Chapter Text
Later that evening, the strawhats (as they called themselves) had gathered at the Baratie. Sanji’s shift had finished early and the rest had dropped in for their weekly catch up. Luffy then retold the story of the doctor. He noted Sanji going rigid in his seat. His clutching the glass tad bit too tight.
“You said his assistant took him from you right?” Robin asked.
“Yeah but i didn’t trust him. Will he be okay?” he said the last part mostly to himself.
“I’m sure he will be fine.” Zoro muttered from beside him.
“It was sweet of him to rescue that kid though.” Nami smiled twirling her drink.
“It was super brave.” Franky added.
“Chopper said he will be at the hospital all night.” Robin informed the group.
“It looked like a big fire, how did he manage to jump in?” Ussop wondered shuddering.
“Quite a brave young man yohohoho.” Brook replied.
Sanji didn’t say a word as they moved on to something else. He seemed weirdly quiet that evening. Luffy dived into the dessert Zeff had placed in the middle of the table tuning everyone else out.
“I need a smoke.” Sanji excused himself and left.
“He seemed a bit trouble today.” Robin remarked.
“It’s not very like him.” Nami agreed.
“Might have fought with Zoro as usual.” Ussop quipped side eyeing the police officer.
“Hey, don’t drag me in with that twirly brow.” Zoro snapped. Ussop held up his hand in surrender as the table erupted in giggles.
Luffy quietly slipped from the table and joined Sanji outside. He sat on the bench beside the man with a unlit cigarette between his fingers. Sanji glanced at him and quickly lit up taking a deep inhale through the stick. He finished the first one and lit up another followed by another.
“What does little space mean?” Luffy wondered out loud after a few minutes. Sanji flinched in his place but didn’t turn to look at his friend. Silence fell between them again.
“It’s a coping mechanism or a way of living.” Sanji said at last, “It happens usually in high stress situations or maybe when someone feel safe enough to do it. The mind reverts back to the childlike state to protect or save the adult version. It is different for everyone. Some can stay constantly in that state. While others only regress in situations they think are safe.”
Sanji took a big as Luffy hummed to his answer.
“How do they… do things then like day to day?” Sanji turned to Luffy jaw dropped slightly.
“Aren’t you going to make fun of it or something?” Sanji asked doubt clear in voice.
“It seems like a serious thing, Sanji, that guy…” Luffy trailed off searching for words, “He looked scared and… and I was worried about him. So do you know… how they…” Sanji had a small smile on his face at his friend’s thoughtfulness.
“They usually choose their care givers. A person they trust and can depend on to help them in their space.” Sanji inhaled deeply through his smoke stick and exhaled, “It’s…It’s hard to find a care giver. People usually don’t understand why it happens and in the end they are still adults.
So it looks like an act or a fetish. But only the people who go through it know the struggle of losing their bearings.” Sanji smiled weakly, tapping away the smoke in the ash tray beside him. Luffy looked down at his hands and wondered aloud.
“Does he have a care giver?” Sanji caught that and smiled. “Anyways thanks Sanji and if you ever need a care giver let me know okay?” With that Luffy left Sanji stunned outside the Baratie.
“Law are you okay?” Bepo panted holding him tighter.
“I’m fine, Bepo, you can put me down now.” Law mumbled annoyed. He didn’t understand how he slipped into the space but it was still weird.
His little refused to switch once he saw the firefighter in straw hat. Law watched it from behind, through his foggy brain. Somewhere deep down he knew that the little had saved him by not switching. If it was up to his adult he would have stayed there and let the girl go with the fire fighter.
The straw hat man’s warmth and care made his little declare him the care giver. But he was not his little. Law was clearly embarrassed. He came back to himself in the straw hat’s arms and tried his best not to stiffen or it would have been a dead give away. He felt the vice like grip of those hands been replaced by Bepo’s bear like paw hands. Law had let himself sink in that embrace. He made a note to talk to his little. The little in his head refused the thought and sunk deeper into his consciousness.
“I’m glad you are back, Captain, but we need to get you checked.” Bepo mumbled above him.
“Danny refused me in the van. He took the girl though so I might be fine, Bepo.”
“That son of a…” Bepo trailed off, “Danny is an idiot.” Bepo who never cursed mumbled under his breath while putting him on the stretcher at last. Law sighed and resigned to his fate. Bepo ran a couple of tests on him and took some samples. Only after Bepo was satisfied he let Law leave.
Law took a cab home, tired after the day’s events. He walked into his apartment and beelined to the bathroom. After making sure to wash away the soot and smoke of his body and hair, he slipped into his gym clothes and headed to the gym in the basement. It was thankfully empty. He dropped his towel on the equipment beside him and started warming up. About half an hours into training his arms, his lungs caught up with him. The second hand smoke heavy lungs left him panting and heaving for air. At least his mind was empty.
Law slumped on one of the benches over his towel when he head a whimper from the back of his mind. It was his little he had suppressed as a kid. The sensitive and soft one, he had pushed away under the hard life of his uncle. The inherent part of himself that he had buried a long time ago had surfaced a few years back.
Corazon had found him a little too late and died to early. By the time Corazon had found him and Lammy. Law had become Doffy’s perfect doctor—the real one who watched people slowly bleed to death, bandaged the ones that were to be saved and listen to all Doffy’s requests. It was worth it, he reminded himself. The past should remain in the past.
“Law I’m sorry.” the little cried. How he wished to hug him. “It’s not your fault.” he thought to himself and picked his gym bag to make his way back up.
Law jumped into the shower after all the workout he did. His little had made himself scarce in his mind. But the quiet whimpers still echoed in his head filling his eyes. The scorching water carried them away.
After the shower, he dimmed the lights of his apartment to soft and muted lighting. He had to give his little some space and the empty apartment with dark furniture only scared the little. He watched his tattoos as he rinsed the rice. It was an agony for the little when he had taken over. He faintly remembered crying all night. He shook his head and put the rice in cooker. He made a simple dinner with sauteed vegetables and chicken topped over rice.
A couple of bites in and his mind drifted back to the firefighter with a straw hat. He wondered about the hat, wouldn’t that burn. It seemed like the firefighter had forgotten it was around his neck. He never caught his name. Pushing his plate away, he put some nuggets in the airfryer.
If his adult self couldn’t eat, he hoped his little would keep his body nourished. Law went back to his room to change. The softest pajamas were kept at the button of the cupboard hidden behind the least used clothes. Digging them out, he slipped into the polar bear pants and pulled on a equally soft shirt that covered his hands. This was gifted by Bepo after his first drop in front of the nurse.
Bepo had been so angry at him for not getting all the things he needed sooner. Law used Corazon’s old hoodies and pants as his comfort clothes before then. But the soft pjs were a good addition, he had to admit. He sat back at the dining table waiting for the fuzziness to take over.
Seven minutes past and nothing, his vision was sharp as usual and he felt ridiculous on the outside. Groaning he finished the food and washed the dishes. Taking the nuggets out of the airfryer he settled on the sofa and put on his favourite hospital show. He pulled over a weighted blanket in hope to slip into little space. But again nothing. Without realising he fell in a dreamless sleep.
Law’s little eluded him for the days to come and Bepo refused to tell him his new hospital. Law was on the edge by the fifth day. He picked out his formal hospital clothes and decided to step out. It was an unusually cool summer morning. He enjoyed the breeze on his face with all the trees still in bloom. He walked enjoying the scenery, he didn’t even realise where he was till he looked up at the burnt building. Law exhaled.
“Hello little one!” Someone greeted from beside him. Law turned to the person with a scowl just to be surprised to see the firefighter with the straw hat.
“Not a little one!” Law snapped.
The firefighter held up his hands and giggled, “okay, okay.”
“Thank you for the other day though.” Law added quietly not meeting his eyes.
“It’s my job,” then he held out his hand, “I’m Monkey D. Luffy.”
“Trafalgar D. Water Law” Law shook his hand.
The firefi–Luffy cocked his head from side to side. That definitely did not send his heart fluttering at the cuteness of it but it did fog his mind. Not now he told his little.
“Tra–Traf—Tragal?” Luffy butchered his name before settling for, “Torao!”
“That’s not my name.” Law snapped again.
The strawhat man only giggled and Law wondered how could his little choose a man like this as a care giver. He didn’t even seem to be the type. But before he could complain about the tangent, a bulky man slid his arm around the Straw Hat. “Hey Luff, you ready?”
The fuzziness disappeared. Law felt sharp as a knife again. Ofcourse, he has a boyfriend. All hot guys do, he tried to console the little who had cowered back in his mind.
“Hey Zoro! This is Torao, the guy from other day…” Luffy explained gesturing at him. What had he told the man? Did he even care? For his little self, yes. Also he’s a heart surgeon— “Oh yeah, the guy who saved the kid.” The man exclaimed cutting off his train of thoughts.
“That’s me.” Law nodded.
“What are you doing here though?” Zoro asked.
“Yeah Torao, what are you doing here?” Luffy parroted his friend.
“Uhh…” Law went blank for a minute scrambling for answers he didn’t have, “I came here by mistake.” He covered it up with a question of his own, “What are you guys doing here anyway?”
“We have to write reports of the damages.” Luffy explained, “Still got loads of paperwork left of this.” Zoro groaned turning to the building.
“Why? I thought it was a wiring fault.” The two exchanged a look. Law almost felt like he was intruding a private conversation by their intense gazes. “Was it an arson?” he asked at last. Neither replied but their grim expression gave it away.
“I’m going to head in.” Zoro said before entering the charred building.
“I’m sorry Torao but we are going to find out who did this.” Law nodded looking at the soot laden walls of the building that he used to call his work place. Only the barebones were of the Grandline Metropolitan Hospital. It reminded him of another fire somewhere far away but he pushed that thought aside as he watched Luffy ascend the steps. It’s when his little reached out to come out again.
“Hey,” Law called out before he could second guess himself, “I would like to treat you to a meal as a thank you. Let me know whenever you are free?” He rampaged through his pocket and pulled out his card to hand over.
Luffy took the card but before he could say anything the doctor had left. He looked down at the card in his hand. It had his name but Torao sounded better to him.
“See you soon, Torao.” he waved at the retreating figure.