Work Text:
“Are you sure you don’t want to eat?”
The question had become an almost daily one now, with Penguin shoving whatever he had set aside for his friend in his face as Law grumbled and moaned about whatever he found unappetizing about it—the smell, the taste, the texture, the list dragged on and on.
“I’m not hungry,” Law snipped, sinking into Wolf’s old couch, jaw held tightly shut. Petulantly, he crossed his arms, turning his head so he could no longer make eye contact. Behind him, he could hear Shachi sigh heavily.
“If he’s gonna be a bitch let him be a…” He didn’t have time to finish the final word as Law snarled and winged a pillow from the couch in his direction. The aim was good but the force was off, leaving it to land with a soft POOMF. Shachi put his hands up apologetically and submissively, as Penguin turned.
“You and Bepo head out, and let my work know I’m looking after Law today,” Penguin said. “Let the clinic know he's gonna be out as well.”
Law began to rise from the couch, hands balled into tight fists. At fifteen, he’d finally started to shoot up, all lanky height, but instead of filling it out, it seemed his old chronic condition had other ideas. Penguin would be hard-pressed to call Law cute on a good day, and especially not now when he was about to release a torrent of preloaded rage.
“Don’t you fucking dare, there was a surgery today and…” Law winced, muscles tightening before he doubled over. Shachi bolted and Penguin heard the slam of the front door announcing his exit. “I feel like I’m going to puke…fucking cramps.”
One mystery was solved. It explained why Law wasn’t keen on eating and had been in such an utter mood. “Well, at least I know it wasn’t my cooking last night that did you in,” Penguin said, offering a soft smile that was greeted by a firm middle finger being held in his direction. “You take anything yet?”
He swore he heard a mumbled “no” as Law retreated to the couch, collapsing on himself like the world’s most irate lawn chair.
“Alright, so you know this means we’re going to go through the ‘I wonder why I feel like shit’ checklist.” Penguin started at the top, “Have you eaten?”
The question was answered the same as before, but now with a softer sniffle. Not a great sign, but Penguin could deal far easier with a crying Law than a quick-to-anger one who could teleport him out to sea with enough effort.
Penguin headed into the kitchen and rummaged around until he located what he was looking for: a Tupperware hastily labeled with his friend’s name held a mixture of fatty snacks that had been set aside for this very reason. Pulling off a chunk of one of the brownies and setting it aside, he gathered Law something to drink, along with a heating pad and something to give a longer dose of pain relief.
It was the least he could do. If Law hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have an arm, a bed, or a job. It would have been a matter of time before their guardians had found them, or their remains anyway. So Penguin could tolerate the hostilities and glares if it meant he could pay back that kindness.
“Look what your big brother has!” He let the words come out in a sing-song tone and he could see the yellow eyes regarding him from the couch, Law’s nose wrinkling in irritation.
“You’re not my big brother,” Law shot back, mocking the tone used, “If you were I’d rather die in a snowdrift.”
“Yeah well don’t. Bepo and Shachi would be sad. Wolf would be sad,” Penguin waxed on, his arms full of his haul from the kitchen. “We already have to do that enough as is, so hold out your hand so I can keep you alive a little longer. Bottoms up.”
Law huffed but uncurled enough to hold out his hand. First came the bit of brownie to help ease him into a less foul mood and jumpstart his hunger, then came a drink and painkillers, and finally the heating pad. With the delivery made in full, the young man finally uncurled as the medication and the heat started to do their job, along with the sample of Wolf’s special crop.
“I feel less like I’m going to puke now…” Law mused quietly, tucking up his legs long enough for Penguin to sit down before stretching them back out again, “One day, I won’t have to deal with this anymore. Just…” Law grumbled, muttering something Penguin couldn’t make out.
“Thought the doctor at the clinic was gonna help you get what you need?” Penguin asked, petting Law’s leg for a moment, “Hey flip over, I’ll pet your tummy.”
More disgruntled muttering came, but too tempted, Law shifted onto his back, with his shirt hiked up. Goosebumps popped up at the touch and Law melted back into the couch. Penguin grinned, “That helping?”
“Yes, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to work today. Get my medicine, start making headway with what I want to do.” Frustrated, Law rubbed his face, “Not to mention we are going to be short-handed, and the patient is going to have to reschedule…”
“Hey, hey, Law, look at me,” Penguin said quietly, still gently rubbing his hands over Law’s skin, “You were about to throw up when you stood up. You haven’t eaten except the barest bit of a weed brownie and I know you didn’t sleep last night.”
“I didn’t…” Law said, sounding more miserable and shutting his eyes tight as if he was about to cry in frustration, “I’m also having one of those ‘all foods are bad and should be banished to the worst corners of the Blues’ feeling, which isn’t helping.”
“Well, can I get you to eat like an apple or something? Just to get your blood sugar up, then give me an hour.” Carefully, Penguin tucked the heating pad under Law’s shirt, “I’ll get us some lunch and your meds. I can bike there quickly as anything, all you have to do is rest.”
Warmed and now looking a little stoned, Law nodded, “Can you get me some peanut butter to go with the apple?”
“Yeah, bud. Anything you want.” Penguin peeled himself off the couch and run his fingers through Law’s hair, “Look at that, it’s all coming back in again. That awful buzz cut is finally growing out.”
Law swatted at his hand, trying his best to look furiously even with copious amounts of downer in his system, “I fucked up I know! Shachi gave me hell about it and had to fix it, but I got ma’am’d at work and had a fit!”
“I know, just don’t do it again okay? Your ears stick way too far out for a buzzcut.” Penguin pulled his hand away, grinning as he looked down at Law, “Besides do you want to look like a Marine? You’d be a shit Marine but you’d still look like one.”
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!” Law barked, groping around for another pillow to throw as he had earlier, but finding none, he settled for offering up the one thing he had the energy to give, a firm double middle finger.
Penguin returned the gesture laughing as he went to prepare Law’s snack, “Love you too, bud.”