It was 10:41 in the morning at Shinsekai City. People were still at work or at school, since it's a Friday.
Inside a lecture hall in Sabaody University, there sat on the back of the hall was Monkey D. Luffy, who was lazily resting his chin on the palm of his hand while his elbow rested on his desk beside Usopp, who was writing down the notes Mr. Smoker was writing on the white board.
It was a long morning for Luffy. Thankfully, he doesn't have any scheduled classes in the afternoon so he could see his brother and bring him flowers, and possibly, meet his soulmate there.
That's right. Luffy has been feeling a heartbeat faintly when he was visiting the hospital his brother was at. Could be another patient, could be a doctor, and they could be a nurse. He couldn't care less unless he is certain that his brother was okay.
Gol D. Ace hasn't woken up yet and it has been a month since the accident at Marineford District.
Luffy feels that it's his fault. If he hadn't carelessly crossed the road when he saw something interesting, Ace wouldn't be in this current situation. Sabo could still be concentrating at work across the city without worrying about Ace, Luffy would still be smiling more, and Ace would still be at home with documents from his company in hand with the occasional visits of his soulmate, Marco.
Instead, they were met with the current situation.
Sabo could only visit Ace once in a while since his job requires him to travel – don't know how a job at the law firm would require him to travel but Luffy doesn't question it one bit. Luffy is still a busy college student, so he doesn't know when he could visit Ace during his free time when he's still exhausted from all the projects and homework they have to do. They could only count on Marco to keep him company every other day, though he's one of the executives of Whitebeard Corp.
This Friday is different. Luffy was free from the homework since it's gonna be a national holiday soon and the professors aren't allowed to give them homework, since the school believes in rest days so that's a plus.
He can finally visit his brother after six whole days of non-stop academic torture.
Sabo brings orchids to Ace every time he visits. And Marco brings him pink roses when he does and he visits every other day. Maybe Luffy should try bringing sunflowers this afternoon and hope that Ace will wake up this time.
---Scene---
It was finally 2:38 in the afternoon and Luffy was finally free.
He already went to the local flower shop where his friend, Nami (It's a part-time job for her), and her sister, Nojiko, works at. It was also a rare moment that Nami gave the sunflowers to Luffy free of charge. It was a one in a million-year opportunity and he had it. He bid goodbye to the pair of sisters while thanking them for the free flowers.
Now, Luffy was in front of the famous Heart Hospital. The hospital where his brother was taken in. And where his possible soulmate would be at. Luffy could already feel the flutters from his soulmate's heart and his own heart beating fast, nervous to see his older brother. He stepped inside the hospital and saw doctors, nurses, and people who wants to be checked up on and some emergency patients.
The hospital was at its usual state.
Seven times he visited the hospital, including the current visit today. His heart started beating faster as he went deeper inside the hospital. Luffy didn't know what was it about anymore, the nervousness of meeting his comatose brother, or the fluttering heartbeat of his soulmate slowly getting stronger with every step of the way towards the elevator doors.
When he got to the floor his brother was at, he walked through the corridors. He knows where room 304 was and he didn't like it when doctors and nurses were coming in and out of the room in a fast-paced manner, as if there was something wrong with Ace before he arrived.
Dread came to his senses as his eyes dilated in fear, almost dropping the flowers he was supposed to give to his unconscious brother.
Luffy was beyond worried. He quickly approached the medical staff and asked questions with a tight grip on his sunflowers for Ace. "Wh-what happened? I-is something wrong with my brother?" He stuttered, holding onto a random nurse's sleeve. "Will he . . . live?"
The nurse gently took Luffy's hand away from him and replied sternly. "The patient is currently undergoing a seizure." He said, draining the color out of Luffy's face. "We are trying the best we could so please, be patient." He finished and quickly walked away to who knows where. Probably going to get medication or another IV drip.
Luffy didn't know whether to call both Sabo and Marco or stay there in a state of panic as he slumped down on a chair nearby while breathing heavily.
Everything was too much for him. Ace's situation, the heartbeats, the current ringing in his ears just now, and the nurses doing literally anything to make Ace better. He didn't know what to do. He was slowly having a panic attack and he knew, but he can't do anything about it.
Luffy didn't even notice he was hyperventilating until a doctor pulled him out of his panicked state by griping his shoulders tightly, making Luffy look at him while his breathing hitched.
"Hey . . . hey . . .!" The person called out, startling Luffy while still hyperventilating.
Their eyes met for a while.
Even though both are in a state of shock, the other having a panic attack and the other just had a wide-eyed expression on his face.
The doctor regained his stern expression while having so little sweat on his forehead. "It's going to be okay." He said, looking straight into Luffy's brown eyes with a reassuring gaze. "He'll be okay. He'll wake up someday soon, but you gotta be patient, okay?" He reassured, rubbing the panicked male's upper arms. "He's in good hands."
Luffy seemed to calm down for a short while, while looking into the doctor's golden hued eyes. He didn't know if it was his words, the look on the doctor's face, or feeling the calmness of his soulmate's heartbeat on his own chest. Miraculously, his breathing started to calm down. Sharply inhaling, and breathed out with a slight quiver.
Luffy also didn't notice the tears dripping down his cheeks until the doctor wiped them away with his thumb as his hands are now rested above his jaw with his fingers putting Luffy's ears in between them.
"He's gonna be okay." The doctor said, making Luffy nod his head slowly, feeling the heartbeat more intimately.
This person . . . A doctor from Heart Hospital is his soulmate and he knew it the moment they made eye-contact.
He finally noticed the tears running down his face when he had the doctor wiping them away for him. It was as if they'd known each other for ages despite only meeting each other just now in a state of emergency.
The doctor gently pulled away and pet Luffy's head. "I'll be tending to the patient now." He informed while slowly backing away from the crying male while heading towards the room. "I'll be the one treating him, so don't worry." Then, the doctor finally disappeared to Ace's room, leaving Luffy to rely on just his soulmate's heartbeat to calm down.
---Scene---
After Luffy calmed down, he called Sabo and Marco respectively and told them what happened with a quivering voice over the phone.
Marco immediately told Luffy he'd be in the hospital as soon as possible while Sabo said it'd take him a while to arrive at the hospital, seeing that he just finished wat he's been doing in Dawn District. It has been 10 minutes after his situation with the doctor whom he just knew by the name of Dr. Trafalgar from his nametag on his breast pocket.
Expectedly, Marco was the first one to arrive and seeing his soulmate's youngest brother's face was worrying.
Luffy had a haggard impression coming off of him. His raven hair was more shaggy than usual. He had a tired expression with dried tears staining his face – a huge indicator that he's been crying for God knows how long. He was holding onto a bouquet of sunflowers intended for Ace.
Marco immediately sat down on one of the chairs beside him as he pat Luffy's shoulder. A small gestured that tells when a person is there.
Luffy looked at him for a moment and breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing that his brother's soulmate was finally here.
"The nurses said he's having a seizure and they're trying their best to stabilize him. It's been 10 minutes since then." He informed the older male as tears slowly formed above his lower eyelids. "The nice doctor said he's going to be fine. Right, Marco?" Luffy made a nervous smile appear on his lips as he talked.
Marco's heart shattered at the sight and Luffy's words. Sweet little Luffy who always had a huge happy grin on his face is now reduced to this poor soul of a college student, worrying about his older brother.
He immediately replied. "Of course he'll be fine-yoi!" He said, although he isn't sure either. "Ace is stronger than he looks. I bet he'll wake up soon." He put on a reassuring smile on his face just to reassure his soulmate's younger brother.
Luffy finally had a hopeful expression on his face as he gripped the lower part of the bouquet. "Yeah . . .!" He said. "Ace is strong so he'll get through this."
"There's the Luffy I know." Marco uttered, patting Luffy's back continuously. "Let's just wait for the doctor and nurses to come out. I'm sure we'll be hearing great news-yoi."
After Marco had said that, loud and fast paced footsteps were heard from the corridor heading towards the pair.
Luffy and Marco turned around and saw the middle child, Sabo, who looked like he ran a marathon and took the stairs instead of taking the elevator to the third floor. His expression showed worry, he was covered in sweat while he flexed his arm and his hands above his knees while looking at the two.
He was anxious.
"Ace . . .!" Sabo panted. "Is he . . . okay . . .?" He asked in between breaths.
"Luffy said he had a seizure-yoi." Marco answered, seeing that Luffy was very silent. "The doctors came in right before he arrived and started to do emergency treatment." He continued as Sabo took the time to approach them and stood beside the older blonde.
Just in time, the doctor who calmed Luffy's panic attack came with a brown clipboard in hand he was looking at, calling the attention of the three people on the chairs.
"Mr. Gol's family?" He asked, looking at the three who just stood up from their positions.
"How is he, Doc?" Sabo asked with a worried tone.
"The patient has been stabilized." Trafalgar announced, making the concerned trio breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm sure you all know he's been in a comatose state for a month." He informed, looking at the three. "There's a huge possibility he'll wake up within a day or two."
"Can we see him-yoi?" Marco asked as he stood up with Luffy beside him who was holding a bouquet of sunflowers.
"Yes, but be very quiet." He nodded his head and looked back at the clipboard he was holding, writing something down. Could be the events just now.
And with that reply, Luffy, Marco, and Sabo all went inside the room, quietly closing the door behind them and saw their beloved Gol on the hospital bed with his eyes closed and an endotracheal tube attached to his mouth with medical plasters to hold it in place. A nasogastric tube placed under his nostril.
There they saw Ace in his lowest state. His head was wrapped around in bandages. He was in a hospital gown and was covered with a white blanket from his shoulders down to his feet. He had a neck brace wrapped around his neck.
Wires were attached to his upper body to monitor his condition. An IV fluid is filtered and connected to a catheter which is connected to the back of Ace's hand to a vein.
It hurt to see him like that.
On the table corner, Luffy put the bouquet of sunflowers on top of the table, going towards his older brother after putting it on the table.
Marco put a hand on his chest, savoring the fluttery feeling of Ace's heartbeat with a pained expression on his face. Although there is a monitor just beside Ace's bedside indicating his stabilized condition, Marco still liked it when he feels Ace's heartbeat whenever he's near. It's a small indicator that he's still alive and going strong, fighting for his life on a hospital bed.
Sabo knelt down and held Ace's hand with his own two. He sniffled, looking at his brother whom he hasn't seen in a week with how busy his schedule is. He doesn't like it when Ace passes out every time he had his narcoleptic attacks, how much more when his older brother is now in a hospital bed still not waking up?
It's painful.
Luffy was on the opposite side of the bed where Marco and Sabo were at, looking at Ace's unresponsive body that's covered in bandages. He's trying to hold back his tears, but it just kept running down his face. Being in comatose and having a seizure is a very bad combination and he knows this.
The three people in the room looked at the unconscious male on the bed with wires and life support attached to his body, monitoring his condition and keeping him alive. They love Ace deeply. One loves him in a romantic way, and the other two loves him like how a person loves their family.
Luffy could still feel the fluttery feeling of his soulmate's heartbeat in his chest getting a bit faint as he put a hand on it, gripping his shirt tightly. It doesn't hurt. It just feels weird and sad and things that Luffy can't put his mind into.
"I'm going out first." He informed, earning a nod from the two blondes before he went out of the room.
He was now walking through the corridors while playing hot and cold with his soulmate's heartbeat.
He walked towards the left, it became weaker. He walked towards the right, it became stronger.
Luffy followed to where the fluttery feeling in his chest got stronger. He didn't bother riding an elevator on the way up towards the hospital floors.
He went back on the sixth floor when the flutters weakened for a bit when he continued to go up to floor seven.
He is now inside, walking through the corridors of the sixth floor and turning on the left corner where the flutters felt stronger. And then, there he was on the second door to where he turned.
The fluttering feeling of Luffy's heartbeat got stronger when he arrived at the door that had a name plate at the center that says 'Trafalgar D. Water Law'.
Luffy didn't know whether to feel nervous or excited, so he chose to feel both.
Before he even knew what he was doing, he knocked on the door three times before opening it, not even waiting for the doctor inside to respond.
When Luffy poked his head inside the room, there he saw the nice doctor who calmed him down and attended Ace briefly, sitting down on a swivel chair while doing four five-inch piles of paperwork to be done by God knows when, and a fluffy Northern-style fur hat on the opposite side of the stack of papers.
He was a beautiful human being, Luffy could call him ethereal. Hair as black as charcoal, eyes as gold as the mineral itself, tanned skin with hands adorned with tattoos and possibly even more – he's the true definition of tall, dark, and handsome.
He looked like a God from the Greek mythology.
"Shachi . . ." The doctor groaned, not bothering to look at who's at the door while writing down on the papers and putting it on the other side, pre-organizing it after it was done. "I told you not to disturb me this ti–!"
He cut himself off when he saw Luffy at the door with his hands on the door side.
Law looked at the person before him, noticing the fluttering feeling on his chest he's been ignoring for the past few minutes. Now there he was. The soulmate whom he didn't catch the name of is now in front of him, looking at him with wide brown eyes. He didn't know what to do at the moment, so he left himself on autopilot. "Can I help you?" He asked in the most professional way he can.
Luffy flinched when he heard Law speak.
Fuck even his voice sounds amazing.
"O-oh!" Luffy stuttered with an unnoticeable flinch. "Nothing, Doctor. I just want to thank you for saving Ace's life!" He uttered in a frantic manner, cursing his voice crack in the middle.
He could swear that the doctor can feel how fast his heartbeat is right now. And he was right.
Law could feel his soulmate's heartbeat. It was almost as if it was beating at 120 beats per minute and that isn't healthy. Even so, he could feel his chest all fluttery and his soulmate's heartbeat all jittery.
It wasn't the most uncomfortable feeling around. In fact, he was a bit ecstatic when he felt his soulmate's heart like that – beating because of him.
Law knows it happens to most people and all the while that he doesn't bat an eye towards the people who said so. And now here he was – like the typical person who just met his soulmate who had a very fluttery heartbeat than most people, he thinks.
"Do you want to hang out?" Law breathed out, careful not to look all nervous in front of the male. "We can talk as soon as I'm done. It'll be quick."
Those words made Luffy relax a little as he fully opened the door to let himself in and shut it behind him afterwards.
"Yeah, sure. I'd like that." He answered, slowly walking towards the black leather couch on the office and plopped down with a small 'oomph'.
The silence isn't really uncomfortable. It's just there, gracing them with its wonderful presence rather than the unpleasant awkwardness like when Luffy had a talk with Jewelry Bonney from chemistry class last semester for the first time. Thankfully, they became instant friends.
Feeling Law's slightly fast paced heartbeat, Luffy couldn't help but blush and put a hand on his chest, also feeling his own heart beat faster than the older male.
Luffy could say the doctor's heartbeat felt good. It calmed him down like how it calmed him down that time when Ace had a seizure. Just like before, it felt really calm and steady. That made Luffy's eyes flutter shut as he slowly drifted into a slumber.
---Scene---
Three hours have already passed when Law finished his paperwork and two hours and 20 minutes since he noticed his soulmate sleeping on the couch and put a blanket on him to keep him warm.
Law sighed in satisfaction, stretching his arms while groaning silently in pleasure as he leaned back on his swivel chair.
Law could feel the steady heartbeat of his sleeping soulmate on the couch inside his office. His soulmate's heartbeat matched his own at a steady pace.
He remembered the events hours before. How he was called in for an emergency that happened in room 304, how he saw the nurses going on a fast pace to treat the patient, and how his soulmate's heartbeat got faster and it hurt. Law didn't know that the black-haired male was his soulmate when he grabbed his shoulder to try and bring him back from his panic attack.
It was that time when they locked eyes that he knew that the pained heartbeat belonged to the male who is now sleeping on his couch.
He suspected that his soulmate also knew that Law is his soulmate since he came to his office and waited until the doctor's paperwork is finished.
Law got up from his chair and walked towards the couch where his soulmate was sleeping on. He pulled a wooden chair nearby and sat down near Luffy's head that was lied down on the armrest with a white fluffy pillow he put under.
He saw his soulmate's sling bag on the glass table near the vase with the flowers his friend, Vivi, decorated for him. There he saw a name and a funny phrase with a number attached: "If lost, please return to Monkey D. Luffy.J"
He let out a small chuckle, turning his head towards the sleeping face of his soulmate. 'Luffy, huh . . .?' He thought to himself, sweeping Luffy's fringe away from his face – not that he wanted to take a good look of his soulmate, really.
Luffy was . . . someone you could call pretty. Law could call him cute. He was sleeping like a baby on Law's couch, snuggling his blanket which made the older male blush for a while.
Law looked at Luffy with a face full of worry. Though there aren't any more tear stains on his face, there is still the exhausted impression coming off of Luffy. Law didn't know of the feeling on his chest, but it hurt to see Luffy like this, even though it has just been a few hours since they met.
Law got surprised when Luffy stirred in his sleep and rubbed his eyes, opening them after while looking at Law dead in the eyes with a sleepy expression on his face, all the while looking at Law with worry.
"Are you okay?" Luffy asked, startling Law.
Law regained his composure again while answering the smaller male. "Yes, I'm fine." He answered. "Why did you ask?"
"It hurt when I felt your heartbeat." Was Luffy's immediate answer while putting a hand on his chest, leaving Law with a wide-eyed expression on his face.
Now Luffy had an expression on his face as he sat up and looked at Law with a serious gaze. "You can tell me anything, you know?" He said with a loud voice. "I'm your soulmate!"
Law felt his own heart flutter at the sight and the words Luffy uttered. Though the pain isn't really something new to Law and many have said those words to him, but it didn't feel as much as Luffy's words did.
He had a fond smile on his face while looking at the younger male. "Of course." Law stated, ruffling Luffy's hair, making his soulmate smile.
Luffy still held his hand on his own chest, now having a slight grip on his clothes as he grinned widely. "Shishishi, Now it's all nice and fluttery." He laughed, landing a critical hit on Law's heart.
Though Law could feel his own heart flutter, he didn't fail to notice Luffy's fluttering heartbeat.
They were about to start a conversation to get to know a bit of each other when a person barged in towards the door, stopping the two from engaging in a long conversation.
Law felt annoyed and Luffy was just confused, looking at the person with an orca whale as a hat . . . Who wears that at a hospital anyway?
"Shachi . . ." He groaned.
"Boss!" The man yelled in a frantic tone. "The patient in room 304 woke up!"