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Chapter Text

The snow bit into Laws' cheeks. Despite wearing appropriate clothing for the chill, some still managed to land on him, making him squint for fear of it landing in his vulnerable eyes. It made his face a rosy color, one he could almost compare to the stains Cora-sans red lipstick left behind on his white shirts.

The crunching of the snow beneath their feet was rhythmic, a constant along with the harsh weather. Sometimes he'd hear Cora-san mumble or hum to himself, forever the cheery, cheesy man he was. Law always welcomed the noise, clung to it like a crucial rope in rough waves. It kept his mind from drifting too far to places he couldn't help but think of when everything around him was a canvas of unchanging white scenery. 

As the sound was their familiar companion, Law immediately noticed when the footsteps of the tall man in front of him ceased. His own feet came to an abrupt halt, and Law watched as his savior's face was fixed on something in the distance. Cora-san looked stoic, determined. Strong jawline and sharp features, maybe even as harsh as the conditions they were under. But even so, Cora-san didn't look cruel, and he could point out a hundred differences between him and his downright villainous brother.

Law followed the man's steady gaze to a structure in the far distance.

He allowed his boots to find refuge in the prints Coras' much larger feet had already left in the snow. As he took his place beside the man, he briefly wondered what he could have ever done to deserve the right to stand next to somebody like Corazon, to bask in the warm presence of one so unapologetically kind. The warmth the man's smile held was undeniable, even as each step he took had him sinking to his waist in snow in the freezing climate.

The comically tall man didn't acknowledge his presence at first, simply allowing his features to radiate confidence as his eyes never wavered from their destination. Finally, his eyes met Laws, warm light brown against pale steely grey. "This time for sure, Law." 

Law's shoulders unknowingly relaxed a little as the grin broke back out on Cora-sans face after those simple five words, as if they didn't hold such an unimaginable significance to Law. 

He turned his head and scoffed. He tried to ignore how he felt his demise nearing each day, in the form of sluggish tingly limbs and blood coming out of places it really shouldn't be. How his strength was wavering, his body failing. How he was so sure that if he were to glance back at the way they came he'd see a third set of footprints, of Death coming to take him, just a step behind, waiting for White Amber Lead to finish him with no regard to the man he'd leave behind. He craned his neck to meet Coras' warm eyes once more.

"Do you actually have a plan this time?"

Corazon let out an immature noise, offended. A sound so ridiculous, a small smile made its way onto Law's face, as natural as the wind blowing Coras' black feathered coat around. 

"I do have a plan! I'll break down their door, tell them of your illness, and beg for them to do their jobs!" The man crouched down to scoop Law into his lanky and unnaturally long arms, shoving him into his chest. "And if they don't want to help...," The man quickly snatched his hat and brought his fist down into Law's half-frozen head of hair in a playfully aggressive fashion before Law could even hope to dodge what he already knew was going to happen. The tall man took care to avoid the patches where the dark strands had fallen out in clumps, leaving behind discolored white spots. Law shrieked in gleeful protest at the loving smothering, he couldn't quite stifle the giggles that pushed their way past his throat.

He used what little strength he had left after their demanding trek in the snow to push away at Corazon's chest, he flailed, kicking up snow, and the other relented his assault and let the pouting child go. Law took a moment to catch his breath, taking in the air that burned his throat as he took oxygen in to scold the man."That's not a plan!" His voice cracked, and he cursed how young he was. How weak and inexperienced. 

Cora-san stood up and snatched Law off the ground as if he were a sack of potatoes and began the last leg of their journey to the hospital silhouetted in the distance. He groaned good naturedly as Law continued to wiggle and squirm in his hold. "You're such a brat." He placed Law on his back, and in silent compliance Law stayed put and wrapped his short arms around Coras' neck. He was a little less cold this close to another body, and with his face pressed against feathers, the softness ticking him, there was no threat of the dreaded snow in his eyes. "You and your plans. You know, there are some things in life you can't plan, times when plans just get in the way, and you just have to let your heart guide you! Like falling in love! What are you going to do then? - Huh?! Oh shit! " Whatever wisdom the man was trying to bestow upon him was lost as the clumsy oaf tripped on the roots of a tree hidden just underneath the thick blanket of snow.

The two of them went down together with an "oof!" Law barely rolled out of the way to avoid being crushed by the much larger body of Cora-san, and they both lay still for a moment with their backs cushioned on the powdery cold beneath them.

"You're an idiot," Law huffed out.

They both adorned wide grins of pure joy.

Law set his book down with a deep sigh and gave up on trying to comprehend the words he was looking at. 

He massaged his temples and tried to shake thoughts of wide smiles, red lipstick, and the faint odor of cigarette smoke lingering behind the haze of painfully tender nostalgia, but it was hard when these people reminded him of his past at every corner. Around him the dining area aboard the Thousand Sunny was, as always, just deafening. With his back facing everybody, he was left to guess what made everybody abruptly roar with laughter. The ship was always teeming with life, it was like no other place Law knows of. Not even his own vessel, the Polar Tang, which can get rather rowdy with his twenty-one chaotic members ever gets this loud. He resisted the urge to let out another loud sigh, lest he gets teased for the umpteenth time. Instead, he refocused on the soft clinking of dishes, where Sanji was carefully washing up after dinner. He watched silently as the cook of the Strawhats meticulously worked, separated from the rest of the gathering but still chiming in with sarcastic remarks.

The blonde man didn't even seem to sweat at providing enough food for both crews, let alone Luffy's massive appetite. He felt as the ghost of a smile kissed his lips, curving the ends of his mouth upward in the faintest sign of endearment at the thought of Straw-hat-ya. He remembers the first time he saw Luffy eat. He'd be lying if he said he still didn't find Luffys' way of doing things at the dinner table to be frankly, kind of disgusting. However, Law would most certainly be lying through his teeth if he said he couldn't stand the sight of it like he did when he first became acquainted with Straw Hats' gluttony. It unfortunately became a trait Law has simply come to accept and associate with Luffy. A part of him. A part of the person Law lov-

Slam!

"Ughhhh..." He violently stopped his train of thought by slamming his forehead into the counter. His flushed face was safely hidden behind his arms. He drove his head repeatedly into the wooden surface of the island table he was sitting at until the urge to claw his skin off eased a little. He wishes he could've missed the odd glance Sanji threw his way at the uncharacteristic display. He blames it on the few drinks too many he had. Unfortunately, Usopp was very skilled at mixing up drinks, and a pleasant buzz and airy feeling had overtaken Law. Thankfully the only effect it had on him so far was making him sleepy, and making the words on the pages of his book seem to never sit still long enough for him to actually read. 

Thinking of Luffy brought a rare genuine smile to his face, but he was pained each time his thoughts wandered toward straw hats and near permanently wrinkled eyes. 

There's been a recent issue, a problem that Law is most displeased with.

Luffy won't look him in the eyes.

Before, he would find himself looking in the younger man's direction, only to find him already looking at Law. Their eyes always found the others' as if there was a magnetic connection always ensuring their gazes would lock no matter the distance across a room. As if they were always aware of the other's presence within a space, a hidden force always driving the two to end up side by side. 

Amidst the inner turmoil of Law trying to figure out what he was truly feeling for Luffy, the man in question began to pull away. It was subtle at first, and in his moment of self-discovery, he hadn't realized it, but the man he was constantly stressing over stopped seeking him out as often as he used to. He began to avoid being alone with Law and began to make excuses to not speak with him. Any conversations the two had were clipped, short, and painfully awkward. Law couldn't stand it any longer. It felt wrong, although he had only known Luffy a short time, his steady presence beside him felt right, natural, and easy in a way few things were for Law.

Now, it seemed like Law was chasing him further and further away with each attempt he made to come closer.

This won't do.

He was acutely aware of each second they spent dancing around each other like this, each minute he wasted not spending it with Luffy. How each day was one less he had to come forward with how he felt before their alliance came to its inevitable end. Until they had to part ways. Thinking about not hearing Luffys loud voice and unmistakable presence sent a pang of hurt through Law's alcohol-softened heart.

it was with this thought that he flipped to the back page of his medical book and clumsily tore a page with an empty back, ignoring the authors' credentials and research citations on the other side. He pulled a pen from his breast pocket and tried not to spin around on the bar stool he sat upon and just force Straw Hat to look at him. He could almost imagine the feeling of rubber being squished beneath his tattooed fingers as he forced Luffys face toward his. It startled him, how much he truly missed the connection of black eyes meeting his. 

He brought the pen to his lips and harshly bit off the cap, spitting it off to the side somewhere in his tipsy determination.

He carefully smoothed the wrinkled and slightly yellowed page to the best of his ability, and then he did what Trafalgar Law did best. He made a plan.

How to get him to fall in love with me

Ten easy steps. He wrote frantically, and it showed in his messy handwriting. The Straw Hats navigator announced earlier that same day that they would depart from the island in about eleven days from now when all materials were restocked and conditions would be ideal to continue their voyage. It was risky, staying this long on an island, but they had no choice as a severe storm blew its way through the path they needed to take. Bepo and Nami-ya already agreed with their respective captains on which needle to follow. The course was set, the Straw Hats would take the East, and the Hearts would head North. In eleven days, the two crews would say goodbye and leave in separate directions. 

Law would be dammed if he let Straw Hat leave without first telling him what he...felt.

His heart soared in his chest when he heard Luffy let out a screech of laughter behind him at something Usopp and Chopper did. He sat up and off the stool and watched as Luffy doubled over in glee, clutching at his stomach.

He watched as Straw Hat took shuddering breaths and wiped his eyes, a brilliantly bright smile stretching his features into wrinkled corners with the force of his joy. He watched as Luffy noticed Law watching. Watched as his spine straightened out and his shoulders stiffened, how his eyes darted away. The younger man was quickly swept back into conversation by a half-awake Zoro, but Law had nothing to keep his mind from lingering on the sight of Luffy so uncharacteristically tense.

He looked down at the paper in his hands, first on his agenda; getting Luffy to look him in the eyes. He carefully folded the paper up, tucking it into his breast pocket and headed back to his bed on the Polar Tang, leaving behind the sound of everybody mingling on the Sunny.

Black eyes followed him.

Chapter Text

Law dreams of his younger sister braiding dandelions into a flower crown, of his father stressing over work at the hospital, and of his mother cooking a stew he can't remember the taste of.

When wakes up, for a moment, he forgets everything that happened. For a very brief moment, he is not followed by a cloud of thick grief.

"Captain!!" 

Law sits up in his bed, cold air immediately hitting his bare chest as the covers he barely remembers getting into slide off. He notes the dry feeling in his mouth as Bepo opens the door to the captain's quarters with fervor, immediately muttering out an apology that Law waves off with sluggish tattooed fingers. "I thought it was odd that you hadn't woken up yet, you're usually the first one up...Sanji-san is gathering everybody for breakfast on the Sunny...Sorry." His meek friend bowed slightly and hit his head on the door frame coming back up, causing the bear to stumble out of the room with a hiss. The light coming in from the hallway burns Law's eyes, and he tries not to hiss. 

Despite his gloomy mood and slight headache, Law smiled a little bit at his friend. It was gone as quickly as it came. "I'll be out in just a second, thank you, Bepo." He inwardly winced at how horse his voice sounded and watched as Bepo closed the door with a smile, still rubbing the top of his furry head. Law stood up slowly, mindful of his half-awake state, and began looking in his closet for a towel and a new pair of... everything to put on. He sighed and noted how his breath still smelt like whisky and whatever else Usopp gave him. He'd have to fix that, too.

As he was putting his dirty clothes in the laundry basket of his room, he noted a piece of crumpled paper in the breast pocket of the shirt he wore last night. Pulling it out, he felt his cheeks heat up. He must've been more out of it than he thought he was last night, to come up with something as ridiculous as this. 

Fresh out of the shower and wearing a pair of clean clothes, Law turned through the metal hallways of the Tang, taking his time to get to the Sunny. He couldn't get it out of his mind, that stupid piece of paper. It was barely legible for sea's sake! And yet, for the entire duration of his brief shower, he had turned the words over and over in his mind. It was awfully written, not just in penmanship, but in general too. Law was known for his plans, and although careful of arrogance, Law was quite proud of his title of skilled tactician. His plans were detailed, meticulous, and logical. These measly scribbles were close to nonsense, and yet here they sat in his back pocket, following him to breakfast.

Now that he had time to process, he did remember writing the pathetic thing down last night. He also, unfortunately, remembered that Luffys odd demeanor around Law had not changed.

As he stepped onto the lively space of the Sunnys' deck, he wondered what possibly could have happened to warrant this sudden change in behavior. It was a complete one-eighty, before, Luffy had practically been attached to Law's hip. The younger captain would climb all over him as if he really were a damn monkey. It had bothered him at first, a great deal in fact, but now that the man would barely look at him, he silently mourned the loss. It had been a few days now, of this back and forth between them. Of Law casually trying to close the metaphorical and literal distance between them, of Luffy running just out of his reach. It was driving him crazy that no one else seemed to notice, either. Was he crazy? Was this normal? Did the novelty of Law's presence just wear off?

He entered the dining room and kept his gaze downward and avoidant for fear of further rejection. He slid into a bar stool next to Robin, as usual, choosing to distance himself from the battlefield that was the main table, lost in thought.

There was no scream of 'Toraoooo!' trying and succeeding in dragging him to a seat at breakfast, no annoying buzzing in his ear about treasure and beetles and things as unnoteworthy as the weather, suddenly sounding all so incredibly important coming from Luffys mouth. As if everything mundane and dare Law say, insignificant was something worthy of care, curiosity, amazement, and attention in Luffys eyes. It was all gold to him, the rubber man himself once said. Dirt and seashells and everyday adventure.

Law sighed again.

A hand tapped his shoulder and disappeared in a flurry of flower petals. "You seem quite distracted this morning," a light voice spoke beside him, forcing him to register where he was. He could mope later, elsewhere. He nodded in acknowledgment in place of greeting and wiped off the pink petals from his shoulder, perhaps a little rudely. He ignored the angry squawking of "Listen when a lady is speaking to you!" from Sanji and instead began to pick at the plate that was tossed in front of him from across the bar table. "And you better eat all of that, you hear?!" Next to him, a dish was set in front of Robin much more gently, and with much more fanfare. "Enjoy, my lovely lady!" Robin smiled and thanked the flamboyant cook, and they both watched him return to plating everyone's meals with hearts in his eyes and a spring in his step. Not one to give up easily, Robin turned to look back at him again.

"What's on your mind, Torao? You seemed a little out of it last night, too." Her tone, as was her smile, was kind, but he hated how it felt as if she knew. He took a bite to purposefully slow his response, and to show how thrilled he was to be making conversation. Robin was by far the most tolerable of the Straw Hats, but he was in a sour mood. The food was good, as everything Sanji made was. It ticked him off. Everything was ticking him off. Even the sounds of his crewmates loudly mingling with various members of the Straw Hats brought a deep frown onto his tan face. The damn traitors. At some point, the two crews began to do meals together, and seeing the friendships emerge between his and Luffys crew had been amusing at first. Now he just wishes he never introduced Ikkaku to Nami, or Penguin and Shachi to Usopp. He thinks the relationship between Jean Bart and Jinbe was nice to see, though. 

He breathed in and tried not to be a dick. It was too early to be so unsociable, and Robin had always been kind to him. She was good conversation and had never treated him as an outsider, even aboard her crew's ship. He supposed he should be happy for his crew members too, they needed connections beyond just each other and now was not the time to be possessive of them. He swallowed, quickly made something up, and finally answered, hoping he didn't sound as depressed as he felt. "Just thinking of what needs to be done before we depart. We need to start restocking today, after all. We've sat around licking our wounds long enough," he lied. It wasn't completely false, but he and Bepo had already gone over and written down what needed to be done before the party started last night.

He tried not to flinch at the sound of Luffy yelling in excitement as a comically large spread was placed in front of him.

He shoveled more egg into his mouth with his chopsticks and was grateful to Sanji when the man swung by with plates stacked on his arm and a glass of water for the each of them. When he noticed his plate had lacked the slice of garlic bread everyone else's plate had, he muttered a quiet, "Thanks, Black Leg-ya".

He tried to ignore the smirk Sanji left with and the smile Robin threw his way. Law continued to eat, eventually being swept up in conversation by Robin and Franky.

Monkey D. Luffy was somebody who always knew what he wanted.

When Luffy wanted more food on his empty plate, he would yell it out, very loudly. When Luffy wanted Zoro as his swordsman, he boarded a dinghy and went to go ask him. When Luffy wanted something, he always went for it, and he always got it. To him, this was the very core of being a pirate. Holding the freedom to go after what he wants, when he wants it. 

These were the facts, the constants of the world, even in places like New World where practically everything was an unexpected adventure after the next. Luffy would find the legendary treasure, the One Piece, and become King of The Pirates. Luffy was going to be the freest man in the world. Facts. Robin told him all about facts. Things that were sure, solid ideas that were unchanging. 

Zoro liked booze and swords, a lot. Facts.

Nami hit him really hard when she got mad. Facts.

Usopp told a lot of funny lies. Facts.

Sanji made really yummy food. Facts.

Chopper danced a silly dance and could always patch them up real well. Facts

Robin was really smart, and knew how to read hard words. Facts.

Franky always smelled like oil and built cool stuff. Facts.

Brook played a lot of good music and knew every song Luffy requested he play. Facts.

Jinbe was super calm and never complained when he asked him to steer the ship somewhere that was probably impossible to go. Facts.

Toraos golden eyes were really pretty. Very real facts.

Torao always looked really soft when he slept on his bear, softer than Bepo's fur. Facts.

Torao hated bread, and before Sanji knew, Law always gave Luffy his under the table. Facts.

Luffy can't stop thinking about Law.

Luffy has an issue. 

Because Luffy has never once hesitated to go after what he wanted, and he really wants Law, but he can't even look him in the eyes right now. Because he barely got any time to enjoy that fluttery feeling he got when the other man would stand next to him, or scold him, or just look at him before it was all ruined, before he found out. 

Law was in love with somebody. Law was in love with somebody and it wasn't Luffy. Couldn't be Luffy.

He heard it! He heard Penguin and Ikkaku while they were securing the ropes tying the Tang to the Sunny. He was going out to take a leak, and they were gossiping and giggling about how whipped their captain was, how much he'd smile and soften around whoever it was. There was hope and there was fear, and his whole body started to buzz with anticipation. He took his piss and made his way back to where everybody was, planning on demanding to know who it was right then and there, and there he was. Law, bathed in the soft blue glow of the aquarium on the Sunny, speaking about something Luffy didn't care about to Robin and Chopper. By the way Chopper was so immersed in conversation, it was probably something medical-related.

Looking at him, Luffy felt something he had never before. He froze, and suddenly was filled with a cold, dreadful kind of feeling. Luffy had felt anxious, and dread.

Luffy knew Law didn't hate him. 

He could complain and nag and bitch all he wants, but Luffy knew, Law didn't hate him. 

But was there ever a world where Trafalgar Law liked him? Loved him?

The more he thought about it, the less sure he felt, and Luffy was somebody who was always sure. Smart Law, gorgeous Law, moody, always tired Law. He suddenly became increasingly, distinctly aware of all the differences between them. Law didn't laugh around Luffy. He barely even smiled at him! He wasn't soft with him.

In that moment, Luffy didn't feel like himself. Before, being with Law made him feel light and airy and good. He felt like he could fly away and live forever and do anything off the feeling he got around Torao. Now, looking at the glint of light reflecting off his golden earrings and tattoos peeking under his button-up shirt made him feel small, and heavy in a way he hadn't felt since grief had weighed him down. He felt kind of sick, kind of like he was sinking. Looking at how natural Law looked without Luffy clinging off of him, dragging him to nowhere in particular, making him take deadly risks in the name of fun and adventure made him suddenly realize that Luffy liked Law a lot more than Law would ever like Luffy. And that was an awful, terrible feeling.

This all left Luffy with one thought. Almost surprised at the bitter feeling that had overcome him.

Who was it? 

Was it somebody really pretty? Like Nami? Or somebody really smart? Like Robin? Somebody super funny? Like Ikkaku?

Luffy wasn't pretty, or book smart, but he was funny! But he didn't think Law cared much for that, and that just made him feel worse. 

He sat down next to Zoro and tried not to let everything he was thinking show on his face, because Torao looked really happy in that moment, at ease and comfortable. Luffy started to speak with Zoro without feeling his mouth move or his brain work, and he tried his best not to stare at Torao, because if he looked him in the eyes he was scared of what he'd see. Or what he wouldn't.

He didn't want this feeling, this bitterness and helplessness, but he didn't know how to stop it. 

This wasn't like him, Luffy knew, but it was being Luffy that got him here in the first place, because he could imagine that somebody like Luffy would love somebody like Law every single time. He just couldn't fathom a reality where somebody like Law would love somebody like Luffy.

So he just tried to get away from what was causing the symptoms in the first place. He tried his very best to get away from Law.

Luffy resolved not to make a scene. If Law loved somebody, Luffy didn't want to be the reason she found out. He'd silently say goodbye to the Heart Pirates and they'd go their own ways, to their own adventures, and hopefully, with time, Luffy would forget all about the funny feeling he'd get when he was with Law.

The sound of the other captain speaking to Robin and Franky was probably the quietest conversation happening in the mess hall, but it was the only thing Luffy could hear as he stuffed his face with more emotion than usual, even amidst the sea of noise around him. 

"Jean Bart, Bepo, you two will load the torpedos when they're done, I don't trust any of you fools after the last incident." Ikkaku, Penguin, and Shachi wore matching shit-eating grins, yelling out in unison, "Sorry Captain!" They weren't sorry. Law sighed. "Uni, Hakugan you two are on food stores. There's a list of everything that's needed In the kitchen. Clione, you get spare wood, metal, nails, and everything else we need for repairs. Alright, that's everyone. For the last and final time, does everybody know what they're doing?"

"Aye Captain!" The Hearts were too cheerful for a bunch who were just dished out rather laborious chores. He felt more like a preschool teacher than a notorious pirate captain. He gathered his crew on the wooden deck of the Tang, and his loyal crewmembers took a seat on the battle-worn planks in front of him. The sub needed some love, as was the main focus of the meeting. He sighed as Penguin slowly raised his hand, practically vibrating with excitement. He sighed, deep and miserable. "Out with it already," the three of them cackled, loud and in his face, and soon the entire crew was chuckling and sniggering along with them as if he said anything even remotely amusing. As the first one to regain her composure, Ikkaku spoke for the three of them. "What are you gonna do, Captain?" Having known them for so long, the disrespect wasn't something he even blinked at, simply replying with a dry, "I'm busy today."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because suddenly everyone was booing him. His face heated in embarrassment and anger. A loud familiar laugh coming from the Sunny had his neck shooting upward to see the sight of Brook. "You have an issue, Bone-ya?!" The booing intensified, and so did the color in his face. All his previous rage simmered down as he heard the voice he had been itching to hear directed to him, say his name, anything, giggle. "Shishishi! You guys are so funny!"

He sputtered, trying to reclaim the situation, until Luffy was looking down at him, recognizing his presence, and moving on.

Yes. Law was very busy today. He muttered out a lazy, "Dismissed" to his crew and boarded the Sunny with loud steps, ignoring the screeching behind him. Law had done a lot of thinking, all the while the idiotic piece of paper in his back pocket burning a hole in his skin, and maybe it wasn't such an awful idea. Because what's the other option? Allow Luffy to leave without telling him? Without at least repairing the friendship they had? He couldn't allow them to depart like this, on barely speaking terms. Law couldn't bear it, he knew he'd regret it for the rest of his life. As crude a plan as it was, as badly written and unlogical, what else could Law do?

So, step one.

Before Law could even fathom doing anything else, he should at least be able to make conversation with the man he needed to speak to. Luffy had jumped up and into the crow's nest of the Sunny, probably keeping Zoro company while he completed his morning training routine. Law stopped at the foot of the latter leading up to the hatch of the room. He pulled out the piece of paper, and took a long look at it before steeling himself.

Step 1. Get him to look me in the eye.

He shoved it back into his pocket and opened a room, settling to just teleport himself inside before Luffy could hear him coming and escape.

"Law!" His room breaks and he turns toward the footsteps running toward him with a scowl on his face. Nami reaches him, and uses his shoulder as a brace while she catches her breath. Instantly he is on edge by her behaviour. "What happened Nami-ya?" 

"Uhm, Chopper needs you! Yes, Chopper wants a second opinion on what he might need to restock for the ship's supply." He casts a glace upward, to where he was just about to go. "Tony-ya needs help?" Nami nods her head furiously, red strands of hair falling out of place atop her usually perfectly groomed head. "Yup. He needs you right now!" Nami grabs his arm and begins to drag him to where he assumes Chopper is. He straightens his spine and shoves her hand off his arm, following her frantic pace, deciding to find Luffy after whatever this is. 

It turns out, that Chopper was not confused. At least, not until Nami punched his furry arm. Then the young reindeer was filled with questions on herbs and medicine and different storage practices for all sorts of weather and illnesses. He found it all to be a little suspicious, but he found Chopper's passion refreshing, and he had all the answers to his questions, so they sat down with a cup of tea and Law told him all he wanted to know. It wasn't until a comfortable silence finally overtook their conversation that Law excused himself to go find Luffy. He's not sure why that conversation was so urgent, but Law was glad he was able to help. He went into the crow's nest, not surprised to find that Luffy had disappeared, he was not known for sitting still. Law turned to Zoro, who was still lifting his ridiculous amounts of weight. The man had raised an eyebrow as Law entered but hadn't protested against his uninvited presence. "Zoro-ya, have you seen Straw Hat-ya?" 

Zoro continued to lift his weights, gaze fixed on the wall. "He was here a while ago." 

Law gave him a moment, but after silence was the only other response he got, he further inquired, "Do you know where he could have gone?" Zoro continued to lift his weights. A steady up, down, up, down. "No idea," the fellow swordsmen replied after a minute. Law had almost thought the other hadn't heard him. As he turned to leave through the small man hole, the weights were put down with a heavy thump.

Law turned back toward Zoro just as he swung his newest sword, Enma at him. Law side stepped the swing, dodging it completely. Behind him, something that was hung up on the wall fell to the floor. Law's hand found its way to Kikoku's hilt. The swipe had no deadly malice in it, but it would've drawn blood, and worse, torn his hat had he not moved out of the way.

"Spar with me, Spotty. I need to practice using Enma against other people, and you can reattach your limbs." 

Law growled at the nickname, the faded white patches of skin were a sore spot, and he couldn't ignore the threat to his precious hat. Zoro knew this well, and Law assumed he was just bored and wanted a fight. "Isn't Black-leg ya here to play with you?" Zoro bristled at the comment and lunged at him, Law jumped out of the way again, but this time, he rolled behind Zoro and swung Kikoku down at his shoulder. It would've gone clean through, had Zoro not blocked it with his own blade. They struggled for dominance for a moment, then the green-haired man smirked, his one eye narrowing in concentration, and forced Law back and away from his person. He knew that Law excelled in close combat, and that letting him get too close could prove detrimental. 

"That was pretty violent, Tra-guy. And here I thought you didn't wanna play," Zoros' taunting voice was loud in the otherwise empty room, he began to walk around Law, sizing him up and looking for holes in his defense, Law knew he wouldn't find any. "Well," Law said as he surged forward, "I can reattach more than just my own limbs." Zoro grinned, a toothy, violent grin, and the two began their dance of hits and swings. The two traded blows until the room smelt strongly of sweat and they were both gasping for breath, finally, Law and Zoro looked at one another, both too prideful to yield. Instead, they both shook off their battle stances, agreeing to call it a day without speaking a word. A draw. Law hadn't realized how much a spar would help his stress levels, and he was silently grateful Zoro picked a fight with him. His head felt clearer, and his shoulders lighter. He accepted the water bottle Zoro threw his way and they both chugged the cool liquid silently. Zoro wiped his mouth, ignoring the trails of water going down his bare chest, and spoke, "Why were you looking for Luffy?" 

Law almost choked on his water. 

Trying to keep a straight face, Law answered as nonchalantly as possible. "Nothing important."

Zoro raised an eyebrow at him, as he often did in place of speaking. He began to dry himself off with a towel, and understanding the silent dismissal, Law climbed down the ladder without saying anything else to him. As he reached the deck, his mind wandered to his original goal. He pondered where the reckless younger captain could have gone in such a long period of time form this morning to now, and the groaned, as the possibilities were near endless. By the lack of Luffy-level noise on deck, he could assume he was either inside or that he went ahead and began exploring the island. It was hard to imagine that Luffy's curiosity could be contained for long, and so Law began to scan the horizon. Just as he was walking onto the shore, he ran into Franky. He seemed to be repairing part of the Sunny Soldier Dock System. The man seemed pleased to see him, waving him over. Law grumbled a little under his breath, but walked towards the cyborg. He had been curious on how the Docking System on The Sunny worked anyway. 

"Hey Torao! How's it going? are you heading to the island? Suuuper!" Law winced as some cola landed on his cheek as the older man did his signature pose. All of the Straw Hats were so eccentric. And loud. If the man had been here for as long as Law suspected he had, maybe he caught wind of where the person he was looking for could possibly be. "I'm heading to go look for Luffy. "

The man twitched with his hands still in the air.

Interesting.

"Ahhh, that checks. Captain never sits still, does he? Say, do you have any time to help me out here?"

Law was beginning to grasp why his day had been so busy so far. "No, actually, I don't have time, Robo-ya," he bit out. He tried to ignore the surprising hurt in his chest and began to speed walk towards the village that rested between snowy pine trees and scenic mountains. Before he could go any further, arms materialized out of thin air, stopping him dead in his tracks. He had a feeling he might not find Luffy today after all. He struggled a bit in Robin's hold, before going slack. 

He's running out of time. 

Don't they understand that? Doesn't Luffy understand that?

He doesn't want to see Law that badly? To not meet his eyes, to not stand to be in his presence, to sic his crewmembers on him? How does he fix this? What does he do?

What did Law do?

For the first time in years, Law kind of wanted to cry. Out of anger and frustration, out of rejection and hurt. He guesses the real question was what didn't his ass do. All he did was complain and ridicule Luffy, scolding him and vocalizing his annoyance whenever the other would seek him out. Constantly negative, brushing the people most important to Luffy off when they'd go out of their way to include him in their tight circle. How could he have ever thought somebody like Law had the right to stand next to somebody like Luffy? He thought he had already learned his lesson with Cora-san.

He sighed, a sad sound, demotivated and defeated. He fixed his expression to something more neutral as Robin and Franky made their way to stand in front of him. He hated the way some sand got into his shoes, and he wanted to scream. Just to see if Luffy cared enough to see if he was alright. 

"Now," Robin said, her voice cool and controlled, "I think Franky could use some help." Her smile was warm, but he felt a chill go down his spine. Besides her, Franky chuckled nervously. "Yeah, some assistance would be Supper...."

A beat of silence followed, and Law considered putting up a room and just teleporting away. He flexed his hands in thought and noted how Robin's intelligent dark eyes followed the movement. He knew then it was no use. "...Alright. I'm, happy to help, Robo-ya." The arms around flexed with surprising strength, and he quickly added on, "It'd be my pleasure, really."

He was released with a sweet smile and the aroma of flowers sprouting around him. A towel was handed to him. "You reek, Torao." 

Robin was indeed brutal.

At least he didn't approach Luffy like this. Though he knows the younger man wouldn't have cared. 

It wasn't until several hours later that he was freed from his position as pack mule by Robin and Franky. He had to endure the humiliation as his crew came tricking back from their errands on the island. Of course, they teased him no small amount. Besides Jean Bart, who offered to help, seas bless him. Unfortunately, his powers came to be quite useful in moving heavy objects around. At least the Sunny's construction was explained to him as he worked, and Franky seemed to be truly ecstatic to answer any questions Law had, taking the opportunity to talk his ear off about the systems the ship had and how he built them. He tried not to be annoyed that Robin got to sit in the shade a couple of feet away, reading leisurely as Sanji would periodically come to bring her snacks or refill her tea. 

Law went back to his ship to shower for the second time that day, and he was forever grateful for the water system they had on the sub. Law thinks he'd jump off the Tangs' deck if he had to go and pump water for his frequent bathing. As the cold water hit him, he made a mental note to ask Franky about the Sunny's heating system.

He smiled, thinking about how much Luffy despised showering. 

He should've found it gross.

All he found was a warm feeling overtaking his mind, making his cold shower seem a little more bearable.

He plotted how to get Luffy to look at him as he shampooed his hair, and he wondered if love was always this domestic. Whatever he did to receive Straw Hat's cold shoulder, Law would make up for it. Maybe Law didn't deserve anything more, but he thought he at least owed it to Luffy to apologize properly.

When he got out, it was around noon, which meant that it was lunch. 

This, Law knows, is just about as close to a honey trap as there is for Luffy. So when Sanji called everybody to the mess hall, Law wasted no time in entering the already bustling room. His eyes scanned the crowd of both Straw Hats and Hearts, searching for the man he had been searching for all morning. When he had no such luck, he figured he'd just wait, Luffy would come eventually. No way he'd miss a meal. 

Right?

It was just Law and Sanji now, everybody had already eaten their lunch and gone back to the busy day ahead. But Luffy didn't stumble through the doorway like he always did, there were no shouts for a ridiculous portion of food. Law couldn't fathom it, a world where Luffy wasn't the first one to lunch, let alone not eating it at all. He continued to wait and watched Sanji in silence, who seemed to be taking stock of supply. he made a mental note to give a generous sum of berry to the Straw Hats to reimburse them for the hospitality, after all, the majority of mouths to feed were Hearts, and while he knew Sanji didn't mind cooking for them, he was sure it was taking a toll on their stock.

Annoyed at his starting, the cook turned to him. "Do you need something? You usually don't linger this long."

Finally, Law relented. "Is Straw Hat-ya not coming to eat lunch today?"

The blonde man straightened. "No, actually."

Law didn't expect to hear such a straightforward answer, and especially not that one. But he quickly realized the trap he was in, but if he's not paranoid, and what he thinks is going on truly is, then it doesn't matter. He met the other man's eyes in a silent battle. "Why?" 

"Surprise you care so much. You didn't seem to mind his absence these past few days." Law resisted the urge to open his mouth in shock. Was Sanji always this confrontational? This protective? 

Law averted his gaze. Guilty. He studied the slightly stained counter, holding memories of who knew how many celebrations and gatherings. Faded coffee stains and who knew what else. Law was no fool, while Sanjis' voice was sassy, neutral, even, Law could hear the simmering anger beneath the clipped words. Saw the way he nibbled on his cigarette. "I just find it odd is all. Luffy is usually ecstatic to eat your food."

Sanji was not amused at the implied compliment. After enduring a painful moment of his heated gaze on Law, the other man sighed and threw a cleaning cloth onto the counter. Whatever deep-seated anger the man held towards him deflated into thinly veiled annoyance. "I packed him a lunch box."

"Oh," Law answered dumbly.

He had been so focused on seeing him, he had forgotten he often would have Sanji pack him food to eat on the go.

Sanji seemed to study him for another moment. Law felt like the cook was trying to burn holes into his skull to peek inside his brain. He wouldn't be surprised if he found holes in his shirt if he were to glance down. The other man seemed to be picking him apart, stubbornly looking for something in him, and Law felt incredibly lacking. Sanji didn't seem to find whatever he was looking for, and Law guessed that was a good thing when he put his hands on his hips and jutted his chin towards the cloth. "Help me pick up after the animals we call our crewmates, and maybe I'll let you know where Luffy ran off to."

Law would later look back and be embarrassed by how quickly he was put to work. Even more so, how the counters and tables shined when he was done.

Sanji gave him another read crumb to go off of, which somehow turned into Law helping Brook with laundry, then Usopp with his special attack stars, and Nami with the organization of her graphing room, he was even recruited by Jinbe to replace the weathered ropes on the Sunny. While being sent to reload the fuel needed for the Sunnys' Coup de Burst, he was more than shocked to find it was powered by cola of all things. Franky had somehow managed to leave that bit out, and now Law had more questions to present the cyborg. 

At the end of it all, he was sweaty again, and he still didn't know where Luffy was. He was no closer to getting the other man to look at him.

He's not quite sure how he became the Straw Hats chore boy for the day, but he silently cursed them all as he shined cannonballs below deck with Chopper. He was determined to run as far away from the Thousand Sunny and all its insufferable members as soon as he was done. It almost scared him, how quickly they all manipulated his desire to see Luffy, and how effective it was. Had the unsaid threat of never allowing him to speak to their captain again not loomed over his head, he never would even have thought of doing all this. At least he had a lot of time to think, and now Law was equipped with about a hundred excuses to go up to Luffy and begin to mend whatever was broken between them. Now if he could only find him.

He sighed. He was doing that a lot today.

Besides him, Chopper giggled, and a devious, maybe even cruel thought occurred to Law.

"Tony-ya, why has Luffy been ignoring me lately?"

Chopper dropped the ball he was shining on his foot, and immediately his form reverted back from Heavy Point. Law almost felt bad as the little animal clutched his foot. With the new height difference, he put the last cannonball away and Law loomed over him, pleased with the way Chopper squirmed under his heavy gaze. "Uhm, has he? I haven't noticed." Law sighed once more, and slid down the wall to sit on the floor beside Chopper.

If he had to ask anyone, it would be Chopper. Earnest, kind, and caring to a fault Chopper. If he did anything truly wrong, he would tell Law. "Did I...offend him somehow?" 

At this question, Chopper's stuttering stopped. He settled next to Law, rubbing his hoof absentmindedly. "I'm not the one you should be asking though, am I, Torao?" It was a fair observation. It was probably unfair of Law to corner Chopper like this, to run away from Luffy and ask another his doubts. But Law just needed to know how badly he screwed up. He needed to know what he did to cause all this, and now, empowered with the fact that he wasn't hallucinating Luffys change in demeanor, he grew bold and impatient in his quest for answers. He had put up with all the Straw Hats stalling long enough.

"I just need to know, Tony-ya. How badly did I hurt him?"

Chopper turned and looked at him. "It wasn't your intention to." To that, Law scoffed. "It never is, is it?" There was a lot left unsaid, but he felt as if Chopper heard it anyway. The small reindeer smiled softly. "I'm glad to hear the confirmation, if anything. But I really think you should go ask Luffy all this, Torao. Because we ourselves aren't quite sure what our captains thinking. Quit doubting yourself in Luffys presence. Luffy needs no reason to be kind to somebody. I've seen it over and over again. He'll come to you soon enough on his own, I'm sure of it."

At this, Law didn't know what to say. He ruffled Chopper's head, skewing his hat atop his head, and stood up. Before he left, he threw a piece of candy behind him in silent thanks and took his leave with a lot on his mind. He was incredibly aware of the feeling of that stupid piece of paper in his back pocket. 

When Law emerged from below deck, the first thing he saw was Luffy.

Earlier this morning...

When Luffy finished with his meal, he thanked Sanji and ran out the door toward the crows' nest where Zoro was already headed. "Zoroooo! Wait for me! I said I'd come with you, didn't I?" 

He fell into step with his green-haired friend and laughed as the other answered him in the same way he always did. "You were taking too long."

Luffy hummed and stretched a hand onto the entrance of the crows' nest and propelled himself up in one easy movement. He kicked his feet back and fourth as he waited for Zoro to climb up the rope ladder, moving out of the way when he made it to the top. They fell into their familiar routine as Zoro picked up his weights, and Luffy began to speak of whatever was on his mind. 

Of course, he avoided a very sore subject entirely.

Luffy knew that Zoro probably noted the sudden decrease of Torao-talk, and was grateful that his First Mate didn't comment on it. Knowing himself, Luffy would probably spill everything the moment he was promoted, and he really didn't want to think of it. So instead, he talks of the dream he had last night, content with Zoros' occasional input or snort. 

Luffy listened as Zoro complained about Sanji and his growing debt to Nami, and how greedy Enma was.

Eventually, Luffy fell asleep to the steady sound of Zoros weights. He dreamt of golden eyes and golden earings and fluffy hats.

Luffy was awoken from his slumber by a hand gently nudging his shoulder. Not Zoro then, he'd just poke him really hard with his foot until he was awake. He was kind of annoyed, he was dreaming a really good dream. His interest peeked when he recognized Robin's delicate hands, and he followed in the direction they were pointing to. Downward. He snapped to attention and leaped down to the deck of the Sunny, meeting another pointing finger. To the left. 

Luffy chased the magically appearing hands until he was eventually led to the empty library, Robin sitting with a cup of coffee and one of her books in front of her.

Curious, he approached her at a much more relaxed pace than he had been following the hands with. Whenever Robin did this, she had something important to say. Suddenly he thought back to all the things he had done recently. Was she gonna scold him for clogging the toilet again? Franky was annoyed the last time he accidentally flushed a rubber duck down into Sunny's pipes. As if sensing his thoughts, Robin patted the plush cushion next to her and playfully teased, "I won't bite, Luffy. You didn't do anything wrong."

Luffy chuckled and threw himself beside her, enjoying the way he slightly bounced beneath the soft seat. "What if I did do something bad? would you bite me then?" Robin replied a little too earnestly, "Never, not you, captain."

"Then what about Zoro or Usopp? Shishishi! I bet Usopps nose would taste good." 

"Maybe if I had Sanji cook it for me," she said in contemplation. Luffy laughed harder. He had such a funny crew.

Robin giggled next to him, covering her mouth with her perfectly manicured hand. He wondered if Toaro liked soft hands, and Luffy felt the callouses on his palms with his thumbs. Robin took a sip of her coffee, and he briefly wondered how she could stand it black. Even Torao took it with a splash of milk. 

"Luffy, do you like Torao?"

Luffy coughed on his own spit. "wh-what?!" He replied dumbly.

"I mean it Luffy, do you like Law? Love him?" Luffy felt sick. Was he that obvious? No, Robin had always been observant. He hadn't even realized he had stood up until Robin was gently guiding him to sit back down. He found himself looking around the room, as if searching for anybody that might be eavesdropping. Robin frowned. "Are you mad at him? Did he do anything to you?"

"No!" His answer was immediate, and he noted how Robin seemed to relax a little. The smile was back on her face, but it didn't sooth him. He felt like a little leaf going down the rapid white currents of a river, like what he used to do when he was little, send little green leaf boats and see whos went the furthest. He slumped in his seat, and resigned himself to just telling Robin everything. He liked keeping these things to himself, but he felt kind of crazy, and he needed to tell somebody. Robin would probably know what to do, how to get this awful gunk out of his chest. She always did. She'd listen.

She allowed him to collect himself, and Luffy fiddled with the fabric of his shorts and he searched for the words to describe what was going on inside of him.

"I didn't really have time to think about it, when we were saving Camie from those annoying guys at the auction house on Sabaody, but his eyes were pretty." Luffy didn't look up from his hands in a rare moment of self-doubt. He swallowed and continued, "And when he saved my life, at Marineford, I guess I was pretty grateful, that it was somebody like him that was there. Jinbe was great, but Torao seemed like he knew. And when he looked at me with those pretty eyes, I felt a little lighter." Luffy swallowed, his throat bobbing. "When we were at Dressrosa, beating Mingo, is when I knew. That I...that I liked Law. When we laid together on the floor and felt like a curse was lifted and the world was ending as his stupid cage closed in on us from above, when I looked over at him, a word came to mind. Something to describe the way I...felt around him. And then it just...didn't stop. And I didn't want it to. It just grew and grew as we traveled to Wano, and formed the Pirate-Mink-Samurai alliance."

"The way I felt about him, the way I felt around him, it made me feel strong. And gooey, and good."

When Luffy gathered the courage to look up, Robin looked a little shocked. She noticed whatever was written on his face and smiled warmly. Luffy thought she kind of looked like a mom, which is funny, cause he never knew his, but was pretty sure this is what a mom is supposed to be like.

"So, what happened, Luffy?"

He was kind of hoping she'd laugh and call him ridiculous, even though Luffy knew Robin would never do that. He kind of wished she would tell him that this was just another type of friendship, and they could laugh it all off at his expense, that Luffy was so silly, so stupid, and that he was worried for nothing. That this was nothing serious and he could put it all behind him and go run up to Torao and pretend like nothing had ever happened. 

"I think...no, I know, that Torao, that Law, is in love with somebody else."

What Robin said next shocked him. "So?"

"What?! What do you mean, so? I thought you'd get me, Robin." Luffy huffed, and tried to ignore the building heat behind his eyes. Robin wouldn't judge, but he felt humiliated. Laying himself bare here between the old books and soft couches to somebody he thought would understand.

"Ah, let me rephrase that. That's never stopped you before, now has it? Why allow it to stop you now?" Luffys' first instinct was to shut the idea down. To yell 'Nope!' and just wallow in his self-pity, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Monkey D. Luffy was a man who always knew what he wanted, and he wanted Law.

Monkey D. Luffy was a man who always went for what he wanted, no matter what. So why was this so different? 

"Running isn't like you, Luffy. Why are you avoiding Torao when he approaches you? That's certainly not the Luffy I know."

As if egging him on with this new perspective, Robin asked further, "Do you know for sure who this mysterious person is? How can you be so sure who Torao loves isn't you?" And wasn't that a question. Luffy was glad he was sitting down because he was sure he'd be dizzy if he was standing. He had no proof, and Nami had once told him that you needed proof to back up instinct. And Luffy, had none. Zero. Robin was right. Running wasn't like Luffy at all.

"What do I do?" Luffy turned to Robin, and looked her earnestly in the eyes, "Robin, how do I get Torao to like me? To love me?"

She smiled again, and this time, he was willing to hear everything she said.

Law almost stumbled right into Luffy, who seemed just as shocked to see him.

Confronted with the person he was trying to reach all day, Law was rendered mute. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he quickly snapped out of it, and caught Straw Hats arm just as he turned to walk away. His skin was warm, and Law had almost forgotten just how unnaturally hot Luffy runs.

"Luffy-ya, please," his head ran through all the excuses he had been cooking up throughout the day and came up with nothing of substance. "I, ah, I need your...help. With something. Urgently. Captain to captain, you know?" He cringed at himself and wished for a Marine to appear and arrest him on the spot.

Luffy didn't even turn. He gently took his arm back with a shrug, and Law didn't tighten his hold. Stupid. "Please, I just need to speak with you."

"...It's not done yet, go talk to Nami or Zoro. I'd probably ask them about whatever it is later, anyway." With that, the younger captain was practically running away from him. Law watched helplessly as he pondered Luffys words. What did he mean, it's not done yet?

Step 1.  Get him to look me in the eye.

Failed.

Chapter Text

Law was sulking on the Sunny, trying and failing to come up with a reason for why he was being tortured like this. He was determined to make it up to Straw Hat, but his confidence was waning. Does he truly have the right to keep chasing Luffy if he obviously didn't want to be chased? Would an apology just be selfish for Law to give when it was so obviously unwanted?

When Law was so obviously unwanted?

He stared into the eyes of a green fish, lazily swimming about in the blue water. It seemed content in its aquarium aboard the Sunny. He wonders if the fish knew that one of these days, it'd be served up to the people it spent its time watching. 

Law groaned and hid his head in his hands, feeling free to throw a tantrum in his solitude. When Luffy had spoken to him earlier, he had sounded so lifeless. There was no chirp in his tone, none of the usual affection and warmth it always seemed to carry. It was as unnatural and unnerving as a fish stuck in a glass cage, waiting for its turn to be devoured. He sighed and leaned back against the plush velvet cushion, his head tilted towards the ceiling.

It was all that stupid paper's fault. Stupid tipsy Law found no faults in his plan, and he was dumb enough to give it a shot in a more sober state.

A part of him wishes he never fell in love with Straw Hat, all the way back when he was crazy enough to punch a World Noble. When he was insane enough to go to war with the World Government for his crewmate, Robin, and again for his brother Ace at Marineford. When he stood up against Kaido is when Law truly knew, the weight of what he felt.

When he laughed as the battle was declared over, victorious and free.

Law just wanted to be part of it, get a little closer to the man who spread freedom and warmth to all those around him. In nearing inch by inch towards the Sun, Law got burned. What a fool he was. 

He sighed, like he always does when he thinks of Luffy.

He reached a hand underneath himself into his back pocket and pulled out the piece of crumpled paper that caused all this mess. He felt it with his thumb as he continued to glare at the roof. It was still as pathetic as when he first wrote it, but now Law had a burning resentment for the feeling he bore as he held that pen down to its yellowed surface. He felt so embarrassed, humiliated, and ashamed. The heavy feeling climbed into his skin, as if consuming him. He felt stupid and mortified, and yet still he didn't tear the damn thing up like he wanted to, craved to. Doing so would feel like an admission of guilt. Like discarding evidence of some crime he had committed.

Trafalgar D. Water Law had never been in love before.

Not until Monkey D. Luffy. Not until now.

If he knew how stressful it would be, maybe he would've been more hesitant to allow his thoughts to stray towards sunny smiles and rubber limbs.

But he didn't, and now Law must deal with the consequences.

Luffy's crew knew something. They were purposefully trying to keep him from Luffy. He ignored the slight feeling of betrayal and instead focused on trying to figure out why. Did they notice Luffy's hesitance to interact with Law and take it upon themselves to further distance the two? It was highly possible, with the Straw Hats being concerningly emotionally intelligent. Did Luffy tell them to redirect Law whenever he approached? If that was the case, then Law had truly messed up, but his mind still drew a blank on what he had done.

What do you do when you feel like your life is on fire?

Law needs to stop. 

He needs to stop being a fucking coward, stop with the moping, stop with the constant doubting himself. He'll get nowhere like this. He needs to just...keep trying. He finally looked down at his hand, where the piece of paper was still held in a firm grip. He opened it, and the sloppy words taunted him further. Law felt like even the fish were watching him, laughing at his inadequacy and inexperience. 

But he needs to keep trying. He just has to roll with it. Since when has Luffy ever followed his plans anyway? Law has always been able to deal with his unpredictable nature, so why not now? 

With that, Law began to tweak his plans. First, he still needed to get Luffy to actually look at him, which really shouldn't be so hard. But it was, so he needed a foolproof plan. Then he can move on to phase two which was bestowed upon him by his alcohol-affected counterpart.

With this in mind, Law stood up and made to leave the cozy space of the aquarium bar, prepared to make Luffy look him in the eye when chaos erupted. Hysterical shouts and cries coming from below deck had Law immediately dropping the note onto the tiled floor with a slight smack. Throwing his hand up, his inked fingers spread out. He rationalized that the noise must be coming from Usopp's workshop, since it was directly below the bar. He put up a room and focused intently on switching his person with a spare piece of wood from below deck. Blue surrounded him, enveloping the middle of the Sunny in a brilliantly vibrant hue, and suddenly he was standing in the middle of the panic that had been muffled upstairs.

"AHHH! What the hell, Law?!"

Law recognized the voice of Luffy's sniper, or rather, his screams. "Long nose-ya, what happened?!" All he heard were yells and movement, his vision compromised. He couldn't see the long-nosed man through the thick smoke, and so he had to guess in which direction the man ran in. Law's nostrils burned as he tried to assess the situation, and his chest hurt with the force of the coughs that began to shake his body. He instantly regretted trying to speak in these conditions.

The brown-skinned man seemed to feel the same way, covering his mouth with his hands, trying to pause his coughing long enough to bark out, "Oh whatever! Franky, the fire extinguisher!"

Law ignored the thundering fast-paced footsteps of the sniper and what he now knew was the shipwright. The sound of it seemed to echo in the room, the chaos amplified it as his brain worked a mile a minute to work through the situation. Instead, his burning eyes were immediately zoning in on the silhouette of a smaller frame, hunched over with a shirt pulled over its face, attempting to ward off the smoke and ease the coughing tearing through their body. Law ran over to the lump of what he immediately recognized as Luffy. Grabbing a rubber arm, Law hauled the man off the ground, dragging him towards the exit. He couldn't understand what Luffy was trying to say through all the noise around them, each of his pained syllables interrupted by his hacking.

Despite his inhuman appearance, Franky seemed to be faring no better against the black smog, his strained words were barely audible through his coughing. "Can't find it, dude!" 

Usopp's terror seemed to double with a sudden realization that had him running back and forth with a cloth, trying and failing to stop what Law now understood was a fire licking at the walls, and most prominently, a work table. Law held Luffy closer to his body and braced himself for whatever had the cowardly sniper this shaken. "The barrels! AHHH The barrels! They'll explode! We're all gonna die!!"

With that, Law extended his fingers, sending the three Straw Hats up into the aquarium bar upstairs, and felt around the space with his devil fruit, trying to find the barrels of what were probably the flammable materials that Ussopp mentioned. He sent all the barrels he was able to sense upstairs with the three men, switching them with empty glasses from the bar and throw pillows belonging to the couch. With the imminent threat of explosion gone, Law picked up a hammer and switched it with the fire extinguisher, doing his best to target the largest flames and coating the doorway, hoping to stop the spread of fire. Seeing as it didn't have the desired effect of completely putting out the flames, Law used all his strength to switch the sea water from outside the ship with the smoke inside the searing hot space. With the combined effort of the tedious move, and the curse of the seawater bearing into him, Law collapsed onto the floor, briefly swallowing salty liquid. 

He quickly used all the remaining will he had to prop himself up on his elbows, lest he drown in a foot of water. How embarrassing that'd be. He wishes he could've teleported himself up with the others and done this all from upstairs, but he knew he wouldn't have had the strength to pull it off. He cursed how much energy his devil fruit needed for the millionth time.

He heard him before he saw him, as one always does with Monkey D. Luffy.

It was only due to his prolonged exposure to sea stone in Rasetsu Prison at the hands of Hawkins that Law was able to speak through the Sea's hatred of him, his weak voice came out barely louder than the rushing of water around them. "No! Sea water...don't touch."

Either mot hearing or not caring, Luffy marched into the workshop, immediately sinking to the floor as the sea water sapped his strength. With a surge of panic, law noted he fell face-first into the water. Law tried to drag himself to Luffy, but found himself submerged again. Battling the rush of water, he was able to get his head back up. "Y-you.. idiot!" He rasped out, his voice lacking annunciation.

A new presence joined them. Saving his captain from drowning, Franky picked Luffy up by the neck of his red vest as if he were a mere cat, and Law felt like he could breathe again as Luffy coughed out the water he had inhaled. The giant man walked further forward and picked Law up by his arm. Carrying the two like ragdolls, he made his way out of the considerably less on-fire workshop. He hoped Usopp could forgive him for soaking his blueprints, but then remembered he didn't give a damn since they would've burned anyway. Law felt as the adrenaline left his system, and he was beyond thankful he reacted in time, for had he not, the fire would've spread to the bar upstairs. Having Zoro on board meant it was always fully stocked with a large variety of very flammable bottles, it surely would've resulted in a major explosion.

The downside to rooms made completely of wood.

When he snarked as much to the man carrying him, the cyborg was quick to defend his masterpiece. "I built this ship out of Adams Wood! It's the most fire-proof wood there is! Though I can't say the same for our furniture...I'm sure the fire wouldn't have spread to the rest of the Sunny though. Aren't you devil fruit users supposed to be completely drained of energy when it comes to water though? You save just enough to bitch and complain at me!?"

Ugh, eccentric indeed. 

Law didn't grace him with an answer, instead mumbling out, "What even happened down there?"

Franky glanced down at his captain with a silent question on his face. Luffy used his waning strength to shake his head. Franky shrugged, "A fire just, broke out. Crazy how that stuff happens. SUPPPER dangerous, you know?."

How curious.

Franky threw them onto the soft grass of the Sunny's deck, and Law could hear Nami ripping into Usopp in the distance.

The rest of the Straw Hats nearby were drawn by the noise and came to investigate. With all of them busy trying to figure out what had happened, Law and Luffy were left to catch their breath like two flopping fish thrown back into the water. Although their situation was quite the opposite.

Law saw his chance and seized it. He rolled his head to look over at Luffy. His eyes trailed his soft jawline as it was pointed up towards the sky, he watched how unruly black strands were stuck against his forehead, licking at his ears and nape.

"Luffy-ya. Are you alright?"

Luffy didn't respond immediately, and he didn't look at Law. It felt like a door was slammed in his face, leaving him to scratch at the other side of the door like an abandoned animal.

"I'm not dead. So there's that, I guess." 

Law hummed, and ignored how much relief those simple words brought to him.

There was no reality in Law's mind where Luffy could die.

"You came back for me," his words were as neutral as they always were. Maybe he even sounded bored, but he wondered if Luffy could hear how hopeful it really was. How fragile this attempt at throwing a lifeline to connect the two of them was. Law was half afraid of Luffy saying something along the lines of 'Oh yeah I don't give a shit about you, I just forgot my pen down there!'

After a heavy, awkward silence, Luffy spoke up in response.

"I couldn't have your ass dying, silly." That might as well have been a marriage proposal, the way Law's heart soared.

With the two of them still being too tired to move, Law took the opportunity of Luffy not being able to run away from him. In a move of boldness, Law flopped over closer to Luffy and tried to convey a sense of seriousness. Luffy still didn't make a move to look at Law, but he hoped Luffy could feel his gaze on him.

"Tonight, let's both take watch shift. Just me and you. We really need to talk, Luffy. I think we both know that."

"...Okay."

With that, there was nothing more to be said, and Law was content to watch the sun play on Luffy's face, and rested his head back against the green grass. He ignored the way it was kind of itchy and instead watched as clouds lazily made their way across the sky above them. 

Robin's face turned serious as she faced Luffy. The empty library was silent around them.

"Luffy, what do you like about Law?" Her face remained soft, even as stern. Luffy was slightly taken aback, but the shock wore off to gentle concentration. He thought for a moment, face turning serious, matching the expression on the archeologist's face. "I like who he is. Everything that makes up Torao."

Robin's mouth twitched into an approving smile. She chuckled, "Yes, but I mean, is there anything in particular?" 

Luffy turned his head up to the ceiling, a hand coming to scratch at his chin in thought. "Hmmm, I like that he listens, and gives me his leftovers. I like how excited he gets about Germa 66."

Robin watched on silently as Luffy began to list a million reasons, ranging from seemingly meaningless details to surprisingly romantic observations. 

This will do nicely.

Robin gently interrupted Luffy's rambling to present her idea. "What about giving him a gift?"

"A gift?" Luffy seemed confused by the idea. "Like a birthday gift?"

Robin was patient. "Something to show your romantic interest in, like a bouquet of roses is a very popular choice." Luffy scrunched his nose in distaste. Would Law like flowers? What kinds? Sensing his discomfort with the idea she quickly added, "It can be something else too. In fact, maybe you should take a look around at the shops. We have lots of time here before we depart, after all. It should be something that reminds you of him, something that represents what you like about him."

Inspired, Luffy jumps from his position on the plush couch. "Yeah! I'm gonna get Torao the best gift ever! And then he's gonna have to forget all about whoever he likes and see me!"

Robin smiled conspiratorially, hiding the curve of her lips behind her cup. 

With that, Luffy ran out of the library with a big grin and a goal.

"Oh!" Luffy ran back the way he came, barely being able to come to a stop and slamming the door open. "Robin! Do me a favor and let everybody know to not let Torao find out, okay? He can't know! it has to be a surprise! Make sure he doesn't bother me!"

Robin chuckled, a light and airy sound. "Aye, captain. I'll make sure everybody knows Torao is not to follow you."

"Thanks, Robin!" 

Luffy snuck off the ship, taking care to avoid the man he had been avoiding for the past few days. Ignoring Law was hard, but it was harder to feel the crumbling rejection inside Luffy's stomach when the other man was nearby. He didn't know who Law loved, but Luffy had to prove to Law that he was the better choice. 

As Luffy's sandals met the golden sand of the island, he decided he'd get Law such a good gift, he'd feel all of Luffy's love just by receiving it. Nodding to himself, he wandered further inland, his head full of vindictive smirks and spotted tan skin. It was due to this distraction that he realized he actually didn't know what to look for. When he found himself in the middle of the open-air market of the island, he didn't have a clue on where to start. His mouth watered with the smell of all the surrounding street foods, but he shook his head.

He had to focus!

He still found himself chewing on a meat skewer shortly after, enjoying the juicy sweetness dribbling down his face. 

Just as Robin said, he did see a lot of flower stands, and they all seemed to be shouting something about gifting the vibrant plants to wives and mothers alike. Torao's not his mom, but he guesses he fits more into the first category. He giggled, giddy at the idea of marrying Torao.

He gravitated towards the brighter petals, tulips of all colors, bright sunflowers, and delicate lilies. 

What did he like about Torao? 

Just about everything there is to like about a person, from his funny little frown to the way he refuses to eat bread. But how does he show that?

Luffy peered at every stand he could find, but not a single one of them seemed like something Torao would enjoy, much less be able to feel Luffy's love through.

Luffy walked up to a particularly interesting booth and eyed the shiny gems on display. Each one shone with a unique color and shape, catching the eyes of anyone passing by.

They were all pretty, but Luffy felt his eyebrows scrunch together in slight frustration. None of these felt like something Torao would like!

"Looking for something specific?"

Slightly startled, Luffy looked up from the shiny gems and met the eyes of an older woman, her wrinkled face smiling kindly at him from the other side of the display.

"I'm looking for something to gift to somebody. But nothing has felt right so far!"

The woman nodded, seeming to understand his frustration. "Hmm, maybe I can offer some assistance. Who's it for? A friend? Family member? Something more?"

Luffy was quickly learning that love was always either straightforward or hinted at, as if it was something so divine that people were scared to speak its name. 

Was Law 'something more'?

"The last one? I need such a good gift that they'll be able to feel everything I want to tell them!"

The woman chuckled. "And I assume you've already looked at my jewelry here? Did you find them inadequate?"

Luffy didn't pick up on the slight jab. "They're pretty, but they don't feel right! They're not what I'm looking for, but I don't know where else to look! The flowers didn't seem right, either..."

The older woman hummed again, silently amused at the young man's conundrum. "Oh, to be young again. Well look here, young man. A gift like the kind you're looking for doesn't have to be something so standard like flowers or jewels. Think about who they are, and what they'd appreciate from you."

She paused, and looked towards the sky, a wise smile overtaking her sun-kissed features. Luffy looked at all the stories written in her faraway gaze and wondered what kinds of stories she had to tell.

"A gift to someone you love...it should be something that truly means something to the both of you, even if it's not quite the norm." She looked back at Luffy, meeting his eyes with her own. "In my own personal opinion, something handcrafted, with love carefully poured into it is always a loving gesture."

Luffy watched as she got the same look in her eyes that all his friends did when they spoke of their dreams. "That's why I began to make jewelry. I was proposed to with a piece of wood my late husband carved. Despite the criticism from those around us, I found it to be the perfect gift. Now, I spend my days hoping to craft something with affection carved into it, just as he did."

She began to laugh, a beautifully crafted melody, in Luffy's opinion. He began to laugh with her, and he got the feeling that she didn't have many people to laugh with anymore.

"Although I guess jewels are shiner than polished wood. Either way, young man. A gift should contain love. I hope that this old crone's story could be of some help."

Her words were wise, but her giggles were still youthful, full of joy and little snorting noises and a warmer something Luffy finds in truly kind people. He thinks that she was a master creation of love made by the world, just as her jewelry were creations of hers. She certainly sparkled like the colorful gems on display, anyway. Maybe even more so.

Luffy grinned, a wide and toothy thing that was probably too wide for his face. "My friend Robin told me something similar! I think I get it now, though. Thanks, Granny! That was helpful!"

Before the woman could respond, Luffy ran off, his sandals slapping against the ground, kicking up dirt behind him. He left the aromatic and noisy market, leaving the smells and shouts of vendors behind until he was surrounded by silence and greenery. The floor beneath him changed from well-kept paths and cobble roads to the squishy leaf-covered ground of the forest. Around him, the trees grew denser and denser until he was well into the wild tangle of roots and unkempt foliage.

Luffy stopped, taking a slow spin around to view the area.

Perfect.

Luffy ran his hands across the textured bark of a tree. He searched through bushes and turned over big rocks. Crouching down, he began to dig until there was a thin layer of dirt on his skin and a big pile beside him.

He stood up and huffed, wandering towards the sound of running water.

Luffy found himself shin-deep in a small river, the water lapping at his dirty legs. He cleaned his hands and let the water sweep away the dirt that had accumulated on his arms. He did this near a fallen log, careful to use it as support as his limbs grew heavy with fatigue as they always did in contact with water.

He waddled towards the rocky edge of the water and sat down on a flat rock, his eyes drawn to the muddy wall that ran alongside the water. His eye caught something shiny. His hands carefully plucked the rock off the wall, and he dipped it in the frigid water, revealing a pretty purple hue behind murky brown.

Luffy looked at the small thing in his hands, and his mind drifted to Law. 

"Something that reminds you of him," he muttered.

"THIS IS IT!"

Usopp was surprised, to say the least, when his captain came to him with a request. He had been working on his special attack stars as Frankly babbled to him about the modifications he had made to the Sunny's docking system. All Luffy needed was a drill. 

So how did his workshop end up on fire?

What a wonderful question. One Usopp desperately wanted the answer to. But alas, all the mad had was questions.

For some reason, his captain was hell-bent on sanding down a rock. Okay, easy enough. Usopp handed over some sandpaper. He felt a bit like a parent helping their kid make arts and crafts but whatever. Then, Luffy asked for a drill. Weird but oh well, the issue came up when Luffy wanted to drill a hole into his stupid rock all on his own.

Despite the fact that Luffy has never used a power tool in his life.

It took patient instruction from Franky, and some not-so-patient help from Usopp just for him to hold the damn thing correctly. Yet somehow this still ended up happening. Usopp's lungs were burning from the thick smoke, and he could hear Franky and Luffy having the same issue.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, DUMBASS?" 

"It wasn't my fault! You're stuff just exploded! I barely touched it!"

Usopp flailed, trying to support himself on a plank of wood as he coughed his lungs out, just for the damn thing to disappear in a flash of blue light. What the fuck!? Usopp's body flew to floor, and he landed with a loud oof on the ground. His hands practically teleported to protect his head as the fire broke out into raging flames. What could possibly be burning that's producing this much smoke?! Even expecting it, Law still gave him a heart attack when he appeared in his typical dramatic fashion.

"AHHH! What the hell, Law?!"

Such an edge lord.

The tall man took a look around, already feeling the effect of the poor air quality if the coughs he let out said anything. "Long nose-ya, what happened?!"

Usopp got up from his downed position and tried to navigate his way towards the fire extinguisher, just for it to not be where he last left it. He must have put it back in its place, and he scolded himself for being so organized. His field of vision was interrupted by too much smoke now to see clearly. "Oh whatever!"

Bracing himself for the plumes of smoke about to enter his lungs, he yelled out to where Franky was last. Usopp didn't have time to be surprised by Law's odd appearance, not if he didn't want to be burned to death. "Franky, the fire extinguisher!"

He heard Franky, or more like his coughing and his thundering footsteps, an odd metallic sound amidst crackling flames. "Can't find it, dude!" 

Suddenly, Usopp remembered a very important detail.

As he was modifying his botanical special attacks, he had recently been dabbling in all kinds of plants he could use in combat. Using those plants, he could make unique ammo for his trusty slingshot, Kabuto. The Grand Line sure was full of interesting things. 

Like very exotic, explosive plants. 

Combined with very explosive chemicals.

WHICH HE USED TO MAKE EXTREMELY EXPLOSIVE AMMO.

Dread filled his lungs more than the stupid smoke could ever hope to. Usopp lunged for the cloth he used to wipe down his sawdust-covered tables, desperately trying to hinder the path of the flames already begging to lick at where he stored his special attack stars. He panicked even more when all his efforts seemed to do was fan the persistent flames.

"The barrels! AHHH!!!! The barrels! They'll explode! We're all gonna die!!"

Fear consumed Usopp, he felt like the hot inferno bringing sweat to his brow had transferred underneath his skin, infecting his heart with a terrible, paralyzing terror. He looked over at Law, hoping to be consumed by his usual stoic demeanor, but was instead further panicked by his surprised and conflicted expression. The man was staring at something further away that Usopp couldn't see. 

Shit.

Law's eyes had been intent on staring down the direction in which Luffy had been before this whole disaster struck. Usopp dearly wished his rubber friend was alright. Luffy had been closest to the sudden explosion of fire after all. For a moment, Usopp was more terrified for his closest friend than he was for his own sake, and with that, Usopp began to frantically search for where he had left the fire extinguisher. If Franky hadn't found it, perhaps it wasn't put away after all.

Law's eyes seemed to snap back to focus with Usopp's loud scurrying, and in a moment, the man was at Luffy's side.

A moment later, with a flash of blue, Usopp found himself upstairs in the aquarium bar on his ass, Franky beside him, and a very charred-looking Luffy on top of him. All of them had soot on their bodies, their hair sticking up in odd directions with a burnt smell penetrating the air, but as Usopp shoved Luffy off of him, he thought that for all things considered, it could've been a lot worse.

His previous worries were immediately consoled as the barrels full of his experiments were returned to safety. Law was truly a capable man, and Usopp suddenly felt like crying for many reasons. With the other two men's groans beside him, he snapped out of his moment of relief and realized they weren't quite done yet. He trusted Law to deal with the fire. He knew Law would be fine.

The harshness of all three of their coughing was of greater concern at the moment. His throat was scratchy and felt as if that stupid sandpaper Luffy had wanted so badly had been stuffed down his windpipe, he felt the stinging of small burns all over his body, and his insides were burning from smoke inhalation. And his eyes. Seas, his eyes stung. He sniffed, wincing at the way the horrible dryness in his noes just got worse.

"Luffy, Franky, c'mon guys, let's get Chopper to take a look at us all. I felt like I hacked up one of my freaking lungs down there. That couldn't have been good."

Before he could utter another word, Luffy jumped up, his dazed state completely replaced by rushed urgency. "Torao!"

Franky extended a metal arm that attempted to pull the rubber man back, which Luffy dodged swiftly. The man was off like a bullet, hurling to his destination, uncaring of his condition. From his position on the floor, Usopp groaned and rose to his feet. When he stepped on, a folded piece of paper?

The paper had been folded multiple times into a little square, the thing thick and feeling odd underneath his foot. He removed his shoe and ignored Franky's grumbling about their captain's recklessness. As he picked the little thing up, he heard his cyborg friend race to Law and Luffy's aid.

He curiously unfolded it. 

Ah.

As Usopp watched Law laying beside Luffy in the soft green blades of grass on the Sunny, he realized he already knew.

Law loved Luffy.

Luffy loved Law.

This was an indisputable fact. It was almost painful to watch as Law looked at Luffy so softly, admiring the sight of the sun kissing his captain's soaked hair. The moment Law's gaze was seized by the sky, acting as a quiet spectator above them, Luffy's pupils were practically drinking up every detail Law had to offer.

Their obvious pining for each other was so blatant it was hard to think that there was ever a second where Usopp hadn't seen it. The loyalty and admiration they had for one another, it was written so plainly on their faces that it seemed they were trying to tell each other their affections with just the softness in their features. It was adorable, it was tooth-rotting, it felt natural.

So what were they doing?!

Looking at them like this, with their departure on the horizon, it was hard to imagine they wanted to waste time, what? Loving each other from afar? What kind of bullshit was that?

Clearly, some form of miscommunication was going on.

For a moment, Usopp had believed that Law and Luffy were going through some weird rivalry phase. Robin had told the entire crew of their captain's wishes, relying his desire to be spared from Law's presence. Sure, okay, Usopp thought. Luffy's weird like that sometimes, mysterious in the oddest, most fleeting of moments. But Usopp had long since learned to just go with Luffy's whims, and so he had distracted Law to the best of his ability today. Whenever the other man would seek Luffy out, he or one of his crewmates would swoop to the rescue. 

It had worked just fine.

But why was Luffy avoiding Law in the first place? Did it have something to do with that stupid rock? Was it some sort of treasure he wanted to snatch before Law could even try? 

Usopp felt a headache starting to form.

He massaged his temples and took a final glance at the confusing pair. It felt too intimate, them resting there under the sun's gaze together. Usopp felt kind of like a pervert for watching, as if he was intruding on something holy and pure, tainted by his still sooty hands. 

With that, Usopp entered the bathroom, aiming to take a long shower that would wash away the stains of today's endeavor. Here in the safety beneath the strong water pressure, Usopp could think on Law's little note all he needed.

there was one thing that wouldn't leave Usopps mind, though. 

Who else knew of this?

When night had befallen the Thousand Sunny, Law felt himself grow nervous. Dinner hadn't been very different from the previous few days, Law remained ignored by Luffy. He had been able to reign in his anticipation well enough until now, but as Luffy announced to both their crews that he and Law would be the only ones on night watch, Law could barely hear anything over the rushing in his ears.

A hush fell over the normally noisy crews, but nobody protested. They normally had two Hearts and two Straw Hats on duty, but Law and Luffy were more than strong enough to protect the two vessels should anything go wrong.

He felt kind of dizzy as that serious expression overtook the other captain's face.

But Traflgar D. Water Law didn't get scared.

So he followed Luffy into the dark night towards the Sunny's figure head, feeling like a sheep being led to slaughter. Luffy jumped up onto the railing of the ship, patting the space beside him. A part of Law was elated at the invitation, since the other man had been avoiding him so fiercely. Even if this odd behavior had only been present for a couple of days, the time had seemed to stretch, each awkward word shared and avoided gaze piercing a cold needle into Law's heart. 

He leaned on the railing on Luffy's side, both of them watching the soft light from the kitchen glowing on the deck. Sanji was probably washing up, now. Everyone had left the mess hall with a full belly and the memory of laughter.

Law was tired of this, of Luffy not looking him in the eye.

He turned to Luffy, his gaze piercing yet gentle.

"Luffy. Why won't you look at me?"

Finally, finally, the eyes he had been longing for met his.

Bottomless black against a deep golden yellow.

Luffy looked at Law, and he felt like he was undergoing a lie detector, no matter what he said, Luffy would see straight through it, straight to the core of who Law is, what he's truly trying to say, and why he says it.

Law thinks that is what really ensnared him towards Luffy, there's a certain gravity the other man carries. 

Luffy looked troubled, and after so long of not seeing his eyes meet his, it wasn't what he wanted to see.

Luffy jumped down from his crouched position on the railing to stand next to Law. Leaning over the white-painted wood to peer at the waves below them. Law mirrored his stance, turning to gaze at the expanse of the horizon. Luffy shoved a hand rather roughly into his shorts pocket.

"Here."

Luffy didn't even look away as he presented something to Law in a fisted hand. Almost as if hesitant, Luffy slowly unfurled his fingers, revealing something in his palm.

Law carefully took what he now knew was a small stone of sorts from Luffy's hand into his own. The moment felt fragile, as if with a single blunder Law could shatter the entire thing. The small thing was warm in his hands, trying to keep the warmth Luffy's hands had lent it. He closed his own hand around it protectively, Seas forbid it fall over the railing and into the ocean. 

He spoke quietly, barely a murmur into the birthing of the night around them. "What is this?"

Law had so much to say and yet this felt just as important. So he waited patiently, giving Luffy time to collect his thoughts. It seemed to pain the other man greatly, and Law wondered what sort of battle he was fighting internally, and if he was the cause of it. Every moment they spent in odd silences, the world around them turned darker as day bled to night, and it made Law feel uneasy, as if the world was sending an omen. 

"It was supposed to be a gift," Law startled slightly as Luffy took his fisted hand and guided it to a beam of yellow light coming from the kitchen window. "But I messed it up." Luffy uncurled his fingers with his own, Law felt like the pebble, trying to soak in Luffy's unnatural warmth, finding temporary sweet reprieve from the stinging cold crisp air.

With the sun retrieving behind the furthest waves, an explosion of pinks and oranges spread across the sea as it surrendered and left gracefully, allowing the full emergence of the moon.

Law was pretty sure he wasn't breathing. 

Luffy was a canvas being painted on with the colors of the sunset, both their breaths coming out in white puffs. Law watched with a funny feeling in his stomach as they mingled and mixed between them, their breath interacting. He was hyper-aware of Luffy's warm hands on his, still gently prying away tattoed digits from concealing what lay in his palm, leaving a buzz beneath his touch that had nothing to do with temperature.

In the provided light, Law could see that the rock in his palm sparkled brilliantly, reflecting all the light around them on its rough and smooth surfaces. The blueish hue of the emerging moon, the beams of both natural and artificial coming from the sunset and the kitchen. It all mixed on the rock to create an art piece, and still Law believed the sight of Luffy finally looking at him, unflinching and unafraid, was the most breathtaking sight.

"Seems perfect to me," Law breathed out without thinking.

If he had the capacity to, he's not even sure what he'd say.

Luffy's eyes widened, and a grin broke out on his face.

Luffy was looking at him. Luffy was looking at him, at Law, and smiling at him. Big and wide and full of warmth.

Even with darkness surrounding them, for the first time in much too long a while, Law had the Sun shining down at his face.

"Luff-" 

ROARR!

Law braced himself against the railing as the ship shook violently, and he looked up at the scaly perpetrator.

Must he always be interrupted??!!

"Woah! A Sea King! A GIANT ONE!" Luffy wasted no time to act, jumping up into the air and coating a fist in haki, delivering a single powerful blow to the exposed jaw of the creature. The sea king dove back into the water, and Law was surprised to find that Luffy's punch didn't do much.

The waves around the Sunny moved violently as the interrupting creature splashed back into the sanctuary of the water. The movement below them betrayed that something massive lurked beneath the waves. Within the waves, Law noticed something peculiar hiding in the dark shadows. 

Law sighed, and beside him, Luffy landed back onto the Sunny with a muted thump and giggled at his expense. Despite himself, Law smiled a little. There was no small amount of relief in his soul, as it seemed everything was back to normal. Law unsheathed his blade, allowing the metal to glean in the moonlit atmosphere. "Well then, Straw Hat-ya, I guess it's my turn now." Kikoku was thrumming beneath his hand, burning, aching for blood.

Law was ready for the sea king when it emerged, with a single swing of his sword, Law cut open its delicate stomach open. Before the mess of entrails could get on the ship, Law extended his hand, setting up a room, and teleporting it far enough away. The two of them watched as it fell into the water, letting out a final keen. "Torao! we could've kept that and given it to Sanji!" Back to normal indeed.

"Is all you ever think about food, Mugiwara-ya?"

"Duh! What else is there to think about?!"

But normal isn't what Law wanted.

He looked Luffy dead in the eye, happy that he could do that again. "Well, I spend an inconvenient amount of time thinking about you."

Law felt heat rise in his cheeks, but willed his face to remain passive. His heart rate picked up, and he focused intently on Luffy's reaction with bated breath.

Luffy pouted, a crease in his brow revealing he wasn't really joking, "Oh c'mon, I'm not that annoying, am I?"

That wasn't quite the reaction Law had been expecting, and much less the one he had been hoping for. A pang of guilt nestled itself in his chest. Did Luffy ever worry about that? If he was a bother or not? Because of course Luffy was annoying, but he couldn't think of anyone who was truly bothered by it, who wasn't endeared by it. He hadn't ever known Luffy to be insecure, of all things, and it felt unnatural. Law huffed and looked away from Luffy, changing the subject. Doing what he always did when he couldn't figure something out, running away, like a coward. 

"Did you notice that the sea king had some sort of leash on?" Law set up another room, bringing thick chains on board the Sunny from the frigid ocean below, hoping no one was awoken from the ruckus that they were causing.

Luffy looked upset for some reason, and Law was about to apologize for his earlier comment when Luffy spoke firmly, "That's wrong." 

Before he could elaborate further, their attention was seized by the feeling of multiple signatures entering their range of haki. The sound of cannonballs being fired had them moving before they could even blink. Without speaking to one another, they knew their roles. Law used his rooms to teleport cannonballs in the opposite direction, using Kikoku when any got too close. Luffy inflated himself, sending the projectiles right back to their attacker, sinking a few ships. 

The fleet attacking them was impressive, their formation solid, and their Jolley Rodger hung high. Law didn't recognize the flag, which was an immediate red flag to him. As he squinted towards the distance, he understood what those chains on the beast were. "Luffy-ya! They're chaining sea kings to their ships! Be careful!"

Suddenly the air was heavy around him, thick and angry and sticking to his skin, buzzing like static.

Law had heard what people called this sound, and had understood immediately when he heard it on Onigashima, and he relived that moment of pure awe as he watched Luffy's hair grow white.

The Drums of Liberation. 

His hair stood on end, and he simply stood there with his hand clutching Kikoku lamely.

Luffy began to bounce slightly in place, the area around him turning into the same property his body was made of. He cackled as he picked up the chains from the floor and the metal became elastic, malleable in Luffy's hand. He swung and swung and swung, throwing the now cartoonish-looking chains above his head like a lasso. Law's mouth was slightly open in shock, for the chains grew longer and longer.

He had never seen Gear 5 up close, and it wasn't quite what he had expected. It was as if the comic books Law had grown up reading were coming to life in front of him. It was preposterous, that something so strong was so stupidly goofy. It was so stupid, but at the same time, he couldn't imagine anything else being Luffy's trump card in battle. 

Luffy extended his arms, and was suddenly throwing the chains towards the onslaught of cannonballs. Law threw up yet another room and teleported them out of Luffy's way, ignoring the strain he began to feel in his temples. The chains acted unnaturally, wrapping themselves around the fleet, crushing ships together and wrapping them all in a ball. Luffy was in front of them in a second, dealing blow after blow to the now fallen fleet, turning the ships into nothing more than drift wood.

"Shishishi! Don't like the taste of your own medicine!?" Luffy laughed and laughed and laughed, he struggled to speak in between giggles and snorts, and he had never looked more majestic, curled up with the force of his manic glee in front of the full moon, his hair curling around his face in smokey white tendrils.

Luffy straightened up as he floated, as much as he was able, and tore the chains off the remaining sea kings. "You guys can go back now! Don't get caught again, or I'll hand you to my cook!"

The beasts didn't do much to save their captors, and seemed grateful enough for their newfound freedom, leaving without a fight, gracefully slipping back into the cold water. Luffy returned to the Sunny, the white color Gear 5 coats him in slipping off his features like oil, as Law helped support Luffy as he struggled to keep himself up right. "You're body still isn't used to that, huh? Be more careful, idiot."

"Hehe, but I needed to pummel those guys. Who were they anyway? Buncha meanies."

Law chuckled at Luffy's strong sense of justice, and the weird situations it always got them in. He didn't mind it. Not even a bit.

"I didn't recognize their Jolley Rodger, but they didn't seem like rookies."

Both their heads turned as the hatch leading to the mens quarters opens with a slam. Usopp emerged with a scathing look on his face, clearly having been awoken.

"What the hell was all that noise?!"

It was safe to say Luffy and Law were not allowed to be alone for night watch again.

The morning rose with the feeling of renewed hope in Law's heart. Everyone seemed to be visibly relieved at lack of tension between them. Law almost felt guilty, he hadn't realized that their tense attitude towards eachother had effected them so much. But it was obvious wasn't it? They were the crew's captains, their leaders, of course their worsening relationship was taking a strain on the two crews.

At breakfast, Law and Luffy explained why they had been interupted from their slumber last night, earning more than a few grumbles. Zoro in particular was painfully sassy about the whole thing, being more of a pain in the ass than usual. Nami and Usopp were livid at the two, and many of Law's crewmates were spourting eye bags and a nasty comment at him when he walked by. 

"You had one job, one!" 

"But nooo, let the ship get attacked, okayy."

Dramatic as ever, all of them. He flipped Shachi and Penguin off, not stopping to cater to theit whining, he had a much more pressing matter to attend to.

At some point yesterday, with the ordeals of both the fire and attack, he had lost the note.

He tried not to stress. There was nothing too incriminating, other than the fact the whole thing was practically a confession. After destroying his room in search for it, Law tried to casually pop his head in every room, but to no avail. Now his room had laundry thrown all over the place, and he was trying and failing to re-trace his steps.

His breathing picked up a little when the aquarium bar was empty. No stupid love-sick plan to be found.

The handwriting on the note was messy enough he reasoned, it wad nothing like his usual neat scrawl. Nobody would immediately be able to tell it was me.

But who else would need to get someone to look them in the eyes? Now that he and Luffy were back to normal, he realized they were not as subtle as Law thought they were. Step one was pretty much a gaint finger pointing towards himself.

If only he hadn't been drunk that night,

The kitchen was empty,

If only he hadn't gotten the grand idea to write that stupid thing down,

Usopp's workshop didn't have the note,

If only he didn't mess up all the time. Law still didn't even know what he did in the first place and it was eating him alive.

What would he think of Law if he knew?

Would Luffy be disgusted?

disappointed? 

This is why he didn't allow himself these things. Law simply wasn't built for it. But Luffy just had a way of bypassing the walls people built within themselves, each brick of misery and insecurity paved with trust issues and longing. Each of Laws' defenses is a solid wall, and Luffy the bulldozer.

All Law knew was that he had to find that note. 

Before any of the others did.

And in case he didn't? Now was the prime time to begin Phase Two.

Start To Drop Hints.

"Luffy-ya, do you have a moment?" 

Luffy looked up at Law from where he was watching Robin and Ikkaku play a game of chess. "For you? Sure!" Luffy hopped up from the floor and smiled widely, looking ready to follow Law to the ends of the Earth if that's where he wanted to take him. He didn't miss the look Ikkaku and Robin shared, he couldn't quite muster up enough energy to be annoyed, slight anxiety stirring in his stomach. Law was simply thankful that Luffy's back was to their scheming faces. Luffy never misses unspoken meanings like that, reading sentiments on faces as if the feelings of people were written in bold ink on their forehead. Bold and loud for the world to see.

If only he knew that it was a private show, a performance only Luffy had the skill to watch.

Law waved a hand, vaguely gesturing for Luffy to follow him out the library, leaving behind the two giggling women. Law led them off the Sunny, and Luffy got visibly more excited with each step as he realized they were making their way to board the Tang. Luffy rarely got the chance to be inside the submarine, but Law had always assumed that was by choice. He'd understand after all, if the vessel didn't hold fond memories for Luffy after all that he went through inside the metal walls of his ship. 

He led him down the cold corridors, answering the odd questions the other captain had. The Tang felt fuller, with the soft background hum of the ship not feeling so oppressing as it usually does. Finally, Law opened the heavy metallic door of his own library. It was much smaller than the one on the Sunny, but it had a cozy feel to it, with bolted down couches and walls lined with the books his crewmates brought on. The largest section was, of course, books on all sorts of medicine and the various sciences. As Luffy snoped around the room, Law opened a safe tucked in the corner of a bookshelf. He carefully grabbed the well-kept contents, and hoped he was doing this right. Luffy jumped into one of the large reading chairs and began to poke at the throw pillow.

"Luffy."

Somehow sensing that this was a rare moment of vulnerability from Law, perhaps from Law using his true name, Luffy waited patiently with a blank look on his face as Law stood there dumbly in the middle of the room with his precious comics in his hands.

His heart was thundering, and he was a little worried about his Sora collection as his hands got clammy, but he managed to keep a straight face.

"Luffy," he started again, "Would you like to read these comics with me?"

Law hoped the sincerity he felt showed on his face.

"They're my favorite," he quickly added, the brief silence that had filled the room killing him. "I want you to read them. With me." his face felt hot, and at some point Law's gaze had dropped to the floor.

"I'd like that."

His head flew upright, and he was met with a stunning sight.

The corners of Luffy's stretched upwards in a small, nauseatingly genuine smile. It might not have been his usual million-watt grin, but somehow this felt more loving, it was caring and gentle in a way he didn't know Luffy's smile could be.

"Hehe, they're those Sora comics you were fanboying over in Wano, right? I want to know what the hype is about. Just promise me you'll read my comics with me later!"

Law unfroze from his shock, he huffed and shuffled over to sit next to Luffy, the fabric underneath them sinking from the weight of them combined. "It's probably about bugs, isn't it?"

"Duh! Bugs are the coolest!"

Law snorted and gently opened the first volume. Luffy scooted impossibly closer to Law, his warmth seeping into Law's bones. Their sides were pushed against each other, but Law didn't move away like he always did, instead he allowed himself to enjoy the human contact for once. It was nice, and he was terrified to find how much he liked it. How much he liked Luffy.

"Well you can tell me all about them. You like beetles the best, right?"

"Later!" Luffy gently touched the first page with a care that spoke of how much he knew these comics meant to Law. The consideration make Law melt a little. He pointed at a cartoonish illustration, tracing the vibrant colors with feather light touch. "Who's that? He looks cool!"

Law was more than happy to explain.

After a million side tangents, the two somehow managed to get through most of the first part of the Sora comics. At some point, they migrated to Law's bedroom to retrieve the special editions Law kept safely under his bed.

The two were sprawled out on his mattress, each with a comic in their hands. Anytime Luffy had a question, Law was eager to elaborate on the context and lore. He would usually itch at just the thought of somebody other than himself touching his prized possessions, and he never imagined he'd trust Luffy of all people with them, but here he was. Although he didn't think he had anything to worry about. Luffy treated his things just as carefully as one would a newborn.

It wasn't until they were interrupted that he realized how long they had spent just reading together.

"Captain! Sanji said it's time for Lunch...sorry!"

Bepo was the only one with clearance to enter his room besides him,  and he was glad for it as his face heated up at being caught having Luffy in his room.

"Thank you, Bepo."

"Woah! It's so late! I didn't even realize it was time for Lunch!"

"You're not thinking about food? How uncharacteristic of you, Straw hat-ya"

Bepo left silently as the two continued to bicker, and Luffy and Law left to dinner together. Law had thought he was spared from further comment until he arrived back on the Sunny.

Bepo, the traitor, must've let something slip. His crewmates insinuating smirks and the wiggling of their eyebrows said that much. 

Bepo caught his eye as Luffy immediately started to demand food from Sanji, and Law sped walked towards him, recognizing that the bear was about to flee. "I'm sorry, Captain! It was just so strange! You never let anybody in your room...Sorry!"

Law sighed, unable to be mad at his friend. "Don't let it happen again."

"Aye aye!"

Dinner was as noisy as it always was with the conjoined crews, Luffy pulling Law to sit beside him as he used to. Law spotted his chance to continue his wooing when Luffy's plate practically evaporated right after it was placed in front of him. 

Law nudged a kebab towards Luffy underneath the table. They shared a small conspiratorial look and Law watched as Luffy happily devoured it in seconds.

Law definitely thinks he's doing alright at the flirting thing.

It was easy to think that this was all love is, soft and sweet, reading comics and sharing food. Law wanted to keep believing that love could feel like this, wanted to forget the sound of a single gun shot, of crimson colored snow and the intense feel of loss. There was a reason Law had cast out this feeling, a reason his walls were so high.

But he needed to be brave,

And for Luffy, he would.

"And this one is my favorite! It's got a really hard outer shell and-" 

Law pointed at the diagram, the sketches Luffy drew were surprisingly good. "Why does it have those mandibles?"

"Oh! That's a good question, it's for all sorts of things, like grabbing stuff, and crushing stuff, and defending themselves!"

"Didn't know there was so much stuff, going on in a bug's life." The humor wasn't lost on either of them, and they laughed together, their shoulders knocking together lightly, comfortingly. Or more like Luffy cackled, and Law let out a soft puff of air.

They were sitting together on the figurehead of the Sunny, leaning over a small sketchbook where Luffy drew all the beetles he had encountered throughout his journey. Some from even before he had set sail. The pages had crude notes varying from eating habits, native habitats, to how good of a pet they make. Law enjoyed getting a peek into Luffy's elusive mind, gaining some satisfaction from finding that even a mind as disorganized as Luffy's had some patterns and rhythms to it.

It came out on instinct, a simple question coming out of Law's mouth. "What made you so interested in bugs in the first place?"

Luffy paused. His face briefly flickered before he spoke.

"Other than the fact that they look super cool?" 

By some force Law hadn't ever encountered before, Law was somehow possesed into putting his hand on Luffy's shoulder. He watched as the comedic act washed away, bleeding into something private and personal.

"Luffy-ya. You don't have to tell me."

Luffy shook his head, a gentle motion. He leaned further into Law's side. "No, I want to talk about it."

Law nodded, content to wait for years if that's what Luffy needed.

Luffy looked out to the open water, the shore interrupted by jagged rocks further down, making a beautiful view. "I used to collect beetles with Ace and Sabo."

Law tensed, just a fraction.

"I hate how people get scared when I say his name. How they're afraid to mention him. I don't understand why they keep pretending like he never even existed. He's dead. I know that. But he was here once, he lived before he died. So where do I put all the memories I made with him?"

Law understood the sentiment. Just because Cora died, just because his family died, his sister, his father, his mother, didn't mean they weren't here once. Just because they went away didn't mean the memories of them did, they remained here, in Law's mined, buried safely for him to review when he needed strength. Haunting him, following him.

The smell of soup and antiseptic and the muscle memory of how to weave flowers into crowns that still hummed beneath his tattoos. He understood the pain of feeling like the people you once loved were some sort of dirty little secret that were to be remained unspoken.

Law did something he didn't know where he got the bravery to do. He rested his head against Luffy's. His straw hat was resting against his back by its attached white string, and his hair tickled Law's chin.

"I'll listen. I'll always listen to you." 

And so Luffy told him.

Luffy told him about Foosha, about Ace and Sabo and all the things they used to do, the three of them. Collecting bugs, running from Garp, their treehouse. Luffy told him of the late night talks, of when he thought he lost Sabo, the moment at Marineford when he thought he had truly lost everything.

He talked about how the three of them became brothers over a cup of sake, talked about Shanks and the story behind his hat. He spoke of the past as if it were an old friend, like if he didn't say it all now he'd never get a chance to again.

And Law listened.

Law found himself in Usopp's workshop later, the place still smelt a little burnt, but all evidence of the earlier fiasco had otherwise been fixed up by Franky.

Law had told Luffy to get them a lunch box from Sanji, for Law had noted the somber mood their earlier conversation had put Luffy in and suggested they go find bugs Luffy hadn't drawn in his sketchbook yet. Luffy was eager to leave for the island, lest they lose daylight, so Law had to hurry.

Law took the small rock Luffy had gifted him, admiring it in the warm lighting of Usopp's workspace. Luffy had told him he was trying to put it on a necklace for him when the fire broke out.

He chuckled, wondering how in the world Luffy messed up so thoroughly to set something on fire with a drill of all things.

Law carefully set a miniature room around the pebble, and used a small knife he found to make a little hole through the middle of the rock. 

He carefully pulled the thin chain Luffy had picked out through the opening and tied it around his neck.

Law had thought about polishing the rock, as Luffy had apparently wanted to do, but decided against it. He enjoyed the grounding rough texture of it against his skin, and he liked the idea of keeping it just the way it was when Luffy saw it and thought of him.

What a privilege, Law thought. That somebody like Luffy would ever spare a thought for somebody like Law. That he could see something and think of him. Think of gifting it to him.

Law felt his face heat a little, and a small bud of something in his chest blooming under the rays of Luffy's affection, however platonic it was.

Law knew flowers were delicate, petals prone to breakage and wither, and that had always scared him. But if he could get Luffy to feel this way too, if there was ever a world where Luffy could be Law's, and Law Luffy's, then he's sure he could withstand just about anything. If their souls were allowed to weave together, vines entangled and hues complementing, Law really does think that he'd be brave enough to try.

To try a little thing called love.

As he rose above deck and heard Luffy calling out to him with two lunch boxes in his hands, Law already knew his fate.

For Luffy, he would.