Chapter 6: Beating Heart

'Law is an enigma', that was Yulie's first thought as he stared at Law who took it upon himself to invite her inside his room because she told him that she wanted to read more of his books. She had expected him to reject her request but the moment the words left her mouth, he immediately agreed to.

"I thought you wanted to read? Are there words written on my face?" Yulie pursed her lips and closed the book she was reading to properly face Law who was also reading a book.

"You know, you're hard to read"

Law's gaze finally landed on her, one of his eyebrows raised at her statement. Yulie continued when she heard no rebuttal from the older male.

"Like, you're always playing mind games. You say this but act the opposite or you try to act cool eventhough we both know you're not that kind of person"

"And you are oddly off point just like your brother"

Yulie pouted her lips once more and made a mocking face which Law found oddly satisfying.

"See, you say you find Luffy annoying and that you hate him and don't want to work with him ever again and yet every little thing I do reminds you of him"

Law could feel himself getting a headache. There was something he learned after starting to spend some time with Yulie, it was that she was talkative as hell. The Polar Tang departed yesterday and is on its way to the island that would connect their log pose to Elbaf. And since yesterday, he had been hearing Yulie yapping this and that. 

"You just say what's on your mind don't you?"

"And you just like playing mind games, don't you get tired of it?"

Law didn't want to answer her so instead he went back to his book. He found it effective to just ignore her at this point. 

True enough Yulie got tired of asking Law the same question again and again to just not be answered. She returned her attention to the book she had borrowed from him. She was keen on learning medicine now just in case another event like the Heart Pirates arose. She found it helpful to have a little knowledge about it. Now, she only needs to stay awake for her brain to actually absorb the information she is reading because as much as she likes it, she actually found the book she was reading kind of boring.

Too quiet, Law thought as he turned his head to glance at Yulie only to find her sleeping, she was sitting on the floor, her back on the edge of his bed and the book laying open on her stomach. Law let out a sigh as he walked towards Yulie.

"You're only quiet when you're asleep huh?"

Law smiled as he reached out to tuck a strand of Yulie's hair behind her ear, but he caught himself before he could do so. His eyes widened as he realized what he was about to do. He was about to do something so out of his character. 

He let out a soft breath before picking up the book on Yulie's stomach and placing it on the desk where he leaned forward to. He stole another glance at Yulie who was softly breathing. Yulie looked serene when she was sleeping like this and Law liked what he was seeing. And that was what was wrong with him. 

He shouldn't feel this way for a girl he barely knew, no, he shouldn't even feel this way for any other human being. He was starting to develop unnamed feelings for Yulie who he had been with for only a week. And yet, everything in his system screams at him to hold her, to let her stay near him, and never let her go. Like he had known her for a very long time. Which was weird considering this was the first time he had ever heard that Luffy had a younger sister and he had been with him for months. He knew about Ace and had met Sabo but nothing about Yulie.

"It's like you just popped out of the sea" 

He muttered quietly before calming his now fast-beating heart. The same beat that it always emits now whenever Yulie is near him. He couldn't understand it himself just that he knew that from the moment he saw Yulie something inside him had changed. And it felt like he knew her, in a sense, like they had known each other for a long time now. 

It was weird but he didn't hate it.

"I'm sorry, I broke my promise"

"Don't leave, please, I'll do anything just stay with me"

It was foggy, but Yulie could make out the voices in the distance, a man and a woman's. She reached her hand out and realized that the fog was poison. She looked beneath her feet and felt mortified when she saw dead bodies, lots of them on the ground. Yulie could feel herself shaking, she wanted to run away but her feet were stuck in the ground. She whispered to her butterflies only to realize her voice wasn't coming out. She screamed, she yelled at the top of her lungs but there wasn't any sound.

"Please I'm begging you"

Yulie squinted her eyes to make out her surroundings. She could see silhouettes not far from where she was, two people were kneeling in front of each other.

"I'll turn back time, I'll meet you again so please don't be too sad. I'll go to you first this time"

Turn back time? Is such a thing possible? What is this dream anyway? Who are these people?

Questions rushed into Yulie's mind, but her vision blurred before she could answer any of them.

"Yulie Anne wake up"

Yulie gasped in the air as her eyes fluttered wide open. She saw Law in front of her, his expressions etched with worry and that was when she realized. She was having a nightmare. Her hands flew to her forehead which was beaded with sweat.

"You were screaming"

Law stated as he stared at Yulie who was frightened by whatever her dream was.

"It was a nightmare, there were bodies, dead ones, and I…"

"Yulie breathe"

Yulie stared at Law as he sat beside her, his hands caressing the small of her back. For the first time since she had met him, he was finally speaking to her softly.

"I… I couldn't move Law, I was stuck and my voice wasn't coming out. The fog was poison, I knew that, I didn't know how but I knew that. Do… do you think that means something? It felt like it meant something"

Law sighed before staring at the frightened Yulie in front of him.

"Yulie, dreams don't always hold any meaning. But when they do, the meaning is always right under our noses. For now, relax, you can think of it later."

Yulie turned to see that Law was particularly worried about her. She wanted to ask why, but her gaze moved from his face to his lips. Her heart was still beating loudly from the panic that had just enveloped her because of that nightmare. But for some reason, she couldn't help but want to feel Law's lips. For some reason, she wanted to know how it felt and tasted. 

"Don't do that"

Yulie snapped back into reality from her indecent thoughts. She met Law's gaze which was piercing through her now. Yulie could feel herself breathe deeper like the air was being sucked out of her. 

"Do what?"

She could feel herself getting breathless as she let the words out. Her heart beat twice faster and this time she wasn't sure if it was still because of the nightmare or another whole different reason. Law didn't answer her and she could feel herself growing cold. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant when his lips crashed down on hers.

Yulie knew what a kiss was, but hadn't had any experience with it but she knew, she knew that somehow this was different. Law's kiss was both gentle and rough. Like he was savoring her and yet it was like he was devouring her whole. Yulie grasped on his shoulders when he laid her on the cold bedroom floor. He moved so swiftly without breaking their connection that Yulie had to close her eyes. She could feel the heat circulating inside her body. 

Her eyes shot open as she felt Law's tongue making its way inside her mouth. She didn't know what to do but it wasn't like she needed to do anything. Law was the one moving, savoring, and tasting the insides of her mouth. What felt like forever ended when Law broke the kiss to gasp on air. His forehead on top of Yulie's, his eyes boring into her.

"Look like you wanted me"