Time for more request fulfillments! This time I combined two different requests that had similar ideas of OP men comforting the reader after they've had a rough day. This is for @redtailears who asked for Katakuri and a lovely anon who asked for Crocodile, Mihawk, Law, and Smoker! ♡
"...Katakuri praising or comforting reader after a long stressful week of work..." + "...Crocodile, Mihawk, Law and if possible maybe Smoker and what they do to make reader feel home. Like, when our day has gone to hell (Work or just a general terrible day, up to you) these men find ways to make us forget the stress cuz we're home with them, y'know?"
✦♡✦ You Feel Like Home ✦♡✦
♡ Katakuri, Crocodile, Mihawk, Law, Smoker x Fem!Reader ♡
♡ Tags: Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reader Is Regular Human Height For Katakuri's, Small Threat Of Violence Towards Others In Crocodile's (Crocodile Being Crocodile), Drinking In Crocodile's & In Mihawk's
♡ Words: 3.2k Total, 600~ Each
♡ Katakuri ♡
It was late in the day when Katakuri found you in your office - fully slumped over your desk, head down, and surrounded by strewn about pieces of paper. As gingerly as the big man could, Katakuri approached you and knelt next to your chair, softly whispering your name. A small, disgruntled noise emitted from your throat before you spoke up.
"If I have to look at one more line of text, my head is going to explode," you mumbled against the surface of your desk, leaving your face planted against the woodgrain. Katakuri's face softened behind his scarf at your languished display as he placed a large hand onto your back, rubbing along your spine in soothing motions. Your body practically melted under his comforting touch, the tension in your shoulders and back immediately loosening.
"How about we get you out of here? Away from all of this." His deep voice rumbled next you as he continued his one-handed massage. "I prepared some dough earlier and was going to make donuts, do you want to join me?"
That got you to finally turn your head to look at Katakuri over your arm, interest now beyond piqued. Retiring for the evening did sound nice - having your sweet husband in the kitchen with you, making his near-heavenly donuts sounded even nicer. You sat upright in your chair and nodded your head, making Katakuri's eyes crinkle upwards.
Leaving your office, and thus the center of your stress behind, you followed Katakuri to the kitchen where he gently picked you up so you could sit on the counter to watch him work. It was one of your favorite activities to do with him and a fair amount of days you actually joined in as his assistant - as much as you could at your size, anyway.
As he got to making up a batch of donuts from his prepared dough, Katakuri started to hum, deep and low in his chest. It was a song you knew by heart at this point, the one your husband always sang while he happily treated himself to his favorite snack. Resting back on your hands, you joined in with your own soft humming while you lightly swayed your head and shoulders side to side.
Katakuri looked over at you, his eyes warm and loving while the two of you hummed his little song together. You couldn't help the bashful grin that broke out across your face under his adoring gaze. The smell of freshly made donuts permeated the air and you felt your stress from the day already quickly dissipating.
Soon enough, a plate full of massive, sugar coated donuts was ready and Katakuri placed it beside you on the counter.
"You get first pick, love," he said, gentle as ever. You looked over the delicious pile of pastries next to you but ultimately settled for the first one, right on top.
You took a hearty piece of it, leaving the rest of the gigantic donut for your husband to have. Katakuri tugged down his scarf and finished his portion in two bites while you enjoyed your piece, savoring the exquisite, sweet flavor.
"Delicious as always, Kata," you complimented him and the big man flushed lightly at your words. Leaning down so he was face level with you, Katakuri gave you a tender kiss while you were in between bites and you smiled against his lips.
Between his sugary kiss and the delectable treat in your hands, your workload had been shoved to the far corners of your mind, left to deal with for another time.
♡ Crocodile ♡
With a small sigh, you closed your eyes and began to idly rub at your forehead, attempting to combat the oncoming headache you could feel creeping its way through your skull. You had all but collapsed onto the cushy, leather couch in your living room when you came home, exhaustion from the day leaving you feeling like a husk of a human.
As you were taking in another deep breath, you heard the familiar click of dress shoes as your husband entered the room.
"Something wrong?" You heard his deep voice from across the way and slowly opened your eyes to see Crocodile looking at you from over at the bar cart. With your elbow resting on the armrest of the couch, you pressed your forehead further against your fingertips and tried to wave him off. Not having it, Crocodile poured some amber liquid into a glass before speaking up once more. "Somebody bothering you? Do I need to have them taken care of?"
"You do know that murder isn't always the answer?" You dropped your hand from your forehead and gave him an exasperated look, one that matched your tone. Crocodile, drink now in hand, sauntered over to you, arrogance radiating off of him. Stopping in front of you, he handed you the drink as you tipped your head back to look up at him.
"Hm, seems to regularly work out for me, sweetheart." The way he smirked at you had you fighting the smile that was tugging at the corner of your lips. It was nearly impossible for you to deny his lethal charm and he absolutely knew it.
Placing his hook on the back of the couch by your head, Crocodile leaned down to hold your chin between his finger and thumb, causing your head to tilt back further. Those piercing eyes of his made your breath hitch, like always.
"So?" His voice was husky and low as his thumb rubbed along your lower lip. "Give me a name."
Your grip on the glass in your hand tightened as you stared at him for another beat, a small shiver running down your spine. Lolling your head to the side as much as you could in his grasp, you released another soft sigh, knowing he was genuinely waiting for an answer.
"There's no name to give. No one has been bothering me, Croc." You told him, holding his gaze to show him you were serious. His eyes flicked over your face before he shrugged his shoulders, conceding, but you could've sworn you heard him murmur shame.
Your eyes then flitted downwards, "It's just been a really long day." You let your exhaustion come through in your voice and Crocodile moved his hand so his knuckles now brushed along your cheek. A rumble came from his chest, like a noise of affirmation before he sat down on the other end of the couch.
"You want to talk about it?" He asked you, almost nonchalantly, as he pulled a cigar out from his vest. His question had caught you slightly off guard, but you decided to take him up on it. With a small, half shrug, you began to tell Crocodile about your day.
As you spoke, the two of you moved in sync with one another.
You used your unoccupied hand to light his cigar for him and as you sat back, Crocodile grabbed your legs so your body shifted horizontally on the couch and your feet were now across his lap. You swirled the drink in your hand and he puffed on his cigar, listening to you talk about the difficulties you had faced today. Here and there, he'd weigh in and you'd sip at your drink, feeling his hand languidly caress your leg as he did so.
It was a quiet, simple evening between the two of you, but as you settled further against the couch cushions, feeling yourself be lulled into a sleepy, relaxed state by his deep, rich voice and lazy touch, you found it to be exactly what you had needed.
♡ Mihawk ♡
You quietly closed the tall, looming front door of Kuraigana castle and nearly jumped out of your skin when you looked up to find Mihawk right in front of you in the entryway.
"What is the matter?" His head tilted as his keen eyes examined you from head to toe. With one hand on your chest, you let out a long breath as you tried to will your heart to calm down from the minor jumpscare he had just given you.
"Wh-What makes you ask that?"
"Simply from the way you closed the door, something is very clearly upsetting you."
"The way I closed…" You trailed off, looking over your shoulder at the door behind you before back at your lover. He truly didn't miss a single thing, even the slightest change in your body language, apparently.
From the way he still stared at you so intently, those golden, alluring eyes boring into you, it was evident he wasn't going to let up. And he wasn't exactly wrong, anyway.
You sighed and shifted your weight to one foot, looking away from Mihawk.
"Okay, yes, I'm feeling a little down today." At your words, Mihawk stepped closer and his head tilted further, silently asking you to go on. Fidgeting with your hands, you glanced at him before you looked away again, "There's not much to say. It's just been one of those days where nothing is going right and I tried to go for a walk to clear my head but it didn't do much."
Mihawk nodded in understanding before he took one of your hands into his and brought your knuckles to his lips, giving your hand a soft kiss. "How about I try to turn it around and make this day start going right for you?"
"You're welcome to try," you told him, giving him a wan smile. Mihawk gave you another kiss, gazing right into your eyes and causing your heart to skip a beat.
"Come, let me pour you a drink while I begin dinner."
With your hand still in his, Mihawk lead you to the kitchen and, with effortless ease, picked out the perfect wine for the evening. You leaned back against the kitchen counter with your glass, taking a sip here and there, while he got to assembling what he needed for tonight's dish. In between steps, he'd glance over at you, like he was checking on you and it made your heart flutter once more.
Letting the meal lightly simmer on it's own for the moment, Mihawk stepped away from his cooking to stand in front of you. Placing one hand on your lower back and threading the other through your hair, he pulled your bodies close together.
"I am always here for you. Let me help you relax, my darling." Mihawk whispered against your lips. Your eyes slowly began to close as you anticipated his kiss but then, from above, there was a loud crash and the combined yelling of the two young adults that were also currently taking up residence here. The two of you looked up at the ceiling before you let out a small huff of a laugh, shaking your head.
"See?"
Mihawk pulled back from you, eyes still trained on the ceiling before he turned to make his way for the grand hall, where the staircase leading upstairs would be. "Keep an eye on dinner, please, darling. I will be right back." His tone was still the same as it ever was - cool, even, and almost apathetic, but you caught the slight edge that hid underneath.
Over head, you then heard Mihawk's slow, prowling footsteps and the clamoring of Zoro and Perona's futile attempt to get away.
You rested back against the kitchen counter once more and hid your small smile behind the rim of your wine glass.
♡ Law ♡
The day had finally come to a close and without even thinking about it, your feet had brought you to Law's door - a common occurrence as of late. When was the last time you had actually slept in your own bunk? You didn't even intend to do much this evening, if anything at all, but still, you had naturally found your way to him.
Entering his private cabin, an unsurprising sight met you as you laid your eyes on Law at his desk, hunched over a pile of books. You gently closed the door behind you and passed by him to rummage through the small stack of spare clothes you now kept in his closet. It had been Law's idea, something he had suggested offhandedly one night, and you still remembered the way his face flushed fiercely as you hardly contained the grin you had given him.
Grabbing your favorite cozy lounge clothes, you quickly changed before you perched yourself on the edge of his desk. Law looked up from his book, cheek resting against his fist, and his eyes flicked over you - a quick once over to find anything immediately amiss.
"Feeling okay?" His question was simple, the same one he always started with. Shrugging your shoulders, you chewed your lip for a moment.
"Long day. Kinda drained." Law nodded at your brief reply and you lolled your head back, lightly sighing through your nose. "So, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go stare at the ceiling for a little bit."
He raised his eyebrows at your wry statement before he looked over his hoard of books across his desk. "You know, I think I could go for that too." His equally dry response made a small laugh slip past your lips and Law gave you a half smile, his eyes alight with adoration for you.
Standing from his desk, Law made his way onto his bed and propped himself up against the pillows. "Come on," he lifted his arm outwards in your direction, inviting you to join him at his side. You bit your lip as your heart raced, trying and failing to fight against the growing smile on your face - especially seeing the tips of his ears now pink. This sort of thing was out of his wheelhouse but seeing him try for you, and after a day like today, made your heart soar.
You joined him on the bed, curling up along his side and resting your head on his chest. Draping his arm around you, Law held you close and already you felt a little lighter.
The soft, droning hums of the Polar Tang filled the silence as the two of you laid there, staring off into the distance. You almost broke the serenity of it by laughing - surprised by how it was actually working to help you feel better about your tiring day.
While your mind usually went a mile a minute, being here with Law slowed everything down and you found yourself thinking about nothing for once. Not when he had you pressed against him like this and all your senses could focus on was him.
Tilting your head up towards him, you saw Law already gazing at you and now it was your turn to blush.
"What?" At your question, he glanced away and rubbed his hand along your arm.
"I'm glad you come here, to my room," he said quietly, before he looked back down at you. "I like just being with you, even if we don't actually do anything."
You put your head back down on his chest and traced along the parts of his tattoo that peeked out from his shirt. Maybe that's why your feet kept bringing you here, day after day.
"I feel the same."
♡ Smoker ♡
When Smoker arrived home that evening, all of the lights were off and absolute silence radiated throughout your shared quarters. If it weren't for your work shoes that looked to be haphazardly kicked off near the door, he would've thought you were still out. Smoker called your name while he removed his own boots but he received no reply.
As he continued to take off his gear to get more comfortable, you still didn't make your presence known and his brow furrowed. He entered your shared home further as he contemplated where you could be, the living space only illuminated by the soft rays of the setting sun slipping through half closed blinds.
The first location Smoker intended to check was the bedroom but on his way, his exploration was cut short as he quickly discovered you - on your side, back to him, and curled up as tightly as you could be on the couch. At first, he was going to leave you be, figuring you were asleep, but then you slowly turned to look at him over your shoulder and he caught the sad, distant look in your eyes.
Smoker was at your side in an instant.
"Hey… I'm sorry," your voice was barely a whisper as you rolled onto your back.
Smoker crouched down beside you and caressed the top of your head, "No need for sorry, pretty girl." His pet name made a minute, shy smile appear on your face. "What's going on?"
You took in a deep, rattled breath, your brow creasing and smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
"It's just been a really shitty day," your voice broke at the end of your sentence and you pressed your hands against your face.
"Come here," Smoker took you into his arms, pressing you close to his chest. Seeing you come undone like this made him frown deeply and in his mind, he rapidly tried to flip through some options to try to make you feel better.
Cook you a meal? He could certainly try, but somehow he figured it'd end with half - if not all - of it being inedible.
Or maybe you'd enjoy something like a bubble bath? Then he thought about trying to get the water to soap ratio right and the tub over spilling with bubbles crossed his mind.
Smoker was internally grumbling to himself on what to do when you curled up further into his arms.
"I just want this day to be over," you somberly mumbled against your hands and that made it click for him.
"Okay."
Tucking you in tighter to his chest, Smoker smoothly stood up and held you bridal style. He turned to leave the room while you let out a squeak, removing your hands from your face and looking up at him.
"Where are we going?"
"To bed. The day's over." Your mouth slightly fell open at how seriously he said it, helpless in his arms as he made his way to the bedroom. Once there, Smoker carefully put you down to help you change out of your work attire and into a cozier outfit. After switching clothes himself, he drew back the comforter and the two of climbed into the large bed together.
You made to just lie on your back but Smoker was quick to grab you, pulling you close yet again so now you were both on your sides, your face to his chest. His strong arms curled around you, creating almost like a protective barrier around you, and he could feel the way your body went weightless against his.
"I got you," he murmured into your hair, lips pressed against the top of your head. The way you burrowed your face further into his chest made his arms constrict around you even more. "Is there anything I can do?"
You shook your head and mumbled softly against his pecs, "This is perfect."
Smoker contentedly sighed through his nose, taking his own comfort in knowing he was helping you relax even the slightest bit - promptly ignoring the light flush dusting his cheeks.
Oh. My. God. EVERYONE look at what @windscloud drew for us and posted for us criminals. An iconic moment in First Encounter.
I am dying. I am foaming at the mouth. I am drooling all over our dear, asshole surgeon and his side profile. I love EVERYTHING about this. I will never get over the fact that my writing inspired someone enough to draw FAN ART of ACA. Please give their account some love. They draw many different OP characters and even some different anime characters (like DandaDan!)
I'm honored and touched. Thank you so much, Winds for this.
Sooo, I've just noticed that your requests are open! And I just happen to have a request...
What about a Law×FemReader? It'd be a modern AU. Law leads a double life: by day being an outstanding med student, but by night he's an underground surgeon who provides quality healthcare to outlaws for fun and in exchange for favors or money, no questions asked.
Reader is a dealer (with a complicated background) who keeps running into trouble, and makes it Law's problem since she keeps going to him to get medical attention. She may or may not be one of his classmates 👀
Everything is fun and games until Law realizes he actually cares about her, and subconsciously tries to guide her off the streets.
Fluff, hurt/comfort? I'll leave the end to you!
I hope I caught your attention, but if not, no worries! I loved how you wrote Law<3 thanks for posting your content.
Windssss!!! ;w; Thank you for sending in a request!! i yelled so loud when i first saw you send me this;; I hope you enjoy what I did with it and thank you for waiting!! ♡ (and for liking my content!! ;w;)
✦♡✦ Adderall ✦♡✦
♡ Trafalgar Law x Fem!Reader ♡
♡ Tags: Modern!AU, UndergroundDoctor!Law, DrugDealer!Reader, Both Are Med Students, Mentions Of Injuries, Cursing, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
♡ Words: 3.5k
“What happened now?”
Law was muttering to himself, not realizing he was voicing his inner thoughts aloud, his sharp eyes focused solely on his task at hand.
You had come back in get your stitches removed from a knife wound on your back – thankfully, it had been more of a cut than a stab – but as he worked, Law had seen the large bruise that was beginning to form on your side.
“And what happened to you being Mr. No Questions?” Your teasing question made Law lift his head to find you looking at him over your shoulder, a glint of playfulness in your eye. Law flushed lightly as he scowled at you, making a small tch noise at having been caught mumbling to himself.
You were right, though. He had his policy, and he should be sticking to it. Even with you.
Down here, it was no questions asked – just treat the patient and get them on their way. After proper payment, of course.
But when it started to feel like every time he turned around you were standing at his doorstep, Law couldn’t help but begin to wonder about you. What kind of life did you lead? Where were these injuries coming from? Who or what were you running into?
The weird, warm feeling he got in his chest whenever he looked at you didn’t help either. Nor that even when you weren’t in his operating room with him, remnants of you still lingered in his thoughts.
You returned to looking forward and Law brought his focus back to his work. His eyes drifted over to the bruise once more, though, and lingered on it a little too long. The words were bubbling up his throat before he could stop himself.
“Well, I can’t lie that I’m not curious on whether you’ve got some kind of bad luck or if you’re just a klutz.”
He saw you slightly tense at his words and Law inwardly berated himself – that was not how he meant for that to come out.
Real smooth, Law. This is why we don’t say anything.
As he death gripped his tools and felt his flush from earlier now spread further, he was about to mumble an apology when you spoke up.
“...Who knew dealing isn’t actually all it’s cracked up to be?” Your tone was flippant, and Law looked back up again, but you were still looking forward. His gaze remained on the back of your head, trying to find the words. From his own clientele, Law knew quite a few people in your same position and that it could be a very dog-eat-dog world.
You let loose a sigh, like you were letting something go, before looking back over your shoulder again, “Almost done?” The way you said it was back to your normal, lighter tone as your brow raised in question.
Law nodded his head, returning his attention to your stitches so he could finish up. “Yeah, give me just a few more seconds.” It was best to move on, it wasn’t his place to dig further.
After he was done, you pushed your shirt back down and Law began his clean up process. It wasn’t long before you were out the door, leaving Law to stare after you. You had given him an easy going smile as you left, making his heart flip like always.
Pulling his eyes away from the door, Law made his way over to his desk. Strewn about it was various medical journals and textbooks, and he picked up the one he had been reading before you arrived.
When he had down time in between patients, Law used the time to leaf through the medical books and study for his classes and exams. It was a balancing act of giving medical care around here at night and then getting up to get to lectures and labs and exams during the day, all while fitting in studying and sleep.
Law showed up to every class, though – exhausted and sulking by himself, never caring to get to know his other classmates, but still, he showed up.
And even though he was already running his own ‘practice’, Law still wanted to earn a true medical degree for the extra knowledge but also in case he ever wanted to go legit. Though Law couldn’t deny how much he enjoyed the freedom he got doing everything his way around here – no quotas, shareholders, big name companies or all that other bullshit to disrupt him or the care he provided.
As Law’s eyes tried to scan over the words of the book in his hand, though, his thoughts kept drifting back to the new insight into your life you had shared tonight. Every time he tried to read a new line of text, all he could think of was your face or the way you smiled at him, a teasing quip not far behind. Then he thought of all the injuries of yours he had treated over these past few months and how distant your voice had gotten this evening.
Sighing, he snapped the book shut and tossed it back onto his desk.
Slowly, he turned to face the door you had left through once more.
That girl...
Law sighed deeply through his nose and blinked his eyes a few times, trying to and failing to wake himself up. The previous night had been long and grueling at his OR, and while he normally thrived off the challenge, Law had been cursing it all morning on his way to today’s lecture. He was counting the seconds until he could return to his bed and get maybe a few hours' sleep before the cycle of studying and treating patients continued.
He pushed the glasses he currently wore further up onto the bridge of his nose and then crossed his arms as he settled back against his seat in the lecture hall, his thoughts now drifting to you. A common occurrence as of late.
You hadn’t been around in a while – which left him feeling mixed emotions. Law didn’t want you showing up all the time with some kind of new injury, but that also meant he didn’t get to see you. Know that you were okay. Alive.
It made Law uneasy, that weird feeling in his chest still ever present, but there was a part of him that was starting to like you being in his life.
The small smiles you gave him, how you always seemed interested in the ways he patched you up, when you looked at him with those eyes that could make him do just about anything-
Law dropped his forehead onto his palm and groaned internally, his face now lightly flushed.
The lecture hall started to fill in more and more, and soon he saw someone out of the corner of his eye take the seat to his left. Law paid no heed to his fellow classmate and returned to slouching in his seat.
Just as he went to take in another deep breath though, Law stopped short. He sat up straighter, his heart thumping in his chest.
There was no mistaking it.
She’s here.
All those nights spent right by you, in your space and touching your skin as he tended to your injuries – even through the smell of the disinfectants, it’d be impossible for him to mistake the scent of your perfume.
Law eyes darted around the lecture hall, trying to find you amongst the crowd. There was of course the chance someone else was wearing your exact perfume, but still, he continued to search for you.
Then he turned his head to the left and there you were – smiling that small smile at him.
There was nothing Law could do but stare at you, mouth slightly agape. You were here, in his class. Sitting right next to him.
And you were okay.
As his mouth tried to form any sense of a word, you leaned in close which made Law pull back slightly and blush furiously.
The professor was now beginning the lecture, but Law couldn’t look away from you.
“Let’s talk later, okay?” You whispered to him, and his eyes flicked wildly between your own and your lips.
Having you so close to him and looking into his eyes like this made his brain completely empty out. Before Law could attempt to muster up any kind of response though, you were already shifting back and turning your attention up front.
Law tried to do the same, but his mind was a jumbled mess of questions and rambling thoughts. How the hell was he supposed to pay attention when the girl he’d been daydreaming about had just appeared out of thin air?
At some point, you had relaxed back against your seat, causing your arm to brush up against his. It was like electricity had gone through Law as he tried to remain staring ahead. Sure, he had touched your arm on quite a few different occasions by now, but it had always been in the context of giving you medical care.
When you didn’t move away, Law didn’t dare to either, and the two of you sat there, leaning against each other.
Law subtly looked over at you, his eyes tracing along your profile before they flicked down to your hand resting on your leg. The thought of taking it into his own flashed through his mind but Law banished it quickly, feeling foolish for even having such a thought.
His gaze shifted back up to your face and he was caught off guard when he made eye contact with you, your head now angled towards him again. Law’s mouth went dry as you gave him another small smile and leaned in again, pressing your arms closer together. Law hesitantly dipped his head closer to yours this time, his body alight with nerves and anticipation for what you’d say now.
“You look good with glasses,” you told him, you voice barely a whisper right by his ear. Law pulled back and subconsciously adjusted his glasses, unable to look at you again. While externally his cheeks were dusted a rosy pink and his mouth twisted as he tried and failed to think of something to say, internally his heart hammered against his ribs.
“Have long have you known that we’re classmates?”
The two of you stood in the privacy of his operating room, now far away from campus. After the lecture, you had told him you’d come by this evening and before you could really settle in, the question had flown out of his mouth.
“I had my suspicions when I first started coming here,” you told him, shrugging your shoulders. “I thought to myself ‘hmm, he looks like the moody guy who always sits in the back and ignores everyone’ and turns out I was correct.” Law scowled at your comment and you smiled playfully at him in return. “Figured I’d try approaching today. Was that not okay?”
“No... It was just... surprising.” Law was still reeling from it. His intention of going home to nap in between classes and coming here had been thrown out the window. Sighing for the millionth time today, Law adjusted his glasses once more. By now, he’d have them off, only really using them in class, but since your little comment earlier, Law had yet to remove them.
“But, you know I’m not going to rat you out – just like I know you’re not going to rat me out.” You crossed yours arms and cocked your head, almost like you were daring him to say otherwise.
It was true though – you both had your secrets, your double lives so to speak, and neither of you had any interest in blowing that up for the other.
Now Law was the one to shrug his shoulders as he replied with a simple yeah. With one hand on his hip and the other now rubbing at the back of his neck, Law looked around the room, trying to process this whole day. Seeing you in his class was the last thing he had expected but not unwelcome in the slightest. And now he had learned yet another thing about you too – which explained your interest in watching him patch you up.
“You know...” He started, his eyes wandering around to all of the different supplies he kept stocked here. “I could always use another set of hands here and since you’re a med student too, you could-”
“Nah, I think I’d do more harm than good right now.”
At your quick rejection, his eyes flicked over to your face and he let his hand slide down from his neck. You still kept that smile from before on your face but it was no longer quite reaching your eyes. Law looked away and cleared his throat, “No, yeah, I was just...”
Again, he had spoken out loud without thinking.
Your phone chimed and Law looked back over to see you tapping away at the screen, your lips now pursed. Another chime and you sighed, pocketing your phone.
“I gotta go,” you adjusted your bag on your shoulder and started to make your way to the door. Law watched you go, unable to fight the rising disappointment within himself as he felt his shoulders slump. Just before you shut the door though, you turned back and gave him one last small smile, “We’ll finish this up later but I’ll see you in class.”
Law opened his mouth to respond but you were already gone.
“...Yeah.”
You were lounging in Law’s exam chair, tapping away on your phone while Law sat beside you on his stool, snapping off a pair of latex gloves. You had made a passing comment about hitting your knee the previous night and he had given it a quick once over.
“Seems fine, you’re probably going to have another bruise, though.”
“Yeah, I figured,” you put down your phone and looked at your knee. At first you had brushed him off, saying you could verify for yourself it was fine, but when Law wouldn’t let it go, you had decided to humor him. “If things hadn’t gone to shit, I wouldn’t have had to bail and I wouldn’t have tripped but, hey, it could’ve been worse.”
“I still think, if you were to join me here-”
“Why are you mentioning that again?”
Law looked up at you, at a loss for words. He didn’t have an immediate answer to that.
Why did he find himself looking around his OR when he was by himself and picturing you there too, by his side, and doing menial tasks with him? Why did he start to feel anger – not at you, never at you – whenever you came in with yet another injury?
“What are you trying to do, Law?” You asked him, staring down at him.
“I think...” Law started but stopped, the words getting caught in chest for a moment. “I just want you safe.”
At first you said nothing – your lips a solid line as your eyes bore into his. Then you scoffed and looked away, a half-smile on your face.
“That’s rich coming from you, Law.”
“I’m serious,” he said, inclining his head towards you.
Your head swung back towards his, smile now gone again, “As am I.” Your hand gestured around the room, his underground practice. “Need I remind you, Law, that in the eyes of the general public, we’re both criminals? That even if I were to join you, I’m still a part of this world of outlaws? There’s no such thing as safe.”
Law felt his chest tighten as he saw you fully put your guard up with him for the first time. Your name was a whisper on his lips as he tried to think of ways he could mend this, but at his sudden softness, something in your expression changed. You scrambled off his exam chair and avoided eye contact with him.
“I... I have to leave,” you said, hectic in gathering your things. Law stood up as well but gave you space, watching you fidget with your bag.
“I know we’re never guaranteed full safety with this lifestyle, but if you were here, with me, we could look out for each other. You wouldn’t have so many run-ins anymore, either.” In the back of Law’s mind he worried if this was it – the last he’d see of you. If you’d stop coming here and if you’d start avoiding him on campus.
Hoisting your bag over your shoulder, you let out a frustrated sigh and looked at Law one more time – eyes full of anger, hurt and confusion.
“Why do you even care?” You asked him, tone wavering between irritation and dejection, and it knocked the wind out of him. “I’m just some girl who stumbles in here for you to bandage up and make some quick money off of.”
At first, Law was completely speechless.
This was what you thought of him?
This was how you thought he looked at you – at your relationship?
Law felt his own dejection well up inside of him, that sinking feeling coming up to swallow him whole, but then he caught the expression on your face. From the way your now watery eyes shifted around and you chewed at your lip. The way you had your shoulders hunched and your arms wrapped around yourself like a protective barrier.
Law steeled his own expression, pushing away those dark emotions that were clawing at his insides.
He didn’t believe your words – and he knew, deep down, you didn’t believe them either.
But it was time you finally heard and, just maybe, believed his.
“Because you’re not just some girl,” he told you, but you just shook your head, looking away from him. “Do you know how much I look forward to seeing you? Or how happy I was to be in class with you that first time? Me? Happy?” Law knew he was rambling but the words wouldn’t stop, couldn’t stop. “How badly I wanted to just simply hold your hand?”
Slowly, you made eye contact with him again, brow furrowed and eyes wary. Law’s heart was racing inside of his chest as he tried to process all of the different emotions coursing through him but he wasn’t going to back down now.
Too many times had he let himself say nothing and let you walk out the door. He wasn’t going to let it happen again tonight.
“I mean it.” He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up in the process, “Seeing you also means you’re safe. You’re alive. You’re not out there somewhere I can’t get to you, help you. And I couldn’t care less about the money, I’ll pay it all back right now if it meant you weren’t leaving my side.”
And at the crux of it all, that was what this was all about.
You sucked in a small breath and Law lightly panted, his sharp eyes never leaving yours.
Law stepped towards you, feeling hope when you didn’t back away. He knew his face was aflame with a bright blush with how hot his face felt but he didn’t care.
“That’s all I want – to be by your side.”
Hesitantly, his hands reached out, and you still did not move away. Law’s large, tattooed hands gently cradled your face, and he rested his forehead against yours. Your face crumpled as your eyes closed, and Law pressed himself closer to you, closing his own eyes.
“Because you’re not some girl,” he whispered, reiterating himself. “And because try as I might, since you first stepped foot in here, I haven’t been able to get you out of my goddamn head.”
Law heard your bag hit the floor as he felt your arms wrap around him. You held onto him tightly – so, so tightly.
“I want to be by your side too,” you breathed against his lips, a light sob getting caught in your throat. Law’s grip on you increased as he felt relief wash over him and a choked breath escaped him.
Pulling back from you, he still held onto you as he looked over your face. Your brow was furrowed and you looked to be on the verge of tears, but you still gave him that smile he loved. Law returned it with his own half-smile.
Your eyes met his before flitting down to his lips, and he swallowed, staring at you with a silent question etched on his face. Law felt your hands clutch onto his back even further, making his heart leap.
Bringing your face close to his again, Law hesitated right as your upper lip brushed against his. Giving himself that last push into the deep end, Law closed his eyes and pressed his lips to yours. You returned the gentle kiss, hands fisting his shirt. Law held you impossibly closer, needing every bit of you in this moment.
When it came to this lifestyle, none of it would be resolved overnight. And it wasn’t going to be easy or done at the snap of your fingers.
But maybe, little by little, the two of you could mold a life a together.
And it could start tonight, where it all began – here, in an illegal operating room where perhaps sometimes questions should be asked.
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