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Shachi and Penguin tromped through the snow, trailing behind Law and Bepo as they headed toward the field Law liked to use to practice with his Devil Fruit. It was a cold but clear morning, and both Shachi and Penguin were happy to get out of Wolf’s house after spending so much time recovering from their injuries. It had been a couple of months since Law had saved them after their disastrous attempt to kill the wild boar with an explosive, but only in the last week had either of them been up to going out for more than a short walk.
It felt amazing to really stretch his legs after so long, Shachi thought. His stomach was still tender, but Law said the major damage was healed. Now it was just a matter of getting his strength back up. Penguin had been doing exercises for his arm, but Law thought it would take time for him to get his full range of motion back.
Shachi stretched his arms over his head as they walked into the field, feeling a satisfying pop in his spine.
“What’s the plan, Captain?” he asked, smirking when Law frowned at the nickname that he, Penguin, and Bepo had given him. Despite the teasing that came along with it, the nickname was genuine; Shachi had known that he was going to follow that scrawny kid the moment he’d woken up after being certain he was going to die and seeing that Penguin was alive as well.
“I want to work on my stamina today,” Law said. Shachi wasn’t surprised at the answer. Law’s Devil Fruit apparently took a lot of stamina to use, and Law wasn’t exactly in peak physical shape considering his history. Shachi’s and Penguin’s surgeries had kept Law down for nearly a week; for those first few days of their recovery, he’d only gotten up to check on them and change their bandages before collapsing again.
The quartet had been in the field for the better part of the afternoon, Law keeping his Room open for longer and longer periods without rest, when the temperature began to drop. Shachi and Penguin exchanged looks, knowing from experience that heavy snow wouldn’t be far behind, and they told Law as much.
“Just a little longer,” Law said stubbornly. “I can hold it a little longer.”
“It won’t matter how long you can hold your Room if you die of exposure,” Penguin argued. “Besides, it’s Bepo’s and my night to help Wolf with dinner. Let’s go back.”
Bepo sniffed the air. “Maybe we should go back, Law…”
“You guys go back then,” Law replied, eyes narrowing. He crossed his arms against his chest. In the few months Shachi had known Law, he’d come to recognize that posture; there would be no arguing with him like this. “I can do this on my own.”
Penguin opened his mouth to argue anyway, but Shachi cut him off.
“I’ll stay,” he volunteered in an effort to break the stalemate.
Penguin frowned, glancing between Law and Shachi, before his shoulders slumped in resignation. “Fine. But don’t stay too long. Let’s go back to Wolf’s, Bepo,” he said, turning to the Mink.
“Okay,” Bepo agreed. He glanced back at Law and bowed his head. “Sorry.”
Law tilted his head in confusion. “What are you apologizing for?”
Bepo curled in on himself. “For not staying to help.”
“Helping with dinner is still helping, Bepo.”
That seemed to cheer the Mink up. “Really? Okay. See you later, Captain.”
Shachi thought Law’s ears might’ve reddened at Bepo’s use of the nickname, but it was hard to tell with the cold making all their faces red.
As Bepo and Penguin headed back in the direction of Wolf’s, Shachi turned to Law. “Penguin’s right. We can’t stay too much longer.” He glanced up at the darkening clouds on the horizon. “It’ll be snowing pretty soon.”
“You didn’t have to stay,” Law muttered.
Shachi raised an eyebrow. “What, and leave my adorable junior out in the snow by himself?” He pressed a hand dramatically to his heart. “I would never.”
Shachi barely had time to register the blue dome spreading over him before he found himself face-down in a pile of snow several feet from where he had just been standing. He sat up, sputtering, while Law laughed. Shachi felt his own lips turning upward as he pushed himself to his feet; he liked the sound of Law’s laugh and wanted to hear it more. He was far more familiar with the sound of Law’s whimpers and gasps from nightmares, and if it took being the butt of a joke or two to get the kid to laugh, Shachi could handle that.
Still, Shachi wasn’t just going to let Law get away with that, so he bent over and grabbed some snow, forming it into a ball. He hurled it at Law, smacking him right in the chest. He let out a crow of victory.
Law’s eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed, and a sharp smirk played at his lips. “You’re going to regret that, Shachi.”
Shachi lifted his hand and waggled his fingers in a come on gesture.
The ensuing snowball fight was pretty one-sided as Law used his powers to pound Shachi with snow from every direction. Still, Shachi managed to get in some good shots of his own, and by the end, he and Law had collapsed across the field from one another, panting and laughing. It was too bad Penguin and Bepo hadn’t been here for this, Shachi thought absently as he stared up at the sky, arms thrown out to either side of him.
Penguin and Bepo were probably back at Wolf’s by now, putting together some kind of soup from whatever the old inventor had left from his last trip to the market. Maybe there would be hot bread to go with it, too. Shachi’s mouth watered at the thought. (Law, the bread-hating weirdo, was missing out on that particular delight on a snowy night.)
Shachi blinked when a snowflake caught on his eyelash. They must’ve been out here longer than Shachi thought if the snow had already arrived. The heavier stuff wouldn’t be far behind. Plus, the sun was beginning to set. He pushed himself upright. “Hey Law, we should head back.” When Law didn’t say anything, Shachi frowned and looked over at him. “Law?”
“Fuck,” Law groaned.
That didn’t sound good. Shachi pushed himself to his feet and scrambled over to his friend’s side. Law was still on his back, his eyes screwed tightly shut. He looked pale—even paler than usual.
“Did you overuse your fruit… for a snowball fight?” Shachi asked incredulously.
“Fuck off,” Law replied, mustering just enough energy to flip Shachi the bird.
“So vulgar for such a small kid.” He outright laughed when Law tried to glare at him through drooping eyelids. “All right, Captain. We need to get back before the snow really hits.”
Law seemed to contemplate this a moment before sighing in defeat, “Can’t move.”
Shachi knew what it cost Law to admit any kind of weakness, so he didn’t tease him further. He simply pulled Law onto his back and hooked his arms under the kid’s thighs. Law’s arms hung limply against Shachi’s chest, and his chin rested against Shachi’s shoulder. He was almost entirely dead weight as Shachi started toward Wolf’s house, following the footprints Bepo and Penguin had left in their wake earlier.
“So, did you get what you wanted?” Shachi asked after a few minutes of silent walking. It was getting darker, and the snow was starting to come down more heavily around them.
“Mm?”
“What you wanted to test with your fruit,” Shachi clarified.
“Oh.” Shachi could practically hear the groggy gears turning at half-speed in Law’s head as he considered. “Yeah, I held it for the entire snowball fight, even with distractions.”
“Like getting a snowball in the face?”
Law weakly kicked Shachi in the side, and Shachi smirked in response.
“Yes,” Law finally admitted.
“Good,” Shachi said. “Glad I didn’t get soaked for nothing.”
Law grumbled something inaudible, but rather than tease him, Shachi just tightened his grip around Law’s thighs and kept on walking.
That morning, it had taken them about three-quarters of an hour to make it to the field from Wolf’s house, but the path was getting more treacherous as they lost light and the snowfall became heavier, filling in the tracks Penguin and Bepo had left earlier on their way back to Wolf’s. The wind had also picked up, and the snow was starting to come down sideways. Shachi wasn’t sure how long they’d been walking now, but it was definitely more than three-quarters of an hour.
“Cora-san.”
Shachi stiffened at the quiet whimper in his ear. “Law?”
When Law didn’t reply, Shachi glanced over his shoulder and saw that Law’s eyes were closed. He must’ve fallen asleep. The small sound of Law’s voice now was so different from the happy laughter he’d let out earlier during their snowball fight.
Cora-san was a name Shachi had heard Law cry out in his sleep more than once since he and Penguin had come to stay at Wolf’s, though Law always shut down when anyone asked about it. Eventually, they’d stopped asking out of respect for their friend, though Law’s nightmares had continued.
“Please don’t go.” The quiet words slurred together in Law’s exhaustion. “Please.”
Something tightened painfully in Shachi’s chest at the brokenness in Law’s voice. The Law that Shachi had first met when Law had confronted him and Penguin for beating up Bepo had a presence about him, even when he was practically dead on his feet. Despite his small size, Law always felt big when he was awake. But when he dreamed, Law seemed to shrink. Shachi hated it.
“Don’t leave me.”
Shachi gritted his teeth and pressed forward against the howling wind. The cold whipped sharply against his face, but he pressed on toward the house and the friends waiting for them. He didn’t know who this Cora-san person was, but it was clear they had been important to Law and Law had lost them. Well, Shachi wasn’t going to leave Law. Neither would Penguin or Bepo. After what he’d done for each of them, Law was going to be stuck with them from now on.
As long as they made it back to Wolf’s house before they died of exposure, that is.
The sun had completely set, and darkness had fallen by the time the lights of Wolf’s house came into view in the distance. Shachi let out a heavy sigh of relief. Penguin’s and Bepo’s footprints had nearly been filled in by the falling snow, and Shachi was worried about getting lost if they’d had to keep walking much longer. Law continued mumbling incoherently against Shachi’s back, but Shachi pressed onward.
The backdoor to Wolf’s house slammed open as Shachi and Law approached, Penguin, Bepo, and Wolf standing in the doorway.
“Shachi!” Penguin yelled, running forward despite not wearing a coat. “Thank the Seas,” he muttered as he came up to his friend, Bepo on his heels. “Is he…?” he added, glancing worriedly at Law.
“Overexerted himself,” Shachi replied as they made the final steps back to the house.
“Idiot,” Penguin muttered fondly, brushing some of the snow off Law’s hat.
“We were so worried,” Bepo said, wringing his paws. “The snow came on faster than anyone expected.”
“We wanted to go out looking for you, but the old man wouldn’t let us,” Penguin said, glaring at Wolf as the older man stepped aside to let the group in.
As Wolf shut the door behind them, Bepo took Law from Shachi’s back, and Shachi gave the Mink an appreciative nod. He pulled off his gloves, coat, and hat and toed out of his boots while Bepo eased Law out of his winter gear.
“You would’ve gotten lost in the storm,” Wolf grumbled, weary tone indicating they’d had this argument more than once already.
“Bepo could’ve—”
“And they’re back now,” Wolf went on as though Penguin hadn’t spoken. “Go warm up by the fire,” he told Shachi.
Shachi didn’t need to be told twice. He headed into the living room, where there was a roaring fire and plopped down in front of it. He sighed in relief as the warmth of the fire started to defrost his frozen limbs. Bepo set Law down on the couch and pulled a blanket over his small, sleeping form before joining Shachi by the fire. Shachi could hear Penguin and Wolf bickering in the kitchen as they finished putting dinner together.
“Guess we’re eating in here tonight,” Wolf groused as he brought a tray of soup bowls and bread into the living room. Penguin followed with another tray, and he passed the bowls around before offering bread to everyone. Despite his cranky words, Wolf didn’t seem to mind as he settled in his usual chair by the fire with a bowl of beef stew and a chunk of warm bread. Meanwhile, Law slept on, his bowl of stew untouched on the tray. He was so quiet that Shachi found himself glancing over occasionally to make sure he was still breathing.
It was around midnight when Law finally awoke. Wolf had long since retired for the night, but Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo had opted to drag pillows and blankets from their room down to the living room to stay with Law. Snow continued to fall outside while the fire crackled in the hearth, keeping the teens warm and comfortable. After countless rounds of card games, they were dozing by the fire.
“Law?”
Shachi came fully awake at Bepo’s quiet voice and the sight of firelight reflected in bleary gold eyes.
“What happ’ned?” Law asked as Bepo made his way over to the couch.
“You overused your fruit,” Shachi replied. “I had to carry your dumb ass back home in the snow.”
“Oh.” Law seemed to take a moment to consider that. “Thanks, Shachi.”
That… was not what Shachi was expecting Law to say. His face warmed, and it wasn’t just from the fire. “Yeah, sure. Any time.”
Years later, as Shachi stood alongside Penguin and Bepo on the deck of the Polar Tang, watching Law get smaller and smaller on the shore of that secret snowy island, he would suddenly remember the day he’d carried an exhausted Law home in a blizzard, promising not to leave him. With guilt gnawing at his insides, he would hope against hope that their farewell on the shore wouldn’t be the last time he would ever see his captain.