Chapter Text
Luffy wondered when he had started to like Traffy.
Was it when Traffy gave him an earful when they saw each other again in Wano? Despite his scolding, Luffy realized Traffy was worried because he picked a fight with Kaido's man after barely escaping with his life from Big Mom's territory.
Was it when they were on Zou? When Traffy took him away to speak in private, spending what could be the last time they were together before Luffy picked another fight with another Emperor?
Was it when they were at Kyros's backyard, surrounded by a field of sunflowers? When they enjoyed each other's company in silence as Traffy changed Luffy's bandages?
Was it when he saw Traffy again in Punk Hazard? After two long years of wondering what kind of man this Surgeon of Death that Rayleigh talked about.
Or was it as far as when they first met at Sabaody? When he wondered, who was this man with weird power that had a cool polar bear?
He didn't even know he liked Traffy until Nami pointed it out. He always enjoyed spending time with his friends, but even Luffy knew it's unnatural how much he wanted to stick by Traffy's side. Not to mention there was the constant drumming in his chest too.
"Are you going to tell Traffy about it?"
Luffy didn't know. Was he supposed to? Luffy was on thin ice with Traffy as it was. If Luffy pushed further he was going to run away and that was the worst possible outcome.
That's where Orca Hat Guy came in.
Luffy liked the Heart Pirates. The crew was the polar opposite of Traffy, but their dynamics worked. It was clear that they love him with all of their hearts and only want what's best for him. So when they encouraged him to break their captain out of his shell, Luffy took the chance.
("Listen here, Straw Hat-ya," Shachi, or what Luffy liked to call Orca Hat Guy (not because he didn't remember his name but because it was funnier) said with an emphasis on the -ya part. "If you hurt our captain in any shape or form, this guy right here will snap you like a twig!"
Penguin nodded. "Yeah! And after that, we'll feed your corpse to the carps below!"
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, Bepo! We're supposed to intimidate him!").
Besides, Traffy needed to rest as much as Luffy did! He always tended to the injured, despite claiming he didn't care. Somehow that made him more popular among the Minks. They were always crying when Traffy showed even a bit of concern.
Not that Luffy was jealous or anything.
The quiz was fun. Luffy thoroughly enjoyed it, and Luffy could tell that Traffy did too. He smiled more during their session alone compared to the entirety of their alliance. The quiz also helped Luffy become more adept at reading Traffy. For example, despite his claim, Traffy was affectionate but only to those closest to him. And boy did his heart soar when Traffy became more comfortable to touch him! That meant Luffy made it to the tight-knit list.
Another example was, the quiz helped Luffy grow more certain that Traffy liked him back. At least, enough not to cut him into pieces when he kissed him. The kiss was a gamble, but Rayleigh always said Luffy was good at reading the creatures in Rusukaina, and that extended to people as well.
Luffy thought that was the end of it. He liked Traffy and Traffy liked him back. Problem solved, right?
Wrong.
Traffy had to babble about being not worthy of his affection and all that jazz. Normally, it would just go in one ear and out the other. But Luffy wanted to try to understand Traffy better, and that meant trying to understand this nonsense.
Two hours after he woke up and an hour into the party, Luffy still drew blank. Well, Luffy knew he wasn't that good at thinking at stuff. He was more an action kind of guy. But now he wished he was because, to be honest, Luffy was scared.
The sea was cruel and unforgiving. She was never afraid to swallow whomever regardless of their status. It was an insult for Luffy to even think about this because Luffy knew Traffy was strong. But Ace was strong and he—
The scent of newly roasted meat invaded his nose. He looked up and found Nami handing him a plate of meat.
"Luffy, are you alright? You were silent this whole time."
Luffy looked around and found all of his friends staring at him. Ah, of course, they would notice his problem.
"Not really," he mumbled. Luffy took the meat and chewed on it unenthusiastically.
"I see. Is it about Traffy?"
Luffy nodded.
"Do you want to talk about it? We won't push if you don't want to, but maybe we can help. We're worried, that's all."
Luffy told them the whole story. If there was one thing he was sure of in this world, it's that his friends would help him in anything without any judgment. He trusted them with his life, why wouldn't he trust him with his heart too?
(He didn't miss the way Usopp repeatedly whispered to Zoro though. His eyes full of confusion and horror while Zoro only told Usopp to give it a rest).
"Got to hand it to Traffy-bro. He sure is the king of overthinking." Franky commented as he gulped a three bottle of cola. He then spurted it out, his eyes comically shot out. Chopper and him giggled, but quickly stopped as Nami glared at them.
"Why would he think that anyway? For someone so smart, he's so ... agh!" Usopp chimed in.
"Well, people said that all that smart has to be compensated by something." Nami sighed. "But I kind of get it. Not that I agree with him or anything. But if Luffy and Traffy were in a relationship now, anything Traffy accomplished would be because 'ah yes, that's the emperor's boyfriend for you!' and not of his own volition."
"Yeah, that would suck."
"But it's not like the alternative is any better. Honestly, why are men so dumb?"
"Certainly not me, Nami-swan!"
"You're the dumbest of them all, dumbass cook."
"That's it! No more food and booze for you, you overgrown lawn head!"
"Cut it out, you two!" Nami yelled. "Honestly ...."
It took no time for his friends to descend into chaos. Somehow, almost all of them got into a brawl, except for Robin.
Luffy didn't know why, but maybe Robin had an idea, with the way she was smiling.
"Robin, what should I do?"
"From what you tell us, Traffy is somehow convinced that you are not willing to wait for him to heal and gather his thoughts on the matter. This isn't true, of course. So you have to show him."
"How?"
Robin rested her head on her palm. "I'm sure you'll come up with a way, as usual. It isn't like you to back out of a challenge, right?"
It took a lot of convincing (not really. Orca Hat Guy was just playing hard to get), but Luffy finally found Traffy at the top of Kaido's castle. What's left of it anyway.
The scene in front of him felt like it was straight out of a painting. Traffy was sitting in the middle, the moon hanging over his head. His entire being was illuminated under the moonlight and because his surroundings were dark, it only emphasized his figure. Luffy didn't make any move and just watched Traffy enjoy the night. Luffy never cared about artwork and the likes, but the scene in front of him, he could appreciate.
"How long are you going to stand there?"
Traffy turned to face Luffy, a smile adorned his face. "Luffy-ya." He called, his voice low, but full of adoration it warmed Luffy's heart.
Traffy, Luffy wanted to call back, though he stopped himself beforehand. Traffy was always irritated when he and his friends called him by that nickname. If Luffy wanted to show his sincerity, then shouldn't he start by calling him by his name?
"Law."
He looked surprised when Luffy called him that. He didn't comment on it, though he let out a small laugh.
Maybe Luffy should call him by his real name from now on. It rolled nicely on his tongue, and it certainly made Law happy.
"Come sit with me. We have a lot to discuss."
He wanted to sit between Law's legs like what they did hours ago. Now that he knew how it felt being enveloped by Law's warmth, he wanted nothing but to feel it again. But he remembered what Robin said to him; he needed to show that he could wait. So that meant, he just needed to do the opposite, right? So that Law wasn't annoyed?
See, he got it!
Except when he was about to take the seat beside Law, his fellow captain grabbed his hand and pulled Luffy onto his lap. Before Luffy could finish his thoughts, a pair of arms hugged him, and Law rested his head onto the crook of Luffy's neck.
Okay … now he’s confused! This is exactly the opposite of what Robin was saying! Though since Law was the one who initiated it, that meant he was okay with it, right?
Ugh. All this thinking was making him hungry. The stack of meat in front of them looked very inviting. But, Luffy restrained himself. With how close Law hugged him, he must have wanted them to stay like this for a while … right?
Man, everything was so confusing. But, Luffy wasn't a quitter. He was determined to understand Law, and he would do his damndest to do it.
So Luffy settled on Law's chest and pulled them closer. He closed his eyes and listened to the deafening heartbeats, unsure which was his and which was Law's.
After a long awkward silence, Law was the first to speak.
"Now I understand why Kaido chose to have his base so far from the mainland."
Luffy tilted his head in confusion. That was very random. But he decided to zip his mouth and see where this was going.
"Remember the funny looking tree? Remember how big it was in person?" Luffy nodded. "It looked so small from here. In fact, the entirety of Wano Country looks small from here."
"Is it bad?"
"Not necessarily, but I bet it helped to inflate his ego." Law huffed. His gaze once again wandered far away. After a while, he spoke up once more. "Well, I suppose the view is not bad. Try to look at the sky above Wano. Notice anything different?"
Luffy squinted his eyes. He tried to find what Law was talking about, but he didn't get it. All he saw was the usual vast sea, the starry sky, the bright light from Wano, the blank sky—
"There's a blank spot in the sky." Luffy blinked, then he exclaimed, "There's a blank spot in the sky!"
"Bingo." Law patted Luffy's head. The sudden gesture startled him, but Luffy quickly basked in it. He loved the first time Law did it, and he loved it even more now. If he succeeds in being patient, does that mean he could get more headpats from Law?
Yosh! He can do it then!
Law, seemingly unaware of Luffy's sudden excitement, continued to ramble on. "When there's too much light from the ground, it overshines the stars in the sky. It makes an interesting dichotomy if the surrounding area is dark—like both sky and land are covered in stars.
It's a rare phenomenon because the sky needs to be clear. Also, most settlements don't have the luxury to keep their lights on all night. But with Kaido down and the factories out of commission, we're able to see this. I suppose we have you to thank for that."
"Shishishi, I don't get it. But I'm glad you like it!"
Law just smiled as his response, and patted Luffy's head once more.
"You have a beautiful smile."
The words rolled off Luffy's tongue without him realizing it. See, this was why he wasn't the one usually doing the thinking! Sorry, Robin. He really tried his best to hold back, but Law rarely smiles so he just had to compliment him.
Law rolled his eyes, seemingly amused by his stumble. "You may have told me this once or twice. Is this the part where you told me to do it more?"
"Nah. You should do it only when you feel like it."
It looked like he answered correctly, because Law's smile grew bigger and his cheeks grew redder. He then let out a long sigh before he buried himself on Luffy's crook once again.
Luffy mentally wiped his sweat. He was in the clear, somehow.
"You know, Luffy-ya, I can hear you thinking." Luffy tensed. "If you have something to say to me, just say it."
Don't worry, Luffy. You can still save this. Just act natural. "No, I don't! What are you talking about!?"
"Luffy-ya, we both know you are a lousy liar." Law sighed. "Though I'm supposed I'm at fault in this situation as well. You must be wondering why I'm acting like this after what I said."
Luffy mentally groaned. Law was too on the nose! Luffy was the one who was supposed to approach Law, but now he was the one caught in the snare. Then again, Luffy wanted to know why Law was like this. So he gave a small nod.
Law said nothing, only tightening his hug. Then. with a low murmur, he said:
"I'm sorry, Luffy. For doubting you … and for making you worried. In hindsight, it was a shit thing to do."
Law's voice trembled. It reminded Luffy of a sad wet puppy. Looks like Luffy wasn't the only one who had been doing self-reflection.
Luffy detangled himself from Law, much to the other's protest. He then cupped Law's face, and placed a quick kiss on Law's cheeks.
"You're right. It was shit of you!"
Law blinked, then snorted before he bursted out laughing.
"I'm serious, Traffy!" Luffy whined. He playfully punched Law's chest because how dare he laughed when Luffy was trying his best! "I was so confused! We like each other but you said something like that. I was worried that I did something wrong!"
"Sorry, Luffy-ya."
"But I want to understand you. So I asked everyone. Robin told me that I need to be patient, so I tried!"
"Yes, I can see that. Thank you for doing that. You did very well for like," Law looked at his imaginary watch, "30 minutes, give or take."
Luffy pouted and pinched Law's cheeks. Wasn't Law supposed to be apologizing? Why did he make fun of him now? Meanie!
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Let me finish what I was saying earlier, okay?"
Law took one of Luffy's hands and rubbed it with his thumb. His eyes turned somber. He took several deep breaths, then he continued.
"I guess I'm just feeling insecure." Law started. "I know I've told you this, but do you have any idea how extraordinary you are? Two years of piracy and you are already an Emperor with your own fleet. Compared to that, I have nothing to offer."
"You know I don't care about that."
"I do. That's why I apologized. Yet, my insecurity remained." Law grunted in frustration. "I know it's ridiculous, but it is what it is. And it isn't fair to you if we—"
Law paused once more. His face was literally as red as a tomato.
"Law?"
"If we, ehem, you know. Ehem."
Luffy raised his eyebrows, confused. He sat still, waiting for Law to finally get his act together.
"If we, you know, get even more entangled than we are right now, while I'm still feeling like this." A pause. "Shit, that sounds even worse! You know what? Forget about it—"
"Can I kiss you?"
They both blinked in unison.
"What."
Oh, well. The plan (if there was even any) failed now. Might as well just shoot his shot. "Can I kiss you? I want to kiss you."
"Luffy-ya," Law massaged his temple. "What exactly did Nico-ya say to you?"
"I need to show you that I can be patient and wait for you."
"So, don't you think what you asked me is the opposite of that?"
"You can say no." Luffy guided Law’s head to face him. "I'll be bummed, but that's okay. I don't want to force you to do anything you don't like."
"Pretty sure you did that already. The Alliance, remember that?"
"But this and that is different!" He kept bringing up the Alliance! Okay, maybe Luffy was at fault. But wasn't it obvious that what they had was different from the others?
"And how is it different?" Luffy felt a firm grip on his shoulders. "Tell me, Luffy. How is it any different?"
Luffy stared at Law and found several emotions in his eyes. Desperation. Confusion. Fear.
Insecurity.
Ah, so that's what Law meant.
Luffy bit his lower lip. He had been an idiot. Something like this wouldn't go away just because he told Law he didn't care. Luffy needed a different approach.
"I'm sure you'll come up with a way, as usual. It isn't like you to back out of a challenge, right?"
He knew what to do now. He needed to be honest and told Law everything, even something that was as clear as day. Something like the fact that:
"You're the only person I want to kiss."
The grip on his shoulder lessened.
"I always thought that an alliance is only between someone special." Luffy explained. "Then Jinbei said that an alliance is between people with similar goals, to make things easier. So, it made sense to ally ourselves with the Minks and the samurais, right?"
"It is. But where is this going?"
"Law, I just told you that I always thought that an alliance is only between someone special."
Deep breaths, Luffy.
"You are someone special to me, because I like you. And because I like you, I want to kiss you. You're only supposed to kiss someone special that you like. At least, that's what Makino told me, and Makino is never wrong."
Luffy paused, then it dawned on him. "Is Makino wrong?"
"... She's not." Luffy breathed a sigh of relief. He then peered towards Law and could see the gears on his head were turning.
"Law?"
"Just give me a moment." His gaze began to wander aimlessly, clearly still trying to process the whole situation. His grip on Luffy's shoulder had long been gone. This time, Luffy was the one who took his hands and began to circle his thumbs on Law's palm, hoping to help him calm down.
"It's just … fuck," Law cursed again. "Since Punk Hazard? Really?"
"I've always wanted to meet the man who saved me."
"I saved you on a whim!"
"Yeah. It didn't matter though. I just had to meet you no matter what." Luffy said. "When you proposed to me, I got a feeling that if I refused, I'd never see you again. I can't let that happen."
"Why?"
Wasn't it the one billion berries question? Even after pondering for so long, Luffy still hadn't found his answer.
So he replied with, "I don't know. Just my hunch."
Law shook his head and laughed so hard that he cried. Seeing that, Luffy couldn't help but to smile as well. He's happy that Law felt better now!
"I feel like an idiot now." Law said in amusement. "Luffy?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you still want to kiss me?"
Luffy nodded enthusiastically.
"Come here, then. Before I change my mind."
Luffy went closer and settled on Law's lap, before closing in their distance. If he listened carefully, he could hear thundering sounds everywhere. He still wasn't sure if it was his heart, Law's, or even the fireworks that started after that.
What Luffy was sure was that his lips on Law's felt right, content, special.
They fell into a comfortable silence after that, trying to shimmer down their excitement due to the previous entanglement. Luffy had nestled comfortably on Law's lap with meat on both of his hands, while Law was enjoying his beer. They watched the fireworks show from the mainland that somehow never stopped. Perhaps the citizens of Wano had been hogging them in anticipation of this day.
"Law has a plan, right?" Luffy asked in between bites. "You said something about gaining power and influenza."
"Influence, you mean." Okay, maybe his hearing wasn't the best when he's half asleep, but at least it's close enough.
Law continued. "Well, I have a general idea for my next plan. I still haven't worked on the details yet though."
"Tell me! Maybe I can help!"
That earned another pat on his head. "Sorry, Luffy. This adventure is for me and my crew only."
Oh, Luffy was dejected. But that’s okay. Luffy understood. Sometimes life makes people have different adventures, no matter how close they once were. It happened once with Ace, then Vivi, and now to Law.
"I can tell you my general plan, though. Now that Big Mom and Kaido are incapacitated, I'm thinking about establishing my roots in the underground scene." Law explained. "My sub is practically a walking hospital, and my crew are all trained in the medical field. Plus, with our reputation, I think we have enough foundation to do that."
"Does that mean you're planning to take over the Underworld?"
"Just to have enough influence to have any say on it."
To be honest, that just sounded the same in Luffy's ear. But then again, Law loved to beat around the bush.
But then again, if that was his goal, that meant, "When you become the Underworld King, that means when I'm the Pirate King, we'll be equals, right?"
Law's eyes widened. It seemed like he caught the implications.
"Shishishi! When that time comes, I'll be the one who proposes to you!"
"Hahaha, seems like I can't make you wait too long, then." Law rested his chin on Luffy's head. "Just give me two years, Luffy. And you will see my name plastered all over the WENP."
"Okay! It's a promise!"
They shared a laugh before they locked their eyes towards each other once more.
Law later pointed at his lips. It took zero seconds for Luffy to understand and gave Law a quick peck. Law then tightened his embrace and rested his head on Luffy’s shoulder again.
"Thank you, Luffy." His voice was so low that Luffy could barely hear it. "For being patient with me, and for … everything, really."
Luffy beamed, looking proud of himself. Look, Robin! He did it!
"—Wake up, Luffy! Wake up! Hurry!"
When Luffy opened his eyes, he found Nami and Chopper hovering above him. It was very tempting to go back to sleep, but Nami would end him if he did that. Besides, they looked worried, and that alarmed him.
"Traffy and his crew just left without saying anything!" Chopper jumped towards Luffy and cried. "Why would he do that?! I still want to exchange notes with him! You're also still not well enough! How can he do that?!"
"Hey, it's okay. I still have you to look after me!"
"It's different. You and Traffy are—"
"Chopper, you're going to open his wounds if you keep hammering him like that." Nami interjected. Realizing this, Chopper immediately climbed down and apologized to Luffy. Luffy, of course, just laughed it off.
Behind them, Luffy saw Robin leaning towards a pillar, smiling at him. He smiled back at her, mouthing a 'thank you', which the latter nodded in regard.
"Did you have a good talk with him?" Robin asked.
"Yeah! Law is gonna rule the Underworld in two years, and then I'm gonna propose to him!"
His friends looked at each other in bewilderment. Luffy just snickered at them.
"I hope Traffy knows what he's doing." Nami sighed. "That aside, how are we going to know when the time comes?"
"He said we'll know from the newspaper!"
"Okay … and then how are we gonna find him? I'm sure he won't be careless enough to tell that on the paper."
Luffy darted his gaze away and made a very poor attempt to whistle.
"I should've known!" Nami let out a long sigh. Robin and Chopper chuckled at Luffy's response, not surprised in the slightest.
Nami then flipped her hair, letting it flutter with the wind. When her hand emerged from the back of her head, she held a shiny round thing between her fingers. She gave a playful wink, and then it dawned on Luffy.
"Nami, is that—?"
"An insurance to make sure he comes back looking for us." She juggled the coin between her fingers. "Honestly, why do I have to do everything?"
"Shishishi, you did it! Law's gonna be surprised!"
"Hehehe! You bet!" She sounded really proud. Law's safety box must be quite the challenge for it to make Nami like that. "Anyway, we're going to pack our things to the Sunny. Do you want to say goodbye to Momo and the others?"
Luffy shook his head. "Nah. I'll just stay here for a bit."
"Alright, then. Let's go, Chopper!"
After waving goodbye to his friends, Luffy stared back at the sea. He can feel the wind starting to pick up again. Even though the temperature wasn't as low as yesterday, it still made him shiver.
Shishishi, Law just left and he already missed him.
"I can't wait to see you again." Luffy hummed.
If he imagined hard enough, he could see a dot of yellow in the vast blue sea. For now, he would take comfort in that.
"I can't believe Nami-ya finally did it."
Law stared at his opened coin collection safe. There used to lay his prized possession—an old coin from approximately 200 years ago. Now, there was a card in its place, with a doodle of a cat winking.
Behind him, Shachi and Penguin sat down with their hands up in the air, like children that were being punished by their parents.
"Sorry, Captain. I shouldn't have let my guard down."
"We're still not that far from Wano! We can get it back for you, Captain! Jean Bart, turn around!"
"Leave it be." Law swatted his hand in the air. God, what drama queens. It's not like Law was going to eat them alive just because of this. "I made a promise to Luffy that I will meet him in two years. So, we don't have time to waste."
Just saying that already left a pang in his heart. How ridiculous.
"Peng,"
"Yes, Captain?"
"How's our Huddle?"
"Awaiting your orders, Captain!"
"Good. Tell them to—why are you guys laughing?"
Penguin shook his head. "Nothing, Captain! It's just—"
Penguin and Shachi tried not to wheeze but failed miserably. Really, what's the deal with them? They were crying two seconds ago.
"You called Straw Hat by his name. Without the -ya."
Law could feel his face heat up. "So?!"
"Oh, my dear Captain, we get it! You don't have to hide anything from us!"
Shachi, the perpetrator of this whole thing, had the audacity to chime in. "Not so bullshit now, isn't it, Captain?"
Damn it. His face when saying that was as punchable as Law had imagined it be. Maybe Law should just drop them outside. Their body would implode immediately at this depth.
Sensing their captain's irk, they immediately scurry away, citing work as their excuse. Law just shook his head at their shenanigans. How could he put up with them all this time, he would never know.
"I'm going to read in my room. Knock only if there's an emergency." Law paused. "Oh, Bepo?"
"Aye?"
"Raise the temp a bit. It's a bit colder than usual."
"Uh, it's still the usual temperature. But if you say so, Captain!"
Law closed his door immediately. He didn't need Bepo and the others to see his flushed face.
Shit. He knew exactly what's causing this. It's only been an hour or two and he already missed Luffy.
"I need to hurry up so I can see him again." Law chuckled.
If he imagined hard enough, he could see Luffy between his arms. For now, it would be enough.