Reluctantly, Summer shut off the screen of her phone, placing it on her nightstand with a sigh. She'd put the volume all the way up, just in case Law happened to call. However, something in her gut told her he wouldn't. Rolling her shoulders back to ease an ache, she sluggishly changed into her pajamas, taking glances at her phone every so often. Despite knowing the ringtone would go off should Law reply back, her worry got the best of her, and she looked anyways.
Something was wrong, but Summer didn't know what. He'd never cut off contact like this before, at least to this extent. He seemed angry, but they'd had little spats several times before, usually about trivial things however. Law tended to shy away when they argued, not wanting to say something he didn't mean or couldn't take back as he explained it, and Summer would describe herself as non-confrontational. This meant neither would discuss the issue for an hour or so, before cooling down enough to talk about it without being so angry. It probably wasn't the best way of handling their differences, but it had worked so far.
Still, this felt entirely different. Normally he'd be back to his usual self within the same day, or even the morning after. This extended silence and lack of contact was puzzling and left an ill feeling in her stomach. Was it something she'd done? Something she'd said? There were times when she didn't think before speaking. The blonde thought back to their previous conversations, but couldn't remember anything especially controversial that either of them had mentioned. Though, he had been acting strange the last time she called him…
Something about a yellow box, but that didn't seem relevant.
Shaking her head to rid herself of all these troubling thoughts, Summer made her way over to her bed, tucking herself under the covers and turning off the nightstand light. After a bit of wiggling and shifting around, she was able to find a relatively comfortable position in bed. Still, her anxious mind prevented much sleep.
Maybe she'd try again tomorrow morning to see if he'd respond.
I found my wallet finally! It fell behind the washer and drying for whatever reason… (12:34 pm)
Missed call from Summer. (2:48 pm)
I just got back from an engagement photo appointment. I was gonna make something new in that cookbook I've got later. Did you want to come over before work for dinner tonight? :) (2:51 pm)
Missed call from Summer. (6:25 pm)
Hey, is everything alright? You've been unusually quiet the past few days. (6:27 pm)
I'm going to sleep now, but just call if you need me. I'm worried about you. (10:38 pm)
Law's eyes stared at the text messages with half-lidded eyes. Sitting on his couch in the darkened living room, the phone placed neatly on the coffee table before him, the bartender read the words his girlfriend had written over and over again. After a time, the words blended together until he could no longer distinguish them. His face was propped up by his hand, which rested rather uncomfortably on his knee, though he was too preoccupied to move into a more comfortable position.
Summer had gone to bed a little later than usual, no doubt staying up to see if he'd respond to any of her attempts at communicating. It wasn't that Law was ignoring her, per se, it was just that he had no idea how he was supposed to respond with all of this turmoil in his head, knowing the things he did. Light conversation felt fake. Any good mood he portrayed to her would be a lie. He highly doubted he could pretend to be happy at that moment anyways.
Law was miserable, but he didn't know how to remedy it.
Every instinct told him to get out of here, to be away from the danger, but the overhanging threat Vergo blatantly supplied was enough to keep him caged in the city. It was only the first of his three day time limit to figure out what he was going to do, but it already felt like forever. And he wasn't any closer to coming up with a way to handle such a crucial decision.
Feeling overcome with frustration, he sighed and leaned forward, running both of his hands through his greasy hair. A shower would probably help. Corazon had given him the three days off, allowing him all the time he needed to think to himself, though most of it he'd spent sitting on the couch or staring up at the ceiling from his bed. He hadn't yet taken care of his body, and the grimy feeling of his hair and skin wasn't helping anything.
Getting clean and actually doing something would probably help his mood if only a minute amount. However, the desire to do something was overruled by his restlessness and anxiety. Sitting still was so much easier. And so he remained there.
What should he say? What should he do?
Could Law lie? Corazon would be against it wholeheartedly, but the older man didn't necessarily have to know about it either. Perhaps he could lie to both of them. Would Law even be able to keep something like that up long term? Surely the guilt would eat away at the last remaining shred of decency he had left. Would he even feel like the same person after doing something so treacherous to those closest to him? Shit.
At one point in his life, he'd been able to act heartlessly without regret, knowing that survival was the most important thing. He'd been surrounded by the scum of society back then, so it hadn't been all that difficult to ignore the welfare of others for his own gain. When had that all changed?
The screen on his phone dimmed after a few minutes of inactivity. He idly tapped it simply to keep it alight, unconsciously rereading the texts from the blonde over yet again.
…Is everything alright?…unusually quiet…I'm worried about you…
"Fuck…" He muttered to himself as he closed his eyes. This was already guilt he was feeling. Simply keeping his distance from her like this hurt much more than he thought it would. Before they'd gotten together, when she'd simply been a cute college student in the bar, he'd managed this sort of thing. It'd still stung, sure, but the pain of not being able to get close was significantly less. It had been bearable. But this…was something else entirely. Because, knowing her, she'd probably be worrying that she'd done something wrong. She'd start blaming herself for things that had nothing to do with her.
A rush of nervous energy shot through him, and he stood from his seat, wandering aimlessly around his living room in thought. He could feel the second phone in his pocket, and Law reached in to pull it out. He tapped the 'Contacts' app and pulled up the single number saved into it. The numbers were almost taunting him, invitingly easy to press, to call the cruel man on the other end.
Something urged him to keep hold of the damn thing, fearful that if he threw it away and it was the one Vergo expected him to answer by the third day, he would not hesitate to swoop in and kill Summer. Still, the weight of it in his pocket felt much heavier than it physically was, burning a hole in the fabric from its significance alone.
He could call Vergo right now and agree to play by Joker's rules. He could accept the reality that he could never truly escape their grasp. The easiest route was one phone call away, right at the touch of his fingers. Going back to the way things were…how much had changed since he was 14? How much had remained the same? Was he really willing to throw away all of the years he'd put into never returning?
Just how much interest did Joker have in him? He seemed suspiciously invested in Law coming back, to an unusual and confusing degree. Vergo had mentioned it was strictly for the connections that Law had favors with, but Joker was manipulative and conniving enough to do just about anything to get his way. There were much easier and less time consuming ways to go about growing the cartels again. Why go through all this trouble? The bartender quickly gave up on pursuing that line of thinking, knowing that speculating at this point would do him no good. Without actually hearing it from his own mouth, it was likely Law would never know for sure what Joker was thinking at any given time, or why he did the things that he appeared intent to do.
Finally turning off the screen of the phone, Law stuffed it back in his jeans pocket and continued walking around without any sort of reason. He felt confined, trapped within the walls of his apartment. His hands twitched with the desire to hold or punch something, anything really. His throat was parched. A drink wouldn't be too bad at this point. He could drown his confusion and anxiety in the strongest alcohol he could get his hands on. The thought was tempting.
The restlessness wouldn't let up, and eventually Law found his feet moving closer to the bowl by the door, his hand snatching up the keys to his motorcycle before he could really think about it.
Law whipped by cars and trucks alike as he sped down the streetlight-lit streets of the city. Traffic was still steady, but nowhere near as packed as the daytime. Maneuvering his way between cars was easy, and the engine roared to life each time the light turned green, sending him rocketing forward ahead of the other vehicles stopped beside him.
The bartender didn't really have any set destination in mind, figuring simply driving around would help ease this tension too. It worked, to some degree. The feeling of the wind rushing past him, the cold air helping to shock his body back into the present, was a welcome distraction to his addled thoughts.
He kept watch on the street signs though, knowing that he could go no further than the city limits. In fact, he made sure not to get anywhere close to the edges of town, afraid Vergo would preemptively assume he was making his move to ditch.
Law's craving for that drink worsened, but he also knew there would be no way he could get home if he indulged in his thirst for alcohol. Driving drunk in the state he was in now would most assuredly cause a wreck, and that was the very last thing he needed right now.
So, instead, he sought out someplace quiet. Law changed direction, heading the way he'd just come by making a u-turn at one of the lights. There was a place he knew of that would no doubt be abandoned at this time of night. He hoped.
It took only a few minutes before he found the park he'd been thinking of. Law navigated his bike towards the small parking lot dedicated to the park itself. He eased into one of the spots, cutting the lights and the engine with a turn of the key. The park itself was rather large, located almost completely in the center of the city. It was supposed to be this city's version of Central Park, though not quite so grand.
The edges of the park itself were various tennis and basketball courts, chainlink fences enclosing them so the balls wouldn't stray. Wrapping just inside of the courts scattered about the edge of the park was a sidewalk path encircling the place. Then a grassy area for lounging and picnics. In the very center was a playground for children, which now sat eerily quiet as he'd expected. No mother in her right mind would bring their children out here in the middle of the night.
Law stood and walked his way to the center playground, mind still occupied with depressing and anxious thoughts. The darkness was almost welcome at this point. His feet carried him to the edge of the metal structure, and he looked up at the dark outline of it in the blackness.
The tallest part of the structure was covered by a flat piece of metal, a makeshift roof, and Law began his climb towards it. He grabbed hold of the edges of the playground, hoisting himself up higher with each stretch. The tower wasn't meant to be climbed, as it could be dangerous for the children, but Law could easily navigate his way up the face of it, finally pulling himself over onto the flat roof.
He rolled over and lay on his back and, falling onto the metal while his legs dangled off the side, he stared up into the night sky. The effort it took to climb up this high made him take a moment to catch his breath, but then he focused on the scenery above him.
The stars weren't so bright from in the center of the city, but it was the best view he could get of the sky at that moment. Most of the sky above was empty darkness, the lights of the city polluting the air so you couldn't see too many stars, but a few of the brightest were noticeable.
Law could just barely make up the Big Dipper, tracking the length of it's handle with his eyes. He'd always been just a little intrigued by the unknown plane above. Who wouldn't be? There was so much they didn't know about space, so much more to learn, and so much they would probably never know.
Law sighed, slowly closing his eyes as he relaxed his arms to either side of him. This impromptu trip to the park was welcome, but it didn't completely mask why he'd been so anxious in the first place. A cold wind blew over his, chilling his arms, but he ignored it.
His eyes opened into slits, seeing the vast unknown above. He felt so tiny, so unworthy…why was all this happening to someone as insignificant as him? If only he hadn't lost his family so long ago. Perhaps then none of this would have happened. He never would have found his way into Joker's clutches. He never would have done the stupid shit he did. He never would have needed to worry about his and ultimately Summer's lives being in danger.
He'd never have had to run away from what he wanted in life.
"What am I supposed to do?" The question felt so loud in the relative quiet of the park. "What's the right answer to this?"
Naturally, there was no reply to his open question, nor did Law expect one.
How would he even go about refusing Joker's demand even if he wanted to? Law hadn't yet put much thought into what he would do should he say no. Both him and Summer would be in constant danger. Their whole lives would change, right at that moment. The bartender was reasonably confident he would know what to do to keep them a little ahead from being killed, he hoped, but the big 'if' was Summer.
Would she even remain with him if he told her? What would she say? What would she do? If they ended things, it would be more difficult to protect her from a distance like that. She'd probably want nothing to do with him whatsoever, and he didn't know how long he would be able to ensure her safety.
Law didn't think he'd be able to handle the thought of being alone again, either. He'd gained so much being with her. So much happiness he didn't know he could achieve. The domesticity he'd craved for years, without even completely realizing it. The promise of a better future Law never thought possible. Throwing that all away…going back to the loneliness of before…the thought was agony. He'd be alive, but what sort of existence could he really maintain by being completely alone? Getting the taste of perfection, only to have it ripped away.
The sensation of something wet rolling down the side of his face startled him into awareness, and he was surprised to find a tear had slipped from the corner of his eye. Unbidden, the other one followed soon after on the other side, leaving an uncomfortable cold sensation on both sides of his face as the wind dried the moisture.
For once, Law didn't care that he was crying. There was no one around to see it, and he'd been withholding the need for so long…
He let the rest of the tears flow, even as the minutes turned into hours.
The next morning there was no response from Law.
Summer winced as she saw no notifications from messenger, no replies back, and no missed calls. What in the hell was going on? This wasn't ok. Something wasn't right. Summer could feel that there was definitely something going on, but she had no idea what. Her worry grew, and the confusion and hurt had doubled since yesterday. What had she done wrong?
Summer tried calling him again that morning, and yet still no answer. She hung up before hearing the entire voicemail message. On the verge of crying, then feeling frustrated because she felt like she was acting way too childish, the blonde decided that a shower would help to clear her head and ease some of the wild emotion overtaking her.
Her shower was longer than usual, seeing as she took the time to take care of her skin from head to toe, and she'd drifted off in her thoughts on more than one occasion. Drying off afterwards was also a long affair, as her violet eyes would lock onto one object and stare almost impulsively at that one spot for long periods of time, unable to look away despite her best efforts.
She could care less what she had unconsciously chosen to wear that day, half surprised that it didn't look horrible when she saw herself in the mirror. Her normal routine of hair and makeup followed afterwards. It took almost two hours from start to finish, much longer than usual, but her distraction was at fault.
Once completely ready for the day, Summer stared at her phone some more, willing Law to send her a message at the very least. Then, knowing that sitting there in frustration wasn't going to get her any answers, she resolutely grabbed her car keys and purse before heading out the door. She was going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.
The drive to Law's apartment was quick. He didn't live that far away, and midday traffic wasn't as bad as it normally was in the early morning. His apartment complex didn't look all that different from her own, although the buildings here looked much more modern and updated than Mikkan Apartments.
Summer pulled into the nearest parking spot she could find, then cut the engine and eased out of her car. Her gaze looked around for Law's bike, but she didn't initially spot it. He didn't seem to keep a usual parking spot, however, as she had noted on previous occasions that it always seemed to be in a different place when she came by.
Letting out an anxious breath and squaring her shoulders, she stepped up onto the pathway and walked with determination towards his suite. Her gaze locked onto the door once it was in sight. The curtains were covering the windows, so she couldn't see inside unfortunately.
She approached the door and felt her nervousness return. Why was she so hesitant? All she wanted to know was why he was avoiding her, she logically reasoned, however the emotional part of her brain was coming up with creatively tragic scenarios that could be happening.
Maybe he was cheating on her. Did he realize he no longer enjoyed her company? Was she going to find another woman on the inside of his apartment? Closing her eyes, she physically shook her head and steeled her nerves. Standing there staring at the door forever wasn't going to make the situation any better. Summer raised her clenched fist and knocked sharply on the door four times, stepped back a pace to wait for it to open.
And waited.
…and waited.
Thirty seconds passed. A minute. There was no sound from within the apartment, and she sighed. Just to be sure, she knocked again, though even after waiting almost a whole five minutes, there was still no response from inside, no noise at all, and the door did not open.
Feeling down, Summer turned and went to head back towards her car.
Summer only tried one other time during the middle of the day to get in contact with Law, but it still failed. She gave up calling and texting alike, knowing now that he wouldn't respond. Her only option now, it seemed, was to try seeing him face to face.
Meeting him while he was at work would be the best way to do so. As such, Summer waited until it was time for his usual shift. Putting away the junk food she'd been moodily snacking on all day, she'd bundled herself into her car and drove directly to The Heart Seat. Surely she'd get her answers now.
The Heart Seat was mildly busy as usual, and Summer walked inside confidently. Her confusion and hurt had been replaced by frustration and mild anger. Did he think it was just ok to cut off contact from her like that without giving a reason? It had been almost two days and she hadn't heard a word. Frowning, she glanced over at the bar to see Luffy serving drinks. Not Law.
Her determination took a small hit, but she approached the counter regardless, catching Luffy's attention in the process.
"Oh, Summer! It's been awhile since you've come around." He smiled, already reaching for the shaker to mix her drink. "Do you want your usual?"
She forced the frown from her face and plastered on a reluctant, tiny smile so as not to appear rude. "No thank you, Luffy. I'm actually here looking for Law. Have you seen him?"
Luffy's expression turned puzzled. "You didn't know? Corazon said he took a few days off. I'm covering in the meantime."
"He did?" This was news to Summer. He'd never mentioned any such time off. Luffy nodded confirmation.
"Yeah. Corazon was the one who told me, so maybe you should go talk to him about it." He stuck his thumb over towards the side hallway in the back. "He's back in his office right now."
"Thank you." She nodded her appreciation, hoisting the strap of her bag up further on her shoulder. Along the way, Vivi passed by her with two plates of food, and the bluenette smiled a silent greeting, moving along to do her job.
Summer could hear Corazon talking heatedly inside his office, and she strained to try determining if Law was inside as well. Luffy hadn't said he was here, but one never knew. Corazon's was the only voice she heard, so she figured he was alone. The blonde knocked on the door softly. The conversation paused for a moment, then Corazon said 'Come in!'
Gently twisting the knob, she peeked around the corner to see the blonde bar owner lounging back in his chair, talking on the phone. His eyes widened slightly when he realized it was her. Summer gave a humorless, lopsided smile, and he gestured for her to close the door and sit down.
"I've, uh, gotta go. I'll call you back later." He said, not bothering to wait for a response before hanging up whatever phone call he was on. "Summer, what are you doing here?"
"You didn't have to end the call just because of me, you know." Summer reasoned guiltily, but Corazon waved it off.
"The conversation could wait. But it looks like you've got something on your mind." He leaned forward, hands clasped together on the desk in between them. The blonde woman looked away, sighing as she relaxed a bit more into the seat. Corazon had that sort of calming effect.
"Luffy said that Law took a few days off of work." Her violet eyes looked up to meet his. He nodded an affirmation to her statement. "Did he ever tell you his reason why?"
"Hmm, well, he mentioned having to think some things over, but not specifically, no." The bar owner mused, eyes flicking away to look past her. "Why?"
Her eyes darted away again. "I feel like something's going on. Like…something's wrong."
"What makes you say that?"
She clenched her hands together, trying to resist the urge to pick at her nails in nervousness. "I've been trying to get ahold of him for two days, but he hasn't answered."
She looked up just in time to see the unconcealed anger on Corazon's face, but a second later it was gone, as if never even there to begin with. He cocked his head. "Not even once?"
Silently, she shook her head, and it was Corazon's turn to sigh. "That is rather unusual of him, and completely uncalled for, but I'm sure to him, Law has a reasoning behind it."
Frowning, she gestured upwards with her hands. "What kind of reason would a person have for not talking to you for two days? I've been worried sick, and he hasn't even taken the time to tell me he's ok!"
"I'm sure he's just fine, but I'm sorry, kiddo…" Corazon released a breath, eyes finding the wood of his desk. "I wish I had more to tell you…"
Summer nodded slowly, looking off to the side as she thought about what to do. "I just don't know if it was something that I did or-"
"Summer." He said sternly, and she looked up to see the seriousness in his gaze. "Don't blame yourself for something you don't know the full story about. Worrying about it is going to eat you up, and in the end, it may not even have anything to do with you. Better to wait until everything comes to light."
Feeling like a child being consoled by a parent, Summer obediently nodded her understanding, and Corazon tried giving her a warm smile.
"The last day Law took off is tomorrow. I'm sure you'll hear from him by then, alright?"
"Yeah…ok." Summer replied weakly, wanting to believe what he said. She returned his smile, albeit not as genuinely, and thanked him for hearing her out. She stood, adjusting her grip on her purse, and turned to leave his office.
Corazon watched silently as the blonde closed the door behind her. Her muffled footsteps could be heard getting more distant as she traversed the hallway, and it wasn't until he could no longer hear them did he pick up his phone and redial the number he'd been talking to before she came in.
He answered within seconds of the dial ringing. "Yeah?"
Corazon opened one of the drawers and reached for his pack of cigarettes, staring at the wall with frustration. "Summer just stopped by looking for you, and we had a chat."
"…how is she?"
"What do you think? She's pissed. You haven't said anything to her yet?"
Law sighed on the other end. "I still have time."
"Law, you've completely ignored her for two days! She's worried sick. Plus, you've got her thinking this is all because of something she did."
Corazon didn't have to see Law's face to know it twisted into one of pain as the silence stretched on. But he wasn't having it. If he had to guilt him into action, he would.
"This has gone on long enough. You're putting yourself and her through hell just because of what Vergo said, and unless you straighten things up with Summer, she'll be making a decision for the both of you." He brought his lighter closer to the cigarette he had between his lips, flicking the striker to produce a flame. He sucked in the nicotine, releasing the smoke with a released breath. "If you haven't decided yet, Law, do it now. She may not wait for you."
Corazon waited for an answer from his bartender, but after several seconds, the line clicked, signifying the call had ended. Rolling his eyes, Corazon put away the phone and closed his eyes. Things weren't looking so good.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
