kill them. I’ll carve out their hearts and keep them as trophies.”
You can’t help but grin as you run your fingers along his collar. “I thought the Hippocratic Oath means you can’t do any harm—”
“Fuck the Hippocratic Oath,” he says, and he kisses you again.
His kiss is more aggressive now, more hungry than before as he curves his hand around the nape of your neck, and it’s like a spark on tinder: you’re breathing hard now, gasping into his lips as you shift closer to him on the bench, wanting his hands on your body, wanting more, more—
He abruptly breaks the kiss and looks down at his pocket, then lets out a sharp sigh. “I’m getting texts. It must be them. I’m gonna commit actual murder.”
You take a deep breath to try and calm your screaming libido. “Before or after we see the puffins? I don’t want to miss out on the puffins.”
He shoots you a dark look, and you laugh. “Don’t be mad! I’m just trying to make the best of a, um, cockblocking situation?”
He growls again and runs his hands through his hair, then rises from the bench. “Fine. But you’re helping me to dispose of their bodies after this.”
“That’s wasteful,” you say. “We should donate their bodies to science at least.” You stand up from the bench — ugh, your panties are wet, that’s uncomfortable. “And maybe we can go somewhere that your friends don’t work for our next date?”
His scowl softens. “Our next date?”
Your cheeks warm. “I mean… If you want to have another…?”
He steps close to you and tips your chin up, and your heart skip-skips. “U-um—”
He kisses you once more: a slow, firm, perfect kiss that makes your whole body feel like it’s sparking from within. Then, much too soon for your liking, he steps away. “Let’s finish this date first,” he murmurs. “Let me know if you still want a second one after spending more time around my idiot friends.” He offers you his hand.
Your heart flips with joy, and you take his hand. You can’t imagine that any so-called idiocy with Law’s adorable friends will make you like him any less, and you already can’t wait to go on another date.
Chapter 11: Writing
Notes:
Note the fic rating has changed from M to E. But (spoiler alert) no actual smut yet. YET.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cora-san Sat Jun 14, 2025 9:19 PM
I’m crashing at Marco’s tonight FYI in case you want to bring your girl over. I’m a great wingman, you’re welcomeeee
Trafalgar Law Sun Jun 15, 2025 12:49 AM
Thanks but no need. I took her home.
Cora-san 12:50 AM
Well well well, look who’s an old fashioned gentleman!
Cora-san 12:52 AM
Don’t give me the silent treatment you shitty brat 😂 seriously bro I hope you had a good time
Trafalgar Law 12:52 AM
I did. It was great.
Cora-san 12:52 AM
Hot damn high praise from the king of hard to please!
Trafalgar Law 12:52 AM
I’m going to bed. Night.
Cora-san 12:52 AM
Fiiiiiiine you can tell me all the details tomorrow
Trafalgar Law 12:53 AM
I’m not telling you all the details tomorrow.
Cora-san 12:53 AM
Fiiiiiiiiiine I’ll ask Bepo and the Hearts to tell me all the details tomorrow
Trafalgar Law 12:53 AM
If you ask them about this, I will kill you.
Cora-san 12:53 AM
Yooooo that good huh? What did they see??
Cora-san 12:55 AM
Ok ok stop pouting I’m done hassling you 🤣
Trafalgar Law 12:55 AM
What time will you be home? Did you take all your meds with you?
Cora-san 12:55 AM
I have all my meds, I took them on time, Marine’s honour 🫡I’ll be home by noon so make lunch for me too yeah? 🥺
Trafalgar Law 12:55 AM
Yeah yeah. Go to bed.
Cora-san 12:55 AM
Whatever you say sweetheart 🫀ILU!!! ✌️😁❤️
*************
Trafalgar Law 9:04 AM
Thanks again for arranging the tickets for last night. I really appreciate it.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:06 AM
you’re welcome!!! anytime you want to bring Lei to visit just let me know and i’ll get her in for free too!!! 🤩🥰🐟
Trafalgar Law 9:06 AM
For actual free, or for the price of third-wheeling half of my date?
Trafalgar Law 9:06 AM
Fifth-wheeling, including Shachi and Penguin.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:06 AM
i’m so sorry i’m sorry i’m sorry!!!!!!! 😭😭😭 i didn’t mean to thirdwheel!!! i was just having such fun with Leiiiii and she had so many good questions about the puffins!!! but i’m so sorry will you forgive me i’m sorry 🥺😭🥺
Trafalgar Law 9:06 AM
I’m teasing, Bepo.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:07 AM
kk i’m so relieved!!!! 😭🥺😭i was scared you were going to be mad at me for the rest of the weekendddd~
Trafalgar Law 9:07 AM
I’m not mad. (Anymore.) Have a good one.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:07 AM
waitwaitwait before you go! do you want to come for dim sum with me + shachi + penguin?
Trafalgar Law 9:07 AM
Today?
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:07 AM
ya! we’re going to the small place around the corner from penguin’s apt that has the chive + shrimp fried cakes! and the cute lil pumpkin shaped desserts with the egg yolk filling 🤩😋
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:11 AM
OI CAP THIS IS PENGUIN DONT GHOST US. COME FOR DIMSUM. U OWE BEPO
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:11 AM
Shach says u owe us for being entertaining af and making ur gf laugh
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:11 AM
And for not telling her the story about the pizza and the roof
Trafalgar Law 9:11 AM
Tell Bepo I’m mad at him now for giving you his phone.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:12 AM
nuuuuuuuuuuuu captain pls don’t be mad at me it’s not my fault!!! penguin stole it from me!!! i’m sorrysorrysorry 😭😭🥺🥺
Trafalgar Law 9:20 AM
I told Cora-san I’d make him lunch.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:20 AM
we’ll go early and bring back lots of leftovers for him!!! pls come with us captain plsplspls? 🥺🙏🐻❄️
Trafalgar Law 9:27 AM
Fine. My treat. To thank YOU for the tickets (I am not thanking Shachi or Penguin). I’ll meet you guys there at 10:30. Do not be late.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 9:27 AM
yayayayay!!!!!!! roger that captain!!! 🫡🥳🎉🎈🎊🎉🎉🥳
*************
9:45 AM
Good morning! 🥰
Trafalgar Law 9:46 AM
Hey. Good morning.
9:49 AM
Ok I have to confess something and hope you don’t think I’m completely awkward: I keep on wanting to text you just to say hi or whatever, but then it’s like my mind goes blank and I don’t know what else to say! Even though I have no problem coming up with a thousand things to say to you when we’re face-to-face! Is that weird?
Trafalgar Law 9:49 AM
No. I’ve been thinking the same thing.
9:49 AM
Really?
Trafalgar Law 9:49 AM.
No. I’m lying to you so I can sound awkward too.
9:50 AM
Law!!! That sounds so mean oh my god!!! 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:51 AM
Sarcasm aside, I’ve been doing the same thing. Or not-doing the same thing, I should say. I thought of texting you, but I had nothing to say, so I didn’t.
9:51 AM
Omg this makes me feel so much better! Let’s make a deal to just go ahead and text each other even when we have nothing to say!
Trafalgar Law 9:51 AM
And write what in these texts? If there’s nothing to say?
9:51 AM
We can say whatever now that we know we’re both awkward! 😂
Trafalgar Law 9:51 AM
I know. I’ll send you the most clichéd douchebag lines I can think of.
Trafalgar Law 9:51 AM
u up?
Trafalgar Law 9:51 AM
wat u wearing?
9:52 AM
OMFG. I am laughing so hard right now that I’m ACTUALLY CRYING. There are actual tears running down my face!!!
Trafalgar Law 9:52 AM
Great, because I feel like I need a shower now.
9:52 AM
Is that another clichéd line? 😂
Trafalgar Law 9:52 AM
No, just the truth. Why? Do you want it to be?
Trafalgar Law 9:53 AM
Sorry. Maybe pushing it too far there.
9:53 AM
Nononono! You’re not pushing it too far, not at all!
9:54 AM
We should decide when we’re going to go out again! If you already know your schedule at the hospital?
Trafalgar Law 9:54 AM
Sounds good. When were you thinking?
9:54 AM
I’m going to be super honest and say as soon as possible lol!
Trafalgar Law 9:54 AM
I have no problem with that. This Saturday? June 21?
9:54 AM
Yes! And I’ll plan the date this time!
Trafalgar Law 9:54 AM
Good. That means my idiot friends won’t be there.
9:54 AM
Should I remind you that it was part of your own date plan that your friends were there?
Trafalgar Law 9:55 AM
So you’re on their side. I see how it is.
9:55 AM
Law! 🤣 No one’s taking sides!
Trafalgar Law 9:55 AM
Don’t make excuses. You’ve been won over by Bepo’s baby-bear eyes. You should be embarrassed. I thought you were more strong-willed than that.
9:55 AM
You have it totally wrong, I swear! It’s his puffin knowledge that won me over, not his baby-bear eyes!
Trafalgar Law 9:55 AM
Wow. Now I really know where I stand.
9:55 AM
Crying laughing again!! Omg wait before I forget
9:55 AM
[IMG_8776.jpg]
Trafalgar Law 9:56 AM
When did you take this photo?
9:56 AM
When you and the guys weren’t looking! I’m really proud of it actually, I had to take a bunch of really fast creeper shots in a row to capture it 😂 But it was worth it! You all look so happy together! Childhood friends forever 🥹🥰
Trafalgar Law 9:56 AM
It’s pretty cute, I’ll admit.
9:57 AM
It’s so cute!! I had to wait and watch you guys for a long time until YOU actually did a proper laugh!
Trafalgar Law 9:57 AM
Sounds stalkerish.
9:57 AM
I know okay, I already told you it was a creeper photo! 🤣 But I don’t regret it and I would do it again!
Trafalgar Law 9:58 AM
Thanks for sending this, Lei-ya. I mean it.
9:58 AM
You’re so welcome! ❤️And if you ever need someone to take creepy candid photos of you in the future, you know who to call!
Trafalgar Law 9:58 AM
I do. I’ll even change your contact name to Lei the Creep in my phone.
9:58 AM
Nooo! 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:58 AM
I have to get going, unfortunately. I’ll text you later.
9:59 AM
Please do! Even if it’s just some clichéd douchebag line!
Trafalgar Law 9:59 AM
I will.
*************
Trafalgar Law 10:10 AM
[IMG_8776.jpg]
Bepo 🐻❄️ 10:11 AM
😭😭😭🥹🥹❤️😭❤️❤️❤️😭🥹❤️😭❤️🥹
Trafalgar Law 10:11 AM
Ok, calm down.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 10:11 AM
captain!!!!!! this is an incredible photo! did Lei take that????? 😭😭❤️❤️🥹🥹
Trafalgar Law 10:11 AM
Yeah. I thought you’d like that.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 10:11 AM
i lovelovelove it!!!! i’m going to print it and put it up in my office and on my fridge at home!!!! did you show shachi + penguin yet????
Trafalgar Law 10:12 AM
No. You can send it to them. I’m about to get in the car.
Bepo 🐻❄️ 10:12 AM
kk see you soon~ 🥰
Trafalgar Law 10:13 AM
Can you print a copy for me?
Bepo 🐻❄️ 10:13 AM
ofc i will!!! 🥹🥰❤️
*************
Trafalgar Law 9:34 PM
wyd?
9:34 PM
nm u?
Trafalgar Law 9:34 PM
I give up. This is as far as I can take this bullshit.
9:34 PM
Coward! 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:34 PM
Just wanted to text you before I get some work done.
9:34 PM
Work at this hour on a Sunday night???
Trafalgar Law 9:34 PM
I know, believe me. Rosinante gives me enough shit about it. But it can’t be helped. Anyway, I just wanted to check in before it got too late.
9:35 PM
That’s so sweet! ❤️ But don’t worry about texting too late, I’d probably still be up even if you texted at like 1am haha!
Trafalgar Law 9:35 PM
You’re a night owl too, then?
9:35 PM
Yes! You too? Actually, I can see it! You strike me as one of those people who goes to bed late and wakes up insanely early and is still able to function somehow!
Trafalgar Law 9:35 PM
It’s uncanny how correct you are with these predictions.
9:35 PM
Really? Maybe I’ve missed my calling as a psychic! I wonder how well they get paid?
Trafalgar Law 9:35 PM
I will reallocate funds within the lab to double your salary as long as you don’t ever talk about becoming a psychic again.
9:35 PM
Lmao!!!
Trafalgar Law 9:36 PM
What about you, then? Do you suffer if you don’t get your 8 hours?
9:36 PM
I’m more of a 7 hours kind of girl, but yeah, I can be a bit of a monster if I’m suffering a sleep deficit! Doesn’t stop me from staying up late into the night reading though 😂
Trafalgar Law 9:36 PM
Reading your smutty romance novels?
9:36 PM
Yes, okay, my smutty sexy spicy romance novels 🤣 which reminds me I forgot to send you a list of recs! Actually I can send you a bunch of ebooks if you want! I can convert them to whatever format works best for you!
Trafalgar Law 9:36PM
Any format is fine. I’ll read them off my tablet if I get around to them.
9:36 PM
“If you get around to them”? I see your qualifier there doctor!
Trafalgar Law 9:36 PM
Sorry. But I’m just being honest. It might not happen for months, if ever.
9:36 PM
I could always read them out loud to you! That could be our date next weekend 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:37 PM
You say that as a joke, but there’s a certain appeal to the idea.
9:38 PM
Ok can I say something else without you thinking I’m a complete freak
Trafalgar Law 9:38 PM
It’s unfair to ask someone that before you tell them what the freaky thing is. What if you told me you were a fan of eating human flesh and I had already promised not to see you as a freak?
9:38 PM
Law don’t make me laugh!!! I’m serious!
Trafalgar Law 9:38 PM
Fine. Go ahead.
9:39 PM
Sometimes you text things or you say things that are so sexy and it’s like my brain bluescreens for a second. Like, I can’t even think in words, and then I don’t text you for a minute, but I don’t want you to think I’m weirded out by your texts when I don’t reply right away. It’s not you, it’s just me being this emoji: 😍
Trafalgar Law 9:40 PM
Good to know.
9:40 PM
I’m so embarrassed now 😭
Trafalgar Law 9:40 PM
I’m not trying to be an asshole. It really is good to know. I’m glad you told me.
Trafalgar Law 9:41 PM
I haven’t been in a relationship for more than a decade, Lei-ya. Don’t forget that.
9:41 PM
So you don’t think I’m a freak?
Trafalgar Law 9:41 PM
If bluescreening over a text makes you a freak, then so am I.
9:41 PM
One sec, just bluescreening 😍🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:41 PM
Besides, what’s wrong with being a freak? I thought you said being normal was overrated.
9:41 PM
True! You’re right, I should listen to myself more often 😌😂
Trafalgar Law 9:41 PM
You should. Maybe listen to yourself while reading your smutty romance novels out loud to me.
9:42 PM
You’re teasing me now 😭❤️
Trafalgar Law 9:42 PM
Affectionately.
9:42 PM
😍
Trafalgar Law 9:42 PM
Sorry, I really do need to get some work done. Keep texting if you want. I’ll reply later.
9:42 PM
Ok! 😘
*************
One week later…
Law was floating.
He smiled to himself as he drove home. His second date with Lei had been just as good as the first — actually, no, it was way better than the first, because Bepo and Shachi and Penguin weren’t there to embarrass him and steal Lei’s attention with their antics. It was just him and her this time, just the two of them spending the whole day together…
Damn, they really had spent the entire day together. As per Lei’s plans, they’d met up for brunch, then went to the city’s biggest botanical garden: a garden that Law had to admit he’d never been to, despite living and working in Egghead for some ten-odd years. They’d spent the entire day walking around the garden, and when the garden closed, they went for dinner. After dinner, they’d spent more time walking around the local shops until they came across a sickeningly kawaii aquarium-themed coffee shop, which Lei insisted that they go to since it was a reminder of their first date. And of course Law couldn’t refuse her, because she looked so happy. She was smiling at him with that smile and holding his hand so comfortably, as though they’d been a hand-holding couple for months… Honestly, she could have asked him to go to a fucking garbage dump with her, and he would have said yes with minimal complaints.
They’d spent hours at the aquarium-themed café, drinking coffee and nibbling some kind of dessert that Law didn’t even remember now and just… talking. He asked about her childhood since she’d heard way too much from the guys about his, and they managed to avoid talking about his childhood before Corazon, which was a relief; he was still a little disconcerted about how that conversation had gone at the aquarium last week. But there was none of that awkwardness this time. They discussed all kinds of things, like his research and Corazon’s painting and their PS5 rugby tournaments with Kid and Killer. She told him about her friends Nami, Vivi and Robin, and how they had dinner together almost every Friday night: weekly dinners that he was going to have to put up with, she said playfully, or she’d kick him to the curb. She told him about her lifelong ambition to raise plants and her abysmal failure at keeping anything less hardy than a cactus alive, and he teased her about being a psycho plant killer, and she teased him back about his total disregard for the Hippocratic Oath when he was threatening to murder his own friends and hide the bodies. And it was just… fun.
It was fun talking to her. And this fact still stunned him to no end. Law didn’t like talking this much; frankly, he didn’t like spending this much time around anyone with the exception of Corazon, and maybe Bepo and the guys when he was in a good mood. But Lei: he just couldn’t get enough of her. She was fascinating and brilliant and funny, and she asked interesting questions that made him want to talk. And by the time the café was closing, Law was aching at the thought of separating from her at the end of the night.
He drove her home. And when they got to her apartment building, he barely had time to turn off the ignition before she was kissing him — and the second her lips found his, he was toast. Kissing her, tasting her tongue, feeling the warm curve of her neck against his palm, hearing her soft little kitten-whimpering sounds as she nipped his lips and licked at his tongue…
He never did things like this. He had never done anything like this — kissing someone so hungrily, so recklessly, not even caring that anyone could see them in the car, not caring that her fingers were toying with the buttons of his shirt, wanting her to open his shirt and wanting to take her top off too — wanting, wanting, wanting so much: this was not his MO. Even when he used to use dating apps for the occasional hookup, none of the people he’d met had ever inspired this kind of wild, electric desire, as though he would crawl out of his own skin if he couldn’t strip her bare.
He didn’t know how long they’d stayed outside of her building making out in his car. All he knew was that when she eventually slid out of his car — after whispering “I should go” about a dozen times — he was as hard as a fucking rock, and he had to fight an insane urge to beg her to let him follow her inside.
Now that he was driving home with a slightly-cooler head, though, he was grateful that she hadn’t invited him inside. As much as he wanted her — fuck, he wanted her so badly that the word ‘want’ felt weak — it was for the best that they didn’t rush into things, just in case… what? Just in case of what? What was it that he was afraid of here?
Wait, afraid of? He wasn’t afraid of anything. It was just best to be cautious and to take things a little slowly, just in case it was too good to be true.
As soon as the thought came to him, he scowled. Not this shit again, he thought. It was that stupid voice in his head — that tiny, insidious, poisonous voice at the back of his mind that kept whispering to him that this situation with Lei was too good to be true, and that he needed to be careful.
He hated this fucking voice. He wished he could just excise it from his brain with the same facility that he could do a heart transplant. He’d been getting better at ignoring the voice in the past couple of weeks, or maybe it was just that the goodness of being with Lei was drowning it out. And when he was with her, there were long stretches of time where he forgot about the poisonous voice completely: when he was just himself with her, when it felt like the whole world had receded to leave him and her alone together in the most delicious way, and he was even able to shrug off his usual reserve and be a little bold with her. Bold enough to take her hand, to kiss her, to make smooth-and-clever comments for the pure sensual joy of watching her blush and laugh in that lilting way that made him want to do way more than simply kiss.
But that fucking voice was never completely gone, not completely. And now, as he made his way home from her place, it was worming its way into the glow of happiness from their date, telling him that it was a good thing she hadn’t invited him inside, just in case.
Just in case of what? he thought waspishly. There wasn’t a single red flag about her. She was nothing but green flags in his mind. If anything, Law was the one being a red flag.
He frowned as he turned into the driveway. Then he purposely made an effort to shake off the funk of his own thoughts. He’d had an incredible day with Lei, and that was what he ought to be focusing on.
He turned off the car, then took out his phone and flicked into his texts with her. The most recent one was a photo she’d sent him: a selfie of the two of them that she’d begged him to take at the botanical garden. She was hugging him in the photo, her chest pressed to his and her arms tight around his waist, and he smiled as he remembered the moment: the heart-skip of surprise when her arms circled his waist, the scent of her shampoo as her hair brushed his chin — a mind-blanking scent that was definitely to blame for him complying with the selfie. Law was not a selfie person — Bepo and Corazon would testify to that, with plenty of complaining — but Lei just had this magic about her that made him want to say ‘yes’ to everything, even when that sneaky poisonous voice was trying to caution him to say ‘no’.
He admired the photo for a second longer, his eyes lingering on her dazzling smile. Then, feeling cheered up, he unfolded himself from the car and went inside.
“I’m home,” he called.
“Careful when you come in here,” Corazon called from the kitchen. “I broke something.”
Law didn’t even bat an eye; Corazon broke something in the kitchen a couple of times a month. He slipped off his shoes and stepped into his house slippers before going to the kitchen, where Corazon was using a dustpan to sweep up the remains of a broken bowl.
Cora smiled sheepishly up at him. “My bad.”
“At least there was nothing in the bowl,” Law said. He stepped over Corazon so he could wash his hands at the sink, then crouched and took the dustpan from him. “Let me do that.”
Cora sat back on the kitchen floor. “How was the date? Let me guess: it was great.”
“Yeah, it was,” Law said. He didn’t bother to mention the insidious bad-idea voice to Cora; he didn’t want to rehash the conversation they’d had a few weeks ago. There was no point bringing it up, anyway, since Law still didn’t know where the bad-idea feeling came from. And besides, who cared about that? All that mattered was that Lei was amazing.
He carefully swept up the last of the pottery shards, then poured the broken shards into a plastic bag and dropped it in the garbage. He got out a fresh bowl from the cupboard, then looked down at Corazon. “What were you even going to do with the bowl?”
“Eat some of those chips,” Corazon said, and he pointed at a bag of prawn crackers on the counter before starting to push himself upright. “I’m trying that portion-control shit since it’s late—” His feet slipped out from under him, and he spilled onto his back with a yelp.
Law tsked. “Be careful, you idiot.” He stepped over to Cora and helped him to his feet. “Are you good? You didn’t get any cuts from the broken bowl, did you?”
“Nah, I’m good, no need to fuss. You want some of these?” He opened the bag of prawn crackers.
“No, I’m good—” His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, and his heart lifted: it was a message from Lei.
Lei-ya 10:36 PM
Is it cringe if I say that I miss you already?
He smiled. It was a relief when she sent him messages like this, because he felt the same damn way.
10:36 PM
Extremely cringe.
Lei-ya 10:36 PM
You better be teasing me affectionately! 😤
He huffed a laugh and rubbed his mouth. Then, slowly, very boldly, he typed out a reply.
10:36 PM
I miss you too.
Lei-ya 10:36 PM
😍
“Damn, Law,” Corazon said.
He looked up from his phone. Corazon was munching on prawn crackers and grinning at him.
“What?” he said defensively.
“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Corazon said through a full mouth. “You’re sprinkled in fairy dust.”
Law scoffed and tucked his phone in his pocket. “And you sound like an octogenarian. What’s next? Are you going to send me a link on ‘the Facebook’ to a pixelated photo of your grandchildren?”
Corazon brayed with laughter. “Shut the fuck up and respect your elders, you shitty brat.”
Law smiled and selected a prawn cracker from Cora’s bowl, and Cora chuckled as he did the same. “Seriously though. You’ve never been like this with anyone before. When do I get to meet her properly?”
“You’ve already met her.”
“Yeah, but that was for like ten minutes. When are you bringing her home?”
Law gave him an exasperated look. “We’ve been out twice. And what do you mean, ‘bring her home’? What are you going to do, ask what dowry she can offer?”
Cora grinned. “So you’re thinking marriage already, huh?”
Law rolled his eyes. “I’m going upstairs to write. Don’t disturb me.” He stole one more prawn cracker from Corazon’s bowl, then headed for the stairs.
“Woah-woah,” Corazon said. “You’re even telling me about your writing? You really are in a good mood!”
“I’m not ‘telling you about my writing’,” Law called down. “All I said is that I’m going to write. So don’t bother me.”
“Can I bring you a cup of tea?” Cora yelled.
Law hesitated at the door of his office. “Yeah. Thanks.” He closed the door, then padded cautiously through the dark room over to his desk and turned on the desk lamp.
Corazon wasn’t wrong; he was in a great mood. He was full of energy, like the way it felt after a really good kendo session, and there was no better way to channel this energy than to get a nice solid chunk of writing done.
He turned on his laptop, and as he waited for his programs to open, he took out his phone and looked at the photo of himself and Lei again. She really was beautiful. Her shoulders were bare in this photo and she was wearing a short skirt, and he remembered how good her legs looked today, with the afternoon sunlight glimmering on her skin…
Shit, he was horny. Was this going to be a problem for his writing, he wondered? He’d never written anything before while he was horny. It could be a good experiment, to see if he could focus even with a hard-on. And actually, maybe it would help him get in the mood for the part of the chapter he was about to write, which involved a critical build-up of sexual tension between Sora and Poison Pink.
He opened his partially-finished chapter and started rereading what he’d written. When Corazon came in with his tea, he was so locked in that he barely noticed when Cora set the mug on the desk.
“Thanks,” he said absently.
Cora ruffled his hair and left, and Law kept typing without pause. He couldn’t explain how or why, but the words were just pouring out of him tonight, and the more he wrote, the more energized and focused and… powerful he felt, for some weird reason. As though he was gaining strength from seeing his own story materialize on the screen in front of him. By the time the chapter draft was finished, including the crucial sexual-tension scene, his barely-touched cup of tea was cold, his lower back was hurting from his hunched-up posture, and he felt so fucking good that it was like a high.
He gazed at the finished draft with a glow of satisfaction. He rose from his chair and stretched, then gulped down the cold tea and went to take a piss before coming back to his laptop and opening Discord to check his messages with MxRead: a habit he’d gotten into recently, after he finished a significant step of his writing process.
Sure enough, she had messaged him earlier tonight.
Sunday, June 22, 2025
MxRead 12:17 AM
I’m rereading PSBC for the thousandth time, don’t mind me, and I just had to point out a part from the last chapter:
The shell of her ear. That was what he found himself staring at while she slept: the shell of her ear. How plain and simple it was, no earrings, no embellishments or tattoos — just the plain, clean skin of the labyrinth of her ear. It seemed poignant, somehow, that she could be so dangerous, when this part of her was so vulnerable and bare.
MxRead 12:18 AM
Ohhhhh myyyyy godddd this makes me FERAL. The amount of attention he’s paying to her ear? HER EAR??? MY GOD. If someone I liked looked at me like that??? I just 😭🙏💦
MxRead 12:18AM
Sir please I am BEGGING you on my knees to let them fuck!!! (No pressure though, whatever works for your story!!!) 🤣
He scoffed. She was so unhinged and weird, and it never failed to entertain him. But it was funny, too, that she picked out the bit about Sora admiring Poison Pink’s ear; that particular section was inspired by real life. He’d been thinking about Lei while he wrote it — about a moment during the faculty party when she’d briefly been talking to someone else, and he’d found himself just studying her profile, and for no particular reason, her ear. She had piercings, unlike Poison Pink, but still: the section MxRead was raving about was inspired by his own momentary fixation on Lei’s perfectly-shaped ear.
He typed out a reply.
HeartCaptain251615 2:07 AM
Glad you enjoyed that part. I was especially inspired at the time.
MxRead 2:07 AM
I’m so glad you were! We readers DEFINITELY benefitted from you being inspired!
MxRead 2:07 AM
Also hiiii! It’s been a while since we messaged!
HeartCaptain251615 2:07 AM
It has. Sorry about that.
MxRead 2:07 AM
Nono don’t be sorry! I’ve been super busy too, it’s been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks! How are you? Have you been able to get a lot of writing done?
HeartCaptain251615 2:07 AM
I have, actually. It’s really been flowing lately. I just finished a writing session of almost 3 hours straight.
MxRead 2:08 AM
3 hours?? Omg that’s amazing!! But also I hope you didn’t forget to hydrate and stretch ☝️
HeartCaptain251615 2:08 AM
I might have forgotten. But I stretched and drank something a couple minutes ago.
MxRead 2:08 AM
You’d better have mister! The best writing comes from a well-cared-for writer!
HeartCaptain251615 2:08 AM
You make it sound like I’m a pet. Or a plant that needs watering.
MxRead 2:08 AM
Hopefully not a plant! I’ve got the brownest thumb you’ve ever seen I stg 😂
He smirked. It seemed that Lei wasn’t the only one with an ineptitude with plants.
HeartCaptain251615 2:09 AM
I’ll be grateful I don’t have roots and leaves, then. Anyway, you can expect another chapter of PSBC sometime this week.
MxRead 2:09 AM
OMGOMGOMGAREYOUSERIOUS
No but seriously omg!!! You really are on a roll, this is incredible! I’m so happy for you 😭
HeartCaptain251615 2:09 AM
So happy that you’re using the crying emoji?
MxRead 2:09 AM
Happy tears obviously! I’m just so thrilled that you’re finding so much time and inspiration! That’s the best feeling in the world, isn’t it? When everything lines up to allow you to just let the words flow?
Now that was an interesting thing for her to say. She was right; that was exactly how it felt to get into a good writing groove. But the way she’d stated it made him wonder.
HeartCaptain251615 2:10 AM
That is what it feels like, yeah. Have you felt that way before while writing something?
MxRead 2:10 AM
Why do you ask?
HeartCaptain251615 2:10 AM
You said it as though you’ve experienced the feeling. Are you a writer? You’ve never mentioned it.
He sent the message. Then, on a whim, he went to AO3 to check her profile. She had a lot of bookmarks — more than two hundred bookmarks? How could she even keep them straight? Never mind — but no posted fics of her own.
He went back to Discord, and he was surprised to see that she hadn’t replied yet. She was usually very quick to respond.
He flicked over to his chapter draft and started to reread what he’d written tonight — just a quick reread, since a proper edit would require fresh eyes. When he finished rereading and tweaking the section, he went back to Discord.
MxRead 2:14 AM
I used to write a little! But I don’t have anything posted and it’s been years since I wrote anything
HeartCaptain251615 2:20 AM
Why has it been years?
MxRead 2:20 AM
Lack of inspiration, I guess! You know how it’s like, you have to wait for that One Thing to just hook itself into your brain until it’s all you can think about? And it’s like this itch to get the words out? That hasn’t happened for me for a while, sadly. So I live vicariously through my writer friends like you!
He frowned as he read her response. She really was right about that urge to write, that feeling of a hook in the brain. It was unfortunate that that hook seemed to have left her.
HeartCaptain251615 2:21 AM
Sorry to hear it. I hope something hooks you again soon. I mean that.
MxRead 2:21 AM
Thank you. Seriously that means a lot coming from you 😭🙏
So are Sora and Reiju going to fuck soon?
He actually snorted a laugh.
HeartCaptain251615 2:21 AM
You’re sick, you know that? Total pervert. One-track mind.
MxRead 2:22 AM
I know!!! I’m depraved!!! Obsessed!!! I’m a succubus!!! I’m like that hot devil lady from Devilman Crybaby who explodes into a harpy when she doesn’t get the D 🤣🤣🤣
That’s like the most random reference ever, I’m so sorry if it means nothing to you 😂
He smiled as he replied.
HeartCaptain251615 2:22 AM
Lucky for you, the reference landed. That’s one of my favourite animes.
MxRead 2:22 AM
NO WAY are you serious??? Omg you’re increasing in my ranking to become my new bestie, I don’t know literally anyone else who has seen it!!
HeartCaptain 2:22 AM
Me neither. I started off watching it with a friend, but he tapped out when Akira had the wet dream and came all over the ceiling.
MxRead 2:23 AM
Laughing so hard!!! Ok you’re going to think I’m SO sick now but that was the moment when I fully committed. I was like, ok anime, you’re giving me explosive jizz all over the ceiling? I NEED to know how this ends
He chuckled again. He still remembered Corazon leaving the room with a proclamation that he “wasn’t here for that cum-on-the-ceiling lifestyle”.
HeartCaptain251615 2:23 AM
I feel like I’m learning a lot of things about you tonight that I would rather not know.
MxRead 2:23 AM
And yet you’re still talking to me! I think it’s a sign that you’re a pervert too. Solidarity in perversion 🤝
HeartCaptain251615 2:23 AM
You can believe whatever you want to believe. But rest assured that Sora and Reiju will eventually have sex.
MxRead 2:23 AM
Explicitly? Like rated-E explicitly? Or are you still on the fence about it? Asking for a friend
He smirked, but he took his time to reply seriously.
HeartCaptain251615 2:25 AM
I’m still on the fence. This is my first time writing anything like this, as you know. I want to make sure I do the sex scene right, but it’s hard to know what “right” will mean for this, since I’ve never written one before.
MxRead 2:25 AM
That makes total sense. It’s a big deal, to write your first sex scene! Let me know if you want links to some writing tutorials specifically for smut writing!
HeartCaptain251615 2:25 AM
Tutorials written by you?
MxRead 2:25 AM
Haha no no, by other people! But I’ve found them useful, and I know a bunch of other writers who have too!
HeartCaptain251615 2:25 AM
Interesting. Thanks for the offer. I’ll let you know if I get stuck while writing the sex scene.
MxRead 2:26 AM
Please do! Anything I can do to help!
To that end, I would be more than happy to beta your sex scene, if a second opinion would be at all helpful?
HeartCaptain251615 2:26 AM
Beta?
MxRead 2:26 AM
Yeah, like an informal editor/proofreader! BUT NO PRESSURE. I’m not at all trying to imply that you need a beta! Some people just find it helpful to have another eye on their work before they post, especially if it’s a scene they found tricky to work through!
He considered her offer for a long moment. His first impulse was to say ‘no’; he did not like the idea of anyone seeing his work before it was perfect, and he balked at the idea of someone giving him critical feedback on something if he thought it was good the way it was. It was the same thing when he was the primary writer on an academic article or book chapter; he had no problem with proofreaders, but he hated when people tried to make suggestions or edits to the content of his work, because he knew his own material better than anyone else. The idea of having MxRead looking over his fic when it was still in a rough state — especially something as important and sensitive as a sex scene? He… didn’t love the idea. But he also didn’t entirely hate it. Especially since he really didn’t know what he was doing.
As he was pondering what to say, another message appeared.
MxRead 2:29 AM
No need to answer now! The offer will always be there if you want it! Even if it’s like, getting a second opinion on a single paragraph or something. Or a second opinion on whether the word “scrotum” should ever be used in smut
He smirked and rubbed his mouth, then typed out a reply.
HeartCaptain251615 2:29 AM
Now I have to know. What is your opinion on the word “scrotum” in smut?
MxRead 2:29 AM
I would have said HARD NO until like a year ago. But then I read a smutty oneshot where they snuck a ”scrotum” in there, but the fic was soooo good that I actually didn’t even bat an eye. But that is an exception to the rule and I would say that 99.99% of the time, “scrotum” should not appear in a smut fic unless your goal is to turn people OFF
HeartCaptain251615 2:30 AM
A strong opinion, then. Duly noted.
MxRead 2:30 AM
Thank you! Please do not ever subject me to the idea of Sora’s scrote ❌
He snorted. ‘Scrote’! For fuck’s sake, that did sound terrible. He grinned as he devised his reply.
HeartCaptain251615 2:31 AM
You mean it doesn’t get you going if I was to write about Reiju on her knees, admiring the proud rise of Sora’s cock and the tightness of his scrote?
MxRead 2:31 AM
Omg you are a FUCKING MONSTER. You had me going until S C R O T E
I’m going to cry AND NOT HAPPY TEARS
He couldn’t reply for a minute because he was laughing so hard. When he was able to focus again, she’d written another message.
MxRead 2:32 AM
Ok being serious now (I’M SO MAD AT YOU BUT I’M BEING A GOOD FRIEND), the rest of that sentence was good! It was totally on the right track!
HeartCaptain251615 2:32 AM
It was one sentence. You can’t judge the quality of one sentence.
MxRead 2:32 AM
Sure I can! But since you’re in a creative (DICKHEAD) mood, why don’t you ride the high and try writing a few more smutty sentences?
He narrowed his eyes. Her suggestion wasn’t a bad one, and he was still feeling energetic enough to write some more, despite the three-hour writing sprint and the late hour. But… was he sure this was a good idea? Writing sexual things to a woman on the internet that he didn’t know? She’d told him that this was normal for fandom friends, and they had discussed other sexual topics before. But this felt a little bit like it was… pushing boundaries. Or blurring lines. Or something.
He studied the screen for a long moment before replying.
HeartCaptain251615 2:34 AM
Just to be clear. You’re asking me to write porn for you on the spot.
MxRead 2:34 AM
NOOOOOOO nono omg NO I PROMISE I’M NOT TRYING TO PUMP YOU FOR PORN
He smirked. He was debating the wisdom of making a sly remark about pumping and porn when she messaged again.
MxRead 2:34 AM
That made it sound even worse OMG HELP. I promise I have no sick motives this time, I really just want to help but now I’m worried I’ve gone too far, I’m really sorry!!! 😭
Ok I actually have an embarrassing confession that’ll make you feel better
MxRead 2:35 AM
The reason I’m still up so late (this is even later than usual for me) is that I started seeing this guy recently and I am just. I am a FOOL for this man. I am so crazy about him that I can’t sleep. I’m trying to distract myself so I don’t text him stupid shit at 2am because we all know what THAT sounds like 🤣😭
TLDR I’m trying to distract myself by bugging you about your writing since you’re the only person I know who’s awake at the witching hour but now I’ve taken it too far because of the horn and I’m sorry 😭
He relaxed. It was reassuring to know she was seeing someone in real life. He wouldn’t need to worry that she wanted to take their online friendship beyond a platonic boundary.
Speaking of seeing someone in real life… He checked his phone, and he felt a little pang of disappointment that Lei hadn’t texted him again since 10:30ish. And now it was definitely too late to text her. Oh well, he would text her first thing in the morning.
HeartCaptain251615 2:36 AM
Huh. That is embarrassing.
MxRead 2:36 AM
Shut UP 😭 First you throw scrote at me, and now you’re making fun of me about my out-of-control crush???
HeartCaptain251615 2:37 AM
All right, I’ll take pity and stop teasing. And I’ll enable your distraction-seeking.
MxRead 2:37 AM
You will? Wait, what does that mean?
HeartCaptain251615 2:37 AM
Give me a few minutes.
He picked up his phone again and tapped open the selfie of himself and Lei. For a moment, he just studied the photo, remembering what it was like to have her arms around him, to have her fingers twined with his — better yet, to feel her lips coaxing his apart, her tongue dipping in, her hands curling in his hair as she made those little kittenish sounds into his mouth…
He shifted restlessly in his chair, and he breathed slowly as he thought about her: how beautiful she was, how cute and eager, how sensual. Then he started to write.
He pushed her down on the bunk and dropped to his knees in front of her. Then he pushed open her bare legs and kissed her inner thigh.
Reiju gasped, then let out a breathy laugh. “My my, Sora. I didn’t take you for a man who uses his mouth.”
He didn’t answer. He was too busy feeling her skin on his lips and breathing her in. Every breath he took was scented by the moisture that was dampening her underwear, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had been haunting him for days, ever since he brought her onto his ship — the thought of her scent, her taste: haunting thoughts that filled his brain like a poison he couldn’t escape.
He paused and gulped in a breath. His cock was rock-hard, and the images flashing through his brain were all too clear: her bare legs, her skirt pushed up and the dampness between her thighs… Lei’s thighs, the haunting thought of what she would taste like when — if — he finally had the pleasure of stripping her and sating himself on that taste.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was so horny now that it hurt. But he wasn’t going to do anything about it here. The office was still a shared space, after all, since Cora used it on occasion for paperwork.
He ran his hands through his hair and gripped his hair at the roots to distract himself from the pounding of his cock. When he was feeling slightly more calm, he read over the bullshit that he’d written, and before he could second-guess himself, he sent it to MxRead.
It was a long few minutes before she replied: minutes during which Law distracted himself by taking his empty mug downstairs, then going to the bathroom to splash his face and neck with cold water. When he came back to the office, she had replied.
MxRead 2:52 AM
Are
You
Fucking
Kidding
Me
I’m going to die. I’m actually going to die on the spot. I’m BARKING. I had to get up from my couch and walk around my apartment for a minute oh my FUCKING GOD
He huffed a laugh and rubbed his mouth. Feeling especially buzzy and energized now, he wandered idly around the office for a moment before sitting down again.
HeartCaptain251615 2:53 AM
I take it that passes the test, then.
MxRead 2:54 AM
There is so much I could say right now that I’m being SO SO CAREFUL NOT TO SAY OR ELSE YOU REALLY WILL THINK I’M THAT HARPY FROM DEVILMAN CRYBABY WHO’S LITERALLY SCREAMING FOR THE D
I will just say this: I do NOT think you’ll need my feedback or a beta’s help when you get to the smut scene. Holy motherfucking god
I mean I’d be happy to help however you need, but I think you’re good to go 😂
I’m so sorry I’m going to leave abruptly now. Have an amazing night! Sleep well! You’re incredible!!!
Well, that was conclusive. It seemed that his attempt at smut-writing was satisfactory. He smiled helplessly at the screen, then typed one last cheeky message.
HeartCaptain251615 2:55 AM
Thanks for the help. Enjoy your abrupt reason for leaving.
He chuckled as he turned his laptop off. He headed for the bathroom while pulling off his shirt, then decided halfway there that he’d shower in the morning instead of now, given how late it was.
He brushed his teeth, then went to his bedroom and changed into comfy shorts before flopping onto his bed with a sigh. Mm, now that he was on his bed, he was realizing that he was more tired than he thought.
For a peaceful second, he just enjoyed the feeling of sinking into the duvet. Then he picked up his phone and tapped into his messages with Lei.
He gazed wistfully at her last message from 10:36: a simple heart-eyed emoji. He wanted to text her so badly, he couldn’t stop thinking about her… but he couldn’t, not right now. It was an insane hour of the night, and he couldn’t be that guy who messaged her out of the blue at three in the morning.
He was about to set his phone down when a notification appeared on his screen. As soon as he was who it was from, he sat up straight.
Lei-ya Sun, Jun 22, 2025 3:07 AM
I’m sure you’re asleep but I just wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you 🥰
He quickly tapped out a reply.
3:07 AM
Not asleep yet. I was just thinking of you.
Lei-ya 3:07 AM
Really?? You better not have been working until now!
3:07 AM
I wasn’t. Don’t worry.
Lei-ya 3:07 AM
Ok good! I’m literally on the verge of crashing but I just wanted to say hi and goodnight 🥰
3:07 PM
Hi and goodnight, then. I’ll text you in the morning.
Lei-ya 3:07 AM
You already have! It’s already morning technically!
3:07 AM
Go to sleep, smartass.
Lei-ya 3:07 AM
Whatever the doctor says! 😘
He smirked, then flopped back on his bed with a happy sigh and closed his eyes. That was a nice coincidence, that she was awake so late too. Probably up late reading a smutty romance novel. He sure hoped she was getting some satisfaction from those novels of hers.
Mm, the idea of Lei getting satisfaction... That was a good thought. A very good thought. Law shifted sluggishly on his bed, then slipped his hand into his shorts.
He was semi-hard, and the stroke of his own hand made him harder. But he could feel his mind already drifting from thoughts of Lei to the tempting darkness of sleep. Before he could do more than tug himself a couple of times, he slipped into a deep and peaceful sleep.
Notes:
SORRY LAW BUT I WARNED YOU GUYS NO SMUT *YET* 🤣🤣🤣
Also: Devilman Crybaby? Anyone?.....
Chapter 12: Good
Notes:
A little smutty. A LITTLE. Just a heads-up so ya'll can plan where and when you want to read. 🤣
Chapter Text
Trafalgar Law Sun, Jun 22, 2025 8:11 AM
Morning.
10:17 AM
Morning! 🥰 What are you having for breakfast?
Trafalgar Law 10:17 AM
That’s a small talk-y question.
10:18 AM
[IMG_7905.jpg]
Trafalgar Law 10:18 AM
You’re having oatmeal, I see.
10:18 AM
That’s not why I sent that pic!!
Trafalgar Law 10:18 AM
Nice jammies.
10:18 AM
Omg 😂 you did not just say jammies!!!
10:18 AM
And the jammies are also not why I sent that pic!
Trafalgar Law 10:19 AM
I regret saying “jammies” already. Blame Rosinante. It’s the kind of shit he says.
10:19 AM
That’s adorable 😂are you seriously going to ignore the most important part of that pic
Trafalgar Law 10:19 AM
I already commented on the important things. The oatmeal, the cute jammies.
10:19 AM
Please direct your attention to my hand in that photo 🖕
Trafalgar Law 10:19 AM
I decided to ignore your immature obscene gesture. You’re welcome.
10:19 AM
I hate you 🤣❤️
Trafalgar Law 10:19 AM
I had leftover congee with an egg.
10:19 AM
Ooh that’s a good breakfast! I’m jealous!
Trafalgar Law 10:20 AM
An easy one, too. Rosinante just had to cook the egg.
10:20 AM
Wait did Rosinante make your breakfast for you??
Trafalgar Law 10:20 AM
Yeah. Why?
10:20 AM
Omg that’s so cute?? Does he make your breakfast every morning?
Trafalgar Law 10:20 AM
If he’s awake before me, which isn’t always. Why?
10:20 AM
I can see you giving me a suspicious look 😂 I’m just asking!!
Trafalgar Law 10:20 AM
I can see you laughing at me. Mocking me.
10:20 AM
Affectionately! 🤣❤️ So what were you doing up at 3am?
Trafalgar Law 10:21 AM
Gaming with the guys. What about you?
10:21 AM
I was messaging with a friend! My one friend who’s also up at insane hours of the night 🤣 though now since I know you’re up crazy-late too, I can bug you at 3am too!
Trafalgar Law 10:21 AM
Feel free. I’ll reply if I’m awake. And if you’re not mocking me.
10:21 AM
You mean you’ll just ignore me if you think I’m mocking you? 🥺
Trafalgar Law 10:21 AM
Don’t you start using that emoji with me. That’s Bepo’s trick.
10:22 AM
Is it working? 🥺🥺🥺
Trafalgar Law 10:22 AM
No.
10:24 AM
[IMG_7906.jpg]
10:24 AM
What about an IRL Bepo face? 🥺
Trafalgar Law 10:25 AM
You’re reprehensible.
10:25 AM
Yay it works!!
Trafalgar Law 10:26 AM
Eat your breakfast. It must be getting cold.
10:26 AM
Is that doctor’s orders?
Trafalgar Law 10:26 AM
Shut up.
10:26 AM
🤣😘
**************
Trafalgar Law 6:08 PM
[IMG_1445.jpg]
6:11 PM
OMG. There is so much happening in this photo?? I love it but I’m so confused?? Why is it just your hand and not your face? And why are you giving the finger?? 🤣🤣🤣
Trafalgar Law 6:15 PM
Rosinante assembled the onigiri. Hence the stupid little faces. I thought you’d like them. The finger is payback for this morning.
6:15 PM
Omfg 😂 this is amazing. Tell Rosinante his onigiri are adorable!! I love this photo. I’m gonna make it my phone bg!
Trafalgar Law 6:15 PM
Don’t.
6:15 PM
Why not?? It’s so funny! And I can look at your handsome hand!
Trafalgar Law 6:16 PM
Try telling my elderly patients that you think my hand is handsome. They would disagree.
6:16 PM
They don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m the authority on all things handsome and I declare that you have handsome hands 😌
Trafalgar Law 6:16 PM
What makes you the authority? Your extensive knowledge of romance novel hunks?
6:17 PM
Lmao yes!! And your hands are more handsome than any romance novel hunk’s!
Trafalgar Law 6:17 PM
Whatever you say. I have to go eat this onigiri now.
6:17 PM
Kk enjoy!! Thank you for the photo, I love it, seriously ❤️
***********
Trafalgar Law 9:22 PM
Early OR tomorrow, so I’m going to bed. Sleep well.
9:22 PM
Ooh it’s super early for you! You sleep well too! Sweet dreams! ❤️
Trafalgar Law 9:27 PM
I like the photos you sent me, by the way. You can keep sending them.
9:27 PM
🥰 Ok I will! You too, send me photos whenever you want! Though I know you’re not a big photo taker 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:27 PM
Not like you. How many photos did you take at the botanical garden? A thousand?
9:27 PM
Not a thousand!! Maybe like. 100? Less than 200 for sure!
Trafalgar Law 9:27 PM
Insane. Waste of phone space.
9:27 PM
Wdym?? That’s what phone space is for! 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:28 PM
For 200 photos of flowers and bees?
9:28 PM
Less than 200! And it’s not all flowers and bees, there are photos of us! And of you! ❤️
Trafalgar Law 9:28 PM
Right. Photos that I didn’t consent to.
9:28 PM
Law!! 🤣 You didn’t tell me to stop taking the photos, so I took it as implied consent 😌 Besides, I’m the queen of taking creep stalker photos, remember?
9:28 PM
Also nice try, you just said you like the photos I sent you!
Trafalgar Law 9:28 PM
You really are reprehensible.
9:30 PM
[IMG_7910.jpg]
Trafalgar Law 9:31 PM
That cat ears filter is terrible.
9:31 PM
Mean!! 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:31 PM
I’m kidding. It’s cute, Lei-ya.
9:31 PM
🥰❤️
Trafalgar Law 9:31 PM
I really should try to sleep. Night.
9:31 PM
Goodnight! 😘
**************
Mon, Jun 23, 2025 12:19 PM
Happy lunchtime! I hope all your surgeries went well today!
Trafalgar Law 8:31 PM
Sorry for +delayed reply. Long day. 2 surgeries, went well, no complications.
8:40 PM
Oh no I’m sorry your day was so long!! Maybe this will make you feel better:
8:41 PM
[IMG_7911.jpg]
Trafalgar Law 8:50 PM
Is that iced Vietnamese coffee?
8:50 PM
It is! I’m vibing on the balcony this evening!
Trafalgar Law 8:50 PM
This doesn’t make me feel better. Now I just want iced Vietnamese coffee.
8:51 PM
Oh no I’m sorry! 😂 What if I bring you some tomorrow? Or are you in the OR again all day?
Trafalgar Law 8:51 PM
OR again. But thanks for the offer.
8:54 PM
Just a thought, no pressure! But if you have any free lunchtimes this week, we could meet for lunch? Even a quick one? At the noodle place maybe?
Trafalgar Law 8:54 PM
I’d like that. Thurs might work. I’ll keep you posted.
8:54 PM
Yay! No pressure if it doesn’t work out, but I hope it does!
8:54 PM
I hope I’m not being too pushy with the dates, I just am really having a good time with you ❤️
Trafalgar Law 8:55 PM
You’re not the only one, Lei-ya.
8:55 PM
😍
Trafalgar Law 8:57 PM
Do you have plans this weekend?
8:57 PM
With you, hopefully? 👀
Trafalgar Law 8:57 PM
Creepy choice of emoji.
8:57 PM
Lmao I know I regretted it as soon as I sent it 😂 But fr I’m free if you are!
Trafalgar Law 8:57 PM
Good. Saturday?
8:57 PM
Yes please! Who’s going to plan the date this time?
Trafalgar Law 8:57 PM
Are we taking turns? Is this some kind of rotation?
8:57 PM
NO we are not on rotation like surgeons!! Laughing so hard!!
Trafalgar Law 8:57 PM
I’ll plan something. I’ll keep you posted.
8:57 PM
I can’t wait! ❤️
Trafalgar Law 8:58 PM
I should go to bed. Early OR again tomorrow. Enjoy your balcony vibes.
8:58 PM
I will! I wish you were here to enjoy my coffee with me!
Trafalgar Law 8:58 PM
That would be nice. Sleep well.
8:58 PM
You too! 😘
**************
Tues, Jun 24, 2024 12:44 PM
I know you said you would plan something for Sat, but I had an idea. I was thinking after our messages last night, how nice it would be to just hang out on my balcony with you! Especially since I’m west-facing so I have a super nice sunset view, so I was wondering if you wanted to come over on Saturday?
12:44 PM
I’ll sweeten the deal by making dinner for you! And we could watch a movie too if the mood strikes!
Trafalgar Law 9:18 PM
Sorry again, another long day. Short answer is yes. I’ll reply more later
9:19 PM
Np, take your time! Eat something if you haven’t already!
Trafalgar Law 11:02 PM
Yes to coming over on Saturday. Let me know the time and what to bring.
11:02 PM
Kk I will! Are you ok? Your texts sound tired 🥺
Trafalgar Law 11:02 PM
Complicated case today. +++transfusions needed. I’m about to crash but just wanted to reply before I do.
11:02 PM
Oh Law I’m sorry 😭 I’m sending hugs and fucking you in!
11:02 PM
TUCKING*** I MEANT TUCKING. OMG PHONE 😭 I’M SO EMBARRASSED
Trafalgar Law 11:03 PM
I prefer the original text.
11:03 PM
Law!!! 🤣😍
Trafalgar Law 11:03 PM
Sorry. I’m more tired than I thought. I’m going to sleep.
11:03 PM
Kk sleep well!! I’m fucking dead 🤣❤️❤️
**************
Wed, Jun 25, 2025 8:54 AM
Morning! ❤️ First things first: I want to let you off the hook for your comment on the tucking/fucking incident 🤣 I was SO EMBARRASSED but your comment totally made me feel better so don’t feel weird about it!!
Trafalgar Law 12:37 PM
Made you feel better because it transferred the embarrassment to me?
12:38 PM
LOL no no!! Ok maybe 😂
12:40 PM
Fr though you can make comments like that to me whenever you want. I like them from you ❤️
Trafalgar Law 8:07 PM
Comments like what?
8:10 PM
Are you teasing me? I feel like you’re teasing me 😭
Trafalgar Law 8:10 PM
I am. But I’ll let you off the hook too.
8:10 PM
Jerk 😂
Trafalgar Law 8:10 PM
I’m glad you mentioned this, though. I was trying to figure out how to apologize for the tucking/fucking incident, as you called it. But I’m not really sorry.
8:12 PM
I’m bluescreening 😍 I don’t know what to say!!!
Trafalgar Law 8:14 PM
I’m looking forward to Saturday. I’ll bring some kind of dessert.
8:14 PM
Ok! ❤️ What time works for you? 5pm maybe? Lots of time to eat and enjoy the balcony before the sunset!
Trafalgar Law 8:14 PM
Sounds good.
8:15 PM
I can’t wait until Saturday ❤️
Trafalgar Law 8:15 PM
Same.
8:17 PM
Listen I hope this isn’t awkward or presumptuous or whatever but I just thought you should know I’m on birth control so no worries about that! And I have condoms so that’s covered too. Literally! 😂
Trafalgar Law 8:18 PM
Terrible wordplay.
8:18 PM
I KNOW I feel stupid now don’t make fun of me 😭
Trafalgar Law 8:18 PM
Fine. It was good wordplay.
8:18PM
Don’t pity me either!! 😤
Trafalgar Law 8:18 PM
Someone’s hard to please.
8:18 PM
🤣😭
Trafalgar Law 8:20 PM
Jokes aside, thanks for telling me. I haven’t slept with anyone in a while, but my most recent STI bloodwork was clean.
8:20 PM
Ok! Good to know also! 👍
8:22 PM
Ahhh I feel shy now 🤣😭maybe it would’ve been better to talk about this IRL, I’m sorry!
Trafalgar Law 8:22 PM
Don’t be sorry. It’s good to talk about it. But we can wait to talk about it more IRL if you want.
8:22 PM
No it’s ok! As long as you don’t mind!
Trafalgar Law 8:22 PM
I don’t mind.
8:24 PM
Can I ask, I hope it’s not too personal — when was the last time you slept with someone?
Trafalgar Law 8:25 PM
I honestly can’t remember. Something like a year.
8:25 PM
Does it feel like it’s been a long time to you? Or did the time just kind of fly by without you noticing?
Trafalgar Law 8:28 PM
Interesting question. Most people would just remark that it’s been forever, how do I survive, blue balls etc etc.
8:28 PM
Sure, but that’s kind of rude, you know? Like, some people just don’t need sex as much as others. Or maybe they’d rather wait until it’s with someone they care about. Or someone who isn’t a stranger, at least, if we’re talking apps
Trafalgar Law 8:31 PM
It’s a combo of all of that. I used to use an app, but work and other things got ++busy, and it just fell to the side. I guess you could say I didn’t really notice how much time had passed.
8:31 PM
That’s so valid though! And I’m kind of the same! I told you I was dating someone a few months ago, and it was fine, but… idk. It wasn’t really worth it, even if I was getting laid regularly (sorry that sounds so crass) so we just kind of drifted apart. And I haven’t really missed the sex tbh
Trafalgar Law 8:33 PM
Yeah. I get it.
8:37 PM
I hope this isn’t like, putting pressure or anything for this weekend!! We don’t HAVE to sleep together just to be clear, I’m not expecting anything 🤣
Trafalgar Law 8:37 PM
You mean you’re not really inviting me over for ramyeon? Disappointing.
8:37 PM
OMG WHAT. WAIT 🤣 do you watch Kdramas?? That’s such a deep cut???
Trafalgar Law 8:37 PM
Cora-san made me watch one with him after his friend Killer-ya wouldn’t stop raving about it.
8:39 PM
I’m sorry give me a sec I’m HOWLING
8:39 PM
There is so much to unpack about this I can’t
Trafalgar Law 8:39 PM
Take your time. I have all night. (I don’t.)
8:40 PM
Rosinante has a friend named Killer who watches Kdramas???
Trafalgar Law 8:40 PM
It’s a nickname, obviously, but yeah. And to answer your other unspoken question, Killer-ya is a large muscular guy with burn scars all down his left arm. Apparently he’s intimidating-looking.
8:41 PM
I’m actually going to die from laughing that’s so fucking CUTE. And you watched the Kdrama with Rosinante???
Trafalgar Law 8:41 PM
It was his turn to pick the show we watch while we eat dinner. He insisted.
8:41 PM
Did you enjoy the Kdrama??
Trafalgar Law 8:41 PM
It was ok. Too long. The last two episodes were basically pointless filler.
8:41 PM
I might actually die from how cute this is omg
Trafalgar Law 8:41 PM
I have work to do.
8:41 PM
Liar! You do not! 🤣
Trafalgar Law 8:41 PM
I actually do. But I’m also leaving because I don’t like the tone of this conversation.
8:42 PM
Law!!! 🤣 Ok fine I’ll let you go for being honest! But to be clear, you can totally consider this an invitation to come in for ramyeon on Saturday ❤️
Trafalgar Law 8:42 PM
I’ll bring soju and we’ll see where the night goes.
8:42 PM
❤️😍❤️ Don’t work too hard tonight! You deserve rest!!
Trafalgar Law 8:42 PM
I’ll try to keep that in mind.
****************
Thurs, Jun 26, 2025 9:01 AM
Morning! ❤️ No pressure about lunch today if you can’t fit it in, but I’m available even on short notice if you are!
Trafalgar Law 9:48 PM
Just getting out of surgery and seeing this now sorry
9:48 PM
Don’t be! Take your time! No pressure to reply if you’re too tired tonight I mean it ❤️
11:48 PM
[IMG_7913.jpg]
11:48 PM
A little photo to hopefully cheer you up and wish you goodnight! ❤️ (or good morning if you don’t see it until then!)
Trafalgar Law Fri, Jun 27, 2025 12:03 AM
You’re in bed early. Cute pyjamas.
12:03 AM
You’ve seen these JAMMIES already! (Yes I’m using jammies now and I’m sticking to it 🤣)
Trafalgar Law 12:03 AM
I know. They’re still cute. They show more than they hide.
12:04 AM
Give me a sec just bluescreening 😂😍
Trafalgar Law 12:04 AM
Sorry. Maybe that was going too far.
12:04
Nono I love it!! I told you, I like this stuff from you ❤️
Trafalgar Law 12:05 AM
I’ll keep it up, then. Are you going to wear those on Saturday?
12:05 AM
My jammies?? For a date?? No?? 🤣
Trafalgar Law 12:05 AM
That’s too bad.
12:06 AM
I can wear something similar that’s ACTUAL clothes 🤣❤️
Trafalgar Law 12:06 AM
I hope you know I’m just teasing. You should wear whatever you want.
12:07 AM
What if I want to wear something that you’d enjoy taking off?
12:10 AM
Are you bluescreening? I hope you are and I didn’t go too far 😂😭
Trafalgar Law 12:11 AM
Anything you wear would be something I’d enjoy taking off.
12:12 AM
😍😍😍
12:12 AM
Is it Saturday yet? Hahaha
Trafalgar Law 12:12 AM
Just one more day.
12:12 AM
Two more sleeps though 😭I can’t wait!
Trafalgar Law 12:12 AM
It’ll be worth the wait.
12:12 AM
I like your confidence!
Trafalgar Law 12:13 AM
It’s evidence-based. Every date we’ve had has been worth the wait.
12:14 AM
Why is that so nerdy and so romantic 😭❤️
Trafalgar Law 12:14 AM
Thanks?
12:14 AM
Lmao I’m sorry!!! I love it! I really love it! I just
Trafalgar Law 12:15 AM
?
12:15 AM
Sorry my phone slipped 😭 I’m just excited. I have nothing interesting to say I’m just excited!
12:15 AM
What are you up to rn?
Trafalgar Law 12:15 AM
I’m in bed too.
12:15 AM
What do your jammies look like? 👀
Trafalgar Law 12:15 AM
My favourite stalker emoji joins the chat.
12:16 AM
🤣 Tell me! It’s only fair! Or better yet, send me a pic!!
Trafalgar Law 12:16 AM
I am not sending you a shirtless selfie. I’m not that guy.
12:16 AM
Shirtless you say?? You have my attention… 👀
Trafalgar Law 12:16 AM
Nice. Really seductive.
12:16 AM
Seriously though! Is this a shorts situation? Sweatpants? Actual jammie pants, like the classic checkered kind?
Trafalgar Law 12:16 AM
Shorts since it’s summer. Sweats and a t-shirt if it’s cold.
12:16 AM
Good to know 😌
12:18 AM
I want to send you something but it’s kind of provocative. Just a little bit
Trafalgar Law 12:18 AM
Send it.
12:19 AM
[IMG_7916.jpg]
12:19 AM
Not quite a shirtless selfie since the sheet’s covering me, but…
Trafalgar Law 12:20 AM
You’re beautiful.
12:21 AM
❤️❤️❤️
Trafalgar Law 12:22 AM
I prefer this to an actual topless photo. Gives me something to look forward to.
12:23 AM
I have nothing good to say I’m just a puddle 😭❤️❤️
Trafalgar Law 12:23 AM
You don’t have to say anything. Photo worth a 1000 words, etc etc cliché.
12:23 AM
Lmao!! That was almost sweet 🤣
Trafalgar Law 12:24 AM
I hate to say this, but I should try to sleep.
12:24 AM
Omg wait do you have surgery again in the morning? Am I keeping you up??
Trafalgar Law 12:24 AM
OR in the morning, yeah. But a later start time. It’s my own fault I’m up.
Trafalgar Law 12:24 AM
It was my fault until you sent me this photo, at least.
12:25 AM
I was going to say sorry but I’m not really 😂❤️
Trafalgar Law 12:25 AM
You shouldn’t be. I’m not.
12:25 AM
😍😍😍
Trafalgar Law 12:25 AM
Goodnight, Lei-ya. Sweet dreams.
12:25 AM
You too! ❤️
**************
7:47 AM
Morning! Quick reminder that I’m having dinner with the girls tonight so I might not be responsive to texts tonight BUT I can’t wait until tomorrow!! You don’t have to bring anything, just bring yourself, that’s all I want ❤️
Trafalgar Law 3:40 PM
Same to you. Don’t go to +trouble to cook anything major. I don’t give a shit what we eat.
6:21 PM
❤️❤️❤️
Trafalgar Law 9:09 PM
[IMG_1448.jpg]
Trafalgar Law 9:09 PM
Sorry to interrupt your dinner. No need to reply. But I had to show you. Rosinante made chocolate chip faces on the fucking pancakes.
9:21 PM
OMG 😂❤️ They’re so wonky! How did he make them so wonky??
Trafalgar Law 9:22 PM
He has a gift for dumbfuckery.
9:22 PM
SCREAMING 🤣 don’t you dare drag the guy who makes your meals!!!
Trafalgar Law 9:22 PM
Don’t worry, I’m not saying anything that I haven’t said to his face. Including that the pancakes are otherwise really good.
9:25 PM
Ok full disclosure I showed the pancakes to the girls and they think Rosinante gets full points for effort and for cooking for you. Nami says you’re a spoiled brat 🤣
Trafalgar Law 9:28 PM
She and Rosinante would get along great. I have to finish eating now.
9:28 PM
Kk 🤣❤️ Enjoy!! Wait don’t pancakes count as bread???
Trafalgar Law 9:28 PM
No. Pancakes are good. Bread is bad. I have to go.
9:28 PM
Lmao kk! 😘
***************
“Oi, Law.”
He glanced at Corazon. “Hm?”
Cora paused the movie and gave him a resentful look. “You’re not even watching.”
“Yes I am,” Law said. It was a bit of a lie; he was looking at the screen, but he wasn’t really taking anything in.
“You are not,” Corazon said. “You haven’t reacted to anything for the past ten minutes.”
“Maybe this movie just isn’t that interesting,” Law retorted.
“Now I know you’re lying. John Wick 4 slaps, and you know it. You’re just being a little shit.” He turned on the couch so he was facing Law and crossed his long legs — and fell off the couch in the process.
Law sighed and stood up to help him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good, I’m good.” Corazon settled himself on the couch again and gave Law a kindly look. “Now, tell me what you’re worrying about so I can help you sort it out, and then you can pay attention properly.”
Law hesitated. There actually was something he wanted to talk about with Corazon — something he’d been thinking about since he and Lei had made their plans for him to go to her place tomorrow evening.
“C’mon, Law-kun, spit it out,” Cora said.
Law gave him an exasperated look, then sighed and tugged his earrings. “I’m going to Lei-ya’s place tomorrow. This is the first time,” he clarified. “And I was thinking…” He paused again. Was he being selfish by asking this?
“Uh-oh,” Cora said. “Do you need a refresher of the birds and the bees?”
Law clicked his tongue. “Do you know how old you make yourself sound when you say shit like that?”
Corazon grinned. “Hey, getting old is a privilege. A fact that you should know better than most, seeing as you’re a doctor.”
He wasn’t wrong. Actually, he was painfully correct: getting old was a privilege, and one that Law couldn’t take for granted in Corazon’s case, not with his comorbidities and the unpredictable nature of the Flevance vasculitis.
The reminder of Corazon’s tenuous health twisted in his gut. “Never mind. It’s — there’s nothing to talk about. It’s not important.”
“Nice try,” Cora drawled. “Tell me what’s going on, or I’m not letting you leave this couch. We’ll have a slumber party in the living room. Ha, like we used to do when you finally got discharged from the hospital for good, you remember?”
“Uh-huh,” Law muttered.
Cora’s expression softened. “Come on. Talk to me.”
Law clenched his jaw and stared at the TV. Beside him, Corazon was quiet, and Law could feel his stare on the side of his face.
Finally, he sighed and looked Corazon in the eye. “I was… thinking about staying over at Lei-ya’s place overnight. If she invites me to stay, that is. But—”
“Nice!” Corazon said. “You should!”
“But I’d be leaving you alone.”
“So?”
“So what if something happens?”
“Like what?”
“How extensive of a list do you want?” Law said flatly. “You could have a flare-up. Joint pain or kidney pain in the middle of the night. Sudden onset arrhythmia. Heart attack. You could fall down the fucking stairs, or break something and cut yourself, or—”
“Woah-woah,” Cora interrupted. “Let’s take a step back for a second. When’s the last time any of that happened?
“This week,” Law drawled. “You tripped on the stairs two days ago. And you broke a bowl last week.”
Cora rolled his eyes. “Okay, that stuff doesn’t count. What about the rest of it? When’s the last time I had a flare-up?”
“Almost two years ago,” Law admitted. “But it was a bad one. You needed dialysis for almost two weeks, remember? And—”
Cora interrupted him. “Okay, so I haven’t been admitted to the hospital for two years. When was the last time I had any heart issues? New ones, I mean?”
“You said you were having heart palpitations about ten months ago,” Law said promptly. “We had to see your cardiologist—”
“ —who said it was just a… What was it she said again? A something heartbeat?”
“Ectopic heartbeat,” Law said grudgingly. “It’s not a diagnostic marker in and of itself.”
“Right, and it went away when I went off the prednisone. And have I ever even had a heart attack?”
“No,” Law said. “But you’re at a higher risk because of the—”
Cora interrupted him again. “Remember how Killer said my physio’s going great? And how Kid thinks I’m looking downright sexy these days?” He pushed back his mop of blond hair and gave Law a roguish smile.
Law rubbed his forehead. “Can we not use anything Eustass-ya has to say as proof of anything? Ever?”
Corazon chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. “You see what I’m getting at here, right? I’m good, Law. I’ve been good for a while now. You don’t have to keep such a close watch on me.”
“But you’re clumsy as fuck,” Law said baldly. “You could fall down the stairs and break a leg. You could cut yourself on something and bleed all over the kitchen.”
“Yeah, but you could say that about anyone,” Cora argued. “You could say that about yourself. You could randomly fall down the stairs one day and break your neck, but you don’t see me following you around everywhere watching you like a hawk ‘just in case’.”
Law was stung by that. “I don’t follow you around everywhere.”
“No, you don’t. And would you look at that? I’m just fine without adult supervision,” he said cheerfully. “And hey, think of it this way: you’re out of the house for more than half the day most days — twelve, sixteen-hour days at the hospital. And you don’t spend that time worrying that I’m going to go into fatal organ failure all of a sudden while you’re not here to watch me, right?”
Law didn’t answer. In truth, the OR staff knew that if ever there was a call from or about Corazon while Law was scrubbed in, it was to be put through to him with the same urgency as a code blue, no matter what the situation was in the OR.
Corazon’s wry expression softened again. He shifted closer and ruffled Law’s hair. “Listen—”
Law shirked away from him. “Don’t.”
Cora sighed. “Bro, we’ve talked about this. You can’t control everything. You can’t plan for every possibility. You can’t build your life around all these ‘just in case’ scenarios. You’ll make yourself sick that way.”
“Good thing I’m a doctor, so I can treat myself,” he said snarkily.
Cora huffed. “Sick in the head, you brat. And I know that’s not something you’re trained to fix.”
Law stared unseeingly at the TV instead of replying. His throat was feeling tight and his eyes were stinging a little, and he didn’t want Cora to see.
They were both quiet. When Law felt more in control, he looked at Cora again. “I was thinking of asking Marco to stay over here tomorrow night. Or for you to stay over with him. Just in case.”
Cora groaned and leaned his head back on the couch. “Are you hearing yourself? I literally just said you can’t build your life around ‘just in case’ scenarios.”
“I know. But just this once,” he said. “Please, Cora-san.”
Cora gazed at him for a moment. The softness in his eyes was putting Law’s hackles up, but he forced himself to stay calm and to keep his face neutral.
Finally, Cora sighed. “This is emotional blackmail. You know that, right?”
“So that’s a yes to Marco coming over?” Law pressed.
“Okay, okay,” Cora said, to his relief. “Fine. But I’ll ask Marco to come over. You don’t have to do it.” He gave Law a wry look. “I say this with love, knowing you’re gonna be pissed at me for saying it. But Kid’s right, you know. You have to cut the cord sometime.”
Fuck Eustass-ya and his opinions, Law thought. But he wasn’t in the mood to pick a fight now, especially since he’d won this argument.
He settled back on the couch and nodded his chin at the TV. “Let’s finish watching this movie.”
“Go make me some popcorn first. It’s the least you can do for being such a pain in my ass. And grab me a beer, too.”
Law tsked, but he rose from the couch to make the popcorn. He and Cora finished watching the movie, and when Cora went to bed, Law went to his office to see if he could get a start on the next chapter of Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure.
No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn’t quite settle into the right frame of mind for writing. Maybe it was because he still felt a little off-kilter from the conversation with Corazon; he always hated it when Cora tried to pull the you-can’t-plan-for-everything card on him. Or maybe it was just because he’d had a long week on rotation at the hospital. But when he only managed to put down 200 words or so in forty-five minutes, he gave up bad-temperedly to go to bed.
He showered and brushed his teeth, then plugged in his phone and crawled under the duvet. He settled on his belly with a sigh and closed his eyes.
Then, on a hopeful whim, he snaked an arm out from under the duvet and picked up his phone to see if Lei had texted him since he’d last checked his phone a few minutes ago.
His heart skipped. She had texted!
Lei-ya Sat, Jun 28, 2025 1:57 AM
It’s finally Saturday!!! 🎉 can’t wait to see you later!
He smiled, then rolled onto his back so he could reply.
2:02 AM
Same. Are you just getting home from girls’ night?
She didn’t reply right away, so he opened his photos app and tapped on the most recent selfie Lei had sent him: a selfie in which she was topless, though her chest was covered by a bedsheet — a thin bedsheet, through which he could just barely see the outline of one nipple. Her free hand was curled by her temple, and her smile and the angle of her head were the definition of ‘coy’.
It was a beautiful photo. And it was easily the most erotic photo Law had ever seen. Not the most sexual or pornographic, but erotic. And it turned him on far more than any porn he’d ever seen. When Lei had sent him this photo on Thursday, he got so hard so quickly that he felt dizzy for a second.
And after texting goodnight to her, he’d jacked off and come so fast that he surprised himself.
Shit, he was getting hard now while looking at the photo again. Should he jack off…? But it seemed wrong, somehow, to jack off to a photo of her when he was hoping she would reply—
A notification appeared at the top of his screen, almost like magic.
Lei-ya 2:04 AM
Haha no no, I’ve been home for a while! Nami and Vivi aren’t the night owls that me and Robin are! I was doing some cleaning and watching a movie
2:04 AM
You’re cleaning and watching a movie now?
Lei-ya 2:04 AM
It sounds crazy I know! but I’m so wired that I know I wouldn’t sleep if I tried to go to bed, so I thought I’d get a jump on cleaning before you get here tomorrow!
2:04 AM
I told you not to go to any trouble.
Lei-ya 2:04 AM
You’re not the boss of me! I’ll do what I want!
2:04 AM
What happened to following doctor’s orders?
Lei-ya 2:04 AM
I want a second opinion!
He chuckled. Before he could think of a reply, she texted him again.
Lei-ya 2:04 AM
I hate to ditch you but I’m literally in the middle of washing dishes 🤣 I’ll see you tomorrow!!! ❤️❤️❤️
2:04 AM
Ok. Sleep well when you eventually wind down.
Lei-ya 2:05 AM
Yeah at like 4am lol! Goodnight! 😘❤️
He smiled faintly, then put his phone back on the bedside table. Just one more sleep, as Lei would say, and he’d be going to her apartment. And if their texts this week were any indication, he’d likely be seeing much more of her than that erotic photo revealed.
For a minute, he just lay there breathing quietly, thinking about Lei and the erotic photo she’d sent him, feeling his cock warming and swelling. Then he gave up and picked up his phone again. He pushed his duvet down and took the tissue box out of his bedside drawer, and he pulled his cock out of his shorts.
He stroked himself once… Mm, that was good. He took a deep breath and stroked himself a couple more times, then paused so he could tap open the photo of her.
Fuck, she was beautiful. That smile, those bedroom eyes, the way the light and shadows played across her face and highlighted the peak of her nipple… He couldn’t wait to see that nipple bare, to feel it against his teeth.
His cock pulsed in his fist. He gazed longingly at her lips, her eyes, her veiled breast, and he wondered about the other parts of her body that weren’t in this photo at all: her belly, her hips, her pussy. What would she look like when her skin was bare? How would she taste? What would she sound like when he planted his mouth between her legs? He couldn’t wait to find out.
He stroked himself a little faster, a little more firmly… Fuck, he was hard, he was so horny. It really was surreal feeling this horny. Before he’d started getting to know Lei, he used to masturbate a couple of times a month, and it was more out of a need to soothe the physiological restlessness that came with not coming for a while. But now? This urgency, this pulsing buzz of desire, as though he needed to come, just from seeing her looking so erotic? This degree of want was unfamiliar, surreal, good — fuck, it was good, and it made his own hand feel better than usual as he tugged himself faster, more urgently… Argh, he was leaking precum. He stroked himself a couple more times, then smoothed his palm over the slick head of his cock—
He came, suddenly, and hard: fuck, good, it felt so fucking good. He just managed to choke back a groan as the release spurted on his belly… Fuck, he was trembling, his whole body taut as the climax streaked through his body in white-hot spasms.
When he could finally breathe again, he exhaled hard and rested his hand on his chest — ugh, there was come on his chest. He didn’t usually spray that far when he jerked off.
Lei-ya’s fault, he thought wryly. He’d better last longer than this when they were together tomorrow.
He smiled sleepily to himself. They were going to be together tomorrow… Damn, he was starting to drift off already. He pulled a handful of tissues out of the box and wiped himself up, then sluggishly dropped the used tissues on the floor before rolling onto his side.
Tomorrow, he thought drowsily, and he closed his eyes. In just a few hours, he and Lei would finally be together, and he had no doubt that it was going to be good.
Chapter 13: Feast
Notes:
SMUT ALERT. This is not a drill!!! But this will also be my last time giving a heads-up about when the smut happens! 🤣
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Be cool, you tell yourself as you rearrange the couch cushions for the fifth time. You can be cool. You can be normal about this. It’s not like you’ve never had a man over to your apartment before, so you can definitely be normal about this.
… Can you be normal, though? It’s Trafalgar Law you’re talking about here. He’s not just any guy — he’s the guy. You haven’t felt this way about anyone in… Honestly, you can’t remember the last time anyone made you feel the way Law does. His snark and wit keep you on your toes, and your whole body fizzes every time he touches you. You never run out of things to talk about with him, but you also feel so comfortable just being quiet with him. Sitting at the aquarium with him and watching the fish drift by, or sitting together at the botanical garden and resting your head on his shoulder, just soaking in the peace of the moment with no needless words passing between you: you’ve never been with someone where it felt just as comfortable to be quiet as it felt to talk, and you can easily imagine just curling up on the couch with Law and reading together…
For fuck’s sake, are you really imagining domestic scenarios of reading on the couch with Law? That’s what you’re thinking about, when he’s on his way to your apartment for the first time?
Oh god, he’s finally coming over. You finally mustered the guts to invite him over, and he’s going to be here in your apartment — here, in your apartment, where your bedroom is, just the two of you…!
A zingy thrill of excitement shoots through your belly: a thrill you’ve been getting ever since you and Law set this date. It’s been a week since you last saw him, on a date that ended with the hottest makeout session you’ve ever had in your life, and you still can’t decide whether or not you did the right thing by not inviting him in a week ago. You remember what you’d been thinking at the time: that inviting him inside so late at night would mean only a couple of hours with him before you crashed from fatigue, and that a couple of hours wouldn’t be enough, so you should wait for another day.
But now, as you bustle around making sure your apartment looks tidy and welcoming, you’ve decided that you’re an idiot for not inviting him in last week, and that your reasoning was flawed and stupid. You could have had him a week ago, and you didn’t. Instead, you and Law spent the week texting back and forth — texts that gradually got more and more suggestive: enough so that you finally made a bold move and sent him a semi-topless photo of yourself a couple nights ago.
His response to the photo was so Law: matter-of-fact, to-the-point, and genuinely sweet. And the sly texts he sent you the rest of the week had you fantasizing about him and touching yourself. But none of this would have been necessary if you had just invited him in for sex last week, like you wanted to!
Oh god, you emotionally and sexually edged yourself. You’re a total idiot.
The thought of edging makes you think of a conversation you had with HeartCaptain a while ago, and you giggle to yourself. You should tell him later about how you edged yourself. He would probably think it’s funny.
Anyway, time to focus! Law is coming over at 5pm for dinner and a movie — in other words, he’ll be here in about ten minutes, given how punctual he is — and you really hope you won’t faint with excitement before he gets here.
You nip into the kitchen to make sure everything is ready. You’ve got some cider chilling in the fridge, and you’ve prepped the makings for a grilled steak salad with crispy rice, avocado, and ginger-sesame dressing: a nice filling dinner that’s not too heavy, with no bread since Law doesn’t like it. And importantly, no garlic, so you can avoid garlic breath tonight.
God, you can’t wait to kiss him. You can’t wait to push him down on your couch and climb on top of him like you were dying to do in his car… Shit, you need to change, you’re still wearing your bummy house clothes!
You hurry to the bedroom, and the first thing you do is change your underwear. Bye-bye everyday undies: hello to a pretty panty-and-bralette set that you love, one that makes you feel cute and confident, and which you haven’t had the opportunity to show off to anyone in a while. You put on a pair of shorts and a cute top, and you’re just in the process of checking that your hair looks okay when you hear your ringtone going off.
You run and grab your phone. Ah, it’s the buzzer for downstairs, he’s here! You’re so nervous — no, you’re not nervous, you’re excited! Okay, you’re a little nervous, but only because you like him so much… Okay, stop panicking, just let him in already!
You press the key to let him in, and you pace around the living room as you wait for him to come up. Argh, you really like him, and you don’t want to fuck this up. What if you accidentally ask him the wrong question and he gets all aloof and distant…? No, that won’t happen, it’ll be okay. You’ll just be careful, and you won’t ask about his childhood or Flevance unless he says something about it first. Easy.
A knock sounds at the door, and you jump. Holy fuck, you need to calm down. Law is always calm and collected, so you need to be calm and collected too.
“Coming!” you call. You dart to the bathroom and quickly check your appearance one last time — you look great, be cool, be normal — and finally, at last, you go to open the door.
*************
Law took a deep breath as the elevator carried him up to Lei’s floor. Be calm, he told himself. This is what you want. It’s what you’ve been wanting for weeks. It seemed that the truth of what he really wanted wasn’t enough to stop him from feeling jittery, though.
It also wasn’t enough to entirely mute that poisonous little voice that was whispering for him to stop in his tracks and go back home: a voice that had been blessedly quiet all week, but that reappeared in force first thing this morning, like a recurrent malignancy.
But Law wasn’t going to indulge that voice anymore. He didn’t know where the ominous voice and its vaguely-ominous feelings were coming from, and he’d decided that ignoring it was a more efficient way to deal with it than trying to analyze it. The only voice he wanted to listen to now was Lei’s: her sweet voice, with that lilting laugh and those breathless little sounds she made when he cradled her neck in his palms. And this was the thought that kept him moving forward as he made his way down the hallway to her apartment.
When he reached her door, he took another bracing breath — be calm. It’s Lei. This is going to be good, he reminded himself — and he knocked on the door.
“Coming!” A few seconds later, the door opened, and Law’s breath left him.
She was… stunning. Shorts that showcased her legs, a sheer shirt-thing that sloped off her shoulder and showed the outline of her bra, bare feet — and somehow, it was the bare feet that got to him. Not her feet per se, actually, but the intimacy of her feet being bare: the fact that he was only seeing her feet bare right now because she was in her home, her own personal space that belonged to her alone — a space that he couldn’t wait to be a part of.
“Hey!” she said warmly. “I’m so happy you’re here! Come, come in!” She stepped back from the door.
He came inside and eased off his shoes, then offered her the box in his hands. “Dessert,” he explained. “There’s a Japanese bakery near our house. I know you like trying a little of everything, so I got a selection.”
She took the box and graced him with a brilliant smile. “I told you you didn’t have to bring anything!”
“I do what I want,” he said: a mirroring of what she’d cheekily texted to him last night. He was so enthralled by how enticing she looked that it took all of his wits to come up with that response.
She giggled, then peered into the bakery box. “Ooh, these look amazing. Maybe we’ll just work our way through these instead of having dinner!”
He nodded and followed her through to the kitchen, and his eyes dropped helplessly to her butt and thighs along the way. Damn, she looked really good, and it was making him feel downright stupid.
She placed the pastry box on the counter, then turned to face him. “Do you want a drink? Are you hungry yet? I know it’s early, so I didn’t sear the steak yet, but it’ll only take a couple minutes, so I can throw dinner together whenever you’re ready.”
He nodded again. He knew he should say something, but he was… Fuck, he really was tongue-tied at the sight of her. It was like the day of the faculty party all over again: he was bowled over by the sight of her, by how… how fucking alluring she was. But this wasn’t the faculty party. And he and Lei weren’t mere colleagues anymore. He knew now what it was like to have the taste of her tongue in his mouth, and that sweet and carnal knowledge was wreaking havoc with his brain.
Her smile faded a little. “Hey, are you okay? Is something wrong?”
No. Everything is right. You’re perfect. He wrapped his arm around her and drew her close.
Her face lit up with that specific brand of excitement that made his blood feel like it was simmering. Her front met his, her belly sliding against his groin and her hands rising up to grip the collar of his shirt, and a witless feeling of wildness was rising inside of him, unfurling in the depths of his abdomen like some kind of animal coming to life—
He kissed her. Or she kissed him. Or — fuck, it didn’t matter, they were kissing. She was pressing up on her toes as though to get closer to him, and he was tightening his arm around her and walking her backwards, walking her toward… fuck, he didn’t know where, he literally didn’t know where he was since he’d just gotten here. But they stopped suddenly when her back met a counter or something, and she gasped into his mouth, and he nipped her lower lip until she was whimpering… Ahh, that sound she made, it felt like it was boiling inside of him in the best fucking way.
He clasped her neck in both hands and delved his tongue hungrily into her mouth. She gripped his waist, and her leg rose to rub against the outside of his thigh, she was spreading her legs so he could get closer…
Oh shit. He was pinning her against a kitchen counter and devouring her, and he’d barely even taken the time to say ‘hi’.
He forced himself to break from her kiss. He gulped in a breath — calm down, you asshole — and he pressed his forehead to hers. “Hi,” he rasped.
She laughed, and it dizzied him. Her laughter, the breathless timbre of it, it felt so good to hear it. “That’s one way of saying hello,” she giggled.
He smiled, even as he felt a pinch of guilt. Honestly, there was no excuse for his behaviour; he didn’t even understand why he was acting this way. He had never felt desire like this for anyone else: desire that bordered on desperation, his lust heightened by this gut-deep sense of yearning that made her kisses hit even harder. And there were these moments with her, when she looked at him with her head tilted in that playful way, or when she said something coy or flirty — or even moments like right now in her kitchen, where she hadn’t been doing anything at all but standing there looking perfect. Those moments would happen, and his sense of reason would just… leave him entirely. He was no longer his usual cool-and-logical self, the calm surgeon-scientist who always had a plan, who always thought before he acted. He was no longer the guy who picked his casual meet-ups on apps based on the pragmatic basis of their proximity more than anything else. With Lei, he was… not reasonable. He was a fool for her, a slave to his own desires — and the fact that she made him feel this way, that she made him feel something so… immense, so uncontrollable, was both exhilarating and fucking terrifying.
Too good to be true. Dangerous, the tiny voice whispered at the back of his mind.
He ruthlessly shoved it aside. He kissed her once more — a slow, gentler kiss this time — then finally released her and took a step back. “Are you hungry?”
She nibbled her lip. She was eyeing him with an undeniable heat, and the way she was standing against the counter, with her spine arched and her head tilted sweetly? And she was rubbing her thighs together, too, in this subtle-restless way, almost like she didn’t know she was doing it… Argh, he was rock-hard, and all she was doing was standing there.
Eyefucking, he thought, randomly remembering what Corazon had said at the faculty party. That’s what she was doing right now. And it was what he was doing, too, just standing here staring at her with a raging hard-on.
He scraped a hand through his hair — as though that would help him come back to his senses — then tugged his earrings. “So… this is your apartment.”
A slow and knowing smile curled her lips. “This is my apartment,” she confirmed. “Do you—? God, I’m an awful hostess. I should show you around. Come on.” She stepped away from the counter and slipped past him, and he just barely stopped himself from grabbing her arm and pulling her against his body again.
He followed her dumbly as she walked him through her apartment. “Living room! Please note the singular living cactus in the window there, and ignore my messy desk. My balcony is through there — did I tell you I have a hammock out there? We can swing in it together! Bathroom is there, and, um, bedroom is here…” She gestured vaguely into her bedroom, then ducked her head.
She was blushing faintly. He fought the urge to kiss her again and peered inside at her bedside table, which bore a lamp, her tablet, and a stack of books — a tall stack of books.
“Some light reading before bed?” he remarked.
She smiled up at him. “This sounds like a wind-up to you teasing me.”
“No,” he said, in a deadpan tone. “I was just going to ask how many of those books you’ve read.”
She smacked his chest, and he smirked. “What? It’s a simple question.”
She tugged his collar, then stepped closer to him. “I haven’t read any of them yet, okay? Are you happy now?”
Hm, she was so close… “Let me guess. You’re keeping them safe. Archiving them.”
Her smile widened. “Something like that, yeah.”
“Like a good librarian should,” he murmured. Her lips were even closer now… of course they were, because he was walking her back against the doorjamb. Arghhh, he was like a wild beast, he couldn’t leave her alone. How was he supposed to function like this?
He exhaled and pressed his forehead to hers. She pulled in a shaky little breath and tugged his shirt collar again, then slid her palms down to rest on his chest. “So listen, are…? How hungry are you, actually? Because we can always eat later…”
He knew what she was implying. Of course he knew; it was tangible in the air between them, like the electric snap of a thunderstorm before it broke. And he wanted it — he fucking wanted it, he wanted her, he wanted this with her in a way that he’d never wanted it with anyone else. But he was… overwhelmed. He was fucking overwhelmed: that’s how he felt, as though the feelings and the desire she evoked were a tsunami that he couldn’t outrun or escape. And if he let that tsunami strike, how was he supposed to know he’d survive the crash?
He closed his eyes and pulled in a steadying breath. Then she spoke in a softer tone. “Law, can I ask you something?”
He swallowed hard and nodded, still with his eyes closed and his forehead pressed to hers, and she spoke again. “Are you nervous?”
Fuck. How did she know? How could she tell? Was he making it obvious? A pang of embarrassment chilled him, and he took a step back. “I…” He trailed off. How was he supposed to explain this to her? What was he supposed to say? I like you so much that it feels like I’m losing my mind? I want to fuck you until neither of us can move, and it scares the shit out of me? He couldn’t say that, because it didn’t make any sense—
She spoke again before he could find his words. “Because I have to tell you something. I — I’m nervous.”
What? He blinked at her. She was nervous?
She went on. “I don’t want to kill the mood or anything. But — fuck, I hope this doesn’t ruin anything. But anyway, I… I know we were texting about this. And we said it’s not — we don’t have to, um, have sex tonight, but I…” She swallowed visibly. “I really want this, Law. I want to… I want you. But I’m nervous ‘cause I really… I really, really like you. Like, I literally don’t remember the last time I liked someone this much. And I’m just r-really nervous because I don’t want to fuck it up.” She exhaled shakily and gave him a pleading look. “Did I kill the mood? Please tell me I didn’t kill the mood. Or at least that the dessert you brought can resurrect it.”
For a few heart-pounding seconds, all he could do was stare at her. She was nervous because she liked him so much? It was like what he was thinking, how overwhelmed he was by how good this was, how good everything was with her… Fuck, how did she keep on capturing what was on his mind?
Her face tightened with worry, and she plucked at his shirt. “What are you thinking? I really hope it’s not that you had a sudden shift at the hospital that you forgot about…”
He chuckled, then backed her against the doorjamb again and cradled her neck in his palm. “Lei-ya,” he murmured. “Shut up.”
Her eyebrows rose, and her face relaxed into a grin. “You know what? You are the rudest man I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not rude. I’m always on time, unlike some.” He brushed his nose to hers and trailed his thumb along the line of her neck.
She pulled in a shivery breath, then let it out in a little laugh that ended on a gasp — probably because he was easing his knee between her thighs. “Having good manners about one thing doesn’t mean—”
He kissed her: slowly, deeply, sliding his tongue languidly into the sweetness of her mouth. She arched into him and tilted her hips down to press against his thigh, and she made that little kitten-whimper sound again — and it was like something snapped in the primal part of his brain. He stopped giving a shit about nerves or being overwhelmed or too-good-to-be-real; all he cared about now was having her.
He crowded her against the doorjamb and gripped her nape as he kissed her, and she made the most incredible mewling sound around his tongue. Her hands were pulling his shirt, her tongue was twining with his, and then her fingers were slipping open the buttons on his shirt with a speed that he found genuinely amusing.
He broke from the kiss to smile at her. “You’re fast at that—”
“Do you wear these shirts on purpose?” she blurted.
He arched a brow. “... I choose my clothes with the purpose of wearing them, yeah.”
She tsked. “No! I mean — these button-up shirts. With the collar open down to your chest and the… the sleeves rolled up and all that. Do you do this on purpose?”
“On purpose for what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He gave the nape of her neck one last lingering caress, then placed his hand on her hip and pulled her more firmly against his thigh.
She gasped and gripped his now-open shirt, then made that spine-tingling mewling sound again. “Law…”
Mm, good, she was grinding against his thigh now, that was good. He dipped his head down and greedily inhaled the sweet-warm scent where her neck met her ear… Argh, he couldn’t wait to breathe in the more carnal scent of her sex. “Tell me, Lei-ya,” he purred. “What’s wrong with my shirts?”
“Nothing!” she gasped, and she splayed her palms on his bare chest. “I like them, they’re sexy… Wow.”
She was gazing wide-eyed at his chest. He glanced down to see what she was staring at. “What?”
She traced her fingers along one curve of the heart design on his chest. “I finally get to see it. It’s bigger than I imagined.”
He huffed. Then he straightened and pulled his shirt off entirely.
Her jaw dropped, and she ran her palms over his shoulder and bicep. “There are more!”
“You want to catalogue them?” he drawled. “Make an itemized list of my ink, organized by body part?”
She burst out a laugh. “Stop making librarian jokes or I’ll kick you out!”
“I’m not joking. If that’s what you want to do—”
“Shut up,” she said, and she kissed him.
He penned her against the doorjamb again and licked her tongue. He slipped his hands under her shirt and smoothed his palms over her bare waist… Mm, her warm bare skin against his palms, the catch of her breath and the soft little whimper she made as he glided his hands down to her hips—
She grabbed his shoulders and jumped up onto him.
Woah! He hastily gripped her thighs to support her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he quirked a brow. “You’re the rude one now. What am I, a climbing pole?”
“Yeah,” she said breathlessly. “Where should we go?”
The hungry-animal part of his brain reared its head. She was going to give him a choice, was she? She was going to put this situation in his control? He could work with that, easily.
He gripped her ass and tilted her hips closer to his groin. Her coy little smile tensed with desire, and he admired her flushed cheeks as he replied. “I could take you to the kitchen. Make a damn feast out of you.”
The surprise and eagerness in her face was priceless. “Law,” she said plaintively.
“Or I could make a feast of you here,” he said, more gently. He tilted his head at her queen-sized bed. “Can I come in?”
“Mhm, yeah,” she whimpered, and she nodded. “Of course you can…”
He was already carrying her over to the bed. He crawled onto the bed with Lei still wrapped around him, then carefully laid her on the pillows.
She tugged off her shirt and tossed it on the floor, and his eyes dropped to her chest: to the strappy little bra whose outline he’d been admiring through the translucent fabric of her shirt. It was a nice bra, the kind that showed off more than it covered — mm, the peaks of her nipples were visible through the fabric… Yeah, he would allow the bra to stay on. Unless she wanted to take it off, of course.
He kissed her, savouring the grip of her hands on his biceps as he did. Then he lowered his head and slowly pressed his teeth into her nipple, through her bra.
She dragged in a breath and arched her spine. “Oh my god…”
He tugged her nipple with his lips. He kept playing with the taut little bud, tugging and nipping her through the fabric until she was breathing hard and writhing her hips. Then he carefully pushed the cup of her bra aside.
Ah, her nipple, her breast… He admired the perfect shape, the perfect colour and pebbled texture of the puckered bud: all of it perfect, because it was her.
“Law, please,” she mewled, and she twisted her chest toward him. “Please touch me!”
“Hm, nice manners.” He palmed her breast, loving the way his fingers looked on her skin, and he slowly pinched and plucked her nipple until she was gasping. Then, at last, he pressed his lips to her bare breast.
She arched like a bow and glided her fingers into his hair. “F-fuck, please!”
Argh, she was so needy, so vocal, and it hit him with the impact of a fast-acting drug. Every word she spoke, every sound she made and every restless movement of her body: all of it quickened in his veins like a high, and the next thing he knew, he was squeezing one breast and sucking her other nipple as though his life depended on it.
She moaned, and her fingernails scraped his scalp, sending a cascade of hot-shivery pleasure down his spine. “Mm, Law, I love this…”
So did he. Fuck, so did he — mm, her nipple against his teeth, against his tongue, he needed to feel the other one too. He dragged his tongue across her sternum and pulled the other cup of her bra down, then lapped at her nipple like a thirsty beast before suckling it just as hungrily.
“Mm, fuck—” She broke off with a little sob.
He lifted his head. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” she whimpered. “I just — I want you so much. And you said… Y-you said you’d make a feast out of me…?”
The feral thing inside of him purred. Oh yes, he was going to feast on her. But he couldn’t help teasing her a little. “What do you think I’m doing right now?”
She groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Don’t make fun of me right now! Not even affectionately!”
He smirked and tugged her hands away from her face. “All right. This is serious now, so I need to make sure you’re listening.”
Her little pout softened. “What is it?”
Without breaking from her gaze, he reached down and opened the fly of her shorts.
Her face lit up in a way that sparked lightning in his blood. “O-oh my god…”
Slowly, carefully, he slid his fingers from her taut and trembling belly into her underwear. His fingertips grazed the border of her pubic hair, then slid deeper still, pressing in and curving just a little bit until… Fuck, there it was: she was so wet, and her slickness was on his fingers now.
He traced one finger up along the slippery length of her cleft, and she let out another little sob. “P-please…”
Fucking hell, his heart and his cock were pounding. He forced his gaze from her groin up to her face. “I’ve been thinking about this—” He caressed her pussy, “… for weeks. Imagining how you’ll taste. I can’t get it out of my mind.”
“Fuck,” she hiccuped. “Law—”
He cut her off. “Listen, Lei-ya. I meant it when I said I want to make a feast of you. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes!” she gasped. “I’m okay with it, I’m more than okay—”
He stroked his finger up through her cleft again and petted her clit.
She jolted and bucked her hips. “God! Please, please—”
“Lei-ya,” he said, a little more sharply. “Promise me something. Stop me when you’ve had enough.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” she moaned.
He smiled. “Greedy.”
She burst out a laugh. “Shut up! You’re so mean…”
He chuckled, then dipped his fingers down to spread her juices over her clit. When she was moaning and writhing her hips again, he spoke. “I’m just teasing you. I’m the greedy one. So you need to tell me once you’ve had enough. Do you promise?”
“Mm — promise,” she gasped. “I promise.”
“Good.” He sat up on his knees and hooked his fingers into the waistband of her shorts. “Lift your hips now.”
She obeyed him. He pulled her shorts and underwear off and tossed them aside… Fuck, she was so wet, so ready. Her labia were swollen-plump and glistening with how ready she was, and his mouth was watering at how good she looked.
He shifted down between her legs and stretched out on his belly. He was eye-level with her pussy now, and he took a second to admire how soaking-wet she was before nuzzling her inner thigh.
She jerked and spread her knees wider. “God, Law…”
He breathed her in… Ahh, fuck yes, that was it, that was the scent he’d been fantasizing about: musky-sweet and a little salty, and so uniquely Lei.
He was going to drink her up until she was begging for mercy. He traced his tongue through the slickness that painted her inner thigh, then finally started lapping at her pussy: long, hungry strokes of his tongue, savouring the softness of her flesh as he drank her in… Fuck yes, she was writhing her hips and moaning, and the sounds she made spurred his feral-animal impulses even more.
He petted her pussy with two fingers, spreading the slickness of her juices and his own saliva, and she gasped and gripped the sheets. “Fuck — god, p-please…”
Keep begging, that’s good, he thought. He slowly pressed his middle finger inside of her.
She gasped again and arched her spine. “Oh god oh god—!”
He slanted his mouth over her clit with a wet tongue kiss, and she jerked and cried out, and then he was kissing her hungrily, kissing her pussy with this feral uncontrollable hunger, gliding his tongue all over her clit and tugging it with his lips — argh, she was squirming and rubbing herself against his mouth, she was making him so hard that his cock was throbbing.
He growled in frustration and pressed his hips into the bed to calm himself. He didn’t have time for that: he wanted her to come, he wanted to hear it and taste it so badly. He gripped her inner thigh and kept kissing her, licking her, sliding his tongue over the swollen bud of her clit, loving the spasmic tightening of her pussy around his finger — mm, her juices were coating his hand, she was so fucking wet.
“Law!” she begged.
Yes, hearing his name in her voice like that, that was good. He circled her clit with his tongue and started suckling it gently, and she shuddered and ran a trembling hand over his hair. “L-Law, I’m gonna come…”
That’s right, come for me. He kept suckling her clit, and her fingers pressed into his scalp — yes, he could feel her thigh trembling under his palm…
“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, ye— a-ah!” Her spine curved off of the bed, and then she was mewling and shuddering and rolling her hips in a way that made his cock pound even harder… Harder, harder, he wanted her to come even harder.
He lifted his head and curled his finger inside of her, and she spasmed around his finger. “Fuck!” she cried, and she bucked her hips. “Oh fuck, please, more—”
He slid a second finger inside, and she burst out a pretty sobbing sound. “Oh my god,” she mewled. “Law, don’t stop—”
He watched her avidly as he fucked her with his fingers, thrusting and curling his fingers to stroke her inner walls, loving the way she was writhing and bucking down to meet his hand. Then he paused with his fingers deep inside, and he licked her clit.
She moaned and stroked his hair. “Y-you don’t have to do it again…”
“I told you I wanted a feast,” he said roughly, and he sealed his lips over her clit again. Ah, it was so swollen, like her body was begging him to devour her.
He slowly tugged the swollen little bud with his lips, and she shivered and wriggled her hips. “Fuck, please, that feels so good…”
Good, he thought fiercely, and he kept doing just that: caressing and tugging her with his lips while his fingers rested snugly inside of her, listening avidly to her whimpery breathing until he felt the telltale tension trembling in her thighs again.
“Fuck,” she gasped. “I — f-fuck—” She gripped the sheets and arched her back again. “Fuck! Law, please, please—”
He curled his fingers deep inside of her.
“Yes!” she cried. “Fuck, Law, don’t stop—!”
He didn’t stop. He fucked her hard with his fingers while she came, his mouth slanted hungrily over her pussy, his tongue pressed against her clit so he could feel the pulse of her climax right there between her legs: fuck yes, her climax, the way she sounded and tasted, the raw musk of her sex all over his hand and his mouth, this was good.
She settled onto the mattress again with a moan, and he lifted his mouth so he could look at her sex. Ha, her clit was so swollen and ripe. She was soaking wet and ready, and her juices were all over his hand… He smiled at the sight, then dipped his head down again and kissed her pussy.
She jerked and rested her hand on his hair. “Law, wait. I — I don’t know if I can come again…”
“Do you want to find out?” he said, and he lapped delicately at her clit.
She gasped, then let out a little laugh. “Are you serious? You — you really want to do this again?”
He wanted to do this all fucking night. He gave her a matter-of-fact look. “Tell me if you want me to stop. That was the deal. Otherwise, I’m going to keep going.”
A smile lit her face. She let out another little laugh and dropped her head back on the pillows. “You know what, I would be crazy to stop you. A hot guy who actually wants to keep going down? What are the chances?”
He clicked his tongue. “Does this mean I’m measuring up to your romance novel hunks?”
She burst into laughter. “Oh my god, yes! This is totally something that the guys do in those books!”
“Good,” he said. “Then shut up and enjoy it.”
She giggled and tugged his ear. “Seriously, you are so rude—”
He curled his fingers inside of her and laved her clit with a long stroke of his tongue.
“Ah! Oh god…” She trailed off with a moan that he felt like a ripple of heat down his spine. He thrust and curled his fingers inside of her until she was bucking her hips, then slanted his mouth over her clit again and pressed the flat of his tongue against it.
“Fuck, g-god…” She shivered and spread her legs wide. Then she planted her feet on the bed and started rubbing her pussy against his mouth.
His cock pulsed. She was so eager, just like him, and seeing her hunger made him even more hungry. He watched the undulating wave of her body as she rubbed against him, loving the slip-and-side of her pussy against his tongue, loving the way she was taking his fingers deep with every thrust… Ha, her breathing was ratcheting up to a high-pitched whimper, she was going to come!
“Fuck ah!” She shuddered, then clamped her thighs against his head.
He grunted in surprise, and she whimpered and loosened her thighs. “S-sorry! I’m so sorry—”
Come back. He looped his free hand around her thigh and pressed it to his ear.
She burst out a breathless laugh-moan and gently squeezed his head with her thighs. “Mm, n-not sorry after all then…”
He made a grumbly-satisfied sound into her pussy, then finally lifted his head. “You sound incredible when you come, Lei-ya.”
She laughed again and covered her face. “God, you really pick the times to be charming.”
He answered by kissing her clit, and she jerked and moaned. “L-Law, you can’t be serious…”
He was serious — so serious that he made her come again, then one more time again, with his fingers and his tongue. It didn’t take long each time; she was so fucking primed that he barely had to tease her clit to make her shiver apart. By the time he finished her the fifth time, she was sobbing with pleasure.
He stroked her inner thigh and pressed a kiss to her folds, and she reached down to tug his hair. “Law, stop,” she sobbed. “That’s enough, I can’t…”
He carefully wiped his face on her inner thigh, then sat back on his knees. Before he could say or do anything else, she shoved herself to her hands and knees and crawled across the bed toward him.
Her expression was pleading, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining, and his heart thumped hard to see her looking so needy. He reached for her, and then she was clutching his neck and kissing him, licking his tongue and biting his lower lip, stroking his chest and his abs, reaching down and unbuttoning his jeans—
She pushed her hand into his pants and wrapped her hand around his cock, and the mere touch of her hand spurred a hot rush of pleasure in his gut. He broke from her kiss with a gasp. “Ah. Mm, Lei—”
“I need you,” she blurted. “I want you so bad, I want your cock…” She spat into her palm and stroked him again.
Wait. He grabbed her wrist. “Lei-ya, wait. Let me…” He pushed his pants and underwear down enough to free his cock, then stroked himself.
“I want to do that,” she burst out. She dropped to her elbows in front of him and pushed his hand away, then took his cock into her mouth.
Fuck. So good — wait, wait. He gasped and flexed into her mouth.
She made a muffled sound around his cock. He exhaled slowly and curled his hand around the back of her head. “Lei-ya, is this okay? Can I do this?”
She made that little muffled sound again and nodded, and Law slowly pumped his hips. Fu-uck, her mouth felt so good, warm and tight and fucking good. And it was good like this: he was cradling her head, controlling the pace as he slowly slid into her lips, and she looked so pretty and perfect taking his cock…
She suckled him hungrily for a minute, whimpering and twisting her hips in a way that made him want so badly to get behind her. Then she suddenly released his cock. “Not enough,” she said breathlessly, and she sat back on her heels. “I need — okay, this sounds so selfish, but I don’t want you to come in my mouth. I want to fuck you.”
“Yeah,” he panted, disoriented by the loss of her mouth and the near-ache of need in his cock and balls. “I-I want… I want that too—”
She cradled his neck in her palms and kissed him. Then she was pushing his shoulders, pulling at his arms, and he was moving with her, ensnared by her kiss, unable to resist as she pushed him down on her pillows and straddled him.
She braced her palms on his abs and eyed his cock. “God, I want to ride you so bad. I — argh, fuck, condom.” She reached into the bedside drawer and grabbed a condom, then ripped it open and rolled it onto his cock, and he watched with a tight feeling in his chest as she positioned herself over him… Wait, why did his chest feel tight? Why did he feel weird about this? It was what he wanted, she was what he wanted, so why did he feel not-quite-right? She was poised right over him now, she was ready, and he—
“Lei-ya, wait,” he blurted.
She stopped and looked at him with wide eyes. “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
He breathed hard for a second, confused by his own hesitance. Then he grabbed her hips and pulled her down onto his cock.
Hot wet tight. He was stunned, breathless, pleasure unfurling in all of his limbs, fuck, she was perfect—
“Yes!” she yelped, and her nails dug into his abs. “Fuck, you’re so hard—”
“I want to be on top,” he blurted.
Her eyes went huge, and her face lit up. “Okay! Yeah, whatever you want—”
He sat upright and wrapped one arm around her waist, then flipped them both over so she was sprawled on the pillows beneath him. Yes, this was better, it was better like this.
She burst out a breathless laugh. “Not wasting any time, huh? I love that—”
He gripped her thigh and thrust into her hard.
“Ah!” She arched into him and grabbed his arm. “Law, please—”
He kissed her hungrily and pumped into her again, again… Fu-uck, she was so good, so perfect, every thrust was spreading the warm feeling of rightness through his blood. He paused briefly so he could shove his pants down to his knees, then stretched out over her again with his arms framing her head. “Are you okay?” he panted.
“I’m so okay,” she said. She arched her spine beneath him in a fluid way that had his cock pounding inside of her, then let out a breathless little laugh. “I feel like… melted mochi.”
“Melted mochi?” he said dryly.
She nodded. “I just feel like… jelly. Jelly that had a thousand orgasms.” She giggled. “That sounds so gross. But honestly, it’s better that you’re on top. I was deluded to think I could actually ride you properly when my legs are still shaking.”
He relaxed at that. He felt better on top, too — more in control like this, as though the… the hesitation-uncertainty, or whatever-that-was, couldn’t get to him when he was the one in control. Not that he didn’t want Lei to ride him — he really wanted that. Actually, he couldn’t wait to see her bouncing on his cock as though she couldn’t get enough. But for this first time, he just felt… it was just better like this.
He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “You’ll have the chance to ride me later.”
She smiled at him: a broad and brilliant smile. “Will I?”
“Probably,” he says. “If you’re no longer melted mochi by then.”
Her smile curled with mischief. “Well, I think that depends on you.”
“Explain.”
“If you fuck me really hard right now, I might melt even more.”
“Mm. That could be a problem,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to fuck you softly, then.”
She burst out a laugh. “Um, ew? That sounds awful.”
“Yeah, it does,” he drawled. “I’ll stick to Plan A.”
“Which is?”
He lowered his head and brushed his lips to hers, then pressed his cock into her in a slow, deep thrust.
Her face twisted with pleasure. “Yes—”
He kissed her and sheathed himself inside of her as deeply as he could, then slowly lifted his lips from hers. “Lift your legs,” he murmured. “Feet in the air. I want your hips tilted up.”
She smiled, even while she did what he said. “Taking charge now, doctor?”
He replied by thrusting into her again.
“Yes!” she gasped. “Ah — Law, you feel so deep—”
He kissed her and flexed into her again, and he felt the vibration of her moan in his mouth. He twined his fingers with hers and pressed her hands into the bed, and then he was pumping into her steadily, fucking her deep and hard and slow: slow so that he could feel the perfect squeeze of her body pressing in around every inch of his cock — a-ah, she felt so good, it was going to be hard to keep it slow, slow… Fuck, he wanted to go slow, but his body was betraying him.
He broke from her kiss and pressed his forehead to hers with a groan. “Ngh — ah, I c-can’t…”
“Can’t what?” she breathed. “Do you want to stop—”
“No,” he said roughly. “Never. I mean — fuck…” He shuddered and gripped her hands, then lifted his head and looked at her. “I want to fuck you hard.”
Her face lit up. “Okay! Fuck me hard, you can go hard!”
“It’ll be too fast,” he burst out. “It’ll— ngh...” Fuck, his hips were moving, he was grinding into her, it felt so good, it was too much!
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” she said breathlessly. She pulled one hand free and stroked his cheek. “Law, don’t worry about going too fast, okay? This is not too fast. It’s fucking perfect. And you said it yourself, we can go again later when I’m not melted mochi and I can ride you like a bike. Right?”
He grunted out a laugh, then pressed his forehead to hers. “First you climb me like a pole, then you’re riding me like a bike,” he gasped. “Am I your personal playground now?”
“Hell yes,” she giggled. “And I’m yours. So just fuck me how you want it, okay? Fuck me hard. I don’t care if it’s fast. I want what you want.”
His throat thickened. The way she seemed to understand him, even when he didn’t understand his own fucking self…
He kissed her again: a soft, deep kiss. Then he gripped her wrists and thrust into her hard.
She gasped. “God! More—”
“Keep your feet in the air,” he commanded, and he started pounding into her.
She arched her neck and mewled. “Please! Please, please, don’t stop!”
Never, he thought deliriously. I’ll never stop. He fucked her hard and deep, wanting to fill her up, wanting to reach as deep inside of her as he could go, deeper than anyone had filled her up before — ngh, he wanted to keep her, he wanted her to be his: he wanted, wanted, wanted like a fucking animal marking his mate… Damn it, he’d never felt this ferocious about someone before, it was surreal.
He slammed into her with a snarl, then dragged his tongue over her nipple, and she jolted and strained against his grip on her wrists. “Please! Law, please, more—”
He took her nipple into his mouth while fucking her hard. Mm, her breast in his mouth, her pussy taking him so deep, the fucking sounds she was making, they were better than any damn music he’d ever heard.
He shuddered and groaned around her nipple. Fuck, he was getting close: he was getting close, helped along by the tightening of her body around his cock — ah, she was so tight, it felt so good, so right, he was going to come—!
The swollen tight-tension feeling exploded through his body, warming his blood and pulsing through his cock and his tight-aching balls. He moaned around her breast, shuddering helplessly as the pleasure surged through him, and it wasn’t until the pounding rush of orgasm started to wane that he realized he’d been sucking Lei’s nipple the whole time.
He lifted his head and looked at her breast, and his heart seized. There was an array of raspberry-red toothmarks around her nipple: he’d given her a hickey.
Fuck. He exhaled, then released her wrists and looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I wasn’t thinking—”
“It’s okay,” she said warmly, and she cradled his face in her hands. “It’s fine, really. I love it.”
She did? She didn’t mind that he’d lost control? He held his breath for a second, then let it out in a sigh and rested his forehead on her chest.
She laughed softly and petted his hair. “You were really lost in the sauce there, hey?”
“That’s one way to put it,” he mumbled. In all honesty, though, he was… a little unnerved. Not by her, but by himself. He hadn’t meant to bite her hard enough to leave a mark. He was relieved that she didn’t mind, but that blood-bruise bitemark was like… an accusation, or something. Like a sign of something bad — a sign that his crazy, out-of-control feelings for Lei were problematic in ways he hadn’t predicted.
He couldn’t control how he felt about her. He couldn’t control how much he wanted her. And if he couldn’t control this… Was he making a mistake? Was he setting himself up for something bad? Things were good right now, but what if they didn’t stay this way? What if all of this went away? What then? He would be left on his ass to deal with the fallout of losing her, losing this, and that was… He — he couldn’t—
Stop. Stop it, stop. He wasn’t going to listen to that fucking poisonous voice. He lifted his head from her chest and carefully pulled out of her, then shifted off of the bed and took off the condom.
“Hey,” she said. “Law, are you… Is something wrong?”
“Hm? Why?” He pulled up his pants and placed the condom in the garbage.
“I don’t know,” she said. “You just seem… You seem preoccupied. Are you… Is something wrong?”
He looked at her. She was propped up on one elbow, and she looked anxious — anxious because of him, he realized.
The shame was like a punch to the gut. What the hell was he doing, thinking about doomsday what-if scenarios while Lei was right here?
He sat on the bed beside her. “Nothing’s wrong. You’re perfect.”
Her eyes widened, though her expression remained cautious. “Really? Are you sure?”
“That you’re perfect? Let me check…” He leaned in and brushed his nose to her neck, then dropped a kiss on her collarbone.
Finally, to his vast relief, she smiled. “Are you examining me?”
“Yeah. It’s my duty as a doctor. Everything looks good so far. I’d better keep examining you…” He pushed her back on the pillows and kissed her sternum, then tenderly kissed her bruised breast.
She laughed and threaded her fingers into his hair. “You’re a pervy doctor. I’m calling the College of Physicians to report you.”
“You are not.” He shifted down on the bed and kissed her ribs, her navel, her inner thigh…
She let out another laugh — a deliciously whimpery laugh this time. “Law, you can’t be serious. Give me a few minutes at least…”
He grumbled and placed a tiny kiss between her legs, then stretched out on the bed beside her. “Don’t go claiming malpractice on me when you didn’t let me finish my assessment, then.”
She giggled and shuffled closer to him. She rested her head on her folded arm, and Law turned his head to look at her.
His heart swelled: she was glowing. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright and her smile perfect, and as Law gazed at her with this thickening feeling in his throat, her smile widened even more.
She didn’t speak, though. And he didn’t speak, either; he just lay there looking at her, nude and dishevelled and stunning, watching her beautiful face as her smile softened into a look that made his chest feel even more swollen and tight.
She nibbled her lower lip, and he held his breath. Was she going to say something? Put words into the silence that was blooming between them — this warm, thick blanket of silence, thick with the pleasure they’d just shared?
She didn’t speak, though. She just lifted one hand and touched his lips.
His heart lifted even more. Fuck words, he thought contentedly; actually, fuck thinking altogether. He didn’t need to think when he was with her, especially not if his thoughts started getting all fucked-up and anxious.
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, then twined his fingers with hers, and she sighed. “Law?” she whispered.
He looked at her again. She nibbled her lip, her eyes shining as she studied him, then smiled and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, and she tucked herself against his side and tangled her legs with his.
He smiled faintly. She was right. There was nothing that needed to be said.
They lay there quietly for a while — honestly, he had no idea how long, and he didn’t care. Eventually, though, she sat up with a groan. “I have to pee. I’ll be right back. Are you hungry yet?” She slid off of the bed and scampered away without waiting for an answer.
He tucked his arm behind his head and idly looked around her room. There was a closet on his side of the bed, and a makeup table in the far corner that was decorated with pins and ribbons and cute little dangly knick-knack things. On the other side of the bed next to the window, there was a big bookshelf stuffed with books: a jumbled mix of textbooks, non-fiction, and fiction.
“I’m back!” Lei pulled on her underwear, then bounced onto the bed on her knees. “Are you hungry yet?”
“I will be soon.” He nodded his chin at the shelf. “Is that organized using the Dewey Decimal System?”
Her smile widened. “No, doctor, it’s not. And in case you care, the medsci library isn’t organized using the DDS. Medical libraries use the National Library of Medicine classification system.”
“Oh,” he said. He actually hadn’t known that. He nodded his chin at her shelf again. “Is that organized using the National Library of Medicine—”
She straddled him and poked his abs.
He grabbed her hand. “Ow.”
“My bookshelves are organized based on the Lei System of Vibes, okay?” she said with a grin. “I don’t bring my work home with me, just like you don’t go around cutting people open in your free time.”
“Actually, I spend my free time slicing people up and mix-and-matching their body parts for fun.”
She giggled and tried to twist her hand out of his grip. “That is not one of the hobbies you told me about.”
“I was waiting to tell you until you’re ‘grown up’,” he drawled. “Speaking of…” He released her hand and picked up her tablet from the bedside table.
She gasped. “Law! What are you—” She grabbed for the tablet. “Give me that!”
He held it out of her reach. She lunged for his arm, and when he tucked the tablet against his chest, she burst into laughter and punched him lightly in the abs. “Law! Give it back!”
“I want to know what you were reading when we ran into each other at the noodle place,” he said.
Her cheeks flushed, which was interesting. He smiled at her. “You’re blushing? After what we just did? How hardcore is this smut that you’re reading?”
“Ugh!” She covered her face in her hands, then dropped her hands and pouted at him. “Okay. I’m going to tell you something privileged. But only if you give the tablet back.”
He handed her the tablet, and she blinked. “Oh. That was easy.”
“I wasn’t really going to go into your tablet without your permission,” he said dryly. “Tell me the privileged thing.”
She gave him a puckish smile. “Well, now I don’t have to, since you gave my tablet back.”
He narrowed his eyes. Then he grabbed her waist and lifted her off of him.
“Hey!” she squealed. “What—”
He plopped her down on the bed, snatched the tablet from her, and pinned her down in the pillows by her wrists, and she burst out a laugh. “Law! Let me go!”
“Tell me the privileged thing, or else.” He dipped his head down and nipped her neck — mm, she smelled like sex, salty and sweet…
She gasped and wriggled under him. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, now.”
He growled and nipped her neck again, and she burst out a pretty little gasp-laugh. “Okay, okay! I — ugh. That time in the noodle place, I was reading fanfiction.”
His heart stopped. He lifted his head and looked at her. “You — what?”
“Fanfiction,” she said. She was blushing again. “Have you ever heard of it? It’s like, fans will write a story using the characters and setting of their favourite fandom—”
“I know what it is,” he interrupted. “You…?” His heart was racing now. What if—? No, don’t be absurd. There was no way she knew he wrote fanfic; she would have told him right away if she knew. And if the stuff she was reading was raunchy smut, it couldn’t be his fic, anyway.
Wait. Should he tell her that he wrote fanfic?
No. His gut tightened at the thought of telling her. It was too personal, too private; he couldn’t tell her that. She would ask him questions about it, and it would be like when MxRead asked him why he started writing, making him think about that box of fucking comics that Cora hadn’t thrown away, and — no. It was enough that he was still mulling over what MxRead had said, like a mental worry stone.
But… shouldn’t he want to tell Lei about his writing? If she was the woman that he… If he felt so strongly about her, shouldn’t he want her to know something so personal about him? What did it mean that he felt uncomfortable about the idea of her knowing about this? That he’d had sex with her, but he didn’t want to share his most private, self-indulgent pleasure with her?
“Law?” she said tentatively.
Snap out of it, he scolded himself. He smirked at her. “So you were reading a smutty fanfic during lunch?”
Her face relaxed into a smile. “No, dummy! I told you, I only read smut at home.”
“Right, you mentioned that. Why is that, again?” He dipped his head down and nipped her neck, then traced his tongue along her collarbone.
She pulled in a breath and shifted her hips under him. “You know why.”
“I don’t. You have to tell me.” He pressed his lips to the notch at the base of her throat, her sternum, then her pert nipple, which was poking through her bra again.
She pulled in a shaky breath and let it out in that perfect mewling sound. “Law, you’re going to make me melt…”
“Good,” he murmured. “Tell me why you only read smut at home. I want to know.” He tugged her nipple with his lips.
“So I can masturbate, okay?” she gasped. “Are you happy now?”
“Mm.” He suckled her nipple through her bra, then shot her a sly look as he shifted down on the bed. “Good for you. That’s a healthy habit.”
“Thanks a lot, doctor,” she said breathlessly, and she stroked his arm. “Seriously, are you sure you want to—”
He pulled her underwear aside — fuck yes, they were soaked, she was glistening-wet! — and he drew his tongue up along her slick cleft.
She shivered and spread her legs. “I can’t believe you’re doing this again.”
He kissed her clit, then gave her a matter-of-fact look. “I’m helping you with your healthy habit.”
She laughed: that dizzyingly beautiful sound. “You’re going to ruin me for every other man if you keep this up.”
Good, he thought. He didn’t want anyone else touching her. He wanted to keep her all for himself: her needy gasping, the glistening juices on her thighs and the private taste of her pussy, he wanted it all for himself.
He ignored the guilty voice telling him that he should share with her about his fanfic, like she’d just done. He would think about that later, maybe for their next date. For now, he would just enjoy this feast.
Notes:
Random question: would you guys consider this fic to be a slow burn? Wondering if I should add it as a tag 🤣
Chapter 14: Stress
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lei gently nipped his lip, then lowered herself to her heels. “Sorry,” she breathed. “You have to go.”
“I have to go,” Law confirmed. But he kept his arms around her.
She smoothed out the collar of his shirt, then looked up at him from under her eyelashes, and he was so tempted to walk her back through the door of her apartment and lay her down on the couch — a couch that they’d had sex on twice over the past twenty-four hours. Not to mention the blowjob she gave him in the bathroom while they were showering before bed. Or the slow and half-awake fuck at four or five in the morning. Or the feast he made of her on the kitchen counter this morning while they were supposed to be making breakfast…
But he really had to get going now. In part because he had an early OR start time tomorrow, which was what he’d told Lei, but also because he needed to check on Corazon. Cora had texted earlier asking if Law would be home for dinner and mentioning that Marco had left, so Law felt it best to have dinner at home.
Lei laughed softly, and he smiled helplessly at the sound. “What?”
“Nothing,” she said. “I’m just… ugh. I want to pull you back inside and tie you to my bed.”
“Hm,” he murmured. “We’re talking kinks already?”
She laughed more heartily and hid her face against his chest. “Nooo, no! Not that I’m against — I mean, I just meant that I don’t want you to leave!”
“So you’re okay with taking me hostage,” he said mock-thoughtfully, “but not with tying me to the bed for sex reasons—”
“Law!” She covered his mouth with her hand, though she was laughing. “Not in the hallway!”
He smirked and took her hand, then lowered his head to speak quietly into her ear. “You’re blushing? Really? After everything we did—”
She cut him off with a kiss, her hands rising up to curl in his hair, and he backed her against the doorjamb and pressed his hips into the pliant warmth of her body — no. No no, he had to go, he really had to go…
He peeled his lips from hers, and she let out a whimpery sigh. “You have to go.”
“I have to go,” he whispered. He kissed her once more, then finally released her and took a step back. “I’ll message you later.”
She nodded. She was covering her mouth with one hand now, as though she was trying to stop herself from saying anything else that would lure him back, which he was grateful for.
He gave her one last smile, then forced himself to walk away. He made it down the hall and waited for the elevator without looking back at her, but when the elevator finally came, he couldn’t resist.
She was still standing in the doorway with her hand pressed to her lips. When he looked at her, she did a heart gesture with her hands.
He smiled faintly and raised a hand in farewell, then stepped into the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
His cock was pounding, and his whole body felt hot with want. But his chest felt so heavy. He didn’t want to leave her, he wanted to stay… But he couldn’t stay, he couldn’t; he had to check on Corazon. Cora’s health was more important than Law’s selfish wants.
He made his way to his car. As he was plugging in his phone, he noticed that he’d gotten a text from Lei.
Lei-ya Sun, Jun 29, 2025 5:43 PM
Missing you already! 🥺
Argh, his heart felt like it was swelling and aching at the same time. He texted her back.
5:44 PM
I miss you too.
Lei-ya 5:44 PM
🥰 I was half-expecting a sarcastic quip!
He smirked. It really was uncanny how well she seemed to know him in such a short period of time.
5:44 PM
I’ll go with my first impulse next time, then.
Lei-ya 5:44 PM
What was your first impulse?
5:44 PM
new phone. who dis?
Lei-ya 5:44 PM
Omg 🤣 you’re lucky you thought twice, or I’d have made you sorry!
5:44 PM
How? By tying me to the bed?
The three-dots of Lei’s typing appeared, then disappeared. They appeared again for a second, then disappeared, and he smirked. She was probably bluescreening, as she would say.
He put his phone down and set out on the drive home. Great weekend, he thought contentedly. The whole weekend had just been… genuinely great. Hanging out with Lei just felt so easy and good. Watching her flitting around her small kitchen as she chattered to him while cooking and singing along to her music, snuggling up with her on the couch to watch a movie (that they eventually ignored to have sex instead), swaying quietly in the hammock on her balcony while they watched the sun sinking down behind the buildings in the horizon: all of it was just good — comfortable and exciting at the same time, just like Lei herself. And the sex…
Fuck, the sex. He had never had sex like this in his life. It wasn’t even like he and Lei had done anything kinky or particularly adventurous; it was just… The way she wanted him, the way he wanted her back with the same passion: he’d never known anything like it. He’d never wanted to fuck someone so ravenously in his life, or to have sex so many times in a row, like he and Lei were going for some kind of record. And he couldn’t stop thinking about the sex during the whole drive home.
He felt exhilarated at the thought of it: energized despite his fatigue from fucking rather than sleeping for most of the night. As he turned the corner onto his street, he wondered if he’d be able to channel this horny energy into a writing session. His current mood would be perfect to start fleshing out that smut scene for Sora and Reiju, since he was feeling so inspired.
He smirked. Well, it sounded like he had finally settled on writing explicit-rated smut. He could just imagine how MxRead was going to react when he told her that her wishes for SoraPink ‘porn’ were finally going to be fulfilled.
At the thought of his fic, though, he felt a little squiggle of discomfort. After Lei told him that she had been reading fanfic at the noodle shop, they hadn’t spoken about it again. She hadn’t brought it up, and Law purposely hadn’t asked, because he felt… weird about the whole thing. Not about her reading fanfic, obviously. But about the fact that he felt such an instinctive resistance to the idea of telling her he was a fanfic writer. It wasn’t that he thought she would judge him or anything, but he just… didn’t want to reveal that piece of his life. Not yet, not when he knew she would have a thousand curious Lei questions about his ‘art’: questions that he might not be able to answer.
It was easier not to say anything about his writing, and so that was what he’d done. And besides, it wasn’t like he and Lei had a shortage of other things to talk about. Or to not talk about, like when they watched the sunset in a cozy silence. Or in the aftermath of their fucking, when the silence between them was warm with pleasure and the sharp sounds of them both catching their breath.
I’ll tell her eventually, he thought, and he turned into the driveway. Once he was parked, he checked his phone.
Lei-ya 5:46 PM
You can’t SAY things like that to me when you’re leaving!!! 😭❤️
5:53 PM
I’ll say it first thing next time I see you, then.
Lei-ya 5:53 PM
Oh really?? I dare you to come into the library and say that to my face!
Touché, he thought, and he chuckled as he unfolded himself from the car. Honestly, he was surprising himself with all this horny talk. It wasn’t something he’d ever done with anyone else. In truth, he’d never actually done anything particularly kinky with anyone, including anyone getting tied to beds. But Lei just brought this out in him — this hunger, this boldness — and he wasn’t going to question it when her reactions made him feel so good.
He went inside. “Cora-san?”
“In here!”
Corazon’s voice came from the living room, so Law made his way there. “Hey. What—” He stopped short in the doorway. Cora was sitting on the floor, and spread on the coffee table and the floor around him were Law’s drawings: his Sora comics from when he was a kid.
What? No. What? His eyes flicked wildly around the living room. Fuck, right there, open and half-empty: the box of comics from the office closet. The box of comics that had triggered that intolerable gut-rush of feeling — so intolerable that Law had shoved the box back into the depths of the closet, hoping it wouldn’t be dug out again.
Cora beamed at him. “Hey! Look what I found in the office! It’s your comics from the year we met!”
They year they’d met. The year Law spent in the hospital, sick with the so-called ‘white lead’ virus. The year that Corazon spent at his bedside every single night, even the first month or so when Law spent his waking hours spitting and cursing and trying to fight everyone who came near him, whenever the disease left him enough energy to fight. The year that Cora spent exposing himself to Law’s virus, day in and day out: the virus that Law fully recovered from, but which buried itself undetected in Cora’s immune system, only to emerge years later when it was too late to cure him — when it had already done irreversible damage to Cora’s immune and cardiovascular systems.
“Wh-what are you…” Fuck, his mouth was bone-dry.
Cora waved him over. “Come on, come look at this stuff, it’s great! Look at how neat your writing was. Not like now, with your doctor’s shitty chicken-scratch.” He gently turned the page of the notebook in his lap, then smiled up at Law with bright eyes. “You used to get so mad at the nurses when they said you had to stop drawing to eat. D’you remember?”
Law finally found his tongue. “Why are you looking at that?”
“Because it’s like a time capsule, bro! It’s a blast to the past!”
“I mean why did you take that box out?” Law demanded. “What were you doing in that closet?”
Cora’s smile faded. “You’ve been nagging me to declutter for months. I finally got around to it.”
“This is ‘decluttering’ to you?” Law said aggressively. “Digging up that useless old shit?”
Cora hugged the notebook to his chest. “It’s not useless! It’s adorable! This is the closest I’ve got to baby photos of you, you damn brat. You wouldn’t let me take a single photo of you until you were twelve. And look at all the details you put into this stuff!” He flipped another page of the notebook. “You spent so much time coming up with your stories! Look at all these notes! And sometimes you even did a sketch before you drew the actual comic page? I’m telling you, this is some brilliant—”
“Shut up,” Law snapped.
Cora looked up at him. “Eh? What’s up with you?”
Law glared at him with a pounding feeling in his head. How could Corazon talk about those times so casually, like it was all fun and games? As though the drawings were just some cute little pastime? Law drew those comics because he had to. He had to draw, or otherwise he would think. And if he was thinking, then…
No, he couldn’t think. Not back then, not when everything he had to think about was terrible. Lami’s hollowed cheeks as he told her to hide: the last memory he would ever have of her, and the only one that he could conjure clearly anymore. His parents’ lifeless bodies, and the nauseating copper-sharp smell of their blood. The hellish heat billowing off of the flaming hospital, the percussive pop-pop-pop of gunfire that he would never forget, no matter how much he tried: a sound that haunted his nightmares for years afterwards, forcing him to wake up screaming in Cora’s arms. Even now sometimes, he woke up from nightmares drenched in sweat, and the only part of the dream he could remember was that heart-stopping pop-pop-pop. And the corpses: corpses of his neighbours, his schoolmates, his parents’ colleagues… just corpses everywhere — corpses that Law eventually forced himself to crawl among and hide, just to evade the attention of the invading soldiers blazing their way through Flevance.
When Law worked on his comics, though, it had all receded. It didn’t go away, not completely. But when he was planning and sketching and finally drawing his stories in crisp, precise lines of ink, he was able to forget for a while that his entire family had been murdered. He was able to forget for a while that he would’ve died if not for Corazon — that he should’ve died along with his family, that he had no right to be alive when he hadn’t even been able to protect his little sister.
When Law drew his Sora comics, he was able to put all of it behind him: to push away all of the horror and tamp it down while he focused all of his energy on his comics instead. Drawing comics was the only thing that made him feel calm during that year he was in the hospital, being treated for the weaponized virus that had been released on Flevance. With Cora there overnight to soothe him when he woke up screaming, and with the comics keeping his mind busy during the day, Law eventually made it out of the hospital and was able to start a new life with Corazon.
Law stared at the comics that were arrayed on the coffee table and the floor: an array that reminded him of an autopsied body, with its complex and gruesome history. And Corazon had the gall to call this ‘adorable’?
Corazon rose to his feet. “Hey, Law—”
“Pack this shit up,” Law commanded. “It’s mine. I don’t want you poking at it anymore.” He strode away and vaulted up the stairs two at a time, then stalked into the office and slammed the door.
He was furious. He was fucking furious — so much so that his hands were shaking. He shoved his fingers through his hair and clutched his scalp until it stung, then took a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly. I’ll write, he thought. That was what he would do; he would work on his fic, and then he wouldn’t have to think about this anymore. And he wouldn’t be pissed at Corazon anymore, either.
He sat in his desk chair and turned on the lamp and his laptop. He had just opened his fic outline when there was a knock at the door.
Law glared over his shoulder. He did not want to talk to Corazon right now. He didn’t want to talk to fucking anyone.
Cora knocked again. “I can wait out here all night, you know. I’ve got nothing but time on my hands.”
Law clenched his jaw. Finally, he stalked to the door and wrenched it open, then went back to his desk and sat down without speaking.
Cora ambled inside and made to sit on the stool beside the desk, and Law shot him a cutting look. “Don’t sit there. You’ll fall on your ass.”
“Fair enough.” Cora sat directly on the floor, then pulled the blunt out from behind his ear and tucked it between his lips.
Law stared fixedly at his screen. Then he realized that he had his fanfic open while Corazon was in the room.
He snapped his laptop lid shut and gave Corazon a withering look. “What do you want?”
“Why so mad, sweetheart?” Cora said gently.
“Those comics are personal, that’s why,” Law snapped.
“I’m getting that,” Cora said, in the same calm tone. “But I wanna know why.”
Law swelled, and Cora held up his hands. “Hey, hey, before you bite my head off, just listen. I honestly just thought your comics were cute, like how kids get obsessed with something and it’s all they talk about until the next craze comes along. If there’s more to it than that — I mean, there’s obviously more to it than that. You wanna tell me how?”
“No,” Law said forcefully. “I want you to get out and leave me alone.”
Cora gave him a chiding look. “Law-kun—”
“I didn’t have to think, okay?” Law shouted. “I didn’t have to fucking think. If I was drawing, then I wasn’t thinking about — about fucking Flevance. About them.”
Cora’s eyes went huge, and Law’s temper spiked even more. “What?” he barked. “What the hell are you staring at me like that for?”
“I didn’t…” Corazon swallowed visibly. “Law, I didn’t realize. I mean, I know you seemed happier once you started drawing, but I just thought… Bro, I just thought it was a kid’s obsession. I thought Sora was just, like, your ‘thing’.”
“It was,” Law said roughly. “It still — I mean, for fuck’s sake.” He gestured angrily at the collection of immaculately-clean Sora figurines that lined the shelves of one wall. “But it wasn’t just that. It was—”
“An escape,” Cora said. “The comics let you escape from the… the bad shit.”
Law nodded tightly, then turned his gaze back to his closed laptop. He waited for Cora to say something more, but the longer Cora just sat there silently chewing the end of his blunt, the more Law felt his anger simmering again.
He was about to tell Cora to leave when he spoke in a quiet voice. “You never got a chance to just be sad, did you?”
“What are you talking about?” Law retorted. “I was a fucking mess when you found me. I stabbed you with a piece of broken glass.”
Cora chuckled. “Yeah, I remember. That fucking hurt, too. And sure, you were pissed; man, you had so much rage packed into that little body. But I’ve never seen you cry about any of the shit you went through, not even once.”
He was frowning deeply at Law now: an uncharacteristically pensive frown. “What?” Law said defensively.
“I’ve never seen you cry a single time,” Cora said quietly. “Not in more than twenty years. You don’t think that’s weird?”
Law remembered the way he’d almost burst into tears when he first found that box of comics almost a year ago — the day before he started writing fanfic. The mere memory made his chest ache, which fuelled his anger even more. “So what? What do you want me to do, start bawling my fucking guts out?”
“Maybe you should,” Corazon said. “You’ve more than earned it. It might make you feel better.”
“I don’t think so,” he said icily. “Besides, I don’t see you crying about—” He broke off.
Cora straightened. “Oh-ho. Are we going to talk about me now?”
No, fuck no. He was not going to talk about Cora’s health right now. He’d had enough of that the other night. “I’m trying to write. Get out.” He opened his laptop.
Corazon acted like he hadn’t heard him. “I cry sometimes. When I think about me and you, and all the shit we‘ve been through.”
Law stared at him with a gripping feeling in his chest. Cora cried sometimes? But… Law didn’t know that. He’d never seen Cora crying. He — he hadn’t known…
He felt a crushing twist of guilt. It was his fault. He wasn’t working hard enough to find a solution for Cora’s uniquely shitty combination of health problems. He needed to focus more on his research. He could be taking a more active role in finding participants who matched his very specific study criteria. Maybe he should take a sabbatical from surgery, or see if Kureha would take on parts of his rotations, even just for a little while. “Don’t… Don’t worry about that,” he said weakly. “Don’t — you’re going to be fine. By the time you need a heart transplant, I’ll have it figured out so you’ll be a viable candidate—”
“Hey, shut up, no,” Cora interrupted. “That’s not why I’m telling you this. I’m just saying that it’s normal to be sad when bad shit happens, you know? It’s normal. You don’t have to crush it down all the time.”
He was wrong. He was so, so wrong. If Law allowed the ‘bad shit’ to touch him, if he allowed himself to linger on it, it would drown him. He had to keep it under control. It was the only way to move forward, to find a way to keep Cora alive and well, to make sure he’d live beyond the paltry ten-odd years of his prognosis.
He swallowed hard, then turned back to his laptop again. “Can you leave me alone? I just want to write.”
Cora sighed, then rose from the couch. “Fine, fine. But now I’m wondering why you’re so keen to work on your fanfic rather than talk about this.”
Law gave him a scathing look. “Since when did you become a fucking psychiatrist?”
Cora grinned. “Hey, give me some credit. I’m not just a dumbass who plays video games all day.”
Law curled his lip, then turned back to his laptop. Cora chuckled, then rose to his feet and kissed the crown of Law’s head. “Hey, I love you, yeah? Even when you’re pissed at me.”
His throat swelled painfully. But he didn’t reply for fear of what would happen if he opened his mouth. When Cora turned away, Law was seized by a sudden urge to call him back, to hide in Cora’s arms, but an even stronger urge told him not to dare, or the pressing rush of bad feeling in his throat would rupture.
Cora closed the door. Law dropped his head into his hands, and when the pull of his own fingers in his hair started to hurt, he lifted his head and forced himself to start reading his outline for the next chapter.
Fuck, his head was pounding. It probably didn’t help that he hadn’t eaten since his late breakfast with Lei around 11 a.m.
The thought of Lei made his eyes burn. He wished he was with her now—
No. As soon as the thought came to him, he balked from it. He couldn’t imagine being around her when he was like this. He couldn’t bear the idea of her seeing him like this: so volatile and out-of-control.
He took another deep breath, then focused on his writing. Or he tried to, he really did. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation with Corazon. Not just the conversation, but that box of fucking comics. The comics he drew rather than thinking about his family, about Flevance, about how scared he was: scared and angry and alone and sad—
What fucking right did Cora have, anyway, to imply that his fanfic was anything like that? He wasn’t writing Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure to stop himself from thinking about anything. He was writing it because he wanted to: because it was something he enjoyed doing, even when it was hard, like tonight. He wrote because it satisfied him and energized him and made him happy. He wrote because he fucking loved it. It wasn’t the same as the comic-drawing. He wasn’t trying to escape anything with his writing. It wasn’t the fucking same.
He glared unseeingly at his chapter draft, feeling equally angry at Corazon and at himself for the fact that he couldn’t settle into the right mind-state to write. Then, on a bad-tempered whim, he opened Discord.
He didn’t have any new messages from MxRead, which was a bit of a surprise. She usually messaged him on the weekends.
He frowned at his screen for a long minute. Then, without really knowing what he was doing, he messaged her.
Sunday June 29, 2025
HeartCaptain251615 6:28 PM
Are you around?
He started a new chapter draft and started fleshing out his chapter outline as he waited to see if MxRead would reply. It was earlier than they usually chatted, so she was probably busy. Probably eating dinner, actually. Fuck, he really ought to eat something. It would help with his headache. But he did not want to go downstairs and talk to Corazon again just yet.
To his surprise, a notif popped up at the corner of his screen. He clicked back into Discord.
MxRead 6:30 PM
Hi perfect timing! I just sat down to eat, so you can keep me entertained! How’s my favourite writer doing? chinhands
His shoulders loosened a little. Maybe he’d been onto something when he decided to randomly message her.
HeartCaptain251615 6:30 PM
Not great. I can’t get the words to flow tonight.
MxRead 6:30 PM
Oh no! That’s the most frustrating feeling! Is there any way I can help?
HeartCaptain251615 6:30 PM
I don’t know.
He hovered his fingers over the keyboard, knowing he should say more unless he wanted to sound cryptic as fuck. But he was too slow; when he didn’t type anything else for a few long seconds, she messaged him again.
MxRead 6:31 PM
Hey, are you ok? Is something wrong? 😥
He frowned. He didn’t really want to talk about what was wrong; it was so fucking personal, and MxRead was just a stranger on the internet. But… But she wasn’t a stranger, not really. She was the only person who knew he was a writer, who knew how much he cared about his writing. In some ways, she knew him better than anyone, even though they’d only been chatting for a couple of months. And the fact that she knew about this big, secret, important part of his life, finally spurred him to type out a reply.
HeartCaptain251615 6:32 PM
I need to go off about something for a minute.
MxRead 6:32 PM
Go off, go off! 🍿
HeartCaptain 6:33 PM
You asked a while ago why I started writing. I honestly couldn’t tell you why. I have no fucking clue what I was thinking exactly that day when I first started to write. But the reason I do it now? It’s because I want to. It’s what I WANT to do. And it has nothing to do with something I’m refusing to talk about or any bullshit that might have happened in the past. It’s nothing to do with that. I’m writing a story that I happen to give a fuck about, and that’s just what I want to do in my spare time. It’s how I decompress. And what’s so wrong with that? What’s wrong with wanting to just escape for a little while? If I want to spend my spare time thinking about my own story where everything happens the way I say it will, that’s my fucking right. I can do what I want, and this is what I want to do.
His heart was pounding by the time he sent the message. He slumped back in his chair and stared stonily at the screen for a few long seconds. Then he put on his headphones and turned his music up loud while he waited for MxRead to reply.
It was a long couple of minutes before she finally messaged him back.
MxRead 6:35 PM
Of course you should do what you want to do in your spare time! And I get it re: the escape! Of course that’s part of why you write — it’s a big reason that I read too, right? It’s why most people read, I think! Like, of course we want to escape into a fantasy world, and if the writer is good, that’s what their story will do for me! But is there something specific you’re trying to escape from?
He scowled at the screen as he replied.
HeartCaptain251615 6:35 PM
No. But the whole point is that I don’t want to talk about it.
As soon as he sent the message, he wanted to punch himself. He’d basically just confirmed that there was something he was trying to avoid talking about. Which he wasn’t.
HeartCaptain251615 6:36 PM
Sometimes a hobby is a distraction from something shitty that you don’t want to think about. That might be true sometimes. But sometimes a hobby is just a fucking hobby. What’s wrong with that?
MxRead 6:36 PM
Nothing. And I don’t think it’s bad if your hobby is a distraction, either. But you mentioned yourself that the writing is an escape…?
Sorry, I’m not trying to throw your own words back at you!! It just sounds like you’re not quite sure whether the writing is an escape or not, you know? Or maybe like, there’s not a specific situation you want to escape, but it’s just stress! Like you said, you write to decompress! The writing helps you escape from IRL stress by focusing on Sora and Reiju’s sexual-tension stress instead 😗
He finally started to relax. Her SoraPink sex obsession notwithstanding, it felt like MxRead was understanding what he was getting at.
HeartCaptain251615 6:37 PM
Exactly. It’s just a way to take a break from IRL stress. There’s nothing wrong with that. And I’d argue that it’s a better way to channel that energy than having a nervous breakdown.
MxRead 6:37 PM
Yikes, a nervous breakdown?
He rolled his eyes. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating with the nervous breakdown thing.
HeartCaptain251615 6:37 PM
Not a nervous breakdown. But he implied that there are things I should talk about rather than writing. But the two things are unrelated. He’s making connections when there’s nothing to connect.
MxRead 6:38 PM
That sounds so frustrating, I’m sorry! 😞 You’re talking about your one IRL friend who knows about the fic, right? So he thinks you’re using the writing to avoid talking about stuff?
HeartCaptain251615 6:38 PM
That’s basically what he was saying. But that’s not true. I’m not avoiding anything. I would just rather focus on my writing because there’s no point ruminating about bad shit.
MxRead 6:38 PM
What kind of bad shit? Your fortune-telling cheese stock going moldy? 😩
He snorted a laugh despite himself.
HeartCaptain251615 6:39 PM
Fuck off.
MxRead 6:39 PM
I’m sorry I’m sorry!! A badly timed joke!! 😭
He huffed, then slowly typed out his reply.
HeartCaptain251615 6:39 PM
Kidding. It’s fine. Just life stress shit. Work. Family.
His gut started to twist as he typed. What Cora had told him highlighted the fact that he really needed to focus on his research more. But it was going to be hard to fit it around his surgery schedule. Fuck, maybe he really ought to take a sabbatical from surgery, even if he didn’t want to; surgery was part of his job that he enjoyed the most. And it was soothing too, in its own way, with the way his mind slid into that quiet-hyperfocus mode that the operating room evoked. But even a partial break from his surgical duties would mean he could recruit more participants for the research, which would mean more data, which meant more possibilities of a breakthrough that would save Cora’s life.
If he didn’t want to cut back on his OR time, though, there was another option: he could… slow things down with Lei. Spend less time with her. But… fuuuck, he really didn’t want to do that. As crazy as it sounded, considering how little time they’d been seeing each other, he really treasured the time he spent with her. Being with her just felt so good. It was fun and easy and fulfilling, and just… good. And he didn’t want to give up the one thing — the one person — in his life where everything just felt simple.
Simple because you won’t talk to her about Flevance, or Cora, or your writing, said a voice in his head: a voice that sounded an awful lot like Corazon.
He closed his eyes in exhaustion, then opened them again and typed another message.
HeartCaptain251615 6:39 PM
Everyone has stress. Everyone has multiple things they have to juggle. At least I have a good outlet for my stress.
MxRead 6:39 PM
That’s true! And I personally think that writing is just as healthy an outlet for stress as, like, exercise or something. But if the stress is so bothersome tonight that it’s getting in the way of your writing, I wonder if it might be worth talking about what’s stressing you out…? Just to get rid of some of that stress, so you can focus on your writing like you want to do!
He scowled. The whole point was that he didn’t want to talk. Besides, who the fuck was he supposed to talk to about all of this?
HeartCaptain251615 6:40 PM
And who exactly am I supposed to dump this shit on? It’s not like I have IRL friends to talk about fic with, like you.
MxRead 6:40 PM
You could talk to that friend who knows about your fic, maybe? Or if you want, you can talk to me! I’m just a rando impartial party who doesn’t know anyone in your life, after all, so you could rant to me and you know it’ll never go anywhere else 😂
His heart stuttered. Talk to her, meaning…? Wait, what did she mean?
HeartCaptain251615 6:41 PM
What do you mean? I’m already talking to you.
MxRead 6:41 PM
No ofc, I meant if you wanted to voice chat and just get it all off your chest at once! And before you can say it: voice chat??? With a stranger??? I know, I usually wouldn’t either because I fucking hate voice chatting most of the time LOL. But for you, I would!
MxRead 6:41 PM
(IN A TOTALLY PLATONIC WAY, BTW. Just to be clear. No matter how great you are, you can’t measure up to the guy I’m seeing now, sorrynotsorry 😌)
He scoffed, but he was reassured by the mention of the guy she was dating. He was glad they were keeping that boundary in place. Still, though, the idea of voice chatting with her…
He had never voice-chatted with an online stranger before. Which made sense, since MxRead was the first person he’d befriended online. He didn’t love the idea, but he also didn’t… hate it. Especially since he did have this lingering urge to rant, and typing just didn’t satisfy that urge. But…
No. He couldn’t. MxRead was right: the idea of voice chatting in general was too unappealing. Law barely tolerated voice chatting with Bepo, Shachi and Penguin when they were gaming together, even to the point that he muted them sometimes when he needed a break.
HeartCaptain251615 6:43 PM
I appreciate the offer. But I’m not there yet.
MxRead 6:43 PM
No worries! And honestly, consider the offer to be an open one if you change your mind! And you can keep ranting via message if you want! I’m all ears! Or eyes, I should say 😂
He pulled in a big breath, then let it out in a huge sigh. He really didn’t want to keep ranting about any of this. He just… He really just wanted to fucking write.
He clicked back over to his chapter draft. You can do this, he told himself. The writing will make you feel better. Just do it. He reread his chapter notes and added to them, fleshing out his outline a little more. Then he settled in to start the actual writing.
Fifteen minutes later, he’d gotten fucking nowhere, and he was more irritated than ever. He took his headphones off and scrubbed his hands through his hair, then put his headphones back on and tapped into Discord.
HeartCaptain251615 7:02 PM
I’m so fucking pissed. This has never happened to me before.
MxRead 7:02 PM
Oh no 😭 The writing still won’t come?
HeartCaptain251615 7:02 PM
No.
MxRead 7:03 PM
I’m so sorry, genuinely. At risk of sounding like an extremely-nosy broken record, are you sure you don’t want to rant (by message!) about whatever might be blocking you? The stuff you’re trying to juggle? NO PRESSURE, but I really suspect it might help to get past the block!
He glared at the screen. He did not like that she kept pointing this out. And he liked it even less that he was starting to think she was right.
“Fuck,” he muttered. He leaned his head back on his chair and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Then, finally, he typed out an answer.
HeartCaptain251615 7:04 PM
It’s hard to explain without telling you what I do. But in essence, I have two jobs, and lives are at stake with both of them. I enjoy one part of my job more than the other, but the part I enjoy less is way more important, and I can’t fail at it.
MxRead 7:04 PM
Oh god, two jobs? I’m sorry about that part alone! You must constantly be wishing you had more time to write! But what do you mean, you can’t fail?
He exhaled. She was right; he did find himself wishing multiple times a day that he could be writing instead. But that wasn’t the point right now.
HeartCaptain251615 7:05 PM
The stakes are higher for the thing I can’t fail at. And something happened today that made me realize I probably need to change my schedule so I do more of the thing I enjoy less, because it’s become more urgent.
MxRead 7:05 PM
Ughhh that sounds like so much pressure, I’m so sorry 😭 but what will happen if you fail? Like, I feel like I’m prying here, but what does “fail” mean for the job you enjoy less?
He stared at the screen for a long, long moment. Then, very slowly, he typed out his greatest fear: the fear that he had never voiced out loud to anyone.
HeartCaptain251615 7:06 PM
You know already that I’m an academic. It has to do with my research. If my research comes to nothing, I’ll be letting down the person I love the most.
MxRead 7:06 PM
Wait, what do you mean? Is the person you love a coworker?
HeartCaptain251615 7:06 PM
I can’t explain it further. But if my research fails, I’ll be letting that person down, and I can’t let that happen, even if it means giving up the part of my job that I enjoy.
MxRead 7:07 PM
Have you told the person you love that you feel this way?
He frowned at the screen. Was she crazy?
HeartCaptain251615 7:07 PM
Of course not. Why would I do that?
MxRead 7:08 PM
Because you feel so strongly about this! So strongly that it’s affecting your writing! I’m sure they would want to know so they can reassure you! And to know how much you love them!
HeartCaptain251615 7:08 PM
But it wouldn’t change anything. And it would just be a burden on them.
MxRead 7:08 PM
No way. It’s never a burden to be told that you’re loved!
Cora’s face flashed into his mind: the wry smile Cora had given him as he left the office, right after kissing him on the head and telling him he loved him.
His throat swelled. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and when his eyes weren’t stinging anymore, he briskly typed out a message.
HeartCaptain251615 7:10 PM
I shouldn’t have unloaded this on you. I’m done talking about it now.
MxRead 7:11 PM
Omg no, are you kidding? I’m glad you unloaded! You obviously needed to get it off your chest, especially if this was getting in the way of your writing! I know how frustrating it is when all you want is to write but you just can’t get yourself to cooperate. When it’s like, the spirit is willing but the stupid brain won’t engage! Or there’s just so much happening that the stupid brain won’t settle to doing what you really want it to do. That’s the most frustrating feeling in the world and if there’s any way I can help you NOT feel that way anymore, just say the word! Seriously, I mean that
MxRead 7:12 PM
The last thing I’ll say about this for now, the VERY last thing, is that it really might make you feel better if you talk to that person you love about all of this. Even if it doesn’t change anything, at least you won’t be keeping it all bottled up to yourself, right? And it might just be that letting the feelings out will allow the writing to come out too!
He clicked his tongue. She was being really persistent about this. But if he was honest… He had to admit, he wasn’t feeling nearly as irritable and on-edge as he was before he’d talked about this with her.
Time to put her theory to the test, he thought ruefully, and he clicked back over to his chapter draft. He frowned at his uncooperative chapter draft, then cracked his knuckles and started to write.
An hour or so later, his head was pounding worse than ever, and his stomach was cramping with hunger. And he had written just over 2000 words.
For a long moment, he gazed at his chapter draft with a nearly-vindictive feeling of triumph. Then he went back to Discord.
HeartCaptain251615 8:23 PM
I was able to write. I can’t thank you enough. I mean that.
He rose from his desk and stretched, then finally ventured downstairs to get something to eat. Corazon wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room, which meant he was likely painting in the garage. But the box of Sora comics was sitting on the coffee table, closed up and contained once more.
His belly twisted with an uncomfortable feeling that was almost like guilt. He averted his eyes from the box and opened the fridge.
On a plate in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap, were two unevenly-sliced rolls of gimbap. The gimbap was accompanied by a note.
I saw this tutorial online for assembling the gimbap so it looks like hearts when you slice them but BRO. That shit is harder to do than it looks.
Basic gimbap for my fave little shithead <3
— C xoxo
Fucking Corazon, he thought. He swallowed the lump in his throat, then tenderly took the gimbap out of the fridge and went back upstairs to the office.
He sat down at his laptop. And as he stuffed a piece of gimbap into his mouth, he saw that MxRead had messaged him back.
MxRead 8:24 PM
OMGOMG YOU WROTE! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! 🤩💃🎉Seriously no thanks necessary, it’s a gift enough just to know that you were able to unblock so quickly!!!
He devoured two more pieces of gimbap as he replied.
HeartCaptain251615 8:27 PM
Your insight into this was scarily helpful. I’m starting to think you might be a psychologist.
MxRead 8:27 PM
Hahaha think whatever you want!! I still prefer the suggestion that I’m skilled enough to be a sex club hostess 😌💅
He smirked, then polished off the rest of the first gimbap roll before messaging her again.
HeartCaptain251615 8:30 PM
Now all we have to do is find that thing to hook you back into writing.
Her response came more slowly than he would have expected.
MxRead 8:33 PM
Oh don’t worry about me! It’ll come back to me eventually I’m sure
He frowned thoughtfully as he finished the second gimbap roll. For all that she loved to talk about his fic and his writing process, she tended to deflect a lot when he mentioned hers.
HeartCaptain251615 8:34 PM
What fandoms did you used to write for? I’m assuming you wrote fic.
MxRead 8:34 PM
I wrote for Savage Starlight! Do you know it?
HeartCaptain251615 8:34 PM
Just the basics. I heard the third game was a really good standalone, but I never got around to playing it.
MxRead 8:34 PM
It is! I recommend it if you ever find the time! But yeah, I used to write fic for a couple of ships in that fandom
He raised his eyebrows. A couple of ships? That was interesting. He had a hard time imagining juggling more than one romantic relationship in his writing, much less more than one entire story.
HeartCaptain251615 8:35 PM
Did you ever have trouble keeping the ships separate in your head? Or in your writing?
MxRead 8:35 PM
Not really! The ships were so different that it was kind of like flipping a switch when I moved from one story to the other
Why do you ask? Are you thinking about writing another WOTS ship??
HeartCaptain251615 8:35 PM
Nice try. We’re talking about you now.
MxRead 8:35 PM
HAHA you make it sound like I’m trying to be sneaky! I genuinely want to know 😂
He smirked, but he purposely kept the topic on her. She really did have a habit of shifting the conversation back to him.
HeartCaptain251615 8:36 PM
You mentioned before that you stopped feeling hooked. Is it because you finished your stories?
A minute passed, and she didn’t reply. Law frowned thoughtfully at his screen, then decided to check his phone while he waited… Ooh, Lei had texted him a while ago.
Lei-ya 6:27 PM
[IMG_8921.jpg]
Lei-ya 6:27 PM
Dinner! Wish you were here so I could share ❤️
It was a photo of a pasta bowl with chicken and vegetables. He smiled faintly as he tapped back a reply.
8:38 PM
Looks tasty. But the woman eating it is even tastier.
He sent the text, then scoffed quietly at his own boldness. It was a shame that he hadn’t been able to channel this bold-and-horny mood into his writing.
He put his phone down and looked back at Discord to find that MxRead had finally replied.
MxRead 8:38 PM
No I wish haha. This is going to sound kind of juvenile, but I stopped writing because of bullying 😅
Wait. What? Bullying? She’d been bullied?
HeartCaptain251615 8:39 PM
What do you mean? What happened?
MxRead 8:42 PM
Haha so one of the ships I was writing was one of the most popular ones, and the fandom was really divided between these two ways of depicting the ship. My fic got fairly popular (not bragging, it’s just the truth), and eventually people started sending me anon messages on Tumblr saying that they hated the way I wrote the ship, that my OC was basic, that my OC is appropriating other cultures’ practices (my OC had the same cultural background as me??? Which nobody online knew because I don’t share that information about myself??? but ok go off 😅) and just all this stuff. Around the same time, I got a couple of not-nice comments on AO3 saying that they wish I’d done certain things differently in my story, and idk it just got to me. Like it really got to me, idk, it just really made me really sad and anxious and stuff. So I stopped writing, and soon after that I just deleted my tumblr and deleted all my stuff off of AO3 so I wouldn’t risk getting mean comments anymore
MxRead 8:43 PM
One of my reader friends told me later that the anon hate was all coming from a group of like 4 people who had been harassing a number of fan artists and writers in the fandom because they were jealous of the more popular artists, and bc they thought THEIR way of doing the ship was the only way. So basically this group of bullies being assholes for no good reason. But it was too late by then, my stuff was all gone on AO3, so that’s that 😂
Law gaped at the screen. He hadn’t expected this.
HeartCaptain251615 8:43 PM
I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.
MxRead 8:43 PM
Don’t be sorry! It’s fine! It’s been years now anyway so the sting is gone, you know? But unfortunately the spark to write is gone too and there hasn’t really been anything that reignited it
Or like, even when it does, like SoraPink, I just look for other people’s writing instead of attempting my own because it just doesn’t feel worth it idk
He sighed and rubbed his chin. He… really wasn’t sure what to say to this. He’d never personally known anyone who was bullied online before. He’d dealt with a lot of bullying when he started middle school, and he’d beaten down his fair share of bullies — including Shachi and Penguin, in fact, whom he’d first met because they had been bullying Bepo in the schoolyard. But that was all so different from what MxRead was describing, when the enemy was some anonymous coward that she couldn’t even confront.
Finally, after a long moment’s thought, he decided what to say.
HeartCaptain251615 8:45 PM
Do you have the usernames of the people who bullied you?
MxRead 8:45 PM
Why?
HeartCaptain251615 8:45 PM
I’ll track them down. Find out their names and addresses and doxx them. I’ll tell Reddit that they’re puppy murderers. Their houses/cars/etc will be destroyed in a matter of days.
MxRead 8:45 PM
LMAO NO??? I appreciate the sentiment but ABSOLUTELY NO 🤣🤣🤣
HeartCaptain251615 8:45 PM
In all seriousness, that is fucking shitty. Do you still have copies of your fics saved somewhere? They weren’t only on AO3, were they?
MxRead 8:46 PM
No I saved copies of them, and I have all the unpublished drafts backed up and everything. Why?
HeartCaptain251615 8:46 PM
Just making sure. You’re still a writer, even if you deleted your stuff from AO3. Those assholes can’t take that away from you.
MxRead 8:47 PM
Brb just crying
Oh shit. Had he said the wrong thing? Well, he’d never really been known for his bedside manner.
He sighed, then picked up his phone. No reply from Lei. Maybe she was watching a movie, or messaging with her friends.
He stood up and stretched, then took his empty dinner plate back downstairs. He made himself a cup of herbal tea, then went back up to the office and sat at his laptop once more.
MxRead 8:49 PM
I wish I could hug you. I hope that’s not creepy to say. But seriously thank you for saying that. Sometimes it feels like it wasn’t even me who did the writing, like it was a different person entirely who was so excited to write every day, but having you say I’m still a writer was just really nice
SORRY I’M LIKE A BASKET CASE NOW FOR NO REASON HAHA 🤣😭 Anyway thank you for what you said, I really appreciate it, I think I’m gonna go bawl now for a thousand years LOL
Oh good, so he hadn’t said the wrong thing. That was nice.
HeartCaptain251615 8:50 PM
Don’t thank me. I’m just repeating back to you what you said to me. If I’m a writer, so are you.
MxRead 8:50 PM
SHUT THE FUCK UP I’M ALREADY CRYING WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME 😭
He huffed a little laugh as he replied.
HeartCaptain251615 8:50 PM
I’ll leave you to your crying, then. I have to go anyway.
MxRead 8:50 PM
Ok go go! And thank you for the talk! Seriously thank you a thousand times over 😭🤗
HeartCaptain251615 8:51 PM
Don’t thank me. I didn’t do anything. Remember, I owe you.
He shut down his laptop, then yawned and stretched before heading to the bathroom for a shower. He checked his phone before and after his shower, and he was a little surprised that Lei still hadn’t texted him. By the time he was climbing into bed, though, she had finally replied.
Lei-ya 9:22 PM
😍🥰 I wish I could come up with a clever reply but you’re just making me melt!
9:31 PM
Good. I like when you’re melted mochi.
Lei-ya 9:31 PM
Stop it you’re making me want you so much 😭
He smirked… Oh, for fuck’s sake, his cock was getting hard. This libido-in-overdrive thing was verging on ridiculous.
9:32 PM
I’ll lay off for now. Mostly because I’m in bed for early OR time tomorrow.
Lei-ya 9:32 PM
Ah okay! Damn, I was going to ask if you were available to get lunch any day this week but I guess not if you’re in the OR again this week?
9:32 PM
Probably not. But I’ll let you know if I can find the time.
Lei-ya 9:32 PM
Yes let me know! I’ll join you at the hospital in a heartbeat ❤️
Lei-ya 9:33 PM
Or should I say 🫀
He snorted a laugh before replying.
9:33 PM
That’s exactly the kind of stupid joke Rosinante would make.
Lei-ya 9:33 PM
Oh good!!! Or is it bad that I remind you of your family 🤣
9:33 PM
Disturbing. I have to sleep now. Goodnight.
Lei-ya 9:34 PM
LOL goodnight! Imagine me kissing you! ❤️
9:34 PM
I’ll imagine you doing way more than that.
Lei-ya 9:34 PM
😍🥰🫀 Bluescreening!!!
He chuckled, then put his phone down. Damn, he was so exhausted that he might actually fall asleep quickly for once. And all it took to be this tired was a combination of marathon sex with Lei, an argument with Cora, an intense hour of writing, and a weirdly… intimate conversation with MxRead.
He frowned faintly in the darkness of his bedroom. Now that he was thinking back on it, was it strange that he’d told MxRead such personal things about his life? He’d told her some things tonight that he hadn’t even told Corazon — things that he didn’t want to tell Corazon, because he didn’t want Cora to feel bad when he’d given Law so much. But MxRead thought he should talk about it with Cora…?
Ugh, he was too tired to think about this anymore tonight. He settled more snugly into his pillows, then let out a big sigh.
A minute later, he picked his phone up once more.
9:36 PM
I’m in bed. Thanks for the gimbap. It was ugly but delicious. Don’t stay up too late.
Cora-san 9:36 PM
You’re welcome you shitty brat 🤣 ILU!
He smirked, then put his phone down and closed his eyes. And within seconds, he was asleep.
Notes:
Savage Starlight is a made-up comic series in TLOU. I didn’t want to put a real fandom on blast for bullying LOL.
Chapter 15: Sanji
Notes:
There are some photos linked in this chapter. Not necessary to view them, but they will add… colour, shall we say. 😏🤣
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As usual on a surgery day, Law was up at 4:30 a.m., and he was at the hospital by 6. By 6:30 a.m., unfortunately, he got a call from the preadmit staff that his morning case was cancelled because the patient had taken their medications with yogurt instead of water.
He decided to go to his office in the MedSci Building to get some admin work done until his afternoon case at 2 p.m. As he was making his way along the quiet street from the hospital to the MedSci Building, he realized that there was an upside to his morning case being cancelled: he could have lunch with Lei.
As soon as he got to his office, he texted her.
Mon, Jun 30, 2025 6:53 AM
Hey. My morning surgery was cancelled so I’m free for lunch. Can you meet early — 11:30?
He didn’t expect an answer anytime soon since it was so early, so he settled in at his computer and started the boring task of going through his emails while he drank his coffee. He was mulling over the idea of scheduling a meeting with Kureha to discuss their surgery schedules when his phone buzzed.
Cora-san 7:42 AM
[IMG_2908.jpg]
Cora-san 7:42 AM
You sentimental brat! I knew you cared!
It was a photo of the bowl of overnight oats that Law had left in the fridge for Cora this morning: a bowl of oats that Law had decorated with fresh blueberries in the shape of a heart. He smirked as he replied.
7:42 AM
Who did that? Lame.
Cora-san 7:42 AM
I love you too shithead 🥰
7:42 AM
I’ll bring takeout for dinner, assuming my afternoon goes off with no complications. What do you want?
Cora-san 7:42 AM
Text me later and I’ll let you know if I’ve got a craving. Btw if this is your peace offering after yesterday, I’ll take it ✌️😁
Law rolled his eyes and put his phone down. When his phone buzzed again a couple minutes later, he fully expected it to be Corazon telling him not to ghost him. But he was pleasantly surprised.
Lei-ya 7:44 AM
Morning! 🥰 I would LOVE to have early lunch with you! 11:30 is great! Should I meet you at the hospital?
7:44 AM
No, I’m spending the morning in my office at Medsci. I can meet you somewhere between here and the library.
Lei-ya 7:44 AM
I’ll bring lunch to your office!
He frowned. He didn’t want her to go out of her way for him.
7:44 AM
Don’t do that. That’s too much trouble.
Lei-ya 7:44 AM
Don’t be silly! It’s the same amount of trouble as meeting anywhere else! And if I bring lunch to you, we’ll have more time together than if we have to wait in line for food!
Lei-ya 7:44 AM
And this is the best part: if I come to your office, we don’t have to be around other people 😎
Hm. She made a compelling point. A very compelling point, actually. The prospect of having lunch with Lei here in his office, just the two of them, with no one else around…
His eyes drifted to the couch. It was a plain black leather couch: nothing like the plush cushion-and-blanket-littered couch in Lei’s apartment. But still, the thought of himself and Lei and a couch, and everything he and Lei had done on her couch at her apartment—
Woah. Hang on. What was he thinking? That he and Lei would have sex on the couch in his office in the MedSci Building? That obviously wasn’t going to happen.
Get your mind out of the gutter, he scolded himself, and he ignored his stiffening cock as he texted her back.
7:45 AM
You hooked me with the “no other people”. But lunch is on me next time.
Lei-ya 7:45 AM
Shut up, we’re not keeping tabs 🤣 I’ll see you at 11:30 with sandwiches!
Brat, he thought fondly. He could practically see her mischievous smile.
7:45 AM
On second thought, I have other plans.
Lei-ya 7:46 AM
I’m kidding I’m kidding!! No bread for the world’s most handsome doctor 😘 I’ll get sushi! Let me know if there’s anything in particular you want (or don’t want)!
7:46 AM
Any kind of sushi is good. Thanks. See you in a few hours.
Lei-ya 7:46 AM
See you soon! Can’t wait! ❤️
He smiled like a fool, then checked his messages with Cora. And he immediately regretted it.
Cora-san 7:44 AM
You think you can ignore me huh? Wait till you see these rancid photos Kiddo sent me
Cora-san 7:44 AM
[IMG_2909.jpg]
[IMG_2910.jpg]
![[IMG_2909.jpg]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/ec10787d1621b7abb2e09714e5b5bf61/ea762faeea510d38-da/s500x750/4ab4c050f96aeeee7d0569ccf4b7e5355699c63a.jpg){kind=link}
The photos were of a collectible figurine of Sanji. Not the real Sanji, obviously, but the Vinsmoke Sanji character as depicted in Warrior of the Sea, cooking at a stove. And the figurine was buck naked. It apparently came with a removable apron and, for reasons that Law could not fathom, different phallic-shaped foods that could be swapped out for the figurine’s erect penis.
“What the fuck?” Law muttered.
7:47 AM
What the FUCK.
Cora-san 7:47 AM
LMAOOOOOOOO
7:47 AM
Rancid is right. Are those fucking real?
Cora-san 7:47 AM
Yeah bro LOL that collectible is selling for upwards of 400 B if you can believe it
7:48 AM
I wish I could say I don’t believe that, but I actually do. Should I ask how or why Eustass-ya had those photos?
7:48 AM
Actually don’t tell me. I’ll ask him to his face next time he comes over for rugby. Has anyone sent those to Zoro-ya yet?
Cora-san 7:48 AM
LMAO idk but do you think Sanji and Zoro will finally bone if he sees them?
Cora-san 7:48 AM
I’m sending them to Zoro now
7:48 AM
Keep me updated.
Cora-san 7:48 AM
Really?!
7:48 AM
No.
Cora-san 7:48 AM
Lil shit 🤣 just for that I’ll send you screencaps of what Zoro says
Law smirked. Then, against his own better judgment, he saved the Sanji-figurine photos to his phone to send to MxRead later. If she was such a Sanji fangirl, she would lose her mind when she saw them.
He set an alarm on his phone for 11:25 a.m., then tossed his phone onto the couch to prevent himself from being distracted by it. And for the rest of the morning, he carefully reviewed the current status of all of his lab’s projects and collaborations to see which ones would benefit the most from his direct involvement. He got so deeply focused on his work that when his alarm went off at 11:25 a.m., he actually startled.
He stood up — damn, his back was stiff. He stretched as he went to check his phone.
Lei-ya 11:21 AM
Sushi acquired! On my way! 🫡
His heart lifted. He quickly scanned his office for any mess — only his desk was a little cluttered with books and paperwork, but that was fine — then he headed down to the café on the main floor.
He was waiting at the café counter for his drink order when Lei entered the building. She was already striding toward the elevator, and he had to call her name to slow her down. “Lei-ya.”
She looked over at him, and the brilliance of her smile made his heart skip a beat. She hurried over to him, then stopped short about a foot away from him.
He arched a brow. “Hi…?”
“Hi!” she said. Then she lowered her voice. “I was going to kiss you hello. But I thought that might be unprofessional.”
“I guess it would be,” he said. Especially since he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop kissing her once they got started.
Her smile curled a little, like she could tell what he was thinking. Then her gaze slid to the barista, who was passing Law’s drink order across the counter. “Is that Vietnamese iced coffee?”
“Yeah,” he said, and he picked up the drinks. “The least I can do, since you bought lunch.”
She widened her eyes as they approached the elevator. “But you’ll be drinking your sweets! And it’s only Monday!”
“Yeah, unfortunately,” he said in a deadpan tone. “It seems like someone’s been a bad influence on me by pointing out how good this coffee is.”
She tutted. “Well, that’s not nice. Especially since I was going to say you’ve been a good influence on me.”
“How?” He hit the elevator button with his elbow.
“I’m here on time! Early, even!”
“That’s true. It’s weird that you’re on time.” He gave her a suspicious look. “How do I know you’re the real Lei-ya and not a doppelgänger?”
She smirked, but the elevator door opened before she could reply. They got into the elevator, and Law was grateful when no one else got in with them. They were both quiet as the elevator rose, and they didn’t even look at each other, but Law could see her smirking from the corner of his eye.
He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling, too. They made their way down the hall to his office in silence, and she remained silent until he closed the office door behind them.
Then she stepped right up to him — right up close so her chest was brushing his. “A doppelgänger wouldn’t know what you look like naked,” she purred. “Should I give you an itemized list and detailed description of all your tattoos to prove who I am?”
Vixen, he thought blissfully. She’s a vixen. He smiled down at her, then forced himself to step back toward the desk. “Let me just, uh, put these down.” He gestured lamely with the drinks in his hands.
“Oh yeah, me too!” She placed her bag and the takeout sushi on one end of the couch, then took a seat and smoothed out her skirt.
For fuck’s sake, he was getting hard just from the sight of her sitting on his couch. She wasn’t even doing anything. Why was he so uncontrollably feral for her? Why?
He placed the drinks on his desk, then leaned back against his desk and folded his arms. “So. How was your morning?”
“Small talk?” she said. “Really?”
Argh, her heated-and-mischievous smile… She was really pushing him here. Actually, no: she probably didn’t even mean to push him. She was just being her usual charming self, and he was just… out of control.
He tugged his earrings, and she laughed softly. “Hey, come sit down. And bring those drinks. I want to have mine before it gets watered down.”
He brought the iced coffees and sat beside her. She took one of the coffees and took a sip, and he did the same for lack of anything else to do.
She put her coffee down on the floor, then gave him an expectant look.
He arched a brow. “What?”
She smiled at him, then let out a little laugh and dropped her gaze. “It feels like there’s a lot you’re not saying right now.”
She was right. And it was because he couldn’t say what he was thinking. He couldn’t tell her that seeing her in a dress instantly made him think ‘easy access’. Or that the sushi she’d brought wasn’t the thing he wanted to eat right now. Or that he wanted nothing more in this moment than to take her back to her apartment and hole up alone with her for an entire week. No, more than a week; maybe a month. Two months to be on the safe side? Yeah, that might be enough time to gorge himself on how incredibly delicious she was. Maybe.
Absurd. You’re being absurd, he thought. The way he wanted to be with her, how intense this felt, it couldn’t be normal.
He rubbed a hand through his hair. Then Lei spoke again in a tentative tone. “Law, are you… Is something wrong? Did you… Was the weekend not—”
“No,” he blurted. “Nothing is wrong. The weekend was—” He broke off and exhaled hard, then gave her a frank look. “It was perfect. And I’m trying hard not to think about it.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Why?”
“Because it’s a workday, and we’re in my office at my place of work,” he said flatly.
The tension in her face morphed into a grin. “Ohhh. You’re trying not to be a pervy doctor, huh?”
He clicked his tongue and looked away, and she laughed and squeezed his thigh. “Oh, Law, I’m just teasing! You’re not pervy—”
He surged toward her and kissed her.
She gasped, and he took advantage to delve his tongue into her mouth. Mm, fuck, the heat of her tongue, the sweetness of Vietnamese coffee, ah, her hand cradling his neck and sliding around to his nape—
She abruptly straddled him.
His cock jerked. He dragged in a breath and curved his fingers over her thighs — fuck, her thighs, so smooth, he wanted to lick her skin… “Lei-ya—”
“Is this okay?” she panted. “Maybe I shouldn’t… Do you want me to stop—”
He kissed her again. She nipped his lip and licked his tongue, her hands stroking his neck and gliding into his hair, and he smoothed his palms along her thighs, pushing her skirt up higher and curling his hands around her thighs to cradle her ass…
She made a soft mewling sound that sparked through his blood like a wildfire. “H-hey, does the — is the door locked?”
He nodded and traced his fingertips along the border of her underwear. Fuck, he wanted to see them, he wanted to pull them off… No, he couldn’t, he shouldn’t even think it. What they were doing right now, this was bad enough.
He squeezed her ass again, if only to stop himself from pulling at her underwear, and she flexed her hips — ah fuck, she was grinding against him, her groin was rubbing against the bulge of his cock!
He broke from her kiss with a grunt, and she pressed her forehead to his. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered, even as she kept rocking her hips and rubbing against him. “I’m — do you want me to stop—”
“I want you to come,” he said roughly.
Her eyes went huge. “Really? But—”
He curled his hand around her nape. “Don’t stop, Lei-ya,” he breathed. “Keep going until you come.”
She let out an equally-shaky little laugh. “I haven’t come by grinding on someone since, like, high school.”
A wild and animalistic urge reared its head at the thought of her coming with someone else. “You know what you’re doing, then,” he growled. “So do it.”
She whimpered and nodded and rolled her hips — mm, fuck, she was rubbing herself along the length of his cock, it felt so good…
He kissed her again, twining his tongue fiercely with hers as she undulated against him. He splayed his hands on her ass and stroked her thighs, savouring her bare skin under his palms as she flexed and rolled her hips. When his hands approached the tops of her thighs, he brushed his thumbs along the edge of her underwear.
She broke from his kiss with a gasp and a shudder. “Fuck, mm…” She started riding him more quickly, her rhythm becoming frenzied in a way that pushed his own desire into a more desperate place.
He traced the edge of her underwear with one thumb and palmed her breast with his other hand, and she gasped and pressed his hand more firmly against her chest. “Please! Please…”
The pleading in her voice, her words, he loved that she wanted this so badly. He swept his thumb over her breast until he found her nipple through the layers of her clothes, then pinched her nipple.
“Yes,” she gasped. She gripped his shoulder and his wrist and started rubbing against him even more frantically, and he had to remind himself to breathe as the firm grind of her body pushed his own pleasure higher.
He caressed her thigh with his thumb and twisted her nipple through her clothes, and she made a little sobbing sound and pressed her forehead to his. “Law,” she begged. “Please, please, I’m going to…”
“Come on, Lei-ya,” he murmured. “Come for me. You can do it.”
She nodded tightly and rubbed against him, flexing her hips, sliding her pussy against his cock despite the clothes between them, she was holding her breath and biting her lip now, good…
She shuddered and gasped, then shoved her fist against her mouth. She was whimpering and moaning into her fist now, her thigh spasming under his hand in a telltale way, and he watched her climax with a mixture of pleasure and longing. He wanted to hear her crying out and calling his name as she came, he wanted to feel her on his face and his fingers. But this would have to do for now.
He watched her avidly, savouring the sound of her muffled whimpers until she wasn’t trembling anymore. She lowered her fist from her mouth and opened her eyes, and his cock pulsed at the intention in her eyes.
Then she reached down and started slipping her fingers into his scrub pants.
He hastily grabbed her hand. “No. Not — not for me. Not here.”
“Why?” she said breathlessly. “It’s only fair.”
“Fuck ‘fair’. That’s not the point. Besides,” he said wryly, “you don’t make a mess when you come.”
Her smile curled wickedly. “You don’t have to make a mess, either. I’ll catch it with my mouth.”
Do it, the animal-hungry side of him roared. Do it, fuck her mouth, let her drink up your come—
“No,” he said out loud. “I can’t. Not… not here.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll back off.” She kissed him softly, then brushed her lips over his ear. “But I want your come in my mouth the next time we’re alone.”
He groaned and dropped his head back on the couch. “Lei-ya…”
She laughed softly and smoothed out his collar. “You look cute in scrubs, by the way.”
He lifted his head and gave her a skeptical look. “Cute? You think a surgeon in scrubs is ‘cute’?”
“My bad,” she giggled. “You look sexy in scrubs. Very doctor-ish. Like I should be taking your orders or something.”
She was mocking him. Again. He forced himself not to smile as he replied. “You’re asking for trouble.”
“Am I? What kind of trouble?”
Cheeky, he thought. She was so cheeky and mischievous, and he adored it. “The kind that says you should get off of my lap before I decide to show you what I mean.”
She tilted her head coyly. “There you go, threatening me with a good time again.”
He growled and squeezed her thigh, and she laughed as she finally dismounted him. “Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll behave. And look, so you don’t think I only want you for your body, let’s eat this sushi and have a nice civil conversation.”
“I am not doing small talk,” he warned.
She laughed more brightly as she started laying out the sushi between them. “Says the guy who greeted me with ‘how was your morning?’ I am curious about how your morning was, by the way. How come your case was cancelled?”
He ran a hand through his hair as he replied. “Patient didn’t adhere to the strict NPO — uh. They weren’t supposed to eat or drink anything—”
“Except essential meds with water, right?” Lei carefully opened the soy sauce packets into one of the upturned sushi-container lids.
“Right. But the nurse gave them meds with yogurt.”
Lei paused and gave him a disbelieving look. “No. That’s so annoying. Your surgery got cancelled because of a little bit of yogurt?”
He nodded and opened a packet of chopsticks. “It’s the most common reason for surgery being cancelled, in my experience. Not yogurt, but failure to adhere to the NPO. It could be worse, though.” He huffed and rubbed his chin, then smirked at her.
Her eyebrows rose. “What?”
He rubbed the chopsticks together before handing them to her. “One case I was told about during my residency. The patient gave her husband a blowjob that morning. Surgery was cancelled because she swallowed his semen.”
Her jaw dropped, and she burst out laughing. “No! That’s horrible!”
“Horrible for the medical team, yeah,” he said dryly. “At least the husband was happy.” He split the other pair of chopsticks. “Don’t forget to drink your coffee before it gets watered down.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Is that doctor’s orders?”
He gave her a chiding look. “Do you want to be given orders? Is that what this is about?”
She laughed. “No no, I’m just teasing! Here, eat up.” She pushed the sushi trays a little closer to him.
She was blushing, which was… very interesting. And not something he could allow himself to think about in more detail right now. “Tell me how your morning was. I actually want to know.”
“Well, since you actually want to know.” She pretended to flick back her hair. “Today I got up and I had a piece of toast, then I brushed my teeth…”
He gave her a funny look. “... Are you quoting an episode of Futurama?”
She burst out laughing and clapped her hands. “I knew you would know what I was talking about!”
He scoffed. “That is a deep cut. You’re such a nerd.”
“And you caught it, which makes you just as much of a nerd!”
He smiled faintly. “Come on, Lei-ya. Tell me about your day. It’s not small talk if it’s with you.”
She treated him to a thousand-watt smile. “Well, if you’re going to be all romantic about it. I had meetings this morning, which is kind of unusual for me, but the library’s collection is in the process of being digitized, which is a huge overhaul as you can imagine…”
It was the nicest lunch break Law could remember having in his whole working career. Possibly because it was the first time he had actually taken a proper break for lunch, since he always did some form of work while he was eating, but he wouldn’t have bothered to take a break if it wasn’t for Lei. And it was Lei’s company that made the break worthwhile. Listening to her talk, hearing her lilting laughter as they teased each other back and forth, the adorable way that she hid her mouth when she was talking while chewing at the same time: she was the reason this lunch break was worthwhile. By the time 12:30 was rolling around, it was with real regret that Law was forced to end his lunch date with Lei so he could get back to the hospital.
They left the MedSci Building together. The hospital was in the opposite direction as the library, so they paused at the sidewalk to part ways.
Lei smoothed out the collar of his scrub top. “This was really fun,” she said. “Let me know whenever you can do lunch again.”
“I will.”
She nodded and nibbled her lip, then gave him a coy look from under her eyelashes. “Okay. Well…”
He tipped her chin up, and her cheeks pinkened. “Uh—”
He kissed her — a soft, brief kiss, way too brief for his own liking — then forced himself to step away from her. “We’ll talk later.”
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “Um, yeah. I’ll — later.” She gave him another dazzling smile, then turned and started walking away, and he watched her longingly for a second before heading for the hospital.
His surgery that afternoon was unremarkable. Corazon texted him asking for Thai food, so that was what Law picked up for dinner. When he pulled into the driveway, it was to find Corazon painting in the garage.
Cora waved him over as he got out of the car. “Oi, Law. Check out my new canvas.”
Law entered the garage studio and inspected the unfinished painting on Corazon’s easel. “It’s Marco.”
“Yup,” Cora said. “Marco the Phoenix.”
Law nodded slowly. It was a very cool concept, with turquoise flames in the shapes of unfurling wings around Marco’s shoulders. He had no doubt that the final painting would be breathtaking. “Does he know? Or is it a surprise?”
Cora shrugged and scratched under his eye, smearing some dark blue paint there in the process. “I didn’t tell him, but it’s not a surprise or anything. He’ll see it next time he comes over. This is just a sketch, though. The final thing will be way bigger.”
Law raised his eyebrows. “Bigger? How are you going to manage that?”
Corazon shrugged again. “I might pin the canvas to the wall. Kid will help me figure out some way to mount it.” He threw his arm around Law’s neck. “Anyway, I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
They went inside. And as Law was setting out the food and bowls on the coffee table, he realized that this was the first time that he was face-to-face with Cora since their… argument last night. Or heated discussion, or whatever.
He felt a squiggle of discomfort in his gut. He sat on the couch and started dishing out pad thai into a bowl for Corazon. “What are we watching?”
“Let’s start Murderbot,” Cora called from the kitchen. “Shachi said the main character reminded him of you.”
Law gave Cora a flat look. “Does this mean I’m going to be murdering Shachi after we watch the first episode?”
Cora grinned as he came to the living room. “Wouldn’t that be against your doctor’s code or something?”
That’s like a joke Lei-ya would make, Law thought fondly. “I’d make an exception for Shachi,” he said, and he turned on the TV and started flicking around.
Cora plopped down beside him and placed two cans of diet cola on the coffee table. “You’re in a good mood today. You feeling better?”
Law wilted a little. He should’ve known he wouldn’t get away from a ‘heated discussion’ like yesterday without Corazon checking in. “I’m great.” He started the first episode of Murderbot, then picked up his bowl and settled back on the couch.
“You seem great. I’m glad.” Corazon picked up his bowl too.
Law slowly ate a bite of pad thai. Then he glanced at Cora from the corner of his eye. “Are you… good?”
Cora chuckled. “I’m good, Law. A little bruised that you didn’t come say goodnight last night, but the blueberry heart made up for it.”
His gut twisted with guilt. He thought back to what MxRead had said, that it was never a burden to be told that you were loved… Ugh, he didn’t want to do this. But she was right. He really should.
He paused the TV, then gave Cora a frank look. “Listen, I… I should’ve—”
“Wait, you listen first,” Cora said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up shitty memories for you. I really didn’t… Bro, I had no idea about the comics. Really. And I’m sorry I ambushed you like that. But I do think we should talk about why it felt like such an ambush.”
Law frowned, and Corazon held up a hand. “Not today. Just someday. I feel bad that we haven’t talked about it before. I mean, it’s been more than twenty fucking years. I should’ve…” He sighed. “Eh, I dunno. Maybe you’d have been better off if someone else adopted you.”
Law recoiled. “What do you mean?”
“Someone older, maybe,” Cora said softly. “Someone better prepared, who didn’t do stupid things all the time.”
“Wha—? No,” Law said forcefully. “That’s stupid. You’re the only — nobody else would have adopted me. Some shitty diseased kid from Flevance? I was trash to everyone but you. Besides, I wouldn’t have let anybody else adopt me. Only you.”
“Really?” Cora said hopefully. “Even though I say the wrong things and do clumsy shit?”
“Even then,” Law said firmly. “I don’t give a shit about the clumsy stuff, or if you say the wrong things. It was you or no one.”
Cora’s smile widened, but there were tears shimmering in his eyes. Feeling sheepish now, Law dropped his gaze back to his bowl and idly stirred his noodles. “Anyway. Sorry for not saying goodnight last night. And, uh… I love you.” He stuffed a bite of noodles into his mouth.
Cora’s eyes popped with surprise. “Eh? Did you just—? Eh?”
“Shut up,” Law mumbled, and he restarted the episode.
Corazon beamed at him, then sniffled and ruffled his hair. “I love you too, you shitty brat. Best thing I ever did was adopt you.”
Law smiled faintly, then nodded his chin at Corazon’s bowl. “Eat up. It’s going to get cold.”
“Whatever you say.” Corazon reached for his bowl and promptly knocked over his cola. “Oh, fuck it! Sorry, sorry, can you grab a towel?”
Law sighed and rose from the couch, but with no real ire. Cleaning up Corazon’s clumsy messes had always been a part of their daily routine, and Law honestly didn’t mind it at all.
After dinner, he opened Discord on his phone to send the naked Sanji-figurine photos to MxRead, and he found that she’d messaged him that afternoon.
Monday, June 30, 2025
MxRead 1:48 PM
Hey! Now that I am no longer a weeping baby LOL, I wanted to thank you again for what you said yesterday about me still being a writer. I don’t think I realized that I’d stopped seeing myself as one until you said it and that really means a lot to me. Like a LOT. So truly thank you 🥹🤗
HeartCaptain251615 9:37 PM
Don’t thank me. I just stated the truth.
Here’s a gift for you:
He sent her the photos of the Sanji figurine, then promptly deleted them from his phone. He didn’t expect a response from her anytime soon, so he flicked into his texts with Lei.
9:38 PM
Have you seen Murderbot? You’d like it. The main character is ++relatable.
He took a shower and brushed his teeth. When he was done, he sat on the edge of his bed and checked his phone: he had texts from Lei, and a handful of Discord messages.
He checked the texts first.
Lei-ya 9:39 PM
I haven’t but I’ve heard good things! Should we watch it together? ❤️
9:50 PM
I just started watching it with Rosinante. But I’d be glad to watch it again with you. If you think we can actually settle down to watch this time.
Lei-ya 9:50 PM
What do you mean? I can settle down to watch things! 😇
He smirked. ‘Settling down’ was not the term he would use for the way she fucked him on her couch this weekend while a movie played in the background.
9:50 PM
I haven’t seen any evidence of your ability to settle down.
Lei-ya 9:50 PM
Ok mister doctor-scientist 🤣🤓 I think the real question is whether you really want evidence that I can settle down…
9:50 PM
It could be an interesting experiment. See which of us cracks first.
Lei-ya 9:50 PM
You’re talking about edging already?? When we’ve only spent one night together??? No fair 🥺
He huffed. Funny that she should mention edging — ah, that reminded him, he ought to check his messages from MxRead. He was sure they’d be funny. But first, a reply to Lei.
9:50 PM
All talk of edging aside, what are your plans this weekend?
He was on call this weekend, unfortunately. But if she invited him to her place again, they could have another blissful night in, and he could hope like hell that he wouldn’t get called in.
He flicked back into Discord to read MxRead’s responses to the nude-Sanji figurine.
MxRead 9:41 PM
Oh
My
Fucking
God
OH MY FUCKING GOD. HELLO? SIR!!! 🍆 OMG THE DICK EMOJI BEING A FOOD ITEM HAS NEVER BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE THAN RIGHT NOW
Where did you find these??? More importantly, WHERE CAN I FIND THIS STATUE.
MxRead 9:42 PM
HOLY MOTHERFUCKING HELL it costs more than 400 berries??? WHY 😭 I have never needed 400 B more than I do right now. HAHA
No but forreal this is incredible THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE GIFT OF KNOWING THIS EXISTS 🤣 But also omg this reminds me!!! I forgot to tell you weeks ago!!! I MET THE IRL SANJI. LIKE THE REAL ACTUAL SANJI THAT THE GERMA CHARACTER IS BASED ON!!!
MxRead 9:43 PM
He works as a sous-chef at a restaurant in the city where I live and he was catering this event that I went to! He flirted with me and gave me a whole tray of tarts! Isn’t that wild?? I was there with the guy I’m dating now, otherwise I might have fallen for his charm 🤣
Law’s heart stuttered. Wait. What?
What?
He reread the message again. A restaurant in the city where I live… catering this event… gave me a whole tray of tarts… there with the guy I’m dating now… Wait. Wait a second. But—
Fuck. Wait. MxRead was…? She—? Lei?
MxRead was Lei?
No. No fucking way. It was too much of a coincidence. She couldn’t be. But… fuck, he couldn’t deny what he’d just read.
He ran a hand through his hair — fuck, his hands were shaking. It felt like he’d been stabbed with an epipen. He sat there at the edge of his bed for a long minute, feeling his heart thudding in his ears, thinking about the fact that he and MxRead had never revealed where they lived, what they actually did for work, nothing that they could use to identify themselves… He couldn’t have known. He couldn’t have fucking known. And Lei? She…
She had told him she read fanfic, but he hadn’t asked her any more questions. She… The story she had been reading at the noodle place. Her favourite story. It — his story. She’d been reading his fucking fic? No fucking way. If he had just asked her on the weekend what she was reading—
He gripped his hair. He felt sick, he felt stripped — but what the fuck, why did he feel sick about this? Why did he feel so fucking exposed? It wasn’t like she even knew. But — fuck, now that he knew, he had to tell her. He couldn’t keep this to himself.
Wait, wait, he had to slow down, take a beat, stop panicking. He had to check for sure that he wasn’t misunderstanding this. It could have been a different event. And Sanji was a shameless flirt. He could have given a tray of tarts to a dozen women at a dozen different events.
HeartCaptain251615 9:54 PM
When was that? How long ago?
He stared fixedly at his phone as he waited for her reply. It came right away.
MxRead 9:54 PM
Just about a month ago! June 29! Why? Wondering if you can stalk him? 😏The restaurant where he works is called Baratie! That’s going to give away where I live now LOL but I honestly don’t mind if you know, I trust that you won’t stalk me at least 🤣
That confirmed it. MxRead was Lei. There was no mistaking it.
By some insane twist of fate, the woman he was dating was also his biggest fan.
His pulse ratcheted even higher. The woman was dating — this beautiful, brilliant woman that he had such wildly out-of-control feelings for — was the same woman that he’d poured his guts out to just last night. He’d told her his fears about his job, about letting Corazon down, about his writing being an escape… Fuck, he’d spilled everything to her. And she — Lei, that was, she knew he was from Flevance, she knew his parents were dead and that Corazon had adopted him, she… Fuck, she was going to put everything together. And when she did, when she knew everything, she — no.
No, fuck no, he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t let her see all of that. He wasn’t ready for her to put all of that together. She was supposed to be anonymous! MxRead was supposed to be anonymous, someone who would never meet him and would never know who he was talking about — he didn’t want Lei to know everything about him. And this was literally everything. He didn’t want her to know that he was scared and uncertain at work, that his history was a fucking mess… No, no no, what he had with Lei was supposed to be good. It was supposed to be good, the one special good thing kept safe from the shittiness that always seemed to stalk him throughout his life, no matter what he did to try and fix it.
He dropped his phone on his bed and clutched his hair. He hadn’t meant for Lei to know all of his dark and personal shit, not yet, not just yet. He was trying to keep it good, just pure and simple and good... Why couldn’t he have just one good and simple thing without it getting tainted? Why did everything good in his life have to get stained somehow? Things couldn’t just go the way he planned, the way he wanted, for once?
Fuck, he felt like he was freefalling. His stomach was lurching and twisting on itself with anxiety. There was no way he would be able to sleep like this, early-morning surgery or not.
He clutched his hair until his scalp was smarting in protest. Then he rose from his bed, and he did what he’d been doing for a year now when everything started to feel like too much: he went to his office to work on his fic.
Notes:
I need that naked Sanji figurine. For my morale. 😇
Chapter 16: Deserve
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Trafalgar Law 9:50 PM
All talk of edging aside, what are your plans this weekend?
9:50 PM
Well, there’s this handsome surgeon I really like, so I’m hoping he might want to hang out… 👀
Trafalgar Law 10:22 PM
Something’s come up. I’ll get back to you.
10:22 PM
Ok! Is everything ok?
Tues, Jul 1, 2025 12:04 AM
I don’t want to interrupt anything, but just hoping everything is ok! ❤️
8:05 AM
Morning! I hope your surgeries go well today!
10:30 PM
I don’t want to intrude on anything so I’ll hold off on messaging you anymore, let me know if/when everything is ok
*****************
It’s been three days since you heard from Law.
After that abrupt message he sent you on Monday night, you haven’t gotten a single text from him, and you have no idea why. You’re not sure if there was a work emergency or a family emergency, or if maybe you said something that rubbed him the wrong way. But you do know that he’s still been working, because he replied to a lab group email on Tuesday afternoon. The fact that he’s still working is probably a good thing, since whatever’s going on isn’t so severe that he’s missing work. But… selfishly speaking, if he’s able to work, he should be able to send you a text to let you know he’s okay, shouldn’t he? Which leaves you thinking that you must’ve done or said something that’s driven him away. But if that was the case, couldn’t he at least tell you what you did wrong and give you a chance to fix this before he ghosts? After all, he was the one who said he didn’t want to be just-casual with you. Ghosting someone strikes you as the kind of shit someone pulls with a person they’re only casual with.
In any case, it’s been days since you heard from him, and you can’t decide whether you’re more worried, angry, or just plain crushed.
You’ve resisted telling Nami, Robin and Vivi that he’s gone radio-silent, not wanting to overreact in case he decides to reach out after all. But by the time Friday rolls around with still no word from Law, you’re relieved that it’s girls’ night so you can get their opinion on what the fuck might be going on.
The original plan was to go out for dinner. But you message the girls in the afternoon to ask if they’ll come to your apartment instead, since you’re not sure you can talk about Law without getting blubbery. You’re fully aware that this request will spark questions, and sure enough, that’s what you get as soon as the girls arrive.
When you open the door, Nami holds up a bottle of tequila and a bag of ice like they’re weapons. “There better be a good reason you’re making us stay in on a perfect summer night. Let’s make margaritas.” She kicks off her heels in the front foyer, then sweeps past you toward the kitchen.
Vivi winks at you as she and Robin follow Nami inside, and you give them an apologetic look as you gather in the kitchen. “I know, I’m sorry. We can sit on the balcony at least?” You have a little table with two chairs out there, so if Nami and Vivi share the hammock, you’ll all fit.
“It’ll do.” Nami is already dumping ice into your blender. “Vivi, do you have the limes?”
“Got ‘em!” She skips over to the sink with the limes in hand. “Lei, can you grab me a knife so I can cut these up?”
“Pass them here,” Robin says — and sure enough, she’s already got a knife and cutting board ready to go, and your citrus-juicer too.
The three of them are like a well-oiled margarita-making machine — especially Robin, who’s slicing and juicing limes so efficiently that it’s almost like she has ten hands. With the three of them bustling around and chatting and laughing in your tiny kitchen, it’s strange to think that less than a week ago, Law was the one in your kitchen with you.
Less than a week ago, Law was here after spending the night with you. He was smiling down at you in a warm-and-tender way while you grated cheese for an omelette, and he was watching you slyly as you hammed it up singing and dancing along to the soundtrack of K-Pop Demon Hunters, and then he was lifting you onto the counter and going down on you as though you were the only thing he was really hungry for…
Shit, your eyes are stinging. You definitely made the right call in asking the girls to come here so you could talk about this. You busy yourself putting in a delivery order for Venezuelan empañadas from one of your favourite local restaurants, and a short time later, you and the girls are settled on the balcony with your margaritas as you wait for the food to arrive.
You take your first sip of margarita, and you let out a happy sigh. “This was such a good idea. Thanks for bringing the margarita stuff, you guys.”
“Anytime,” Nami says. “I’ll let you pay back your portion of the tequila by covering my share of dinner. Robin, you owe me.”
You shoot her a grin, and Vivi snorts and elbows her. “Babe, you’re such a tightwad!”
“Eek, don’t elbow me! You’ll make the hammock flip over!”
Robin chuckles, then sips her margarita and sets it down on the small patio table before giving you an inquiring look. “How’s Law-kun?”
“Yeah, how’s Dr. Heart Stealer?” Vivi says keenly. “You haven’t mentioned him much this week!”
And there they go, getting right to the point. You make a little face and scratch behind your ear. “So…”
Nami sits up in the hammock. “Uh-oh. What’s he done?”
“Nami!” Vivi scolds. “Give her two seconds to talk!”
You laugh, a little nervously. “So — okay. So the weekend was great, like, best weekend ever that I’ve spent with a guy, you know the deal. And on Monday, his surgery got cancelled so we met for lunch, and that was amazing too. Everything seemed like it was totally fine, and he… He even kissed me in public, right in front of the MedSci Building, where anyone could’ve seen.” Ugh, your throat is starting to get thick already, and you’ve barely started talking about this.
You take a fortifying sip of your margarita before going on. “Then I was messaging him that night, and again, everything seemed totally fine. We were flirting and stuff as usual, everything was great. He even asked if I had plans for this weekend. And then out of nowhere, he was like ‘something’s come up’, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
Nami wrinkles her nose. “Huh?”
“Wait, just like that?” Vivi says. “He just stopped messaging you, just like that?”
You nod. “It was like a fucking switch flipped. He hasn’t texted, he — obviously he hasn’t called, we don’t do phone calls. But just… nothing. And here’s the thing,” you add. “I know he’s been at work, because he was sending work emails. So it’s not like he’s so tied up in something serious that he can’t just send me a text, you know? Like, if he can write a work email, he can send a text, can’t he?”
“Exactly,” Nami says. “He has no excuse. You deserve better.”
“You for sure deserve to be treated better,” Vivi agrees. “I just wonder…” She frowns and twists a lock of ice-blue hair around her fingers. “Could he have sent the work emails from home? Or from somewhere else? Like, if there was a family emergency, maybe he was working on his phone?”
Nami gives her a chiding look. “You’re looking for excuses for him? Seriously?”
“Not excuses,” Vivi says patiently. “An explanation. It’ll at least make Lei feel better if she knows why he ghosted, even if his explanation is a crappy one.”
“That’s the thing,” you burst out. “I just want to know why. I mean… Okay, it’s not all I want. I wish…” Your throat closes with distress. Ughhh, you thought you’d have a little more time than this before you started to cry.
You bite the inside of your cheek. Then Robin gently squeezes your arm.
Her big turquoise eyes are sympathetic. Your own eyes sting with tears, and you give her a grateful look before turning back to Nami and Vivi. “I’m just… fucking confused. I thought everything was fine. Not just fine, but… It was great. And then just… nothing? Out of nowhere? It’s just shitty, you know? I really…” You swallow hard and drop your gaze to your margarita glass. “I really like him. Liked him, I guess, if he’s gone now.” Fuck, now that you’re saying it out loud, it feels even more brutal. He’s gone, just like that. And sure, he was only really a part of your life for a month, but that month was… It was genuinely incredible. And it’s shocking how much it hurts for him to be gone like this after only being a part of your life for a month.
Fuck, your lips are trembling. You pick up your margarita and take a few slow sips to hide your face. The girls are silent, and by the time you lower your mostly-empty glass, they still haven’t spoken.
You shoot them a weak little smile. “Can someone say something? I’m feeling super pathetic here.”
“You’re not pathetic,” Nami says fiercely. “He’s pathetic, for treating you like this. I don’t give a shit what his reason is. If this happened on Monday, he’s had days to text you back. He’s the pathetic one, not you.”
Vivi sighs. “I have to agree. If he cares about you, I don’t really see what could be so bad that he couldn’t even send a single text, especially if he’s sending work emails.”
A tear finally rolls down your face. You nod and wipe it away — to no avail, since the tears are falling freely now — and you turn to Robin, who’s been quiet through all of this. “Robin? What do you think?”
She tilts her head. “I feel like we’re missing something.”
“Of course we are,” Nami says. “An explanation, like Vivi said. And his phone passcode.”
You give her a funny look. “His phone passcode?”
“Yeah. You don’t happen to know it, do you?”
You scoff and wipe your cheeks again. “Um, no? We were only seeing each other for like a month.”
She clicks her tongue. “Too bad. I would’ve said we should find a way to hack into his bank accounts and steal berries from him. It’s the least he deserves.”
Vivi tsks and pinches her. “No more suggestions from you,” she says, though she’s smirking.
You smile at them, but you turn back to Robin, who’s got that figuring-out-a-mystery look on her face. “What do you mean, you think we’re missing something? Aside from an explanation?”
“I’m curious,” she says slowly. “About why he suddenly disappeared when he did. The suddenness of his disappearance is interesting.”
“‘Interesting’?” Nami exclaims. “Robin!”
Robin smiles faintly. “Sorry. But it is interesting. Especially if it was such a sudden change in manner, like Lei said.” She gives you an apologetic look. “I have to admit, I’m thinking about that side character in Warrior of the Sea, Cavendish? And his alter-ego, Hakuba?”
Vivi smiles, and you snort a little laugh despite yourself. “You’re thinking that Law might have an evil alter ego that goes around slicing people up in the dead of night?”
Robin chuckles. “I know it’s silly. But it makes me wonder if there’s something unexpected that Law-kun hasn’t told you, that might be behind his reason for disappearing so suddenly.”
You nod. And now that she’s pointing this out, you realize that she’s right: there is a lot that Law hasn’t told you. You’ve avoided talking about certain sensitive topics with him because of how sensitive they are — and because of how aloof and distant he gets when those topics are raised.
Actually, now that you think about it, there have been a number of times when he randomly seemed to become… preoccupied, like he’s lost in his thoughts. Like right after you finished having sex for the first time, when he rolled off of you so suddenly that you had a split-second of fear that he was going to leave. And there was that time a few weeks ago when you were walking back to work from the noodle restaurant together, when you were talking about how he used to draw when he was a kid, and he got a little snappish with you. It wasn’t a big deal; it wasn’t like he yelled at you or anything like that. But his irritation was sudden, and it was enough that you obviously haven’t forgotten it.
Fuck, Robin is right: there is a lot about Law that you’re missing. And of course you’re missing a lot, because you’ve only been dating him for a month. Who are you to expect him to tell you his life story? If you had survived a fucking war and lost your parents, you probably wouldn’t want to talk about it to some girl you’d just started dating a month ago, either.
But… But being with Law didn’t feel like you’d only been dating for a month. It felt like… God, you feel like a sap even thinking this, but it felt right to be with Law, as though the pair of you were a matching set. It felt so natural having him in your apartment, as though he belonged in your bed and on your couch in all his bare-footed and bare-chested glory. The comfort of having him in the kitchen while you cooked, the way you didn’t feel self-conscious at all while taking a shower with him, even the way that you couldn’t keep your hands off of each other, as though you both craved the sex even more with every fuck: you have never had this kind of comfort so quickly with anyone, not even your more serious relationships in the past. And sure, there were those aloof moments with him, but the good times far outweighed the awkward ones, and you were so hopeful that he would open up to you about his past once you’d been dating for longer.
Besides, it’s not like he didn’t tell you anything. It’s not like he didn’t let you in at all. He introduced you to Bepo and Shachi and Penguin on your first date — his closest friends, whom he’s known since he was a kid. He told you he was adopted and he told you about his special nickname for Rosinante, and that was before you’d even gone on a date at all. It’s not like he didn’t tell you anything.
But now… Well. It looks like there won’t be any more opening-up now, since he’s decided he’s finished with you.
A fresh rush of tears burns the backs of your eyes. You pull in a shaky breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. “Ugh. I’m so naïve.”
“What do you mean?” Vivi says softly.
A shaky little sob escapes you, and you give Robin a pitiful look. “You’re right. There is stuff I’m missing. Stuff that I don’t know about him, I mean. He’s… gone through some stuff in the past,” you say carefully. “Stuff that I don’t know everything about, since it’s only been a month.”
“So what?” Nami says aggressively. “That doesn’t mean he just gets to ghost you and get away with it!”
“No, of course not,” you say thickly. “I just… I don’t know.” You rub your forehead. “Maybe we moved too fast. Maybe I was pushing him to be serious too quickly.” Even as you say this, though, you remember again that he was the one who said he didn’t want to be just-casual with you.
Vivi’s words are a funny echo of your thoughts. “Lei, don’t—! This isn’t your fault. You didn’t make him decide to stop texting you out of nowhere. Even if things moved too fast — which I don’t think they did, from what you were telling us — he’s still an adult man who could have just said something if he thought things were going too fast. This isn’t your fault.”
“It really isn’t,” Nami chimes in. “You’re way too quick to blame yourself for stuff like this, you know.”
You look at her. “What do you mean?”
“When other people do mean things, you’re always like, ‘what did I do wrong?’ You always assume that other people act mean because of something you did, when the truth is that other people are just mean jerks. Nine times out of ten, you’ve done nothing wrong.”
Vivi makes a face. “A little harsh, but I have to agree with Nami.”
You don’t reply: mostly because you know they’re right. And this isn’t the first time the girls have pointed this out to you. In fact, you talked about it at length with Robin a couple of years ago, when the bullying bombshell went down with your fanfic. You still remember one specific night that you spent bawling to her on the phone about it, and she had to tell you repeatedly that there’s never an excuse for bullying of any kind, and that you didn’t do anything to deserve the anon hate and the meanness.
Robin is the only one of your IRL friends who knows about the bullying stuff, actually. And you can tell from the gentle look in her eyes that she’s thinking about the exact same thing as you are.
You heave another sigh. “Okay. You guys are right. It’s not my fault that he decided to be an asshole and ghost me. So… so that’s it, then. It’s… over with him, I guess.” You press your trembling lips together hard to stop yourself from crying.
“Oh, Lei.” Vivi climbs out of the hammock, then comes over to you and wraps you in a hug.
A sob escapes you. Embarrassed, you hide your face in your hand, and Vivi hugs you harder. Then Nami speaks in a gentle tone. “You listen up, okay? You deserve better. I know how much you liked him, but ghosting is so childish. He’s not good enough for you if that’s how he’s going to act.”
Robin reaches over and squeezes your arm, and you sob again as you nod your head. You know that Nami’s right, and you deserve to be treated better than this, especially from someone who said he wanted to be serious with you. Still, you just wish you knew why he felt that he had to ghost you. If you understood why, then maybe…
Maybe what? Maybe you’d forgive him? You couldn't do that. Even if he did suddenly reappear with an explanation, you couldn’t forgive him. It would be pathetic. Wouldn’t it?
Your phone buzzes on the table, making you jump. Vivi releases you, and you give her a watery smile as you check your phone. “The food will be here in a minute. Perfect timing, since I’m just about done crying now.”
Vivi laughs softly, and Nami slides out of the hammock. “Perfect timing ‘cause we all need margarita refills, too,” she says brightly, and she grabs your empty glass from the table. “Except you, Robin. Drink up, you need to catch up to us!”
“I’m enjoying mine slowly. It’s delicious,” Robin says. “You go ahead. I’ll have more later.”
“Okay! Come on, Vivi.” She grabs Vivi’s hand and pulls her inside.
You take a shaky breath and let it out in a big sigh. Then Robin speaks in a quiet voice. “If Law-kun reaches out to you, what will you do?”
Your heart flips. How did she know you were just thinking about this? “I… don’t know,” you hedge. “I…” You hesitate, then lower your voice. “Is it pathetic if I want to know what he’d have to say?”
“It’s never pathetic to want more information,” Robin says. “If I were you, I would be curious.”
You swallow hard before speaking again. “Would you think it was pathetic if I forgave him? Depending on what he says, obviously.”
“I think that you’re an intelligent woman who can decide for yourself who deserves forgiveness,” Robin says. Then a mischievous little smile curls her lips. “If you decide to forgive him, though, make sure he grovels properly first.”
You smile at this. “Is that what you make Franky do when he’s done something wrong? You make him grovel?”
“I don’t have to,” she says. “He showers me with flowers as soon as he even thinks he’s done something wrong.”
You both laugh. Then Nami and Vivi come back out onto the balcony: Vivi carrying a tray of fresh margaritas, and Nami with two big bags of delivery food. “Lei! How many empañadas did you order?” she exclaims, and she places the bags on the table between you and Robin.
“Maybe too many?” you say wryly. “But it’s a good thing. They’re amazing leftovers if you heat them up in the toaster oven. I might even let you guys take some home if you’re super nice to me.”
“None for Nami, then,” Vivi says, “since she’s mean half the time.”
“I am not!” Nami pinches her.
“Ow!” Vivi squeals. “Lei, don’t you give her a single leftover!”
Robin chuckles, and you smile at them as you unpack the food. Your love life might be a mess right now, but at least you can always rely on the steadfast love of your friends.
*************
The empañadas are incredible, as always, and they make a perfect complement to the margaritas: margaritas that taste suspiciously strong, particularly when you see Nami’s catlike smile when she pours you all a third round. By the time you and the girls are finished eating, you’re stuffed and tipsy, and at Nami’s excellent suggestion, you go back inside and put on Birds of Prey.
The movie is a perfect fit for the mood tonight. You’ve all seen it at least once, since you saw it in theatres together — and to your great amusement, Vivi and Nami end up quoting large chunks of the movie, with the occasional hilarious dramatic re-enactment. Robin chimes in with the quotes, too, which is even funnier: even more so when she tells you that she’s able to quote the movie because it’s one of Franky’s absolute favourites.
When the movie is over, you continue chatting and drinking until Vivi starts dozing off. By the time the girls are being picked up — by a very cheerful Franky, in fact — it’s past midnight, and you’re downright drunk.
You hum to yourself as you meander to the bathroom for a shower. What a fun night! It’s not often that you and the girls get fully drunk on your Friday nights, but when you do, you never regret it.
Okay, maybe you regret it sometimes in the morning. But it’s always so fun! And it’s totally worth the occasional hangover. And besides, you have leftover empañadas to cure your hangover! Oh shit, you forgot to send any leftovers home with the girls. Oh well, more for you, yo ho ho.
You giggle as you swing into the bathroom. You turn on your shower speaker, and you plop down on the floor as you flick into your music app to put on the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack for your shower. Actually, maybe you’ll just put Soda Pop on loop. That song is way too fucking catchy for its own good.
The song starts up, and you giggle to yourself as you remember Nami and Vivi’s drunken Soda Pop choreography, which they proudly showed to you and Robin earlier tonight. You flip into your photo app so you can watch the video you took of them—
And your drunken gaze lands on a photo of Law.
Your heart stutters. It’s a photo that you took on the weekend when he wasn’t looking. He’s lounging on your couch wearing only his jeans, and he’s frowning pensively as he reads a book: a romance novel that you wheedled him into reading at least the first chapter of, just to see if he would like it. He noticed you taking the photo a mere second after you took it, and it was only with a potent combination of begging and sex that you convinced him to let you keep the photo.
It’s a beautiful photo of him, and not just because he’s stupidly attractive. The only light in the photo comes from the table lamp, which makes him look like a model in a Renaissance painting. And as you study the photo now, you remember how it felt to see him sitting on your couch like that, looking so at home, reading one of your romance novels purely because you asked him to…
Your heart is pounding now. Not with excitement or affection, like this photo might have evoked before, but with anger. Nami was right: he has no right to treat you like this. After all the sweet things he said to you? After all the conversations and the laughter, and the way he fucked you so intensely that it felt like making love, just to ghost you as though it all meant nothing? How dare he? He has no fucking right.
Your face feels hot now as you tap into your messages with him. And when you reread the recent messages again — messages from you to him, with no fucking replies — your anger burns even hotter: hot enough that you decide to write him one final message.
Sat, July 5, 2025 12:24 AM
I deserved better than this.
Before you can think twice, you send him the text, and you block his number. Then, to your own surprise, you burst into tears.
Blocking him is the right thing to do. You’re sure of it. But fuck, does it ever hurt.
Notes:
Next chapter tomorrow I PROMISE I PROMISE.
Chapter 17: Ruined
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Law was on a writing streak.
Since Monday, he had finished writing one chapter, and he’d completed an entire second one. It was Friday evening now, and as he drove home from the hospital, he occupied himself with debating whether to edit the chapters he had finished, or whether to ride the high of this writing streak and get started on another chapter.
This mental debate was a good one; it was satisfying, since both options were things he wanted to do, so he couldn’t lose. And because it was a satisfying debate, it helped distract him from the knowledge that Lei was probably having dinner with her friends right now.
How was she doing, he wondered? He wanted to see her. He wanted—
No. He wasn’t going to think about her. Things with her were complicated now, and it made his guts feel like they were twisting up, and he just wanted things to be simple for a while. So for now, he was focusing all of his spare time and energy on his fanfic, and that was that.
By the time he got home, he’d decided on editing the chapters he’d finished already. This way, he could post the oldest one before getting started on a new one, and he wouldn’t have too many unpublished chapters building up in his drive.
He stepped into the house. “I’m home,” he yelled. “I ate already. I’m going to write for a while.” He kicked off his shoes and went straight upstairs to change.
“Oi, Law,” Cora called. “Come down here for a minute.”
Law frowned as he headed for his bedroom. “Why?” He changed into shorts and a hoodie, then came out to the banister. “Cora-san, what is it?”
“I just want to talk to you for a minute.”
His heart stalled, and he started down the stairs. “Is it serious? Is it about your health? Did something—”
“It’s not about me, don’t worry. Just get your ass down here already.”
Law closed his eyes for patience, then trudged on down the stairs. He supposed he could make some coffee while he was down here.
Corazon was sitting at the kitchen island playing some kind of puzzle game on his tablet. He looked up with a smile when Law entered the kitchen. “How was surgery? Was it a beautiful day to save lives?”
“Stop watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy,” Law said flatly, and he reached for the coffeepot to fill it with water — oh, there was already a full pot of coffee. “Did you make this recently?”
“Yeah,” Cora said. “It’s about twenty minutes old. I wasn’t sure how late you would be.”
“That’s fine. Thanks.” He poured himself a mug of coffee and added three heaping spoons of sugar, then turned to face Corazon. “What’s going on?”
“You’re being weird this week, and it’s freaking me out,” Cora said.
Law gave him an exasperated look. “What?”
“I’ve barely seen you. You’ve spent all your spare time holed up in the office. You went to bed later than me every night, even though you had early surgery—”
“I’ve been writing,” Law interrupted. “And I’ve been waiting all day to keep writing. So if you’re done describing my entire week’s activities to me, I’m going to get back to it—”
“I know you’ve been writing,” Corazon said. “That’s kind of what worries me.”
Law’s temper suddenly spiked. “What is your problem?” he barked. “First you’re saying it’s a good thing that I write. Now you’re saying it’s a bad thing? Can’t you make up your fucking mind?”
“I do think it’s a good thing,” Cora said evenly. “But after what you told me about the comics, I just…” He made a face and rubbed a hand through his hair. “You’re making me worried, okay? You’re holing up in there writing until crazy hours of the morning, you’re getting pissed when I call you down to eat—”
“So what?” Law snapped.
Cora pointed at him. “This too. You’re being a brat. More of a brat than usual, I mean. Why don’t you just tell me what’s wrong?”
“It’s none of your business, that’s why!”
Corazon’s eyebrows rose. “So there is something wrong.”
“There’s—” Law stopped and took a deep breath through his nose to stop himself from yelling at Corazon. He let it out on a slow exhale, then spoke in the calmest voice he could manage. “I’m enjoying my writing this week. That’s all that’s going on. I’m going to go back upstairs and work on it some more now.” He gulped his coffee down, ignoring the fact that it was just a little too hot for comfort, then put the mug in the sink with a clatter and started to leave the kitchen.
“How’s Lei?” Cora said.
Law’s guts twisted. He spun on Corazon. “I just said it’s none of your fucking business,” he snarled.
“So it is something to do with her?” Cora pressed. “Did you two break up?”
“I don’t—” He clenched his jaw to stop himself from screaming. But it felt like the rage was swelling inside of him, like a pot on the verge of boiling over, and if he didn’t leave the room right now and distract himself from this rage, he was going to fucking explode.
Corazon stood up. “Law, listen. I know I’m being nosy, but I just want to help—”
“You can’t!” Law bellowed. “Nobody can help with this! Nothing can fix this! Some things just can’t be fixed, don’t you understand that? Even when you think things are good, nothing stays that way! Good things will always start to rot. Everything good gets ruined eventually. Only idiots go around thinking they can fucking fix everything!” He broke off and dragged in a breath — fuck, why was he sweating? It felt like he was literally boiling over.
Cora gestured at him. “Oi, come over here.”
“Don’t you fucking hug me,” Law threatened. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Okay, okay, no hugs. Just come sit down.” He patted the bar stool next to him.
Law took another deep breath, then finally approached Corazon and sat beside him, and Cora gave him a frank look. “First of all, ‘only idiots think they can fix things’? That’s a cool attitude for a doctor.”
Law swelled. “Cora-san—”
“Okay, bad joke, that’s on me,” he said hastily. “But seriously. What do you mean, everything good gets ruined eventually? Did something bad happen with Lei?”
Law shook his head, then shrugged. “It’s… complicated. She’s… It’s more complicated than I thought it was.”
“Complicated to the point that you think it’s ruined?” Cora said.
He rubbed his forehead, then glared at Corazon. “I told you I didn’t want to talk about this.”
“Okay,” Cora said. “Then tell me what you meant by ‘everything’ good getting ruined, then. That’s kind of extreme, isn’t it? I mean, you’ve got me. And I’m perfect, aren’t I?” He gave Law a cheesy grin and held up his hands in finger-hearts.
Law gazed at him with a hot feeling in his throat. He knew that Corazon was trying to cheer him up, but all he was doing was rubbing salt in the wound. If anything, Corazon was the prime example of good things being spoiled in Law’s life. Corazon had saved him, both from the Flevance War and from being alone, and for the first decade or so of their life together, everything really had been pretty perfect.
But then Cora started getting sick. And when he was finally diagnosed, when it was determined that Corazon’s illness was ultimately caused by a rare but serious complication of the white lead virus — a virus that Law was sure Cora had gotten from spending so much time with him in the hospital — it felt as though Law’s entire world was crashing down around him again. It was like living through Flevance all over again, with his family being taken away from him without warning. And fine, Cora hadn’t died, but he was going to die if he couldn’t get a heart transplant in the future. And he would never be a candidate for a heart transplant with all of his medical complications — not unless Law found a solution for the problem.
In a short ten-or-so years, Corazon was going to die, unless Law saved him.
His throat thickened. Cora was right: he was perfect. He was clumsy and embarrassing and a mediocre cook, and Law loved him more than anyone in the world. And if his research failed, he was going to lose Corazon in ten shitty little years.
Nothing good lasts. He swallowed hard and looked away. Then Cora squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, c’mon, I’m just teasing—”
Law shrugged him off. “You’re good now,” he said harshly. “But that’s not going to last.”
Cora’s face fell. “Don’t tell me you’re having a freak-out this week because of me.”
“No,” Law said tensely. “I’m not—” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“You never do,” Cora pointed out. “But we’re talking about it now, ‘cause there’s something I have to say. You can’t keep living your life for me.”
Law’s gut dropped. “I’m not. I—”
“You are,” Corazon said. “You’ve been… Shit. I should’ve said this so long ago. But whatever, I’m saying it now. You’ve been living your life for me ever since I got sick, and honestly, Law, it breaks my heart.”
What? No. What was he saying? “Cora-san—”
“Just listen,” Cora said fiercely. “I know you didn’t go to med school because of me, you always wanted to follow in your dad’s footsteps. But I know you chose to be a heart surgeon because of me — shut up, we both know it’s true — and you’ve been busting your ass for years doing all this complicated research because of me, and…” His voice trembled in a way that made Law’s heart seize. “Fuck. I should have said something so long ago. But you’re so damn stubborn, there’s no stopping you when you set your mind to something. But it breaks my fucking heart watching you work yourself to the bone year after year trying to save me.”
“I have to save you,” Law blurted. “I can’t let you die. You — Cora-san, you saved me. I have to—”
“This isn’t tit-for-tat, you little shit,” Cora burst out. “I didn’t raise you just for you to waste your life worrying about me. You think this is what I wanted for you? You think I want to be the thing holding you back from living your life?”
“You’re not holding me back!” Law protested. “I’m—”
“I am holding you back!” Cora yelled. “You think I don’t see how you plan your life around me? Worrying about me when you’re away from home for one single night? You’re living your life for me, and I can’t—” He broke off and hid his face in his hand.
Law’s heart stopped. Was he…? Fuck, Cora’s shoulders were shaking. Was he… No. He was crying?
“Cora-san?” he said tentatively.
For a way-too-long moment, Cora didn’t speak. Then he lifted his head — oh fuck, his face was glazed with tears, no. “You know what’s really gonna kill me?” he said thickly. “Watching you going on like this. Wasting the life I gave you. You think I saved you, but if you’re not living free, then what was the fucking point?”
Law gulped down a breath. Fuck, now he was close to tears, and that was totally unacceptable. “You would have had a normal life if it wasn’t for me,” he said shakily. “It’s not fair.”
“Who gives a fuck about fair?” Corazon said. “Shit happens. That’s how life is. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
“Why?” Law burst out. “Why would you give up everything for some shitty kid you didn’t even know?”
Corazon smiled at him. “You’re kidding, right? Are you really trying to find a reason why I love you?”
Law stared at him. He… he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to say, and he — fuck, his chest was hurting, and his vision was blurring—?
He turned away, but Cora squeezed his shoulder again. “Hey, it’s okay. Come here, you brat, come here.”
Law shook his head tightly. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t — fuck, he couldn’t breathe, was he panicking, what was happening—?
Corazon stood up and wrapped his arms around him. “Oi, Law—”
Law burst into tears. Fuck, no, why? He couldn’t, he couldn’t do this, it fucking hurt—
“Shh, hey hey, it’s okay.” Corazon tucked Law’s head under his chin and rubbed his back, just like he used to do when Law was a kid… Fuck, he was bawling like a baby, what the fuck.
He clutched Cora’s sweater. “C-Cora-san…” Fuck, he couldn’t even talk, he could barely breathe. This was horrible, it was horrible, he hated it.
“It’s okay,” Cora said — argh, no, it sounded like he was crying too, which just made Law cry even harder.
He sobbed and buried his face in Cora’s sweater. His sweater smelled like hugs, which just made everything even worse, to the point that he was practically howling now. It felt as though an aneurysm inside of him had exploded, and now he couldn’t stem the flow, no matter how much he wanted to. So he sat there like a fucking idiot, clutching Cora’s sweater and bawling like a toddler while Cora just… held him and rocked him, just like the way he used to do.
Eventually, after way too long, Law calmed down enough that he could breathe without sobbing. Then Corazon spoke. “Listen, Law-kun. You’re a grown man, so I can’t really tell you what to do. But here’s what I think you should do. You should cut back on the research, since I know it’s not what you want to be doing anyway.”
Law sniffled. “I can’t just ‘cut back’ on the research. I’m the principal investigator.”
“Can’t, or won’t?” Corazon said. “Actually, don’t answer that. Whatever it means for you to be the principal investigator, I’m 100% sure there’s some way you can cut back. Delegating or whatever, I’m sure there’s a way. And listen up, because this is the more important part: you need to get rid of any guilt you have about me not having a normal life, because I’m happy with the life I’ve got.”
Law finally lifted his head and gave Cora a skeptical look. “You’re chronically ill. You’ve been given a prognosis of ten years.”
“Sure, that part sucks,” he said. “But hey, my Navy pension means I get to do whatever I want with that time. I don’t have to work anymore, I get to enjoy my video games and my painting — which I’m doing again thanks to your girl, let’s not forget. I’ve got Marco, I’ve got the guys, and most importantly, I’ve got you.” He ruffled Law’s hair. “You want to make me happy? Do what makes you happy. Live the life you want. That’s what I really saved you for.”
Law pulled in a deep, shaky breath, then let it out in a heavy sigh. “Ten years isn’t enough. It’s not fucking enough.”
“I know,” Cora said softly. “But hey, a lot can change in ten years. You never know.”
Things will change faster if I’m working on the research, Law thought. But he would keep that thought to himself in light of… all of this.
He sighed and rested his elbows on the kitchen island, and Cora sat down on his bar stool once more. “So now that we’re on a roll, do you want to tell me what’s going on with Lei?”
Law shot him an irritated look, but honestly, he was too exhausted now to keep denying that there was a problem. “I… found something out by accident. Something about her. She doesn’t know that I know, and…” He trailed off and tiredly closed his eyes. This was going to be such a pain to explain.
“Hang on, I’m gonna get a snack,” Corazon said, and he stood up. “Do you want anything?”
Law scowled at him. “Are my problems entertainment to you, that you need a damn snack?”
Cora grinned as he took down a box of seaweed crackers from the cupboard. “Oi, it’s not like that. Crying makes you hungry, don’t you know?”
“I wouldn’t know, actually,” Law said tartly. “I don’t make a habit of doing this.” But now that Cora had mentioned it, he was pretty hungry.
“Well, you should,” Cora said. “Maybe we should schedule some time every week to cry together.”
Law curled his lip, and Corazon laughed. “Don’t make that face, you brat. Okay, now explain.” He opened the seaweed crackers and took a handful before offering the box to Law.
Law heaved a sigh, then took a cracker and popped it in his mouth. “It has to do with my writing. A couple months ago, I became friends on Discord with someone who really likes my fanfic. I just found out this week, by accident, that the Discord friend is Lei-ya.”
Corazon’s eyes popped. “Eh?”
“I know,” Law said flatly. “It’s so unlikely that I didn’t even consider the possibility.” Although now that he was thinking about it — now that he was letting himself think about it, really — he felt a little stupid that he hadn’t suspected it earlier. He’d even thought to himself at times that MxRead reminded him of Lei, or vice versa. But he hadn’t seriously considered that they were the same person.
Why would he have considered it, though? No one would ever suspect that in the entire planet full of strangers on the internet, the one person who loved his fic the most would coincidentally also be the woman he was falling in love with.
Oh fuck. He was falling in love with Lei, and he’d spent the whole week avoiding her.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He could feel the onset of a throbbing headache — and this just made him feel even more guilty, because it reminded him of Lei insisting on giving him an ibuprofen that one time at the library.
“Well, that’s great!” Corazon exclaimed.
Law scowled at him. “What are you talking about? It’s a mess.”
Cora gave him a funny look. “Uh, how?”
“Because — argh.” He rubbed his TMJ. “She — the Discord friend, I mean, we had talked about things that I… haven’t spoken about with Lei-ya. My writing, and… other things.”
“What kind of other things?” Cora said. “Secret things?”
Law gave him a forbidding look. “Things I didn’t want to tell Lei-ya. Not yet, at least. But the Discord friend is Lei-ya. And when she finds out it’s me, it’s…” It’s too much, he thought. Once Lei realized that he was HeartCaptain — that he, Law, was afraid of letting down the person he loved the most, that he could get so worked up and pissy and upset… It was too much. She would know too much. But it was Lei, so she would want to know more. She would ask questions in that gentle-but-piercing way of hers, questions that Law couldn’t answer yet, that he didn’t want to talk about, because he just wanted things with her to stay simple and good…
“What?” Cora said gently. “What’s the problem, Law?”
“I didn’t want her to know everything, okay?” Law said irritably. “Not yet. I didn’t want her to know all the… the shitty parts yet. I just… wanted things to stay good for a while longer.”
Corazon frowned. “But… Wait a second.” He gave Law a careful look. “When did you find this out? That Lei is your Discord friend?”
“Earlier this week. On Monday.”
“And she still doesn’t know? You didn’t tell her?”
Law shook his head.
Cora’s frown deepened. “So you’ve just been…? What, keeping this a secret from her all week and acting like you don’t know?”
Law shook his head again and dropped Cora’s gaze. “I haven’t spoken to her since I found out.” His stomach felt like it was snarling with shame. Now that he was sitting here with Cora, away from the seductive escape of his laptop, he couldn’t deny anymore what an asshole he’d been all week.
Corazon was quiet for a second. Then he sighed and rested his elbows on the counter. “Oi-oi, Law. That’s—”
“It’s bad,” Law interrupted. “I know.” He pressed the heels of his hands into his temples.
For a minute, they were both silent. Then Cora spoke. “So what are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know,” Law said quietly. “Maybe it’s for the best that it… ends like this. It was good while it lasted, and…” He trailed off. The idea of his and Lei’s relationship ending already, when it had just gotten started: he didn’t want that at all. But the idea of her knowing the truth, of how volatile and messy and broken he was, of having to talk to her about all that? It made him feel sick.
Cora’s voice interrupted his agonized thoughts. “Law, tell me something. I don’t understand — this sounds like a good thing to me. It just sounds like she knows you even better than you thought she did. What’s the problem?”
“That is the problem. Why—?” He broke off in frustration. Why was it so hard for Corazon to understand this? “It’s too much all at once. Things were good the way they were. They were simple. But now it’s complicated and messy, and I — I don’t want her to see all that.”
Cora narrowed his eyes in his piercing putting-together-intel way. “You said before that everything good gets ruined eventually. So are you saying your thing with her is ruined by her knowing you better? Is that what you think?”
“It’s hard, okay?” he burst out. “You don’t get it. She asks questions, and she makes these comments like she’s — she already sees things too clearly. It’s like she can read my mind sometimes, and I can’t control—” Fuck. He closed his mouth, but it was too late; Cora’s eyes were going wide.
“Law, you dumbass,” he scolded. “We just talked about this—”
“Shut up! Leave me alone.” He pulled his hood up and buried his face in his folded arms.
Cora gently rapped his head with his knuckles. “You can’t control everything, sweetheart. You can’t control everything about the way other people see you.”
“Yes I can,” he said into his arms. He could hear how childish he sounded now, which was fucking embarrassing, and it made him want to lift his head even less.
“Right,” Corazon drawled. “You can control it by ghosting her and not telling her anything. That’s a great way to control shit if you don’t want her around anymore. Is that what you want?”
His heart twisted as though a giant pair of hands was wringing it out. He swallowed hard, then shook his head.
“Then you’re gonna have to let go of some of that control, bro,” Cora said. “You can’t have her close and keep her at a distance at the same time.”
He lifted his head. “I wasn’t trying to keep her at a distance. I just…” He gestured vaguely at himself. “It’s fucking hard.”
“What is?”
Feeling uncomfortably exposed now, he pulled his hood closer over his eyes. “Talking about… things. The past. Even the — even some stuff now,” he said, with a shifty look at Corazon. “It’s… hard.”
Cora’s expression softened. “Yeah, it is. It hurts like hell. But don’t you feel better now that we talked about it?” He nudged Law with his elbow. “C’mon. Admit that you feel better. I can tell that you do.”
Law pursed his lips. But… argh, Corazon wasn’t wrong. “I guess.”
He chuckled and laced his hands behind his head. “See, this is what I was talking about when I said you make your own life difficult. Anyone else would’ve seen it as a good thing that the girl they’re head-over-heels for also loves their secret fanfic. But here you are, tying yourself up in knots about it—”
“Shut up,” Law muttered.
Cora ignored him. “I bet you a hundred berries that when you tell her, she’ll be thrilled. I mean, if she gives you a chance to tell her. Which she might not, since you’ve been a cad.”
Law tsked. “A cad? What are you, a thousand years old?”
Corazon laughed raucously. “I said that just for your benefit, you little shit. Anyway, you’re going to talk to her and clear this all up, right? ‘Cause I can’t live with you being a monster like this for another week.”
Law sighed. He wanted to clear this up with her. He wanted… Fuck, he just wanted her. But it really was hard. “You make it sound so easy.”
“I know,” Cora said sympathetically. “You messed up badly. But I have faith in you. Hey, since you’re so good at writing, you could write her a love letter, heh!”
Law gave him a scathing look. “That’s…” Wait. Hang on a second. That was… actually a good idea. A great idea, even. Not writing a love letter, but… Writing. He could use his writing! He’d always been better at writing than talking, anyway!
He slid off of the bar stool. “I have to go write.”
Corazon wilted. “Seriously? After all this, you’re gonna go hide in your fanfic?”
“I’m not hiding. And it was your idea,” he said distractedly. He headed for the stairs, then suddenly stopped. “Cora-san.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. For… forcing this,” he said awkwardly, and he gestured between them. “And I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Cora chuckled and reached into the long-forgotten seaweed cracker box. “Don’t even worry about it. Whenever you start yelling at me, I just imagine I’ve got this perfect dome of silence around me that absorbs all the noise.”
Law scoffed. “That’s stupid.”
“Maybe, but it works,” he said cheerfully. “It helped me survive your tantrums all these years.”
Law tsked, then turned for the stairs.
“Oi, Law.”
He turned back, and Corazon held up a peace sign. “I love you.”
His heart swelled. He walked back over to Corazon and hugged him hard. “I love you too, Cora-san,” he said gruffly. Then he released him and ran up the stairs.
He had to write a new chapter of Poison Sweet, Bitter Cure. But it wasn’t the chapter he had intended to write on his way home. Instead, the chapter he was going to write would be pure fanservice — for one specific, important fan. And he had to hope like hell that it would be enough to earn him a second chance.
Notes:
SHORT CHAPTER I KNOW but the next one is longer!!