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1.
Luffy yawned as he swung his legs. He was bored! It was like an unofficial busy day, with everyone too busy to play. He could sneak in and steal some food from Sanji. Food always made things better. Sanji would probably kick him out again though.
Robin was reading something in the library, Nami was counting the treasure and didn't trust him to be around, Zoro was sleeping and he refused to play, Chopper was organizing the medicine, Usopp and Franky were discussing some interesting ideas to invent, Sanji was creating an amazing dessert (his mouth drooled at the thought), while Brook was humming as he steered the ship.
WAS NO ONE AVAILABLE!?
Luffy pouted at the thought. This was no fun.
Then, the idea occurred to him. Torao was on the ship too! Luffy grinned widely. His friend/ally ditched (roomed his way out since his crew was being stubborn and refused to leave him) his crew to go and do something by himself. When he was done, he asked them to pick him up.
Luffy grinned widely and immediately went to go find Torao.
"Toooorrraaaaaooooo!" Luffy yelled around as he opened doors. "Torao, where are you?"
In the distance, you could hear someone yelling at Luffy to shut up, but everyone knew that is a battle no one would win. Unless you had food. Then that would work.
"TORAO! LET'S PLAY!" Luffy screamed loudly as he kept throwing doors open and peeking inside them. Finally, one room contained the very man he was looking for, napping on the couch.
"I found you!" Luffy beamed as he ran up to his ally. The man was covering his eyes with his arm and groaned loudly.
"Luffy-ya, can you be quiet? I'm tired."
"Eh? That's boring!" Luffy huffed.
"What do you want me to do, then? Straw hat-ya, I'm exhausted. Am I denied a break?" Torao yawned loudly, teasing a bit, but mostly serious.
"Hmm," Luffy pondered. Well, he was kind of tired too after running around the ship all day. "I know then! Let's sleep together!"
"Huh!?" Torao threw his arm off his face. Wide eyes of shock greeted Luffy, but Luffy didn't really care. He threw himself on top of Law.
"Yay! Let's cuddle!" Luffy said with a wide grin.
"Luffy-ya, what the hell are you doing!?" Law gritted his teeth in annoyance. Luffy gave the older captain a weird out look.
"Sleeping with you, duh," he stated. Honestly, what did Torao THINK what he was doing? It didn't take a genius after he declared his intentions. He frowned. Was Law being stupid again?
"I know what you are doing! Why?" Law demanded fiercely.
"Why not? You cuddle with Bepo all the time."
"Cuddle? I use him as a pillow! There is a difference!" Law protested. Luffy chuckled. A flustered Law was kind of cute, though he would probably never say that outloud. Said male would be furious and probably cut off his arms and legs.
"I sleep with my brothers all the time, and my crew too. It's fine…" Luffy replied, before giving a loud yawn. "I'm tired. Let's sleep, Torao."
"But-" Law tried to protest, but the fuzzy feeling covered his mind. He decided to ignore Law. He was probably going to say something stupid again anyways. Sleeping with Law made Luffy content and at peace. He didn't want to leave the warmth.
Luffy made a soft count of content, before falling asleep.
He wished he could stay in this embrace forever.
2.
Luffy laughed loudly as he danced with all of his friends. The islanders danced with him joyfully and the party was in a flourish. Brook played his amazing music that just breathed life into the party. Zoro was participating in a drinking game, alongside that crewmate named Jeans Bart, against some of the males on the island. Everyone laughed loudly when one person after another dropped out.
Usopp was proclaiming his brave stories to the kids. "There was this one time where I was exploring this ship and saw some Marines coming. The fiends! I launched my brave weapon, only one slingshot and was armed with few ammunitions, but I took them all out…"
Robin and Nami watched the party from the side with a smile. They talked quietly and ate the delicious food. They both kept an eye on their resident doctor. Chopper was taking a short nap next to them after eating too much food.
"That is so SUPER!" Franky exclaimed when one of the adults were describing a ship they saw built by Galley-La Company and the cool included features in it.
"Give me the details!" one of the engineers from Law's crew demanded. The old man told them to slow down, but recounted his experience and what a brilliant ship it was.
"All you idiots, get your food!" Sanji called out as he did his magic and present a feast for the ideas. The islanders cheered and the party was in full swing.
It was really fun. Luffy tilted his head back and laughed loudly. This was one of his favorite part of beating up some enemy. Partying was the best!
Luffy noticed with a frown that a certain grumpy captain wasn't joining in the festivities. He darted his eyes around before finding the taller man watching from the shadows. He was sipping a drink, but just standing there.
This was a party and was just as much of a victory for Law as it was his own!
Luffy marched over there and grabbed his arm, maybe a bit too strong.
"Huh? Luffy-ya, what are you-" Torao started to protest. Luffy eagerly dragged the male to where everyone was dancing.
"Torao, dance with me!" Luffy said with a gleaming smile.
"I am not the dancin-" he continued to protest, but Luffy decided to ignore it. Law was stubborn, but he needed to relax sometimes too! Eventually, Luffy got the captain to have a blast.
Seeing the smile, no matter how small it was, on his face that made the allied captain a lot more handsome. It made all the fighting and pain worth it if he got to see that smile.
As the two danced and laughed through the night, it felt as if time just fell away and it was just the two of them. A greedy part of Luffy wished that time would just stop for the two of them so this moment would last forever.
3.
"Lami. Corazón," Law moaned in his sleep. He started to toss and turn on the deck. Luffy glanced at him worriedly.
They were supposed to be watching the stars, but Law feel asleep. Maybe Luffy did too, but that wasn't important. Luffy dragged the male onto the deck on a whim, so it was partially his fault for Law's restless dreams. Luffy did the first thing he could do when someone he knew was having a nightmare. He crawled over to the male and wrapped his arms around Law tightly.
He always liked the presence on someone by him when he was having a bad dream. It reminded him of sleeping with his brothers when he was a kid. Being alone was the worse. Some demons you couldn't fight anymore, but would haunt you for the rest of your life.
Like the dying body of your brother in your arms. Luffy knew Law's been through a lot. He just hoped that the male remembered he wasn't alone. Some battles you didn't have to fight by yourself, even nightmares.
When his friend slowly started to relax in his arms, Luffy gave a relieved sigh. Seeing the peaceful look on the captain's face, Luffy selfishly wished that he could keep the male all to himself. He didn't want Torao to leave again and go back to his crew, sailing somewhere faraway. Law was a treasure in itself and Luffy, like meat, wanted him forever.
He knew that was silly, but was it wrong to dream? Law was happier to do his own thing, and Luffy his, but it was harder and harder to depart from the male each time.
Law did stupid things to him. Law made his face warm and think weird thoughts, like how beautiful his eyes were.
Was something wrong with him?
Luffy shook the thought away and decided to snuggle into Law's chest. Such thoughts he could ponder later. For now, he would take in this moment.
Trapped inside their own world where time stopped, the two captains snuggled under the stars.
When the crew found the two napping on the deck, they would be puzzled about why, but that was their own secret and theirs alone.
(And the story about how when Law woke up and why he didn't remove himself from Luffy's embrace, or the interesting thoughts he pondered about his ally as they slept together… Well, that was a story in itself.)
4.
"Law, why did you call me?" Luffy asked curiously as he bounced up and down on the captain's bed. The captain's room was probably one of the more bigger rooms on the submarine. Next to the bed was a huge bookshelf that Robin would probably like too.
"Stop moving, Straw hat-ya," Law reprimanded him. Luffy scowled at the male. He wanted to know already! Law rolled his eyes at him, but since when did he care?
"C'mon!" Luffy whined as if a child. Law groaned and slapped his head. He muttered something that Luffy couldn't understand really.
"Here, okay? Just close your eyes while I go get something," Law said slowly. Luffy frowned at the orders, but complied. He was very curious, okay!?
He was practically ready to jump off the bed when he felt something square shaped in his hand that was beating.
Even an idiot could piece together what it was.
Luffy opened his eyes and gasped at the beating heart he held in his hands. It was so interesting to look at. A real organ in his hands! This is why Torao's powers were the coolest! Maybe Luffy was just a tad bit too excited and gave it a light squeeze.
Law flinched in pain and hissed. Luffy froze in shock.
"Oops," he apologized. He didn't mean to hurt Law.
"Was this a really good idea?" Law muttered out loud to himself. Luffy shrugged at the words. It was too late for regrets and this was really cool. Of course this was a good idea!
Luffy was still a bit confused. What was the actual point of all of this?
Despite not knowing why he was here, Luffy observed the object in his hands. This was Law's heart. He was holding his ally's heart in his very own hands.
The thought that Law trusted Luffy enough to show him his heart made Luffy really giddy. He wanted to keep his organ all to himself. He wanted to keep Law all to himself. Too bad he couldn't though. There was no way to keep this heart or Law with him at all times.
Wait a minute! There was a way to keep Law by his side at all times!
"Torso, let's switch hearts!" Luffy proclaimed.
"What?" Law replied with a dumbfounded expression.
"I said let's switch hearts!" he said with a beaming grin at his idea. Why didn't he think of this earlier?"
"Why should we?" Law countered back.
"Because it would be cool!" he insisted. Imagine having someone else's heart inside you. That sounded awesome!
"So you want me to give you my heart because it would be cool. Of course. Why not?" the older man stated sarcastically. Luffy frowned at the words. He had this feeling though that Law was protesting for another reason, and maybe wasn't as opposed to it as he pretended to be.
Luffy decided to trust his instincts as always.
"C'mon, Torao! Let's do it!" Luffy begged the older man. Law sighed and slapped his hand to his face. He moved his fingers to peek at him.
"You are just going to keep bugging me to do it till you agree, aren't you?" the yellow-eyed man asked bluntly. Luffy nodded.
"Yep, I will. You will eventually agree. I mean, I am very persistent and stubborn when it comes to things I want!" Luffy declared.
"Don't I know it?" Law muttered. "I mean, I have listened to all of your crew's stories of how they joined. Each one is crazier than the next. I wonder if it is possible for you guys to not arrive at an island, makes some friends, and beat up the bad guys? Ya know, I remember Franky's recount a few days ago. You almost ripped off Robo-ya's private parts. Befitting way of torture though. I will give you guys that. Don't get me started on the rest."
Luffy shrugged.
"That was all Robin's idea. I still wanted Franky to be a man when he joined though," he told him. "Anyway, about that heart switching…?"
"Fine. You might flinch a bit though," Law warned him as he used Scalpel to take Luffy's heart out. Then, he pressed his own heart to where the empty spot in Luffy's chest was.
Luffy winced at the switching, but felt Law's heart pound in his chest. It felt even better than he imagined.
It felt like it belonged there all of this time.
Luffy felt his heart pounding in Law's hand increase as all of these factors coming into play. Being with Law and the man's heart in his chest made everything more and more amazing.
As Law placed Luffy's heart in his chest, his heart pounded with anticipation. Law blinked in surprise at the change. Then, much to Luffy's surprise, the man started to blush.
The heart in his chest started to beat rapidly and made Luffy feel on top of the world. This was the best feeling in the world!
"I like your heart. I'm keeping it!" Luffy exclaimed. He hugged his chest and felt Law's heart skip a beat. What did that mean?
"You are just going to keep it anyway," Law teased him. Luffy smirked at Law. He noticed that he didn't really put up a fight. He didn't mind that Luffy was going to keep his heart. Essentially, his life is in his hands. Law would've protested if he really minded Luffy keeping his heart.
Did that mean what he thought it meant?
"Of course!" Deciding that the rapid beating of Law's heart was exactly what he thought it was, Luffy yanked Law onto the bed as that they were both sitting. He hugged the male tightly and inhaled the wonderful smells in the clothing. Law smelled like the ocean, a bit of smoke, and a hint of cinnamon. There were other scents too, but Torao smelled absolutely divine.
The heart in Law's chest and his own started to pound faster in sync.
"I'm going to keep you too," he muttered into Law's chest. He didn't need to look up to see his reaction. The organ in his chest provided all of the answers.
"What does that mean?" Law sputtered in surprise. He smirked at the idea of the flustered captain. It was a great feeling to know that he was the reason for Law being so surprised and the racing of his heart.
"It means, I am keeping you and your heart forever," he answered with a muffled reply. The older man groaned at the reply.
"I mean why?" he exasperated.
"Torao," Luffy asked ignoring the question.
"What?"
"If we exchanged hearts, that means we are together forever through life and death. If I die, you die. We are stuck together for life now!" he announced. A light pink painted Law's cheeks. It was a beautiful thing. The sight made Luffy's heart soar, and Law's heart wasn't helping to calm that feeling.
"Don't put it like that!" he hissed at him. Luffy ignored him.
"Does that mean we are married?" he asked. The blush deepened to a bright red. Law ducked his head away shyly. Luffy chuckled at the sight. It was wonderful.
"We haven't even dated!" Law protested meekly.
"Why don't we start now?" Luffy asked, slightly teasing the older man.
"Fine!" he huffed and turned away from Luffy. Luffy laughed at the sight and tackled the man so that they were laying on the bed. He wrapped his arms around his new boyfriend and felt the comfort of the embrace.
Both of their hearts pounded together simultaneously while engulfed in the warm embrace of his boyfriend.
Time froze as the new couple snuggled while making small talk.
It was perfect.
5.
Luffy observed a married couple talking on the island. They talked while holding hands, their matching wedding rings glinted in the light. That was a proof of their bond and how they were tied together for life.
He played around with the idea, as he looked down at his hand being held by Law.
"What's wrong? I thought you would be more excited? This is the first time I've seen you since you became the Pirate King. Didn't you want to celebrate again since I couldn't celebrate with you the first time?" his boyfriend asked him. "What do you want to do for your party?"
The idea hit him as hard as Sanji's kicks.
"I know! Let's get married!" Luffy decided. Law stopped completely at the sudden idea.
"What-why-huh-what!? We haven't even gotten engaged!" a shocked Law said. Luffy shrugged at the idea. That wasn't really a problem for them.
"We are pirates. We don't really care for traditions. If you want to get engaged, why don't we get engaged right now?" he asked. Law sighed with compliance. He should've gotten used to Luffy's ways of things after dating for how long?
"This is exactly like when we first started dating." It actually was. Maybe that was why it felt kind of like Deja Vu to him. It brought back some good memories. Luffy smiled at the thought and squeezed his boyfriend's hands. Fond memories of spending time together flooded into his mind. That only strengthened his resolve to get married.
"So, what is your answer?" Luffy bumped his boyfriend's shoulder.
"Fine. Why not? I mean, you might do something stupid as always and get both of us killed. Might as well. What do we have to lose? Let's get married today!" Law conceded.
"Not today! We have to invite all my friends!" he protested. It was no party if all of his friends weren't here to celebrate!
"ALL of your friends, Luffy-ya?" his newly engaged boyfriend asked in disbelief. "Do you know how many calls you have to make in order to do that!? Plus, is there a place to hold that many people?"
Luffy paused at the thought.
"Good point. We should probably start planning. Let's meet up with everyone else and announce our engagement!" Luffy decided.
"Huh!? Now!? Can't you just pause for a second?" Law groaned at how fast this was all going. Luffy ignored all of the words coming out of Law's mouth. He had a goal right now and that was getting married to this man! He picked up protesting Law as he slinged shot to his ship. Law was yelling at him all of the way.
~OoOo~
It was a rowdy wedding, with all of their friends, containing crews of pirates, a mermaid princess, giants, the second most beautiful woman in the world attending (Law wasn't very pleased nor was Zoro overall for that matter when the cook was gushing over all the women), every strange person you could envision Luffy liking, while Garp was a mixture of crying and yelling about marrying a pirate.
Brook was the priest and asked all the women to show their panties, while Zoro didn't even bother dressing up. Sanji wasn't really happy about that. The First Mate was holding his swords and Bepo stood by Law's side.
Shachi and Penguin were complaining over all the noises about their captain's choice as the Best Man. Franky was crying and Robin was patting his back. Chopper was the Flower Boy and the rest of the Straw hats (and most of the guests) were joining Franky in his tear fest. Bartolomeo was also sobbing his eyes out. Sabo was too, but he would fiercely deny it.
All in all, it was exactly the type of wedding you would envision with this gang.
It was rowdy, noisy, festive, chaotic, and just perfection for the two of them.
When the two kissed, that moment was timeless. It was something they could relive over and over again, forgetting about all their problems in the world. Their hearts overflowed with joy and could be felt by the other.
Time stopped just for the two of them that moment and all was well.
1.
"No, this can't be right," Law choked out. He felt water building in his eyes, but he didn't bother to try to push it away. He didn't need to stay strong in front of his husband. Luffy already saw him at his weakest one point, and Law him.
They both saw each other so vulnerable in moments that they won't even show their own crew, but only each other. They pieced each other back together everytime. Using each other and their crews, they kept smiling. That is what made them happy and the drive to keep living.
How was Law supposed to live without him?
Luffy touched Law's trembling hands with a surprising amount of care. He traced the simple gold ring that feels like they changed only a while ago.
"It is what it is," Luffy said simply. The feeling of pure rage ran up Law's spine and his blood boiled at that simple phrase. It wasn't a simple "It is what it is," type of thing. It was so much more than that. It was so much more messy, complicated, and completely and utterly heart wrenching.
He knew that his heart was beating erratically in Luffy's chest, while Luffy's heart was only a steady, calming beat. Luffy had time to come to terms with this new revelation. Law didn't till his husband came back from Drum Island after talking with the brilliant doctor that mentored Chopper, and his own ship doctor himself. Luffy came for an examination. He told Law he would understand everything if he checked his body.
Law was confused, but did what he asked.
He really wish he hadn't.
That rhythmic slow beat in his chest was so much more different that his own heart. It was the complete opposite of how Law was feeling. There were times when that heart calmed him or made him really happy when it fluttered, but never before had he felt so betrayed by it.
"This isn't fair!" Law yelled as he grabbed Luffy's shoulders. Those bright eyes that were filled with life just looked so much sadder, as if the world was pointed hit grays. They were once filled with rebellion against the world that made Law's body shiver in excitement, but now were only filled compliance with his fate.
This had to be a nightmare. That was the only explanation.
Luffy-ya couldn't possibly be… dying.
His husband couldn't leave him and die. Not like his family. Not like his classmates. Not like the rest of his town. Not like Corazón. Why did everyone he love always keep get ripped away from him in the worst ways possible?
Luffy always seemed to take everything you know, and flip it upside down. There was never a quiet moment with the Pirate King. He was always filled with life. Luffy was his anchor in this world.
He couldn't lose his husband like he lost everyone else.
"Law, this is an incurable disease. I am going to die soon. There is no way to delay it. It is evitable. All those years ago, when I was dying from poison, I gave up several years of my life. It was my price to pay, but I don't regret it," Luffy said earnestly.
What was worst for Law, was that he knew that the idiot was completely serious. Luffy was dying from a disease that neither he nor the best doctors in the world could cure. The seemingly unkillable who defied everything and everyone in the world was going to die of a disease. Not drowning by idiocy, or persistent Marines, but a stupid disease.
It was so ironic that Law wanted to laugh and sob at the same time.
"I'm just glad I met you and the rest of my nakama," his dying husband stated with a genuine smile. "I don't regret my life. I'm… going to disband my crew soon."
Law couldn't trust himself to speak.
"I want them to be free. I want them to keep living," Luffy said slowly.
Law already knew the words that were going to come out of his beloved stubborn husband's mouth before he said it.
"I… want you to keep living. In order to do that," Luffy paused and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, before sticking out his hand. He said the words that would stab Law over and over again for the rest of his life. "I need back my heart. We need to exchange back."
Law wouldn't even deny crying by this point.
"Perhaps we can do something to extend you life," he blurted out in desperation. He could bare imagine a life without Luffy.
Luffy growled loudly. He knew what Law was talking about. Anger and frustration curled in his stomach at the thought. "Don't you even THINK about doing that surgery, Torao! I want you to live, not to die! I don't want immortality or anything. I just want those I love to be happy! Don't do something stupid."
"How can I be happy without you?" Law croaked sadly. Luffy's anger drained away and he gave a tight hug to his husband. Law cried on his shoulder, but Luffy only hugged him tighter.
Luffy just smiled sadly. "Live for your crew. Live for those who cared about you and still do. Live for me. Live for yourself, Torao. Stop being an idiot," Luffy simply replied as if it was that easy.
If it only was.
Law was crying the whole way, and maybe Luffy was too. Maybe his husband wasn't as strong as he acted and was just as sad as him. He couldn't tell with eyes blinded by the tears as he ripped himself from Luffy's warm embrace and used his room to make the switch.
The rapid beating of his own heart just felt so foreign in his chest. As it it wasn't his own. It didn't belong there. It never did. Only Luffy's heart belong in his chest. He already missed the organ that would pump really fast when the reckless man was fighting, or slowly and calming when the rambunctious pirate was sleeping.
In the darkness of Law's room, the two captains traded their hearts once again. It was the same act that started their relationship all those years that would now end it.
~OoOo~
Law felt tears pouring from his eyes from the shadows of the building. The rain disguised his tears, but his crew already knew how he felt.
He shouldn't be here. The rest of the Straw hat pirates, after sorrowfully dissolving, were ordered by their captain to stay as far away as possible when Luffy gave himself up to the Marines. He also firmly told them to keep living and live out their dreams, wherever they find them.
"Captain's last orders," Luffy said firmly. Law was there too. Not one person wasn't crying at the last order that would ever exit Luffy's mouth. They all knew it was coming. Law knew in advance, and Chopper knew because of the tests.
It didn't make reality any less harsher though.
He really shouldn't be here. He was a Yonko. Luffy told him to stay far away.
Neither of them were really the type to obey orders though.
"Captain…" his mink crewmate said. Only a few of his crew members were with him, ready to comfort Law. The rest were in the submarine, ready to leave. Most of them couldn't watch the Pirate King get executed. They couldn't bare to see the man that would become like a second captain to them, be ripped away from them and from Law.
Law couldn't watch it either, but he forced himself to. He had to.
This was the last chance he would get to ever see Luffy.
Luffy gave a huge smile to the crowd as he spoke about his experiences and how you could live out your dreams. He declared loudly about One Piece and how that treasure would change your world, like it did his. Most people thought Luffy was talking about riches. Law knew One Piece was so much more than that.
It wasn't just a treasure. It was something that would spark so many dreams, like it did Luffy's. Like it did Law's, or that annoying bastard named Kidd.
Law felt his heart shatter when Luffy declared that One Piece was out there and the next person had to find it to get a treasure beyond imagination.
"THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME EVERYONE!" Luffy yelled so loud that he shook Law's heart. It was a distant echo of the words Ace told Luffy when he died. The rain and tears blinded his vision, but he focused on the scene. His heart was breaking so much, but he had to hold it together. He had to do it for Luffy and his crew.
Then the executioners stabbed Luffy through the heart.
A familiar straw hat fluttered against the wind, before flying into Law's hands by mere luck. No one really noticed the hat, but only the body of the once great and powerful Pirate King. They should've, for it was the last piece of the man that Law loved that would remain.
Law clutched the hat tightly and hugged it. Perhaps someday he would pass it on like Shanks did for Luffy, however, he needed this moment to grieve. This hat was all the Law had left of the Pirate King. He could hear the distant worries of his crewmates, who were also crying, but they were only background noises.
Never before had he wished so hard for time to go back or perhaps move forward. Part of him wished he could relive the times he spent with his dead husband, but the other part of him knew he had to keep living. For Luffy.
Why should he keep living though when all he wanted to do was die?
Even though they traded hearts all those days ago, it still felt as if Luffy held his heart inside his chest because his heart died along aside Luffy that moment, like it should've.
1.
Law was reading a book in a café. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at all the noise inside the place. The shop wasn't far from his campus, but his usual shop was closed down for renovations. He liked the store because it was calming. He could really focus there on his studies. In this random shop he had come across, it was so...festive.
Perhaps festive wasn't the right word. Maybe crazy?
The kitchen was in utter chaos. Both a man named Sanji and Nami were yelling at someone named Zoro who was napping on the job (and was also sleep talking. Nami then started to exclaim how she doesn't want her employee to dream about getting into Sanji's pants and to get it over with already, which both males fiercely denied), while the cashier was talking about how he climbed the Eiffel Tower using octopus suction cups.
One of the barista was yelling super everytime he made a cup of coffee (or anything, really), while the woman was casually talking about how to break someone's neck to get the quickest death.
And that was just the beginning. Don't even get him STARTED on the gentleman who was asking to see all the ladies' parties.
This was place was asking for headaches, yet part of him didn't exactly mind for some reason. Some part of him was screaming to stay and wait for something. It was that same part that seemed to be missing his whole life and made him feel kind of empty. It felt even more empty when his family died in a car crash, but that part was yelling at him to just wait for a few moments.
Wait for what though?
As if on que, a waiter stumbled and spilled some ice tea on Law's shirt. He swore loudly as he stood in surprise. He then turned to glare at the waiter, but certainly wasn't expecting to see the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen or the brightest smile that put all the shining stars in the sky to shame.
What was he becoming, some kind of sap? He shook his head at the thoughts to stare at the young male waiter who wore a straw hat and scandals, despite it probably being against dress code.
"Opps. Sorry. Wasn't looking!" the male said with a sheepish smile. "Was your book ruined?"
Law glanced down, taking the excuse to look away from the teen, or else he would never stop looking. He picked up his book and inspected it.
"Nope, it's good," Law replied with relief. Who knows what he would without this book. It was his only excuse to ignore Shachi's and Penguin's begging to go clubbing with them. (Ya know that gigantic book I borrowed? Yeah, that one. I need to finish it before I return it or else fines. Bye.) Those two didn't need to know that Law bought this book with his own money, and it would be such a waste for it to be ruined.
"Oh. Good. I am currently broke, and Nami would make me pay her back to buy that book and double that if I angered a customer," the waiter said with a sheepish smile while scratching the back of his head.
"Well, luckily for you, I am not the angry, but you could at least pay me back," Law suddenly, not thinking about his words. He wanted this teenager by his side forever. He didn't want to let him go. That was very selfish of him, yes, but it was as if the missing puzzle piece in his life suddenly clicked after this.
He was being reckless unlike usual, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Huh? With what? Didn't I just tell you I was broke?" the waiter said with a confused frown.
"How about you pay me back by introducing yourself and allowing me to take you on a date?" Law offered with a nervous smile. Meanwhile, his palms were sweaty and his hands were shaking. He hoped the male wouldn't turn him down. If so, Law didn't know what he would do. It was as if he was living for this moment, waiting all this time.
"Hmm. Why not! I like you. My name's Monkey. D Luffy. Nice to meet you!" Luffy exclaimed cheerfully and stuck out his hand.
Law sighed with relief as he grabbed that hand.
"The name's Trafalgar Law. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Law replied.
Luffy frowned, before smiling. "Nice to meet you, Torao!"
Law also frowned, but his heart fluttered at the nickname.
"It is Trafalgar, not Torao."
"Nah. I like Torao better," he said with a huge grin and laugh. Law's heart did backflips at the pleasant sound and wouldn't stop racing. He hoped he would never let go of Luffy's hand ever again.
He wished at the moment, time would stop and he could remain by Luffy's side forever.
Funny, really. Though neither of the two knew it, sometimes certain bonds, friendship or love, are really timeless and can transcend even space, death, or even time. Some things are just fated to happen.
It was just a fact that certain things were just inevitable, and this reunion after hundreds of years was one such example.
FIN