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Six months on the run made it strikingly apparent just how much Rosinante needed to escape. There they sat near the shore, weather chilly in this portion of the North Blue, sure, but he had that feathered coat, he had his hat, and that smoldering fire not too far off was still putting out some heat. Otherwise, this was bliss. Waves lapped at dark gravel just over this forested knoll, jostling their dinged-up rescue vessel. Crickets conversed in the undergrowth behind them, perhaps even in the tree he was leaning against. Fireflies sparkled distantly towards town, and sure, it was a drag that they had to avoid civilization to keep Law’s condition under wraps, but honestly, as an introvert, this was heaven.
No more hospitals to worry about. Just the Op-Op fruit. And they still had over a week until the trade. Law was finally able to rest and eat again, after a miraculous remedy from that mysterious old apothecary. It wasn’t a cure by any means, and they only had a small portion of the solvent left. Probably wouldn’t last them until the trade, but if Rosinante had learned anything from this wild journey with the Flevance survivor, it was how unfathomably hardy he was. And he doubted that had anything to do with the will of D. That strength was all Law.
With a sleepy smile, Rosinante smothered his cigarette into the soil. If someone told him five years ago that he’d find himself inspired by some wily, twelve-year-old brat, he’d call them crazy.
The kid was curled in at his side to stay warm, sound asleep. A sweet-smelling breeze blew over them and Rosinante wondered if this was what peace felt like. Home was right in front of him, right here. Not with the Donquixote Pirates, not with Navy HQ. Their battered boat and the creaky crate of books with water-warped hospital guides, wrinkled blankets, and a shiny copy of Sora: Warrior of the Sea! Law’s filthy hat and their trusty pack of survival goods, every sparking campfire and every meal from scratch. This was home.
Sometimes, he did regret it. Giving up the mission. Abandoning his old home. Dressrosa was in danger, after all, and who knew what else Doflamingo had yet to scheme. There were no eyes on that crew anymore, no one keeping him in check. His last call to Sengoku wasn’t an update. It was a plan of action. A plan to ruin that trade, to make enemies with his adoptive father, with the allegiance he forged in the marines for almost his entire life. A traitor on both ends.
Maybe it was too soon to put that cigarette out.
The boy at his side stirred. And he sniffed, and Cora sat up a little, drew an arm around him to help him sit up, maybe help him clear his sinuses. Instead, Law tensed and furled his face into black feathers. Was he really that cold?
Thankfully, their blanket was nearby. Cora’s arm was just barely long enough to reach it, folded up there beside their pack. He did his best to remain as still as possible while retrieving it, ruffling it around until it had unfolded. Then, it was carefully draped around Law’s shoulders. Small hands gripped tighter, head shoved down with enough force to knock his hat off.
The odd thing was, Law didn’t immediately reach for it, like he always did when a lofty sea wind buffeted it from his head, or when Cora accidentally tipped it off in a hug or playful swat. It rolled just far enough for Cora to catch with his foot. He kicked it up towards himself, managing to catch it in an effort a lot more coordinated than his usual cadence.
Still, the boy wouldn’t budge. Entirely attached to that coat. Cora swept his hair back, replacing the fluffy hat. The behavior was a little concerning, though. Sure, Law had become a lot friendlier recently, but this was especially clingy. Couldn’t even see the kid’s face in all those feathers.
“Hey, Law?” The blond uttered in a hush, grasping onto his shoulder. “You good, kid?”
He was trembling. Another sniff, paired with a whimper. Cora didn’t hesitate to exercise a little strength, firmly force Law away from his coat. His jaw dropped when he saw the flushed, damp face, the teary eyes, the drippy nose. How long had he been crying?
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Cora held both shoulders now, ensuring that blanket was comfortable. “You feel okay?”
Caught red-handed, Law didn’t bother silencing his weeping anymore. He let it out in reckless wheezes and sobs, shoving in to wrap his arms around Cora’s middle, press his forehead against his chest. Cora kept one hand secure on his shuddering back, the other to the back of his hat. It was truly a heart-wrenching sound. He’d never heard him cry, not like this. An occasional, well-maintained whimper after a traumatic hospital visit, maybe. Nothing like this.
When he was Law’s age, he certainly couldn’t say the same. He was an absolute crybaby, and he knew it. Wasn’t something he was ashamed of, even to this day. He’d get lambasted by other marines for crying all the time, but that sort of thing never affected him. Especially after working for his brother for so long. He’d much rather weep his way through misery than long for endless destruction.
It was good. It was healthy. It was a sign that, maybe that disease wasn’t healing, but his emotions were. And when he survived, when he cured himself with the Op-Op fruit, he’d be one step closer towards reaching true, inner peace. As devastating as it was to listen to now.
The volume of his fit diminished evenly. Still, Cora held fast, let him soak his shirt if that’s what it came to. Using his sleeve as a tissue was slightly unfavorable, but he overlooked it. “I-I…” Law pulled away and met his gaze, eyes still marbled and glossy. “…’m sorry…”
“Don’t be.” Cora assured him with a gentle smile, “Nothing wrong with crying. I do it all the time.” He admitted with a laugh, and that pained smile from the young kid seemed to agree. “You have a bad dream?”
Law nodded, plopping there in the mossy soil as he leaned against Cora’s side. His little body was still jolting and shuddering, on occasion. “I-It was about…about Lami…”
For a second, Rosinante had to wrack his brains. Lami. Lami. It sounded familiar, but age-old familiar. Something he heard months ago. That’s right. Before they even ran off. He overheard Law telling Doflamingo about her. His little sister. The grief settled into his heart too, as he tugged the boy in sympathetically. “Did you want to tell me what happened or forget about it? I could come up with some stories if you want to get your mind off of it.”
“I…I think I want to talk about it.” He muttered, “But I don’t know if you’ll get it…”
Using the blanket around the kid’s shoulders, Cora swiped some of his tears away, dabbing at splotched cheeks with care. “Try me.”
“Well, it’s just…” He folded his arms defiantly, swallowing back some leftover snot. “Y-You hate your brother.”
Cora couldn’t help but let a brief, rippling snort crack through. “Well, it’s…complicated. Don’t worry about me, alright, just, tell me what happened. I’ll help you feel better, promise.”
Law met his eye warily. And then, with a shaky sigh, he knocked his head in against Cora’s ribs. “In my dream…I told her she was…” White fists grabbed at the pilled fabric. “I called her stupid. And I, I told her she was annoying, and that nobody will ever like her. B-Because it, it was in the past! It was before she got sick, before any of us got sick.” The timbre of his voice weakened again as Cora listened on silently, gazing out at the dark sea and sky, almost merging there on the horizon. “Back when things were normal. I…I-I was always so mean to her, Cora…I was so mean, and, and then she got sick, and I, I never got to apologize. I helped Mom and Dad take care of her, but…why did she have to be on her deathbed for me to be nice to her? Wh-Why was I such a terrible brother? Her l-last memories of me were…so bad…” A miserable sob, “I just know it…and, and that’s exactly how it should be…I-I’ll never forgive myself…”
Once the dream analysis shifted to self-loathing, Cora drew Law in for another hug. “Hey, you know that isn’t true, right?” He shook his shoulder with clarity, “You were not a terrible brother.”
Law hit him with a hard stare. “This is what I was talking about. You’re not going to get it.” He emphasized, putting some space between them. “Doflamingo’s…evil. We weren’t anything like you two, so you—you can’t empathize.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” Rosinante spoke up, “Doflamingo wasn’t always like that. What, you think his first words were mass destruction?” He joked, reveling in the weak smile he summoned from the dark-haired child. “Once upon a time, he was a normal kid, alright, and so was I. For the most part. Siblings…siblings get in fights all the time. They say nasty things and do nasty things because at the end of the day, they will always be siblings. They never have to worry about losing the other, or hurting them beyond repair.” He gazed out to the sea again. “And that’s probably why it hurts so much. Because you shouldn’t have lost Lami. But there’s nothing for you to feel guilty about. What you had was normal.” He patted Law on the head. “I can promise you, her last thoughts about you were full of love.”
Law’s lower lip quivered. And his eyes welled up, and he pressed his fists into them as he released a wet gasp. “I-I…I don’t know about that…”
“I do.” Cora maintained. “As a younger brother myself, I know.”
Law pouted. “You hate your brother!”
The blond sighed tensely. “I hate what he's become. Just as much as I love him. But it’s not…it’s not something I wear on my sleeve. Loving that demon. But he’s still my brother. He’ll always be my brother. He was there for me from the start. I looked up to him, even when he was a jerk, even when he said or did stupid things.” The confession tumbled out with enough heat to make his own eyes fog up. “Truth be told, I’d be devastated if something happened to him. And that’s, that’s part of the reason I stick so close to him. Despite the terrible person he’s become…I want him to be safe. I want him to be happy. Doesn’t matter if he said and did some cruel things.” Rosinante resolved, mind luring him into that deep pit of realization. He wants to sacrifice you for immortality, you know. He’s been planning to kill you for years. “I’ll always love him. And I’ll always try to bring some light into his…dark, broken heart.”
Seemed Law was just as good a listener as Cora was. He let the rant drift along the chilled air, towards the embers of their modest fire. “It confuses me.” He admitted lowly. “Love. Because I, I would’ve never known you actually love your brother. And I’m sure when he figures out we’re gonna take the Op-Op fruit…he’s certainly not going to think you love him.”
“Probably not, no.” Cora agreed quietly, feeling the tone shift somewhere dark. Waters he didn’t want to tread. Not while Law was opening up. “But hey, maybe someday, he’ll forgive me. I know he loves me back, after all. Time will heal things.”
“Really?” Law peered up at him, “How do you know?”
“Time heals everything.” Cora replied easily, “Most things, I guess.”
“No, not that.” When Cora looked down at the boy, he seemed puzzled. “How do you know Doflamingo loves you? You just said he’s always been a jerk to you.”
“Yeah, he has.” Cora conceded, as an owl called somewhere within the forest behind them. “Love, it’s…kind of like a leap of faith. You take your dive, you give them your heart. And you can only hope they’ll catch it when you land.” He folded his arms as he gazed up at the clear skies, the dazzling stars. “They might not ever say it out loud or show it directly but…you can feel it. You can feel their arms around you when they catch you. It’s in the little things.”
Another spell of gentle, calm, quietness drifted over them.
“Do you think Lami knew I loved her? With all my heart? Even though I was a jerk?”
Cora found himself grinning as he looked down at Law. “I’m positive she did, Law. Don’t ever think she didn’t. You took care of her, right? You wanted what was best for her, in the end?” A shaky, subtle little nod. “Then you did all you could.” He patted the boy on the head again. “Don’t blame yourself for circumstances outside of your control. She’s at peace now. She’s safe. She’s comfortable. And she’s loved. All you can do is hold her close to your heart.”
“I do.” It was spoken in a whisper. “I always do.”
“Good.” Cora drew him in for another hug. “Y’know, you’ve got a good heart under all that sulk.”
A little annoyed grunt. “Yeah, yeah…”
“Do you think you’ll be able to sleep a little easier now?” He asked, “Do you want me to set up a Silent field around you?”
“No, I…I like the crickets.” He admitted, “It’s calm out here.”
“This is the life, huh?” Cora agreed fondly.
“Yeah.” Wiping away the last string of tears, Law released a smooth inhale and exhale. “I, I have another question, though.”
“Sure, kiddo, fire away.”
Law sure knew how to build suspense. He waited quite some time, then he just shoved his face in Cora’s sleeve. “It’s stupid. Never mind.”
“I’m sure it’s not. You’re the smartest person I know, Law. Just ask, I won’t judge.”
Another pout. And then, he shifted away from the sleeve. Stared at their dingy, beat-up vessel. “Do you think anyone will ever love me? Now that I don’t have Lami anymore?”
His heart burned like it was lit with firecrackers. How long had this kid been wandering around, thinking he existed without being loved? Thinking he never would be loved? Although, it was a change in pace. He was asking about his future. Law knew he had a future. Law trusted Cora with his life.
“Of course, Law.” Cora replied, playfully knocking the brim of Law’s hat over his face, “Man, you were right, that was a stupid question.”
The boy snickered, fixed his hat and hair, but the laugh died out quickly. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because this world exists for love.” Cora enthused, tugging on the heart-shaped tails of his hat. “There are people all over the planet Law, friends to be made everywhere you go. Even in the most unlikely conditions. It’s not always instantaneous, sure. Might even take decades before you find your people, but…you’ll be loved. Just have to stay strong and love them in return. Catch them when they fall.”
“…right.” Law muted a yawn as he sniffed and leaned against his guardian again. “You say I’m smart but, you’re pretty smart too, Cora. Pretty stupid, most of the time, but sometimes you say stuff that makes a lot of sense.”
“Thanks, kid.” Cora shook his head as he furled himself into his coat with a dry sigh, “I do my best.”
The silence that came thereafter was comfortable. It was warm too, and as Rosinante adjusted himself to get more cozy, he realized Law was deadweight there beside him. Fast asleep. Arms wrapped around his waist. He kept a hand on the kid’s shoulder and let his head tip back against the tree trunk. Let the evening breeze carry him into a gentle slumber himself.
In his dream, he was falling. A nasty, reoccurring dream. Sometimes he fell forever and woke feeling dizzy. Sometimes he crashed somewhere harsh, unforgiving, and woke with a start.
This time, when he landed, there was someone there to catch him. Someone with gloomy eyes and a spotted hat. He didn’t wake in a cold sweat. He stayed in that warm embrace, and held on as dearly as he could, treasuring every last heartbeat.