Chapter Text
Law is distraught. His cigarette burns between his fingers as he stares into space.
Then, the man he was originally waiting for arrives and sits down next to him.
“Smoker. You're late.”
The man sits down casually, his right ankle on his left knee, his arm on the back of the bench, a cigar between his teeth.
“You're early.”
Law doesn't answer. He snorts and brings the cigarette to his lips. “What do you want? We haven't spoken in years.”
“I think I know who killed Corazon.”
Law looks at Smoker, his mouth open, his heart pounding.
“You think, or are you sure?”
“I have my suspicions.”
“Who?”
Smoker sizes up Law and leans forward, elbows on his knees.
“Doflamingo.”
“You're delusional.”
“The noose is tightening.”
“He was his brother. How can you think he could have done such a thing?”
“That's a nasty wound you've got on your head, Trafalgar. Let me guess: you got hit by a door?” Law purses his lips, staring at Smoker. “We don't have any proof, but we will soon. A valuable witness is going to give us their side of the story.”
“A witness, you say?”
Smoker stands up. “Take care of yourself, Trafalgar. You're a good guy. Corazon was too. You both deserve better than this.”
The policeman leaves, leaving Law even more alone and distraught than before. The brown-haired man gets up and walks home, dragging his feet, lost in thought. Doflamingo couldn't have killed Corazon. He could never have hidden it from Law all these years.
When he arrives home, Law decides that Smoker's suspicions are unfounded and that the famous witness will probably say something completely different.
*******
Weeks go by.
Law goes to class, then returns home. Although he sees his friends at lunchtime, he doesn't talk and hardly eats, silently enduring their worried looks.
In the evening, Law lets Doflamingo do whatever he wants with him. With a gag in his mouth, blindfolded, his arms bent and tied behind his back, the brown-haired man lets himself be manhandled while Doflamingo fucks him, sitting beneath him, lifting his legs to penetrate him more roughly and more deeply.
He endures. He survives. Little by little, he realizes he has made the wrong choice. But it's too late.
Then, one day, when Mihawk, one of Doflamingo's partners, stops by the apartment, he leaves a note in Law's hand.
The brunet isolates himself in the bedroom to unfold the paper, and his breath catches in his throat.
Doflamingo has killed Corazon.
Law recoils as if he had been struck, until he hits the nearest wall. Then he pulls himself together and decides to confront Doflamingo.
The man is preparing food when Law loudly places the paper on the table behind the blond man, causing him to turn around.
“What is this?”
Tears well up in Law's eyes.
“You killed him? You killed Corazon?”
Doflamingo sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Law then thinks that he is mistaken. That they are all mistaken, and that Doflamingo is fed up.
But then, the blond man looks at him with a grin on his face.
“Yes, I killed him.”
Law is frozen. His blood stops flowing, his heart stops beating, his lungs stop pumping oxygen. He feels like he's dying. “What?”
“Yes, Law, I killed my brother. A bullet between the eyes, point-blank.”
"But... The cops said it was a stray bullet...“
”The ones from back then, the ones I bribed, yes. But then Smoker showed up and screwed everything up.“
Law swallows with difficulty. ”You... No..."
Doflamingo walks around the table and approaches Law, who staggers backward, his hand in front of him. “Stay away from me...”
“You're so pale, Law.” His smile widens. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”
Law stares at the blond man in horror, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Why?”
“For the same reason I killed our father: incompetence, naivety. They drove me crazy. My father almost got us killed, and Cora hoped to frame me for his murder. He was in cahoots with the cops, hoping to set me up.“
”Shut up.“
That smile. Always that damn smile. ”You asked for my reasons, Law."
“I don't want to hear any more.”
Doflamingo then starts laughing. A diabolical, frightening laugh. Suddenly, Law fears for his life.
“That's too much.” Law turns his back on Doflamingo and heads into the penthouse hallway to put on his shoes. As he stands up, the brown-haired man is violently thrown against the wall.
“Where do you think you're going?”
A hand closes around Law's throat, fingers pressing down on his windpipe. Law then punches Doflamingo in the face, causing him to let go. The brunette steps forward and starts to head for the door. But the blond is quick. He turns him around, grabs his right wrist, and slams Law so violently against the wall, his arm hitting the corner with a crash, that a horrible sound is heard before pain overwhelms all of the brunette's senses.
He screams, and, in a rage mixed with fear, the brown-haired man hits Doflamingo, scratches him, kicks him, until the blond man backs away, allowing Law to escape.
The brown-haired man doesn't look back once. He runs, descending the stairs one level at a time, holding his right arm folded against his chest.
Outside, it's raining heavily. Law is wearing a T-shirt, and he left his phone at Doflamingo's place. So, he goes to the nearest place he knows.
When he arrives in front of the restaurant, the lights are on. Law opens the door and closes it behind him, locking the three bolts before lowering the shutter. Then, Shachi appears, wiping his hands on a towel, smiling.
“Sorry, sir, we're not open yet—LAW?!”
Law turns around and leans against the door, before pushing himself forward toward his friend. “Shachi! I didn't know where to go! I—”
“Law?!”
Kid appears behind Shachi, and Law lets all his tears flow as he uses his last ounce of strength to move toward the red-haired man.
His legs give way just as Law's left hand grabs hold of the white T-shirt, two powerful arms catching him around the waist. The movement makes Law wince in pain.
“Law?? What's wrong?? Your arm??”
Law looks up at Kid with tear-filled eyes. Oh, how happy he is to be safe in his arms. "I think it's broken. Kid, I'm sorry. I made the wrong choice. I should have chosen you. I love you. Forgive me, I was an idiot, a fool. I should never have stayed with Doffy. I should have listened to you. I should have listened to all of you. I'm so sorry, I screwed up. I'm sorry." Law cries, there, against Kid's chest.
Gently, Kid barely hugs him, afraid to brush against his arm. “Law, it's okay, you're here now, okay? Everything will be fine now, I promise. I'm here.” He kisses Law on the head.
At that moment, Shachi joins them. “Help is on the way. Law, you should sit down, you're in shock.”
Law's breathing quickens, once, twice, then everything goes black.
“I'm going to kill that son of a bitch.” Kid paces back and forth in the hospital, while Shachi, Bepo, and Penguin sit worriedly. The latter two were supposed to be working at the same hospital that night, but Dr. Chopper, Law's doctor, asked them not to work so they could be there for their friend.
Just as Kid thinks he's about to explode with rage, he hears a voice. A voice he's never heard before, but one that makes all the hairs on his body stand on end.
“Good evening, I'm looking for my boyfriend. Trafalgar Law.”
“You son of a bitch!” Kid runs towards the blond man, but Killer, who arrives at the same moment with a police officer, stops him. Kid struggles. “I'll kill you, you bastard!”
“You must be Kid.”
Smoker approaches Doflamingo, handcuffs in hand. “Doflamingo, I'm arresting you for assault and battery, in addition to the murder of your brother, Corazon.”
“WHAT?!” Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo exclaim at the same time, rising from their seats.
Doflamingo, meanwhile, lets himself be led away, smiling at Kid. “You know what? You can have him. Take my leftovers, if you like him so much.”
Kid steps forward, but Killer blocks him with a hand on his chest. “Stop. You don't want to be at the station when Law wakes up.”
Smoker takes Doflamingo away, addressing his colleague. “Coby, you'll take Trafalgar's complaint when he wakes up, making it clear that this little shit will be sentenced to life.”
“Yes, sir!”
Kid only calms down once Doflamingo is taken away. Shocked by the revelations, he sits down, along with Shachi, Bepo, and Penguin. Killer remains standing, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall closest to Kid.
Law opens his eyes once, twice, before managing to adjust to the brightness. When he tries to move, he realizes that his arm is in a cast.
“Good evening, Law. How are you feeling?” A doctor approaches his bed and takes his vitals.
“Hm...” - His throat is dry. The doctor hands him a cup with a straw, and Law drinks.
“Do you know why you're here?”
“My boyfriend—ex—sent me to the hospital.”
The doctor nods. "Your arm is broken, but it's a clean break, so it will heal in no time. You can leave the hospital tomorrow morning. You fainted, so we're keeping you in overnight. Your friends are here, do you want to see them?"
Law nods.
No sooner has the doctor left the room than three tornadoes come running in, followed by Kid and Killer.
“Law, thank God you're okay!” - Shachi
“I'm so sorry, Law. I should have hit him when I had the chance.” - Bepo
Penguin approaches Law, silently. Then he smiles and puts a hand on his shoulder. “I'm relieved you're okay, L.”
Law smiles and nods, his throat too tight to speak. Then he turns his head toward Kid, who has remained in the background.
“Kid, I—”
The red-haired man rushes toward Law and kisses him.
“Please, tell me you're going to press charges and come live with me.”
Law holds back a tear and puts his good arm around Kid's neck. “I promise, Kid.”
*****
Law's friends are allowed to sleep in his room. The next morning, Coby comes in and takes Law's complaint. Then, Law is allowed to leave the hospital.
Penguin and Kid accompany him to Doflamingo's house, taking advantage of his absence to retrieve the brunette's belongings, which they bring to Kid's house.
For several days, Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo live at both Kid's and Killer's places, taking turns to make sure Law is doing well, both physically and psychologically.
Finally, it is Law who tells them to go home, needing space himself and to be reunited with Kid.
Finally alone, on the sofa, a tray of empty takeout food on the coffee table, the two men kiss tenderly.
Then, Kid pulls back. “You know, I can find a second job if you need help with college.”
Law's eyes widen. ”What?! No! I'd work at Shachi's with you. I'd love to! Don't take what I said seriously. Doflamingo, he... he messed with my head, he manipulated me badly. I'm sorry you had to suffer because of it. I'm not materialistic. I don't care about money. We could live crammed in with Killer and I'd be happy, as long as you're there.“
Kid smiles and rubs his nose against Law's. ”I know all that, Law. I'm just happy to know that you'll be okay now. I'll do anything to protect you and make you happy, always."
Law smiles. “I know.”
Finally, Law straddles Kid and kisses him with all the passion he can muster. For him, a new life is beginning.