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His throat burns as he’s coughing up sea water, his entire body drained of energy and burning like lava despite the icy chill of the sea his navigator just lifted them out of. Next to him, Bepo is unconscious and barely breathing. Without his powers, Law can’t Shambles them to the kitchen, bedrooms, infirmary, anywhere a Straw Hat might be during the darkest point of the night. It takes everything to roll over onto his back, but that’s all he finds he can do as his vision blurs and begins to wash away the bright stars among the black sea of the night sky, his arms unable to prop himself up and his mouth unable to produce any semblance of noise, no matter how much he wants to scream and holler and curse the name Blackbeard.
He feels his consciousness slipping away from him, seeing only a blur of golden yellow and red appear slowly above him before his eyes can no longer stay open.
- - -
When Law wakes up, he doesn’t move. He stares blankly up at the wooden ceiling and hears nothing but ringing. A ridiculously large blue and pink hat and furry face obstructs his view, but he doesn’t move or react. He’s sure the little doctor is saying something to him, yelling for his attention. Little hoofs poke and prod at him for a response with no avail. Law simply closes his eyes again, even as his mind and heart is raging like a thousand storms, ringing so loudly that it deafens everything around him.
He doesn’t deserve to be awake, to even be alive. Not after what happened to his crew. He can’t help but clench his jaw, grind his teeth as a cold wave of anguish washes over him—his crew. The wreckage of the Polar Tang and the lifeless bodies of his crew mates float in the darkness of his mind, and Law is unable to get rid of the images no matter if his eyes are open or shut. His body begins to shake and the ringing in his mind morphs into a chilling, deep, and insidious laughter, until it’s so loud it feels as though it’s tearing Law from the inside.
His body spasms and convulses wildly, unable to control himself as Chopper and the few Straw Hats there try to hold him down. He’s held down on the flimsy makeshift futon and forced to his side where he sees Bepo, sleeping up on the one sick bed in this infirmary, badly beaten but bandaged and breathing with the aid of medical tubes. Law twitches but begins to still, slowly and gradually against his will as the tranquilizer administered by the small doctor seeps through his veins.
His vision becomes hazy as darkness slowly begins to take over the sight of the bright infirmary room and colorful Straw Hats. Again, a blur of yellow and red appears amid the darkness of his vision, but now he can make out a wide blinding smile like a fiery sun adorning the darkness of space.
“That’s good,” Law hears, the words echoing through him, “You’re still strong, Torao. You’re alive.”
The chilling laughter that rang in his ears is now drowned out by a light, breathy chuckle that rocks Law into a warm slumber.
- - -
He’s able to get up and walk – against the little doctor’s orders – before Bepo, but there’s no where to go. Nothing to do besides stare at Bepo sleeping, breathing in and out on beat like a metronome. He walks in and out of the infirmary and around the Thousand Sunny aimlessly, sometimes for basic necessities, but turns away and transports himself the moment he sees anyone.
The Straw Hats’ looks of pity disgust him. He can’t stand it. Yet he can’t stand the opposite either—when they act as though nothing’s changed, when he sees them talking between themselves with a lightness and humor only Straw Hats would have, without a care in the world. He finds himself boiling with an overflowing animosity he can’t explain. The anger he feels seeing them laugh, train, work, live together as a crew, a family, when his...
“Torao.”
Luffy looks up at him, breaking him out of his self-wallowing misery. The hand Luffy has on his wrist is feels hot compared to the cold night sky, and Law hates it, but he doesn’t move despite his wrist burning at the touch, like he’s getting too close to the sun.
“You didn’t eat anything at dinner!”
Luffy’s eyes are dark, still looking up at him with an unnamed determination, and Law can feel himself almost crumbling under the weight of them if not for his own stubbornness and the unbridled wrath bubbling in the pit of his stomach, angered by the idea that this young man who can’t follow a simple plan or even eat without getting a mess of rice on his face has the audacity to tell Law what to do.
“Sanji made your favorite, idiot! I swear he didn’t put any sour plums in it!”
Against his better judgment, Law brings his other hand up to the Straw Hat’s chin, wiping away stray grains of rice and licks it off his thumb.
“There,” Law grunts, his throat feeling hoarse from lack of use. He scowls when Luffy’s expression doesn’t change, still looking up at Law as though the stupid fool is worried for him, completely unfazed.
With a fluid motion and easy flick of his wrist, Law reverses their positions as he grips Luffy’s wrist tightly. He yanks Luffy away towards the captain’s room with long, quick but uneasy strides, each foot falling heavier than the last. The captain getting dragged behind him is unusually quiet and doesn’t resist or question what’s happening—were it any other day, Law would be grateful, but this night it makes him seethe, as though Law’s too weak to pose a threat.
Suddenly, appearing almost out of nowhere, a green-haired swordsman steps forward towards Law, and he can hear the clink of a sword or two about to be drawn.
“You’re still not well,” Zoro says, hand clearly resting on the hilt of his swords. “The infirmary’s the other way.”
Law doesn’t give in and keeps walking. Something sick in him wishes the blindly loyal swordsman would draw his sword, would strike without warning, but he doesn’t hear the sharp sound of a sword being unsheathed, and doesn’t sense any menacing haki his way. Law can’t tell what’s going on in either of their minds when he looks back at the Straw Hat captain and first mate, who are simply looking at each other in a heavy silence before Zoro sighs, shoulders slacked and looking defeated.
“Goodnight, Zoro!” Luffy says, as if it were a normal night and he wasn’t being dragged away by a Devil Fruit user who they were not in an alliance with.
The swordsman turns his back to them. “Goodnight, Captain.”
Whether he would win in a fight against Roronoa Zoro is irrelevant; Law grits his teeth and feels the disappointment growing inside him with every step to Luffy’s room, unable to quell his desire to unleash the ever growing anger in him onto something—someone—physical. To break something like Blackbeard broke his ship and his crew. Law is still looking back, watching as the swordsman’s figure gets smaller and smaller. Luffy smiles brightly at Law with a toothy grin, pointing forward in the direction of his room (which actually turns out to be in the same direction as the infirmary).
Law kicks the door open, walks further into the room and pushes Luffy roughly towards the bed, who only laughs in response as he stretches an arm out to close the door behind them. The arm ricochets back, hitting Law and toppling him over onto Luffy and both into the bed. Luffy’s laughter rings throughout the room, the warmth of it blossoming within Law’s chest, but the feeling is too sickly sweet compared to the images he can’t get out of his head, the daunting images of Shachi, Penguin, everyone drowning in the dark sea.
Law looks down at Luffy underneath him, who only grins widely from ear to ear and wraps his arms around Law, bringing him down close enough for their foreheads to rest against each other, noses touching just so briefly with an intimacy so sweet Law nearly flinches.
“You need to rest, Torao,” Luffy says, loud and assertive, like a true captain. He says it with a warm, caring tone, but all Law can hear is an order from another captain—it sucks the warmth of Luffy’s embrace and his voice and his smile and gaze out from underneath Law, overpowered by the guilt and jealousy and shame brewing in the pit of Law’s stomach.
Instead of obeying the Straw Hat captain’s order, he practically slams their faces together, unceremoniously, in a terrible mocking display of a kiss. Luffy doesn’t budge while Law is all teeth, snarling into Luffy’s mouth, hands gripping Luffy’s wrists, pinning them above Luffy’s head. He pushes Luffy’s legs apart with his knees hastily, kneeling between Luffy’s legs like a sanctuary he wants nothing more than to ruin. He thrusts his hips against Luffy’s ass, trying his best to hold back his groan as his cock, trapped inside the tightness of his pants, rubs against the soft man underneath him.
Luffy looks up at him and smiles again. “Torao.”
Pieces of Law’s ever splintering sanity start to fall one by one. His breath starts to become staggered and short, his heart thumping erratically and off-beat against his chest. His mouth is dry and struggles to speak at first.
“Let’s go to sleep.”
“You—”
Law forces haki through one hand trapping Luffy’s thin rubber wrists, grip tightening so much his hand is shaking, but Luffy doesn’t flinch, even as the bruise begins to blossom slowly.
“You don’t get to order me around!”
His other hand grabs Luffy’s chin as he once again attack’s Luffy’s mouth, trying to wipe that stupid, sad smile off. He bites Luffy’s lip, his throat, the tip of his ear.
“I’m going to fuck you, Mugiwara-ya,” Law says, desperately, in between bites and kisses. “I’m going to fucking ruin you.”
But Luffy doesn’t budge or move. His lips are pursed together, but doesn’t let go of his soft smile, and his gaze into Law’s eyes are unwavering.
“You’re just—just playing captain,” he continues, hips jerking against Luffy. “Stupid kids playing pirate crew.”
Law drags his other hand over Luffy’s body, grabbing and pulling wildly anywhere for a reaction. He pushes the red cardigan open, groping at Luffy’s chest, and when he pulls at the right nipple he sees Luffy’s lips part and tremble, a shaky breath leaving for a second before the young man brings his lips together again; but, that split second sends shivers down Law’s spine, fomenting a perverse feeling of vindication and power within the Surgeon of Death.
“Are you just going to let this happen?”
Law kisses and bites all over Luffy’s chest, desperate for another reaction, for anything, pulling Luffy’s nipples with his teeth to absurd lengths. But, no matter what, Luffy is quiet underneath him, simply looking at Law with eyes full of care and concern, and it makes Law sick. Gritting his teeth, he unzips his pants and frees his hard, leaking cock. He licks his dry lips and looks down at Luffy, marked all over with teeth marks and bruises.
“Are you going to let a shitty, washed up captain like me fuck you unto the mattress until you can’t stand anymore?”
Luffy easily frees himself of Law’s grip and cups the somber man’s face with both hands with a tenderness Law didn’t know the brash and impulsive fool was capable of—his hands are hot like the blazing summer sun, but Law only feels frozen in place at the loss of dominance he’s convinced himself of having. The smaller captain laughs, a soft and breathless laughter that makes Law’s broken heart nearly stop, “Don’t call yourself that, Torao.”
Luffy brings their foreheads together again.
“You’re the Heart Pirates’ captain!”
Law feels himself shaking, suffocating under the weight of Luffy’s adoration. He brings a hand to Luffy’s cheek, who leans into the touch. Law traces his thumb along the smile that blinds him, leaves him feeling bare and exposed. But suddenly he feels himself tightening his fingers around Luffy’s face, no longer a faint caress but an iron vice grip as the haunting images of his Heart Pirates sinking deeper and deeper into the sea flashes repeatedly his mind. The sound of Blackbeard’s mocking, heinous laughter replays in his ears, driving Law’s other hand lower along Luffy’s body.
He shouldn’t be doing this, he knows that, but he already has his hand on Luffy’s shorts, tearing at them with a swift savagery and positioning himself against Luffy’s exposed bottom. His cock is hard, twitching, heated against Luffy’s entrance, but Law feels cold and empty, as though he were just a hollow shell of himself filled with nothing but grief, anger, and guilt, his sanity already shattered and falling piece by piece. The small sliver of sanity he has left screams at him to stop, but it’s drowned by the deafening sound of the sea, the explosions of the Polar Tang, Blackbeard’s chilling laughter. He pushes his heavy hips forward.
“Torao—”
Law gasps as he’s abruptly yanked by his coat from behind and a blazing light and thick white clouds spill into the room, nearly blinding Law, but not before he catches a pair of blue eyes appearing on the wall behind Luffy. By the time Law’s eyes adjust, the eyes and hand with the iron grip are no longer there, but instead before him is Luffy, hair and clothes now white and soft and freely defying gravity, surrounded by clouds as if blanketed by the heavens. Luffy again has hands on each side of Law’s cheeks, lifting his face up so all he can see are two glowing eyes, piercing through him like rays of light in the darkest abyss, as though they can see every fiber of his being and soul.
Law feels limp on top of the glowing entity beneath him, like rubber, but unlike Luffy he can’t seem to move, to spring about without a care in the world, free.
“Torao,” Luffy whispers, but his voice echoes like a chorus of horns across a battlefield, parting the clouds to make room for the sun.
Law brings his shaking hands up to Luffy’s. His voice cracks, pathetic and hoarse, as if he hasn’t spoken in years, “Why…”
“Why my crew?” he wants to say. His mouth opens, but he feels as though needles are stuck in his throat, unable to get the words out: “Why not you? Why not your crew? Kid’s? Anyone.”
Luffy rests Law’s head against his scarred chest. Luffy’s breath is steady, and his heart beats like drums, loud but rhythmic and soothing. The warmth and sound of it frees something in Law that he can’t explain. The soft beating drum echoes through him, calling forth tears locked away somewhere deep inside him ever since his defeat.
He chokes back a sob as he rubs his cheek and ear deeper into Luffy’s chest. When Luffy presses his face into Law’s coarse hair, Law can feel that unrelenting smile and the breath of his rumbling laughter, and it makes the tears burst through like a broken dam unleashing a torrent of waves. He grits his teeth, trying to stop the ugly sounds from leaving his lips, burying his face into the fiery sun-like warmth of Luffy’s chest, but the tears don’t stop.
“Torao needs to rest,” Law hears Luffy say, “Because he’s the captain of the Heart Pirates.”
Law shuts his eyes, stinging from the never-ending tears. He still sees the horrors of his ship, his crew sinking in the dark waters, but as he presses his ear against Luffy’s heart, the drumming beat of it slowly leading more images of his crew, his family, to his mind. Images of the way he knows them, of the way they lived. Not the way he last saw them, not the way they might be.
“Rest and heal,” Luffy says, his voice reverberating through Law’s mind and body. “For your crew.”
Penguin’s broad smile watching Shachi chugging alcohol, Ikkaku’s exasperated but fond look, Jean Bart’s broad back facing towards them standing guard. The soft hum of the Polar Tang’s engine, in tune with the rhythmic beat of Luffy’s heart. All of them laughing and watching the sea past by them through the windows. The way the sound bounces off the metal walls and lightens up the entire ship.
He thinks of a his crew sailing under the warm shallow waters near a peaceful island, floating carelessly and free, until he finally falls asleep.
- - -
Law wakes up without sweating or shivering for the first time in days, feeling lighter than air as he sits up slowly on the snug bed. But the warm contentment he feels twists in the pit of his stomach when he looks down next to him, seeing the young sleeping Straw Hat captain, covered in bruises and teeth marks, shorts still haphazardly halfway up Luffy’s thighs, wrists adorned with dark purple rings, the sight of it all a damning reminder of Law’s transgression. He feels something rising in his throat, shaking as he rushes out of the room, nearly slamming the door behind him as he leans his back against it, struggling for breath.
He bangs the back of his head against the hard wooden door repeatedly and sinks to the cold floor of the deck. It’s early, early morning, the sun just barely breaking through the dawn; it’s dark, but it’s still light enough for Law to make out the tall lean figure of a woman standing just a few feet away from him.
“Our swordsman asked us to keep an eye on you,” she says with the weight of a mother’s discernment, “but we would have even if he didn’t.”
Law clicks his tongue, but it doesn’t have the bite it usually does. He rests his head on his knees, hands gripping his hair and wishing he had his hat, something to cover the shame painted across his face.
“I know you’re grieving—”
“Wait,” Law stops her, his mind finally processing what she said earlier. “We?”
“Our captain is going to be King of the Pirates,” Law hears to his left as a towering skeleton steps out from shadows. A ghostly form begins to seep out of the skull, sending the hairs on the back of Law’s neck standing straight and still. “He’s strong. Stronger than all four of us. But he’s kind. Maybe too kind.”
Robin smiles and looks to the right of Law, who turns and sees a giant cyborg standing upright, arms crossed and a stern, disciplined look on his face, even though his sunglasses couldn’t hide the fact he was crying underneath.
“I’m sorry for what you’re going through, brother, but I gotta look out for my captain,” Franky says gruffly. “Even if he can kick both our asses.”
Brook floats around them, bobbing up and down like a dance, “Under normal circumstances, I think Torao would have most definitely sensed or heard the giant pervert, yoho.”
“Yeah,” the cyborg only agrees, wiping a manly tear away. “I was standing right where you’re sitting now the entire night.”
An arm sprouts from his back, gripping Law’s shoulder with a delicate but firm hand. The look she gives Law is compassionate, even as her nails dig a little too deeply into Law’s shoulder.
“Don’t push your pain onto him just because he can bear it.”
Franky marches over and Law almost flinches when he nearly swings his giant arm downwards, but all Law feels is giant hand patting his other shoulder repeatedly, although there’s no doubt it was hard enough to bruise faintly.
“What the hell would your crew think?”
Without warning, the door opens behind him, sending Law toppling backwards. Luffy is still in bed, but his arm is outstretched and grabs Law by the collar as he mumbles, “Torao…”
Law surprisingly finds himself being dragged slowly and gently back to the bed rather than being shot over like a slingshot. Luffy mutters something as he shifts and wraps his arms around Law, pressing his face into Law’s chest and snoring softly. The pace of Law’s heart quickens as he looks at the young man embracing him, feels the soft and rhythmic breath warming his chest. He’s worried the loud beating of his heart will wake Luffy up until he can hear the three older Straw Hats he almost forgot about march into the room.
“Luffy,” Robin says softly. Hands blossom along the bed, pulling up Luffy’s pants with care and stroking Luffy’s messy raven hair. Law can feel a hand gripping his coat, pulling him away from Luffy to no avail. “Let Torao go. He can sleep in the infirmary or the men’s room.”
“Robin…” Luffy sighs in response, his eyes barely opening before closing them again. “Franky… Brook…”
One of his hands stretches out and pats the empty space next to him before returning to its original position. Law can hear faint snoring again, and the ease at which Luffy is able to fall asleep while embracing a man who tried to violate him the night before forces a choked sob from Law, burying his face in Luffy’s soft black hair and hugging Luffy’s waist.
“I’m sorry,” Law whispers, “I’m sorry, Mugiwara-ya…!”
His face is burning with shame and guilt, barely able to make out through his resurfacing tears the woman sitting down on the bed next to Luffy.
“My, my,” she says, a hint of uncharacteristic tiredness in her voice, “you two are a handful.”
He feels a blanket being draped over the two of them, and not long afterwards feels the bed shifting comically like a seesaw as a heavy weight sits down next to Robin. Luffy, completely unfazed, lets gravity slide him closer to Robin and Franky, bringing Law with him, still enveloped in Luffy’s arm and the blanket they’ve been tucked into.
“We still have an hour or two before breakfast,” Franky tries to whisper from the other side of the bed.
“How about a soothing tune?” Brook asks from Law’s, too light to balance out their situation.
Luffy only hums and nods, rubbing his cheek against the beating of Law’s heart. The light, airy sounds of a violin, the warmth of Luffy’s embrace, and even the watchful eyes of the other Straw Hats lull Law back into a deep sleep, where he dreams of watching his crew dancing and laughing. They turn to him and smile, waving to beckon him—and although Law has never been one to dance, he runs over.
- - -
Law looks down at his clean test results, from the tests Chopper suggested – insisted – he take after that night, to which Law agreed without complaint. He hasn’t left the infirmary for over a week, the weight of what he tried to do always clawing at his mind, too ashamed to look at any Straw Hat in the eyes, let alone their captain.
After a week, he leaves for basic necessities, to check in on Bepo. He has painful run-ins with other Straw Hats, who must have not killed him on the spot at Luffy’s or maybe even Robin’s request. But the moment he hears Luffy’s voice or someone mention Luffy’s name, he pathetically turns around and shuts himself back in the infirmary.
Two, nearly three weeks later, he lays in the infirmary bed, again thinking of his crew, imagining them looking at him with disappointment and disgust. Law turns over, placing the crumbled test result report on the nightstand, unable to forget the warmth of Luffy’s skin and how Luffy still smiled at him even after everything, and it tears him apart even more.
He sits up, taking in deep and slow breaths, and makes a familiar gesture with his hand.
“Shambles.”
He’s replaced the report with the medication Chopper’s prescribed him, only to find the bottle empty. He draws up his knees and buries his face in his arms, feeling pathetic and cold, trying everything to forget the warm feeling of Luffy’s body flushed underneath him.
“But I want to see Torao,” Law hears, voice whining. The voice sends shivers through his body, his breath caught in his throat.
“Later! Doctor-patient session is in progress right now!”
Law hears more whining, but it’s faint and eventually disappears. The door opens and Chopper rushes inside, slamming the door behind him. He opens the door again and peeks outside, sighs in relief, and closes the door again. He then walks over to the bed Law’s sitting on and gestures for Law to put out his hand.
The Surgeon of Death sighs, and puts his hand out, lowering it so Chopper can reach. The little doctor drops a new bottle of medication. “For my patient!”
The medication in this hand is similar to his previous, but has a weaker potency. Chopper doesn’t need to lecture Law about how to take them or what he shouldn’t eat or drink with them, as they’re both doctors. They’re both well-versed and highly respected in their field. So instead, he gives Law some cotton candy, fresh from Franky’s factory, according to Chopper (why not the kitchen, Law has no idea).
“Don’t tell Nami we’re eating this before dinner!” Chopper whispers, as if the money-hungry burglar could be hiding in the room with them. He scarfs down his cotton candy in one swift bite.
“I won’t,” Law grunts after taking his first dose. He pockets his medication and gets up to walk away, “Also, I’m not going to eat this.”
“What!” Chopper reacts. “Then why are you taking it!”
Law makes his way to leave the room, but stops at the door, his feet suddenly immobile. Chopper rushes next to him, looking up with concerned eyes.
“Are you going to give some to Luffy?”
“I…”
He hesitates.
“Luffy asks about you everyday,” Chopper says. He trots over to his giant work desk, rummaging through the contents. Law thinks he’s going to pull out more outdated books on sex education or healthy relationships, but instead pulls out two giant cones of cotton candy, strangely in pristine condition. “It’s my professional opinion that now is a good time to talk to each other.”
He leaves the room still holding his cotton candy, with Chopper trailing behind him, carrying two new (hopefully) cones in each hand. He passes by Luffy’s room and tries not to stare at the door—he hasn’t been there since that night, but there’s still a lingering guilt tossing and turning in the pit of his stomach. He walks faster, heading over to Bepo, who is lying out under the sun near the burglar’s tangerine trees. Chopper lays himself down next to the polar bear mink, messily eating the giant fluffs of cotton candy that are even bigger than his head and hat.
The Straw Hat captain is no where to be seen. Law is both disappointed and relieved. Instead, he offers Bepo his cotton candy, who happily takes it. It looks normal-sized in Bepo’s hands. “Thanks, Captain!”
Law takes a deep breath, trying to calm the uneasy feeling in his heart at being called captain. Someone like him doesn’t deserve to be a captain, someone whose crew may have been massacred only for him to run away like a coward. A coward who tried to take advantage of someone who only has shown him kindness and has saved him time and time again. A coward who can’t get disgusting thoughts out of his head.
But Law shakes his head and takes in another deep breath, trying not to let his mind get the better of him again. He sits down and feels his medication rustle in his pockets. He rests his back against Bepo’s large body, hiding his face from the sun, trying to keep a steady breath, thinking about the beat of Luffy’s heart—strong and steady, like drums.
It’s nearing dinner time, but the sun is still high in the sky. The air around them is cool while the sun blankets the three in a friendly warmth. Bepo has already finished his candy and twirls the paper cone in his hands.
“You know…”
Law doesn’t look at Bepo, because he knows what the polar bear is going to say.
“Cotton candy is Hakugan’s favorite,” Bepo says quietly, his voice trembling. His face becomes downtrodden, probably disappointed in himself for ruining the mood. "I'm sorry..."
Law wants to say something, but his voice gets caught in his throat.
“Bepo…” he hears Chopper say, tearfully.
Law buries his face in his hat, feeling pathetic. He can’t even bring himself to look at his first mate. The guilt begins to swell in him again and he can feel himself struggling to breathe, his heart losing its rhythm, but his incoming panic is interrupted by an increasingly loud yell.
“TORAOOOOO!”
Law looks up, blinded by the sun high in the sky, and he can make out a familiar silhouette growing larger and larger as the voice gets louder and louder, and before he knows it, falling from who-knows-where, Luffy is crash-landing on the three of them, sending them rolling far across the deck—like a trampoline, Luffy bounces off of Bepo’s stomach and overboard into the sea. Chopper yells his captain’s name dramatically and jumps in after him without a second thought.
“Darn it, Mugiwara!” Bepo yells, diving in after the two. Law rushes over to the side of the ship, watching Bepo retrieve them with ease, climbing back up onto the Thousand Sunny. Despite his complaints, he sets them down with care, as Chopper cries about his cotton candy melting away. Nami runs over with a large towel for each of them, not without knocking some sense into her captain and rubbing his head so furiously with the towel Law swears Luffy’s hair starts smoking.
“You stupid idiot, look at the trouble you’re causing Bepo!” She then begins to dry off Chopper, but doesn’t stop berating Luffy. “You better say thank you! And this towel isn’t free, you know!”
The Straw Hat captain is weakened, by both the seawater and his navigator, but he’s still able to turn to Bepo and loudly shouts, with a big smile, “Thanks, Polar Bear!”
“Captain!” Bepo complains. “We’re being disrespected again!”
But Luffy only laughs, getting up and snaking his arms around Bepo and Chopper; and, without warning, he begins to spin wildly around and around like a tornado until the two beasts are no longer wet but instead unrecognizable puffs of fur. Bepo’s mouth is gaping, like he can’t comprehend what just happened.
“Again, again!” Chopper commands, so Luffy lifts them up high and spins over and over. Despite Bepo’s earlier protests, Law hears the three laughing now as they tumble about the deck, until they finally land back where they started on the soft grass of Nami’s tangerine grove, with Luffy and Chopper lying across Bepo’s stomach, Bepo holding onto both so they don’t slide off.
“Don’t eat any of my tangerines,” Nami warns as she begins to walk away, but not before stopping and putting a hand on Law’s shoulder.
Their eyes meet, and Law wills himself not to look away from her eyes, unwavering and reading Law like a map. He opens his mouth to say something—to complain, to make a witty mark, anything—but collapses instantly under her scrutiny, as if his entire body is locked into place. There are faint calls for him echoing over from the Straw Hat captain and doctor, breaking the silence. Nami shakes her head and sighs. “Go watch over them until dinner time.”
She heads towards the dining room, but stops, her back still towards him. “Especially Luffy.”
Law watches her walk away before turning and heading back to his spot next to Bepo. Each step is careful and deliberate as a war wages in his mind whether he should be leaving instead, whether he deserves to even be on the same ship as Luffy, until he finds himself standing next to Bepo and the two Straw Hats, looking down at them lying peacefully. The sun continues to shine down on them, but he doesn’t shield himself with his hat this time. Instead of running away, he sits down, conscious of how close he is to Luffy.
“Polar Bear,” Luffy says in a drowsy voice, wrapping his arms around Chopper, Bepo, and Law. Law’s heart flips at the touch. “Do any of the Heart Pirates like tangerines?”
This time, Law looks at Bepo and places a hand on the large shoulder. He takes a deep breath, and the ocean air feels cleansing.
“Ikkaku loves tangerines,” Bepo says. His eyes are teary, but he’s smiling from ear to ear. “She could eat all of them here.”
Chopper’s snoring, pulling at Bepo’s large paw like a blanket. Luffy nestles his face against Bepo more, sleepily mumbling, “Then let's have a tangerine party. For Ikko.”
Law’s navigator laughs and nods.
“Yeah. A tangerine party,” Bepo says, his voice light and hopeful. “When we see the rest of the crew again.”
Bepo looks over at Law, whose hand hasn’t left his shoulder. Law squeezes it reassuringly and nods. He shifts his gaze to the younger captain sprawled across Bepo’s stomach. There’s a lightness that flutters in him when he looks at Luffy napping peacefully, and he can hardly believe himself when he responds with ease, saying, “Yeah. After we finish that bastard Blackbeard.”
Luffy nods, humming, but the two Heart Pirates can’t tell if he’s really listening or if he’s fast asleep as Luffy mutters something about disgusting pie, so quiet they could barely make it out. Bepo laughs, his fur soaking up the telltale signs of his tears. “That’s right, Captain. We’ll get back at him. We will.”
Law feels the outstretched, rubber arms around them tighten just slightly. He looks up, watching the clouds roll by and the gentle swaying of the tangerine leaves through teary eyes until he drifts to sleep.
- - -
He feels himself being kicked.
“Hey,” he hears the chef’s voice drawl.
Law’s eyes open suddenly and sees the sun has disappeared, but he still feels as warm as he did under the sun, wrapped in Luffy’s arms. He looks forward, unfazed by the kick to his legs, and sees the Straw Hat chef standing against the dark sky. Sanji clicks his tongue and takes a long drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out at Law’s face and sending another kick. “Time for dinner.”
Sanji leans over and gives Luffy a gentle slap. “Luffy, meat.”
The Straw Hat captain sits up immediately, eyes blinking at his chef. “M...meat!”
Without warning, Luffy catapults himself (and along with him a screaming Bepo, Law, and Chopper) to the dining room, nearly knocking over the other Straw Hats congregated there. He haphazardly drops Law in the seat next to him and Bepo and Chopper across the table. Law glances over at Luffy and sees a long nose poking out from behind him. Usopp looks at Law and waves hesitantly.
“Hey Torao,” he says. “Get in a nice nap while I was protecting the Thousand Sunny from a wild pack of mutant robotic gorilla-octopuses?”
Luffy and Chopper get starry-eyed immediately, and the trio delve into a fantastical story that definitely is entirely fictional. Everyone digs into their dinner and the room floods with chatter and flying bits of food as Sanji sets a plate of riceballs in front of Law. One of Law’s riceballs clearly has sour pickled plums in it, but at least this time it’s only one, and Luffy inhales it off his plate with precision (along with slices of his meat). The chef pulls out a handkerchief and wipes away bits of food from Luffy’s messy cheeks. “Hey, Shitty Captain, eat properly, you’re wasting my food.”
“Hmmkay,” Law hears Luffy say through a mouthful of food the size of a cannon ball. Luffy swallows it down with ease. “This is your best meal yet! Try some of this, Torao!”
Before he could react, Luffy shoves a gigantic handful of a random assortment of foods in Law’s mouth, nearly choking him to death, and everyone erupts in laughter at the sight of Law, hunched over, face messy, banging on the table as he struggles to swallow his food, because he knows Sanji will try to force feed it to him if he coughs it up. Sanji looks down at Law with an unreadable expression before he walks away to prepare more food for his captain.
“Leave the poor guy alone, Luffy!” Usopp says, handing a drink over to Law, who takes it and chases down the food.
“Yeah, don’t disrespect Captain,” Bepo adds, but with less annoyance than usual.
Usopp nods and hands a drink to Bepo as well. “You’ve been bugging him all day.”
“I wasn’t,” Luffy responds, making a face. “Right, Torao?”
The Surgeon of Death wipes his face off with the towel that he received from Bepo, and he can see Nami at the far end of the table making money signs with her hands. He grunts, “Not anymore than usual.”
Luffy looks at him, and Law almost feels himself turning to stone under Luffy’s gaze. His breath is caught in his throat when Luffy gives a gentle tug at Law’s coat, deep brown eyes never breaking away from Law’s. He doesn’t know where to look, so he tips the brim of his hat downwards, trying to hide his heated face. “Fine, Mugiwara-ya! You didn’t bug me today.”
“Shishishi,” Luffy chuckles, leaning over until their shoulders brush against each other. “I know!”
Law clicks his tongue at Luffy and looks away. Instead of a verbal response, Law hands a riceball over to Luffy, and hopes the Straw Hat crew doesn’t notice how much his ears are burning. Luffy takes the riceball and probably scarfs it down in one bite (Law can’t bring himself to look) while Law starts to eat another one.
Luffy responds with a mouthful of rice and a hearty laugh, but everyone in the room can hear it loud and clear: “That’s why I love Torao!”
The Straw Hat captain keeps eating, as though nothing happened. Law drops his riceball, eyes wide at the young man next to him. His eyes dart between the rest of the Straw Hats—Robin and Franky smile at their captain, Nami’s shaking her head, Zoro grips his cup of ale and pointedly looks away as Brook is patting his shoulder. Jinbe eats as calmly as usual while Usopp is seemingly the only one shocked, gaping comically at Luffy. Chopper laughs, eating more cotton candy.
Bepo lets out a full-bellied laugh.
“Captain, you better hurry or else Mugiwara’s going to eat all the food!”
Sanji walks over and drops another plate of riceballs down between the two, plate clanging as it hits the table, but Law is too flustered to look at the chef, so he grabs one before Luffy can devour them all and takes a bite. There doesn’t seem to be any pickled plums inside any of them. They’re slightly seasoned, with a faint aroma of sesame oil, some filled with fish and others with chicken, some just rice that’s fresh and warm. He feels his knee knock against Luffy’s, and he glances over at Luffy next to him, eating unabashedly, carefree. Luffy shoots a big grin at Law, bumping their shoulders again.
Law’s sure he doesn’t deserve whatever this is, this warmth blossoming in his chest as he watches through misty eyes (because there’s too much pepper in his food, he’ll say to anyone who asks) Luffy eating and laughing and sharing food with him. Law pulls at his hat again, trying to hide the array of conflicting emotions on his face.
He takes another bite of food, and agrees with Luffy that it’s their best meal yet.
- - -
The dinner turned into something between an impromptu feast and a party, with Sanji cooking up more of a storm than usual with a fierce unnamed ire and Zoro nearly drowning in their entire inventory of alcohol while aggressively persuading others to chug it all down with him, not including Law. Hours pass and soon half of them are passed out either from food or drink, scattered about the dining room, the other half picking up after the passed out crew mates.
Law feels his eyelids beginning to grow heavy as he stacks the endless dirty plates on top of each other. He looks down next to him, watching Luffy snoring loudly on the messy table. Luffy has a gentle hold on the cuff of Law’s sleeve.
“Mugiwara-ya,” Law whispers. He tries to pry off Luffy’s hand, but the hold Luffy has only tightens.
Usopp sits up, wobbling slightly, and holds onto Luffy’s upper arm. He makes eye contact with Law, but the God shrinks away from the Surgeon of Death, trying to hide behind Luffy even though the marksman is broader and his hair is extraordinarily voluminous. He shakes Luffy.
“Come on, Luffy, let’s all have a slumber party in the observation room.” Law can’t tell if it’s a lie or not when the marksman says, “You said earlier today you wanted one with everybody.”
Luffy whines and shakes his head, instead defiantly flopping over onto Law before resuming to snore without a care in the world. Law’s hands fall naturally around Luffy’s hips, and the full body contact makes his heart do flips inside of his hollow chest. For a moment he thinks he may be going insane, but remembers he’s still in the dining room and that the other Straw Hats are there. He retracts his arms quickly, at a loss on what to do next.
Usopp pulls helplessly at Luffy’s arm, but it snaps back into place around Law. Luffy mumbles in his sleep. “Torao, carry...”
“Trafalgar D. Law,” Jinbe interrupts as he rises from his seat. “I’ll help you escort Captain Luffy to his room. Franky, you carry Chopper, Nami, and Bepo to bed. Usopp, you help Robin and Brook clean up.”
“Alright then, 'night Luffy! Goodnight, Torao!” Usopp relents, frowning. “But remember I have secret booby traps all around the Thousand Sunny, especially Luffy’s room! I say ‘Luffy’s room’ to be nice, but the Captain’s Room is actually my room, you know!”
They ignore Usopp, who starts to tidy up the table. Jinbe tries to pick Luffy up and carry him away, but he won’t let go; instead, Jinbe re-positions Luffy so he’s placed carefully in Law’s arms, head resting in the crook of Law’s neck. Luffy lets out a soft quiet chuckle, sleep-talking about octopuses and takoyaki as he nuzzles against Law’s collarbone.
As they walk towards the dining room exit, Law tries to avoid meeting Sanji and Zoro’s glares, both painfully drunk but lucid enough to stand, leaning against the frame of the door, one on each side, while watching Law with lethal expressions. Law hastens his steps until he makes it through the door with one last look from the chef and swordsman. Surprisingly, they don’t stop him when Law walks past, but simply slump to the ground. Law assumes it must be the alcohol.
The late night air is silent and chilling, but a relief from the once boisterous dining hall. Luffy is a bundle of warmth in his arms and Jinbe’s large body is blocking the two of them from the freezing ocean winds, both keeping him from feeling the sudden frozen temperatures of the night sky. The waves rock the ship to and fro gently, and the moon shines down on the deck, guiding the three of them to Luffy’s room. Law looks down at Luffy, peacefully sleeping and oblivious to the world around them. He looks up at Jinbe, who gives him a stern but empathetic look.
“It’s not as though we don’t trust you, Law.”
They stop in front of Luffy’s door, and Law feels his heart beat a little faster, hands squeezing Luffy and bringing the young fool just a little bit closer to him.
“We trust you,” Jinbe says, “because he trusts you. And we trust our captain.”
The fishman sighs, pulling out the infamous straw hat from his coat, holding it in his hands as if something precious and fragile. He gingerly places the hat on Luffy’s head, large hand lingering for a short second before he gives a gentle pat. Luffy shifts and says Law’s nickname softly, along with something else neither of the two former warlords could decipher. Jinbe chuckles and takes his hand back. Luffy shifts again, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed in a small uncharacteristic frown, hat nearly falling off if Law hadn’t caught it in time.
“I don’t know much,” he continues, though Law doubts whether that’s true, “But I know you two are bound together by fate.”
The noble fishman looks up at the moon, and Law follows his gaze. It’s large and white, shining brightly but not blinding. A comforting source of light in the sea of darkness above them.
“Whether that fate is the Will of D., or something else, I don’t know. Maybe it doesn’t matter.”
Jinbe gracefully opens the door, watching them with intense eyes for a longer than he probably intended. Law feels heavy under Jinbe's gaze, holding onto Luffy close to him. The large fishman nods curtly at them. “Take care of each other.”
Law looks back as he walks into Luffy’s room, watching Jinbe close the door behind them with enough care not to make a sound. His heartbeat quickens, realizing it’s just him and the Straw Hat now, alone in the room where Law tried to do something unspeakable. He tightens his grip on Luffy who’s slipping just slightly, buries his face in Luffy’s hair, breathing slowly in and out, the scent of the ocean air and sunflowers calming his nerves—suddenly, Luffy starts to thrash in his arms, kicking wildly.
“Mu—”
Luffy elbows him in the face, the shock of it causing him to drop the flailing captain on the cold wooden floor. He gasps, leaning down, “Luffy-ya!”
“Ace…?”
Luffy’s eyes are suddenly wide, bewildered, and for a brief but heavy moment Law remembers the sight of Luffy out in the forests of a small island off of Amazon Lily, awakened and healed after a harrowing surgery but completely wrecked inside. But it only lasts for a second, until Luffy blinks and looks down. Law feels a small crack in his heart spreading and opens his mouth to say something, but Luffy looks up at him again with that usual big, toothy smile. “Torao!”
“Yes,” is all he can think to say. He kneels down next to Luffy, holding onto Luffy’s upper arms for support, careful not to grip too tightly. Gentle, he tells himself. “Mugiwara-ya, it’s me.”
There’s a light laughter in response. “Yeah, I know!”
“If you were Ace,” Luffy wonders aloud, tilting his and looking perplexed, “you’d probably tell me to brush my teeth right now.”
Law looks at him incredulously. “Why would I need to?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Go brush your damn teeth.”
“Fine,” Luffy pouts. He looks down at his arms, then back at Law, who retracts his hands as if burnt. The room is dark save for moonlight spilling in from high windows, and Law can see Luffy is still smiling, but Law’s mind must be playing tricks on him, imagining a faint blush painting the Straw Hat captain’s cheeks and ears.
Luffy bounces up and nearly sprints over to the washroom, but sticks his head out before Law could get up as well. He’s brushing at the speed of light while yelling something akin to, “Don’t leave!”
“Why?”
His head pops back into the washroom and Law can hear a spit and water running, splashing.
“I have an extra toothbrush for you!” yells Luffy from behind the door.
“I have my own.”
Law doesn’t receive a response. There’s only the sound of water splashing and rummaging, frantic and rushed. He gets up and turns towards the door, but his feet stop. He should leave, but he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t deserve to be here, he thinks, trying to will his feet to leave. But he hears the washroom door open and now Luffy’s stretching his arm out, shoving an unopened toothbrush at Law. “Your turn!”
Law hesitates and steps backwards. “I’m going to sleep in the infirmary.”
There’s enough moonlight for Law to see Luffy from across the room, to see Luffy’s smile falter ever slightly so, and that’s enough for Law to give in. Sighing, he takes the toothbrush and heads to the washroom, the two awkwardly averting their gazes the moment their eyes meet as they make room for each other through the washroom doorway. Law looks back to see Luffy diving into the bed.
The washroom doesn’t have much in it but it still manages to be as untidy as Law figured; however, Law can’t seem to focus on any details as he absentmindedly brushes his teeth, each motion feeling robotic and heavy. Even with the water running there’s a deafening silence and a strange flutter in him he can’t shake. He spits into the sink and rinses his mouth, trying to calm his nerves as images of Luffy lying flushed underneath him from that night flashes through his mind. The fluttering feeling becomes heavy and the guilt begins to weigh on him, but the shame and guilt and the cold water he’s now splashing over his face does nothing to cool his growing, heated lust.
He holds onto the sink with both hands, keeping himself up, trying to will his growing erection down. He looks up into the small mirror and sees his haggard, tired face. His crew would laugh at him, probably, seeing the poor state of his facial hair; they'd laugh at that for sure, but he doesn’t know how his crew would react to his impure, unstable feelings toward the Straw Hat captain. His hands start to shake against the cold ceramic of the sink.
Deep breaths, he tells himself. They’d laugh at him, no doubt, call him crazy and hopeless, but they would be—are—happy and alive.
He breathes in, holds it, and breathes out, slowly, and repeats the act over and over, like a ritual. He can’t help but think of Luffy’s smiling face, the starlike glimmer in those brown eyes and the way that scar shifts as the smile gets wider, and suddenly he feels in control of his hands again.
He walks out of the washroom and over to the bed, where Luffy is lying strangely still and straight underneath the blanket, except for the hands fidgeting mindlessly with long fingers. Law looks down as he kicks off his shoes and sits on the bed, on top of the blanket. He catches Luffy staring at him.
Luffy tugs at his coat. “Take it off.”
Law feels his face burning under Luffy's gaze, and suddenly he feels conscious of his heavy cock, still hard between his legs. “It’s cold.”
“Then get under the blanket.”
“No.”
Luffy sits up, and the blanket slides off of him, revealing his bare scarred chest. It falls dangerously low, and Law can see the curve of Luffy’s hips. His mouth hangs open, dry, as though starved and parched. “You...”
Law curses and quickly takes off his coat, throwing it at Luffy as he stands up as quick as lightning and turns around, terrified of what he'll do if he keeps looking at the nude young man laid out on the bed.
“Oh,” Luffy says.
There’s a painful silence between them and Law can’t bear to look, until he hears Luffy say, “Sorry.”
“Don’t,” Law snaps. He frowns, shaking his head and turning back to Luffy, who’s hiding his face in Law’s coat, clutching it for dear life. “I—I mean, don’t apologize. Mugiwara-ya, you shouldn’t be the one apologizing.”
“I want Torao to kiss me again.”
It’s muffled by Law’s coat, but Luffy’s voice sends shivers down Law’s spine.
“I can’t.”
Luffy lifts his head up from Law’s black coat, looking up at the Surgeon of Death with dark, defiant eyes. He throws the coat around Law and uses it like a net to pull him closer, Law’s hat falling off his head and onto the nightstand next to Luffy’s in the process. Once again Law finds himself dangerously close, foreheads and noses against each other just like that night weeks ago. But this time Luffy presses his lips together forward, softly, just faintly brushing Law’s, setting Law and his soul aflame.
“Torao,” Luffy says with a smile. “You can.”
“I don’t deserve to,” he almost says, but doesn’t. He gently cups Luffy’s face, trembling, half of himself yelling at him to stop, the other half telling him to take it further, to push the other man down just like that night, and the thought of it shakes him to the core. He doesn’t deserve this, he hears over and over in his mind, but he can feel Luffy’s smile against his lips, beckoning, so he presses forward against his inner thoughts, sparks igniting as they kiss gently underneath the coat shielding the two of them from the darkness, as if they were the only two people in the entire world.
The heat gets to him, so Law bows out from underneath his coat, but Luffy hasn’t moved. After a brief moment of hesitation, Law lifts it up with care, revealing Luffy’s flushed, red face, his eyes wide and dazzling underneath the black veil of Law’s coat. Luffy smiles, wide and toothy, laughing, and Law swears his heart is about to burst.
Luffy carefully puts on Law’s coat, leaving the front open, leaving Law with the tantalizing view of Luffy’s bare body as he lays Law down and climbs on top of him, cock hard and soft ass flushed against Law’s painfully clothed crotch, the brief friction teasing the parched Law like a drop of water in a desert.
“Mugiwara-ya, you…”
Luffy grinds on him more, smiling down at him. “Does it feel good?”
Law brings his hand to his gaping mouth, stopping his telltale groan from escaping his lips, desperately trying not to let his hard, leaking cock and lust take over like it did that night weeks ago. Calm down, he chants in his mind, trying not to buck up into the warm body above him. But Luffy takes Law’s hand and brings it up to that sly smile. Luffy kisses it and laps at it with his long, sinuous tongue. He sucks two, three fingers, taking them deep in his throat, and Law feels himself nearly cumming at the sight and feel of it, the heated sensation prickling through him.
“I want Torao to feel better,” Luffy says as he frees Law’s cock from the confines of his tight pants. "To feel good."
“But—” Law gasps as Luffy strokes him with one hand and holds Law’s hand with the other, still licking and sucking it sensuously. He snaps his hips up into the warm grip of Luffy’s hands, unable to stop himself. “I’m… last time—”
Luffy guides Law’s wet hand down, trailing Luffy’s body faintly like a soft brush, stopping at Luffy’s entrance. Law looks up at Luffy, who smiles at him and simply says, “Make it up to me,” as he pushes Law’s fingers in. Law gasps at the tightness, trying not to imagine what it would feel like around his cock or else he’ll cum then and there.
Luffy starts to bounce up and down on Law’s fingers, sucks them in far up to the knuckles. He falls over onto Law, mouth gaping against the crook of Law's neck, but doesn’t stop trying to fuck himself with Law’s fingers, doesn’t release his grip on Law’s cock behind him.
“Torao,” Luffy gasps as Law spreads out his fingers deep within Luffy, skillfully pushing in and out. “That feels good, there!”
Law feels the fist on his cock moving again, and he doesn’t last long. He grips Luffy’s waist a little too tightly with one hand, the other deep within Luffy, as he cums hard, jerking his hips upwards.
Luffy kisses along Law’s unkempt beard, letting go of Law’s softening cock as Law chokes a sob through the waves of pleasure crashing through him, but doesn’t stop fucking Luffy with his fingers. He feels Luffy’s smile part against his face ever so slightly, gasping as Luffy starts to become undone above him, spilling untouched between their two heated bodies.
Breathing heavily, Luffy sits up again, leaning back against his elbows to support himself, looking down at the mix of cum splattered over themselves. He scoops some, chuckling as he plays with it between his fingers, thick and sticky; like an explosion, a new flame of lust ignites inside of Law, and Law feels his cock hardening again as he watches Luffy start to open himself up with messy fingers, lubricating himself with their cum.
“It’s warm,” Luffy laughs as he fingers himself with a careless curiosity. "I like it."
“But I like Torao’s fingers more.”
Law has to stop himself from pouncing on Luffy, the sight of the Straw Hat driving him wild, insane. His entire body shakes as he sits up, tossing off his shirt, and kneels between Luffy’s spread open legs, reverent and careful as though seeking penance. Luffy pulls out his fingers, now replaced by Law’s, and hums at the sensation as Law carefully works Luffy open again, savoring the way Luffy feels around his fingers, the heat and tightness, his cock now throbbing and leaking once more.
Luffy takes Law’s other hand and guides it to his bare chest, Law feeling the texture of the giant scar underneath rough fingertips.
“Touch me,” Luffy commands with bated breath, opening up Law's coat further to reveal his full, muscular chest, his face blushing scarlet red. “Better than last time.”
Law nods, caressing Luffy’s chest as he leans over for a kiss, rubbing and pinching at Luffy’s hard nipples carefully. He doesn’t deserve it, but he needs the warmth of Luffy’s body, of Luffy’s mouth, the hot wetness of their tongues clashing together for what almost feels like a wondrous eternity. Luffy whines into his mouth as Law’s fingers move in and out of Luffy’s hole, and their lips part with a messy trail of saliva, Law now working a trail of kisses down to Luffy’s chest, kissing Luffy’s nipples with a veneration he didn’t know he was capable of.
“Feels so good,” Luffy gasps, rolling his hips up and down, desperate for Law’s fingers, his hard leaking cock bouncing with the movement. “Torao, I want Torao now.”
Law spreads his fingers wide deep inside Luffy, watching Luffy underneath him, flushed red and bare save for Law’s coat. He trembles, suddenly reminded of that night weeks ago, the image of Luffy bruised and bitten frozen in the back of his mind. But Luffy cups Law’s face and presses a quick kiss on Law’s lips, locking his legs behind Law, beckoning Law forward until Law’s cock rubs against Luffy’s entrance. The friction is dizzying, and Law feels like he’s close, hips bucking against Luffy, his mind clear of everything except for the Luffy before him now. Luffy’s grinning and reaching down to line Law’s leaking member against his hole.
“Mugiwara-ya,” Law gasps, leaning into Luffy’s kisses as he pushes himself into Luffy’s hot entrance.
“This is Torao’s reward for resting well,” Luffy whispers, smiling against Law’s ear.
Law groans, the sound guttural and unfamiliar to him as he slowly pushes further in. He bites his lower lip, watching Luffy’s face carefully for any sign of discomfort, trying to keep himself from driving his hips mindlessly into Luffy’s warmth. But it’s all too much, the rubber tightness squeezing around his throbbing cock, his heart beating wildly in his chest when he sees Luffy squeezing his eyes closed as Law pushes in deeper into the warmth, Luffy’s usual smile now gaping and inhaling sharply. Hot tears begin to roll down Law’s face, the shame rising back up again with his unquenchable, heated lust.
“I’m sorry, Luffy,” Law sobs as he starts to fuck into Luffy with shallow, uncoordinated thrusts, the sensation of Luffy’s tight, wet heat overwhelming him, taking over every inch of him. He tries to stop before he goes mad, but can’t, still thrusting into Luffy and chanting, “I’m sorry,” like a prayer.
“It’s okay,” Luffy moans each time, kissing and licking away Law’s tears as he rolls his hips to drive Law deeper into himself. “I like Torao in me.”
Law buries his cock deep into the soft rubber man beneath him, deep until the hilt, watching misty-eyed as Luffy arches his back and touches himself unabashedly, pumping his leaking cock with one hand and playing his with neglected nipples with the other. Luffy tightens his legs locked around Law’s waist, as though begging for more, and Law knows he won't last long.
“It feels good, so good!” Luffy whines as he runs a hand through Law’s hair and draws him in again for another kiss, and it’s deep, messy, wet, as they gasp each other’s names against their lips. It isn’t long until Law’s hips still, letting out a final sob as he cums, as if he’s spilling all of himself, his soul, into Luffy, who takes in everything without question.
Luffy’s still fucking himself on Law’s cock, squeezing Law’s waist in a nearly punishing grip with his powerful legs until he comes, crying Law’s name as he spills all over himself; he rides out his orgasm on Law’s softening and overstimulated cock until it slips out, cum dripping out obscenely as Luffy collapses with his legs spread wide open for Law to see, but his eyes are too blurred by tears to drink in the sight.
“Law,” Luffy chuckles, yanking Law by the arm and laying him down and entangling them in each other’s arms. “Torao!”
“Yeah,” is all Law can manage, breathing deep to calm his mind as the fog of lust slowly leaves him, tears still falling pathetically from his stinging eyes. He closes his eyes and can feel Luffy kissing the outer end of each.
“Torao is such a crybaby,” Luffy laughs. “But that’s okay, because you’re strong.”
He absentmindedly traces Law’s tattoos with soft fingertips, leaving a trail of radiating warmth Law will never forget. Luffy's eyes blink and begin to close slowly, his hand slipping.
“And amazing.”
Law rubs at his eyes, feeling heavy with sleep, but wills himself to stay awake for as long as he can, not wanting to miss a second as Luffy presses his face against Law’s chest, right at the heart of his tattoo; his breath is slow and steady and his voice begins fading softly.
“And a great captain...”
The arms around the Straw Hat captain tightens, the softness and warmth of the rubber man a comforting existence in the darkness. Law imagines this is what it must feel like to embrace the sun, his body hot and heavy but like it's home. Soft and rhythmic snores start to fill the room as it drives away the oppressive silence creeping in Law's mind. He holds Luffy close, burying his face in that mop of messy hair, breathing in and out in a steady rhythm in tune with the drum of Luffy's beating heart. With every other breath he names a Heart Pirate, thinks of each of their smiling faces and their strengths and weaknesses and everything they've done for him. He thinks of them eating and laughing together on the Polar Tang, of fighting side-by-side with them, of rough and calm waters all over the endless world they've sailed through together or will sail through together. He thinks of Corazon, and how he would have probably loved Luffy, almost as much as Law does.
Law can't say if he's great captain or not. He doesn't even know if he can still be called a captain. But as the captain of the Straw Hats and the captain of the Heart Pirates embrace each other through the night, never letting go, Law is able to close his eyes and drift to sleep in peace, knowing that whatever happens – no matter how much he hurts, no matter how much he's broken apart piece by piece – he can step forward and keep going, as long as he's racing towards the sun.