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The Tang creaks under the pressure of the water surrounding it, groaning and bending as it moves forward. To the Strawhat crew, this noise is new and often unsettling, but to the Hearts it barely catches their attention. Usually, this is the only noise heard at night when they’re travelling to Wano, but tonight something else echoes in the halls.
It’s the heavy slamming of books on the ground, hard turning of pages, and low grumbles that come from the small library on board. It’s tucked away on the far side of the ship near the control room, and everyone knows to steer clear of it.
Several of the Strawhats dared to peek inside, but quickly hurried away when they saw the state of the room.
Pages and books slung are everywhere without organization. Writing is on the walls, taped up haphazardly, and none of it is legible. Law is trying to figure something out, but no one is brave enough to ask what.
“He’s been going like this for hours,” Zoro says to Shachi, leaned just outside the door, “When does he usually stop?”
Shachi looks inside for a moment, and shrugs, “It depends. He’s always done this.”
“Done what?” Zoro asks and moves to look in the door as well. Law is writing furiously on a paper and when the lead snaps, so does Law, throwing it across the room. “Lose his mind?”
Shachi laughs and shakes his head, “ Zoomed. He’s gotten these bursts of energy ever since he was young, and he ends up heavy into something for a few hours until he tires himself out again. It’s not even caffeine based. Haven’t given him any coffee all day.”
Zoro hums in understanding. Luffy does this too, except a little more chaotic, and it’s harder to pick apart from his usual energy. For someone like Law it’s hard not to notice, he supposes.
“How long do they usually last? It’s been three hours and he hasn’t stopped throwing shit. It’s freaking me out.” Zoro says leaning into the doorframe and Shachi grabs his shoulder, “What? I know how to fix it. I do this with Luffy all the time.”
Shachi takes his hand back and holds them up in the air, “If you get dismembered, remember I tried to stop you.”
Walking into the room, Zoro doesn’t announce his presence. He simply walks over behind Law and looks over his shoulder onto the mess of a table before him. None of it makes sense to Zoro: figures of bodies, arrows pointing odd places, and enough broken lead to start a fire.
“Can I help you, Roronoa-ya?” Law nearly spits as he crumbles another piece of paper to toss across the room, “Would you like your hands swapped with your f-”
The sentence falls away as Zoro places his hands on Law’s shoulders, and Shachi’s sharp inhale can be heard from the hallway. No one touches Law when he’s like this, well, no one but the one-time Bepo managed to do it. Still, Shachi watches in fear as Zoro stands with firm hands on his captain’s shoulders.
“You’re going to stop now. I think you should rest.” Zoro says and Shachi pulls his hat down further over his eyes. He can’t watch what’s about to happen to the Strawhat’s first mate.
Law’s hand clenches into a fist around the pencil he’s holding, but then relaxes all at once. The soft clink it makes falling against the table sends a chill up Shachi’s spine, and he believes he’s witnessing a miracle. Zoro moves his hands off Law’s shoulders to pull the chair away from the table, and takes Law along with it.
Zoro moves around to face him then, face unmoving, and in an act Shachi can only define as brave: Zoro picks Law up. He goes easily without a fight over Zoro’s shoulder, and as Zoro starts to walk, he settles. Legs curled up in Zoro’s arms, as his own form a pillow against the broad shoulder beneath his head.
Zoro walks through the door and Shachi backs up out of his way, mouth open with all words lost. Zoro hoists Law a little higher and frees a hand to place on Shachi’s shoulder. “Told ya I knew what to do.”
Shachi watches as Zoro carries his captain down the hall, and as they turn the corner, he sees that Law’s eyes are already closed. At the absence of sound, the others come poking around the corner behind him, and Shachi shrugs. Had they known it was that easy, they would’ve done it years ago.
But something tells Shachi that not just anyone can do it. That it had to be Zoro.
Guiding to his room, Zoro only gets lost twice, but it’s fine because it gave him more time to carry Law. Such a scrawny man that Luffy hauled all over Dressrosa and watching him do it gave him a small bout of envy. Knowing what it feels like now, he decides he was right to be jealous.
Law is cold to the touch, and for someone who is constantly hot like Zoro is, it feels nice on his skin.
“Roronoa-ya.” Law mumbles against Zoro’s shoulder as he opens the door to his quarters, “Put me down.”
Zoro doesn’t respond. He just keeps walking into the room and as he reaches the bed, dumps Law onto it without care. Law bounces gently on the mattress, but looking up at Zoro, his eyes are like daggers.
“Not like that.” Law huffs and turns over to face the wall, “Leave.”
Zoro tsks and Law twists his head to look over his shoulder. A single golden eye showing in the dim light and Zoro’s solitary one stares right back. He’s not about to listen to orders from someone who isn’t his captain; even if that someone is the Surgeon of Death.
“What if I wanted to stay?” Zoro asks and Law rolls over to look at him wholly, “It’s late, I also need some rest, and no offense, but your metal floor kind of sucks to lie on.”
Law sits up against the wall at that. Eyes narrowed, taking in the swordsman in front of him, and his stomach twists. No one speaks to him like this. Well, no one but Luffy, and hearing his first mate do the same shouldn’t be a surprise.
Still. The way Zoro was able to shut him down in an instant was bizarre, and had he anymore energy, he would likely study him. But he doesn’t have any energy, for anything, not even an argument.
Nodding his head, Law falls back over onto the bed. He slides against the wall and as he starts to drift off again, he feels the same hard hands start to move him once more. Opening his mouth to bite back against the manhandling, no words come out when his eyes focus.
Zoro is moving him to the edge so that he can lay next to Law, placing himself between Law and the wall.
“You’re already cold enough as it is. You don’t need to be up against the wall.” Zoro states with certainty and settles into place. His arm curls around Law, pulling him against his chest, and again any argument that rattles in Law’s head dissipates all at once.
“What sort of power do you possess that you’re able to do this, Roronoa-ya?” Law asks and can hear sleep start to pull at his words. He’ll be out in less than a minute if he stays like this. “I thought you didn’t harbor any devil fruit powers.”
Zoro laughs, and it shakes Law’s head against his chest. The sound is warm, much like his skin, and sleep pulls harder at him. It’s all so easy, so heavy, so—odd.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Law.” Zoro says, and Law’s ears perk at the use of his actual name, “I’m just trying to get some rest and I couldn’t very well do that with you slamming around, could I?”
Law grumbles into the fabric of Zoro’s shirt and another soft laugh shakes him, “Thank you, Zoro-ya.”
Zoro doesn’t respond, only weakly hums, and his breathing beneath Law’s head slows. He’s drifted off and before Law realizes it, he does the same.