Chapter Text
Luffy—and Zoro too of course—came back three months later. Law was done with a long two weeks of seeing patients from a neighbouring town, a group of bandits who had their asses handed to them by marines patrolled there. It was instances like this that made Law glad he contacted Sengoku to build a government base some distance away, as a sign of friendly alliance.
In exchange, Sengoku lived quietly with heavily discounted amenities for himself and the Marines under him. It was a good arrangement. The old man was the only one Law knew who remembered Cora-san in a fond, wholesome way. He was a nice man, if not quite brash and eccentric. He understood why Cora-san liked him. While Cora-san looked serious from the outside, he was in every way just as insane, goofy and ultimately kind-hearted.
Law thought that Cora-san, Sengoku and Luffy would get along reasonably well.
When Law saw those two buffoons trying to break in, he noticed that for once, it was not snowing. In fact, some snow was melting slightly. He also noticed that they were giving lock-picking a more sincere try with some flimsy twigs rather than brute strength. The improvement in basic courtesy was flattering.
It was like Law deserved to have his nice house in-tact. Law felt warm inside. He felt silly for having a crush at this age.
“Don’t cut the door, Zoro,” Luffy said with uncharacteristic seriousness as if he did not do more damage with his own brute strength alone the last time. “Traffy got really mad the last time we did that and I don’t want him to kick me out.”
“Am I surprised?” Zoro laughed. Penguin said Zoro was an agreeable housemate who had a similar taste in alcohol. “You pissed him off big time then. What did you do? You never told me.”
Luffy got defensive. “I didn’t mean to, seriously! He was so sad, so I just… I thought I could cheer him up even a little bit!” Luffy jammed the twig into the lock so hard that it snapped in two. “But we’re cool now. Anyway, how did Nami do this?”
“Just break in first! It’s okay!”
“It’s not!” Luffy persisted. He huffed. “Where’s Traffy, anyway? I bet he’s hiding in there. Let’s get him out, he looks like he hasn’t seen the sun in years!”
Y… You know I’m right here, right? Law thought. He smiled unwillingly. What fools they both were. He noticed a small pile of twigs in front of the door. They really were trying their best and Law felt more affection for them than ever before. He gathered as many of them for firewood as possible without making a scene.
“This is boring!” Luffy said suddenly. Indeed, just before Law could make his presence known to let them in like a decent host, Luffy found a pebble and threw it at the window.
I-
Law should have known they would never change.
Room .
Law dumped them in his house, swapping them out with some empty prescription bottles. He stood outside, feeling very annoyed, though relieved for some reason hearring them wander around and ask stupid questions like, “Why was it so quiet?” and “Where was Traffy?”. They were not even afraid. They were simply happy to be indoors. Law found himself laughing with a warmth he had not felt in a very long time.
“Boo! I got you, old man!” Luffy would say before sounding disappointed, “Oh… You’re not here. Maybe… Here! Huzzah!” Luffy was just that f*cking loud.
“Weird, I sense he’s here but I can’t find him, you know?”
Zoro hummed in agreement. “Sneaky bastard’s always trying to kill us.”
“You’re not wrong,” Law allowed himself to say as he walked inside.
They did not hear him, naturally. He observed Zoro wandering around aimlessly without a care in the world. Law found it rather adorable that Zoro still got lost in his small house. Law took care to avoid Zoro as much as possible. He seemed like he would rather have his personal space than talk to anyone. ,
Unlike the drifting Zoro, there was the decisive Luffy who knew where he was and why he was there. Law supposed he should be surprised to find Luffy in his room but he was not. He just stood by the doorway quietly.
Luffy carefully looked through the coats on his cloth rack. He seemed to be looking for something and stopped once he found it. At Cora-san’s black coat, he was mildly curious, pulling at the sleeves, even smelling it and being unimpressed with how normal it was. He still tried to adjust it neatly, though, as respectfully as possible. It fell on the floor.
This respect concluded when he saw Eustass’s coat next to it. He picked at those obnoxious gold shoulder pads Eustass loved so much, frowning with great disapproval, claiming it was showy and like he was compensating for something. Law could say from experience that Eustass had nothing to compensate for. It was just his fashion sense.
Luffy and Eustass would not get along, Law realised. They were both loud, violent and arrogant men who loved showing off. They enjoyed one-upping Law but they would violently fight to the death just to open the door for him. At least, that was what Eustass would do. Sure, they had their soft sides, but…
Luffy poked his tongue at it.
Law covered his mouth and laughed.
Bepo was right, he did attract strange people. More worryingly though, Law was fond of said strange people, finding them quite cute.
“Room,” Law said quietly and with enough effort, he had Luffy’s right ear again.
It was quite pretty, with a lot of grooves and deep ridges. It had been pierced once, but the piercing was quickly closing up. Law fiddled with it, mildly curious. Luffy giggled, finding the gesture ticklish. Then, he took both his feet, which made Luffy fall over unceremoniously.
“Hoi, Strawhat Luffy,” Law said blandly. Law shifted the straw hat so it would sit on Luffy’s head. “You got some nerve breaking in again .”
“W-what? No I didn’t! Someone just dumped us here…” Luffy trailed off when he saw Law regarding him. His smile quickly grew as he stretched his arms from where he was—still missing an ear and foot—and slingshotted himself towards Law and hugged Law tightly, sniffing Law like a dog.
At least Luffy did not reek of sweat. There was some faintly nice smell. It was probably fabric freshener from his new shirt. It felt nice too. Luffy smiled against his neck and asked how he was doing.
He smelt of the sea, salty and free. Law liked to think the place was rubbing off on him too since there was some dirt and wood splinters on his arms. Law tried to pick at them, but Luffy laughed at his attempts, finding Traffy’s cold fingers ticklish. He gave Luffy his feet and ear back and doubted Luffy even noticed that. Luffy was so cute.
“Welcome back,” Law said sarcastically.
“Hmph,” Luffy said. Law laughed. At that, Luffy sighed and relaxed. “I’m hungry, let’s get something to eat. Zoro, Traffy’s here—let’s go!”
“Go?” Zoro said from the other side of the house. He appeared at the door and waved. “Go where?”
“Yeah! Go where?” Luffy added warmly.
Law tried to give the question some legitimate thought. He remembered something.
“I usually don’t go to this but…” Luffy immediately looked intrigued. He seemed to learn that if Law did not want to do something, it meant that the activity should be quite fun. “There’s an anniversary for when Swallow Island was established as an actual community. There’s free-flow alcohol, fish cakes and sh*t music, if you’re interested.”
“That’s fun, Traffy. Why don’t you go?”
Zoro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He could not say no to free alcohol.
“Not my thing, really.” Law chuckled when Luffy pouted. “I’ll drop you both off and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
Law decisively looked away when Luffy pouted. He could not resist puppy eyes, even if they were from an overgrown, muscular man in his forties. Law sighed as he dropped his shoulders.
“ Fine ! I’ll stay for thirty minutes to ask my crew for updates and I’m going home.”
Luffy did not need to look this happy. It was not fair.
-
It was forty minutes and he was still here. Law drank some alcohol. He needed it. He had forgotten how much his crew loved parties, where they could eat to their heart’s content, preferably without needing to run away from any authority figure. While Law would much rather not get personally involved, he at least appreciated the sight of merrymaking from a distance. It made him happy by proxy.
“Captain!” Shachi exclaimed as the music played behind him. The bastard’s face was as red as his hair. He gave Law a fishcake and patted him on the back as he tried to sit next to him, only to fall flat on his ass unceremoniously. Luffy took the stool that was supposed to be there. Luffy stifled a snicker.
“I saved a stick for you, Bepo ate it all!”
“Joy,” Law remarked dryly, immediately giving the fishcake to Luffy who stared at it hungrily. Luffy thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.
“By the way, you’re staying longer than usual. Is everything okay?”
Law looked up at Shachi lazily. He glanced at Luffy who finished up Law’s fishcake. Shachi laughed and immediately understood that Law was socially obliged to be here.
By some miracle, Penguin dropped by their table with more food and Luffy stared at it hungrily. Drunkenly stumbling away, Shachi promised to return with both more fish cakes and some alcohol, a prospect Luffy found very agreeable. Luffy stuffed his face once they left.
“Thessh arph sho gwood!”
Law felt indulgent enough to pat Luffy’s hair, especially since he crouched over to make his large frame fit better on the small table. Luffy’s eyes up close had so much warmth in them. Law missed them more than he thought. He withdrew his hand to scoot further away to give him more space.
“You’ll have to wait for a little while if you want more. They didn’t expect to feed more people.”
Luffy laughed. A great, hefty and sincere one.
“You should eat, old guy!” Luffy shamelessly felt up his arm. “You’re so skinny. You should be big and fluffy like your bear.”
Law laughed.
“Pretty,” Luffy said.
“Be careful, the women here are stronger than they look,” he said. He rubbed his left jaw by instinct. The woman in charge of the island punched the f*ck out of every member of his crew except Ikkaku and Bepo when they first landed. Luffy did not react. He merely stared at Law blankly, his eyes following every one of Law’s movements. He seemed bored.
“That’s nice, Traffy. I’m probably stronger though,” Luffy said nonchalantly.
Law smiled at that, indulging in a light chuckle. That was true.
Luffy thanked Shachi for the extra food and shoved three fish cakes in his mouth. Law leaned back against the wall while folding his arms. It was nice to close his eyes and hear everyone having fun. They clinked glasses, said stupid cheers and did nonsensical pranks on each other. Push came to shove, and now Zoro was in a wrestling match with Bepo, a bear twice his size. Zoro won easily.
Law laughed at Bepo calling for him to help. He turned to Luffy who had been looking at him for a while now. He looked like he wanted something.
“By the way, why do you call me Traffy?”
Luffy was caught off-guard by the sudden question. He blinked several times.
“It’s your name, isn’t it?”
“It’s Trafalgar.”
“Huh?” Luffy did not care about the details. He took another swing of beer and raised his glass when he saw someone do it in his direction. “Trafal… Whatever. Traffy’s easier to say.”
That was the most absurd thing he had ever heard. It was blunt without meaning offence, just like Luffy. Law could not help but smile
“I honestly thought you called me that because it rhymes with your name.”
“It does, but I didn’t mean it like that,” Luffy said. He laughed. Now that was a great, handsome laugh worth waiting for. “A cute name for a cute face, am I right?”
Law chuckled at first, but then it became a mini laughing fit. Perhaps he was under the influence and not thinking straight but what the f*ck was that supposed to mean? Was Luffy of all people flirting with him? The thought was absurd. He glanced over at Luffy. His smile was hot like the sun. Law almost fanned himself.
“Don’t hold out on me, Traffy,” Luffy said with a soft look in his eye. He seemed to be blushing a little bit.
Law frowned sceptically. “On what?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Luffy seemed embarrassed. He leaned in thoughtfully and grinned curiously. Luffy was not drunk yet. He asked frankly, “Have you been with anyone, since the coat-guy you wanted to marry.”
“No,” Law said, a bit tipsy. He barked out a sarcastic laugh. “Who’d have me? A traumatised, unethical, sad*stic doctor with horrible bedside manners. I’m swimming in marriage proposals.”
“Man, you’re funny.”
Law found his hesitance strange but did not mention it further. Maybe he got bored of the twenty fish cakes he devoured and could appreciate some rice and watered-down pea soup to cleanse the palette. They luckily still had a little bit of both.
Law said something first, “I wonder though, what it would be like to date around at my age. It might be interesting.”
Luffy had a mysterious smile. He drank some of Law’s alcohol.
“Yeah. You should try sometime…”
Somewhere along the way when Law was drinking or distracted by one of his crew, he felt Luffy’s large hand cover his own. Luffy was warm. He smiled like the sun when Law finally noticed. Bright, warm and friendly. Luffy kissed his hand gently, preciously.
“God damn it, Luffy. Really ?” Law said irritably.
Luffy made a f*cking mess out of his kitchen at three in the morning. The birds had not even started their morning songs, and Jean’s pack of pet wolves were still hibernating and yet Luffy ran around like a wild beast, raiding his fridge and cabinets. He did not look guilty. If anything, he looked irritated with the fact that Law was interrupting him. Law heard his stomach grumble loudly. The f*cking audacity.
If Luffy was irritated, then Law was very irritated. He held a fist in the air and punched Luffy square in the head. Luffy cursed wildly, complaining that it hurt.
“I’m hungry, Traffy!” Luffy tried to defend himself. Again, Law did not understand why Luffy insisted on staying with him when there were more comfortable places with more food easily available and said so. Luffy ignored all of it. “You didn’t give me dinner earlier.”
“I told you to go settle that on your own. I was busy.”
Luffy pouted when Law yawned to his face. “With what, exactly?” He saw that Law was guilty and weaponised it. He waved to Law’s shelf of comic books, which he suddenly found distasteful. “You don’t like me. You like Sora more.”
“I like Sora more than most people, including my own crew! Boundaries, Luffy!”
“But Traffy, I thought I ’m special!” Luffy folded his arms. Law punched him again. Luffy pouted and called Law a mean old man. He did not fight back.
“I gave you money too and- f*cking listen to me!”
“Shut up!” Luffy said in a fit. “You’re too loud!”
Law widened his eyes and felt his jaw drop to the floor. Luffy, this bum, this lazy-ass, this f*cking parasite who sucked his wallet dry-
Luffy kissed Law before Law could say anything more disagreeable. His mouth was hot and aggressive. He kissed wildly like he wanted Law to lose his grip on reality and give in. A heated, dangerous kiss, one that knocked the air out of Law with its zealousness. Dizzy, Law closed his eyes as Luffy held him closer and deepened the kiss. Law let him like a f*cking idiot, let this hunk of a man walk all over him and his heart.
He was everything Cora-san called a ‘bad influence’, everything Eustass called a ‘ticking time bomb’. Luffy was crazy. Luffy was insensitive. Luffy felt good.
Luffy pulled away as quickly as he went for it. He flickered his gaze upwards. He smiled co*ckily when Law ‘shut up’. His eyes had a triumphant twinkle in them.
“Oh. You’re not bad,” Luffy said suddenly, before kissing him again just as fiercely like nothing happened, this time holding his waist to keep Law steady for easy access. He used his tongue now, roughly licking the inside of Law’s mouth. Law nearly gagged. His grip on Luffy’s shoulder tightened and that bastard welcomed it with a low chuckle. His hand wandered down towards Law’s waist, gently tugging Law closer towards his hips.
Law was stunned breathless. He felt some drool gather on his lower lip.
Law caught his breath and said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Luffy laughed, again, his iconic heartwarming laugh that once again warmed his house, that without it, his house would be cold again.
“Nothing, old guy,” Luffy stuck his tongue out to prove a point. He continued, “You’re so grumpy because your house is a mess. You got a bigger bed, so what? It’s still covered with plushies. What are you? A little kid?”
Law was furious. “Leave my friends alone!”
Luffy opened his eyes and closed them. His lip twitched upwards to form a condescending smirk. He laughed, but not unkindly.
“F-friends? Oh my God, you are a little kid!” Luffy said. He did not care that Law glared at him. “And that’s not all. Your heater doesn’t even work. You’re cold, aren’t you? Even now? Besides, your house is a mess. Does every little thing here mean something to you? Quit hoarding so much stuff! And what’s with your clothes? You have so many fun shirts with flowers on them, why do you always wear black?”
Law did not need to have his ‘happiness shirt’ collection insulted like this. Law only realised belatedly that Luffy only knew all that because looked through his things like a f*cking lunatic. He could not win a fight that involved blackmail, so he stood up and heated a pan on the stove. Luffy watched him with great anticipation.
“If I cook the ham in the fridge, would you shut up?”
Luffy clasped his hands delightedly. “Oh! Sure!”
Law found some ham and cut several generous one-inch-thick pieces from it to throw on the pan with some oil and herbs. Admittedly, the ham smelled amazing and even he felt hungry.
Luffy, meanwhile, did keep quiet as promised. He was oddly content while watching Law cook. Law did not understand what it meant for a long time until he remembered something.
Eustass would look at him like that. Despite his insane vulgar nature, Eustass would always be calm the morning after a wild night of sex. They would kiss once, hold hands over breakfast and read whatever they wanted without talking. Moments like that happened often. They reminded Law that Eustass loved him. Law suddenly turned the stove off.
“Don’t look at me like that, Luffy. I’m not your wife.”
Luffy did not say anything. He looked like some spell had been broken, even when Law turned the stove back on and the ham sizzled. He looked offended.
“And another thing—you have a sh*t TV. Why is it only on the news channel? I wanna watch cartoons! It’s serious, Traffy, you need some happiness in your life!”
Law smiled wryly throughout that rant. The King of the Pirates of all people was in his kitchen bitching about Law not having children’s shows on television. Law flipped the ham over with a soft smile. This felt nice. It felt right.
“God damn it, Luffy. You really complain about the weirdest things,” Law said absentmindedly. He put the greasy ham on a plate and slid in front of Luffy who was still pouting. Law sighed when Luffy refused to look at him. Law gave Luffy some water and left him to his own devices after cleaning up the kitchen. Luffy watched him, calling him stupid.
“I’ll go back to sleep, Luffy. Good night.”
Luffy called Law stupid again. He scoffed and looked away. Law heard him say, “You could be, though. That sounds nice.”
There was nothing much for Law to do at the clinic, so he decided to retire early and get some reading done. The winds were not as cold as he expected and he did not need to dress too thickly. There will be a snowstorm soon. He felt nostalgic all of a sudden.
“Oh! Welcome home, Traffy!”
Law smiled. He knew he was falling for Luffy’s smile more and more. Little did he know, Luffy knew this and purposely smiled more than usual. He knew he was charming, to Law especially. He used his smile to get away with far too much sometimes.
Luffy greeted Law from the sofa, from which he was trying and failing horribly to read a book. The sofa itself was too small to accommodate his large size, which meant he lied about uncomfortably. At least he did not complain about that.
One leg hung over the sofa backing, while the other hung off the side. Law swore he could smell his crotch and was indecisive over whether he liked it, or whether he should. Law felt his breath hitch at the lazy smile Luffy had when he took his coat off and shook some snow off his boots. It was like he wanted to seduce Law. His laugh was carefree and handsome.
“Yellow suits you, Traffy.”
Law smiled bitterly. That was what Eustass said too sometimes.
“Sit with me, Traffy. I wanna ask you something.”
Law obliged and sat on the floor next to Luffy. Luffy put the book on his large stomach and smiled at Law. Law’s heart skipped a beat.
“Do you have a vire card?”
Law shook his head. Luffy seemed to already know that. His large black eyes sparkled with joy.
“Does this place have an eternal log pose?”
Law nodded. “I can give you mine, if you want.”
“That works.”
Law took the one off his wrist and helped secure it on Luffy’s. Law noticed his little dopey smile as he tapped the little animal charms like how a child pokes a twig in the bush. He counted them and lost track at the fifth one. Law was surprised that the rumours of Luffy not being able to count beyond ten were true.
“If any one of those charms go missing I’ll castrate you.”
Luffy laughed. “Are they important to Traffy?”
“They’re my crew in animal form,” Law said. Luffy understood and promised to keep track of them. He then turned to Law with an amazed expression. He said in an excited whisper like this was some sleepover in a prison, “ You ’re a pirate, old man?”
Law did not see the need to deny it. “Used to be.”
“Did you go to the New World?”
“Wano, after they became your territory. Stayed in Punk Hazard for a few years before that as my vacation home. Circled back here after Blackbeard beat my ass. We didn’t do all that much, it’s more of a self-discovery thing. I didn’t have much purpose as a pirate and my crew decided to follow me here, for some reason, even till now.”
Unfortunately, Luffy was still interested in hearing more. He inched closer. “Blackbeard’s gone now,” he said. He giggled. His tone implied, ‘So you can be a pirate again!’ Law managed a terse smile at the memory. He ruffled Luffy’s hair indulgently.
“Anyhow, the bear is Bepo, obviously. He’s my navigator. Penguin was my first mate. Shachi was… Shachi. He doesn’t do much, if I have to be honest. He’s a personality hire.” Law turned the thing around to show Luffy a small submarine painted underneath it. Luffy laughed and thought it was quite cute that Law still held onto that same ship until now.
“Well, that’s all. It’s not very exciting.”
“Traffy’s really cool!” Luffy said. He pouted when Law did not agree. “I should introduce you to Kin’emon! He has a lot of old man habits like you! Don’t laugh—I’m serious!”
Law felt rather touched. “You’re really sweet, Luffy. I’m glad you care about me.”
Luffy sat up slightly and turned to his side so he faced Law. He looked at Law seriously, with a sharp glint in his eye. So this was what a great pirate looked like. A captain too no less!
“I’ll take you to Wano, Traffy. I think you’ll like it.”
Law smiled sadly. “I’ll get in the way, Luffy. I refuse.”
Luffy shook his head.
“It’ll be nice to have a doctor, though.”
Law smiled. For a moment, he felt impulsive enough to agree. “Knowing you and Zoro, I’ll have to do everything that doesn’t involve fighting until you recover your crew.”
Luffy shrugged, basically admitting that that would be the case. He smiled and leaned closer, so much that their noses touched. “But even if we do, you should stick around. You and Robin could be best friends, well, second to me, of course. I’m your best friend.”
Technically, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi took that title first but that was not how Law would describe Luffy. To Law, Luffy was more of a… Was crush a good word? Lover? Was that too big of a word?
“You’re bold for saying that.”
Luffy grinned in a joking, playful way.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” Luffy said. And then, more sincerely, “I know I can make Traffy happy.”
Law knew he was being toyed with. Luffy clasped his hands earnestly all of a sudden.
“Hey, old guy. I’m taking off soon.”
“Oh.”
Now, why did Law sound disappointed? He hoped Luffy did not notice. He did. He giggled as he said that he was Law’s only friend outside of his ‘cute little crew’ who still called him captain all these years later. He stopped laughing for a few moments and held Law’s face with an abstracted expression.
He kissed the corner of Law’s lip first, asking for permission. Law nodded and Luffy accepted. He kissed Law more intentionally, more firmly like he wanted to commit as much of Law’s thin lips to memory as possible. It was a slow, gentle kiss, one where Luffy smiled against Law’s lips every few seconds. Even now, Luffy laughed softly. Law wanted to cry—Luffy was just so f*cking hot, so f*cking sweet …
“I’m not the type to stick around, Traffy. I wanna have an adventure.”
Law felt rejected. “Then go.”
Luffy stopped for a moment. He tried again.
“Come with me, Traffy. We’ll go wherever you want.”
Law sighed. He pointed to his wrist in response. “I’m already where I want to be.”
“That’s not true. You wanna have an adventure too.”
“In my twenties, yes, but I’m too old.”
“Jimbei never said that and he’s older than us.”
“Well, to clarify,” Law forced a laugh. He felt tears when he rubbed his eyes tiredly. “ I ’m too old. I’m not very fun and I’m not as strong as I used to be, which is a low bar-”
“I don’t care. Come with me.”
“I do and my answer is still no.”
They stared at each other. It was a match between the stubborn, insecure Law who knew he could not keep up with Luffy and the stubborn, friendly, courageous Luffy who dared Law to say no again. Luffy knew Law was crying and looked even more determined.
Stupid Luffy. He already knew Law’s answer. Law found his wallet.
“Here’s some money for you and Roronoa-”
“I don’t want your money!”
“Luffy, here’s some money. Take care of yourself.”
Luffy refused again. Well, at least Law could keep whatever he had left. He spent most of it on Luffy’s whims and… Well, just supporting him. Law did not realise how much of his life revolved around Luffy until now.
Law scoffed.
Who did this insensitive, selfish, gorgeous brat think he was, anyway? Did he seriously think he had the right to just show up out of nowhere and spend all of Law’s money on food, drinks and just stupid sh*t? He stole Law’s bed and hogged the only space in the home with a functioning heater. He brought nothing but trouble. He brought love, happiness… Everything good in life.
Luffy asked for him to come along again, more gently. He sincerely hoped Law would change his made-up mind.
Law could not leave. He would never. He had nothing left in the world. This place, this washed-up, middle-of-nowhere island was his home. He grew up here. He learned to live here when Cora-san died and this was where he would learn to die after Eustass.
Luffy eventually he realised he never had a chance to hold Law’s hand. He was bitter about it. He took a bag with whatever clothes Law bought for him and some medication. He still refused Law’s money. Just before leaving, he turned around abruptly and kissed Law fiercely. Law kissed back. It was the best kiss Luffy ever gave him.
“Can Traffy smile for me? Even a little one,” Luffy said somewhat modestly. He tried to pull Law’s lips up to form a smile. Law got annoyed. “I wanna see Traffy’s happy face again.”
“f*ck off, Luffy,” Law found that humorous.
Luffy seemed sad. “Traffy’s really cute. I wish Traffy knew how pretty he was.”
Law laughed and kissed Luffy’s forehead. They hugged for a brief moment and they did not want to let go.
“Good bye, Luffy. Please take care.”
Now he looked like he wanted to cry. Law knew it was too late to change anything, anyhow. He knew that Luffy recognised this too.
“Bye, Traffy. Thank you for taking care of me.”
The island felt unbearably cold all of a sudden.
Rain felt different from snow.
It did not feel as heavy on the feet, but it was noisier and made the ground more slippery.
It was not as cold either. It was chilly at best with a cool breeze but nothing worth wearing a coat over. Tell me about Wano. Law could not forget Luffy’s bright, lovely excitement. He could not bring himself to tell him he did not stay very long, that he was only there to bail Eustass out of prison and that they spent their last night together there before he passed away. They were supposed to get married there.
Yet, Law liked the kimono he bought. It was black with simple white stripes along the collar. It came with a bright red sash, which Shachi tied up into a big elegant ribbon. Penguin insisted on adding accessories like gold pins to secure it.
“Let us have this, Captain,” Penguin said. “We’re living through you!”
“Captain’s so pretty!” Bepo said with delight. He contributed by putting some wildflowers behind his ear.
The kimono reached down to his ankles. The sleeves flowed down to his wrists but they always bunched up at his elbows whenever he raised his forearm. When he looked in the mirror, he realised that he lost a lot of his former tan from when he was younger. He looked pale, almost malnourished. Back then, at least the red sash did not overpower him but now, it seemed to be the only thing that looked alive.
At least, the thing still fitted nicely. It fitted better now than before, now that he lost some muscle. Law never was insecure about his looks, probably because Eustass spoiled him with vulgar compliments before, but now he was not so sure. He could not complain now, anyway. The maroon shawl was warmer than he thought. It still smelled like the old cologne he used to wear. He never bothered in the present day. Too much hassle…
When he walked inside the bar, he was glad to see that no one paid attention to him. Being a purist, he insisted on wearing the wooden slippers that came with the whole outfit. They added two inches to his height and a wobble when he walked for the first hour. He liked the sounds they made. Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack. It was objectively a nice sound.
For a moment, he felt like he was back in Wano where the sun was shining, where beautiful music played, where women dressed up with ornate hairdos that Law wished he had the patience to do himself…
Wano was beautiful, Law wished he could tell Luffy that instead of whatever half-hearted response he gave. Wano was full of life. Wano, as a place in his memories, reminded him of Luffy. It was a happy, joyous place.
His crew, meanwhile, was dressed casually. White shirts, slacks and snow boots. They left their coats by the door. They looked like cheeky civilians who skipped work, rather than former pirates who helped him slaughter countless marines. Law sat in between them, in between Bepo hugging him and Jean slipping over a small glass of wine to him.
Ikkaku asked Law if he heard what she said and she repeated her whole monologue regardless of whatever answer he gave. She spoke excitedly of a castle she saw on the way here. It looked like the castle the Sora books described and she wanted to take them all someday. Law had nothing better to do, and neither did the rest of them so they made a plan to get on the submarine again. It sounded like fun for old time’s sake.
The music sped up rapidly and Bepo suddenly had the idea to dance. Everyone else, in their desire to tease their lovely introverted captain, thought that was an excellent idea. Realising Law would not go anywhere, Penguin grabbed him and pulled him down to the middle of the bar. This was when people started looking at him funny. Law felt ridiculous. He was the only one in traditional clothing.
“Okay but for real, I don’t actually know how to dance,” Penguin admitted easily. The guy had such a casual demeanour it made any absurd situation they were in seem completely normal. Law managed a smile when they held hands.
“Me neither,” Law said as he held his waist and started moving. Penguin moved back and insisted Law twirl him around to fulfil his silly fantasies. Being a good captain, Law obliged until the guy got so dizzy he could barely stand unless Law held his hand and shoulder firmly.
“Now, why are you here?” Law asked as Penguin recovered himself.
“First mate privileges,” he said simply like that was a given.
Law barely suppressed his smile. “Where’s that sense of duty when we were actual pirates?”
Penguin looked uncomfortable. “Hey, Shachi, come over, I’m tapping out!”
“What a useless first mate you are!” Law yelled back.
They laughed as Shachi skipped over and took over from Penguin’s position. He was the better dancer if dancing involved making silly hand gestures and tapping his feet. Like Penguin, Law was obliged to indulge in a ridiculous whim of his. He held Shachi’s hips firmly, trying not to do a death grip with his mounting annoyance.
“At the count of three, lift me up! Okay, Captain. One, two, three, yay! Thank you everyone!” Shachi living for the applause was such a stupid quirk of his. Did he need to sit on Law's shoulder like a princess? Whatever, Law thought, at least Shachi was happy when Law put him down. He held his hand and made a disgusting fake-kissing sound, eliciting loud groans from the peanut gallery behind. Law nearly gagged.
“My turn!” Ikkaku exclaimed, jumping off and running over.
“You people are insane!” Law felt tired. He caught Ikkaku before she tripped over her heels. “Do I have to do this with all of you ?”
“We’ve been wanting to do this since Wano!” Shachi retorted.
Right, he promised that they would all dance with him on their wedding day in Wano. They did not have time or money for anything new then. They chose to wear the kimonos they bought at the ceremony and bought a cake. Most of the money would be spent on alcohol for their respective crews to celebrate.
Eustass made Law a wedding ring, which he had unfortunately sold to buy his coat back. Eustass promised… Law remembered his bright red hair and large, arrogant smile with sharp teeth. Eustass promised to stay…
“Move on, Law!” Penguin added, now slightly drunk. “He would’ve wanted you to be happy!”
First-mate privileges be damned.
“We love you, captain!” Bepo cried and made a heart with his arms, to which they cheered in unison. What a stupid little fan club Law had. All of them. Brainless, tactless, idiots. Law flipped them all off, one by one.
“Such saps, all of them,” Ikkaku said as if she was not a sap herself as she dipped Law so far his hair brushed against the ground. “I’m not so shameless, right, Captain?”
He flipped her off personally.
“You’re just as horrible. In fact, you influenced them, old hag,” Law said as they continued dancing. She laughed and he chuckled along. She had always been more outgoing than himself and it was nice trying new things with her, even if it took all of Law’s energy. She felt like the little sister he used to have.
She insisted on being the ‘man’ whatever that meant. That meant that she would twirl Law around excessively to the point where Law swore if she kept going he would fall, crash the back of his head and die. It would be a very dramatic way to die, Law gave her that much credit. She did not let that happen.
While suppressing her laughter, she caught Law before he could seriously fall to the ground. Her stifled grin made Law smile before he chuckled slightly. She started giggling. They broke down into a hysterical fit of laughter as she helped him stand up. They hugged each other loosely. She continued laughing into his chest and Law suspected she was drunk and she was losing a bet of some sort.
“You’re actually horrible, Hakugan. You know she’s a lightweight,” Law said as he sat next to Bepo who supported her. Hakugan shrugged. He was a lightweight too. He let out a high-pitched laugh.
He had not felt this free in a very long time. The door opened suddenly with a loud thud and a large man entered the tavern with a keen, determined expression. Law’s heart skipped a beat. Oh my God!
A red shirt that emphasised a large chest and the pale scar in between, covered with thick chest hair. Black pants rested low on his hip, secured with his worn-out yellow sash. He held his head high, black eyes shining with an unshakable pride. He walked with large steps and the room felt too small for every step he took.
They seemed to find each other. Law blinked, blushing madly. Luffy’s smile grew with intent. He found what he was looking for. He chuckled a little while, with a bit of relief. Law felt small. He gave a few worn-out pleasantries to some patrons, downed a glass of beer and lightly pushed through the crowd with a clear goal.
Law gulped.
Was Luffy staring at him the whole time? How long had he been there? He looked bossy. Law tried not to notice his f*cking crew cheer for him. He was absolutely not flabbergasted when he heard Bepo wish him luck when Luffy held his hand and pulled him to the centre with a smile that seemed to grow by the minute. Law asked what the f*ck was going on but Luffy merely laughed at him.
Luffy abruptly turned Law around to face him. Luffy held both of Law’s hands and put them around his thick waist. Luffy was hot. Luffy was breathing heavily. Law blushed. It was a fantastic chest, strong and sturdy.
“I didn’t know you could dance, or should I say would ,” Luffy said with a laugh. He then gripped his waist with a prideful smile, appreciating how small it was relative to his hands. He was intrigued by the decorations on the ribbon and twirled some chains around with unusual delicacy. He leaned in and smelled the flowers in his hair.
He looked like a husband pleased with his new bride.
“You should’ve asked me for a dance. I ain’t so bad, Traffy.”
“I never said you’re bad at it,” Law returned as Luffy’s hand dipped a bit too low towards his hip. Law had the dignity to at least smack his hand away. “Watch your hands, Luffy.”
“ Fine ,” he said, annoyed. “Maybe later.”
Did Luffy need to look at him like that?
Compared to his crew, Luffy was an alright dancer. He did not try any stupid stunt and moved when Law did. His large body was sturdy to hold like this. As always, Luffy smelt disgusting, but it was different. Like a deranged animal, Law understood what it was. He smelt of sex. Law smiled sarcastically, of course, Luffy of all people ‘got around’.
His hand wandered lower again and Law let it. Luffy smiled sinfully.
“What’s that look for? Are you finally giving me a chance, now?”
Law frowned at his spiteful tone. “What’s with you?”
Luffy sounded like he was teasing him, as usual, but it was one of those tones that indicated that there was some truth in that sarcastic tone. It was the tone Eustass used when he accidentally confessed one night when they were drinking together. It had been years since Law felt butterflies this bad for anyone.
“Should I give you a chance?” Law asked, feeling sarcastic.
Luffy smiled widely, sincerely. “I’ll make you laugh, Traffy. I’ll give you your spark back.”
Law was gone. He loved Luffy’s dark eyes. And oh, that smile!
Luffy laughed generously as Law pulled him down suddenly and kissed him on that large, sh*t-talking mouth. His breath even reeked of someone else’s cum. Looks like Law was not the only one in love with his eyes. There was a bitter taste in his stomach. What the f*ck was Law doing with his time? After all, Luffy seemed annoyed. Law pulled away.
Luffy spoke first, “Traffy, do you mean that?”
“Yes. I like you,” Law answered impulsively. W-wait.
His smile returned. He let out a dry laugh. “I thought I was dreaming. Traffy never kisses me first.” Law kissed him again and Luffy, this time, kissed back with matching fervour.
He leaned down, chasing Law’s lips while also unashamedly pulling Law flush against him. Law hugged his neck as Luffy deepened their kiss while holding his jaw. He let Luffy lick the inside of his cheek and he tried not to let out the most pathetic moan. His crew did not need to cheer so enthusiastically.
“I know a place,” Luffy pulled away a little while to say. “Let’s go, Traffy. I don’t wanna share.”
Law sighed longingly. He pulled Luffy back into another kiss and Luffy smiled against it indulgently, dreamily. Happily.
-
Law’s lips felt numb, except for a light tingling feeling whenever Luffy bit them. According to Luffy, though, they felt ‘really nice’, especially when they were this kiss-swollen. Luffy looked like he would never get tired of kissing Law. He pulled away with a large, sweet smile that got Law swooning.
“Let’s have sex.”
“N-now?”
“Yup. When else?” Luffy smiled, a smile that only a handsome and confident man could pull off. “Or are you chicken?”
Law clicked his tongue. “I am not , how dare you say that to me? You insult my things, you break into my house, you eat all of my food, you-”
Luffy shut him up with another kiss. A forceful, frustrated one. Law moaned in his mouth.
“Stop nagging, old man,” Luffy said sternly. “I can take you even with my eyes closed.”
On his own, no. Law figured he would run away again before things got too serious. What changed? Luffy took off his shirt and God damn!
Those f*cking tit*.
Law would suffocate himself in them. Those fat, thick, hairy tit* were accentuated by a large scar. Law could cum just from seeing them up close. Did Luffy need to flex them? Did he need to smirk like he knew it would turn Law on? Did Luffy need to pull Law’s hand up to touch his nipples? Well, no but it felt nice.
His body was thicker than Law imagined. He was muscular but not much definition, apart from a four-pack on his stomach and a slight outline of a v-shaped muscle pointing down to his hips. Not much of a waist either, though his massive shoulders gave the illusion of one when he wore a shirt and pants.
He licked his lips when Law unconsciously spread his legs for him, drooling a little bit like a wild animal. He wedged a knee in between and Law whined at how forceful he was.
Luffy was warm, especially when he moved forward to press his erection against Law’s crotch. He kissed wildly, demanding Law open his mouth. In this moment of feeling euphoric, Law more consciously felt Luffy’s stubble as it brushed against his relatively unkempt facial hair.
A thick string of spit connected their lips when they pulled apart. Luffy’s smile grew in an evil, sinister way like he knew he was winning Law over. He undid the sash along his hips and pulled down his pants, revealing first strong hips defined by some curves, then hefty thighs and lastly hairy calves. Law did not dare to look at his obscenely large dick. Law gulped and nearly sobbed. He would gag if that thing got anywhere near his mouth.
Gorgeous, veiny, twitching-
Inconveniences aside, Luffy looked like the perfect lover.
He was a dream come true.
“Touch me all you want, Traffy. I won’t complain,” Luffy said, smiling lovingly.
He held Law like he was afraid of breaking him like Law meant the world to him. It did not match his sh*t-talking, but Law felt too warm in his embrace to point it out. Luffy looked like he adored Law squirming around beneath him, panting and whining. Luffy kissed his eyes softly.
“I’ll make you feel so good you’ll ditch your sh*thole and come with me,” Luffy said, kissing his ear tenderly. “You’ll be my pretty princess after this, just you wait and see,”
Law pulled Luffy’s face up to face him. Messy hair and unapologetically seductive, Luffy smiled like he was proud to have Law dancing on his palm. He kissed Law’s eye tenderly.
“Quiet. Let me enjoy you, alright, pretty?”
“Okay.”
What was Law supposed to say? No? Law pulled Luffy closer. Luffy took that as an invitation to start kissing his neck, before he more boldly bit on it, sucking a deep love bite. Luffy was painfully slow in undoing the ribbon and stripping Law slowly. His hands moved carefully, caressing every part of his skin. Luffy’s smile grew when he saw Law’s naked body. His dick did too. It sprang up, throbbing. Excited.
Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes! f*ck!
“You’re always so good for me,” Luffy babbled on in a low, husky voice. Luffy peppered light kisses on his ear, holding back from doing so much worse to Law’s body. “Pretty dress, pretty eyes, pretty laugh, pretty lips… Pretty legs, pretty everything … Yeah, smile more. Just like that.” Luffy kissed Law’s mouth impulsively and ran his thumb along Law’s lips, which made Law giggle idiotically. “I like Traffy’s happy smiles the most. So f*cking pretty! So f*cking cute , f*ck! Come with me, Traffy! I l-”
Law put his hand over Luffy’s mouth. He could not bear to hear it. “Luffy, please…”
Luffy kissed the sad tears away. He whispered some sweet compliments and rubbed Law’s dick lovingly. In response, Law’s leg jerked upwards and Luffy rested it securely on his lower back. Law saw his reflection in Luffy’s eyes. He looked like a fool in love.
“Hey, let me in, okay? I’ll make you feel so good.”
“I…” Law saw stars when Luffy lined himself up to Law’s hole and thrust. Oh my f*cking God. Law squeezed his eyes shut as Luffy did it again, almost hitting his prostate. “Okay.”
Proudly, Luffy kissed him again. Law’s lips stung and were uncomfortable but he did not tell Luffy to stop. He tried to kiss back. Luffy noticed and kissed Law’s cheek once before dedicating himself to Law’s neck. He suddenly grew determined to leave behind more than one mark.
Luffy took his time f*cking him now that he know where to go, f*cking deeper and harder when Law asked him to. He laughed every time Law put his head against his chest for some sense of security. He would kiss Law’s hair every time, always promising to be careful despite moving roughly and a mile a minute.
Law desperately clung to Luffy’s shoulders. He did not realise that even his back was hairy. Law was assured when he eventually realised Luffy was sweating just as much as he was. Panting too. He would occasionally look up and ask if Law felt good with a slightly worried expression and would slow down slightly for Law to reply.
Law felt a shiver up his spine.
Law would kiss that large, handsome face in response and Luffy’s smile would return, hotter than before. They org*smed together and Luffy was hot inside of Law. After recovering, Luffy glanced up with a lustful expression, affection now replaced by raw, impatient desire. He licked his lip and stared at his mouth hungrily. Law nodded and Luffy kissed him again. Luffy kept his word. Law knew he would come back begging for more.
-
Unsurprisingly, Luffy got up earlier than Law. He kissed Law’s cheeks delicately and stared out the window. His broad back and muscular silhouette were a turn-on even at night. Tired, and a bit lonely, Law sat up and hugged Luffy from behind, pulling him close. Luffy was visibly startled, but he did not push Law away. He held Law’s fingertips, and rubbed his knuckles gently, almost in disbelief.
“Stay a while, Luffy,” Law said quietly.
Luffy looked conflicted. “I can’t. Zoro will get mad at me.”
Yet, Luffy did not let go. He sighed deeply and crawled back into bed with Law, giving in to temptation. He rested his head against Law’s chest, even pulling the kimono collar over his nose. It smelt nice apparently. Luffy said that he liked Law’s scent. He found it delicate and comforting.
“You can take it,” Law said, trying not to sound desperate when Luffy’s stubble brushed against his nipples. “Can’t you?”
Luffy chuckled, oblivious to Law being turned on by his laugh. He smiled.
“Of course I can. I can take him in a fight if that’s what he has to say about it.”
Law found that comment adorable. He hugged Luffy by the shoulders and Luffy got giggly. Law felt like he was going crazy. Luffy was the cute one here.
“I’ll miss you,” Law said. Luffy looked up with a wide, know-it-all grin like he knew that already. Stretching his neck, Luffy kissed Law’s nose for the first time that night. Law felt oddly relieved by that small gesture. Maybe, just maybe…
Luffy rolled around so that Law would lie on top of him. He looked starstruck.
“I told you already, just come with me,” he said. He got more excited. “I’ll take care of you. Even Zoro said he doesn’t mind! He said you’re better than some talking tree!”
“No.” Law smiled sincerely. His head hurt with the realisation that Luffy cared about him.
“You’re really cute, Traffy. I never thought you’d be the clingy one.”
“Should I let go?”
“I didn’t say that,” Luffy said. He kissed Law’s lip chastely. Just once with a featherlike touch. He combed Law’s hair with a lovesick smile that mirrored Law’s. “I just think that Traffy’s really pretty. That’s all.”
When Luffy left in the early morning, Luffy left behind three things.
First, it was a replacement eternal log pose pointing back to Swallow Island.
Law wondered how he got one made so fast. It was brand new, fashioned with a sleek leather strap that smelt of fresh leather. It looked more like a designer watch than a conventional log pose. Law immediately wore it on his wrist, admiring how it matched his slightly faded hand tattoos.
It was amusing that Luffy refused to return Law’s original one. Law belatedly realised Luffy wore it while f*cking him senseless the night before. Law pinched his eyebrows in a mix of embarrassment and endearment.
The second thing was his black coat. It looked soft and flowy from the outside but it had more weight than Law thought. It smelled like Luffy: sex, sweat and freedom. When Law wore it, it felt like Luffy was hugging him, saying sweet nothings while calling him the prettiest old man he had ever seen. He remembered how gently Luffy kissed him and smiled.
And last but not least, he left a piece of his vire card, which for now was pointing towards the window where he faintly perceived Luffy leaving with Zoro on their pathetic fishing boat, the one Law got for them. Law was impressed it was still in one piece and that they still used it. He worried about whether they had enough food and alcohol stocked up.
If Law tried hard enough, he could hear him laugh so loudly that it rocked the boat. Law realised there was a slightly damp spot on his cheek. At least Luffy had the decency to kiss him before he left, even if he did not remember whether Luffy said anything to him.
Law found a note while rummaging through his pocket. It read, “Come find me!”, a scribble written in bold red ink like this was a damned treasure hunt. It technically was, Luffy was the best thing that had ever happened to him in a long time, apart from establishing Swallow Island as his territory…
“I love ‘ya thiiiis much. Let’s get hitched, Trafalgar!”
“Live your life, Law. You’re free now. I love you, kid!”
When Law flipped the paper over, he saw a nasty soup spill over it.
Law laughed. Luffy reallyate dinner while he was asleep. What an unkind lover, Law thought. Luffy would never change. Law was glad of that.
Out of curiosity, he rubbed the food away with some spit and realised that the stain might be more intentional than he realised. When Law looked at it through the reading lamp, he noticed something written awkwardly in pencil.
“I love you.”
