Work Text:
Law didn't know why he still bothered showing up to these things.
The banquets thrown by the Straw Hats were always so loud and lively, chaotic and unpredictable.
A voice in his head that sounded too much like reason told him that he should probably have thought that through before making the Heart Pirates a part of the Straw Hat Fleet.
He sighed, taking another swig of his drink. To his right, Nico Robin talked quietly to Bepo, while to his left Sanji grilled platters upon platters of skewers, steak, and sausages.
And right across from Law, across from the campfire burning steadily on this nameless beach, on this nameless island, was Luffy.
The firelight played upon him, upon his skin, upon his hair, upon his smile.
And Law… Law had never seen a more captivating sight.
His flagon hanged listlessly from his fingertips, the raucous banquet falling into the background as his sight focused exclusively on the captain partying in front of him, across from the campfire.
The way his limbs extended, somewhat graceful in their goofiness, twisting around crewmates and guests to clasp a shoulder or grab a piece of meat. The way his laughter rang out, recognizable above the din of the festivities, the way his eyes scrunched at the corners as he did so, his grin wide and joyous.
Luffy’s smile could light up the world, Law was certain of it.
He took another sip of ale, shaking his head. This damn crew, this damn captain, always left him feeling sappy, soft in a way he hadn’t been since he’d lost Corazón.
When he next looked over the campfire, Luffy was staring right at him. That singular gaze, as penetrating as anything Law had ever seen, as sharp as any sword he’d ever held. Like he was slowly peeling away everything there was to see about Law until only the deepest truths about him remained.
And then, realizing that he’d caught his gaze, Luffy smiled, somehow even wider and happier than before, as though there could be nothing more endearing, more enticing, more wonderful than to cross eyes with him.
“Torao!” he shouted, all but bounding over the campfire to reach him.
“Mugiwara-ya, what—”
“Hold this for me, would you?” Luffy asked, and before Law could enquire as to what, how, or why, Luffy had placed his hat, his hat, atop Law’s head, and bounded towards…
“Luffy!” Zoro shouted from across the beach, somehow always attuned to his captain’s actions. “What are you doing, you idiot?!”
But before either of them, or anyone else for that matter, could do anything, Luffy dove into the giant drum of ale.
For a moment, it seemed as though the entire beach held its collective breath, and Law could see from the corner of his eye as Sanji put down his tongs, already in route to rescue his captain from another deadly encounter with liquids.
But then, Luffy surfaced from the ale drum, laughing. “You were right, Franky! It doesn’t hurt!”
“Superrrrrrrrrr!” Franky shouted, clanking his forearms together. “Try cola next!”
The banquet resumed its festive environment, now with the added entertainment of trying to place Luffy inside different liquids to see which ones he’d fall prey to, and Law really should be paying attention to this surprisingly interesting experiment, but eh, Nico Robin seemed to be taking good enough notes and making good suggestions—
“No, Robin, we’re not getting 650 liters of human blood,” Usopp interceded. Sometimes good suggestions.
—but Law really just couldn’t… move. Or react. Or think, really.
Luffy’s hat was on his head.
What? In the fuck?
Luffy had approximately many crew members around he could bequeath his hat to, so why was Law’s head where he’d decided to park it? Wasn’t it his most important treasure or something? Why was Law even allowed to touch it?
A feeling he couldn’t quite explain blossomed in his chest and climbed up his throat. It wasn’t that he was upset, he just couldn’t understand why he’d be given this duty. And he knew it was certainly something silly, something like the fact that Law had been the first person he’d seen, but it still meant something that he’d been deemed trustworthy to hold it.
And why did Law even care? It was just a silly dumb hat belonging to a silly dumb pirate captain and, and—
Law looked down at the sand, chest suddenly tight.
It made him happy.
It made him happy, to be chosen by Luffy like this. To be picked out of so many people to be a hatstand, of all things. It was silly, it was worthless, and yet, it made him happy.
Why?
It reminded him of being with Corazón, in a way. How he was always getting dragged in a million different directions, his heart unsure of whether to rejoice or shrivel up in fear.
But right now, his heart was beating a steady staccato of happiness, of safety, of warmth, of lo—
Law shook his head.
He would not, he could not, face caring for another person like that once again. After his parents, after his sister, after Corazón, he wouldn't…
“Torao!”
Once again that improbably loud voice interrupted his thoughts, and before he could look up, he was being barrelled onto by a very wet, very slippery, and very drunk Luffy.
“Mugiwara-ya, what— get off me!”
Yeah, right. Luffy was hard to unclamp when dry and sober, nevermind like this. He wrapped all limbs he had around Law, always seemingly too many, and placed himself squarely on Law's chest, a wide, goofy grin on him, wider and goofier even than usual.
“Torao, you never say my name,” he pouted, long lashes dripping with ale, or cola, or who knew what.
Law's heart, slippery little thing itself, that never knew well enough when to stay still, always too quick to attach itself even as Law tried otherwise, skipped a beat as he took in Luffy in front of him.
Cheeks reddened by the alcohol and the fire, eyelids drooping lazily, those lips, drawn up in a smile, shining with various liquids and meat grease, and damn, Law was in trouble.
When exactly had he started to think of Luffy, fucking Monkey D. Luffy, as attractive?!
“To-ra-o,” he said in a whisper, or close enough to one by Luffy standards, “you're staring at me.”
“Suprised you noticed,” Law replied, quieter even.
“Even before. You've been staring at me for a while.”
A while.
How long was that? Since the start of the evening? Or since Luffy had barrelled into Law's life like a long-limbed cannonball and stolen his attention forevermore?
“What if I have?” Law asked, always combative.
Luffy smirked in response. “I like it. Look at me more and more, Torao.”
Law spluttered, suddenly feeling his own face warming up, reddening, and tried once more unsuccessfully to shove off of him.
“Wha— what are you even saying?!”
Laughter was his only response. “I already told you, Torao. I'm not getting off until you call my name.”
For a second they simply stared at one another, stubbornness meeting casual obstination.
For a second, Law thought, progressively more ridiculous scenarios firing through his synapses, things he could say or do to remove Luffy from his position curled up around him.
And then Luffy's expression softened, the drunk joviality replaced by something… fonder.
“Torao,” and it straddled that very line only Luffy was ever able to walk, both a command and a plea, simultaneously impossible to deny and unthinkable to reject, “say my name.”
“Get off me.” The words stumbled out of Law's lips like a prayer, like a curse, like a challenge. “Luffy-ya.”
And Luffy smiled, brighter than the sun that had long since set, brighter than anything Law had ever known except perhaps one other, blindingly bright, infuriatingly terrible smile.
“Nope!” he laughed, as he clung on even tighter to Law, who sighed, knowing he was the fool for having ever expected otherwise.
“And why not?” Law asked, defeat evident in his voice even as he tried to muster up his combativeness.
“Well, if I went away, I'd have to take my hat back,” oh shit, Law had forgotten he was still wearing Luffy's fucking hat, “and…”
For a moment, Luffy trailed off, in an uncharacteristic display of bashfullness, looking away. Law grabbed his chin, tilting that gaze back towards him.
Bad to be under that stare. Much worse not to be.
“And?” he pressed.
“And I like seeing you in it. It's like you're mine.”
And Law was Luffy's, ever since he'd pledged his crew and his flag to serve under his, but this felt different, and Law once again couldn't help the emotions that tore through his chest.
He hadn't been anyone's in so long. Not in any way he wanted to, in any case.
“I see,” Law said, voice trembling. “I suppose that wouldn't be so bad.”
Shaking arms encircled the captain seated on his lap.
Law was happy. Law was annoyed. Law was feeling the sort of warmth he hadn't in over a decade, and vexed at himself for feeling it.
He huffed out a breath, resting his cheek on Luffy's shoulder. To try to put a name this feeling felt both fruitless and profane, this displeased pleasure, this unhappy happiness, this discontented contentedness.
“Honestly, Luffy-ya. I don't even know who I become when I'm around you.”
“I do!” Luffy replied happily. “You're my Torao, Torao!”
Law chuckled drily.
Yeah. He could manage that.