Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Luffy quickly covers the twenty-mile stretch from where the Thousand Sunny docks at the northern seaport to the southern bay, where the Heart Pirates' submarine had been docked for months.

He hits the deck with a loud thump, the weight of his unraveling emotions crushing the metal floor beneath him as he stomps into the SS Franky’s galley.

Inside the pristine stainless steel kitchen, Bepo’s hackles stand on end. He spins around on the balls of his paws and squeaks. The unexpected wave of Conqueror's Haki is a sudden jolt to his normally cheerful demeanor.

“St-Straw H-Hat?!” the Heart Pirates’ navigator stammers.

Where the heck did the King of the Pirates just come from?

The Heart Pirates have been on their own for well over three months. They haven’t even come across another enemy pirate ship since they settled on Fools Island.

“Mister Bear!” Luffy roars like a lion king, his eyes darting around the space.

“Oh! Hey! You scared me!” His spine trembles, unable to decide whether to bow or remain unbent.

“Where’s Traffy?” Luffy demands. His voice is hoarse and grave; his tear-stained face refuses to release its scowl.

“Uhhh…” Weakly pushing against the Pirate King’s will, Bepo struggles to think for himself. All he can focus on is the storm raging through his blood and bones. The turmoil does not belong to him, but he is powerless to shake it off. “Um… I believe Law is still in the med bay, operating… I-I mean, p-practicing a heart surgery.”

“Oh.”

Luffy looks around the sterile environment. The ship’s galley has an oddly cozy feel to it with different magnets and plants dotting the corners. Lost and anxious, his shoulders slump, his Haki dissipates. A frustrated grunt escapes his lips as his frown tightly creases his forehead.

“How much longer?”

With relief washing over him, Bepo gasps, clutching the metal prep table as he catches his breath. When Luffy tries to apologize, he shakes his head and a shaky paw. Some people will never understand the true weight of their strength; best not to make them feel guilty for it.

“Um…” he clears his throat. “Well, he’s been in there for the past eight hours, so…”

“EIGHT HOURS!” Luffy whines. “Is he practicing on a real person?!”

Bepo blinks. “Uh… No…? Captain doesn’t—”

Luffy erupts, his chest pounding. “I NEED HIM NOW, MISTER BEAR.”

Bepo is stressed—sweating in fear of upsetting the childlike king further. He unzips the top of his orange boiler suit to air out his sticky chest fur.

“Oh-okay, S-Straw H-Hat. He should be done soon. Y-You want me to go get him?”

“No…” Luffy pouts, sliding onto a metal barstool as all the energy drains from him. Law takes his medical work seriously, so it would be wrong to interrupt him. On any other day and for any other reason, he would drag Law down here, but he's already messed up with one of his best friends today; he can’t handle another fallout. He’s thinking much clearly now.

“I’ll wait,” Luffy says, like the wind’s been knocked out of his sails.

Bepo cheers up with relief and claps his hands. “Sounds good.”

But the cheerful noise is soon interrupted by a loud growl from his stomach. Blushing pink, he shuffles to face the fridge.

“I was about to make a sandwich before you arrived,” he said, already reaching for the bread. “Would you like a little something to eat while you wait?”

Luffy rests his head on the table, then sighs. The sound echoes through the quiet steel enclosure. The things Zoro said twist his stomach in knots.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

"I’m not hungry," he murmurs at Bepo, hiding the fresh tears rolling down his furry face.

The confession makes Bepo's fur bristle. He looks down at Luffy's crestfallen face and frowns. “Uh oh, now I’m sure something’s wrong! You never turn down food, Straw Hat!” He cautiously approaches the man like a wild bear. There was no telling what he would do.

“Are you sure? I can make you some of my mom’s special Honey Bee Minx tea to calm whatever’s upsetting you. You liked her honey, lime, and mint juice in Zou that one time, remember? She uses the same honey, and would always make this tea for Law and me whenever we were sad or upset growing up.”

Wet dark eyes blink up at Bepo as Luffy takes the napkin that Law’s best friend offers him. The kind gesture calms his troubled heart. It’ll do for now.

He lets out a long, ragged exhale. “Thanks, Mister Bear.”

The proud smile on Bepo’s face carries him back across the galley. “Now, you’ve gotta have something to nibble on while sipping Mama Bear’s specialty tea. “Them’s the rules.”

Despite the heavy mood pressing on his heart, Luffy finds a flicker of comfort in the Minx’s soft voice for his burly size. He nods with more energy this time, settling into the warm hospitality that Law’s crewmate shows him. He’s not used to spending time with another crew, but Bepo might as well be Nakama. He’s Law’s Nakama, so that makes him Luffy’s, too.

Bepo glances back at Luffy as he turns on the electric kettle before moving to the fully stocked cabinets. “So, what’ll it be, Pirate King? Let’s see, um… We have animal crackers—ooh, Law’s homemade honey cornbread with fresh-churned honey butter’s still in the fridge… So are Penguin’s scones…but his bakes always come out hard as stone.”

"Yeah," Luffy sighs, barely listening.

He’s kicking his Observation Haki out across the island. He can sense Law’s calm concentration close to his chest like his heartbeat; it’s comforting to his troubled heart. He stretches his awareness farther, searching...

He finds it easier than he thought.

Zoro is still on the island but is already too far from the Sunny for his comfort. But he's not out of reach. Luffy reaches for him.

Suddenly, a steel door slams in his mind’s eye. It’s jarring.

It’s upsetting.

He huffs and glowers in his seat.

Noticing the shift in the atmosphere, Bepo stands with his back pinned against the corner wall, unsure of what to do. He’s been asking Luffy questions for the past three minutes, but Luffy’s not even looking at him. He watches the Pirate King’s distant glare, too scared to interrupt and seek clarification.

“Wanna talk about it?” The polar bear Minx gingerly places a generous plate of all three sweets in front of Luffy's puffy face.

Talk about—? Tch!

Luffy doesn’t even want to think about what just happened with Zoro. But he didn’t come here for nothing. “Yeah.”

Bepo lights up. “OK! I’m all ears!”

“With Traffy.”

Bepo, his ears drooping and feeling the sting of rejection, stutters, his words catching in his throat. “He’s…not here right now, but I am, and I would like to listen. I’ve even been told I’m pretty easy to talk to.”

Luffy stares at Bepo's plush face, the urge to cry building with each passing moment he thinks about Zoro. His frustration bubbles up, causing more tears to well up behind his eyelids. But he won't let his tears fall. Not yet. Not in front of anyone else but Law.

No one else would understand.

“I know,” Luffy says in a low, raspy voice. He sniffles, rubbing his eyes and blurring the vision of Zoro’s resolved, retreating form from the back of his mind’s eye.

“Traffy talks about you a lot,” he says with a slight smile. “That you're cute and kind, and give the best bear hugs in the world, too. I think he only said it to make me jealous, so as a pro cuddler myself, we’ll have to compare.”

Luffy’s eyes sparkle with mischief for the first time since he arrived, teasing the blushing polar bear. “Traffy can be the judge. I’m gonna hug him so hard and beat you, Mister Bear!”

While he’s relieved to see the daring spark in Luffy's eyes again, Bepo feels the sweat trickling down his forehead. Any competition with Luffy would surely end in Bepo crying for his Mama Bear.

"Heh, it sounds like a good fight, Pirate King," his voice trembles. “But I'm afraid I could never beat you in a contest!”

“Not with that mindset!”

Bepo blinks. “…Right. Also, maybe Law should be the one to hug us and be the judge? You know, since you're rubber, and I am also very cuddly. That way, we don't crush his bones. You know the captain's a lot smaller than he looks,” Bepo teases to save his hide.

Luffy stuffs his face with Law’s delicious cornbread. It’s delicious. “Yeah, smart thinking, Mister Bear. Traffy’s too frail for that. We wouldn’t want to break his bones. Shishi!”

“You know…” He places a steaming teacup near Luffy's left hand. “We’ve known each other long enough. You can call me, Bepo, Straw Hat.”

Without a second thought, Luffy sips the hot, honeyed water, finding that it eases his constricted throat. “Yum! Nah, I like Mister Bear more.”

Bepo squeaks. “OH! Hm. Okay.”

Luffy can acutely sense Law's presence. He sees where he is in the ship and can feel Law's deep contentment washing over him in relaxing waves.

His heart thumps.

Placing his cheek on his fist, “So…” Luffy starts, slowly winding himself up. He thinks more about what not to say, the freshness of saying the wrong thing to Zoro being the reason he even went looking for Law.

Bepo never expected to be chatting with the most influential person on the planet when he paused his pirate doujinshi to grab a bite, yet Luffy seemed so dejected and charming that Bepo found himself reacting in kind.

He sits beside Luffy, and without realizing it, his posture matches Luffy's slouch. “Hm?”

With a blink, Luffy removes the last traces of tears from his eyes. But that doesn't stop his thoughts from ringing in his ears.

I’m not part of this crew anymore.

I’m not a Strawhat anymore.

“How’s Traffy doing since you guys have been gone?”

Bepo hums, looking off at nothing as he thinks. “Pretty good, actually. He is very engaged with his patients and us. The most present he’s been since before he started his plan to defeat Doflamingo, actually.”

Luffy's eyes flicker with emotion to hear that Law’s doing better. That’s good. That’s really good.

Unaware of Luffy’s conflicting feelings, Bepo keeps happily chattering about Law's new life. “He’s eating more and cooking just as much again. He’s not drinking as much or doing hard drugs anymore. I mean, he does a little skunk and wake shrooms here and there, but nothing—”

“Is he happy?”

Bepo's head tilts in surprise at the question and the sudden break. “Huh?”

“Is he happy?” Luffy flatly repeats. “Now that he’s taken the space he's wanted from me, is he doing better? Does he look…” Luffy nibbles shortbread crumbs off his bottom lip, conflicting feelings tumbling around his sloshing belly. “Is he…happier without me?”

Bepo frowns, utterly confused.

For the past year, whenever Dr. Trafalgar Law went too long without seeing Monkey D. Luffy, he would be as sick as a dog and irritable as hell for days, For the past year, whenever Dr. Trafalgar Law went too long without seeing Monkey D. Luffy, he would be sick as a dog with chest pains, a sour mood hanging over him like a dark cloud for days. With the yearning frustration palpable in his voice, the crew walked on pins and needles, their eyes perked for any sign of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger, which they knew would be docked on the island.

Even in the months since the Heart Pirates have been sailing without the Strawhats, Law has been working even harder to conceal his chest pains, dismissing the symptoms to his crew as heartburn whenever they ask. But Bepo knows his best friend better than anyone.

“Uhhh…” Bepo’s brow bone trembles. He’s afraid of upsetting the King, but he doesn’t know what the angry man is talking about. “I wouldn’t say happier. He misses you a lot, Straw Hat.”

Luffy's eyes shine like newly minted coins into Bepo’s face. “He does?”

The polar bear Minx can’t help but blush. “Oops! Sorry!” Bepo covers his mouth with his large white paw. “Was I not supposed to say that? Are you not supposed to know that?”

Luffy giggles, crunching on the rock-hard scone as if it were crushed ice. “I don’t think it’s a matter of supposed to, Mister Bear. I just…didn’t know, s’all.”

“OH. Really? Well, then…” Bepo plays wingman. “He talks about you all the time,” Bepo over-shares. “He always finds a way to bring you up in conversation.”

“Law does?” Luffy repeats, gushing over Bepo’s words.

“Yup!”

Luffy can hardly believe it and doesn’t know how to settle the butterflies in his stomach, so he tells Law’s best friend a secret truth. “Don't tell Traffy this, but sometimes I worry that he's sailing you guys away because he doesn't want me around.”

Bepo’s maw drops. “OH MY GOD NO. That couldn’t be further from the truth, Straw Hat– er, I mean, Pirate King.”

Luffy rubs his hands on his shorts. “Yeahhhh, not right now, Bepo. But, go on.”

Bepo’s white fur shakes and stands on end. He clears his throat to gather his bearings, realizing he's dug himself into a hole by telling Law’s personal business. “The captain, uh, he gets very sick and sad when you’re not here.”

“Sick, how? Sad about what?”

“Oh, yes! He gets very grumpy and pouty, and…” Bepo blushes. “Let's just say that when you’re not around, I’m back to being his favorite body pillow.”

“WHAT? HOW? ARE YOU FUCKING TRAFFY, BEPO?!”

The room spins in Bepo’s purview. He’s so weak, so scared when Luffy adds in no uncertain terms, I fight, and I bite.”

The poor bear's ears fold over. Trembling, Bepo clarifies like a terrified foot soldier following his captain's orders. He feels some shame for betraying Law. “N-No, I meant nothing more by that than you’ve replaced me in receiving Law’s cuteness aggression. I-I promise that there’s nothing untoward happening between me and my captain, y-your M-M-Majesty!”

“GOOD.” Luffy smiles, well pleased. “Thought I’d have to kill Traffy’s best friend.” He downs the last of his honey tea. “Yum! That was good, Mister Bear! Thanks for feeding me!”

As he struggles to catch his breath, a string of sweat beads across Bepo’s forehead. The intense mood swings of this man in such a short time rival his captain’s, leaving Bepo woozy and somewhat traumatized.

Bepo instantly understood Law's attraction to their bond. Bepo smiles gratefully as he stands up to leave the galley.

“No, thank you, Straw Hat.”

Luffy tips his head, cheeks full. “For what, Mister Bear?”

“For giving Captain reasons to smile and live again.”

⚔︎

In hindsight, Law sensed Luffy’s Haki the second the powerful man stepped onto his ship. His heart squeezes just as tightly from distress when he appears in the galley. He moves smoothly to clear the distance between them, though his heart is racked with fear.

“Luffy? What’s wrong? Bepo said you needed—Oof!”

Luffy rushes him; the Pirate King's arms drape around his neck, and his legs spin around Law's waist.

“LAW!” He sobs into his friend’s shoulder until it’s drenched, immediately noticing how much larger Law has become in his hold. It’s like hugging a tank. “I MISSED YOU,” he wails.

“Lu—Oof—”

For a fleeting second, the immense force of Luffy's Haki and frame caused Law to stiffen, but he quickly recovered to return Luffy's embrace. “I missed you, too, sunshine.” And he means it more than anything in the world. Law has missed Luffy with every fiber of his being since they went their separate ways six months before.

He searches the sobbing face before him, still shocked and wrapping his head around the fact that Luffy is standing in his galley and he’s holding him in his arms. “But…” Law looks around, confused. “H-How are you here? How did you find me?”

Wordlessly, Luffy sniffles and takes off his straw hat. He delicately pulls back the red ribbon and pulls out a folded sheet of paper. Law stares, bewildered, at the item Luffy holds, his mind racing, trying to understand what he’s looking at.

“You…”

He can’t believe what he’s about to say.

“…made a Vivre card….”

It’s a ridiculously arrogant assumption, and he doesn’t want to make an ass of himself, but—

“…For me?”

His eyes flicker between the thick parchment and his friend’s sad eyes.

So when Luffy nods, face puffy, tears welling anew as he gazes into Law’s bewildered eyes, the genius doctor can hardly breathe over the unspoken truth.

Luffy never even mentioned wanting to do such a thing. Law was always the one trailing after him. He doesn’t know what to make of this change.

So, he smiles softly, gently thumbing away the tears rolling down Luffy's cheeks. “Then, why the long face? You found me, but you look like someone died.” It was a dark joke, but he hoped it would make Luffy laugh—at least smirk.

It did not.

“GOD FORBID!” Luffy screeches. “Why would you say that, Traffy?!”

“Sorry, sorry. That was insensitive.”

With a gentle touch, Law brushes Luffy's hair from his clammy forehead, and the ease with which he soothes Luffy is an unexpected comfort. The smooth and supple feel of Luffy’s skin beneath his touch brought back memories of why he left. The familiar longing ache in Law’s chest returns.

Had Luffy finally made up his mind? Had anything between them changed?

But the questions and confusion don’t stop him from feeling overwhelmed to see tears stream down Luffy's face—to see Luffy here at all.

"But it feels like it!" Luffy cries, his voice brimming with emotion.

It was worse than Bepo had described, and it had been a long time since Law had seen Luffy openly grieve; the first time had been under much more understandable circumstances. It doesn’t matter either way; Law knows what he must do.

He calms Luffy with gentle words, his voice soft and reassuring. “Lu-ya, hey, I’m here. Talk to me. Tell me what happened.”

Luffy is a hiccuping, snot-nosed, voice-cracking mess, struggling to speak. “Zoro!” he collapses back into his seat and takes a few heartbreaking seconds to sob into Law’s chest. This gives Law a moment to speculate on the worst.

Sliding Law closer, Luffy flops his head into Law’s lap. With Law’s body in front of him, a pair of long, spotted-denim legs comfortably bracket his stout frame. “Zoro left the crew,” he wails, his voice cracking with the strain of his feelings.

Law stiffens under Luffy. He hears fear and pain dripping all over the explanation. The truth is far worse than he imagined.

“Roronoa did what?”

He’s beside himself, though he can't say he didn't see something this bad coming. He just hadn't expected Zoro to be the one to take it this far. If anything, he thought it would be him…

“Zoro left the crew! And I’m losing my mind, Traffy!”

Law's heart cracks, threatening to shatter as he listens to Luffy weep.

“I’m losing my mind!” he cries in Law’s chest. “He’s my best friend, Traffy! I think I just lost my best fucking friend in the whole wide world, and I—! Oh my—FUCK, what do I do? WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!”

Law’s eyes flash with grim understanding. Luffy is inconsolable, and Law doesn’t know when the tears prick the corners of his eyes…

Maybe it’s when Luffy's voice breaks on his choked sobs, “This feels like Ace all over again! My crew’s gonna kill me!”

Like a rocket, Luffy’s arm extends to reach for the nearest heavy object to throw—the steel kettle. Law catches his wrist and pries the weapon away, wrapping the free arm around his waist instead; his other arm tightens around Luffy's neck.

In an instant, they vanish.

The soft whoosh of their transition in space and time whispering into Law’s private office is the only alert Luffy has that they’ve moved.

He doesn’t care.

He's ready to fall out anywhere.

Law gently picks him up, cradling him close as he lays Luffy down on the patient table.

Luffy's tear-stained face is soaked and deep strawberry-red when he finally takes his first deep breath since they reunited. He sits up, sniffling, and looks directly at Law. If looks could break hearts…

“Breathe, Mugiwara-ya…” Law softly instructs.

Crisscrossing his legs, Luffy's breath hitches between hiccupping exhales until he finally catches his breath. He blows his nose into the tissue, Law quietly offers, then reaches for Law’s hand before it can be retracted. His lungs deflate under the warm and grounding touch, belatedly realizing how much he’d missed the steady, nimble fingers gripping his rubber hand. He instantly calms down, as though all his worries vanished into the stillness of Law’s sterile office.

“You have sex with a man.”

Law blinks at the unexpected start. “So, we're jumping right in, huh?” With a grin, he pulls up his office chair and sits down. Crossing his legs and leaning forward, a humorous smirk hooks the corner of his lips. “Okay. Gay sex. I’m listening…”

Law's banter is completely lost on Luffy. His mind is a tempest of confusion and anger, a swirling vortex of emotions he did not know how to parse through on his own. He needs Law’s help. He needs the Yonko’s calm, rational brain right now more than ever.

His voice is small. Reflective. “You think it’s just two best friends having fun. Y'know, fucking around.”

Literally, Law nearly quips but thinks better.

“Then you notice something wrong after you tied him up during bondage play. So he tells you to kiss him to calm his nerves, and you do because you think it’ll make him feel better, too, and that’s all you want.”

Law shifts in his seat, the tension in the room growing, making him hold his breath. Several months removed, and hearing Luffy talk about his and Zoro’s private play still hits his heart with queasy and uneasy emotions. Even so, he listens intently, because the stony look in Luffy's eyes and his bone-crushing grip on his hand suggest that the monarch needs all of him right now.

Luffy doesn’t meet Law’s gaze when he continues thinking out loud. “When he kisses you back, you can tell it makes things better for him. Until you realize you don't like kissing him…but it doesn't matter, 'cause it's all about him, not you. Plus, it’s not that deep. Or so you think, until…”

Luffy’s voice shudders, letting go of Law’s hand to fiddle with the loose threads on his favorite denim shorts. Self-consciousness seizes his vocal cords. “You show him your pussy, and he calls it ‘gross fish,’ and it totally messes with your head, because all the insecurities you thought you got over about your body changing during the worst week of your life come right back up.”

“Thanks,” Luffy mutters when Law’s cardigan drapes his naked shoulders. He forgot he ran off the ship without a shirt on. He furiously wipes the tears leaking from his eyes with the back of his hand. “You’re confused by his reaction, pissed, because you didn’t expect that from him. Anybody but him.”

“You didn’t expect what, exactly?” Law asks carefully, searching Luffy’s downcast face. He wants to ask more questions; he has so many, the words are on the tip of his tongue. He's tempted to, but hesitates to interrupt Luffy's train of thought.

Luffy looks up with dead eyes. “Reject me. I never thought Zoro would give me such an ugly look of disgust—like I’m ugly.”

Law watches Luffy, dying on the inside, tears silently falling as he speaks. The King of the Pirates shrinks into his skin like a discarded courtesan, his voice a broken whisper as he reveals an unspoken truth.

“But now your best friend just agreed with your worst thought about your body and told you what you were afraid of, is true! I AM UGLY, AND MY BODY IS HIDEOUS!”

The confession gives Law whiplash.

As do Luffy's vital signs.

The doctor's Devil Fruit discreetly scans Luffy's cortisol levels and blood pressure. They are shooting through the roof, and it’s not looking like they're going to come down anytime soon—it’s causing too much strain on his heart. If he doesn’t get Luffy to calm down, Law fears the worst. He couldn’t help himself.

“You are not ugly, Luffy-ya,” he adamantly replies. “Your body is nobody's definition of hideous.”

But Luffy can’t hear anything over the blood rushing in his ears, his frantically racing thoughts, and pounding heartbeat. “So, now you know your best friend thinks your body is ugly, and you still have no idea what's going on with him, but you can't be rejected by him again. So you tell him to make the first move from now on, so you don't get shot down by your first mate, but you don't have to worry about that anymore!”

Law frowns, skeptical. Luffy is unpredictable by nature, but this conversation has left him more confused than ever. “Why not?”

Luffy snaps his fingers. “I’m glad you asked! Because then, he wants you to dump your other best friend for him for some crazy reason, only to leave the crew you built together when you say no.”

Law's brain has not yet switched out of its scientific mindset. “Wait. Back up, Straw Hat-ya. Roronoa told you that your vagina stinks?”

Luffy looks away, peeved, putting on his best Zoro impression. “He said, ‘Yuck. I don’t do fish.’”

Luffy contorts his face, comically mimicking Zoro's stern expression in the Sunny's bathhouse, and Law's heart breaks a little for him.

“He rejected you over your anatomy?” Agitated and adjusting his glasses, Law crosses his arms over his white coat.

Law’s time as a healthcare professional and surgeon has exposed him to a vast array of human anatomies. The world is diverse and full of myriad body types; he’s sat with countless patients who struggle with body image concerns before surgery, and has had to help many accept changes made to save their lives, which has made him hypersensitive about body shaming.

“Yeah, and it hurt.” Luffy’s chest puffs out, and he huffs with renewed irritation at the memory.

“I’m gonna kick his ass.”

“Don’t. It just hurt how he treated me,” Luffy says sadly. “I didn’t think I’d care about that, but he looked at me like he didn’t know people like me existed. Like an alien.”

“Well, there is no one on this blue planet like you, Straw Hat-ya,” Law unintentionally flirts.

“Stop! You know what I mean, Traffy,” Luffy sniffles.

“I’m sorry, Luffy. You didn’t deserve to experience that. When did this happen? Just now? Is that why you’re crying? How are you here? Why are you here?”

Luffy wipes his face. “No, this was a while ago. I forgot to tell you because, when it happened, I was annoyed by what he said, not sad. He-he told me he was gay! As if I’m the moron! Like that’s supposed to be shocking news to me or something! I made him eat his words, though.” Luffy smiles wickedly into Law’s sharp eyes. “Then you called me from Blackbeard’s hideout.”

The timeline instantly clicks for Law. “Damn.” Law sighs, conflicting feelings zigzagging within him. “I wish I knew. I would’ve checked him on that shit when we met up for Nami’s birthday.”

Luffy shrugs, his mind and body barely in the room. He’s angry and confused by Zoro's reaction and decision. He can sense where his swordsman is—not too far from here—but that does nothing to calm his frustration.

“It was whatever by then. We’d fought together enough to let it go. After that, life’s been busy.” He meets Law’s neutral gaze, searching for what he couldn't name but craved. “It’s been…weird…between us.”

He couldn’t find it, so he switched gears. “Zoro and me, I mean.”

“Is that why he gave you the ultimatum?”

“No… Yes… Argh! I don’t know! But can you believe his nerve?!”

Law frowns; he’s been preparing himself for this moment for years. He sits across from Luffy on his examiner’s stool, just as a doctor would sit with his patient. “Why didn’t you go after him? You always chase after your crew when they leave. Why come here?”

“Be…” Luffy freezes. He shies away. “Because it’s different this time.”

“Oh?” Law crosses his legs. “How so?”

“He chose to leave out of anger because he didn't get his way. That’s pride. The Pirate King can’t chase after his crew for that.” He remembers the last words he shouted as Zoro walked away from their crew. He doesn’t regret it. “I won’t bow down to another man's demands over how I live my life,” he says, resolute.

Law still sees the sorrowful glint in those dark, expressive eyes.

“Plus, Zoro would lose respect for me if I did. Well. The respect he has left.”

“I'm confused. Why did you tell him about us?”

“It…came up.” Law repeats Luffy’s weak explanation skeptically. “OK, I SPILLED IT,” Luffy whimpers his confession. “But I was distracted! He started asking questions about us because he said he liked the way my hair smells, but he didn’t know it was your soap, so when I said it was your soap, he lost his shit.”

Law's eyes and lips twitch with frightful amusement. So, that’s where his extra batch disappeared to.

“…What does my soap have to do with any of this, Straw Hat-ya?”

⚔︎ 

“Zoro? What are you doing here? You look like shit.” The newcomer scrunches his nose. “And smell like it, too. Where’s Luffy?”

Zoro glances up from his spot on a small wooden bench. Glaring into the shadows, the sun, too blinding. He would take offense at the unwelcome observation, but he feels the heavy bags under his eyes. He smells the sweat, booze, and bile sticking to his filthy haramaki.

“Crybaby Koby, ugh. I hate your voice,” he drunkenly grouses. The hangover-induced migraine is nothing in comparison to the heavy weight pressing against his heart.

Koby nervously steps closer, blocking the sunlight. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be sorry,” he grunts, sniffing out the government rat. “Be gone. Why are you here, anyway?”

“I, ah…” Koby averts his gaze, looking down at the trail of army ants marching between their boots. “I, uh…I’m tailing Luffy.”

Zoro rolls his eyes and spits off to the side. “Of course you are, you little creep. Why this time?”

The many detailed reasons flicker through the Marine captain's mind, but there's not enough time to explain security clearances to a drunken pirate on a weekday afternoon. “SWORD business…of course.”

“Of course,” Zoro scoffs, his throat too hoarse from another night binge. “You never know when to quit.”

“It’s my job,” Koby blushes.

“Your job, huh? I leave Luffy, and you tail him like a sick puppy. It’s almost like we traded places.”

Koby chuckles. “Wouldn’t be the first time—” Then chokes. “Wait. WHAT?” The new intel gives the Marine whiplash. “You left Luffy? What do you mean? You left the Straw Hat Pirates? You?”

Zoro grunts, taking a deep swig from his half-empty beer bottle. It’s a dry park, but he doesn't give a fuck; he’s a pirate—

Oh. Right.

Koby’s entire being revolts against Zoro's admission. Waving his arms around, he shrieks, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?”

Rolling his eyes with a heavy sigh, Zoro doesn’t even favor Koby with a glance. He leans back and lazily throws his arm over the back of the bench. “Is that really a question a Marine should be asking? Shouldn’t you be happy to hear that?”

Eyes wide and his body trembling in his plainclothes uniform, Koby vehemently denies the accusation. “Heck no! Why would I be happy to hear the Pirate King and the World's Greatest Swordsman broke up?”

Zoro's eyes pulse in surprise; there’s something about hearing his relationship with Luffy as a breakup that strikes several bittersweet feelings within him. The former pirate’s eyes snap and land on Koby, truly seeing his natural foe for the first time. “You two are thick as thieves! You’re the Roger-Rayleigh of our Pirate Era! Everyone knows that! Who wants that to end? WHY DID IT END?”

“Stop your whining! Damn! Were you always like this?”

“Oops, sorry! I-I’m just passionate. But yeah, when I met Luffy, I was a blubbering crybaby.”

“I heard.”

“Yeah, it was bad. He hated it too, but he let me stick with him,” Koby recalls with a fond smile. “But by the time we went our separate ways to pursue our oppositional dreams, I’d learned to keep the tears from falling too quickly.”

“Didn’t you cry like a little bitch because you got Observation Haki in the Paramount War?”

“Sue me; I’m an empath,” Koby simpers, shrugging. Frowning as the reality settles on his shoulders, he closes the gap between Zoro. “Anyway, what’s up with you two? What the heck happened with you two?”

Groaning at the thought of telling Luffy's opp anything that could be used against him, Zoro chooses his words wisely. “I found out Luffy betrayed me on some personal shit.”

Koby collapses on the seat beside him. “Luffy? Betrayal? Get out of here. That doesn’t sound like him at all. I don’t believe it.”

“Yeah, well, even the Pirate King can surprise you.”

“No, Zoro. I’m going to need you to be real with me. Because you’re talking about Luffy here, and it’s not adding up.”

“What the fuck do you think?”

“I don’t know what to think. Did you two get into a fight?”

“Sure. You can say that.”

“No, say what happened. Talk to me.”

“Why? So you can continue building your case against Luffy? I may not be in his crew anymore, but I ain’t no snitch!”

“Opening up to a friend about what you’re going through isn’t snitching.”

“You are not my friend,” Zoro derisively remarked. “And you sound like Luffy.”

He knows he shouldn't be wounded by the truth; Koby can’t lie, and it still hurts. Luffy has always considered him a friend. “Boy, I wish,” Koby chuckles, thinking fondly about the man who changed his life. “Then, you should already know that I only want to help.”

He’s suddenly hit with a crushing realization. His mind flashes back through the months of their interaction with a sober clarity. Luffy had tried to talk to him seriously, but he was the one who refused to listen and accept what his best friend was trying to tell him because the unknown truth frightened him.

His voice cracking with emotion, Zoro opens up to Koby, unlike all the months Luffy had asked him to do the same. Shame twists his heart and knots his throat. Talking about Luffy and Law felt like biting through steel with his bare teeth, and he felt the monster of guilt slashing its jagged claws at him for expressing himself to the man he had replaced, about the man he felt was replacing him.

⚔︎

Upon hearing Luffy's version of his argument with Zoro, Law promptly uses a little Armament Haki to hit him on the head.

“Ouch! What was that for?” Luffy shrieks, rubbing the sore spot.

This blowup was exactly what Law wanted to avoid. Prevention is better than cure, right? But now there’s no turning back, and Law can’t believe he’s once again wrapped himself up in some Strawhat crew drama.

But he’s not heartless—he could never be about Luffy.

Law takes off his glasses and pulls his friend into his arms. “You never listen to me, Mugiwara-ya,” he gently chides as Luffy mourns the loss of his first mate.

If Law hadn't known better, hadn't been anticipating this fissure for months, watching it develop with his own eyes, it would have been even more surprising to realize that all of this began with an intimate act as inconsequential as a hand job. But he knows it’s about more than just that. Law is deeply aware of the unbreakable friendship between Luffy and Zoro.

He used to envy it.

At first, it was hard not to when he saw how smoothly their relationship ran. But over time, Law grew accustomed to it and saw how much the two made sense. Their bond as captain and first mate was unlike anything Law had seen before boarding their ship—brotherly, yet also a true partnership. They shared the same pea brain.

With few options, if he intended to remain in Luffy's life—and that was without question—Law ultimately embraced the friendship. Because, even while Luffy remained blissfully unaware, Law knew the truth.

Zoro was deeply in love with Luffy.

Learning about their friendship improving after Law left was bittersweet, but unsurprising. He was out of the way.

Until now.

Okay, he’s only kidding himself. Law feels like a dummy right now for choosing to stay in this mess with Luffy. He should be ashamed of himself and work on his self-esteem.

But it’s Luffy, and he can’t help it. Luffy is sobbing in Law’s arms over Zoro. Law could tell it felt like a breakup to him, and with Luffy's pain washing over him, he struggled to keep his own emotions in check, which was unusual for him.

“You know I really love your wide-eyed innocence.”

Luffy glances up; hot, thick tears tumbling down his face and wetting Law’s blouse. “But sometimes you just wish I’d shut up?” finishing Law’s infamous phrase to him.

Law suppresses a smile. “Yes.”

“But why? What did I do wrong? Tell me, Traffy!” Law exhales, already regretting where this conversation is heading.

“Telling him that we were having sex is one thing. It was bound to come out, so that’s not even my issue—”

“Mhm…” Whimpering, Luffy wipes his face with rapt attention.

“But why did you tell him that you were receiving advice from me, too, Straw Hat-ya?” Knowing Luffy, that question is so uncommonly pointless. Despite everything, Law is prepared to humor Luffy's rationale, however wackadoodle it may be.

“I dunno!” Luffy crumples in Law’s arms, now feeling incredibly silly. “I didn’t think it was such a big deal! You’re always giving me advice, and I tell you about the advice Robin gives and how much Nami tells me what to do, too! The whole crew gives me advice all the time! What, how am I supposed to know who can’t know about the advice I get?” he yells.

“Okay…” Law can’t argue with any of that. “But, exercising some wisdom. and discernment would’ve helped you both.”

Luffy’s face blanks. Law rolls his eyes with an exasperated sigh; of course, Luffy wouldn’t even consider having tact.

“He’s a pirate, Luffy-ya. A strong and stubborn man, at that, who’s also destructively faithful to you. Obviously, your hired gun would feel like sharing you is a blow to his pride and ego.”

Luffy’s shoulders suddenly feel like dead weight as he slowly understands the gravity of his carelessness. “But I didn’t say it to hurt him. It really just…slipped out.”

“Just like your revelation that you two were fucking just slipped out while we were in bed?” Law teases with an edge of accusation. “I’m beginning to sense a pattern here, Straw Hat-ya. No more pillow talk for you.”

Luffy pouts. “Quit it, Traffy! Stop being mean and help me!”

Law puts his hands up in mock surrender. He knows he shouldn’t be enjoying this, but… “Hey, I’m not the one slinging dick between his two best friends.”

Luffy stops, startled, and inhales sharply. “Dammit, Traffy! Zoro said the same thing!” He frowns and groans into his hands. “That’s not what I’m doing! Is…” he drops his arms and pitifully stares into Law’s twinkling eyes. “Is that what it looks like I’m doing?”

Law’s gaze softens. He stares into those polished marbles, marveling at how those eyes can convey so much feeling, yet seem utterly unaware.

Law bursts out laughing. It sometimes shocks him how much emotional depth Luffy has because the man’s head is full of rocks. Finally regaining his composure after Luffy clobbers him with a swift series of punches, Law’s tone is gentle but firm. He doesn’t want to come across as jealous, but his friend needs to know the truth.

“It's what you’ve been doing, Luffy.”

“How so?!” Luffy challenges, throwing his head back in despair. “I’ve never double-dipped!”

“But you have had your hand in both cookie jars several times. You’ve been having your cake and eating it too with both of us for a while now,” Law replies in no uncertain terms. “And while your greed sickens me…” He crosses his arms, a not-so-serious scowl masking his face. “I think everything's going to be just fine. It may take some time and convincing, but I’m sure it will.”

“How can you be so sure, Traffy?”

With a soft touch, Law thumbs away Luffy’s tears. “Because I know you.”

The soft confidence in Law's voice caused a blush to creep up Luffy's neck as his lashes fluttered shyly. “Th-thanks,” he stutters. “But what was I supposed to do, though, Traffy? End our friendship for him? Why would he make me choose between you guys like that?”

Law shrugs, truly unaffected. Zoro has never liked him. “Look, I don’t care what he said about me—”

Law is startled when Luffy stamps his fists on his thighs. “I do!”

“I don’t,” Law doubles down. “But I do understand why he felt betrayed. You poured all your energy and enthusiasm into him in a way he wasn’t used to, in a way that made him feel wanted by you. Then you told him he wasn’t the only one getting that special treatment. That’s rough, Luffy. Even for you.”

Luffy sits still, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought for so long that Law ends up jostling his shoulder to ensure he’s still awake. The stillness was so unlike the younger pirate, who pulsated with restless kinetic energy.

Luffy feels like shit, but he doesn’t feel like he did anything wrong. “But I give everything I do and everyone I care about my all. Just because I do doesn’t mean I have to commit to doing one thing, or one person!” He’s actually getting very annoyed by the entire ordeal the more he thinks about it.

“I mean, honestly! Who is he to tell me who to keep in my life? You’re not disposable to me, Traffy! And if the shoe was on the other foot, and you tried that with Zoro, I’d say the same damn thing! No one gets to tell me how to live my life! IT'S MINE.” He pants with smoke steaming from his nostrils like a roused dragon.

Law leans forward and grasps Lufffy’s clenched fist. “I get that. I know that,” he calmly tries to reason with Luffy. His deep, rich voice drips with a kind of gentle curiosity that breaks Luffy’s angry streak, whose narrowed eyes flicker to Law’s penetrating gaze.

“But riddle me this, Lu-ya. What did you think would happen if you never told him about us and he found out on his own?”

Luffy's mind goes blank. “I…” He hadn’t given it much thought until... “I thought about that last night. I was going to end things without telling him about us because it just didn’t seem relevant to me. After all, I’ve never fucked both of you at the same time.”

Law reclines in his chair. “I’d hoped that's not the case, 'cause if it is, we'd have a problem, too, since I don’t remember agreeing to a threesome. Did you mean, on the same day?”

“Yeah. We never overlapped, ‘cuz I know people get really weird about stuff like that, so I made sure never to do it. Out of respect,” he stresses his point. “Not like it was hard or nothing.”

Law frowns at that but keeps silent. He figures Luffy means the issues Zoro's been having with not lasting long. But he immediately realizes that Luffy is on a different wavelength when he huffs with frustration.

“Sex with Zoro wasn’t fun or fulfilling enough to me to continue whenever you were there. Besides, it didn’t seem to be changing things within him, anyway,” he dismisses.

“I think you know now that it certainly was.”

Luffy collapses back onto the patient table, flinging his arm over his eyes. The paper lining shifts and rips beneath his weight. “Ugh, I wish I knew that before it led to him leaving the crew!” His voice cracks, threatening a fresh spring of tears. “He should've told me!”

Law stands up, grabs a pill bottle from his medicine cabinet, and a paper cup before he fills it with filtered seawater. “I’m curious,” he begins after handing Luffy the medicine. “Why did you start having sex with the swordsman?”

Luffy knits his brow, not understanding what Law is getting at. He eyeballs the purple gumdrop. “What is this, Traffy?”

“Melatonin. Take it.”

Luffy groans, but pops the gummy and swallows it dry. “Ugh, bleh! That tasted worse than my Devil Fruit! And I told you already! I overheard the crew couples sharing sex games, and…” Luffy, visibly embarrassed, simply shrugs as the thread of his foolish mistakes slowly unravels in his mind. “I was turned on and got curious, because I hadn't felt that way in so long, OK?! There’s nothing wrong with that! I thought it would be fun to play those games with someone I trust!” He can’t meet Law’s gaze for fear of being seen right through.

That Luffy didn’t even think about him brings out Law’s jealous side. The doctor pushed his feelings aside.

Barely.

“OK…. Fair enough,” he says through gritted teeth, rummaging through his medicine drawers. “Then, why did you continue after you realized you didn’t like it anymore?”

“Because I’m no quitter! When Zoro started acting strange, I figured he wasn’t getting enough en-dolphins doing it my way and remembered what you said in Wano about sex being a great stress reliever because of the oxy-cocksin! So that's why I took your advice to switch positions and to have actual conversations with Zoro. BUT NOTHING WORKED.”

Law cradles Luffy’s head close to his chest and plants a chaste yet lingering kiss on Luffy’s crown and forehead. “Oxytocin, baby.” He’s a fan of ‘en-dolphins,’ so he doesn’t correct Luffy’s phrasing. It reminds him of the creative words his pediatric and geriatric patients come up with all the time.

With his index finger, he taps the skin where his lips had been, a gentle push that moved Luffy's head back. “Here, take these, too.” Luffy looks disgusted at the two horse pills in Law’s hand. "Take them, or else the crying will give you a splitting headache before the day ends.”

Luffy groans and grumbles under his breath, but Law insists. “Doctor’s orders.” Law doesn’t know how much oxytocin those two kisses release inside Luffy. Washed over by a soothing sense of security, he craves Law's body heat and attention, seeking greater warmth and intimacy. It’s the only reason Luffy reluctantly accepts the pills, slurping them off Law's cupped hand like an armadillo.

“Oh... uh...” He slowly sips the cool liquid. “Yeah, oxy-toxic.”

Law smirks as he moves to the sink. “Close enough. And what do you think about that idea now?”

“Mannnn! I’m such a fucking idiot! I mean, seriously! Is it a crime for a man to get his dick wet on the open seas? The couples on my crew are always knocking boots. Everyone on the ship gets to do their own thing, and nobody thinks anything of it. What’s wrong with me doing the same thing?”

“Nothing…” Law exhales. Law exchanges his white coat for his sunflower cardigan. “Unless you’re the captain of a crazy crew and you’re fucking your first mate. The power imbalance is twisted right into the dynamic, Luffy. I get that it happens on pirate ships and other workplaces, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s such a slippery slope from just having fun to abusing your power as the leader in that type of situation.”

The knot in Luffy’s stomach tightens as he watches Law busy himself with office tasks to keep his envy at bay, his hands flying across paperwork.

“Why? Did he tell you something was wrong?”

“No. Did he tell you something was wrong?”

Luffy shies away from the spotlight. “No,” he mutters. “But I know Zoro! I could tell, because he’s mine to look after and make sure he’s okay!”

Law sees no point in addressing the possessiveness because it’s both Luffy’s strength and the sword on which he’ll die. So he stays on topic. “Well, did he tell you that’s how he wanted to be looked after? Having sex with his captain?”

Luffy looks at him like he’s crazy. “Eh? That's silly? Have you met my first mate? Zoro's not like you and me, Traffy. He’s not very expressive. That’s the problem!”

Law looks at Luffy like he has three heads. “Uh. I’m not expressive either, Mugiwara-ya.”

Luffy scoffs and pulls a face. Law might be uptight, but he’s not emotionless! “Yes, you are!”

“No,” Law chuckles, taking a seat beside Luffy on the patient table. “I’m not. I’m notoriously known for being grumpy. More than your swordsman.”

Luffy folds his arms like a petulant child, wholly unconvinced. “Nah, I don’t think so, Traffy. You’re very connected to your emotions. You laugh, you cry, and get angry all the time because you’re awkward and shy, even when you’re happy. You smile and give the best hugs even when you’re frowning, and you tell me how you truly feel about things. You show your emotions, Traffy. You express yourself.”

Law's lungs are all aflutter. While he still considers himself to be aloof, it’s true; Luffy experiences more of Law’s emotional side than even his own crew receives. It’s been like that since the beginning of their friendship, even before Law stopped trying to fight their insane chemistry.

Law can’t explain it, but he instantly felt comfortable with Luffy. Before he knew it, he was showing Luffy sides of himself he never knew existed, let alone wanted another living soul to bear witness. Sure, he’d been with others before he met Straw Hat Luffy, but never had he unburied his past for them the way he did for Luffy.

But he willingly gave away his softness to the King of Pirates.

To the man who stole his heart right from his chest.

“Yes, when I’m alone with you, Mugiwara-ya, not in public. Not with anyone else.”

A flustered blush spread across Law’s cheeks as he watched Luffy’s eyes dilate in surprise. “OH.”

Oh.

Law never intentionally hid himself or his feelings from Luffy, but he never considered that Luffy was actually paying attention to him, too—even when Law left him alone. Now he feels foolish and unworthy for ever underestimating Luffy, and the irony and hypocrisy of Law suppressing his feelings to get through this conversation isn't lost on him. His conflicted heart twists into tangled knots. He subtly begins his usual massage technique, hoping the discomfort will go away.

“Maybe your swordsman’s the same way.”

Luffy can’t help but laugh. “No, he’s nothing like you, Traffy. The more time we spend together, the more I see the real you. I know Zoro like the back of my hand, but I’m not a mind-reader. He doesn’t show me that side of him. Not anymore.”

“You think Zoro isn't comfortable with you anymore?”

“You're the doctor. You tell me!”

“I’m not a psychoanalyst! I can’t speak for either of you idiots.”

Luffy has been thinking about this for a while now, but never voiced his thoughts before to anyone. “Well… Ever since I became Pirate King, Zoro’s…changed.”

Law leans forward. “Changed, how?”

“I dunno… It’s like he’s afraid to be his full self around me now. He doesn’t see me as his equal anymore. It’s like he’s scared or something. Scared to defy me.”

“He’s certainly not afraid anymore,” Law points out, gesturing to the fading, gruesome love bite on Luffy’s neck and shoulder.

Luffy follows his gaze. Oh, he forgot about that. Luffy shrugs to conceal the bite under his yellow vest. “He went overboard,” he grumbles.

“You crossed the line first, Captain.”

Luffy’s face twists defensively. But there’s no ignoring why Law called him by his title. “Wh—I was talking about the bite!”

“Oh.”

“But HOW did I start this?”

Law doesn’t mince his words. “You forgot who you are, Pirate King. This is why bosses shouldn’t mess with their employees.”

“He’s not my employee! He’s my Nakama!”

Law stares at him in utter disbelief. Luffy can’t be this clueless. He needs space before he explodes from all of Luffy’s obliviousness. “Luffy, do you genuinely not know or see the effect you have on others, or are you acting dumb right now?”

Not liking Law’s tone, he pouts. “No… I do. People have fun with me.”

“Why do you think that is, Mugiwara-ya?”

Luffy’s entire expression lights up. “Because I'm fun! I know that!”

"No, you don't," Law deadpans, his voice steady as he takes off his hat and rakes his fingers through his hair. It sticks with sweat. “Luffy, do you know when someone's flirting with you? When they like you? Because, I must say, it’s very obvious, and yet you consistently don’t see it.”

“What're you saying? I don't get why I would think Zoro is flirting with me, since he never does.”

Law can’t take this anymore! A blood vessel pops in his temple. “You sure about that, Luffy-ya?!” Shaking his head at Luffy’s blank look. “Because I can easily list ten times off the top of my head this year alone!”

Luffy dares him to, so he does.

“—or when he kept offering his blanket on the hay ride, even though we were clearly sharing one. And that was just at Nami’s birthday! I mean, Zoro isn’t the hardest book to read in the world.”

Luffy studies Law, unimpressed. “What you consider flirting, I just see as crew love.”

“Clearly,” Law snarks, rolling his eyes and walking away. He needs some air. Or weed. Yeah, weed would be nice right now.

Luffy glares at Law pacing his office, crossing his arms and legs. “I don’t like your attitude, Traffy.”

Law spins on his heel. “Sorry? But you’re smarter than this! Your swordsman only cares about three things: booze, fighting…"

“And?” Luffy eggs Law on with a dismissive hand.

“AND YOU, LUFFY! Everyone knows that! You know that! So you could've used one of those to get him to open up. He would’ve done so! You could’ve just asked him! Why didn’t you?”

Overwhelmed and nervous, Luffy’s eyes dart back and forth in his lap, trying to remember what brought him to the conclusion that fucking Zoro was a brilliant idea to get him to talk. It was so long ago. Months…

“I…I DUNNO! It was a good idea at the moment,” he says, slightly embarrassed now that he hears it out loud. “I was already in too deep!”

“Yeah? Well, I have a theory.”

Luffy suspiciously peeks at Law. “What is it?”

Law slowly stalks towards his favorite moron. “You were bored, pleasure-seeking, and lacking self-awareness. You weren’t thinking of anyone but yourself, even if your intentions were innocuously good.”

The accusation stings. “No! You’re making me sound careless, , Traffy! Like an asshole!”

Law tilts his head to the side; he wishes Luffy could see the guilty look on his face. He shrugs, a smug twist on his lips.

“HEY! Fine, I was bored that night, okay! But it was my boredom that led me to suggest we have sex! Not what made me notice something was bothering him. Our friendship did that, thank you! The sex idea was supposed to be no strings attached—that’s what we agreed on! Sorry for suddenly caring about what was wrong with my friend.”

Law sighs. His office hours are almost over, and he really needs to head back to the clinic soon. “Listen, Luffy, I hear you, but it still doesn’t explain having sex with the man. I’m not judging you, either; I think having sex with friends is the choice between two consenting adults. But you weren’t careful enough about this thing with Zoro, and it shows. You sound reckless and emotionally impulsive as hell from the outside looking in.”

“I am reckless! I am emotionally impulsive! This isn’t news! You should’ve reeled me in!”

Law raises his voice, “Nope! Don’t you dare put that on me, Straw Hat Luffy!” but he’s not genuinely mad; this is just how they talk. “This is not my fault. This is not what I wanted to happen at all. In fact, I knew this would happen; that’s why I kept my distance all these months! I wanted to avoid this drama by any means necessary!”

“You could’ve warned me!”

“You don’t listen to my advice!”

“Yes, I do! I did everything we talked about. I didn’t expect it to blow up in my face—wait.” Everything within Luffy sinks into the huge hole in his gut. “That’s why you stayed away? Because you knew it would end badly? Not because you were avoiding me?”

“YES! I could see this coming a mile away.”

“Because you’re smarter than me, Traffy.”

“The man exploded on you because you were thinking with the wrong head at the wrong time. Nothing I advised you to do entailed that. How could I have prevented that? Do you even think before you speak?”

“I do! And I—”

But Law’s response knocks the wind out of his sails. Luffy slides down the patient table until he’s flat on his back. The ambient lights are harsh against his eyes as clarity dawns.

The raw truth nearly cliff-jumps off Luffy’s tongue, but he bites it back. He wants to tell Law the truth, that he was thinking about him that fateful night on the ship’s swing. That he was missing him that night more than he understood then, and didn’t know why Law had come to his mind. He now realizes that he chose Zoro because Zoro was there and Law wasn’t—not intentionally, but that’s the truth.

But his unfiltered confessions have been getting him into the worst trouble lately; best to skim the details.

If the ship’s floor could open up and swallow him whole right now, he would be eternally grateful.

“Gah! This is exactly why I never should've broken that rule about not dating anyone on my crew. This is why. I can’t like any of them like that because we’re too close. It would always feel imbalanced between us.”

Law changes his stance and takes on a clinical air. “Wanna know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think there's more to it than proximity or power dynamics. I bet Zoro really loved you being his Dom. I think he actually enjoyed being your Sub, and loved the role reversal. He just wasn't ready for what was coming when he realized it was just for fun to you. Somewhere, the fun ended for him, and the emotional lines blurred from playful to serious.”

Luffy's head is spinning as he listens to Law theorize which straw broke the swordsman's heart. Nothing could have prepared him for Law’s diagnosis.

“He said that he didn't want to disappoint you. He just wanted to make you happy, but he didn’t realize there were other layers to you, just like you didn’t realize that about him. You two are just the same in that regard.”

“Other…layers?”

“Yeah, like another Gear, so to speak. You’re a lot more emotionally guarded than you let on, Mugiwara-ya. There’s an invisible wall around your heart and mind. But once you let it down, there’s a deeper layer of your authentic self.”

Luffy gasps, his eyes dancing around Law's pensive face. He’d never thought of it that way. “So…” he fiddles with the frayed edges on the hem of his shorts, glancing at the doctor out of the corner of his eye. “What does that look like to you, Traffy?”

Law carefully studies Luffy’s timid expression. The most powerful man in the world still asks questions and seeks to understand with such childlike wonder. He smiles. It softens his features and Luffy notices how the dim lighting playing against Law's irises make them glow warmer.

“Honestly? It's still you, only a lot more mature. You’re calmer. Quieter. More thoughtful and intentional in your actions. Sillier, but even more serious.” Law considers including a more romantic list of traits that he’s noticed Luffy take on, but haven’t they already had enough to discuss?

Luffy's Devil Fruit isn’t active yet his body feels deboned. “You see all that, huh?”

“ You show that side with your crew—when you’re in full captain-mode, and commanding care of the crew and ship. It’s one of the most well-known things about the Straw Hat Pirates, now. How great a captain you are.”

“True…”

“But, here's also the thing, and what probably threw Zoro off,” Law sighs, not really wanting to share his next thought. “You're incredible at sex, Luffy, and I'm not just saying that.”

Luffy is beaming as he shifts in his seat with pride, placing his arms on his waist. “Of course, I am! I’m the King of the Pirates!”

Law rolls his eyes, regretting everything. “But,” he emphasizes, “you don't show that side of yourself—your sexual side—and it doesn't seem like you care about it, so how could anyone expect that from you? Someone who knows you as well and as long as your first mate would be thrown off by experiencing you expressing your sexuality. But also become instantly curious to experience more. Suddenly, he wants to be closer to you, but there's this wall he didn't know existed, and you're just watching, waiting for who is strong and brave enough to break it down. You probably don't even know you're challenging everyone who comes near you seeking this intimacy, do you?”

“No, I know.”

Law’s face falls to the floor, his ears steaming with bloody annoyance. “Seriously?”

“I'm not trying to come off as intimidating, but I know what you’re talking about, T. I do it to vet people.” Luffy laughs, "I’m friendly and kind, but I can't just let everyone get too close."

“Then why are you laughing?”

“Because it's so spot on! Damn. You really do know me,” Luffy giggles, stretching his arm to high-five Law.

Law reluctantly makes contact, avoiding Luffy's radiant face. He’s too pleased with himself for Law's liking. The instant Luffy's fingers interlaced with Law’s, the heavy sound of their chest colliding on the patient table reaches Law’s ears. He should've known it was a trap!

Too flustered to make eye contact, but unable to deny how nice it feels to be pressed together like this after so many months of living off of memories, Law fusses, “Yeah, well… I have several case studies with a certified idiot made of rubber.”

“Shishishi… I missed you, too, Traffy.” He peppers playful kisses across Law’s face, paying close attention to the lighter patches with newly formed freckles. He likes them a lot. Wrapping his arms around Law's back and taking in the familiar scent that makes him feel like he's safe, Luffy pouts again. “But Zoro didn't need to freak out like that,” he mumbles on Law's shoulder.

Law pulls back, his heart and mind confused and conflicted. He screws his face hovering over Luffy. “Oh, come on, Mugiwara-ya! How did you expect him to respond to finding out we’re fucking, too? What, for the swordsman who kills for you more than he takes a bath not to feel a way about that? The only man who's known you for as long as you’ve been a pirate—”

“No, Koby—”

Irritated, Law grinds his teeth, speaking over him. “—who's known you longer than anyone else on your crew to throw a congratulations party for us?” He’s on his feet at once.

“I dunno, but I didn’t think it’d be a problem! Zoro and I never had problems understanding each other before. I thought if anyone on my crew could handle sex with no strings attached and without it getting weird, it would be Zoro!”

“But it’s been weird, Luffy-ya! The man hates me.” Law isn't sure Luffy heard his last words over their shouting match.

“And he doesn’t hate you, Traffy. He just…doesn’t understand you.”

The snort that leaves Law’s nose is downright offensive. “I disagree. That man is very territorial about you. Possessive, even. Then, out of all the ways you could’ve shown your crewmate, who’s also your best friend, that you were there for him… You chose sex. So, what was already weird got weirder. Because now he feels claimed by you.”

“Because he is mine.”

“You’re a stubborn and selfish man, Luffy,” Law scoffs.

“I never said I’m not.”

Shaking his head, Law does something he never thought he’d do, and takes Zoro's side. “If I were him, I’d be pissed, too. Hell, I was when we started having sex again.”

Luffy's eye twitches. “But you wouldn’t react like that. It’s one thing to lose his shit on me, but he left the crew. He abandoned his Nakama, even after I told him none of that was necessary. He still chose to leave, with his directionless ass,” he spat out.

It was spiteful. It was bitter. But both captains know it was the truth. Luffy was confident Zoro was wandering somewhere on the island, too lost to find his way. To Law, it's all utterly ridiculous; however, he remains unconvinced that Luffy has all the pieces to the puzzle he's playing. “So you know where he is now?”

Luffy lazily waves his hand. “Yeah, he’s lost somewhere on the island right now. Ugh… how did it get to this? You-you know what he said?” he says like it’s the most unimaginable thing in the world. “He thought we were in a romantic relationship. That’s crazy!”

Law is shocked—

At Luffy.

He grabs Luffy by the shoulders, shaking sense into him. “Luffy-ya…? Do you seriously not know how Zoro feels about you?”

“What do you mean? I know we're friends. Best friends! What else is there to say? How am I supposed to know he was reading more into it than me?” The whimpering restarts as Luffy draws his knees to his chest, suddenly feeling unsure about everything he thought he knew. “I don’t question my friends’ intentions because I trust them.”

Law can’t lie; he is so grateful that he trusted himself enough to heal his own heart.

“You dummy,” Law says against his better judgment, “Zoro could say the same about you.” But he never stops holding Luffy, instead he draws him into a tight embrace, gently rubbing circles to soothe Luffy's aching heart.

He’s relieved he never read into Luffy’s affections.

Luffy's bratty tone rings out as he fights back against the challenge. "Nah, Zoro jumped to a bunch of conclusions. He made a whole lot of assumptions about us."

“So did you, Luffy.”

“How am I dumber than Zoro for assuming he would tell me he thought we were in a relationship?”

“Aw, you poor, clueless baby,” Law mocks. He glances at the clock. They’ve been chipping away at this conversation for the longer part of the hour. Law walks around his office, gathering patient charts. “But you sure as hell didn’t think this through.”

“I never do! But even I know not to jump to conclusions about dating just because we're having sex. Even with your friends!”

His comment strikes Law’s ears as odd, and he turns around to regard Luffy. He studies the frustrated man on the exam table. He really is just a young adult figuring out leadership and life.

Don’t take Luffy’s flippancy personally, Law.

Law chuckles, a brief, amused sound, as though Luffy's words were exactly what he expected and not ripping him apart. “And once your crew finds out, they’re not going to be happy.”

“Don’t you think I know that?!”

Law’s stomach folds in on itself. “Fuck,” he growls in realization. “I’m going to get blamed for this! Your crew is demonic about you. Great. Now Black Leg’s going to want to fight me. Nami will extort me for some bullshit fine again. Luffy, I’m not above slicing your crew to bits.”

“YOU? They’re gonna kill me. We haven’t been this split since Usopp left. But this feels even worse because it’s Zoro!”

Fresh tears overflow.

“Hey, hey. Sure, you fucked up, and you can be stupid—”

“HEY!”

“But, you were just misguided by carefree intentions—“

Luffy frowns. “That sounds like you’re calling me an asshole again.”

“No,” Law stressed, pulling Luffy to his feet and holding hands. “I’m saying I understand what went wrong, and I think in time, so will your first mate. But honestly, Luffy, you didn’t consider the emotional impact that blurring the lines of your friendship would have on him.”

“I was thinking about him.” Luffy blinks up at him in wide confusion. “But I didn’t do it just for me. I just… I just didn’t know he was so closed off because of me.” He’s about to cry again, the reality of how things went south capsizing his mind with seawater.

Law nods as he hugs Luffy. “Sex complicates things, Luffy; especially in friendships.”

“It didn’t complicate things with us. We’re still great friends,” he innocently points out. “We’ve even gotten closer. Don't you agree?”

Law snorts, squeezing Luffy's pliant body tighter. If he only knew…

The Polar Tang had been secretly following the Thousand Sunny for weeks just to catch a glimpse of Luffy before they finally went to Winners Island, and the brat hadn’t a single clue. And after the way they left things in Wano, it made no sense to stick around after weeks of not being brave enough to board the Sunny, Law felt too foolish to keep following Luffy like a lost puppy as if there was anything more between them than a pirate alliance that fucked on occasion.

They were just friends.

Then, Elegia happened.

Law gently cups Luffy’s cheek, stroking his thumb over Luffy’s flushed, tear-streaked face. “I can understand why you’d think that, because I’m the one who ended our first alliance and then stalked you for the better part of a year, but—oh, sweet sun child—yes, it absolutely did!” Law says, trying not to sound as heartbroken as he was back then. But he can’t help the bittersweet glint in his eyes.

Luffy’s pupils dilated at the revelation, his face burning with embarrassment. His jaw drops in disbelief that he and Law haven’t been on the same page this whole time, and it makes his eyes well up again, silently begging Law to explain.

Law laughs so hard at Luffy's desperate expression, wheezing from the nerves of his own intense feelings brimming to the top. The sudden shift in the mood between them squeezes his lungs as he pressed Luffy’s face into his chest, missing the crestfallen look on Luffy’s face.

“What?” Luffy demands in a muffled gasp. He really was a fool. He pulls back, looking at the stranger before him. Twice in one day he’s been reintroduced to someone he thought he knew so well. “How, Traffy? Tell me!”

“Luffy! Baby, what’s not clicking? That’s why I left our alliance!”

The carefree smile on Law’s face throws Luffy off-kilter. His stomach flutters in rapid succession, seemingly just from looking into Law’s shining gold eyes.

However, he’s not sure if it’s because Law looks so pretty smiling at him like this or because he can sense the palpable energy emitting from Law. It’s intense, like Law is working up to something.

“It is?” Luffy screeches.

His mind races. He remembers how distraught he was when they parted ways in Wano while Law treated their goodbye like it was meaningless.

“After Wano?”

“Yes!” Law sounds like he’s choking on air— or tears. “I couldn’t…” he struggles to catch his breath; his heart and lungs are warring against each other for who collapses first. He lets out a deep, shaky breath that makes his shoulders tremble.

Luffy scoots closer to hold Law’s shaking hands.“Traffy? What is it? Why are you laughing?” he asks quietly, as if, if he raised his voice another octave, Law would shatter into a million little pieces.

Suddenly, everything around him narrows in on his friendship with Law over the years. His eyes dart around Law’s rumpled black bed sheets and pulled-back yellow comforter, up his long and lean legs, and the rest of his body, scanning the man before him until he locks in on Law’s amber glowing eyes. He desperately searches his best friend’s face.

“Are you crying?” he whispers.

Law stands to his feet. “Luffy-ya. I had to sail in the opposite direction of the New World to get over you, and it still didn’t work because look at where I am! I left Wano like that because of you, and because I didn’t want to compete with your friendship with Roronoa.”

“Why? You could’ve stayed. I didn’t force or chase you away.”

“Because—”

Purupurupuru! CUH-LICK!

“Dr. Trafalgar, speaking.”

“Dr. Trafalgar, your three o’clock appointment is here.”

“Thank you, Bepo. I’ll be right there.” Law hangs up and turns to look at Luffy’s confused, expectant face. “Hey, I hate to pause our conversation right here, but I have a patient at the clinic. Wanna come? There’s an ice cream shop right across the street...”

“How long?”

After washing his hands and getting redressed in his professional clothes, Law thinks about the rest of his schedule. “Mmm… I have three more surgical consultations and some home visits through the evening. So, until sundown.”

Luffy slumps onto the exam table. “As tempting as sitting around a health clinic for four hours is, I think I’m gonna lie low and sleep in your bed until you come back. I’m so drained; I don’t feel like smiling at strangers. Bring me some Chunky Monkey, will ya?”

That bothers Law more than he expected; a dull ache settles in his chest, a feeling of unease as he instantly recognizes the subtle fear of being alone.

“Luffy?” A small whimper answers him. “Baby, look at me," he whispers gently, crouching down, the weight of his gaze heavy on Luffy's flushed, red face as he lies back on the reclining table.

The surgeon’s nimble fingers skillfully caress Luffy's soft, apple-round cheeks, the skin smooth and warm under his cool touch, before his lips find Luffy's in a deep, passionate kiss.

As he kisses Luffy, he shambles them back to his bedroom.

Pulling away, Law leaves the warmth of their kiss behind as he brushes his lips against Luffy’s once more. For a fleeting moment, their fingers and eyes lock, Luffy’s saddened eyes mirroring Law’s softened gaze. The air between them feels light as a cloud, easing the tension in both their chests.

Law can hear his heartbeat rushing through his ears. His heart is in his throat.

“I love you.”

Luffy stares, too stunned to speak. Then, Law disappears, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a warm, understanding smile.

Luffy’s face falls. His fingertips ghost over the bright red swirl of the strawberry lollipop now rolling where Law's hands were—in his lap. He puts it in his mouth for comfort.

He curls up on Law's side of the bed, feeling the softness of the sheets, until sleep overcomes him.

⚔︎

Tilting his head to the sky, Koby lets out a heavy, troubled sigh, adjusting his fogging glasses. “Dang, Zoro. That’s tough. I… I kinda wanna cry for you.”

“Do that, and I’ll snap your neck.”

Koby awkwardly laughs, scratching his cheek. “I’m just saying, I know what it feels like. No wonder you look like you’re dying.”

Zoro side-eyes the pink-haired snitch, sneering in disgust, “What, what feels like? We have nothing in common, square.”

“To be in love with Luffy. Hell, I still am.”

Zoro clenches his jaw. “I’m not—! Argh!” He can feel Koby’s eyes monitoring him. He bristles under his spying gaze.

“I'm so sorry. Aren't we... I mean...” Koby’s face crinkle with compassion. “Have you not...?”

“SHUT UP!” He growls, then drops his head. “I... I don’t know.”

Koby sighs. “What I’m about to say, you might not want to hear,” he forewarns. “But I think you need to hear it.”

“How d’ya know what I need, four eyes?” Zoro grunts and cuts his woolly eyes at him to go ahead.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Koby takes a different approach. “Okay, you’re right. I don’t know, but I think hearing the truth will help you.”

Zoro’s jaw loosens. He clicks his tongue against his cheek. “Whatever. Just say what you gotta say already.”

Koby wastes no time on words.

“I agree with Bartolomeo. I’ve seen Luffy and Trafalgar Law together enough times to know that Luffy loves him.”

“No, the hell he—”

Koby cuts him off. “Don’t get me wrong. I doubt either of them knows, but if I can be real?” Zoro reluctantly nods for him to continue. “Clearly, neither did you.”

“Fuck you, shrimp!”

Koby smiles with a faintly pained expression, like an enormous weight is off his chest though he can still feel Zoro's. “They’re good for each other, too.”

The disgusted chortle that leaves Zoro’s throat threatens to kill Koby with its venom. “Gee, thanks!”

Koby waves his hands to quell the swordsman’s fury. “I know that’s not what you want to hear right now. Seeing your best friend make a new best friend right in front of you is a bitter pill to swallow.” Koby reasons, mopping his brow with his floral bandana that he faithfully wore as a subtle echo of Luffy's iconic straw hat. “Then, it gets worse when feelings are involved.”

In the tranquil park, the sun was overbearing. The sweat trickling down the Navy captain's forehead wasn't from the warmth that thickened the air; instead, it was from the anxiety of being honest to someone he had hated for so long. Still, despite himself, he can't help but feel a sense of empathy well up inside him, echoing Zoro's feelings toward Law.

“I know what you're going through, even if you don't. I felt the same way when he first met you. You two just…clicked, and it was…” Koby nervously chuckles, “tough, to say the least, at first. Overcoming the feelings I had as I watched you two build your crew and conquer the pirate world and seas together felt like a cross I’d have to bear for the rest of my life. I was proud as hell of Luffy, of course—I’ve never been shy about that. But it was an a bitter twist of fate watching him achieve it all with you.” Koby’s voice drops. “I…was jealous.”

As he listens to Koby piss him off—“Why?”—the swordsman realizes he could have been in his position as Luffy’s first mate.

There’s a distant look in Koby’s eyes, the blue and cloudy sky reflected in his lenses, a blend of nostalgia and regret. “Because Luffy told me all about his dream, and it sounded like the best dream ever. I wanted to be there to see it firsthand. I wanted to be by his side to watch him achieve it.”

A grimace forms on Zoro's face as he seems to think, truly processing Koby’s confession. “But you were following your dream. You never wanted to be a pirate. You turned Lu down. That’s a pretty stupid reason to be jealous of someone else.”

Koby runs his fingers through his pink strands, clinging to fresh sweat. “Trust me, I knew I never had a gum-gum chance with Luffy, at least, not romantically, but I couldn’t resist falling for him. I’m sure you understand,” he says with a cheeky wink. “It’s what makes my work so conflicting, because all pirates are bad—even Luffy. But I love him too much to let another Marine be in charge of his file. If Luffy ever dies by a Marine’s hands, it’ll be mine.”

Sobered up, though he sways in his balance, feeling woozy, Zoro rises to his feet.

Koby leans back and squints at the clear blue sky. “Anyway, I don't know when it’ll happen, but the Navy's weather reports say a rare hurricane is expected to hit this area. You might want to find some real shelter that’s not a park—”

Standing tall and resolute, Zoro puts his hand on the Wado Ichimonji's hilt. No longer listening to a thing the Marine captain says, and clearly steaming mad, he stares down the puny government’s dog. 

Just because Luffy has achieved his dream of becoming the King of the Pirates, it doesn't mean he's safe from his enemies. Just because Luffy had broken his heart without either man's knowledge, it doesn't mean his captain no longer means everything in the world to him. He made a promise to Luffy—his captain and his best friend—long ago.

And even after all that’s gone down between them, he refuses to break it. He'll die first.

With a grating tone, his voice as sharp as the blade in his grip, he warns the biggest threat to Luffy's freedom, "You'll have to get through me and my three swords first, Glasses."

⚔︎

It felt like a single blink between the time he closed his eyes and felt Law's comforting presence. His tongue was stained red where the candy had dissolved; the white stick slipping from the corner of his drooling mouth. Law’s bed was still the coziest place on earth.

Law’s hair brushes over his forehead as he looks down and smirks. “Hello, sleepyhead. You hungry?” His voice is low and soft as he ruffles Luffy’s hair. “The crew’s going out to eat. We can join them, or stay in so I can cook for us.”

Luffy’s sleep-laden eyes flutter open as he draws in the deep, awakening scent of Law’s fading cologne. “Yeah, I’d like that,” Luffy mumbles, snuggling closer, a sleepy smile playing on his lips as his stomach grumbles. His head finds a comfortable spot on Law’s lap—his favorite pillow for the man made of rubber.

Law chuckles a low grunt before standing up and pulling Luffy with him. “Come on, you bottomless pit. I’ll make you a snack first.” He faces his bedroom door, tempted to sweep Luffy’s noodly, sleep-adled body in his arms.

In silence, they make the long walk to the galley, and though the atmosphere is easy, the narrow space between them feels heavy with unspoken passions.

And questions.

Though they walk apart, the air between them seems to crackle as they stand close enough to brush fingers. But neither is brave enough to make contact. It’s…odd. Luffy’s still trying to wrap his head around Law's final words before leaving for work, but whenever he looks his way, all Luffy sees is an unreadable mask.

Law is just as nervous, and even more confused. To understand how Luffy is handling their changed friendship, he knows he must ask direct questions. The rubber man was never one for coyness. So, they enter his ship’s kitchen, and as he gathers ingredients for the tuna melt and the fruit bowl, Law thinks.

It’s not like he hadn’t been consumed by these thoughts throughout his workday, trying his best not to be too distracted by his knowledge of Luffy sleeping in his bed, lest he unwittingly harm a patient. But the galley is eerily silent, the noise vacuum is broken only by the rustling of his apprehensive movements as he gathers the produce and bread, steeling his nerves to voice what has been left unsaid.

The scent of fresh fruit being chopped fills the still air as Luffy slides onto the stool facing the stove. Now with a direct view of the chef at work, he suggests they play some music. “It’s too quiet. Mister Bear and I were listening to some early UTA while we were waiting for you. Wanna put on one of her Video Snails while you cook?”

“I was actually going to listen to SOUL KING while I cook," as he places before Luffy a bowl of freshly cut fruit and turns on the galley's radio.

Luffy nods in agreement and happily sings along to Brook’s haunting voice. Law throws on an apron and gets to work with his Devil Fruit power. Within the ship's galley, Law displays unexpected culinary skills while preparing dinner, and as he cooks, cleaning as he goes, the two friends’ voices mingle in lighthearted conversation with the sounds of the sizzling kitchen punctuating their laughs and banter.

The energy feels good—

For both of them.

“God, that smells delicious, Traffy!”

Even the roasted kale and calamari side salad Law is preparing looks tasty, and Luffy hates salads. Luffy’s stomach rumbles with excitement as his outstretched hand is playfully swatted away.

“Mmm! You’ve gotten better, too!” Luffy giggles, popping a fried calamari ring into his mouth.

“Thank you,” Law blushes. He hates how much he loves being complimented by him. He missed being on the receiving end of Luffy’s unique style of praise. “I’ve been practicing what I learned from watching Black Leg-ya.”

“So, tell me, Traffy,” Luffy begins, sucking on a mouthful of mango slices. “How’s running the clinic going on this island?”

A bit taken aback by Luffy's kindness, Law hums in thought. He couldn’t remember the last time he spoke about his work to someone not on his crew or a patient. “It’s been pretty nice. It’s a very tight-knit community. The people are loving, and almost too innocent and kind.”

“They sound like me, shishi,” Luffy laughs, bouncing in his seat with excitement. He could sense Law’s mind gearing up to a nerdy headspace. He finds Law’s intelligence so cool; it reminds him of Robin. “Maybe I’ll tag along for one of your house visits to meet the townspeople.”

“You’re not innocent,” Law chuckles. “But, I can’t lie. They do, and I’d like that. However, everyone here is either coupled or part of a large family. As I said, they’re a loving people, but it’s not their natural state. It’s almost like the side effects of SMILE fruits. Except the people here aren’t terminally smiling, they’re perpetually lovesick.”

“How?” Luffy gasps.

“They’re infected by this local virus that feeds off of the emotion, nostalgia. They still don’t know where it comes from, but they’ve adapted to it almost to the point of immunity. But some people are more vulnerable to it, and when they have an allergic reaction, they get weather-sick, too.”

Luffy, with his mouth stuffed with grapes, chews noisily, asking, "What happens?"

“Chemically-induced mania. But it also depends on myriad epigenetic and social factors.” Law snickers at the confused face Luffy makes. “For some, it makes them more virile, for others extremely vulnerable to being…taken advantage of. There have been reports of people losing their breath, and sometimes their lives, if they continue to experience unrequited love. If left untreated, the virus slows down aging in its host and keeps them youthful, which seems to grant them long life if they don’t die first. But in most cases, it causes arrested development, and they die anyway.”

“So… They either fall in love or die?”

“Or never grow up, or grow old,” Law adds.

“WHAT?” Luffy's eyes gawk. “That…sucks. So, love and marriage mean a lot to the people of this island.”

“Yeah, it’s literally a matter of life and death. It's a despairing life. Once infected, the more good and loving memories they have with the object of their affection, the more nostalgic they become, and the faster they die. Before a vaccine was developed to immunize babies and children, many people were said to regress to their teen years, some to childhood, and even infancy.”

“Even if they were fully grown?” Luffy shrieks. Even he couldn’t imagine reliving his childhood.

“All reported cases were originally adults ages 17-75 at their time of death. The town’s scientific community has been trying to figure out what causes this virus for years and why it's isolated to this island, but none of the proposed theories make sense.”

“Damn.” Luffy shakes his head in shock. “That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. Does it hurt?”

“No. But it affects their skin cells and brain chemistry. The symptoms aren't unpleasant, and treatment and recovery have a high prognosis, but it is distressing to witness the illness progress.”

Law stirs the pot, enjoying the warmth of the stove and the fragrant steam rising, before facing Luffy across the counter.

“Even for the Surgeon of Death?” Luffy teases, stretching his arm to pinch Law’s cheek.

Law softly smiles, gently pulling Luffy’s firm grip off his face. “Even for me, the situation is hard to take. Witnessing the heart physically break inside the human body is wildly painful, even as a heart surgeon. In extreme cases, the reverse aging process results in them being forgotten, or they become trapped in a repeating memory loop, ultimately driving them insane. Families find it disheartening to witness the decline of their loved ones.”

“Wow, that…sounds…miserable. But why aren’t friendship and Nakama not good enough?”

“The virus targets the heart and brain, overproducing oxytocin until the symptoms show too advanced for the love they’re used to receiving to be strong enough. They’re used to that love, so it’s more of a baseline than an antidote to a broken heart. At least, that’s my theory from my case studies. Their heartbeat slows, the virus siphoning the host’s blood and will until… Well, I guess that’s why the island has its name.”

“Oh, shoot!” Luffy snaps. “That’s why this place is called Fool’s Paradise… Okay, now that’s genius. Diabolical, but genius.”

“If you’re serious about joining me for some house calls, I have to see two patients in remission before dawn tomorrow. One’s crush died, so she’s cured, and the other’s finally said yes. Then I’m in surgery all day.”

“Oh.” Luffy slumps with a disappointed sigh. “I thought you said no one’s really sick for surgeries. I was hoping you could help me figure out how to get Zoro back tomorrow.”

“The village midwife is a long-term victim of the virus, and she’s in her last days, so my crew and I have been serving as a labor and delivery team.”

Luffy gags. “Traffy, you’ve been delivering babies?!”

“Loads of ‘em. This country’s birth rate is the highest in the New World. I mean, they love having children so much, Luffy, that we’ve been here for only three months and I’ve delivered no less than a hundred babies.”

Luffy’s eyes pop out. “ONE HUNDRED?!”

Straining a cream reduction into another pan, Law laughs. “Yes!”

“What the heck!”

“That’s what I meant when I said the townspeople remind me of you! Their life cycle is obscene. They’re kindhearted, horny adults creating too many children.”

The gall! Luffy snaps his head up. “Hey! I don’t got no kids, Traffy!”

Shaking his head, Law grouses. “I know you don’t want to have kids, Mugiwara-ya! But I almost thought you were here, the way every kid is a precocious tyrant,” he laughs, dodging Luffy’s Gum-Gum pistols. “But that reminds me, what are you doing on this island? We didn’t agree to meet here.”

“I know. We haven’t spoken in months,” Luffy points out. “I had Jinbe follow your Vivre Card.”

Though Luffy's reminder lacked any ill intent, it twisted Law's stomach. So, he noticed? “Did he know it’s mine?”

Luffy shrugs, mushing his chin on his fist. “Prob’ly.” His mind wanders as he watches Law, hands moving with practiced ease, set the small table in the galley's corner.

“Traffy, can we finish the conversation we had before you went to work?”

The innocent hope in Luffy’s voice and eyes is so pure that it finally breaks the steel chain holding back Law’s true feelings. Law lights two long white candles on the table, and the flickering flames cast dancing shadows in the dim galley.

Still, he stalls. “…We can, but let’s eat first.”

“Alright…” Luffy reluctantly relents. His nerves are sparkling, a feeling that mingles with the grumbling of his empty belly. He wants to know now, but Law sets down their plates, and it steals his attention. The difference in their servings is immediately apparent.

“Mmm, Traffy, this looks so good! But that’s all you’re gonna eat?” Luffy's gaze lands on Law's meager plate—a paltry portion compared to his own.

Law stabbed a piece of meat from his plate and placed the fork in Luffy’s mouth, and the hungry Pirate King took a deep, satisfying breath. “Mmm… soooo good!” Savoring the aroma of his mountainous plate of Lobster Newberg, prime rib, roasted vegetables, and mashed potatoes. “I can’t wait to eat! Thanks for the food, Traffy!”

And eat, he does. Law’s cooking had improved to mouthwatering levels. He even ate all his salad. Brook’s haunting baritone creates a deep, warm atmosphere as the two share a delicious, intimate dinner by candlelight.

“Damn, Traffy! This really hit the spot!” Luffy says, licking his plate and fingers.

A look of pride crossed Law's face as he swirled the wine, watching the candlelight catch the blood-red liquid. “A high step up from all the munchies concoctions I used to make, right?”

“Oh my god, so much better!” Law frowns until his forehead creases with deep folds, and Luffy quickly rebounds, “B-But, those were so tasty, too!”

Luffy clears his throat. “Anyway, I’m ready for dessert!” he says, slapping his full belly. “Also, can you repeat what you said before you poofed away?” he casually asked as if requesting Law to pass the bread.

Law's cheeks flushed, a vivid crimson blooming across his face, betraying his fluster. With a slow nod, he gathered their empty plates, the clinking echoing in the room as he walked them to the sink. He pulled out the tub of ice cream, steeling himself as he opened the freezer. He knows he won’t be able to delay the topic any longer. “That… I love you?”

“Yah.”

He never meant to spill one of his deepest secrets to Luffy. He never meant to tell them at all, figuring they’d remain friends with benefits and he’d be the best friend Luffy ever had—Zoro be damned. 

“Did you mean it?”

He portions the chocolate chunks into one bowl for them, his hands slightly trembling with fear as he musters all his courage. Even if Luffy doesn’t feel the same way, Law knows the truth now—

He’ll be okay.

“Yes.”

“Then why did you leave me?”

The innocent question gave him whiplash. A simple question that warranted just as simple a response. Law wished he didn’t have one, but he had many, too many. He forces his heart to calm down as he returns, placing the dessert and the two spoons between them with a soft clink. 

“Because I was afraid that you would leave me first.”

He stares up at Luffy, but Luffy's round eyes are soft with confusion.

“Huh?”

“I thought that…” Law's voice shudders at the actual truth. “…That you wouldn’t love me if I never got better. So I left to get better, Luffy-ya.”

Luffy's eyes, usually so full of life, show a dark emotion, and Law's heart does a little flip.

“What a silly thing to fear, Traffy,” Luffy impassively replies. 

Law's face blooms red; he’s ashamed of himself under his best friend's brute honesty, feeling the familiar dread of rejection and disappointment tiding in. “Lu—”

But Luffy cuts him off with a confident yet comforting hand over Law’s spoon.“I don’t wanna hear it, Traffy. I’m here for all versions of you. I'm not going anywhere. No matter what’s wrong with you.”

“Hey!” Law is mortified, but he knows Luffy means well.

Law's hand trembles as he carefully spoons out the ice cream and brings it to Luffy's smiling lips. He offers a smile to the king, the edges of his lips curving in a subtle gesture across the table. With no hesitation this time, Law repeats himself.

“I love you, Luffy-ya,” his voice gentle and filled with warmth, his fear now gone.

“See? That was easy!” Luffy says reassuringly, licking the sweet cream from his mouth, though his chest feels like the drums of liberation just kicked off in it.

Law, annoyed at how easily Luffy trivialized his worries, drops the spoon with a clang and folds his arms. “Says who?”

“Me!” Luffy laughs. “Because I already know that, Traffy! I do, too!”

Law's breath hitched as Luffy’s words sank in. “You… do?” He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“Yeah!” The same unwavering surprise that woke him up the first time his bored gaze fell on Luffy at the Auction House all those years ago now captures Law’s attention. It still makes him feel fuzzy, warm, prickly, and…

“Best friends love each other.”

Law stared, bewildered, at Luffy’s vacant expression, scrutinizing his utterly clueless eyes—they say nothing and everything at the same time. Groaning, he drops the licked spoon and pulls down his hat by its brim. “No, Luffy—oh, my Sun God—NO,” he pitifully laughs, pushing away from the table.

God, does he feel like a fool. He should’ve known they didn’t mean the same thing. He did—still, Law’s heart cracks.

Luffy surveys Law’s face and frowns when Law’s head drops in defeat. What did he miss? “But it's nice to hear it,” he blurts, eager to ease the sharp tension cutting through the air. “Because… you’re the first person in my life to tell me flat-out they love me.”

Immediately, Law’s head snaps up. The confession disarms his defenses, halting his dramatic exit.

But even as his eyes well up, giving away the joy he feels, his damaged heart is filled with concern for Luffy, more than his own past wounds.

They were both shaped by loss and pain, though in different ways; their intuitive understanding of the other’s traumatic childhood made their friendship bond deeper in some sense, at least to Law.

But even the grumpy emo kid of yore couldn’t possibly count how many times he’s been told that he was loved in his life. His crew said it daily. His mind replayed the many times his family said it while growing up, though they were short-lived, and Cora’s last words resonated now, as sharp as a whistle, in his ears.

The synchronicity between that last memory and the present moment rips Law’s heart to shreds. He can't help but laugh, almost in tears at the irony of life. Law never felt deserving of the love he always received; it always felt like an unmerited favor to spite his ever-present survivor’s remorse. But Luffy was not Law. If anyone deserved love while growing up, Luffy did.

He deserves even more love now.

Law has to hold back his tears. “That’s…not the kind of love I mean, Luffy-ya,” he clarifies with a gentle, patient tone. “Shouldn’t the way I kissed you in bed before confessing have been a clue? This is more than just brotherly love, buddy.” Law winks and Luffy pouts, catching the shade.

Spoonfeeding the bottomless pit in human form more dessert, Law braces himself for what he’s about to declare.

“I’ve loved you since the very first time I met you.” He leaves the spoon in Luffy’s mouth.

Luffy’s jaw drops, blinking with a confused stare. “B-but you didn’t even know me in Sabaody.” It’s been years since that fateful day that set Luffy’s life on an unimaginable trajectory, but he still remembers the smug look on Law’s face in that dark theatre.

Law delicately eats a spoonful of ice cream and shrugs, unbothered by Luffy’s confusion. It’s his fault, really, for falling in love with a doofus with keen emotional intelligence about everything but romantic love.

“I knew enough. You weren’t exactly a quiet pirate back then, either. Got to know you very quickly after you knocked Saint Charlos’ head off.”

“But…but you said you saved me on a whim.”

But Law ignores that, and every word that leaves his smooth lips next leaves Luffy feeling fuller than anything he just ate. Fuller than he’s ever felt.

“Heh, about that. Yeah, I—um, lied,” Law croaks, trying to keep burning tears from closing his windpipe. He hated sharing his emotions because it always made him cry.

“I only said that to cover up how much I was into you. By the time I dropped you off at Amazon Lily, I couldn't stop thinking about you.”

Luffy stared into Law's wet eyes, his mind struggling to grasp Law’s words. Then, his eyelids fluttered closed before opening again. Luffy frowns, humming with closed eyes, his forehead wrinkling, his features shifting until the truth dawns on him.

“Seriously?!”

“Yeah, but I, uh…” Law is practically sweating out of every pore, shame coloring his cheeks. “I found out your age, and got weirded out, so I…”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

Law’s eyes flicker up, betraying the sudden shock of being put in the hot seat. “Why’d you get weirded out?”

“Oh, you know… That whole seven-year age gap thing. It doesn’t look good for a man in his mid-twenties to be crushing on a teen.”

“Law. We’re pirates,” Luffy squawks. “And I’d just knocked a Celestial Dragon’s lights out. Who gives a flying fuck that I was seventeen, and you were…” he tries to hide, counting on his fingers.

“Twenty-four.”

Silence hung between them, thick and sharp.

“And I do. I did. But then you almost died…then, you didn’t…and then you dropped off the face of the earth for two agonizing years.”

Luffy’s heart flutters a half skip above his chest, marked with a scarred X by the very hands he now holds. Law sighs, a heavy, distant memory clouding his amber eyes, his thumb absentmindedly stroking Luffy’s knuckles.

Law leans back just enough to meet Luffy’s gaze. “I thought I’d never see you again. So, I tucked all those feelings deep inside my heart.”

Wiping a rascally tear from the corner of his eye, he releases Luffy’s hand, the emptiness noticeably cold, and pulls out a coin from his hoodie’s pocket.

A nondescript shoebox suddenly appears in his lap.

Law sniffles. "The moment you opened your eyes after surgery and looked at me, that was it for me," he chuckles. “What was the very first thing you said when you woke up post-op?”

“‘Where’s my brother?’” He asks quietly.

Law’s heart tugs at the hollow agony in Luffy’s voice, but he shakes his head, wishing it were true. A distant smile shifts on his face. “No, Lu-ya. Your first words were, ‘Are you an angel, or am I still alive?’”

The question shakes Luffy’s core memories. He sees and smells it all in the med bay on the Polar Tang. The memory of the sharp, sterile environment makes his nose burn. “Oh, yeah...”

“You remember now?”

“I do. I-I…opened my eyes and saw that blinding white hospital light and then…you came into full view. You were wearing that hoodie…” he eyes Law’s loungewear: his yellow and black Jolly Roger hoodie under a black jacket and some cotton joggers. “And you looked dead tired. I thought you were the Grim Reaper, Traffy,” he snorts.

But only a little.

Phantom pain is slowly returning to his body. It centers on his chest; his sternum aches, his heart is squeezing against his ribs, as if gasping for breath.

Luffy looks at the half-eaten dessert bowl on the table between them. The melting chocolate ice cream is now a pool of mush. You didn't feel real to me then. You looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember where…” He looks up and across the table to Law’s reddened eyes. “What did you say again?”

“I said yes, you’re alive.” Law finishes, “But no, I’m not an angel, but you cut me off and said—”

“You are.” Luffy choked up. "Thanks... for saving me.”

Overcome with emotion, Luffy is stunned by the intensity of a memory he never knew he had. He chokes back tears. “How could I have forgotten that?”

Law smiles as a forgiving gesture. “Trauma, baby.” He slides the box across the table and watches, giggling at how lost Luffy looks.

“Here. Open it,” he instructs while freshly unshed tears well up in his eyes. They look like coins to Luffy, clear and fluid like he’s staring into a wishing fountain. Luffy looks at the black shoebox and realizes it’s not a shoebox, but a portable safe box. “The code is five-five-one-one-six.”

Luffy slowly pressed the heavy buttons as Law spoke until the safety lock unlatched.

“I hope you won’t find it too cheesy,” Law warns with endearing humor. His heart is now pounding against its enclosure as the reality of the shifting atmosphere dawns on him. He can’t believe he’s really about to risk it all right now, or that he’s willing to.

Luffy pops the safe’s top and is overwhelmed by its contents.

Letters, dozens of neatly folded and twine-bound stacks of handwritten notes and letters addressed to Luffy from—

“Law? What is all this?”

“Letters.” He still doesn’t want to admit anything more than that because that would just put an even heavier load of pressure on defining their relationship with Luffy right now, and that was not what the kid needed.

But he can be honest.

He takes a deep breath in through his nose and a long exhale out of his mouth to calm his racing heart. Law clears his throat of the hard lump of emotions lodged in it.

“They’re love letters. To you. From me. I made the paper by hand and pressed the ink for the fountain pen I used. ”

“You wrote me love letters? By hand? When?”

“I did. Funny thing. I’ve been infatuated with you since the first time I saw you running down the steps in the Human Shop; you were so happy to rescue that mermaid. You know, Luffy,” Law’s voice cracks. “The best thing that could have happened in my life was running into you on Punk Hazard. I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be able to fight alongside you again. So when I saw you looking like a rubbery candy cane, I proposed the alliance because I wanted you in my life.”

“Traffy… what are you…?”

Law wistfully smiles into his lap. “I was ready to die in Dressrosa alone. I thought I would have nothing to live for after avenging Cora’s death. But then I met you and lived to tell the story. I realized I had feelings for you and nowhere to put them, so I started writing.”

Luffy feels like he’s in a fantasy romance. Fiction. This cannot be his real life right now. No way. There is absolutely no way Law is confessing that he has feelings for him. Serious, real romantic feelings. And has harbored feelings since the beginning of their alliance. Since before Luffy even registered Law as a person or pirate, let alone a friend.

“I had a journal full of poems and love letters, but that sank with the Polar Tang. So, whenever we’ve been apart throughout this past year, I’ve been writing to you again.”

Luffy picks up and reads through a letter that’s sealed with red wax shaped like a human heart, and his eyes immediately well up with tears. From the start, the first letter sounds just like Trafalgar Law.

Straw Hat-ya,

You’re a reckless idiot for what you did at Marineford. But you’re a resilient idiot, too, because even after all of that, all you’ve been through, you’re still alive.

You miraculous hellion, you survived the worst of it. I’ve done my best. The rest is up to you.

Please, Luffy. Do not die. The world needs you more than ever.

I need you to survive.

“That was the first letter I wrote,” Law explains shyly. “I kept that one in my wallet for years.”

As Luffy reads on, his eyes begin to sting and burn. “Law, this letter is beautiful!” He sobs. “I didn’t know you were so poetic.” He looks into the safe box and picks up the other stacks of letters. The paper feels weighted in his hand, and he can’t help wondering if it’s because the paper is handmade or Law’s heart was heavy when he wrote them. “Are all of them like this?”

His face blushing pink, Law mumbles, “More or less,” trying to hide his embarrassment.

Pursing his lips at Law’s nonchalance, Luffy opens letter after letter. He reads one, then another, and another, and a fourth. By the time he folds the fifth letter and grabs hold of the sixth, Luffy is a snotty, tearful mess.

“I… I didn’t know you felt this way about me,” he sobs. The weight of Law’s words sinks like comfort food into his stomach. Is this really love? “I…” Luffy frowns, his mind suddenly filled with a lot of new information. “Had no idea. I thought you didn’t…”

“Well, now you know how I feel. So don’t break my heart,” he playfully warns.

Luffy has an epiphany. “Oh shit. Do you…think Zoro feels the same way?”

“I can’t speak for the depth of Roronoa’s feelings, but,” Law brushes Luffy’s bangs out of his eyes. “Yes. Obviously. Absolutely. You’re hard not to fall for, Luffy-ya.” Law looks down at the tangled knots their fingers make on the table. “You’re easy to love.”

“Dammit!” Luffy felt absolutely terrible. The weight of his actions pressed down, constricting his heart with guilt. “I made things way harder than they needed to be. For all three of us!”

“It’s not solely your fault. I'm just as much to blame for this whole mess. I’m the one who popped up unannounced and swept you off your feet,” Law kids. Kind of. “But seriously, I don’t know why I expected your life to be on hold. Who knows how different things between you and Roronoa would’ve been if I didn’t approach you in that sex shop in Dressrosa?”

Luffy shakes his head, Law’s question making little sense. “Why do you think we keep finding our way back to each other, Traffy?”

Law has his own theories, but “Mmm… I’d rather hear what you think.”

Luffy furrows his brow thoughtfully. “What if it’s our Devil Fruits…?” He shakes his head, dismissing the idea as ridiculous. “No… Or there's something else, like a powerful force that keeps pulling us back?” He looks up to Law for confirmation.

“Yeah, I think that force is you, Straw Hat-ya,” Law teases, pulling his hand away.

Luffy yanks Law’s hand back and puffs out his cheeks in a pout. “Hey! You too! You run away, but you always sail back to me.”

Law kisses Luffy’s forehead. “I do. What can I say? You’re irresistible.”

A coy blush creeps up his face as he attempts to conceal a crooked grin. “I could say the same about you.”

Law’s throat constricts, and his heart races in his chest, as if it's about to jump out if he doesn't speak up.

“Do… You love him?” Law shyly inquires, sure not to make eye contact. “Like…” fear crosses his face. “…I love you?” He can’t bring himself to ask Luffy the same question about himself, though he’s feeding the man ice cream.

Both of them are surprised by how long it takes Luffy to answer.

Luffy swallows the ice cream and exhales shakily, bringing the long silence to an end. His lips compress into a tight line, and his brows crease as he mulls over the question. He looked at Law, already studying him with careful eyes, and there was an innocence about him that felt genuine, a simplicity that seemed out of place for the most influential person in the New World.

“I love Zoro, yes,” Luffy’s voice rasps. “But not like, romantically, and I told him that.” Law’s heart melts until Luffy finishes his thought. Law could see the confusion etched across his face, which said everything. “Honestly, I don’t even know what it’s like to be in love.”

In the depths of those kind, simple eyes, Luffy’s innocence sparkles, and Law realizes a bittersweet truth. Though it stings that Luffy isn't thinking about him, it also reveals the profound level of trust the younger man has in him, where nothing is withheld, including doubts. With a deep sense of sympathy, Law looks for something encouraging to say.

Instead, his smile falters as he places another melting scoop of ice cream in front of Luffy.

“Mmm...” Luffy nods as he slurps up the cold soup. The color drains from Luffy’s face, sensing that he has said something wrong. “What?”

“Nothing,” Law says, detached. “I completely understand. It’s not really an experience that can be accurately described. It’s different for everyone, and some people never feel it at all.” He can’t control his feelings, but he also can’t blame Luffy for not reciprocating them.

“I guess that's me, 'cause I've never been in love.”

Law’s captive heart fights against its rigid limits with all its strength, letting Luffy’s admission settle within him. Luffy takes his spoon from Law’s hand and feeds him the liquid dessert.

“But you know what, Traffy? I’m open to it! And if I ever fall in love, it’ll be forever.”

As Law savors the ice cream from the same spoon, his eyes drift shut, unsure how to make sense of the butterflies Luffy’s revelation has stirred up inside him. “Yeah? How can you be so sure?”

Luffy’s eyes shine with foolish confidence. “I just know it. Like with us, I know we’re more than just friends, but our friendship is everything to me, and I value it too much to lose. I’ll treasure all that we’ve shared over the years. So, I want you to know that I'll be there if you ever need me. Just say the word. This is a forever alliance.”

Luffy doesn’t know what to say, but suddenly, it all becomes clear, and he isn't confused anymore.

“Ohhh…” Luffy glances at Law and then away into some dissociated headspace where Nika winks with glee, and then back at Law. “Oh, whoa...”

Law gives Luffy a questioning look, noticing how chaotic he is becoming.

"Oh, I get it!" Luffy gasped. It’s light, nearly breathless. “Is that the reason my heart races when I think about you?” he mutters the question, directing it inward, rather than to Law.

“Lu-ya… What?”

“I’ve always known what I wanted, Traffy, and I’ve always chosen that.” Luffy's face breaks into a grin, and he seems to understand, but he still shakes his head. “I didn’t complicate things between us, Traffy. I just didn’t understand what I was feeling, so I chose the adventure.”

“What were you feeling?”

“At first, gratitude that you saved my life. Then… I think it was a crush; I just didn't realize it until you left our alliance…” Luffy gasps.

Law’s breathing becomes shallow as he waits for Luffy to make more sense. He takes a deep breath as he watches Luffy dig into his pockets.

“I want you, Law. And I’ve always chosen you; I’ve never wanted you to leave. Luffy, pulling something out of his pockets, drags Law out of his dazed reverie. “Here!” he giggles.

He grabs Law’s hand and carefully deposits a small, cold object. Law's palm unfurled, offering a glimpse of a small, polished, circular treasure. The gold was thick like a coin and shone with a flawless polish, but Law knew it wasn't a beri, or any currency he had ever seen. Its weathered facade tells tales of bygone eras, as if it were minted long ago. It’s a stunning artifact.

Law's fingers extended towards the coin, a crackling energy of power filling the space.

“When I saw it, I immediately thought of you, so I grabbed it. It’s a rare coin from The Lost Era.” He scoots closer to Law. “See, I found it at the main altar of Nika’s shrine. There was a soft glow around it and everything. Like in the movies," he says excitedly. “After I picked it up, Nika materialized.”

Law could tell Luffy was nervous because his cheeks flushed a rosy pink, and he was talking a mile a second. “Maybe this could be the first coin in your collection again?”

“Luffy,” Law whispers, his voice raspy as he stares at the ancient spiritual coin, the faint scent of old metal filling the air, mystified as he slowly rotates it between his trembling fingers. He’s stuck—his tongue, his mind, his heart. He doesn’t know what to say. The gold coin, the size of a sand dollar, is simply gorgeous.

Luffy’s energy is palpable, crackling with Conqueror’s Haki, as he leans over the counter, his eyes fixed on Law's hand. He is trying to keep Nika contained, his dark roots fading to white, but Nika really wants to get out.

“Robin said it was a devotion token that temple patrons paid to Nika in the old days, like a tithe or something that devotees would be blessed by the Sun God’s patronage. It was the only one in the temple. Can you believe it?!”

Law, eyes wide with shock, stayed mute as he watched Luffy, who kept chattering away about the coin's long history.

“See his symbol in the center of the sun, right there? She carbon-dated it back a thousand years! Neat, huh? Franky gave me the stuff to buff out the dirt and grime that time left behind, and before I knew it, the coin was looking good as new! I missed you and didn’t know if you were alive, so I used to whisper brief prayers to Nika into it that you were alive and alright. I figured I’d give it to you so you could add it to your rare coin collection the next time I saw you, but you never really gave me a chance while island-hopping. So I’ve been saving it for the right time ever since, but then I felt bad because you lost your collection in your sh—”

Law yanks Luffy over the table and into his arms.

The kiss is slow and deliberate, and tastes like salty sugar. Luffy melts like hot rubber, slipping his limbs into a tight coil that holds Law close enough for both men to feel the other’s ricocheting heartbeats. Quiet passion takes place, and Law is grateful not to have to repeat himself because Luffy’s response to his call is enough.

Law stands them up and scoops Luffy into his arms.

They're locked in a passionate kiss in the galley, going at it so long that each member of the Heart Pirates stumbles upon them in a romantic embrace and slips out of the kitchen area unnoticed, one by one, giggling and snickering, and placing bets on how long they’ve been at it and when they’ll finally surface for air.

⚔︎

“HA!”

Ikkaku brags, turning away from the surveillance monitor, popping her chewing gum, and waving her hand for her crew brothers to pay up.

“See, I told you suckers! I know our captain’s stamina with Straw Hat better than you dude-bros ever could. Now, pay up bitches! Talking about power scaling stats. Psshh!”

She stabs her finger at the screen monitor.

“This is real lovers’ shit. Real yearning, right here! Romance, we’re talkin ‘bout—YAOI! Trust the fujo next time, ‘kay? I know my homos!”

She wins with thirty minutes, only edging Penguin out by a measly ten minutes. No one expected the two captains to clear the counter that they cooked on right after a foolish pirate called a double-or-nothing bluff in a flightless black and white bird cap.

“Damn that freak of nature and his solid core strength!” the bird enthusiast squawks, paying up one hundred fifty berries.

“Who knew two people could keep their faces together for that long?” Bepo squeaks, feeling awestruck and hungry, as he walks away from the galley with drooping ears and empty paws. He reaches into his pocket and hands a hundred-beri bill to his friend. She puffs her gum and counts her thick stack of cash.

“Tsk. Should’ve known. Law probably used his Devil Fruit to expand his lung capacity or some kinky shit like that,” Shachi clocked their captain, shaking his head.

“Come on, boys.” Ikkaku laughs, gesturing for them to move along as she counts her winnings. “Let’s go grab dinner and give the two horny lovebirds their privacy.”

⚔︎

Law’s lungs force him up for air first. He slowly lets out his breath. Realizing what he's done, Luffy gives him a sneaky look, barely containing his laughter.

Suddenly stricken by Law’s flushed expression, he breathes out, “Damn. You’re so pretty, Traffy.”

Stomach fluttering as he tightens his hold on him, Law noses Luffy. “Look who’s talking,” he grumbles. “I don’t seem to recall being named the world’s most eligible bachelor for three years in a row.”

Luffy couldn’t care less about what Law’s yammering on about. With eyelashes fluttering, giggling, Luffy can no longer keep it in.

He must know.

“So, did you really use your Devil Fruit to control your breathing while kissing me?”

Law blinks flatly at first, and a small grin tickles his lips. “Yes.” He glances at the clock on the oven.

1:43.

When he looks back at Luffy, he's met with the most adorable pouting cat. “Who have you been kissing that would make you find out you could even do that?”

In his tipsiness, Law doesn’t even try to mask the smug glint in his eye. “Why? You jealous?”

Luffy huffs, squeezing Law unbearably tight with Haki. “YES.”

“OK! OK!” Law strains, struggling against Luffy's death grip. “A man made of rubber!” he wails. “Ack! Luffy, you’re squeezing me too tight!”

Embarrassed, Luffy's jaw slams shut as his brain scrambles. Suddenly, he swats at Law’s rumbling chest. “Shut up!”

Law cackles and kisses his forehead in retaliation. “You’re so chaotic, Mugiwara-ya. Come on, let’s get out of this cold, messy kitchen and find a comfortable place to unwind.”

The closest place is the crew’s lounge. Law throws his arm around the dip in Luffy’s waist, pinning him close to his side, and leads him into the eerily empty communal space. Normally, his crew would crowd around the large playroom at this time of night, watching movies, playing games, or doing something relaxing to wind down. He would’ve kicked them out anyway, but Law feels a tingling suspicion that his crew is up to no good.

So, he leaves them be. Whatever it is, it can wait until the morning.

“So, how do you plan to get your first mate back?”

“I dunno!” Luffy whines, crashing into the cushions. “And not knowing what to do hurts, Traffy. Zoro’s Zoro. I don’t want to lose him. But I can’t go after him; he won’t respect that. And I kinda shot myself in the foot from any other crewmate doing the same. So, I’m stuck as fuck.”

Law joins him in the pit by his side. His heart is light now that the tension he felt before is irrelevant. His feelings are unfettered from the fear of Luffy not feeling the same.

Because he does. Luffy actually has feelings for me! Now, he can't stop smiling and his muscles and nerves feel loose as the bottle of wine he polished off by himself courses through his bloodstream. Now, Law is feeling playful. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be very captain-y of you. Plus, he might misread your actions, again.”

He cuddles Luffy’s stomach, pinching his cheeks, and grounding himself in the skin's smoothness. He hears himself softly humming a toneless note over Luffy’s warm chest. He mumbles gibberish about how missed being able to touch him all over just the way he likes. Luffy doesn’t complain. He never does when Law clings to him this way.

But he does wriggle out of Law's unflinching hold and rolls onto his stomach.

Wine-drunk, Law slurs his complaint to his human body pillow. “Hey! I was enjoying that!”

But Luffy only responds by placing his chin on Law’s lap to get a better view, unbothered by being manhandled by the taller man. He wants to know more than he thought he would about what Law thought during their time apart. He swore he would never ask if Law never brought it up.

But…he did…

So.

“Did you?” he asks shyly.

Law blinks down at him with owlish eyes. “I don’t understand the question.”

“When I didn’t force you to stay or come back…did you think I didn’t care about you? Like I gave up on you?”

Law sits with the loaded question like it’s a ticking time bomb, crossing his arms as he recollects years of emotions and experiences with Luffy. The Pirate King who achieved his dream without Law anywhere to be found.

Regret glows in his dim eyes as he replies, “Not given up, per se, but had finally let go.” His mouth twists as he tries to force an awkward smile. “Stopped caring.”

It is awkward sitting in the silence that Luffy creates. It’s charged with an intimidating energy that makes Law feel like his insecurities have been gathered up in one surprisingly small and uncharacteristically stupid fell swoop.

But Luffy completely misinterprets Law’s reaction. He’s actually deeply offended, and a pit opens up in his stomach; his feelings are even more hurt for other reasons he cannot explain.

“Law,” he calls out like a solemn decree, sitting up. “In all the years you’ve known me, have I ever given up on anything or anyone that matters to me?” He leans in Law's face until their noses nearly touch.

Luffy's pupils glow with a righteous anger Law is not used to seeing directed his way. “You think it was easy letting you go your own way? Watching you leave me behind?” The questions don’t sound like they need answers, but their blows give Law whiplash. “You have no idea how hard it was to stay put. How much I wanted to chase you from the start, drag you back to me, kicking and screaming if I had to. I would’ve run after you like I was chasing the moon across the sky. You have no idea, Law—how many times I came close to doing so. How badly I wanted to force you to stay.”

In a hushed, hallowed gasp, Law can only imagine how intense that internal battle was for Luffy's impulsive nature. “Well, why didn’t you?”

Luffy eyes Law, struck by how smug he looks, as if he thinks he’s won the cold war between them. Not on his life would he let Law win this! (Whatever this was…)

“Because…” he stresses, “then I started noticing this weird pattern. Your Haki kept popping up wherever we were, though you kept your distance. I started to find little trinkets and clues about town or around an island, and knew it’d been left by you.”

“Oh. Heh. I…” Law feels foolish to admit, “You’re not the only one. For a while, I doubted whether you were understanding or even noticing my clues, too. Then I began to see signs you left behind that let me know you wanted me to find you.”

Luffy sheepishly scratches his cheek, offering a half-smile. “It’s embarrassing how long it took for me to realize, but once I understood what you were doing, I felt a rush I’ve never felt before. Like the start of a new adventure, but with romance.”

“Well…that is what romance means…”

“Really? Huh. Well then…” Luffy shivers as his body vividly remembers that thrilling moment. “I knew you had my Vivre Card all along, but it was the stuffed monkey with a snow leopard hat that you left in my room when we sailed away from Delta Island that let me know that nothing had changed between us. We were still us; you were just scared.”

He cups Law’s cheek with an elongated hand. “The thought that you still wanted to be around me was a relief,” Luffy chuckles with his entire face. “It fed into my delusion that you wanted to stay with me, but didn’t know how.” Big, earnest eyes restlessly look up at Law’s poised face. “I didn't want to risk pushing you away again by forcing you to stay, so I chose to go along with your cat-and-mouse game, trusting you'd come back when you were read—”

A striking realization cuts off Luffy's emotional outpouring, causing his voice to falter. He’s been talking too much.

And words will no longer do.

Thick, tanned thighs cling to the dark and creamy patchwork waist between them. Jagged, bitten off fingernails scrape and scratch a broad tattooed back chiseled by discipline and time as a pair of monkey paws pull Law’s white tank over his head.

Luffy claws for what he wants as if afraid to let go, lest he lose all he's holding onto—again—leaving their bloody trails behind to keep his treasure in place.

Luffy rubs Law’s chest, shamelessly rolling his hips and rubbing his arousal against his partner's with intimate intention. Law’s erection reawakens with delight at the syrupy friction. Luffy reaches down the sides of the cushion and slots his fingers into Law’s before stretching it over his head with an unyielding grip, never breaking from the greedy, moaning kisses he’s drawing from Law’s lips like his life depends on its sustenance.

“I want you, Law,” Luffy pants against Law's mouth, before his teeth raze goosebumps along Law's jaw and neck.

Law knows when he’s being worshiped by Luffy's lips. It’s been a while, but the pull of his bottom lip and his teeth grooves embedded in his inner mouth and outer flesh feels sacrificial and familiar. Law feels laid bare on an altar as Luffy's tongue licks and glides around the exposed surface of Law’s body. He desperately moans into Law’s mouth, begging Law to kiss him deeper, better.

“I’m hungry, Law,” he whispers, kissing Law harder, pressing their bodies even closer together as if their current proximity isn’t enough.

It’s not.

Luffy is starving for Law; famished from all the months spent apart, not knowing how the other person felt, and Law can tell by the shamelessness with which Luffy’s supple lips are sucking him in, that now that he’s had a taste, he will not stop until he's fully sated.

Law brooks zero complaints about being Luffy's late-night snack, certainly not when Law is returning his insatiable kisses, equally hungering for more. He could eat Law alive for all he cares.

Law abruptly breaks their kiss.

“Take off your shorts,” he gives the directive with a ragged breath.

Luffy scrambles to obey.

“Turn around. Bend over for me.”

Luffy arches his back just the way Law likes it as Law presses one large hand on the small of his back and the other wrapped around Luffy's jumping cock. “I’m hungry, too, and want to eat your ass.” Sitting up as Luffy collapses from the power in Law's shamelessness, Law glares with devilish delight at the full meal before his salivating tongue.

Law milks Luffy's chubby cock for all it’s worth as he expertly teases his rim with his tongue.

The stimulation is already too much for Luffy. As his frenzy reaches its peak, Luffy's head flies back, his bubble booty bouncing on Law's face, faster and less controlled. “Fuck yes, Law! Right there. Right! Like—mmnf,” Luffy’s sobs fill the shrinking room. Though he’s spilling all over the cushion and Law’s hand, he still drools and babbles, “Nghhh—ah-ah! Don't. Stop. Fuck. Me. Hard. Slower.” He will not let another mind-bending climax stop him from being Law's fourth meal. He mentally resolves that he will empty himself if he has to.

But then his brain breaks, and he cums all over Law’s lips, sucking on his rectum. Not like he has many thoughts left as Law’s tongue breaches his tight hole and slowly rolls and tours his wet inner sanctum.

The doctor uses his skilled hands to grip the round, supple flesh of his lover for support, enjoying the firmness of every squeeze as he spreads Luffy further apart.

Luffy's voice releases a strangled growl as another intense shockwave hits him like it’s about to split him apart. “YES!" Luffy chokes on a thick glob of spit, grunting like a feral cave dweller over and over as Law eats him out with painstaking, punishing care. He’s getting even more turned on by the loud and lecherous sounds Law is making behind him.

Again.

“Ahh! I—!” The exclamation rips from his throat. Again. “I need more of you, Law!”

He desperately reaches back and snatches Law's hand free from his left ass cheek, placing it in his mouth and sucking on his middle and ring fingers like a pacifier, moaning as he finger-fucks his own mouth until he croaks out a carnal cry.

“SHIT! FUCK!” he desperately whimpers, slamming his fist against the leather beneath him.

Again.

Luffy’s drool covers the conversation pit cushion as Law slips one finger after another around his tongue. He looks back at the sinful ministration, his eyes glazed and heavy with fucked-out tears, as though he has been drugged. Law’s fingers slowly search Luffy’s tight, searing pocket in search of…

Found it.

He pumps his fingers with a deft, increased tempo as Luffy’s body seals his fingers and tongue inside while his seventh orgasm washes over him and all over Law’s fingers and mouth. Luffy finally deflates onto the messy leather cushion, his sloppy bare ass still in the air.

“I feel like I just got dunked in seawater,” Luffy chuckles softly, slumping forward. He feels the heady, impending wave of endorphins flooding his limp body and threatening to drag him under.

Law finally speaks as he admires Luffy's slick arousal glistening on the palm of Law’s hand. “I feel so full right now.” Licking his fingers and mouth clean with a lascivious grin—he’s ready for more.

“Mmm! I love the way you taste so much, Lu-ya.”

Law looks down, waiting for Luffy's quip at the new challenge, but it never comes. Instead, the newfound quiet is accented by the steady, deep breaths of slumber. He draws Luffy closer and wraps his naked body with a blanket he teleported from his bedroom.

Despite his mind being troubled by fresh worries, Law feels a special sense of satisfaction as he watches Luffy sleep peacefully, a gentle smile on his face.

He kisses the forehead of the sleeping beauty in his arms and sighs contentedly, his voice barely audible.

“And I love you even more, Luffy-ya.”