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“Strawhat-ya, don’t pull your bandages!” Law scolded his ally, watching as Luffy tugged on the edges of the no longer neatly-wrapped fabric. Really, Luffy was the worst patient.
“But Torao, it’s itchy!”
This was the man who wanted to be King of the Pirates. Defeated by his own doctor’s bandages. It was strangely cute, aside from the fact that it was Law who would have to deal with the situation.
“Are you telling me you can defeat Kaido but you can’t cope with itchy bandages?”
“It’s not the same!”
Luffy pouted at him, and Law’s heart fluttered in his chest.
Why did the other captain have to look at him like that?
“Alright, alright,” he said, giving in. Unfortunately, it seemed he couldn’t free himself of responsibility when it came to Luffy. “I’ll see what I can do. But you can’t take the bandages off yet, Strawhat-ya. It’s only been one day since you woke up.”
“If I eat more meat, then I’ll be fine!” said Luffy. “A day is already really long! I’m bored!”
“Are you going to make me wake up Tony-ya?” asked Law. “He finally got to sleep after all the hours he spent looking after you, Zoro-ya and the samurai. But if you won’t take my medical advice, I’ll have to wake him up after all.”
“...Fine, if Torao says so I guess I’ll keep them on, since he’s a doctor,” said Luffy, still pouting. “But you better make them not itchy!”
Alright, Law couldn’t take much more of that. It was doing strange things to his heart.
“Come here, then, Strawhat-ya,” he said. “I can do something about it, but I’ll have to examine you first and see what’s causing it.”
Luffy finally stopped pouting, and sat down on the bed next to Law, offering his hands. It hit Law for a moment that these were the same strong hands that had defeated Kaido, and the same hands that had carried Law across Dressrosa. The same hands that Law thought about every night, and that he secretly wished would touch him in other, more gentle ways.
He couldn’t get too carried away. Luffy was clingy with everyone.
He thought back distantly to that first time he’d treated Luffy right after Marineford. Back then, Luffy had needed even more bandages just to keep him stable. It had taken Law all of his effort and skill to keep the younger captain from reopening his wounds and turning one tragic loss into two, and Luffy’s emotional pain had threatened to undo all his hard work. But Law had done it anyway, putting his hands in Luffy’s chest and stitching him back together piece by piece, all for this strange and magnetic captain who he’d barely known.
Despite all the messes Luffy had dragged him through, he couldn’t bring himself to regret his whim from back then.
After all, Luffy had helped accomplish his life’s goal, and had freed Dressrosa while saving him from the depths of himself. Thanks to him, Law was free.
This time too, they’d won. And for all the inconvenience, for all Law had never originally planned to be here? To have just a moment to hold Luffy’s hands like this, to touch that radiant sunlight once more? It was all worth it.
If Law was itching at all too, it was only thanks to his own wounds and nothing more.
“Torao?” said Luffy, looking at Law curiously. “You’re thinking again.”
“Ah, it’s nothing,” said Law, shaking off his reverie. “I’ll take your bandages off and redo them. Let me know if something hurts.”
Gently, he unwrapped the bandages, starting at the hands and slowly revealing the other captain’s bare torso, examining him carefully, letting himself feel the warmth of Luffy’s rubber skin under his palms.
Hmm, not too bad. Luffy’s wounds were all healing nicely. Tony-ya wouldn’t have any reason to complain.
Luffy was way too compliant for someone letting a rival pirate captain touch him directly, though. He just sat there, looking at Law with a strangely fond look on his face. Well, Law supposed he was hardly any better himself.
He wanted, so badly, what he could never have.
“Alright, there doesn’t seem to be any problem with your wounds, so I’ll put some anti-itching cream on for you and redo the bandages,” he said. “But, Strawhat-ya, you do know we’ll be enemies in a few days, right?”
They were both after the One Piece, after all.
“Silly Torao,” said Luffy, reaching out and flicking Law’s forehead. “Even if we’re enemies, we’re still friends!”
“We’re not! That’s not how it works!” said Law, blushing and letting go of Luffy in a hurry. “Room! Shambles!”
He couldn’t let himself have friends outside of his crew. That wasn’t how things worked for him. It was better if he accepted that now.
He needed to stop thinking about how the other captain would be gone in a few days.
He teleported his preferred anti-itching cream into his hand and slapped a dollop of it right onto Luffy’s chest. That would surely serve him right for teasing him. He spread it out roughly, not wanting to be gentle any more.
“Hey, that’s cold!” said Luffy. Why did he even look cute like this?
“But it’s not itchy any more, right?” said Law, smirking. “That’s what you asked me for, Strawhat-ya.”
“Ok, ok,” said Luffy. “Torao is mean…” He stuck his tongue out childishly.
“And don’t forget it,” said Law. He shambled himself a new roll of bandages and began wrapping Luffy back up. Those muscles of Luffy’s really were something, he thought. It was going to be harder than Law thought to sail away.
“Don’t take these off this time,” he said. “Not until Tony-ya or I say it’s ok.”
“Mhmm,” said Luffy, not really listening. “You’re a good guy, Torao!”
Law blushed and pulled the bandages a bit too tight.
“No I’m not!”
“Are too!” said Luffy.
He wasn’t a good person. No one had thought he was a good person since Flevance fell.
But Luffy made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Even if he wouldn’t see him again…
For Luffy, even if they'd be rivals...
Perhaps he could try.
One day, they’d meet again.