Take Care - Law x Reader 3/3

Slowly coming back to, a strong scent of recently extinguished embers filled the air. A slight cough you gave to the harsh unexpected odor filled your lungs as you awoke.

A slight heavy feeling of a weight laid upon your lap gave a jolt throughout your stoic legs. “Hmm?” Your eyes creaked open expecting anything but your captain blissfully in a deep nap.

‘Shit…’ A dream it was not as all of your actions were true.

More options flowed quickly as to your next move. Moving his head from your lap appeared much too risky. Although the only other option was to wait and explain the night before hoping that he’d go easy on you.

Sheepishly, the first option appeared the best as it was better to take the risk of escaping quietly.

Leaning against Bepo, a deep breath you took while slipping your hands on either side of his head for stabilization. The best hold for the least amount of movement you hoped would work.

‘Just…a…little…more….’ A slight wiggle you attempted to snake out from beneath him before a soft voice paused what was supposed to be light movements.

“(Y/N)-ya.” His striking grey eyes imitated once more so early in the morning.

“C-Captain!” With the man in your hands, you screeched to his sudden half awakened state.

Gingerly returning him back to your lap, he only remained for a moment before picking himself up.

A stretched out yawn turned into a low hum grumbling to a tinge of discomfort.

“W-Why – ugh.” Before he could continue his questioning, a harsh pain dulled his senses momentarily. An inked hand he took to an uncovered head raking through sweat soaked locks.

“Why does it feel like someone punched me?” Gaining the strength to speak, he lowly grumbled to his throbbing headache.

“You drank too much captain.” A soft giggle you gave to his actions not raising your voice as to further add pain to his predicament. “I tried to stop you but you wouldn’t listen.”

He paused for a moment taking the time to gather past events. “Huh, I recall you offering me more.”

“Hmm?” The memory buzzed by of offering the man more than what he should have taken in. A nervous beat of sweat ran down your forehead to his statement being true. “Don’t be silly captain, I would never encourage such behavior.” An off laugh coupled with a lopsided smile you hoped that he would not catch on to.

“Huh.” He shrugged as thinking harder on the memory budded only pain. Heavy liquor weighed down his eye lids in his seated position. Supporting muscles gave in as his body carelessly swayed struggling to remain up right.

“C-Captain?” Witnessing his sloppy actions, you rushed over to support his weight the best that you could. Rushed had laid harshly on his covered side before he would kiss the ground.

Throaty wince had his body jolt back slightly out of your arms and into his own balance.

“Captain, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” The worry in your eyes grew to his paused expression.

“N-No.” The cracking of his voice attempting to recover could not hide the scrunching of his nose to the pain radiating briefly.

Not accepting his words for the truth, the hem of his midnight button up you rose noting the tightly wrapped bandages covering his abdomen. The off white straps gave way to a budding red stain peeking through. “We have to get your dressings off now.”

“I’ll do it myself.” Biting his tongue, he used his sheathed sword in order to slowly raise himself up. A few grumbles of pain expelled as obscenities beneath his breath as he struggled to stand up straight by himself.

“Captain wait.” Jumping to your feet, you rushed over sliding yourself beneath his arm. Becoming his support, his weight dumped slumping onto your smaller figure. “There’s a medical bay right over there.”

“Bepo, please take care of the captain’s sword.” Grasping the thick handle, you leaned it against the unaware mink caught blissfully deep in his nap. “Aye aye captain,” he mumbled in his sleep offering a sloppy salute.

You shook your head to the mink before continuing forward aware as not to trip over sloppily tossed bodies choosing anywhere as their resting location.

“Please just try and not to move captain.” Leaving the man on the examination table, you rushed off for fresh bandages.

Remaining silent, he attempted to remain still as he was coming out of his liquored haze. The spinning room began to slow down as he rubbed his throbbing temple.

“(Y/N)-ya?” His vision cleared to your bent figure. Focused intently on searching through spent supplies, you missed your shirt riding up. The exposure of you own bandage covered abdomen which he saw for the first time. “What happened to you?”

With the rolls of fresh bandages in your hands, your head turned slightly to his questioning. Full of concern for his safety, you passed upon the exposure of your own injuries initially.

“It’s really nothing…” Not wishing to bother him with the past, you tugged upon your shirt for dark coverage. “Don’t look at me that way captain.” You attempted to brush off his harsh glare with a nervous giggle.

“I’ll look you over later.” Barely out of his stupor, he already had work lined up for him.

Your cheeks puffed softly to being forced into an appointment, “Well for now, you remain still okay?”

“Yeah yeah.” He brushed off your demand as his hands began to work on his buttons.

“Let me.” A hand you laid upon his in order to pause his actions. Holding for a moment, you meet eyes boldly for the time being.

You caught a glimpse of a color change to his skin before he cocked his head away. “You’re eager to undress me.”

“Huh?” Blinking rapidly, your hands jerked away from his. “What did you say?”

“I said that I can undress myself.” Law reiterated his true statement. Although the action he sought initially to complete himself, his hands retracted returning to his sides allowing you to continue.

“R-Right.” Slowly nodding, your shaking hands returned to the small white buttons. Popping each one, one by one, an exposure of soiled dressings came to light.

Gulping back any nerves present, you needed to get back to work as his health was priority after all.

His obsidian shirt fell down by itself for an ease of access to afflicted areas.

‘Sorry…’ You continued to mumble beneath your breath to the careful stripping. No matter how careful you were, a pulling of the webbed gauze would catch on dried blood pulling painfully.

Striping his abdomen of covering, you caught full sight of his injuries; healing wounds coupled with a few fresh ones appeared. Jaggedly, some ran through precious ink fading tribal.

Your brows furrowed unable to detach from worry, “Captain…”

“I’m fine,” he reassured to your faltering expression. A low grumble as you saw further of what he wanted to keep to himself. “Hurry so I can check you out.”

A soft sigh fell from your lips as you knew there was no possibility of winning an argument against your captain.

------

He watched as your hands delicately unwrapped the fresh cotton to cover his abdomen once more. Soft tugs would pull every so often applying just the right amount of pressure to seal his wounds properly.

His shallow breathing allowed for an ease of overlapping bandages before being sealed down by an elastic clip. Eye continuing to follow you felt focusing intently on each one of your actions.

Each brushing to his skin jolted a spark down his spine as his nerves lit up from your touch. A final wiggle to his hips sunk down the bandages folding at his waistband of his spotted jeans.

“I think that you’re good now.” Your hands slowly retracted away from the close proximity of his body. Taking a few steps back, you allowed for him to step off of the examination table.

“Not bad.” He looked down at your completed work done promptly and competently.

“I learned from the best.” You began to flutter to his compliment. “Chopper is an amazing doctor.”

“Raccoon-ya.”

“Mhm! He was so patient with us teaching us so many new medicinal recipes. I really don’t know what we would have done without him.” Your hands began to tremble to the memory of frantic bodies on the brink of death. You sighed from your inability to do more to aid. All that you wished for in that moment was for Law to be there.  

The furrowing of his brows to your pause snapped you out of your painful thoughts. “As I was saying, he just might be the best doctor on the grand line.” You continued on speaking so highly of the small human-animal hybrid. A soft hum changed into a cracking laugh to his silence.

As Law did not add in a response, your laughter quickly shut off. Shutting the drawer to replacing supplies, your got back on your feet slowly turning back to his figure.

He tucked his cap down covering more of his ruffled raven hair. The thick fuzzy bill covered his strong eyes in a dark silent shadow.

“H-Hey captain, you know that I’m just joking right?” You quickly reassured hoping that you didn’t dig yourself too deeply this time.

“Captain?” Your legs refused to move as he approached standing to hover over your petite figure.

A hand suddenly laid below your chin raising your head, “I won’t leave you all ever again.” He captured the bottom of your delicate heart shaped face in between his fingers. His thumb began to brush your skin light in back to back movements.

To his tender touch, your eyes began to soften in his hand. The worry quickly removed from your face easily relaxing.

“Don’t.” You quickly responded to his statement of always being present.

You knew that it could never be fully true. Although the reassure of wishing to be close was welcoming for a calming moment. A hand you placed upon his wrist grasping to hold on for the moment.

A soft smile began to draw upon your face giving the expression for which he wished. An extra beat could be felt beneath your fingertips from his increased pulse as he reached for his next move.

The thick padding of his thumb moved up to brush against your soft lips. Warm rosy tone he swiped over silently pressing lightly into plump flesh as if to test the surface.

“And I won’t leave you.”

Your lip quivered softly to his words, “Please don’t.” Truly meaning your words, you responded immediately.

He nodded his head understanding the pain in your voice. What you had fully gone though, he could never fully understand.

Through the anger for himself for not being there, he attempted to restrain the feeling from budding into his hands. Keeping a gentle touch on you, his thumb moved replacing warmth with his lips.

He was gentle as not to initially intrude with the tender presentation of his kisses. Although holding back from his desire he could not do for long.

In between heated exchanges, a muffled ache broke his lips away.

In a fluster, your eyes took a moment to adjust to his pain. With a slump, he attempted to subdue the stinging.

“I told you not to over exert yourself.” You placed yourself beneath his arm once more adding support to carry his weight.

He gave a soft mumble of acceptance as he looked down showing the rosy tone upon his features.

-extended ending-

Heavy whispering mixed with high pitched hushes amongst a large group scrambling to not be seen outside. The ruckus of a failed attempt of being silent rudely snapped you awake.

Yet the warmth of a heavy arm capturing around your abdomen you could not leave just yet. The crinkling to your nose you had hoped they would leave to but they only became louder.

A mumbled growl finally creaked your eyes open up to the frustrated face of Law.

“Cap—“

“Room – Shambles.”

“Ah!”

You blinked heavily as the large group of spying crew mates suddenly disappeared from the window. A small rock dropped in the place a moment later to screams and thumps much further away. Crashing in between dead leaves, they rang loudly in the forest.

“They shouldn’t be so noisy.” He grumbled with a tinge of sleep still coating his voice as he had no remorse for sending them rudely away. An arm he sunk to the back of your head bringing you back down to his chest for a few more hours of rest with you.