Work Text:
“Don't let go Law, please...”
Sanji has been at Law's bedside for almost four days straight. He didn't eat anything and barely slept a couple hours since he was here. He was exhausted for sure but he couldn't let go of Law's hand and didn't dare to leave the room even if the bips of the machines around the bed will most likely drive him crazy soon.
Four days ago everything was well. Sanji was at their home, waiting for Law to come back from the hospital like usual while happily making dinner for both of them but that day Law was late from work. At first he didn't really get worried, it happened before so he just finished cooking and waited but Law always made sure to warn him when he was late, he would send a text or call him but this day, nothing. Seeing his boyfriend wasn't giving signs he tried calling him but he didn't answered his phone and that's when he started worrying, it wasn't like Law to leave him without news.
Sanji told himself it was surely nothing while trying to call him again, like a surgery that took more time than expected, but even in these kind of situations Law always let him know by Shachi or Penguin. His heart started beating faster in his chest as the phone kept ringing without answer, a bad feeling taking over in his guts.
He was immersed in his thoughts when his phone rang in his hand, startling him. He looked at it, hoping to see Law's name but instead it was Penguin so he answered anyway. “Hey Penguin, are you with Law? I've been trying to call him several times but he doesn't pick up his phone...”
“Sanji,” The blond heard a strange hint in his voice that he didn't like. “Hum.. Yes. You should come to the hospital.”
“What's wrong?” It wasn't in his habits to tell him something like this so he grabbed the first thing he found, one of Law's hoodies, to put it on. “Where's Law?”
The silence answered his question and he stopped while he was putting on his shoes. “Penguin? Where's Law?”
“He...” Sanji overheard Shachi's voice, cutting his friend off but the cook couldn't understand what he was saying. He finished getting ready and got out of the apartment he shared with Law to go to the hospital like Penguin told him and rushed down the stairs. The two of them spoke for a moment, the phone too far for Sanji to understand what they were talking about but he heard Law's name, that's when he started walking on the street that someone took Penguin's phone back. “Hey, Sanji.”
Sanji noticed his voice was shaking a little so he picked up the pace and hurried towards the hospital, he didn't have the patience to wait for a bus. “Shachi, what's happening that you don't want to tell me? Is Law okay?”
“He's here, but... he... he's injured and was send to the surgery about ten minutes ago. I don't want to talk about it on the phone so... please hurry.”
“...I'm already on my way.” Sanji hanged up and put his phone in his pocket. He felt like he was going to throw up and his legs were shaking a bit but he started running, he had to join Law as fast as possible. Shachi told him he was injured and he feared the worst.
After that his memories were a bit blurry in Sanji's mind, he didn't remember well how he got to the hospital or the moment when Shachi and Penguin told him Law was just getting out of work when a patient coming from the prison trying to escape stabbed him when Law stepped in to stop him. He was too focused on the fact he may lose the love of his life to be careful about the details. He had to stay almost all night in the waiting room, accompanied by Shachi and Penguin coming to upload the situation for him, his heart not wanting to calm down and fear devouring him.
It's only in the early morning that Law was finally taken to a room where Sanji could see him. “Why isn't he waking up?” Sanji asked Law's friends while raising a tired look at them when he got in front of his lover, sleeping.
“He lost a lot of blood,” Penguin explained, exhausted by the lack of sleep and crying, judging by his red eyes. “His heart stopped and the doctors had to shock him to make him come back, the brain wasn't oxygenated for a minute.”
“He's in a coma for now,” Shachi added, in the same state as his friend.
“That can't be...” Sanji approached Law's bed and looked at his face, feeling like he will open his eyes any second and smile at him like he usually does. “H-He's gonna wake up, right?”
“We aren't able to say,” Penguin finally let go. “...He could stay like this a few hours, days or maybe even months or...”
“No, he has to wake up!” Sanji felt his throat tightening and tears burning his eyes but he hold it back. “He can't stay like this, he-...” His heart started racing again in his chest and his head spinning so he had to hold the rail of the bed so as not to fall. He couldn't imagine his life without Law, he couldn't leave him like this.
The silence stretched in the room and Shachi and Penguin were looking at their friend with a sad look then both of them got called to work again despite the circumstances so they had to go, leaving Sanji alone in the room now only filled with the bips of the machines around Law.
The blond grabbed a chair and put it next to the bed and sat then took Law's hand in his. His skin was cold against his, and he carried it to his cheek to warm it up a little. “Come on love, open your eyes...” he talked in a low voice, a lump in his throat while stroking the back of Law's hand with his thumb slowly. “You told me we would spend the rest of our lifes together, remember? I know you're a damn teaser but you're not a liar so open your eyes.”
He felt a tear rolling down his cheek but ignored it and kept his eyes fixed on Law's face. “Don't let go, okay? Stay with me, because I won't forgive you if you don't,” his voice was shaking now and his cheeks were soaked with tears. He grabbed Law's hand with both of his own and kissed it, closing his eyes and letting his cries flow while the sun started shining in the hospital room, as if the universe wanted to mock him with a beautiful day when he could lost the person he cherished the most.
Sanji spend hours there, his phone rang a couple times but he didn't check it to see who was calling him, he didn't even move to eat something or take some rest even when Shachi and Penguin came back later. The night following, he arranged with them so he could stay by Law's side outside of the visit hours, certain he couldn't spend the night in the bed he usually shared with his lover knowing he was here, but he was unable to sleep anyway.
The second day and the third passed like a dream, he didn't do much apart from pacing up and down in the hospital room, smoking at the window or sitting at Law's bedside, hoping to see him open his eyes. His friends visited Law and went to their apartment to bring some changes of clothes for Sanji but he kept Law's hoodie, his smell still on the garment reassuring him a little. The doctors also came a few times but he didn't gave too much attention to them except when they were talking to him. He knew he should do something, go out, sleep, eat something but he didn't have the heart to do it, even when his friends came to visit. They told him he should get back home because it could take weeks before Law wakes up but he wanted to make sure he was here when he would open his eyes.
This is how, the fourth morning after what happened to Law Sanji was still here, exhausted by the last days. Holding Law's hand in his, he leaned his head on the matress next to him and closed his eyes, too tired to stay awake. He dozed off but woke up again when he felt a light pressure on his hand. He immediately raised his eyes to Law's face while straightening up to see if there was any change and seeing he was still sleeping he regretted getting his hopes up for nothing, but then he felt like Law held his hand again slightly.
“Law?” His voice was a bit hoarse but filled with the hope of obtaining an answer and he put his hand on his cheek. “Are you awake, love?”
There was nothing for a few seconds but Sanji heard a faint groan then Law started frowning slightly and finally opened his eyes slowly. “Sanji-..ya?”
The blond couldn't believe it, he had hoped for him to wake up for days and finally he was there. “Law...” A smile bloomed on his face seeing his eyes open and on him but couldn't help but start crying, finally relieved and happy and his emotions no more under his control because of exhaustion. He leaned his head on Law's chest and cried while still holding his hand. “I was so scared, I thought you would never wake up and...” he was crying and almost laughing at the same time, bliss filling his chest. “..I love you, I love you so much and I missed you.”
Law felt like waking up from a long nap, he had trouble understanding everything at first and wondered why Sanji was crying. The last thing he remembered was heading home after work then... right, he got attacked by a guy. He remembered the feeling of a scalpel blade in his guts and falling to the ground after trying to walk in a corridor to have help then nothing, the empty. Since he was here he supposed he got treated but seeing Sanji's reaction he felt a bit bad. “I'm sorry Sanji-ya... for worrying you.” Then he managed to raise his hand enough to stroke Sanji's hair softly with a smile, feeling his own tears stinging his eyes seeing his state.
The cook shook his head, “No, you have nothing to apologize for,” He felt his touch on his head and smiled while looking at him, touching his cheek with his fingertips while tears of joy kept rolling down his cheeks.
Law waited for Sanji to calm down a bit. “How long was I asleep?”
It took Sanji a second to answer, his mind working slowly because of the lack of sleep. “It's been..four days now.”
“Four days...”
Sanji nodded, Law asked some other questions so he answered them then called a doctor to check on him and once he was gone they kept talking a little but the black-haired man was still tired. “Sleep some more,” the blond said with a warm smile, stroking his cheek with a gentle gesture. “You need to rest.”
“Hm.. look at you, you're the one who should sleep,” he smiled teasingly and Sanji chuckled but he felt his eyelids becoming heavy already.
“You think because you're in a hospital bed I won't kick your ass if you make fun of me?” then he leaned over him to kiss his lips gently, putting in all his love. “I love you.”
Law looked at him and nodded. “I love you too... even if you're trying to beat me up when I'm hospitalized.”
“You're an idiot.”
“I know.”
Sanji smiled and leaned his head on the matress again then felt Law's hand playing with his hair softly. He closed his eyes and felt all the tiredness from the last few days fall on him at once now that he didn't have to worry about Law anymore, then the both of them drifted into Morpheus' arms.