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Better Tactics

summary: your captain has always been terrible at taking care of himself, and after days of forcing through exhaustion, he finally catches a fever. The doctor is sick, and you're left to take care of him and spend the night at his bedside. What you don't see coming is that the fever turns your very stubborn captain into a very... delirious and honest patient.

pairing: Law x gen!Reader

word count: 3.8 k

tags & cw: fluff, sick and silly Law, he's running a fever and also a crush, soft with a bit of yearning.

notes: this was originally a scene that I ended up deleting from my previous fic because I thought it deserved it's own story, and I was initially going to post it as a 900 word drabble. but then I blinked and it's suddenly over 3k lol. I'm happy I finally managed to make some time to finish writing this. hope you enjoy!

Masterlist ⊹ AO3

"How long have you been feeling like this?" you say as you place the back of your hand against Law's forehead, which feels almost as warm as one of the engine room pipes. His fever seemed ridiculously high.

"Uh… three days… Maybe?"

"Three days??" You turn your hand and press your palm against his forehead, just to make sure you aren't imagining it. Maybe your hands are the ones cold as ice— no, they're not. He still feels just as hot. You slide your hand to the side of his neck.

"Law, you need to take the day off. You're literally burning."

"Ghh—" he grunts, pressing a hand against his head, "No, I– I need to work."

"You need to rest."

Law squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, still holding his forehead. His breathing sounds heavier than before. This fool.

"Okay, how about this," you suggest. "You go rest and I'll do it. What is it that you need?"

"What? No, really– it's okay. This is probably just a stupid cold or sumthing—"

"Woah woah, careful!" he stumbles sideways and nearly falls after walking straight into one of the dining room chairs, you barely managing to catch his arm before he completely loses his balance. "Law, hey, don't do this to yourself. You can barely stand."

He sighs.

"Tell me what's so urgent that you need to be working on right now."

He squints against the light, the room probably being too bright for him, and seems to struggle to even come up with a simple answer.

"Law..? What is it that you need?"

"…I– I forgot."

Oh my God.

"Captain?" Penguin stops halfway through as he passes the kitchen and sees the two of you, with you practically holding Law upright. "Everything okay?"

"Yes–"

"No–" you both answer at the same time and turn to stare at each other. "No you're not! Penguin, great timing. Can you give me a hand?"

"Sure," he hurries over and slides one of Law's arms over his shoulder while you take the other side. "You got him?"

"Yeah– woah—!" Law's knees give out without warning, and suddenly all of his weight falls onto the two of you, forcing you to tighten your grip before he drags all three of you to the floor.

"What are we supposed to do with him?" Penguin asks.

"Take him to his room," you say, nearly loosing your hold on him as he slumps against you again. Law's head droops forward, offering no help as you start walking and practically dragging his feet along the way.

Penguin glances over at him with growing concern, but Law only manages to lift his head a little before offering him a tired, hazy smile,

"…Hi."

"Is– is he drunk?" Penguin asks in a lower voice.

"He has a fever."

"A fever?" Penguin frowns, trying to understand how a fever could leave the Captain this out of it. He shifts his grip to adjust himself, but grows confused when he suddenly notices his shoulder feels cold and damp, just where Law's body is resting on him. He looks down, and finds the collar of Law's shirt is dark with sweat.

"My God… He's sweating so much! Captain, Captain!" He raises a hand in front of Law's face, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Law cracks one eye open just enough to glance at him. He looks deeply offended, "…You think I'm stupid? Six."

You stare at him, "…Penguin, just keep walking."

—

Once you reach his room, the two of you guide him into the bathroom so Penguin can help him clean up and change into something dry and more comfortable. Law is being surprisingly cooperative throughout the whole ordeal, though Penguin still has to repeat himself every now and then whenever Law drifts off halfway through whatever he's doing.

Eventually, Law is finally tucked beneath the blankets.

While Penguin makes sure he's comfortable, you sit at the desk and write down his symptoms, temperature, the time you took it, and the schedule for his medication. With how high his fever is, you want to make sure you have everything noted down. You don't trust yourself to remember it all later.

Penguin sets a glass of water on the bedside table before stepping back to the doorway. He rests one hand against the frame and turns to you, "You need anything?"

Your lips part to answer, but Law beats you to it, "...No." He doesn't even bother to open his eyes.

A smile tugs at Penguin's mouth, "Wasn't asking you, Captain." And Law answers with a groan that sounds vaguely annoyed. "Don't go dying on us, alright?"

"...Mhm."

That draws another amused smile from Penguin before turning back to you. He points towards the hallway with one thumb, silently mouthing, Yell if you need help.

You nod and mouth back, I will.

Satisfied, he quietly pulls the door shut behind him, and you go back to your notes.

—

An hour has passed.

You've been keeping yourself busy flipping through one of Law's medical books, comparing his symptoms to the different infections listed on it. You're certainly not a doctor, but you've seen him do this before whenever one of the crew members fell sick.

You read the symptoms. Fever, yes. Cold sweats, plenty. Excessive sweating where the body rests against a surface… yes. Sweaty hands, mhmm not really. Cold feet–

You glance up to find him sleeping soundly. Sigh, you forgot to check his lower body's temperature. He needs to get as much sleep as he can get, and checking now would probably wake him up.

Still, you should write down every symptom… what if it's something serious?

You quietly walk over to the bed and lift the blanket just enough to uncover his feet. Cold… surprisingly cold, compared the heat radiating from the rest of his body.

The blanket suddenly moves and Law turns with a groan.

"Shit, sorry. I was just checking on you."

"…oh," Law blinks slowly, "you're still here…"

You give him a faint smile, "Of course I am." You tuck the blanket back around his feet before returning to your notes and adding the new symptom, "Someone has to take care of my captain."

"Hmm…", his lips curve into a smile.

The room falls back to the silent turning of the pages. Every now and then, you glance up from the book expecting to find him asleep, but each time you look, he's still awake, staring absentmindedly in your direction.

You can't help smiling to yourself. Usually, catching him staring would've made Law look away the moment your eyes met. This time, he simply keeps watching you through his sleepy and tired eyes, smiling ever so tenderly. It's… strangely endearing.

Moments later, the mattress shifts as Law finally turns to one side, settling back to sleep. Or at least that's what you assume. He remains still for a few seconds before rolling to the other side. A few seconds pass, and he lets out a frustrated but quiet sigh, and turns once again.

"Law? What's wrong?"

Law suddenly sits upright in his bed, his gaze lost somewhere else.

"Law?"

"Hm?" his eyes slowly find yours.

"You need something?"

He gives you a long look through heavy eyelids, almost getting lost in yours. "…No."

"Then why are you sitting up..?"

"…"

You sigh, "Come on, lie back down."

Setting the book aside, you walk over to the bed to help him, and Law offers no resistance as you rest your hands on his shoulders and guide him back towards the mattress. Yet, the moment your hand touches the pillow, you stop. The fabric feels damp… no, it's soaked in sweat.

"Oh, damn…" So that's why. No wonder he'd been tossing and turning this whole time, he was probably very uncomfortable. You help him sit back up, "Law, do you have another pillow?"

"Not really."

Damn. You glance once more at the dark stain of sweat on the fabric. He can't keep sleeping like this, he'll only get worse.

"Alright… then you're borrowing mine." Sigh, "Wait for me, okay? I'll be right back."

"Mhmm."

You hurry towards the door, but Law's voice stops you the moment your hand reaches the doorknob, "Dun't forget the jellyfish."

…What?

You glance back, "Say that again?"

"The jellyfish…" he murmurs, "it's all spiky."

"Right… I– I'll keep that in mind."

You slip out of his room before he has the chance to say anything else and hurry to your cabin. Was that a tactile hallucination? He's definitely delirious. Better hurry back.

It only takes you a minute to grab your fluffiest pillow before heading back.

By the time you return, he's still sitting upright, with his head drooping forward and his eyes closed. You really hadn't been gone that long, and still he must have fallen asleep waiting for you. Poor thing, he really looks exhausted.

You quietly make your way over to the bed and set the pillow beside him. He startles awake, lifting his head and looking confused for a moment.

"Sorry," you murmur. "Let's change that pillow."

When he leans forward, you pull the damp pillow out from behind him and replace it with your own, giving it a couple of light pats to fluff it up.

"Mhm, you know what…" your eyes land on the stain of sweat soaking through the back of his shirt. "We're changing that too."

You walk over to his wardrobe and take a look, searching for something he'll find comfortable to sleep in. You pick one of his softer shirts, and leave it beside him. Then head to the bathroom to empty the water from the basin you'd been using to clean his sweat, and refill it with fresh warm water.

Carrying the basin back to the bedside, you set it down, soak one of the towels and wring it out.

"Come here, let's get you comfortable."

Law obediently leans forward as you help him out of the damp shirt. You place the warm towel across the back of his neck and begin to gently wipe away all the sweat from his shoulders and back.

"Is this temperature alright?"

He nods.

"Why didn't you tell me?" you murmur as you continue to run the warm towel across his back. "Were you really planning on sleeping like that?"

"Sorry... I– I didn't want to bother you anymore."

"You getting worse because you didn't want to bother me would definitely be more trouble." You rinse the towel, wring it once more and continue, taking your time until the clammy feeling on his skin is gone. "There."

The fact that he'd been lying there, wet and feverish because he didn't want to bother you makes your chest ache. If anything, it only makes you want to take even better care of him.

You help him into the clean shirt, smoothing the fabric over his shoulders. You reach for the towel one last time, brushing a few damp strands of hair away from his forehead.

"You're gonna be alright," you murmur as you give him a reassuring smile.

Law looks at you through heavy eyelids. He doesn't know whether it's the fever or the exhaustion, but your voice makes everything feel quieter.

"Here," you reach for the glass Penguin left on the bedside table and slice one arm behind his shoulder to help him steady, "you should drink a little."

Law gives a faint nod and reaches for the glass with both hands. His fingers curl weakly around it and they don't seem steady enough to hold it properly.

"Don't worry," you ease him, "I've got it."

He reluctantly lets go and you guide it to his lips. He takes a few small sips, swallowing slowly between each one.

When you tilt the glass towards him again, he pulls back and grimaces, and you can almost read the word 'enough' that's written across his face. You set the glass back on the bedside table.

Cradling the back of his head, you gently ease him down onto the pillow, careful not to make him any dizzier than he already is. You lean over him to pull the blanket back into place, tucking it around his sides and making sure the dry towel you've placed beneath his back doesn't bunch up.

From Law's perspective, the pounding in his head is still there, but it doesn't seem quite as important anymore. He's not entirely sure what you are doing, all he can focus on is your hair falling forward as you lean over him… the careful way your hands move around him, making sure he's comfortable in every way.

Maybe… maybe he should get sick more often.

He continues to watch you quietly, trying to capture the moment like a photograph tucked away in the back of his mind. He's still warm from the fever, but somehow it isn't the only warmth he feels now.

"You're beautiful... You know that?"

Had he been thinking straight, those words would've never left his mouth. Embarrassment feels strangely distant, and it doesn't even occur to him to take them back. You'd only ever appeared this close in his dreams. Now, he's not even sure whether he's dreaming anymore, everything feels hazy around the edges.

When you hand finds his forehead again, it's tender enough to make him wonder if he's imagined the whole thing.

Hesitantly, your hand lingers against his forehead for a moment. You know the fever is clearly clouding his thoughts. Even so, that doesn't stop warmth from rushing into your face.

Yeah… still burning. A faint smile finds its way to your lips, "Just sleep."

Your hand trails from his forehead to his cheek, cupping it for a second too long before you shyly pull it away.

Law lets out a dissatisfied hum, "Mhhmnn dun wanna."

"You don't want to sleep?"

"I feel funny…"

"Funny how?"

"Like... like I can't think," his brow pinches. "Like– I don't know what I'm saying."

Right…

"I'll take your temperature again."

You reach for the mercury thermometer and give it a few flicks before slipping it beneath his arm. Once the five minutes passed, you hold it up against the light, squinting your eyes as you check how far the silver line stretches this time.

"It's coming down…" you murmur. "Still high enough to make your brain a little mushy though. How's your head?"

"Still hurts... A little."

"Where?"

Law lifts a sluggish hand towards the side of his head, not lasting long before falling back to the mattress.

You try to sit closer to him, resting your fingertips where he'd been trying to point, "Here?"

"No, more to the side… More. There."

"Here?"

"Mhm," a relieved sigh escapes him, "feels better when you touch it."

Feels better when touched…

Your fingertips slip into his hair, your nails barely grazing his scalp so lightly that Law's eyes drift shut almost at once. You trace one, two... three soft circles against his scalp, and Law feels his entire body relax with a warm tingle that spreads from the crown of his head to the nape of his neck.

For the first time since you brought him to bed, the tension in his shoulders seems to melt away, along with the tightness of his jaw that begins to ease, making his lips slightly part.

Law lets out another quiet breath and leans into your hand, instinctively tilting his head in search of the warmth of your touch that's making him forget the heavy pounding of his head.

You can't help but smile… This is probably one of those moments that will stay with you for a very long time.

Your eyes drift to your notes on the desk. Pain relieved by gentle pressure… You should write that down.

You let your fingers linger one last time before pulling your hand away, but as you stand, something catches your wrist.

"Noo… where're you going?"

You can't help but laugh. When you look back, you find his fever-swollen eyes fixed on yours, silently waiting for you to change your mind. How are you supposed to say no to that?

"Sorry, I just need to get your medicine ready. I'll be right back, okay?"

Law's clearly annoyed, but after frowning quietly his fingers slowly loosen from your wrist. You catch his hand before it falls back to the bed and give it a small, reassuring squeeze before you let go and head to the desk.

You compare your notes with the medical book one last time, adding the new symptoms and finally settling on the medication that best matches what you've observed.

With your decision made, you head to one of the cabinets to prepare the correct dose.

—

After measuring the ingredients as carefully as you could, you mix them into a single dose and hurry back to Law's bedside. You're surprised to find him curled up around the pillow, both arms wrapped around it while his cheek had practically disappeared into it. It almost looked as if he were trying to bury himself in it. Pfft.

"Comfortable?"

His arms tighten around the pillow at the sound of your voice, lifting his face just enough to look at you with sleepy eyes.

"…It's soft," his cheek sinks right back into it, fingers curling lazily around it "…Smells nice."

Oh, for God's sake.

"Alright." You let out an exasperated sigh, trying very hard to ignore the warmth creeping to your face once again. You take your seat beside him, set the freshly prepared medicine on the table and guide the spoon to his mouth.

"Open," you say firmly, "Ah."

Law obeys reluctantly and swallows it in one go, but his face immediately twists in disgust.

"What is it?"

"…Tastes awful."

Serves you right. But the miserable look on his face immediately wipes the thought away.

Setting the spoon aside, you reach for the glass of water and help him take another sip to wash away the bitter taste.

"Sorry… The ship's doctor called in sick. Feel free to file a complaint once he's recovered."

Law lets out a small huff, almost a laugh.

"Better?"

He takes one final sip, "Yeah."

You set the glass back on the table and help him lie back down.

As you brush a few loose strands of hair away from his forehead, your fingers linger for a moment before finding their way back into his hair, almost on their own. This time, you don't really think about it; your fingers simply comb through the dark strands before coming to rest against his scalp.

Law relaxes beneath your hand, his shoulders sinking into the mattress. You chuckle when he gently nudges your hand with his head, as if asking for more, which you happily oblige and continue your lazy movements through his hair.

A heavy sigh escapes him.

"You really like this, huh?"

"Mhm," the tension on his brow almost disappears. "I… I like everything you do."

You take a deep breath. Your idiot of a captain isn't making this any easier. You try to gather yourself, "That's not exactly what I asked."

"I know."

His answer is so simple that it catches you completely off guard. Your smile falters for a second, and your fingers come to a stop before you even realize it.

After a few quiet seconds of not feeling you move, Law slowly opens his eyes. When he sees you, his lips curve into a sweet, silly smile, and you forget how to breathe.

You feel as if time has stopped, completely trapped by his eyes that begin to wander over your face, your hair, your cheeks, your lips… then slowly, back to your eyes.

"…You're beautiful."

Heat rushes to your face so quickly that you have to bite your lower lip to keep yourself from smiling like an idiot. Unable to hold his gaze any longer, you slip your fingers into his hair again, forcing yourself to think of something else and hoping your movements would distract him from noticing just how flustered he was making you.

"You already told me that."

"I did?"

You nod. He seems to think about it for a moment before humming to himself, quietly pleased. His eyelids flutter shut again as your fingers resume their slow, gentle caress through his hair.

"Hey," Law lets a long sigh, "…tell me something."

"Hm?"

"What…" his brow pinches slightly as he searches through the haze clouding his thoughts. "What do I have to do… to make you mine?"

You freeze.

"…What?"

Law opens his eyes, blinking slowly. But once he sees your startled expression, his own immediately shifts. "…Did I say something weird?"

"Ah– no no, it's just—"

"Shit, sorry," he says as he covers his face with both hands. It's the first time all day that you can see a hint of genuine embarrassment slipping through the fever. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay, I just—"

"It's just–" his frustrated voice cuts you off again, "It's just…. Hahhh…, I've been trying to give you hints for a while, but you never get them."

You still, staring at him for a few seconds as you try to process everything.

"You… you have?"

"…Yeah."

"Am I really that oblivious..?"

"Yeah."

"Wait, so– what you're telling me is… you've been pursuing me this whole time?"

"Yeah?"

The sheer sincerity of his answer makes you laugh, "Are you serious? Is that what you call that?"

Law frowns, grabs your hand, and tugs it away from his head, giving you the most offended look.

"Are you making fun of my tactics?"

That only makes you laugh harder. You'd never seen him pout before, and you could already imagine the unbearable embarrassment he'd go through once the fever breaks and he comes back to his senses.

"You definitely need better tactics, Captain."

Law actually considers that.

"…Alright," he says after a thoughtful pause, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand. "Then promise me something." You turn your attention back to him, "Promise you won't run away."

"And why's that?" you tilt your head, amused. "Are you planning to abduct me?"

A sleepy smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"Heh, do you want me to?" He lets out a quiet chuckle, his eyes drooping a little lower. "You're right. Maybe that's the only way you'll finally get it."

Smiling to yourself, you release your hand from his grip and return to his head.

"Alright," you say softly, "How about this. If you get some proper sleep, I'll let you steal me for one day."

His eyes beam and open wider, "One whole day?"

"From the moment the sun rises till it sets."

Law looks absurdly pleased with that answer, and you can't help but smile back at him.

"Deal?"

"Deal."