You've Made Your Bed, Now Cry In It (discontinued on here until further notice)

二: Chapter Two

(I feel like I can't write chapters to save my life... also, I think I flunked most of my minor exams 😭😭)

(Chapter summary: LKL's backstory, Jun, Zack and Lawlu having a bet and Asher is the reason Kassandra will bitch slap someone, especially a certain blond)

Kassandra threw her arms around Luffy, "Matahari!" She cried out, pulling the boy closer to her as imaginary tears escaped her brown eyes. Sun. She had said in her native language.

"Kassie-ya, calm down." Law said, his hands in his pockets before turning his gaze to Luffy, "How're you, Luffy-ya?"

"Mhmm..." Luffy melted into Kassandra's tight hug, nuzzling into the warmth of her arms, "I'm okay." He mumbled, "I heard pops and my siblings left for a business trip to Hawaii." Kassandra let go as she and Law stared in disbelief.

Luffy thought they were disappointed they couldn't meet his adopted famous, popular siblings...

"Sorry—"

"And they didn't take you?" Law and Kassandra asked in unison.

"Yeah..." Luffy chose his next words carefully, "It's only a short trip anyways..." Law scoffed.

"That's not the point!" Kassandra shouted, "They adopted you, no? They shouldn't have left you here in mid-December!"

Luffy blinked, eyes as big as an owl's. Why were they acting this way? Didn't they want to meet his adoptive family?

"I agree. They're dumb to leave a kid alone." Law hissed, "Especially during this winter—it's the coldest one in the whole county!"

Kassandra nodded, crossing her arms as she and Law stood straighter. She and Law towered over Luffy by a few inches as she tried leaning to whisper to Law.

Key word: tried.

"Should we?" She asked, a bit loudly— a clumsy attempt for a loud girl.

"I'm sure your parents won't mind. We'll say he's staying over for a while." Law muttered back.

"They'd call his guardians, dummy."

"Just lie. They'll never know."

"Fine— Not like my mom has a bleeding heart."

They turned their gaze to Luffy. "Ahaha," Kassandra laughed nervously, "how do I word this?... Luffy, you can stay over at my house until your family comes back from that trip."

***

"Oh, Luffy!" Kassandra's mom said, "Look how tall you've grown! It seems like just yesterday when Kassandra and Law brought you back home all those years ago." She cooed as Luffy was eating the last bit of beef from his plate. Kassandra rolled her eyes while Law chuckled.

"Ma." He whined, "We're not kids anymore."

"But you three will always be my babies." She cooed, wrapping their head in her embrace and squishing them all together.

"Mom!"

"Ma!"

"Auntie!"

They all yelled. Their faces flushed in embarrassment as Kassandra's mom left the kitchen, the trio exchanged amused glances, their embarrassment quickly turning into laughter.

"Well, at least she still thinks of us as her babies," Law remarked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yeah, like we're ever gonna outgrow that," Kassandra chimed in, rolling her eyes with a playful grin.

Luffy chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. Despite the teasing, there was a sense of comfort in being together, like nothing had really changed since that day they brought Luffy home all those years ago.

As they reminisced about old times, Law's mood began to sour. His brow furrowed slightly, and he pushed his food around his plate with his fork, lost in thought. Kassandra noticed the change in his demeanour and nudged him gently with her elbow while Luffy left to finish his art homework, and the dishes in the sink.

"Hey, everything alright?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

Law sighed, setting his fork down and leaning back in his chair. "It's just... I can't help but still be angry about what happened all those years ago," he admitted, his voice tinged with bitterness.

She knew exactly what Law was referring to – the abandonment and neglect Luffy had faced at the hands of his adoptive family. As he opened up about his lingering anger, Kassandra knew the scars ran deep, not just for Luffy, but for her and Law as well, who had witnessed Luffy's pain firsthand. She reached out, resting a reassuring hand on Law's arm.

"We'll be okay."

"No. He won't be okay—Kassie, he still lives with them."

***

As they crept Luffy into the house, careful not to make any noise, Kassandra couldn't shake off the worry in her chest. She knew Law was still struggling with his own emotions, and seeing Luffy face the aftermath of his past only added to the weight on his shoulders.

Once inside, they settled Luffy into the guest room, tucking him in with extra blankets to ward off the winter chill. As Kassandra turned to leave, she caught Law's gaze, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and determination.

"We'll make sure he's okay," Law whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet of the night.

Kassandra nodded, a silent promise passing between them. They may not be able to erase the scars of Luffy's past, but they would do everything in their power to ensure he felt loved and supported in the present.

***

Kassandra woke early to find Law sitting on the couch, staring straight ahead. She could tell he wasn't asleep, however, by the tense look on his face as he watched Luffy sleep.

"...Law," Kassandra murmured quietly, padding towards him, "What are you thinking about?"
Law didn't move or respond, continuing to sit silently.

"Law. answer me," Kassandra said louder, standing right beside him so she could see his face, "What are you thinking about, Law?"

Her question drew the attention of Law, though his gaze remained unyielding. Slowly, he shook his head, his expression growing distant again. He looked away and crossed his arms, his posture radiating annoyance and hostility. "Nothing. Go back to bed. It's too early."

Kassandra frowned, "You don't seem fine. You should probably talk—"

"I said go back to bed, Kass. I am perfectly fine." He snapped, turning around sharply.

Kassandra recoiled in surprise, her jaw dropping slightly. She hadn't expected to hear such vitriol coming from his mouth. After the events of today, Kassandra could hardly blame him.

Still, her concern only grew and she walked up behind him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He flinched under her touch but didn't pull away. "Please, Law. What happened?" she asked sincerely. Law's eyes softened as he stared at her. He closed his eyes slowly.

"I... just... it hurts more than I thought it would... it doesn't make sense that... they just left him there to die like that." He whispered, his voice breaking. A tear slipped from his eye and fell onto the wooden flooring below, causing an echoing crack to follow. Kassandra stared at him sadly; he had a right to be upset. if only they weren't children now, if only they had been stronger— stronger enough to protect Luffy when he needed them most.

"They abandoned Luffy to fend for himself."

Kassandra felt guilt clawing at her insides.