ONE PIECE X FEM! READER [Short stories]

𝕃a𝕨 : A heart he kept for the longest

He holds yet another ritual.

While the clouds dims the setting sun, while his sub gently sways with the tides of the sea, and while the curtains of his office are drawn, tinting the room a saddened blue, he listens to her pulsing heart with his own.

The two muscles beats in a rhythm that calms him, though the her in question is a blur.

He never did remember why he stole the heart back when he was a kid, but he kept it precious. He barely had any memory of the girl, but he likes keeping the reminder that she is alive. That she is still around.

The encased heart against his chest, the quiet rocking of the sea, his mind tries to remember her. His unknown. Then a loud bang to the metallic door of his clinic made him pull a drawer of his table and hide the cube.

He dislikes it when people see the muscle he keeps. They start asking questions and forming their own conclusions.

"Come in", he says, leaning back against his chair. 

He keeps his eyes fixated on the door as it clicks open. A crew of his slides inside and she closes the door with another slow click.

He was expecting Bepo though. Lately, he's been giving Law strange daily visits but her mouth stretches awkwardly, showing her teeth, though the expression was closer to disgust, he knows that was her attempt on smiling. His new recruit, (Y/n).

"I've been invited to play hide and seek", She steps lightly, walking to the patient's bed in his room, "Allow me to hide in here", She climbs onto it and pulls the curtain to cover the entirety of the bed.

She's an odd one, even her manner of speech intrigues him, just like her skin colour; patches of blue, grey and what he assumes to be her actual skin tone was sewn across her body.

He stares at the curtain longer, "Who are you playing with?"

She pauses, most likely not remembering the names of the rest of her crew mates yet. She hums low, trying to remember, then, he hears a slow huff," . . . A lot."

He smiles, " Who's seeking?"

" This . . . Guy with tattoos. He's tall, and-"

"Jean Bart?"

"Correct"

"Well done then, nobody can find you here", Law throws out any of his crew member that plays in his office anyways, so they wouldn't dare to check in his place. 

"Behind the curtain ? ", She peeks her head out, her face displays a heavily judgemental look.

He picks up the book he was reading before he felt the need to hear the encased heart beat against his, "In my office", He corrects.

"Alright", He hears the slow pull of the curtain being closed.

He reads line by line while she traces the stitches that dances across her fingers, decorating her wrists.

She'd never say that Thriller Bark frightened her, she'd rather say how the Heart pirates had saved her. She feels the unevenness on her skin, if all of her stitches were to open, the amount of blood might even be enough to dye the whole boiler suit she's wearing red.

It was silent, and that heightened her senses. She could feel the embedded thread running across her back, slipping over her ribs. Her shoulders rises, remembering the stitches that ran around her neck.

She never liked thinking about something that she can't change, so she takes her mind off of her stitches and instead, to the game she's playing.

It's not like she doesn't trust her captain, it's just, if it was her, the first place she would've checked would be here. Just the thought of being found right now makes her grin, at least she attempted something similar to a grin. And her anticipation grows alongside her impatience.

If I had a heart, I bet it'd be beating like crazy right now.

Then she hears a slow page flipping over. Law is almost done with his book when he notices a slow thump, gradually increasing against his drawer and he pauses. 

With his finger in between of the book pages, he pulls his drawer open. The heart was beating harder than usual, he worries if anything is happening to her. 

Months ago, he had seen how harshly it can beat. How he tried to console it, just the heart, till it calms he held it close, hoping his warmth would pacify it, stroking it in hopes it would give solace to the girl.

He worries if it would be the same and he slips his finger from in between of his book page to carefully cradling the heart with both hands. He never liked holding the heart with only one, it's too careless he feels.

He rubs it slow and gentle, letting his warmth seeps through and at the same time keeping it out of sight while (Y/n) blinks at the familiar feeling growing in her chest as warmth seeps in between of her ribs.

It clouds over her lungs and it spreads. She lets out a small laugh and hearing that made Law looks up, eyes fixated upon the curtain.

"What?", He asks, the movements of his hand slows.

Her grin is shown through her voice, "Oh, nothing."