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i. one doctor can only handle so many things at once, and you always ruin your bandages after battles if no one checks on you for every five minutes.
It’s already half an hour past three in the afternoon and Luffy is still asleep, snoring so peacefully despite the heat seeping through the roof of the makeshift recovery room that they made from the debris caused by the final war. It’s not the first time that Law has watched his ally sleep like this; Luffy sleeps for most days after any battles after all.
One day, Law will ask him what his secret is; how Luffy can sleep despite the heat and the noises of their crew just a few meters away from the makeshift room, how Luffy can toss and turn while mumbling incoherent sentences like he’s having yet another adventure in his dreams, and how Luffy can still smile even after—or maybe especially because of—all the battles that he had gone through.
“Torao…” Luffy mumbles while still having that small smile on his face. One day, Law will probably ask him, too; why Luffy always looks for Law after battles even when he has his own crew; why he mumbles that silly nickname in his sleep like Law is still a part of all his other adventures; and why is there always a smile on his face if Law really is starting to plague all of his dreams.
“Torao…” Luffy mumbles once again before he turns to lie on his stomach with his cheek pressed into the thin blanket, and Law sees the hints of red tainting his bandages—beginnings of his wounds opening up and making themselves known. Law takes a peek from the small window and sees Chopper busy with his other patients, and the Surgeon knows better than to place more work on Chopper’s shoulders when he himself is a doctor.
So, Law grabs the medical kit sitting on one side of the room before he moves his way towards Luffy to sit by his side. The lad, now the new Pirate King, shifts a little in his sleep as he moves his arms like he’s looking for something, his brows furrowing and the smile on his face slowly fading. Yet when Luffy’s hand finally finds Law’s, the lad once again falls into a trance and his lips curve back into that small smile amidst his sleep.
It’ll be hard to change Luffy’s bandages like this, with one of Law’s hands trapped under the hold of the new Pirate King. He can pull his hand away from Luffy’s hold, maybe, probably, if only he isn’t so fatigued from the war that they had started and won.
And that’s the reason that Law would tell his crew if they asked him why he took so long inside the makeshift recovery room.
So, Law opts to change Luffy’s bandages with only one of his hands.
ii. i’ve never had a list of places where i want to go aside from dressrosa—and you already have another destination in your mind.
“Have you ever been to a sky island?”
Luffy asks him as they spend their last night on the final island. The two of them lay on the ground with nothing but a short blanket on their backs to keep them from catching a cold. The blanket barely even fits them two, but neither tries to move away. It’s warmer this way, Law thinks, as he lets Luffy snuggle closer to him while the two of them gaze up at the sky filled with clouds and barely any stars.
The party from last night ended a few minutes ago just as Brook hit the last note of the classical song that he played on his violin. Neither of the crews have discussed where all of them will go from there; not a single one has brought up the topic of travelling to the next island or parting ways from here on out.
And Law isn’t sure whether he wants the latter to still be a part of his limited options.
Perhaps it’s the thought that his crew will absolutely love the prospect of a sky island, having not experienced it because the Polar Tang is not built for that kind of journey. Or perhaps he just isn’t sure about where to go now that he has finally achieved his goals.
And only if he’d be a little more honest with himself, he’d acknowledge the fact that he, too, feels so oddly blissful at the thought of exploring an island with him just because they can, just because they want to.
So, once he’s sure that all of their crewmates are finally asleep; once there’s no one else awake aside from Robin, whom he’s pretty sure will keep on pretending to be asleep until he says his reply; Law finally shifts his gaze to meet Luffy’s, muttering the words where both an answer and a prayer lie.
“I haven’t been to one yet, Mugiwara-ya.”
iii. i seem to have forgotten how to say no to all your stupid and silly requests.
Law has lost count of the number of weeks that they have spent with the Strawhats. The world is starting to grow accustomed to all the changes that has been brought by the war—like the fishmen finally living on Sabaody, the Celestial Dragons finally losing their higher status, the family of Nefertari as the front runners for the reformation of the new governing body, or the whole world losing its partitions as all four oceans finally meet.
Law wonders for a brief second if this, too, is a change that he needs to get accustomed to—him reading a book in silence inside the library of the Thousand Sunny while Luffy’s head is on his lap; Law’s hand making its way to card through Luffy’s hair, running his fingers along that scalp until he hears that soft sigh coming from the Pirate King.
“Can you teach me your native language, Torao?” Luffy asks in a manner way too hushed than his usual, as if he’s afraid of breaking this bubble of silence and comfort between them two. “There’s no benefit in teaching you a language of a place that you won’t even live in,” Law says nonchalantly, turning the page of the novel that he has long since started but hasn’t finished yet because of the constant distraction always on his lap.
“But it’s so much better to have two people in the world speaking the language from your hometown,” Luffy says, and Law hates how that one simple sentence brings him a churning feeling in his stomach, a heat on his cheeks, and a buzz running from the tips of his fingers down to every single nerve of his body.
Law clears his throat for a moment, buying a few more seconds to calm himself and let the blood rush down from his face lest Luffy see any embarrassing tint on his cheeks. The Emperor then closes the novel and finally meets Luffy’s gaze, even if he already knows that he is setting himself to step inside a huge trap once he sees those eyes directed at him and him alone.
Because no one else is strong enough to resist him once faced with the gaze of those dark orbs seemingly reflecting what little rays of light are seeping through the portholes.
“So, what’s ‘my treasure’ in your native tongue?”
Luffy whispers amidst the silence of the library, and Law wonders if the world will loathe him for having this—the sight of the Pirate King with his head on Law’s lap, his lips curved into a small smile reserved for quiet moments like this, and his eyes reflecting not only the sunlight from the portholes but also the small wish of just another day to be spent with Law.
He’s probably living up to his status as the Emperor, because with him is a stolen treasure, a gem that he is not even guilty of robbing the whole world of. Perhaps the world will loathe him, for he has already lost count of the number of weeks that they have spent with the Strawhats—that he has spent with Luffy alone.
And he thinks, what’s a few more months of staying with Luffy until he can learn the language long since assumed to be lost in the unknown?
“Mon trésor, Luffy-ya.”
iv. it’s such a waste not to dance to the sound of brook’s violin.
Law supposes that they should really start preparing to part ways with the Strawhat crew, so he doesn’t quite remember how did it all come to this—to both of their crews enjoying a night along with the residents of this town where they just happened to pass by to refill their supplies. The lights on the streets are all hanging in a crisscross manner, providing them with this festive tenor despite the snow slowly falling upon them, reminding them of the winter that is to come.
Perhaps it’s because they have come to the consensus of renting several cabins just for tonight, because Nami mentioned something about a snowstorm and all the dangers that setting sail amidst that weather will entail. Law has expected Luffy to still push through, because who is the Pirate King if not reckless and always seeking for the thrill of danger? Yet, Luffy only smiles at Nami, a beam so blinding as he announces that they should invite the residents of this town for one huge party.
And so a simple announcement has probably led to this—to Luffy standing in front of him with his hand reaching out for Law, asking for permission to join him in this little dancing party that Shachi and Penguin has started. The Emperor takes a moment to look at all the couples dancing to the sound of Brook’s violin, to each of these people looking at their partners like there’s something so beautiful, so magical, and so majestic hidden behind those eyes.
“Dance with me, Torao!”
The words sound like a demand more than a mere invitation, but that’s still another form of consideration when it comes to the Pirate King—he who can take whatever he wants, whomever he wants, in whichever time he prefers, yet he still chooses to wait for Law to take his hand as he utters those words.
Law wonders if this is all part of a huge hypnotic act—Brook’s music going slower, the snow falling so visible and almost shining under the festive lights of the town, and Luffy’s smile as he waits for Law to finally take the bait and hold his hand. Law knows the danger that it all entails—to be spellbound, beguiled, and seconds away from being taken into another realm by falling through that rabbit hole huge enough to fit him.
But who is an Emperor if not reckless and always seeking for the thrill of danger?
“Sure, Luffy-ya.”
So, Law still chooses to let himself fall.
v. i don’t like travelling when i’m not sober, and you make me feel so drunk and dizzy inside the cabin room where you pulled me to spend the night together.
It’s probably somewhere between two and three in the morning, and Law has already lost track of how he found himself inside the cabin room and preparing to go to sleep with Luffy. The two of them has already changed into a pair of new pajamas— ‘Because Torao likes to sleep only when he’s all clean’ —says Luffy when Law asked him why he went through the hassle of grabbing a pair of new clothes from their docked ships.
It’s only when Luffy lays on the bed, on the right side of the room and next to the window, does Law realize that there’s only one mattress to sleep on. There’s a sudden thrumming in his chest as he looks at Luffy already slipping himself under the covers, and a swirling feeling in his stomach despite not drinking any alcohol the entire night.
"Aren’t you sleepy?" Luffy asks, and Law wonders if this is yet another chant, a hypnotic spell known to no one else but the Pirate King, because he finds himself walking towards the bed and settling down beside Luffy with just those words alone. There’s but a small space between the two of them as they lay side by side with their gazes on the ceiling, silence reigning over the room except for the sound of the flame on the fireplace still sizzling.
It’s not like it’s the first time that Law will be sleeping with Luffy, because in the short amount of time that they’ve been in an alliance, Law has learned that the lad doesn’t like sleeping alone. Yet, it has never been like this—never just the two of them inside a room, never just the two of them on top of one bed, never just the two of them with but a small space acting like a wall to separate them both.
The blanket is too thin and there’s not enough heat coming from the fireplace, but Law keeps his body still and his hands to himself, maintaining that small space enough for a hand or two between them, lest he finds himself caught and drowning in the middle of the storm caused by arms touching arms, skin touching skin, warmth blazing into heat.
For a brief moment, he wonders if Luffy will mind, if he will be so against Law closing the distance between them just so they can have a semblance of heat more than what the fireplace can supply. Law wonders if Luffy is thinking about it, too; does he ever think about falling asleep wrapped in Law’s embrace just to see how much warmth will the Emperor be able to provide?
“Goodnight, Torao.” Luffy’s words finally break his bubble of thoughts, and Law feels a little ashamed of this stupid question running through his mind. It’s such a confusing feeling, Law thinks, how all semblance of sobriety is gone out with the wind the moment he becomes too aware of this confounding distance between them two.
“Goodnight, Luffy-ya.”
Ah. Law will search for his answer once he finally finds himself sober.
vi. the cold always makes me feel so sleepy; maybe the snow piling outside will take its time to melt.
Law wakes up to the cold biting his skin, the blanket barely covering half of his body. Law doesn’t even want to open his eyes yet and his mind is barely functioning from having just woken up, but for a brief second he debates whether he should get up and place more twigs on the fireplace, or just grit and try to fall back asleep despite this cold.
Before he can even reach a conclusion, he feels the warmth suddenly seep into his skin. An arm wraps around his waist and a face buries into his chest; there’s a groan that echoes inside the room as if a little tantrum for the unwelcoming chill early this morning. It is only then that Law remembers the events of the past night—of the slow dance, of the laughter resonating through his ears, of the hand holding his, of the person pulling him towards the cabin so he can lull them both to sleep.
Law risks opening his eyes a little, and the first thing he sees is the snow raging outside the window. He shifts his gaze slowly to the man beside him and sees the new set of red pajamas worn by the Pirate King. If there remains any doubt that it’s Luffy who’s sleeping beside him, then all of those are gone as soon as Law nuzzles his nose against the lad’s hair—because those soft dark locks with a hint of strawberry scent are something that he will never cease to recognize as Luffy’s.
Law wraps his arm around Luffy and lets his eyes close once again. There’s the distinct sound of the wind howling outside, of the windows rattling from the force of the wind, and Luffy’s soft breathing as he falls deeper into his sleep. Law feels like he can now somehow understand how Luffy can sleep so deeply despite the noises around him—because nothing else is a better lullaby than this feeling of safety.
The cold is still biting into his skin and it’s a little uncomfortable having their legs tangled under the sheets, but Law only pulls the blanket to try and keep the both of them tucked in. And if Law moves closer to Luffy to shut what miniscule distance is still left between them, then he blames it on the blanket too thin and too short to cover both of their bodies fully.
So maybe the small space between them is now gone and has really caused a storm; because there are arms touching arms, skin touching skin, and warmth blazing into heat—but Law can’t find it in him to care when the pleasant feeling of having Luffy right by his side is enough to lull him back to sleep.
He should probably start thinking about where they should go after this and start preparing the plans for the new future ahead of them, but maybe that can wait. Those plans can wait until he’s no longer languid, wrapped up in the embrace that is keeping him warmer than any blanket can, and way too sleepy from the cold brought by the snow slowly piling up outside the cabin.
And Law wishes for the snow to take its time to melt.
vii. they warned me that you know not a single thing in the kitchen, but there’s no one else who knows how to brew my coffee the way that you do.
It didn’t come as a surprise to Law when their crewmates have decided to travel in separate groups a few weeks back, but it did come as a surprise to him that Luffy did not try to stop any of his crew from venturing out. A small part of him had already known how much Luffy valued freedom and how he wouldn’t do anything that would keep his family from obtaining that. Yet a huge part of him also felt so oddly bothered by the fact that Luffy could easily let his crew go just like that.
Law wondered if Luffy would also agree just as easily, when the time comes for Law to finally say that he has to go his own way. He didn’t like the sudden weight on his chest when the thought crossed his mind, so he piled it on the list of things that he would eventually have to talk about with Luffy.
After all, he still hasn’t found the place where he wants to go when he has no home to go back to.
And so that decision to travel in separate groups has led to this—to Law waking up in the middle of a new tropical island; the sound of the birds chirping in harmony along with a man singing a country song from the kitchen are the first things that reach his ears.
Law wonders if his status as an Emperor is the only reason why he’s been tasked to stay with Luffy and keep the Pirate King from getting into too much trouble, but he’s not lucid enough to deal with that question without having a sip of his favorite coffee. The Emperor lets out a yawn before he finally steps out of the bed, feet almost stumbling from the mess of card games that the two of them had been playing last night.
“Good morning!” Luffy exclaims as soon as Law steps inside the kitchen, and the Emperor wonders when will he start getting so accustomed to the sound of Luffy’s greetings in the morning, to the smell of the coffee steaming from a cup that Luffy won for him in a random night festival, and to the sight of Luffy smiling at him from the kitchen before he finally hands Law his cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” Law says in his groggy voice before he accepts the cup from Luffy and leans on the kitchen counter. The smell of freshly-brewed coffee is enough to push all the drowse away, even more so when he finally takes a sip of this small gift prepared for him by none other than the Pirate King.
Like any and all other mornings that they have spent together, Luffy starts recounting the stories of all the people that he met when he walked around the town earlier, all these packs of foods and beverages that he got for free, and all the questions that he got about his relationship with the man who is living under the same roof as him.
Law never dares to ask Luffy what his answer is.
The Emperor quietly listens to Luffy while he takes another sip of his coffee. The cup of coffee is still steaming, keeping Law awake early in the morning, encasing him with the specific warmth associated with this piquant drink, brightening his day as it curtails his languor, drowning him in the aroma that keeps him away from his stupor.
And the more he drinks, the more his palate keeps on coming back for more.
For a moment, he thinks, Luffy is like this cup of coffee.
viii. i’ve lost track of when our clothes started getting mixed-up; maybe it’s easier to share one closet when you always use all of my hoodies anyway.
“Have you seen my black hoodie, Luffy-ya?”
Law asks from inside the bedroom. It’s been two months since they’ve been in this same tropical island, and it comes as a surprise to him that Luffy hasn’t whined about finding a new place or island to stay at yet. Law wonders if it’s because of all the free food that he’s been getting from the townspeople, or if it’s because of the similar weather from this island that reminds him of his hometown.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Luffy answers from the veranda, a little too fast and a little too loud than usual. Law heaves a sigh as he steps out of the bedroom wearing his spotted jeans before he takes a peek at the porch where Luffy is once again eating a bunch of pre-made sandwiches as his brunch, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and Law’s black hoodie.
The Emperor can’t help but chuckle at the sight of Luffy looking at anywhere else but Law, munching those sandwiches in mere two bites before he grabs a glass of juice and finishes it in one go.
Law crosses his arms against his chest as he leans against the arc of the porch entryway. He no longer sees the point of renting a house with two bedrooms when Luffy always ends up sneaking into Law’s room in the middle of the night, when Luffy always ends up piling all of his clothes in Law’s closet, and when Luffy always ends up using all of Law’s hoodies when he has a bunch of clothes on his own.
And when the Pirate King seems to have taken a liking to any and all of his things, what does a mere Emperor have to say to that?
There’s a suggestion that’s been on his mind for a few months now; a suggestion entailing the small sky island where they found themselves taking a rest on a few weeks after the war, in the place where you can grow tangerines the same way Nami does on Thousand Sunny, and right at the perfect spot to watch the sun as it rises in the morning and bows down at night.
And if someone would ask him what made him raise this peculiar suggestion, he’d tell them that he just grew tired of listening to the Pirate King’s obvious lies.
“Do you want to buy a house together?”
ix. we already found ourselves a ritual when the daylight comes.
It takes them a few more months to finally settle on the house atop the sky island, letting their friends come over as they host a housewarming party. Why settle down on a sky island? most of them asks, and Luffy only smiles brightly at them as he explains how staying here feels like a never-ending adventure, because the island keeps on moving and Luffy enjoys the feeling of moving forward with it.
The house that they bought isn’t particularly big, but it’s spacious enough to accommodate a huge couch at the center of their living room. It’s spacious enough to harbor a kitchen complete with equipment and sets of kitchenware that even got Sanji’s approval. It’s spacious enough to have two bathrooms with one of them having a bathtub, because Luffy has finally discovered the beauty of bubble baths and colorful bath bombs.
The house that they bought isn’t particularly big, but it’s spacious enough to still accommodate two huge bedrooms. Neither of them has to say anything to know that all of their personal things will only go to one room, and the other room currently houses all the complimentary gifts that they got during their housewarming party.
They don’t have a lot of things with them when they moved in, but the two of them still found themselves smiling as they see the portraits of their crews hanging side by side at the wall of their bedroom.
Mornings on a sky island aren’t that different from when they’re on land, except Law has found himself trying to get used to waking up to this new ritual.
Law feels the warmth of another body embracing him the second he wakes up. He can’t help but chuckle at the feeling of Luffy’s lips trailing a path from the center of the tattoo on his chest, to the dip of his collarbones, to the column of his throat, to the line of his jaw, until he reaches the corner of Law’s lips.
Law risks opening his eyes a little, and the first thing he sees is the nest of birds on the branch of the tree situated just across their window. He shifts his gaze slowly to the man beside him, and Law is met with those dark orbs reflecting the rays of light slipping through the windows.
Luffy only smiles at him and Law wonders if he will ever get used to it; if there will ever come a time when Luffy will smile at him and he won’t feel blinded by it. Law only closes his eyes for a moment as he leans in, nuzzling their noses together before he places a soft kiss on Luffy’s lips.
He feels Luffy’s hand making its way towards the back of his neck, trying to prolong the kiss that they both know Law will eventually have to stop because they have to brush their teeth. Yet, Law lets the kiss linger for a few more seconds before he pulls away a little, only so he can place a chaste peck on Luffy’s temple.
“We should get up,” Law says and Luffy only chuckles in response. The Pirate King pushes the blankets up to trap them both under the covers, burying his face against the crook of Law’s neck as he shakes his head in defiance which earns a chuckle from the Emperor.
“Five more minutes,” Luffy finally says, and Law wonders how many more set of five minutes will they have to go through this morning before they finally get up. Maybe just one set; maybe they’ll take another two hours; or maybe they’ll get up the minute that Luffy’s stomach starts to rumble and complain to be fed with some breakfast.
Maybe they will fall asleep again and wake up only to repeat this silly process, but Law finds that he doesn’t really seem to mind.
“Fine, you doofus,” Law says and he feels Luffy’s laughter reverberate through him, from the crook of his neck where Luffy’s face is buried, traversing through every single cell of his skin. Law still shivers despite having felt this same sensation every single morning with the Pirate King by his side, and he’d be lying if he said that he doesn’t want to drown in this feeling.
There are a lot of things that they probably should say, but they never will. It’s fine, Law thinks, because all these thoughts and emotions have come too close to the surface to even be considered as a secret. All these feelings have become too denuded the moment the two of them had decided to settle down—on this little sky island traversing the world to whichever direction will the goddess of the wind decide to take them.
There are a lot of things unsaid and feelings unconfessed, but Law knows that Luffy knows, and he has long since stopped caring if the Pirate King knows about it. Because Law barely even hides it; he has long since grown tired of trying to deny all these feelings and trying not to let Luffy see any of them.
So, Law lets himself be bare in front of Luffy. He just lets himself bask in the pleasant feeling of Luffy’s lips against his lips, of Luffy’s hair brushing against his fingers, of Luffy’s hand drawing circles across his back, and of Luffy’s chuckle every time he feels Law’s shivers.
And this morning, like any other morning spent with him, Luffy ends their first ritual and begins the next as he pulls away from Law only to smile at him and whisper a small greeting.
“Good morning, Mon Trésor.”
It’s such a confusing feeling, Law thinks, how he still feels all semblance of sobriety gone out with the wind even when—or maybe especially because—there is no longer any distance separating the two of them.
“To you as well, Mon Roi.”
Luffy chuckles and finally gets up, pulling Law with him so they can brush their teeth before they head towards their kitchen; the place where Luffy can brew Law’s cup of coffee while he’s waiting for Law to finish cooking their meals for this morning.
This, Law thinks, is a ritual that he will never tire of until the day that he finally meets the end of this journey. After all—
x. i finally found what i have long since been looking for.
In Luffy, Law finally finds his way home.