Three weeks had passed since the strange man came to question about the photos and everything had remained calm since. This was good since halloween was right around the corner and you didn't want anything spoiling your favorite holiday. Regardless though, Law's nerves were still shot to all hell. He'd spent hours upon hours studying for midterms and managed to pull straight A's again. When he wasn't busy studying though, he was quietly always on the verge of panic.
Your once calm, collected lover seemed like a different person these days. He paced on the back porch a lot and constantly looked at his phone. If it weren't for the other strange quirks he'd picked up and your two years of solid trust, you'd almost fear that he was cheating. The real kicker was him hovering around you as if he were afraid he'd blink and you'd suddenly vanish. On top of it all, he was losing sleep by the hour. When he wasn't busy hovering or pacing, he'd force himself to sit and read, but that never seemed to last long.
He hadn't changed on the surface of his personality though, which really threw you for a loop. He was still the same sarcastic, laidback man you'd met and fallen in love with two years ago. Beneath the surface though you could tell a vicious torrent of anxious thoughts swirled. At first you didn't notice. Law was terrifyingly good at masking his innermost thoughts and feelings and his poker face felt like it was on a completely different level. Anyone else would have probably missed the slight dilation of his pupils when his anxiety was spiking or the subtle twitch of his fingertips every now and then if you'd wandered off too far.
You loved the man to bits, but even this was too much for you. He refused to talk about whatever it was bothering him though. Anytime you asked, he played it off as shot nerves over his studies. It was getting frustrating. You needed to talk to someone about it or you were going to force bread down his throat till he told you.
"Yeah, I wanna pick up some halloween candy and some candy apples. I was going to make some but I put it off for too long and now it's too late." You chuckled, holding the phone between your shoulder and ear as you rummaged through the closet for something to wear. "We can make a little day of it. Perona said she'd come along too."
Nami's voice came through the receiver reluctantly. "Perona? I don't know, the last time we met, she didn't seem to like me very much." A tiny mutter came afterward. "Then again, she did help Zoro the other day, so maybe..."
"So you'll come along?" You asked again, hopeful. These two girls were your closest friends and you desperately wanted to hear from both of them about your predicament with Law. "Please Nami, I really need to talk to you. It's important and only you and Perona will get it."
"Oh alright. Where do you want to meet?"
"In front of the city hall okay?"
"Yeah I'll be there in an hour."
"Yay! Thanks Nami, you're the best!"
After a bashful goodbye from Nami, you continued to root through the clothes, looking for something in particular. In the end, you grabbed a comfy pair of black skinny jeans and a white and orange striped shirt. Afterward, you turned to the item you'd spent ages searching for and pulled it on. Law's favorite yellow and black hoodie was oversized on you and very warm and smelled just like him. You wrapped your arms around yourself in a nice happy hug; you may be annoyed with him, but you still loved him. You weren't sure what the happy face design on the front of the hoodie was, but it was a symbol that meant a lot to Law and you promised yourself you'd treat the hoodie with care.
You made your way into the kitchen, slipping on your shoes and slinging your purse over your shoulder after you decided to leave your hair loose around your shoulders. You pulled out your phone to text Law and let him know you were going out with Perona and Nami, but you hesitated. With how jittery he'd been lately, maybe it was best you didn't. You felt a little guilty, but you'd leave him a note instead so he wasn't completely in the dark. Grabbing a pen and scrap of paper, you scribbled down where you were going and with who and then turned for the door. You had to hurry to catch the bus into the city.
After a light jog to the bus station, you managed to catch the bus just in time. You stepped on and gave the driver a little smile as you slipped some coins in the slot before going to find a seat. The ride wasn't too excessively long and you helped it pass by faster by putting your airpods in and listening to your music along the way. The music helped you daydream and normally this would push through your writer's block, but your mind was too preoccupied with your worries over Law. You really hoped the time spent with Perona and Nami would help.
Arriving in the city, you made your way through the crowd until you came upon the large front steps of the city hall. A girl with long pink hair and a big black sun hat stood leaning against the railing in her long black gothic dress as she scrolled on her phone. A guy approached her and seemed to be shyly asking for her number, but she just gave him a look of disgust and dismissed him. You approached her as the guy scampered off, looking quite embarrassed.
"Perona!" You waved at her and she turned, her dark eyes lighting up. "I feel like we haven't met in ages."
Perona came over and wrapped you in a delicate hug. "(Y/n)! It feels like ages because it has been ages!" She whined. She frowned and gave you a subtle pout. "You completely missed me almost burning down the kitchen!"
You and Perona had been friends since childhood. Living with Grandad meant you knew most of the guys on the force he was close to and that included Mihawk, who would sometimes offer his services to them. Due to this, you came to know and quickly befriend Perona, his adopted daughter. Her life had been complicated; her biological father, Moria, being tossed in prison for some crime committed or other and rather than sending her to foster care, Mihawk agreed to take care of her. Perona still loved Moria, but she'd come to love Mihawk just as much and having two dads that seemed to adore her to bits resulted in Perona being quite spoiled. Still, she'd improved her bad attitude significantly since she was little and now she wasn't nearly as insufferable, if still just a bit picky.
"What?!" You exclaimed wildly. "I thought you were a good cook?!"
"I am!" Perona shouted and threw her hands up, ignoring the stares she received. "But Kumancy caught fire! And I panicked and threw him! And then the chair cushions caught fire from Kumancy! AND IT WAS AWFUL!"
You had to stifle a laugh from the woman's miserable screech. Perona never went anywhere without her giant patchwork plush bear and the thought of her accidentally setting him on fire was quite humorous. "What happened then? Did you get in trouble with Mihawk? Is Kumancy okay?"
Perona looked ready to collapse. "Kumancy is banned from the kitchen! BANNED, I tell you! Mihawk was so mad he refused to get me any bagel sandwiches for a WHOLE WEEK! It was awful! Horrid!" She sobbed. "Mihawk fixed Kumancy though. I thought he was a goner for sure, I was getting ready to throw myself from the stairwell balcony!"
"That really does sound like a tragedy. I'm glad he's okay." You smiled and giggled. Perona's knack for over exaggerating things was still amusing after all these years.
"So that's who I heard yelling all the way from the park."
You turned and beamed at the busty redhead. "Nami!"
"Hi (Y/n)! Don't you look so cute in his hoodie." Nami smiled. She turned a little hesitantly at Perona. "Hi Per-"
"Are you and Zoro dating?" Perona blurted out, staring at Nami with an accusing look.
Nami looked bewildered. "Huh?! No! Not in a million years. That guy couldn't find the end of a paper bag with the directions tattooed on his hands." She huffed and put her hands on her hips. "I'd rather stay single forever than be with a guy like him!"
Perona relaxed and gave Nami a sweet smile. "Oh! Okay we can be friends then."
'Well damn, that was easy.' You thought as Nami gave Perona a little puzzled look, but played along with it. "I want to get some candy for halloween, but do you girls want to stop for boba tea first? I'm really craving some."
Perona gasped and nodded. "Oh yes! Boba tea is the best tea! I tried some last week after Mihawk brought some home and I keep asking for more, but he's been too busy."
Nami smiled. "Ooh that does sound good. I haven't had any boba in ages."
~~~~~~~~~~
"So you mean to tell me he's having panic attacks literally every single day?" Nami questioned, sipping her tea while you looked through all the candy on display.
"Sort of? They're the quietest panic attacks I've ever seen, if you can even call them that." You said and shook your head. "He never raises his voice or cries or shows any negative emotion, but every night when we sleep I can feel his heart racing out of control. I'm worried he's a ticking time bomb getting ready to explode!"
Perona chewed some of the pearls and frowned. "How has he not died? Isn't he tired?"
You nodded. "All the time. I really don't know how he hasn't just fallen over yet."
"His blood pressure must be insane." Perona raised her eyebrow. "How did he react when you told him you were going out today?"
You drummed your fingers against your cup and gave the two women a sheepish smile. "I um...didn't."
"(Y/n)! What do you mean you didn't?!" Nami exclaimed. She shook her head, looking genuinely concerned. "If Law is that worried over you, don't you think he's going to have a melt down when he comes home today and you aren't there to greet him?!"
Perona's eyes widened and a distant look swept onto her face. "Ohhh what if his head pops off? Like pffft!" She said around the straw and made a bursting motion with her hand.
Nami's eyebrow twitched. "Unlikely, but he could have an actual panic attack. Have you ever seen him have one of those before?"
"No! He's always so calm and collected, it felt like hardly anything could get under his skin." You frowned and sighed. "I didn't want to text him and tell him because I knew if I did, he'd be worrying all day at class. His grades are really important to him, I didn't want to cause him any more strain than he's already under. I did leave him a note on the kitchen counter though. And I made sure to mention I wouldn't be in the city alone."
At the mention of the note, Nami seemed to relax. "Alright at least you didn't leave him totally in the dark. Law is my friend too, I don't want to hear about him having to be hospitalized because he collapsed from mental pressure."
"But that's the thing, he's not getting any better. Granted he's not getting any worse either, but I don't know how to help him." You grabbed a few bags of candy and tossed them in your basket before turning back to the two girls. "He won't talk to me about whatever it is, but I know it's more than just the studying."
Perona shook her head and pointed a black polished nail at you. "If he won't talk to you, you have to push him, especially if it's important. Don't be mean, but be assertive. Stubborn men like him aren't going to open up after the first, second, or even third time of asking. You have to really push!"
"I don't want to fight with him though..." You frowned.
Nami finished a sip of her tea. "No, I'm with Perona on this one. If Law is anything like Zoro, which he is, he's as stubborn as a mule. You don't have to fight with him, but I think you should pull him aside and really talk to him. Maybe take him somewhere where there won't be any distractions."
You looked between Perona and Nami, both of which were giving you a supportive smile, and you wilted. You didn't realize how much this situation was eating away at you until you had opened up about it. Now, although the issue wasn't resolved, having friends to listen to you get it off your chest left you feeling like you needed a good cry. They must have noticed because they both came in and gave you a little group hug. You needed it badly.
The three of you spent the rest of the day hanging out and visiting various shops. After buying the candy, you visited another shop for candy apples and then got dragged to a gothic boutique for Perona. Nami wanted to visit a designer boutique and she somehow managed to haggle down the sales clerk on items that shouldn't have been able to be haggled. It was good because the prices of the clothes she picked made you and Perona go pale. Mihawk had a lot of money, but even Perona wasn't allowed to spend that much. Afterwards the three of you went out for dinner and talked about everything except Law. You were surprised; you knew he'd be home by now, but you didn't receive a single text. A small part of you worried that maybe even with the note, he'd had a mental breakdown and collapsed anyway, but the thought of Law collapsing from mental strain just seemed so out of character. You were thankful for the distraction from your overactive thoughts.
"Will you be able to get home okay, (Y/n)?" Nami asked, glancing up at the dark sky. "It's late. We probably shouldn't have stayed out so long. I can drive you home if you need me to."
You shook your head. "No, I'll be okay. Nothing ever happens in my town anyway."
Perona looped her arm with yours. "I'll stay with her on the bus. My route goes past hers anyway." She gave Nami a devious smile and tapped her purse. "I have a taser too, so we'll be okay. You know, just in case."
Nami giggled and returned the smile. "Alright, that puts me at ease. Have a safe trip home. I'll talk to you girls later!"
You and Perona waved to Nami as she left for her car. Once she was out of sight, the two of you scampered to the nearest bus stop when you noticed the last bus would be departing soon. You chose a seat towards the middle row and sat together, another guy stepping on after you and heading to the back.
The trip back home was quiet and pleasurable. You and Perona had started off talking quietly, but part way there she fell asleep and her head was currently resting on your shoulder. You chuckled at the sight and saved it to memory. Whoever Zoro was, you hoped he could see how cute Perona was. She clearly fancied him and was willing to deal with his antics.
The bus pulled into your town and slowed to a stop. You gently tapped Perona to wake her, letting her know you were heading home. She gave you a sleepy smile and demanded you text her more; she missed her best friend. You gave her your word and a soft hug and then got off, not noticing the guy getting off behind you. As the bus left, Perona waved through the window and yawned, heading off to the next town over where Mihawk's mansion was. All that was left was for you to walk home.
The little town was quiet now, all the shops had closed for the night and the only lights left were the street lights that showed bright overhead. You scrolled your phone, making sure you hadn't missed any texts from Law. Something felt wrong. There was a sound of footsteps behind you, not directly behind but not too far off either. It could be someone on their way home in the same direction you were going, but something felt strange about it. You weren't exactly walking very fast and the footsteps weren't getting any closer or further away from you either. It was like they were pacing with you.
You resisted the urge to turn around and look. If someone was following you, any action you took against them could provoke them to suddenly run at you. If that happened, you might just die of fright on the spot. Instead you opened your texts with Law and sent him a message.
'Hey I'm back in town! Do you want to come pick me up?'
You decided not to tell him you might be being followed just yet. If it was a false alarm and this dude was just trying to get home, Law could very well show up in a mild panic and knock some poor innocent guy's lights out. No, you had to be smart about this.
Narrowing your eyes, you hung a left, heading down a street that you knew only had shops along it. It would wrap around back to the bus stop so you wouldn't be forced to double back. Anyone just heading home wouldn't have any reason to go this way at this time of night. You continued walking and listened carefully. A knot formed in the pit of your stomach as the footsteps turned with you down the new path. You were definitely being followed.
Panic swelled in your throat and you forced yourself to remain calm. You had to stay calm. Law hadn't replied to your text so you sent him another with trembling fingers.
'I'm pretty sure I'm being followed. Please come get me.'
You swallowed nervously and continued your walk. You had to act like you knew where you were going even if you didn't know what to do. You didn't know what this man's intentions were, but you desperately didn't want to find out either.
~~~~~~~~~~
Law's POV
Law woke up with a start as his phone buzzed. It was dark out already and the moonlight streamed in through the living room window he'd forgotten to close. He blinked open groggy eyes and rubbed his forehead as he sat up; he must have fallen asleep waiting for (Y/n) to get home.
Oh right. She'd gone out and had left a note for him that she'd be back later. The thought of her being out of the house without him, and in the city no less, nearly sent him flying out of the house to go find her. He'd had to force himself to get a grip. (Y/n) was with Nami and Perona, she would be absolutely safe. If Perona didn't rip the dick off of whoever tried to harm them first, Nami certainly would. Neither of those girls were afraid to tussle with someone that got too close.
Next to him, his phone screen was still lit up and he grabbed it. He must have forgotten to take it off vibrate from when he was back in class. His heart sank when he looked at the screen. Six missed texts, two missed calls, and one voice mail from (Y/n). They all seemed to be recent and back to back. Law opened them to read, already getting up from his spot on the couch.
'Hey I'm back in town! Do you want to come pick me up?'
'I'm pretty sure I'm being followed. Please come get me.'
'Law, where are you?'
'He won't stop following me.'
'Law, I'm scared.'
'Help.'
Law had never moved across the house so fast in his life. He slipped his shoes on and flew out the door, hitting the sidewalk before the door to the house even finished closing. He broke into a sprint, opening up the voicemail as he ran into town. It was the most recent message left from (Y/n) from about ten minutes ago.
"Law, please pick up. Please, I'm so scared." (Y/n)'s tiny voice whimpered through the phone. She was trying to be as quiet as she could despite being scared out of her mind and fighting back tears from the sound of it. "He won't stop. I'm sorry I didn't text you that I was going out. I'm sorry, I love you. Please help me."
The line cut off and Law cussed. She was in town, but he had no idea where. The town wasn't huge, but it was big enough that he could go in the opposite direction of where she was. And if he didn't get to her before her stalker decided to act, then...
Law's heart clenched and panic gripped him. If anything happened to her, he was gunna turn this whole world on its ass.
He went pale as a shrill scream suddenly went off, not too far from him. Not wasting a single second, Law turned and sprinted in the direction of it. The closer he got, the more he could hear sounds of struggling and (Y/n)'s shrieks of fear. He turned into a small alleyway and saw a guy smaller than him trying to pin (Y/n) to the ground. She fought back against him, but he was still bigger than her and slowly overpowering her.
"That hoodie! We've been looking for that symbol!" The guy practically barked in (Y/n)'s face, terrifying her further. "Where'd you get that?! Huh?! Answer me, you little bitch!"
"Why don't you ask its owner?" Law growled, a dark malicious look in his gray eyes.
The guy turned around in shock just as Law grabbed his head, slamming it into the brick wall next to them. A shocked gasp flew out of his mouth as blood spurted from the back of his head. Law released his grip on the man's face, letting him slide down the wall limply. (Y/n) stared at Law with wide, mortified eyes as he turned to her. This would leave mental scarring for sure.
"(Y/n)!" Law rushed towards her and scooped her up in his arms, dropping the little lilt he'd add to the end of her name from the sheer gravity of the situation. She was shaking like a frail fall leaf on a branch. "I'm here! I've got you! You're okay now, you're safe!"
"Y-You...killed him."
"Don't look."
"They'll a-arrest you."
"No, they won't. I'll be okay." Law clutched her to him tightly. "Why didn't you come home?"
"Because t-then he'd know where I l-lived." (Y/n) hiccuped.
'Clever girl.' Law thought. (Y/n) was still shaking and sobs were frantically trying to break through her shock. "Breathe, (Y/n)-ya. Everything is going to be okay, baby girl."
At the sound of the sweet name he'd call her when her emotions were in tatters, (Y/n) finally broke down, unable to hold it in anymore. Massive sobs wracked through her body as she desperately clung to Law. She was terrified. She'd been followed around for half an hour, attacked, and then she watched Law kill someone with his bare hands. It was too much.
"I'm sorry." Law mumbled. The guilt that swept through him broke him a little inside. "I'm so sorry. I fell asleep and my phone...Nothing I can say will make this better. Just know that I'm so sorry; I fucked up."
(Y/n) didn't say anything, just continued to sob into his shoulder. The sound broke Law's heart but he didn't try to stop her. She needed to get it out of her system. He scooped her up and carried her home slowly. Halfway there, (Y/n) fell asleep. She was exhausted from all the fleeing, fighting for her life, crying, and trauma fatigue. Law said nothing, not even waking her when they got home and he pushed the door open.
He took her straight to the bedroom and gently slipped her shoes and pants off, leaving his hoodie on her. He glared at it. It was this accursed thing's fault that she had to go through that. He narrowed his eyes. No, that was a convenient excuse. This was his fault from the very start.
He pulled the blanket up over her and silently slipped back out of the room, heading for the front porch. He pulled out his phone and opened up the contacts, swiping to call the number.
After a few rings a very groggy voice picked up on the other line. "Trafalgar, do you have any idea what time-"
"Isha, I killed someone by accident."
Isha went silent and for a split second, Law thought he'd hung up. "Who was it?"
"A no name. Probably one of his random thugs."
A deep sigh came from the line. "Thank fucking god. Anyone important and I would have had to pretend I didn't hear any of this." There were the sounds of shuffling, probably as Isha got out of bed quietly so as not to wake Twili. "Alright, I'm outside. Did anyone see you?"
"(Y/n)-ya."
"Jesus christ, Law, are you trying to scar her for life?! What the hell happened?!"
"He attacked her because he recognized my yellow hoodie."
"The one with the Clan sigil?"
"Yeah. She left the house in it and I didn't know."
"Shit. Probably good that you killed him then. Did anyone else see you?"
"No."
Another deep sigh. "You have no idea just how lucky you are. I'll text the cleaners. Where in town is it?"
"4th Street in a little alleyway. Brick wall, behind a black dumpster."
"Perfect, that should keep it out of sight until they get there." There was a pause on the other end and then the voice sounded less urgent. "How is she?"
Law sat on the front steps and held his head in his hand, raven locks pulled by the slight breeze. "I just killed someone in front of my cinnamon roll of a girlfriend. Take a guess how she is." There was no humor in his voice, not even a slight smirk.
"Is she afraid of you?"
"At first, very. Then she cried herself to sleep in my arms."
Isha hummed. "Well if she wasn't desperately trying to escape from you, maybe she thinks it was an accident."
"It was an accident." Law growled.
"Uh huh, and I'm the Pope." Isha huffed. "Look Law, I'm no stranger to how you work. You don't give a shit who it is, you go for that person's life if they're hurting someone you love. You have three precious people in your life that you'll kill for and (Y/n) is definitely one of them. That was no accident."
Law's brows knitted together and a frown pulled down the corners of his mouth. "I never wanted to have to do that again."
"Yeah and I didn't want to be up at 1AM texting the cleaners, but here we are now." Isha paused, reeling in his sarcasm as he realized Law was genuinely upset. "It's fine. It'll get cleaned up. Our pink bird won't even bat an eye. The Clan's will continue to be at peace and you can go back to your quiet life with (Y/n). We laugh, we drink, we kiss, and everyone goes home happy, okay?"
Law just grumbled. It was not that simple. It never worked out that simple.
"She'll be okay, man." Isha said softly. "Just give her some time. She did just watch someone die less than a foot away from her. (Y/n) loves you, she's not gunna run from you that easily."
"I know." Law sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know..."