When Law woke the next morning, it was to an empty bed and a dull throbbing at his temples. At first, this didn't alarm him, as he'd forgotten where exactly he was. It was initially assumed he was back at home, recovering from a night of work. But as time passed and the unfamiliar scent of the room jogged his memory as to his location, his eyes snapped open to investigate the room around him.
There was a distinct absence of the blonde he'd gone to bed with the night before, only the impression of where her body had lain throughout the night beside him. Feeling the spot, and it's lack of warmth, he figured she'd gotten up quite awhile ago. A hesitant glance around the room also confirmed that she was nowhere near. His first inclination was to panic. Had she woken up feeling regret about the turn of events? Was she embarrassed to look him in the eyes? Shit…
And then, the smell of something delicious wafted before him, and he perked up, realizing she was probably making breakfast. The tension eased somewhat, figuring that if she had regretted having him over, she wouldn't be making them food. At least, he hoped that was the case. One never knew. That hope returning, Law uncovered himself from the comforter, retrieving his pants and zipping them back on, before stepping out into the hallway.
A feminine hum could be heard over the sounds of sizzling food, and Law emerged a moment later into her living room, spotting the blonde standing in front of a skillet making what appeared to be bacon and pancakes, the source of the delicious smell. Summer looked up at his entrance, giving a wide smile.
"Morning! I hope you like pancakes." She said cheerfully, her hair not too far from a bed head. He smiled back, walking barefoot onto the cold kitchen tiles.
"I do, and thank you. You didn't have to." He replied, unconsciously rubbing at his forehead. Summer must have noticed his wince, because she laughed and pointed to one of the end cabinets.
"There's aspirin in there if you'd like some. And help yourself to anything in the fridge. Breakfast will be ready pretty soon here."
Grateful of the offer, Law went to retrieve the little bottle of white pills. Summer went back to humming low under her breath, turning over the bacon and flipping the pancakes. Two plates lined beside the skillet, waiting for the finished food to be served.
After downing the aspirin, Law wasn't really sure what else to say to her. What was the expectation between the both of them? He bought time by leaving again to find the restroom. Maybe he'd find the right words if he had a bit of time to himself. Summer didn't say anything or give any indication he had upset her by leaving for a moment, thankfully.
After relieving himself and washing his hands, he leaned forwards, bracing his hands against the counter as he stared into the mirror. The dark circles that wouldn't ever seem to disappear weren't helped by the alcohol from last night despite getting a full night's sleep. With a sigh, he craned his neck to pop the joints that felt stiff.
Gray eyes returned to stare at his reflection with disinterest. He wasn't sure how he felt seeing himself in the mirror anymore. It was the same face it had always been. Save for the scruff of his goatee and the sideburns, his face had never changed. Yet Law himself had. More than he thought possible. He'd let go—somewhat—of what he used to be, what he used to do. Enough to start seeking happiness. This relationship with Summer was a major step out of his comfort zone, but in a good way. The threat of those who'd equally wronged and been wrong by him had always hung over his head. It had been years, granted, but they were still there. And grudges weren't something so easily forgotten in that sort of lifestyle.
What if this was the biggest, stupidest mistake he'd ever made, getting closer to Summer? Gaining so much just to lose it all in the end? How many people would be caught in the collateral this time? Who knew how invested the crime lord had been in him during his time as his subordinate…There really was no way to tell, but it worried him, not knowing. Law didn't like not knowing.
He shook his head vigorously, glaring at his own reflection.
Pull yourself together. She seems happy, you're happy, and there's been no sign of them. Nothing's wrong. He let out a breath, willing himself to believe the words. Corazon had reassured him, there should be no danger anymore. The years had done their work. But as much as Law wanted to believe his boss' reassurances, there was no guarantee. No promises. And no do-overs if this turned out to be all he had hoped to avoid.
If his fears turned out to be correct, he'd be dragging Summer—unwittingly, at that—into much more than he was sure she could handle or understand. Law was painting a target over her head that only he could see, and then pretending everything was fine. What a piece of work he was…Over and over the mantra continued, before he realized this prolonged time in the bathroom was getting ridiculous, as was the downward spiral his thoughts had begun to take him. This was not his reason for excusing himself in the first place.
Clearing his throat, he exited the bathroom and returned to the kitchen where Summer was carrying the plates to her coffee table. She perked up when she saw him approach.
"Are you ok with sitting on the floor? I don't really have much of a dining table…" She admitted, holding a plate of breakfast in each hand as she sidestepped the bartender. He laughed under his breath, following after her into the living room.
"I really don't mind. You're worrying too much about the little things." He glanced around, noticing that she'd apparently cleaned up the game of Monopoly that they'd left out the night before. The floor was clear where their epic game had originally been.
"I know! But I can't help it. I don't want you to think I'm weird or something." She shrugged with a whine, and he sat down on the floor across from her on his side of the coffee table. Summer carefully placed the plates on the table, standing to get the butter and maple syrup.
"It's a little late for that." He grinned, watching her retreat to the kitchen.
"Rude! Keep talking like that and I'll take back those pancakes." She threatened, pointing an accusatory finger at him. He held his hands up in mock surrender, unable to stop the smile she caused. Staring at him another few seconds just for good measure, she nodded satisfactorily and returned to the task of retrieving the last items of their breakfast.
Law watched her for a few moments, still unsure how he'd managed to find himself in this sort of position: waking up to a home-cooked meal, just after an enjoyable birthday, with a girl he truly cared for. That worm of doubt that none of this could last tried edging its way into his thoughts, but he forcefully shoved it back to the recesses, wanting to preserve this good memory as it was: pleasant.
"Meow!" Law heard on the floor beside him, and he looked down to see Max rubbing against his leg affectionately. The little cat had been absent most of the night before, but it seemed he was a bit more active in the morning.
"Hey, Max." He whispered to the cat, gently scratching behind the little one's ears. Max seemed to appreciate the gesture immensely, because he leaned into Law's tough and purred louder.
"Sorry about him. Max gets a little clingy if you pet him a few times." Summer returned with the syrup and butter, placing them in the space between their plates. Taking her seat on the floor across from him, she uncapped the butter and began spreading it on her pancakes.
"He's alright." Law reassured, smiling down at the cat who now refused to leave his side in an effort to be given more attention. He chuckled quietly, giving into the cat's wiles once more and petting him a few more times for good measure.
"Well, if he gets annoying, just push him away. He should get the message after awhile." Summer smiled, handing him the butter in case he wanted it.
They spent the next little while enjoying the breakfast Summer had made, Summer leading most of their conversation topics. She spoke of work, and how business had picked up to a larger degree than she thought possible. With the addition of her degree, her monthly income had more or less doubled, giving her a whole lot more money to take home at the end of the week. Her savings account had never been so full, though a good amount of her new higher pay was going to paying off student loans.
She talked of her plans to get a new car, stating that her old one was having more frequent problems that just seemed to be adding up. Law suggested taking a look at it later, and to help her look for a new one if she wanted. Happily, she accepted, promising to let him know when she wanted to start looking.
Law, in turn, listened curiously, simply reveling in the moment. It felt nice to sit back and relax with someone he enjoyed spending time with. Not to mention someone who had great cooking skills. He would argue she was a bit better than him.
It occurred to him then that this type of thing, this domestic life of happiness and carefreeness, was something Law held a lot more meaning to than perhaps she ever would. Though, her time in the foster system may have given her a taste of yearning for something like this, Law was stricken with the fear that he may never get to have a life like this. Dammit, there he went getting all sentimental and emotional again. This was supposed to be a nice morning with Summer, and he was overthinking everything already.
The blonde must have realized that after some time, Law began to get distracted, resorting to one- and two-word responses, or humming for her to continue. Smiling sadly, wondering if perhaps he was bored of her company, she snapped her fingers in front of his face, getting his attention again.
"Everything alright?" She questioned, then realizing that they'd eaten the last of their breakfast a while ago. She began gathering up the plates. Eyes widening slightly, Law looked up when she stood.
"Yeah, sorry. Got a little lost in my thoughts." He noticed she was cleaning up, and so he picked up the syrup and butter to help her put things away.
"What were you thinking about?" She questioned with a laugh, and he shrugged.
"Not anything in particular. Just…drifting." He answered vaguely. She picked up on that, wondering when he would begin to open up about himself a little more. When it came to his life, Summer honestly still didn't know a whole lot. It had been a few months already, and she'd been hoping that slowly, over time, he'd tell her a bit more about himself. She wanted to know who he was, where he came from, and what had happened to make him so uncertain about his relationship with her. Had he gone through a bad breakup? An abusive relationship?
Realizing that she was going off on unrelated tangents, Summer shook her head with a smile. "Oh, that happens to me sometimes too. No worries!"
They became distracted with helping to clean up the kitchen and living room a little bit, washing dishes and putting away the stray utensils Summer had left out on the counter the night before. The topics of conversation returned to superficial things, mostly Law's funny stories from the bar, and the most recent shenanigans that Shachi and Penguin had been up to.
Before long, there was nothing left to clean, and they returned to the living room, not quite sure what else to do. However, before they could have the awkward conversation about whether Law was staying or leaving, his phone vibrated and he saw that it was Penguin. Giving Summer a mock exasperated look, which she giggled at, he answered the phone.
"Yeah?"
"So, you're not going to forget about our plans for your birthday today, are you?" His friend asked accusingly. "We are not having a repeat of last year!"
"I-" Law started, but was cut off by Shachi joining in the conversation, taking the phone away from Penguin.
"No excuses! I don't care if you have the worst hangover of your life, we are doing something for your birthday."
Summer tried to muffle the laugh as his friends told him off over the phone. Law gave her a look that said 'help me' but she simply pointed to the hall and mouthed that she was using the bathroom. Exiting the living room and leaving him by himself, Law sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Alright, alright. Just quit yelling. I do have a minor hangover."
"Eh? You were drinking? But aren't you at Summer's apartment?" Penguin seemed to have relinquished control over his own phone, the sound of shuffling in Law's ear.
"Yes, and how the hell do you know that?" Law raised a brow, recalling he'd never told them his plans for his birthday with them.
"Well, seeing as your bike isn't parked in your regular spot, we figured you had stayed the night over at her place."
"Are you at my apartment?" He asked in surprise, slightly perturbed that they hadn't bothered to tell him they were stopped over. Ignoring his question, they continued on with their own line of questioning.
"Is Summer there right now?"
"She's in the restroom, but why does-"
"Did you two have sex?"
"No!"
"What? Why? Food, drinks, a special occasion…What more do you two need?"
"Honestly, what is with you two and my sex life?" Law demanded vehemently under his breath, careful not to be too loud in case Summer was on her way back. He glanced down the hallway just to be sure. "Unless you have something meaningful to say, I'm hanging up the phone."
"We're just looking out for you! Don't get so defensive."
"Besides, if you don't hit that, then we-"
Law tapped the 'End Call' button without listening to the rest of his friend's sentence, have a feeling he knew exactly what they were going to say. He sighed, looking at the time. It was nearly 10:30, and if Shachi and Penguin were already at his apartment waiting for him, he supposed he shouldn't take too much longer here. The inclination to stay and ditch them completely was there, but he had a feeling Summer wouldn't allow that, seeing as she now knew they had plans for him today.
She returned from the bathroom a moment later, smiling at his irritated expression. "I'm guessing you've gotta go?"
Reluctantly sighing, he nodded, standing from his position on the couch and wandering over to where his shoes were left by the door. "Unfortunately, it seems I've got to spend the day with those two."
"Oh, come on. They're just trying to celebrate your birthday with you. It can't be that bad." She urged, smile widening when he turned to give her a pointed stare. "Ok, ok, maybe it will be that bad. But they're still your friends. Let them have some fun."
"Yeah, yeah…" He agreed nonetheless, expecting this response. Once his shoes were on, and he made sure he had the keys to his bike, Summer met him in front of the door to embrace hi before he left. He accepted the gesture, starting to get used to being touched in so friendly a way.
"Have fun, and let me know what those two dragged you off to do later." She laughed into his shoulder. Then, pulling back slightly, she leaned up to give him a goodbye kiss.
She may have intended for it to be chaste, but Law wanted a little more, desiring to show his appreciation for what she'd done for him. Once Summer retracted, Law followed, slowly weaving his fingers in her blonde hair, angling his head so their lips could connect deeper. He hummed between their joined mouths, feeling her fingers dig into his shirt tightly.
Not wanting to go overboard, yet satisfied he'd still taken her breath away, he trailed a few more kisses at the corner of her mouth, before straightening to regard her. Flushed cheeks, mouth opened just slightly from their kiss, she stared up at him in what he could only describe as a misguided and undeserving awe. How she could look at him like that, with so much admiration, he'd never understand.
"Thank you for last night. Maybe I'll start looking forward to birthdays after all."
She smiled, feeling as though even if she hadn't intended to in the first place, she was slowly helping Law in some small, insignificant way. And yet it still made her proud. For some time, they simply stood there, staring into each others' eyes, until a loud buzzing and a vibration in Law's pocket interrupted the moment. He rolled his eyes and she giggled, until they separated and he reached for his phone.
"I'd better get going. That's them again."
"Don't get too wild and crazy!" Summer called, opening the door for him. He stepped out and gave a brief wave before descending the stairs to leave, bringing the phone to his ear. She heard him answer in a frustrated tone, causing her to smile in amusement. Once he was no longer in sight, she shut and locked the door, sighing in content as she was once again left alone in her apartment.
"…as for the rest of the paperwork for the upcoming preliminary trial, everything on my end should be finished up by Monday morning. Please expect a fax at that time." Hitomi spoke into the phone on her desk, idly searching through the documents in question in her briefcase.
"Of course. We expect to have the accident reconstruction report by tomorrow, so please familiarize yourself with that before we meet on Friday."
"Understood. Should I expect the defendant to comply with our requests?"
The voice at the end of the line sighed. "Honestly? Who knows. The kid has a track record of not cooperating with the law, though he's smart enough to know when too much is too much."
"Hmm, I like the challenging ones." She smiled tiredly, leaning further back in her chair.
"That doesn't come as a surprise to me."
Hitomi chuckled softly, glancing up at her door when there was a quiet knock. She straightened in her seat. "Mr. Morley, may I get back with you at another time? I have another appointment that's arrived."
"Absolutely. We'll keep in touch, Mrs. Silver."
The line disconnected and Hitomi pressed the call end button on the receiver. "Come in." She called to whoever was waiting on the other side of the door. It opened a moment later, and the green-haired security guard popped his head in.
"Hello, Zoro. What can I do for you?" She smiled as he entered rather reluctantly, gently shutting the door behind him.
"Have you eaten lunch?" He inquired, and she shook her head. "Then…would you like me to grab you something? I'm heading out on my break now."
"That would be lovely, thank you." She closed her eyes in appreciation, then, noticed he hadn't moved from his spot in front of her desk. It appeared as if he had more to say, but wasn't sure how to say it. "Is there something else?"
"Uh…actually, would you like to come with me? To grab lunch?" He pointed out the door, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Her brows rose a fraction, but inwardly she was loudly celebrating another small step in this unspoken relationship they had going on.
Zoro must have taken the tiny pause in between his question and her answer as hesitation, because he shook his head a little. "I mean, unless you're busy. I know you've got a lot of clients to see to today. I'll still bring you something, don't worry."
Hitomi chuckled, amused by his face beginning to turn a deeper shade of red. "Of course I'll come with you. It's about time I take my lunch as well, and it's getting a bit dull just sitting here in the office." Without waiting another moment, she stood and gathered up her purse, stuffing her phone and a few other belongings inside as she walked around her desk towards him.
"Wait…didn't you say you had an appointment waiting?" He raised a brow, recalling that little tidbit, but she waved the question away.
"I lied. My next meeting isn't until 2:30. Now," she said, boldly holding onto the crook of his elbow, "shall we go?"
He seemed unsure of the contact but nodded nonetheless, leading them out of her office and into the hallway towards the parking lot.
"…" Shachi and Penguin looked at him incredulously after his recounting of the night previous. "That's it?"
Law gave them a withering look. "What were you expecting, exactly?"
Shachi shrugged, sipping at his coke. "I don't know…a make out session on the kitchen counter? At least one of you getting naked-"
"Preferably her." Penguin added unhelpfully.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you two. I didn't know my dates meant so much to you." Law bit back sarcastically before taking a bite of his lunch, and they glared daggers at him from the opposite booth.
"Hey! It's not our fault you aren't getting anywhere in this thing between you two. We're just trying to help."
"In what way? Making me single again?"
Shachi shook his head, sighing dramatically. "No, getting you laid, bro. The three of us used to be hooking up every weekend, and now? You've barely looked at a woman for a year or two."
"Besides Summer." Penguin interjected again, swiping the last fry off of Shachi's plate.
"Exactly, and neither you or her have made a move on the other." Shachi nodded in agreement, scowling momentarily at his friend for taking his food. "It's not like we have anything against her-"
"She's nice and pretty cute."
"-but you're already, like, four months into this relationship and still haven't had sex."
"And?" Law baited, shaking his head and shrugging apathetically. "Your point?"
"We just don't want you missing out on the fun we all used to have, you know? We're looking out for you. And if things continue like this, are you really gonna be happy further down the line?"
"As much as I appreciate your concern, I'm just fine on my own." He knew coming out here with the both of them wasn't a good idea. Things always turned out like this. "Plus, seeing as you two can't keep a girl longer than a week at most, I wouldn't expect you to understand the dynamics of a real relationship."
"Hey, low blow!" Penguin retorted, but Law only raised his eyebrows in challenge, daring him to refute what they all knew was true.
"Whatever…going long-term always complicates things." Shachi downed the rest of his drink before continuing. "Girls always end up expecting too much of you, or you end up figuring out she's not everything you thought she was."
"Or, you find out that she's secretly a lesbian with her college roommate, and she's just using you to look straight for her parents." Penguin said bitterly, staring dryly into the bottle of his glass.
"Summer's not like that." Law defended, leaning back in his seat after finishing the last of his meal. The breakfast that morning had filled him up, and so his lunch was lighter than usual. "She's genuine."
"Yeah, but that could still cause problems for you." Shachi reiterated, gesturing at him with his glass of ice. "She's innocent, probably a virgin too. How is she gonna react when she finds out about who you used to be? What you used to do?"
"She won't find out." He spit.
"You can't hide it forever, and if you don't tell her, I guarantee she'll find out some other way." Penguin stretched in his seat. "Either way, think she'll stick around long once she learns the truth?"
"…" He honestly wasn't sure, and therefore had no response to that. None of them really wanted to extend on that conversation, knowing Law didn't like to discuss matters of his past in public places, and the air was getting too heavy for everyone in general. This was supposed to have been a birthday 'celebration' of sorts, getting together to talk about life since they hadn't for awhile.
Finally, Shachi stood from the booth. "I'll take care of the check." He told them, wandered up to the register at the front to pay. Law sighed, rubbing at the return of his previous headache. Maybe two aspirin hadn't been enough…
"It's not like we're telling you to up and break up with her," Penguin tried consoling softly, "we just want to make sure you aren't going into this without thinking. It's great that you're happy, seriously. I haven't seen you like this since-"
"Don't." Law interrupted, knowing where Penguin was going to go with that conversation. Much as his past was taboo in public, mentions of his family were strictly forbidden.
"…right. Anyways, it's been forever since you've last been this happy. We're really glad you are, just…be careful, alright? We don't want to see something happen to you."
Neither did Law. Yet, strangely, the more Penguin and Shachi voiced the same doubting opinions he'd been thinking just that morning, almost believing them, the more he felt the need to defend against them. When they put it like that, he didn't want to believe them at all, and the more it just sounded a bit ridiculous.
Shachi returned from paying the bill, putting a stop to the conversation between Penguin and Law, and the three of them left the restaurant to pay the two's shared apartment a visit. Law honestly wasn't looking forward to the hours of playing Halo ahead of him, despite knowing that he'd kick both of their asses easily. Too much was on his mind.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
