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Somewhere among those mounds of bodies and piles of snow, a young Law saw his own broken heart.
Two long tears in the pulsing piece of muscle.
A horrid sight that had come to be because he dared to let his heart be given away.
After giving his heart and his trust away twice, Law learned to build walls around the vulnerable parts. He could not let others in again so easily when he became so used to them leaving or stomping on his trust.
Now one of those people, one whom Law had given so much of his soul to, had come back to rip his heart straight from his chest. Crushing and rupturing the veins with tight, white strings.
A terrifying shadow loomed over Law’s bleeding, broken body in front of the colosseum’s bars.
Even in Law’s haze, he already knew the man looking down on him. His vision could not focus and was barely able to keep his eyes open enough to squint. The sun shining from behind Dolfamingo’s imposing figure did not help.
There was little strength or will to pull himself up. To brush aside the racked coughs and exhaustion was briefly considered in Law’s fogged mind. The frustration and built up rage that once coursed through Law’s veins had faded. The same emotions that had once blinded him into foolishly thinking he could fight off Doflamingo on his own on that bridge.
As though being able to strike, to hurt Doflamingo would bring Law’s mind some kind of satisfaction.
However, Law knew for certain he had no regrets provoking Doflamingo further.
Even if he could hear his own heart desperately pumping out the blood—a futile attempt to stay alive while slowly killing himself.
Somewhere faintly in Law’s foggy brain, the distressed yells from Luffy could be heard. The sound was all Law had left to cling onto while his lungs struggled to breathe.
It was almost embarrassing how much Law relied on Luffy’s voice to stay conscious moments before multiple bullets shot through his chest. Each piece of metal numbed him more than the last.
The pain sent shocks through Law, until found himself slipping, with his head weighing his thoughts down like stone. Whatever left of his body was no longer his to control.
It was as if Doflamingo hadn’t had enough of toying with Law, chaining him down to the heart seat for Law to wake up in.
The bird man might as well have put Law’s heart on display.
Mocking, ridiculing Law’s attempts to pull himself from Doflamingo’s grasp; as though Doflamingo was making it clear, Law would never be free of his past. To him, Law would always remain as that rancorous little boy, whom Doflamingo saw so much of himself in.
Sitting, scarred and torn, Law kept these thoughts at bay with his glimmer of hope.
The Straw Hats would succeed.
Just as Law had spoken as proudly on that bridge to Doflamingo, “The D will cause a storm.”
Luffy and his crew would get out this damned island, taking Caesar far far away from Doflamingo’s clutches and throwing the New World’s emperors into upheaval. Doflamingo would lose everything. His and his family’s talks of being the ruler of the world shattered, all because of Law’s persistent grudge.
Doflamingo proved to be just as persistent, beckoning Law to admit the truth of their plans of destroying the factory and taking down Sugar.
“The Straw Hat’s must know the root of the darkness of this kingdom.”
I’m staring right at it.
“Lost your smart tongue Law?”
There’s nothing left for me to say.
“Why are the Straw Hat’s continuing to go after Sugar?”
“The alliance is no more. I don’t understand a thing you’re telling me.”
A part of Law wondered if he’d be able to live long enough to watch Doflamingo’s control spiral and his calm facade begin to break. He doubted Doflamingo would be so willing to let Law have a quick death, but it could give him a chance to find an escape.
Law did his best to not fidget in the Heart seat, trying to save up his energy for his wounded body. He had no allies anymore. He needed to work on his own to save himself and leave this dreadful country.
That’s what Law had been prepared for.
Until the moment a large man, King Riku called Kyros, burst into the room, slicing off Doflamingo’s head with his large sword. The action was quick and near startling. There was too much happening at once for Law to keep up as the members of Doflamingo’s family sprung into action to attack.
“Torao!”
A familiar voice called out, tearing Law away from the chaos in front of him.
There he watched Luffy running up to him with that big smile across his face and eyes brimming with pure delight. The younger captain waved happily to him despite carrying Viola in his other arm.
“I’m here to save you!”
Law’s breath got caught in his throat, feeling a sudden warmth that bloomed from his stomach to his neck to right on his cheeks.
“Mugiwara-ya?”
He… came back?
“I’m glad you’re still alive!”
Those simple words made the onslaught of thoughts ringing through Law’s head worsen. Fighting to keep his emotions at bay, Law found himself trying to say anything to distract himself.
“You weren’t supposed to come here, Mugiwara-ya! The alliance is over” Law said, beginning to lose his train of thought, quickly contradicting himself. “What about the factory? Is it destroyed?!”
No matter his words, Luffy would not listen, doing his best to unlock the cuffs tying Law down to that dreaded seat. Not even with Law’s empty threat of killing Luffy if he released him. Law scolded himself internally for whatever the hell was happening with his heart rate the longer he looked at Luffy fighting to protect them in the throne room.
A chance of his freedom was something Luffy was fighting for.
Then came the bird cage.
All that hope dissipated and slipped through Law’s fingers as he watched the string stretch and spread above Dressrosa like a giant spider web. Doflamingo had no plans on any of them leaving and now left Law with the most impossible of choices.
Stay there, waiting for the cage to enclose on him and watch Doflamingo effectively demolish all his years of hard work.
Or take down Doflamingo with Luffy.
But then they would be left a furious emperor after their heads.
“We can talk about the future later!”
Luffy had yelled at Law, who sat there still in his chains and stained with dried blood.
“Just look at this place, Torao,” Luffy motioned his hand to the cracking, crumbling city. The cries for help from the innocent citizens could be heard despite their far distance.
“How can I stop now?!”
There was much to admire about Luffy’s boundless tenacity. Luffy held an unwavering determination to save others Law wished he had kept from when he was a child.
Law could feel himself desperately clawing at his will to keep fighting. He didn’t want to give up.
And yet he continued to act like he had.
He had easily accepted defeat over gaining hope only to have it crushed.
“What are you doing, Mugiwara-ya?” Law asked, while Luffy carried him through the wrecked city. “I’m dead weight. Just leave.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Luffy said bluntly.
The younger captain spoke as though he knew Law was lying. That the surgeon hadn’t given up.
The city was piling up in mounds of rock and with the earth stacking against itself. People's screams for help sounded awfully familiar to Law. But thankfully, the safe, strong grip Luffy had on him allowed Law to relax.
Luffy was his reminder to keep fighting. To finish what they had started together, no matter the risk, even if it meant dying together.
The tears in Law’s heart were beginning to heal shortly after leaving Dressrosa.
The second the bird cage came down and Luffy collapsed against him, Law could breathe again. His pent up stress and anxiety finally loosened its grip. The surgeon fell into the deepest sleep of his life after succumbing to his exhaustion.
His body may have been aching and sore from the battle, but for once his mind was clear.
That was until he would catch the sight of a certain captain’s smile.
It annoyed Law how Luffy managed to be a destructive force with anything, even when it came to his own thoughts. The second Law would interact with Luffy, whether it was briefly or not, his heart felt ready to explode. His cheeks would get warm and he could barely make eye contact.
He was a mess.
He was a complete mess throughout the whole trip to Zou, which felt like an eternity.
Even at the celebration party, Law struggled to find a way to escape the festivities. It didn’t help that Zoro appeared to have every intention of getting the surgeon as drunk as he could. After a few drinks, Law was able to stumble his way out of the party, to a quieter part of the ship.
Light on his feet, Law took in the salty, night breeze brushing against his torn coat. He leaned against the railing, wishing to reunite with his crew soon. Shutting himself off from the rest of the crew aboard could only last for so long.
And Dressrosa still left its mark on Law.
His hand brushed over the scar on his right arm, trembling as it touched the stitches.
“Torao.”
Nearly everyone of the Straw Hats began to use the nickname Luffy gave him. So the surgeon could not tell who it was at first with how unfocused he was on his surroundings. He didn’t take his eyes off the sea, even when it began to tilt to the side for some reason.
“Whoa!”
The voice was clear as day this time.
The hand that suddenly gripped his waist to keep him from falling felt all too familiar.
“I think you had a bit too much,” Luffy said, laughing lightly. Law glanced over, his hands trying to hold onto the railing. The older captain saw Luffy had simply stretched his arm out to catch him.
Muttering under his breath, Law forced himself to stand up right to have an excuse to remove Luffy’s hand. The moment it left his waist, there was a burning sensation left behind. Law was thankful that he could blame his flushed face on the alcohol.
“I’m fine. I’m not going to fall overboard,” Law said, trying to speak clearly. He didn’t need his words to be slurring together at the moment, even if his mouth and tongue were beginning to feel numb. “You should go back to the party.”
“Nah,” Luffy said, pulling himself up to sit on the railing, closer to Law.
Choosing to stay quiet, Law tried to force his heart rate to slow down.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I told you.”
Law’s hat left the top of his head. Looking up angrily, Law scowled, “Hey!”
The sharp tone fell short when Luffy gently placed his other hand on Law’s forehead, pushing up his dark hair. The younger captain calmly stared into Law’s shocked eyes, studying them in silence.
Law’s worn out heart was betraying him.
After so many losses, so many heart breaks, Law never seemed to learn his lesson.
“Your eyes look like the moon,” Luffy said, bluntly.
Coming from anyone else, Law would have found the line incredibly sappy and cheesy. But Luffy was not one to beat around a bush, he speaks what he sees and thinks out loud without shame. Because of that, Law was two seconds away from melting into the deck, crumbling from the intense emotions swelling in his chest.
“Well, you look better than before,” Luffy said, removing his hand.
Look better how?
“Or is it because I’m here now,” Luffy grinned cheekily.
The teasing made Law snap out of his trance. Snatching his white hat back, Law narrowed his eyes at the younger captain in annoyance.
“Don’t be so full of yourself,” Law retorted, ignoring that Luffy’s words were partly true. He was only feeling better because of Luffy, even now as they watched the sea together, just the two of them.
God, Law needed to get away from this man. He despised how easily Luffy managed to force himself to sober up so fast with such a simple action.
“But you have to let me know Torao, when something bothers you like that again. I don’t want a repeat of what happened back in Dressrosa,” Luffy said, his tone hard and stern.
It was incredibly unfair how Luffy seemed to read his emotions like an open book.
The younger captain clearly had some concern for his well being. Luffy watched the moment when Law nearly gave up. He saw the surgeon cry out in frustration before saving his life from Doflamingo’s wrath.
It wasn’t as if Law hadn’t seen the same from Luffy; two years ago on his ship and Amazon Lily. But Luffy made it appear so easy, to just move on from the past, and push forward to his goals.
It probably wasn’t easy and Law hated thinking about it, feelings of sympathy boiling up. But also ones that filled his chest with heavy concern and worry for Luffy.
It was a nuisance.
“I don’t need you looking after me,” Law said just as stern as Luffy was. “Focus on yourself. On your crew.”
The words kept spilling, even though Law wanted to stop them.
“I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this is an alliance,” Law said. “We’re not going to be friends after all this is over.”
I’ll have to shove down the part of me that longs for more than that.
“Yeah, I know.”
Before Law could respond or think about what Luffy said, a loud cheer roared from the main deck of the ship. The party obviously going stronger than ever despite the many wounds acquired.
“I’m going to turn in,” Law said, leaving the younger captain without another word. His steps still felt off, with the feeling in his jaw starting to come back a bit.
“Oh, goodnight Torao!”
Law only waved back. The older captain searched for a spot on the ship to rest for the night, trying to ignore the last few words Luffy had spoken to him.
Needless to say, Law avoided Luffy the rest of the time the ship sailed to Zou.
There wasn’t much of a reason for them to talk, the journey hadn’t taken long at all. Although, to Law it felt like an eternity being stuck on such a small ship, so close to Luffy.
“Yeah, I know.”
Every detail of that moment stayed permanently stuck in Law’s head. The way Luffy’s lips moved without hesitation. Luffy’s eyes looking down on him. The feeling of Law’s stomach dropping stayed with him long after, the weight of dread sunk his spirit every moment of his day.
It was much more difficult to ignore Luffy’s presence on the way up Zunesha. He let his mind be occupied with thoughts about his crew and getting to see them again.
Leaving behind hadn’t been easy. The guilt of knowingly leaving them behind on Zou, leaving on a treacherous mission Law was sure he wouldn’t come back alive from, crushed his chest. But seeing their happy faces, hearing his crew cheers almost swept all the guilt away.
The Straw Hats and the Hearts Pirates split off momentarily with the Minks, catching up with one another and new developing situations.
But Law was glad to be home.
Although his crew did nearly interrogate him on everything that transpired on Dressrosa and Punk Hazard.
“They didn’t kidnap you, right?” Shaichi asked.
“Yeah, I definitely got kidnapped by them on Punk Hazard,” Law said, taking another sip from the water he was given. The Heart Pirates were strewn about in one of the cushiony rooms provided. Law allowed himself to lay his back on Bepo, missing the comforting feeling.
“Did you really have no choice, Captain?” Ikkaku questioned.
It was no secret Ikkaku and some of the members didn’t approve of the new alliance, despite the success that it's brought so far. Law didn’t blame her or anyone else for the suspicion, any other pirate alliance and Law would be on his toes at all times. He would be fully prepared to have an escape plan for himself and his crew.
The Straw Hats were not any other crew. Law hated that, because he couldn’t even blame his hindering crush on Luffy as the only reason he had to trust them. Each member was reliable and undeniably genuine in their actions to help at Dressrosa. It was why he was able to remain so relaxed at the moment.
However, regardless of his immense trust, Law’s crew would always come first.
“It’s not that I had no choice, Ikkaku,” Law said. “The Straw Hats inspired me to make a plan, and now I must follow through with it.”
And I can’t leave him behind now. Not after all he’s done for me.
“Man, I’m just surprised he could stand being on Straw Hat’s ship for so long,” Penguin laughed. “He called Captain ‘Torao!’”
Some of them let out a loud laugh while Law’s face grimaced. Ikkaku asked with her hand over her mouth, “Really?”
“He knew his name was ‘Law’ too!” Shaichi chimed in. “He calls him that anyways!”
“What’s wrong with that?”
The question slipped before Law could shut his mouth; he nearly froze in place.
His crew paused, curiously looking at him for a moment.
Keeping his expression as neutral as possible, Law continued, “He doesn’t care when I call him ‘Mugiwara-ya.’ He gives other pirates dumb nicknames as well.”
The crew continued to stare at him, unsure of what to say. Law could feel his neck beginning to heat up, but ignored it. He needed to remain calm and not draw any more suspicion, even if he was failing horribly.
“Yeah, but Torao is kinda…” Penguin started.
“Cute.”
Bepo’s sleepy voice from behind Law surprised everyone.
The crew broke out into hysterics, with some trying to reassure Law that wasn’t the case at all and others unable to hold in their laughter. Law only sat there, struggling to keep his slightly annoyed expression and rid of his blush.
He hadn’t thought of the nickname like that before at all.
But hours later, when Luffy would come in to call for Law by his nickname, his cheeks couldn’t help but begin to burn. This crush was getting ridiculous, utterly, undisputedly ridiculous. And his crew hadn’t made it any better.
It was only a matter of time before they all would figure it out.
No matter how much he tried on Zou, Law could not empty his thoughts of Luffy or his crew possibly finding out about his new feelings. Not even the looming danger of Kaido’s wrath wasn’t enough to distract him from Luffy’s grin.
It sickened Law.
Finding out that the crews were to split off soon should have comforted Law. It should have given Law the space he needed.
Instead it ached Law’s exhausted heart.
Keeping quiet, Law heard all of the conversations of Luffy going with half of his crew to rescue Sanji from Whole Cake Island. Luffy would soon be completely out of reach for a good couple of weeks at least. He would be stuck in Wano for that time, with little to do thanks to Dressrosa’s events catching Kaido’s attention.
Something in the back of Law’s mind told him that he would not be enjoying or relaxing during his time at Wano. The surgeon would constantly be worrying over someone he knew would be (mostly) fine. Someone that was not his in the first place.
The twisted knot in his stomach, the way his skin flushed red, and throat tightened at the mere thought of Luffy would not go away. It was as if all those years where he had no interest in romance had built up to collapse on him all at once.
And it had to happen in the middle of an alliance.
There was a small party occurring the last night before the groups would split off in the morning. The Minks provided shelter, food, and beverages for the resting pirates. Law watched from the sidelines, his crew becoming loud and, not-so-surprisingly, getting friendlier with the Straw Hat group.
Law tried his best to ignore the curious glances from his crew when Luffy would drag Law further into the party. He’d pray they would say nothing, allowing Law to silently sit in the whirlpool of emotions that flooded his body.
The same emotions that he could barely stand.
Loud cheers and talking were muffled as he thought to himself.
The only way he could think of to get rid of the feelings quicker was to confess them.
He would hear the rejection. Law’s heart would be wounded again, sure, but that had been his own fault. Law was at least lucky that his crush was someone like Luffy, barely judgemental towards things he didn’t care about.
Luffy had made it clear they wouldn’t be friends after the alliance, so Law didn’t have an ounce of hope for a positive answer. It would be easier and more convenient if Law could get over his silly crush before something serious happens in Wano.
These feelings will be gone by the time Mugiwara-ya gets back.
Law did his best to remind himself of this while the rest of the crew members around him kept drinking. He was tempted to take one for himself.
The moment the energy began to die down, with most of the pirates, minks, and the samurai dozing off in their sleeping areas, Law took his chance. He scanned the area, walking around to find a spot to be completely alone and out of anyone’s ear shot.
The spot was closer to one of the rivers flowing through Zou with long hanging vines and thick trees for a good cover. He doubted anyone would be able to hear anything from that distance. The hand that held his sword was beginning to get sweaty the longer he stood. He stared, almost frustratingly at a piece of wood in front of him.
He reminded himself that he was only stalling the inevitable.
The surgeon reached out his hand in front of him, taking a breath in, before activating his room. The rush of awareness of his surroundings hit him at once, but he still had to search to find one specific, energetic person.
In a split second the piece of wood in front of Law was replaced with Luffy.
“Huh? Torao, what’s up?” Luffy asked, still shoving the pieces of meat in his hands into his mouth. The other captain didn’t appear concerned at all for Law shambling him to a random part of the wood.
For a moment, Law was tempted to change his mind and make up an excuse. Definitely not because he had not prepared anything to say to Luffy. Or because of his body becoming uncomfortably hot. Or because Luffy was still staring him down, waiting for an answer under the bright moonlight.
The silence between them was deafening.
Which made Law’s thoughts appear much louder to himself.
Don’t be a coward. You did this to yourself. Now fix it before it causes problems.
“I needed to speak with you in private, Mugiwara-ya,” Law said, shifting his sword on his shoulder. He wanted desperately to put it down or away, but he was too tense to do something as casual as that.
“Ah, yeah,” Luffy said, throwing away the piece of leftover bone over his shoulder. “It’s kinda stuffy at the moment, too many people.”
Law couldn’t have agreed more.
“Something is bothering you again, right?” Luffy asked, bluntly. Law could see the concern forming on Luffy’s face, which did something funny to his stomach. It didn’t help when Luffy stepped closer to him.
The conversation the two had back on Barto’s ship came back to mind.
Oh great.
“Ah, I knew it,” Luffy said. “You’ve been so quiet even with so much happening.”
“No, that isn’t the case, Mugiwara-ya,” Law said.
Squinting, Luffy made a noise that sounded unconvinced. The younger captain truly was suffocating, clouding Law’s thoughts. The longer any silence between them went on, the more Law’s anxiousness rose.
“I needed to tell you something before you leave,” Law said.
“Oh yeah,” Luffy said, putting one hand on the top of his hat. “We won't see each other for a while…” The last few words were quieter than Law had expected.
“It’s the most logical choice,” Law said.
Law struggled to keep eye contact with Luffy.
“But there’s something you must know, Mugiwara-ya.”
No, it’s not that he needs to know, it’s that I can’t let go.
But he couldn’t allow his thoughts to overtake himself. The soft flow of the river next to them helped Law to focus.
“I am only saying this because it could cause some… issues.” Law said. “I would hate to see us fail now.”
“Why do you think we could fail?” Luffy asked, his eyebrows furrowed. “We haven’t even gotten to Wano! You need to not always think the worst, Torao.”
“It’s not the worst, it’s a possibility,” Law said. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears, the valves in his heart pumping faster and faster.
“Ah, why bother—”
“Mugiwara-ya,” Law said, sharply.
The surgeon could delay this no longer. He wasn’t going to settle for the small talk or playful arguments.
“Mugiwara-ya when I proposed this alliance, I meant for it to be strictly professional. Work together towards our common goal and nothing more.”
Law watched Luffy’s head tilt to the side in slight confusion but said nothing, listening intently to every word.
“But… I failed.”
The words he spoke had a small crack to them, which surprised even Law. He hadn’t expected the shame to hit him so strongly. Law cleared his throat before he continued, to make sure the next words would be heard clear as day.
“Mugiwara-ya, I fell for you.”
Luffy’s wide, unreadable eyes stared back at him, slowly tilting his head back to be straight.
“Okay? And?” Luffy asked.
His heart sank at Luffy’s lack of reaction.
“I don’t want this to cause any problems. I merely wanted to get these feelings for you off my chest, before you leave.” Law tried to speak matter of factly, but Luffy’s face made it increasingly difficult. His tense shoulders were starting to loosen the more he spoke. “I’ll manage to get over these feelings soon—”
“Huh?!” Luffy exclaimed, startling Law when he reached up and grabbed Law’s arms.
“What do you mean ‘get over it?!’” Luffy asked, almost angrily.
Unsure of what to say, Law weakly tried to push off Luffy’s hands. “Because it’s a distraction and the alliance will end—”
“Who cares about that? We’ll still be dating after that,” Luffy said.
The words stopped Law’s thought process entirely.
His mind went blank, not properly registering the words.
“Huh?” Law asked, softly.
“Yeah, the alliance isn’t gonna just end us .”
Luffy was far too close to him now. Law could hear his rapid heartbeat and was afraid Luffy could as well.
But it only took a few more seconds for Law to snap out of his shock.
“Wait, dating. Dating?! When did that happen?” Law asked, almost shaking Luffy.
“Well, I dunno,” Luffy said, casually. “I just figured we were dating during Dressrosa, ya know.”
“Why would you assume that?!” Law asked, taking himself out of Luffy’s grip. “We never talked about that!”
“You like me. I like you. It works out,” Luffy said, shrugging.
He knew. He knew from the second I liked him. How?!
Sputtering, Law struggled to get out a coherent sentence, “N-No! You need to ask! Or someone asks… Communicate!”
“But you said you’d die fighting with me,” Luffy asked, with some skepticism.
The moment of Law declaring that to Cavendish and Robin came back to mind.
“That was… in the heat of the moment.”
“Sure, but Torao, I’m not just gonna carry around anyone on my shoulder for that long,” Luffy said. “I could have given you off to Zoro or something.”
Feeling his cheeks burn, Law couldn’t believe that had been the true reason Luffy was so protective at Dressrosa. The thoughts running through Law’s head were starting to make his head spin.
“And! I came to you on Barto’s ship to make sure you were doing alright,” Luffy said, then started to smile. “How did you not realize by then? You’re so dense, Torao.” Law put a hand over his face in embarrassment while Luffy laughed at him, almost holding his stomach.
Gritting his teeth, Law’s frustration started to boil over.
How could Luffy be so cruel? Laughing when Law had been suffering with these emotions by himself for so long?
And here Luffy was, looking at it all like it was so simple. It killed Law to admit that Luffy wasn’t entirely wrong. There truly was a simple solution. Yet, Law’s pride, his heart, couldn’t accept it so easily.
Luffy with his perfect smile and intoxicating laughter only worsened Law’s embarrassment. The surgeon was too caught up in the view. Luffy was so close and even the pale moonlight brightened the younger captain’s face perfectly, making him appear more alluring.
Law’s frown deepened for a second. Luffy’s laughter began to subside.
“Wow,” Luffy said, still chuckling. “I thought you were supposed to—”
Unable to stand the frustration, Law stepped forward, leaning down to press his lips against Luffy’s.
Finally there was silence and Law could focus on the warmth spreading across his face, holding Luffy’s cheek gently to hold the small kiss.
Pulling himself away just as quick, Law’s breathing was louder than it should have been for such a short kiss. Law had also moved his hand away from Luffy’s face, who’s eyes were wide with shock, his lips slightly parted.
Such a quick action had left both of them speechless.
All the giddiness Law could have felt from the kiss disappeared when his mind began to muddle into a panicked mess.
How could he have been so impulsive? So selfish? He didn’t have the courage to even ask for the kiss and instead took it the moment he had the opportunity.
Not at all taking into account how it could affect them. Even their crews and the alliance could be disrupted all thanks to Law’s selfishness.
Every cell in Law’s body was screaming at him to run and leave before Luffy could react. But Law couldn’t do anything more than take a few small steps back. The worry was overwhelming any rational thoughts.
Putting his head down in shame, pulling the brim of his hat further, Law said, “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
Turning away from Luffy, the surgeon tried his best to calm his breathing. He couldn’t control his heart rate at this rate, shakily stretching his hand in front of him to activate his Room. He needed to get away—
A hand grabbed his wrist, yanking him down, close enough for Luffy to place his other hand on the back of Law’s neck.
All of Law’s millions of racing thoughts had vanished.
This kiss was deeper, more intimate and confident. The lips pressing against his filled Law with warmth, setting his whole body aflame. Luffy’s hand resting gently on his cheek moved up to entwine his fingers in Law’s dark hair.
Law found himself leaning down further into Luffy, melting at his very touch. The softness loosened the tight tension in Law’s shoulder, relaxing himself into Luffy’s addicting warmth. It was like his body couldn’t bear a second apart from Luffy's comfort, wishing for the moment to never end.
He was overwhelmed, but in the most amazing way possible.
Pulling away, Luffy grinned like crazy at Law, keeping his hand in Law’s hair.
“You think too much, Torao.”
Law hated to agree, because it had been so nice to not think for once. To allow his heart and body to just feel . All the walls around Law’s heart had been useless, because Luffy was able to knock them all down without even trying.
“You think so much you forget that we’re pirates!” Luffy said, clasping both sides of Law’s face. “We can do whatever we like whenever we like.’”
Although Law was already thinking of some counters to that argument, he found himself tossing them all away. His wounded heart couldn’t let go, not now, not when he had another person that loved him back.
Placing his free hand on top of Luffy’s, Law said, “Surely we could have picked a different time to get together. Not when an emperor is after our heads.”
“Eh, there’ll always be someone after our heads,” Luffy said with a laugh. The younger pirate then beamed at Law as he said, “And I don’t want to waste another second not being with you or you being without me.”
The thought of Luffy being proud to have Law and vice versa made his face start to flush again.
“I… I have to agree,” Law said, holding Luffy’s hand a bit tighter.
Law decided right there under the moonlight and Luffy’s gaze that he wasn’t going to let loss rule his life. He was going to enjoy every second he could get with Luffy, no matter how short lived it may be. No matter if they happened to not make it through their next battle.
“See, and that’s why we’ve been dating since Dressrosa,” Luffy said, completely proud of himself as though he had won the argument.
“That does not count,” Law said, exasperated.
“Yeah, it definitely does,” Luffy said, playfully sticking out his tongue.
Sighing and pulling away from Luffy, Law asked, “Have you ever dated before?”
“Have you?”
The silence was louder than Law would have liked.
“Well, we can figure it out together!” Luffy said.
“Right, like when you’re at Whole Cake and I’m in Wano?” Law questioned.
Thinking to himself for a moment, Luffy answered with, “We can do it after that. Like at Wano!”
“You want a date at Wano?” Law asked and he could not believe he was asking it. Not only was it absolutely insane of Luffy to offer up the idea of going on a date in enemy territory, but how casual he was about it.
“Yeah, it’ll be the best one,” Luffy said like it was so simple. “Especially because I’ll get to see you again.”
Law hated the way his face began to turn red at those words.
“That’s if you don’t get yourself killed over there,” Law nearly scolded. “You’re not there to fight an emperor yet, remember?”
“Of course,” Luffy said blankly. “I can’t miss our date.”
Sighing, Law put his hand over his mouth to try to be more sublet about his embarrassment. The words were still too good to be true in Law’s heart.
All while, Luffy grinned and began to lead them back to the sight where the others were sleeping. His hand held Law’s wrist as they walked, careful not to touch his hand directly, but gently tugging on the surgeon’s wrist.
“Come on, Torao. You can’t get to Wano on no sleep!” Luffy said, dragging him along through the forest’s flora and rich greenery.
As much as Law didn’t want tomorrow to come, as much as he wanted to bask in the moonlight with Luffy, he knew it could not last. But another day would come.
Another day where they could be by each other’s side.
The next morning, Law had to be carried by Bepo for a full minute in order for him to wake up. The crew was used to Law’s inability to sleep and therefore, his extreme exhaustion during some mornings. But they all hadn’t known the true reason for Law’s lack of sleep.
The preparations were already underway by the time Law and his crew left from the shelters. The Straw Hats were close to splitting off with some of the minks they had met. The rest of the crew was meant to travel with Law, his crew, and the samurai.
The surgeon stayed off to the side as the other talked. He tried to keep his eyes off Luffy as much as possible but he swore every time their eyes would meet, Luffy would grin wider. Those small moments both helped and worsened Law’s thoughts about Luffy leaving soon.
It certainly did not help when Law could still feel the tingle on his lips from when Luffy kissed him back.
“Captain, you alright there?” Shachi asked, waving to get his attention.
Law was hoping they would all be distracted by the Whole Cake Island group leaving in a few moments. Almost everyone was by the edge, waiting for Luffy to finish wrapping things up with his crew.
“I’m fine, Shachi,” Law waved off.
“Yeah, but you’re kinda red,” Penguin said. “No way, did you get sick right now?”
“Oh here we go,” Ikkaku muttered to herself.
“I am not sick,” Law whispered harshly, trying to not gain the attention of the minks or pirates around them.
“It’s okay to admit it, Captain.” Bepo said, gently.
“Yeah, put your pride down for five seco—”
“Oh! Torao wait!”
The crew and Law turned back to where the Whole Cake Island group was, with Luffy dropping his backpack full of food to sprint over to them.
Law could see what was coming but did nothing to stop it.
The rubber man stretched up once he was close enough, putting both hands on Law’s face to tilt upwards. The kiss was slightly rougher, more eager this time. Their moment was now on full display for everyone. Law’s hand that held Kikuko shook a tiny bit from the shock.
Luffy stretched back down, smiling bigger than ever.
“I’m coming back for that date Torao! Just you wait!” Luffy said, happily. He ran back to his crew while the Heart Pirate crew stood in complete shock.
“Ugh, finally,” Nami began to say. “Alright you losers, pay up before—”
She stopped talking when she realized Luffy had started to wrap his arms around the group and their supplies. Nami and Chopper began to yell in a full panic, moments before Luffy jumped off the ledge with everyone in his arms. Their screams of terror soon faded with them.
The Heart Pirates turned from the ledge, to the remaining half of Straw Hat crew, to Law.
The surgeon, however, was not looking at them.
There was a fond, soft smile on Law’s face, directed towards where Luffy once stood.
Because his patched up heart knew they would soon meet again.