Chapter Text
“Hmpf” - Law waves his hand apologetically at the man he just bumped into on the street. With his shoulder bag slung across his chest, his phone in one hand, and a cigarette in the other, the man is struggling to stay focused.
“Seriously, Lami?”
“Please, I absolutely have to work a double shift if my boss doesn't want to go out of business, I'll never make it on time. You, on the other hand, will probably make it, right?”
Law sighs. Indeed, he has just finished his day at college and was on his way home when his sister called him. So now he's on his way to his sister's apartment, having agreed to do her this favor before she even gave him the details. He never refuses her anything anyway.
“Where is it parked?”
“You're the best! Number 19. Your helmet is next to mine, on the shelf next to the bike.”
“And your appointment is in...?”
“Thirty minutes.”
“Okay, I'll be there. It's at Victoria Punk Workshop, right?”
“Yeah, just a stone's throw from my place.” - The sound of glass shattering is heard. “I have to go. Thanks, Law, you really are the best brother in the world!”
Law can't help but smile. “Yeah, yeah, just go.”
“I love you.”
“Me too.”
He hangs up just as he arrives at his sister's place. He opens the garage door at the foot of the building and walks down the sidewalk. He grabs his helmet and pulls the motorcycle out of its spot. “Come on, baby, it's time to take you for a ride.”
Law curses as he puts down the kickstand and runs back to get a leather jacket. He puts it on and gets on the bike. He puts on his helmet, removes the kickstand, and starts the engine. He deliberately does a mini glide as he exits the parking lot before weaving between the cars.
In less than five minutes, he arrives in front of the workshop, not without skidding as he brakes, spinning the bike around. If he's going to do his sister a favor, he might as well have a little fun while he's at it.
He turns off the ignition and enters the shop.
Punk music blares from the speakers, drowned out by the noise of tools and cars. Law approaches the front desk, where a tall blond man is arriving. “Hi, may I help you?”
Law points to the motorcycle outside the shop. “My sister made an appointment to have her motorcycle serviced. Lami Trafalgar.”
The blond man looks at the computer. “Yep. Vehicle registration?”
Luckily, Law always carries a spare copy with him. Although the motorcycle belongs to his sister, he sometimes uses it. So it's more convenient to have the registration as well. He takes it out of his bag and hands it to the blond man.
“Thanks. Keys?” Law puts them on the counter. “Perfect. It'll be ready in two hours. Can I have a phone number in case we finish before then?
“Yeah.” Law gives him his number, and the man writes it down.
“All good! See you later.”
Law nods and leaves the place. Once outside, he decides to stay at his sister's place while waiting for the bike to be ready, rather than going back to his place on the other side of town.
He enters the building, climbs the stairs to the fourth floor, and enters his sister's apartment. He groans at the mess, drops his bag on the floor, and starts tidying up. “How is it possible to make such a mess in such a small apartment?”
Finally, two hours pass, and Law, having received no call, goes to the garage to pick up the motorcycle. There is no one at the reception desk. Law then sees a red-haired head appear.
“Killer, I'll take care of it, it's the bike!”
“Okay!”
The man approaches, his overalls open, folded at the waist, revealing a white tank top stained with grease on a particularly muscular chest.
“Are you paying the costs or is your sister transferring the money to us?”
“I'll pay.”
The man gives him the amount, Law pays, and turns to the motorcycle. “There's really nothing to throw away.” - The red-haired man says. Law turns to him, one eyebrow raised. “The bike, I mean. Very nice bike.” - But the man doesn't take his eyes off Law, and the brunet feels himself blushing.
“Uh, thanks, have a good evening.”
Law gets on the bike and takes it to his sister's house before going home.
There, he takes a shower and puts on some comfortable clothes before joining his roommates in the living room.
“So, how's the bike?” - Penguin.
“Nothing to report.” Law replies.
As they watch a movie, Law's phone rings with a number he doesn't recognize. He frowns and answers before going to his room to be alone.
“Hello?”
“Trafalgar Law?”
“Yeah?”
“Hi, uh, it's Kid. Eustass. The mechanic.”
“Oh. Which one?”
“Red hair.”
“Okay. Is there a problem?”
“No, no! Uh, I wanted to know if you'd be up for a drink.”
Law sits down on his bed. “Uh... Yeah?”
Of course. Law still has a very clear image of the man on the other end of the line, and one thing is certain: he's hot.
“Cool! In an hour at the Merry?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Perfect. See you in an hour then.”
“Yep.”
Law hangs up and gets up to go to his closet. He decides to wear blue jeans with black splotches and a yellow shirt. As he heads for the door, his roommates call out to him.
“Law! Do you have a date?”
“No?” - He replies as he puts on his shoes.
Penguin and Shachi look at each other, smiling, and say at the same time: “He has a date.”
Law rolls his eyes. “I'm just going for a drink.”
“With a date.”
Law looks at Bepo: “I told you not to move in with them.”
Bepo blushes: “Sorry, but that's not true. Sorry.”
Law puts on his long jacket and leaves without a word, but not without a smile either. Then he goes down the stairs and out onto the street.
The Merry is about ten subway stops away, not far from downtown and the Victoria Punk. Law goes down into the subway station, swipes his card, and gets on the train just before the doors close. He sits down and takes out his headphones, then selects some music and puts his phone in his pocket.
A few stops later, he arrives at the bar, where Kid is waiting for him outside, wearing a leather jacket over a white T-shirt.
The two men go in and sit down at a table before ordering.
“So, Kid, is it legal to use customers' personal data to ask them out on a date?” Law says, leaning forward with a smirk on his face.
Kid laughs. “No. But I'm the boss of the garage, along with Killer. So no one can tell me off.”
Law straightens up and rests his elbow on the back of his chair, legs crossed. Kid now has a view of the brown-haired man's loose-fitting shirt, revealing a nipple piercing, as well as a good part of his tattoo.
“Then you do this often?”
Their glasses are set on the table, but the men don't take their eyes off each other, both wearing smirks.
“Honestly, you're the first one who's made me think, ‘Damn, I have to give this a shot.’”
Law nods, visibly satisfied, and sits up straight to drink from his glass. “I'm glad.”
Kid drinks too, looking at Law over the rim of his glass.
“So, Law, what do you do in life?”
“I'm a Med student.”
“Wow. Isn't that, like, super hard?”
Law shrugs. “Is mechanics hard for you?”
“Not at all, it's actually kind of innate.”
“Same for me with medicine. I've been immersed in it since I was a kid. My dad is a hospital director after being a surgeon, and my mom is a nurse. The first book I ever read was a medical textbook.”
“Wow, okay. Medicine is to you what mechanics is to me.”
“Yep. Put me in front of a hood and I wouldn't know what to do.”
“Bend over it.”
Kid's lustful gaze makes Law giggle, and he blushes slightly. “You won't have sex with me tonight, Kid.” He clarifies, with that smirk that's starting to drive Kid crazy.
“That wasn't my intention.”
“Oh, really?” Law seems disappointed.
Kid laughs. “I do intend to sleep with you, yes, but not tonight.” Law raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“I've gotten so used to guys who are desperate that I forgot there were some who wanted more.”
Kid shrugs and leans back in his seat, legs spread apart. “I've had my fill of one-night stands, and you've made me want to get to know you for real, not just fuck you so hard you won't even know where you live anymore.”
“In just a few minutes?”
Kid shrugs. “Yeah?”
Law smiles. He's genuinely touched by these words. Usually, men see him as the twink to put in bed, as a bottom who's only good for taking a cock in the ass while moaning and begging for more. The kind of talk Kid just had is refreshing and flattering.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Law sees a familiar face appear in the now dense crowd.
“Oh, shit.”
Kid looks at Law, then in the direction he's looking. “Problem?”
Law looks back at Kid. “No, just my sister coming in with some shady guy. Not that I didn't warn her.”
“You want us to go beat him up?”
Law chuckles. “No, it'll be fine. Besides, at least from here, I can keep an eye on her.”
The two men continue talking until Law goes to the bar to get new drinks. He staggers a little, feeling the drunkenness take hold.
As he waits for the bartender to prepare his drinks, Law looks around. Then he sees his sister in the middle of the crowd, about to be assaulted. He starts to walk, but the crowd is too dense, he'll never make it in time, and the man is raising his hand.
Just as Law thinks he'll have to take his sister to the hospital because he wasn't able to help her, a hand with long fingers and red nails grabs the brute's wrist. Law reaches his sister and sees Kid behind his attacker.
“Only cowards raise their hands to a woman, asshole.”
Then Kid forces him to turn around and punches him square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Law takes his sister in his arms and pulls her back. At the same moment, a man with green hair rushes over and grabs the man by the collar before lifting him up. “Come on, get out of here.” He throws the man outside, then turns around, watched by the entire room. “Pick up where you left off. It's okay.”
Then he walks over to Law and his sister. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Lami replies. “I'm fine, thanks to that man.”
Kid walks up behind the green-haired man. “Kid, thank you! I wouldn't have made it in time.”
The green-haired man speaks: “Yeah, well, I'm going back to my drink. Bye.” - And he leaves.
Lami, shocked, snuggles up to Law as Kid approaches. “Are you okay?”
Law feels Lami trembling slightly against him. “Yeah, I'm going to take her home with me, she's in shock.”
“I'll go with you to find a cab.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I'll go get our jackets, I'll meet you outside.”
Law nods and hugs his sister close before leading her outside. “Are you sure you're okay?” He stands in front of her and leans in to look at her face for any signs of injury.
“I'm fine, I promise. I just want to go home. Can I sleep at your place?”
Law hugs her close. “There was never any question of doing otherwise.”
Lami snuggles up against him, hugging him tightly.
Kid arrives and hands Law his jacket. The brunette puts it on Lami's shoulders. “Thanks.”
He raises his hand, and a cab pulls up in front of them. He helps Lami into the car, then turns to Kid. “Sorry.”
“No worries, I'm relieved to know she's with you.”
“Thanks again, Kid, really.” Kid shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets. “We'll have to reschedule this date.”
“Does that mean you want to see me again?”
Law shrugs and smiles. “Try asking me out, you'll see.”
With a wink, he turns and gets into the car. Before it drives off, Law looks at Kid through the window and smiles at him.
********
“Hmpf...” - His phone rings, forcing him out of his sleep. Law pokes around his nightstand, but can't find the phone. So his sister stretches across him and picks up.
She then puts on a seductive voice. “This is Law's phone, the most talented man in bed you'll ever know, mgnnnn.”
“Lami!” - Law grabs his phone and pushes his sister away, who bursts out laughing. He looks at the caller's name and glares at her.
“Kid, sorry, my sister's a little crazy.” - The latter, who got out of bed in a T-shirt and boxer shorts, sticks her tongue out at him. Law responds by giving her the finger.
Kid laughs. “Are you really the most talented in bed?”
“You'll have to figure this out yourself.”
Another laugh. Something twitches in Law's gut.
“So, hm, I was going for a run, wanna come?”
******
“Law, you haven't run since middle school.” Lami, still in her boxers and T-shirt in the middle of the living room, says to him as he puts on his sneakers.
“Lami, get dressed. I'll remind you that three guys live here besides me.”
“It's okay, they've known me since I was little. I can't believe this Kid is getting you to run. Like, literally.”
Law looks at her. “A future doctor has to take care of himself.”
Lami smiles. “Of course.”
Law opens the door. “Go get dressed before the others wake up.” - He starts to close the door, then opens it again. “And don't tell them about Kid.”
Lami rolls her eyes, and Law closes the door before going downstairs.
He finds Kid, dressed in shorts and a tank top even though it's fucking November, and the brunette realizes that the red-haired man clearly works out regularly. He then sees himself bent over the hood, held firmly by those powerful arms, and—
“Shall we go?”
Kid pulls him out of his thoughts. “Uh, yeah. Gently, though.”
“No problem.”
*******
The session is hell for Law. But he keeps up the pace out of pride, and the two men only stop running after an hour. Law leans forward, his hands on his knees.
“Are you okay?” - Kid asks him.
Law raises his hand, unable to speak, then straightens up. Damn, Kid is barely out of breath. “I smoke too much. Do you run marathons or something?”
Kid chuckles. “Yeah. A half marathon and a marathon about once a year.”
“I should get serious about it too.”
“Wait, you never run?”
“No.”
“But... Law, we ran for an hour.”
“Thanks, I know. By the way, have you seen my left lung lying on the ground somewhere?”
Law looks around, as if searching for his organ on the ground. Kid looks at him with admiration. “We can do it more often if you want. Gently.”
Law nods and looks around. “Sounds good. We're not far from my place. Want to come over for a shower and breakfast?”
Kid gives him his biggest smile. “I'd love to.”
Law motions for him to follow him, and the two men head to Law's apartment, where Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo live.