Café Curious

18

RT_Strawhat_Ninja: Guys. I finished the sword. Now. Enjoy the well deserved update. (I missed this.)

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I walked back in to the house and sat down on the couch. I reclined on my back as Bepo lied down with a small teddy bear that Aka bought for him on the floor beside me. I flicked on the history channel and I drifted off in to a nap.

I was woken by the sound of sniffling. My eyes popped open and I looked over and saw Aka. She was kneeling beside me with tears running down her face. I sat up immediately, protective mode activating.

"Aka-ya? Darling, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked, gently grabbing her shoulder with one hand and cupping her cheek with the other.

"L-Law..." her voice shook. I pulled her on to my lap and held her to my chest.

"Shhh, I've got you. Tell me what happened." I hummed to her softly. She gripped my shirt and buried her head in my chest. I stroked her cheek until she grabbed my arm.

"Let me see them." She said.

"What?"

"Let me see your scars, Law." She said. I blinked. Slowly, I raised my arm up so she could see. Tears began to pour violently down her face. I dropped my arm and brushed her tears away.

"Shhh, shhh, don't cry." I said softly, holding her tightly. She moved her head and buried her face in to my neck. I cradled her gently.

"How did you know about my scars, Aka-ya?" I asked. She dropped her hand to her pocket and handed me her phone. I took a look at the screen.

Mom: Aka, I need to tell you something. About Law.

Aka: what's up, mom?

Mom: on his under arm, by his tricep. There are selfharm scars.

Aka: what? No there aren't. I've looked over his body hundereds of times, Mom. There are no scars.

Mom: He showed them to me today at Lunch, Aka. If you don't believe me then look when you get home.

I looked at her.

"You already saw them before you told me to let you see them." I said. She nodded.

"You were sleeping with your arms behind your head. They're hard to miss when you actually look for them." She said quietly. I set her phone aside and pulled her closer, making her rest her head on my chest.

"When did you last do it?" She asked softly.

"The day before I first saw you in the café." I said. She sighed.

"Law, don't say things to make me feel better." She said. I moved and cupped her cheeks and looked deep in to her silver eyes.

"I'm not lying." I said. She stared at me. Her hands rested on my wrists as I brushed her tears away with my thumbs.

"Ever since I first saw you in that café five years ago, the only thing that has filled my mind is you. If I continued to hurt myself, then I wouldn't get to hold you like this. And the one thing I wanted more than anything in the world was to hold you." I said. Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared up at me. I rested my forehead against hers.

"Ssshhh. Don't cry. You're so much more beautiful when you smile." I whispered. She dove in to my chest and hugged me tightly.

"I love you, Law!" She cried. I wrapped one arm around her and stroked her hair with my free hand.