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It had been seven years since Law parted ways with Monkey D. Luffy and Eustass Kid on the shores of Wano.
At the time, the future had seemed so clear. Law’s new dream shone brightly in front of him as they charted their course, only to be brutally crushed in a matter of days. He had flown too close to the sun, he realised, and his wings burned off.
It took weeks for him to recover enough to go back for his crew, and even then he was nowhere near where he had been in terms of power. He could barely create a Room the size of an actual room, and he couldn't use haki at all. The first time he tried, he passed out again. Thankfully, covert operations didn’t have to rely on strength, and he had always done his best work in the dark. He and Bepo eventually managed to break the crew out of imprisonment, but only because Blackbeard and most of his crew were away on other business.
The crew weren’t the only ones he freed. In a strange turn of fate, Law found himself leading a small army of around one hundred people, pirates from other defeated crews, disillusioned former marines and civilians who had dared to revolt. All of them were tired of fighting.
The Heart Pirates were tired as well. They put on a good face for him, happy to see him, happy to be free, but he could see it in their eyes. They had gotten too deep into the New World, and they hadn't been ready for it. Law hadn’t been able to protect them at the height of his power, and in his current state, things could only go worse. He made a decision, and took his army north.
He took them home.
Flevance had long been under quarantine, guarded by a token force of marine soldiers that were easily moved aside. Those among his people that knew the history were frightened by his choice of destination at first, but he was able to reassure them. The White City's reputation would protect them, at least for a while, and while Law had ultimately failed in the New World, his crew was more than strong enough to handle North Blue. Besides, Flevance didn't belong to anyone.
Well, Law supposed, if anyone had a claim on Flevance, it was him.
He was dismayed, but not surprised, to find that the World Government had quietly reopened the mines. Law didn’t know why they wanted the amber lead, but he didn’t care. The first thing he did was free the slaves working the mines, the second was to make sure all the mines were caved in and inaccessible. Hopefully forever.
Flevance itself was a ghost town. Much of it had been destroyed in fire and explosions during the purge, but some buildings still stood, barely touched by the thirteen years Law had been away. One of those buildings, unsurprisingly, was the royal palace. The irony of it all was not lost on him as he led his army of misfits to the palace to take up residence there. It was the safest place, both in terms of structural integrity, and in terms of amber lead. Much of the city below was covered in the stuff, but the royals had been aware of the toxins, and favoured gold and marble over the country’s main export.
The palace was also big enough to house them all. It had been looted and damaged over the years, but it was a far better home than most of his people had seen in their lifetimes. Over time, they would investigate the city bit by bit, determining whether it was safe to be there. Law checked everyone for traces of amber lead poisoning every week at first, then every month, and eventually every year. The only ones affected were the slaves he’d freed from the mines.
Over the next seven years Law slowly built a new home on the ruins of his first one.
Meanwhile, the world changed. Three years after they had parted ways, Luffy became the King of Pirates, and over the following months the World Government crumbled beneath his feet. Law was oddly proud when he read about it, glad his former ally had achieved his dream.
And devastated that he hadn’t been there to witness it.
He remembered seeing Luffy in Wano, glowing above the Onigashima as he took on Kaido. Luffy had flown close to the sun, and he didn’t get burned. He became the sun. Bright and shining, spreading his light to everyone he met, but always out of reach for Law, untouchable. And now, he had gotten what he wanted. Law was happy for him, truly.
It didn’t explain why he had tears stinging in his eyes when he first saw the papers crown him as the King of Pirates.
He had excused himself, seeking refuge on the white cliffs overlooking the sea, and curled up as he watched the waves. Bepo came to find him there, a few hours later.
“The crew wants to have a party,” he said, sitting down beside Law. “Is that okay?”
“Of course,” Law said. “He achieved his dream. We should party. You can give them the go-ahead.”
“Captain,” Bepo said, and Law snorted.
“You should stop calling me that,” he said. “I’m no captain anymore. Just the doctor of a small town.”
Law turned his head up towards the sun. It hurt his eyes to look at it. “And I’m no longer his equal.”
Bepo didn’t say anything, just hugged him close, and after three years of pretending to be strong, Law allowed himself a moment to crumble. To mourn a dream, a potential future and a feeling he had never dared to name. All lost in the waters outside Winner Island.
When the moment was over, they partied, and Law officially disbanded the Heart Pirates. It was a formality at this point. They had all known it was over, three years ago. And yet, every single one of them stayed in Flevance. With Law. With each other.
The years passed, and the town grew. With the New World Government still in its infancy, people looked for safe havens to settle in, and apparently a former quarantine zone led by a former warlord qualified as that. Law supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised. His people were already a colourful mix of former criminals and former marines, and nobody cared where others came from. All that mattered was what they could do now. As the flaming sun of The New World Government’s banner flew over more and more harbours, Flevance adopted a white moon on hers, and made her own path.
The city got rebuilt, little by little, while the amber lead remained undisturbed beneath their feet. Law raised a monument to the fallen White City to make sure it would stay that way.
Five years in, Law handed over the government of the growing city an elected council, and settled into his role as a simple doctor. He continued his father’s research into the amber lead, trying to devise a way to remove it from a body without the use of the Ope-Ope fruit, just in case it ever became relevant again. After all, Flevance seemed there to stay, and would probably outlive him.
Like he had once outlived Flevance.
***
There was a knock on his door late one night. His clinic was closed, but emergencies happened even in peaceful times. Law tore himself away from his research and yawned as he walked over to open the door.
“Yeah? What’s-” he started, but his voice died in his throat as he stared at the familiar, blinding grin in front of him.
“Torao!” Luffy exclaimed, and Law found himself engulfed in a hug, with Luffy’s arms snaking their way around him several extra times. Like he used to do, all those years ago. For a moment, Law was transported back in time, to Dressrosa, to Zou, to Wano, before everything changed.
And things had changed. As Luffy pulled back, Law could see that Luffy was almost as tall as Law, now. His shoulders were wider, and he was more filled out overall. He was wearing a stylish, long red coat, slightly torn at the edges, with no shirt underneath, proudly showing off the X-shaped scar on his stomach. The scar from Marineford, where he lost his brother and Law saved his life.
Law stared at it for a moment, then back up at Luffy’s face. His grin was fading, and he looked uncertainly at Law.
“Torao?” he said. “You remember me, right?”
Law couldn’t help it. He snorted. “As if I could ever forget you, Straw Hat,” he said, and Luffy grinned again. Law opened the door wider and stepped aside. “Come in. The winds are cold up here.”
Law’s clinic and home wasn’t exactly small, though he had chosen it with the intention to live by himself. Luffy somehow managed to fill up the entire space with his presence alone.
“I wasn’t expecting guests,” Law said, a little awkwardly. “Do you want tea?”
“It’s fine, I brought this,” Luffy grinned, rummaging in his bag for a moment before setting a large bottle of sake on the table. All the way from Wano, apparently.
“...I’ll get cups,” he said, escaping into the small kitchen he rarely ever used. His old crewmates lived close by, and he tended to eat dinner with them more often than not. Many of them had spouses by now, and their children all referred to Law as “uncle”. He would roll his eyes at it, but in truth, he appreciated being included in their families. He had no plans to start his own, after all. He fully expected to live alone the rest of his life.
And now, Luffy sat at the table in his study. Luffy fucking Straw Hat, the King of Pirates. Law had honestly not expected to ever see him again.
Law found the cups, and brought them back to the table, where Luffy filled both without a word. Law raised his eyebrows. A king filling the cup of a mere doctor. Then again, Luffy had never been one for ceremony or decorum. Law took the second cup without comment.
“I like your city,” Luffy said. “I hitched a ride on a merchant ship to get here, they said there were only ruins before you came.”
“More or less. This place was destroyed 20 years ago,” Law said. “But I grew up here. It's home.”
“It’s nice! They sell these spicy sausage things in the square that are amazing,” Luffy said, and Law smiled. Always thinking about food. Guess some things hadn’t changed.
But most things had.
Law’s smile faded. “Why are you here, Straw Hat?”
“Maybe I was just in the neighbourhood,” Luffy said, but he still couldn’t lie for shit.
“You said you hitched a ride on a merchant ship to get here,” Law pointed out. “Why are you here?”
Luffy frowned, looking at Law with an intense look he couldn’t understand. “You disappeared.”
Law blinked. “I haven’t exactly been hiding.”
“No, you disappeared,” Luffy said again. “We heard about what happened with Blackbeard. We looked for you. But you took your crew and disappeared. Next thing we heard, months later, you had established a town in North Blue.”
“I didn’t know you were looking,” Law said. In hindsight, maybe he should have seen it coming. Luffy had proven again and again that he was willing to go above and beyond for his friends. Whether they wanted him to or not.
“Torao, of course we were looking!” Luffy said. “And then we got into a fight with the marines, and then Blackbeard, and then-” he trailed off. “You were supposed to be there.”
“Yeah? Well, I failed,” Law said angrily. “Is that what you want to hear?”
“I fought Blackbeard, I know how hard it must have been,” Luffy said. “I defeated him, but I wasn’t alone.”
“Neither was I, ” Law spat. “What does it matter now?”
“It matters, because you GAVE UP!” Luffy yelled angrily. “Why?”
“BECAUSE I BROKE, ALRIGHT? ” Law shouted back. “I broke. I don’t know what he did to me, but I’ve never been able to recover. I couldn’t use haki at all for months! Even after seven years, I’m barely half the strength I was at Punk Hazard.”
Luffy stared at him. He opened his mouth, and Law held up a hand. “Don’t tell me I should have tried harder, or found another way,” he said. “I recovered my crew, plus extras. None of them wanted to keep going.” He smiled wryly. “So yeah. Maybe I could have found another way, in time. But what would have been the point, without them?”
Law emptied the cup, then got up from his seat. “Thank you for coming. It was good to see you. I mean it.”
Luffy grabbed his arm before he could walk away from the table. “I wanted you to be there. It didn’t feel right, without you.”
He didn’t sound angry anymore. Just earnest. And hurt.
“I did what I thought was best,” Law said. “Sorry if I messed up your plans.”
Luffy chuckled. “That used to be my job, remember?” he said, lightly tugging on Law’s arm. “I came all this way to see you. Drink with me a little longer?”
Law looked at him, at those honest, straightforward eyes. Older now, but fundamentally the same. Law sighed and deflated, sinking back down on his chair.
“Alright,” he conceded. Somehow, Luffy always managed to make Law do what he wanted. Even after all this time. “So how come you’re here alone? Where is your crew?”
Luffy smiled. “Sunny needs drydocking for a while, so we went our separate ways for a bit. They should be here in a few months.”
Law blinked. “Months? Here?”
“Well, unless I send them another code in the papers,” Luffy shrugged. “I was going to stay here with you for a while.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Law said, wide eyed. “Straw Hat, we haven’t seen each other in seven years! What makes you think you can just turn up and I’d let you stay with me?”
“Why not? We’re friends, right?” Luffy said, filling up their cups again.
“We were, arguably, friends seven years ago. We don’t even know each other anymore,” Law pointed out.
“I haven’t changed,” Luffy grinned. “Not much, at least. And neither have you.”
“I have, ” Law said. “The last few years have been- difficult. I’m not a pirate anymore. I have responsibilities. I used to run this god-forsaken city, for fucks sake!”
“You must have been bored out of your mind,” Luffy said, and Law huffed a laugh.
“Out of my mind, maybe, but too stressed to be bored,” he said, then sighed. “You can stay for a bit, but I will kick you out if you bother me or get in the way of my work.”
“See? You haven’t changed,” Luffy grinned. “I’m glad, Torao.”
Law hesitated. “If you wanted to see me, I’ve been here the whole time,” he said. “How come you’re only here now?”
“I’ve been busy, and I wanted to make sure-” Luffy said. “I mean, I’ve had a lot to do.”
“You wanted to make sure, what?”
Luffy sighed. “I’ve had people hounding me since I became the King of Pirates. I wanted to defeat them first, so they wouldn’t follow me here.”
Law blinked. “That’s…considerate?” he said. “Doesn’t sound like you.”
“Nami pointed it out. She said you would kick me out immediately if I brought trouble,” Luffy pouted.
“She’s not wrong,” Law smiled. “Glad to see your crew is still attempting to keep you in check.”
Luffy grinned. “You too. I met Bepo on the way here,” he said. “He said you live alone, but still see your crew every day.”
“They aren’t my crew anymore,” Law said. “But I do, yes.”
“Whatever you want to call them. It doesn’t change what they are,” Luffy said dismissively, then looked serious again. “I get it. I get why you took them here. I still wish…”
Law sighed. “It’s too late for that, isn’t it?”
“Maybe. But I’m here now,” Luffy said. “Let’s have fun! You could show me around Fallers!”
“Flevance,” Law corrected automatically. “And sure. Tomorrow.”
They spent the rest of the evening drinking and catching up. It was surprisingly easy, falling into old jargon. Law spent half the time in that familiar irritated-but-endeared state he used to associate with the Straw Hats in general, and Luffy in particular.
He very stanchly refused to give up or share his bed, but he rolled out a futon on the floor of his bedroom for Luffy. Luffy didn’t complain, but he refused to shut up, even after Law turned off the lights. Law ended up falling asleep listening to Luffy’s voice describing fish from All Blue.
It was strange how much warmer the house seemed with Luffy there.
***
When Law woke up the following morning, Luffy was sprawled out on the floor, halfway off the futon and snoring with his mouth open. Law looked at him, smiling slightly. King of Pirates or not, he was still fundamentally the same Luffy. And he was here. In Law’s house.
Because he had wanted to see him. Because he still cared.
Law felt something thick in his throat. He shook his head, then quickly rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. It was usually enough breakfast for him, but Luffy would want something more substantial, and Law’s fridge was empty. Best to go out to eat, then. Clione and his family ran an inn down by the harbour that served meals at all times, and he probably wouldn’t mind the business, or the free advertisement that came with having the King of Pirates as a customer.
Law smiled to himself as he got dressed. They had come a long way in seven years. At first, he had been worried about crops, and how the amber lead in the ground would affect them, but after trial and error, they had established a rich, safe farming community on the old royal hunting grounds. Law had tested both the soil and the crops himself several times, but found no trace of amber lead in either.
Maybe he wasn’t able to effectively use his skills in combat anymore, but he had sharpened his precision. He was slower, but more careful, paying more attention to the details. If he had gotten Luffy after Marineford on his table now, he wouldn’t have half as big a scar. It came from working as a civilian doctor and researcher rather than a ship surgeon, he supposed.
He was halfway through his coffee when he heard movement from the other room.
“Torao?”
“In here,” Law said, and Luffy stuck his head through the door a moment later. “There’s coffee if you want it.”
Luffy yawned. “Nah, I’m hungry,” he said, then proceeded to wrap his arms around Law from behind the chair, leaning down so his face was on Law’s shoulder.
“I have nothing. And I’m not Sanji,” Law said uncomfortably. No one but his old crew ever touched him, and that was usually just a quick hug or an arm around his shoulders. This felt different. It took everything he had to not lean into it.
“You should eat more,” Luffy told him. “You’re as skinny as when we met.”
Law remembered. Almost a decade ago, on Sabaody. A chance meeting at an auction house that changed his life forever. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“Did you ever learn what happened to Eustass?” Law asked instead of responding to Luffy’s criticism. “The papers only said Shanks defeated him. Haven’t heard anything since.”
“He was in prison on Elbaf for a while, but he escaped while we were there,” Luffy said. “No idea what happened after that.”
“You didn’t try to find him?” Law asked. “And how long are you going to be clinging to me?”
“Nah, he’s a friend, but I’m not going to go look for him if he isn’t in trouble,” Luffy said. “And until you give me food.”
“You’ll be clinging for a while, then,” Law said dryly. “And you came looking for me. ”
“It’s not the same,” Luffy insisted. Law could feel Luffy’s breath against his neck, and shivered involuntarily. He was a bit too close, a bit too warm , and Law… well, he had been sleeping alone for a long time.
Law elbowed him in the stomach. “Get off,” he said. “I’ll take you to breakfast when I’ve finished my coffee.”
Luffy laughed, but let him go. Law felt a little colder in his absence.
***
Law left a note on the door of the clinic before he left. He had no scheduled appointments, but just in case someone was looking for him.
They got a lot of looks from people as they moved through the city. Law wasn’t surprised. Everyone knew the face of the King of Pirates, and as usual Luffy did nothing to conceal who he was.
Law idly wondered what this would do to his own reputation. While his past as a pirate was obviously well known, and the size of his last bounty was no secret, people had started to forget it over the last seven years. To the city, he was their doctor and de facto leader. Sure, others were handling the daily affairs of governing now, but they all knew he could veto them if needed. He wouldn’t, though. The only point he would never budge on was the mines, and so far the council agreed with him on that.
And now, he was walking down the streets side by side with the King of Pirates, like they were still equals. He wondered if Luffy actually still saw them that way. With anyone else, he would assume not. But this was Luffy. The first time they met he had punched a Celestial Dragon in the face. He had never cared about ranks, social or military.
Clione greeted him as they walked through the door to the inn.
"Morning, Cap- Law. Do you want breakfast?” he asked, and Law was somewhat amused that so many of his old crew still slipped up and called him Captain occasionally.
“Yes. I apologise in advance,” Law said, and gestured towards Luffy. Clione’s eyes went wide.
“Shit ,” he swore, then turned around and shouted towards the kitchen. “Put ALL the meat on the grill. We’re going to need to prepare more food!”
Law grinned as he led Luffy to a corner seat.
“I guess he’s heard of me,” Luffy laughed.
Law raised an eyebrow. “Heard of you? He’s met you,” he pointed out. “Clione was on my crew.”
“Oh,” Luffy said, looking over at Clione with narrow eyes. “I don’t remember. I can’t recognise them without the boiler suits.”
Law snorted. “Yeah, that was the entire point, once,” he said. “Well, that and making them feel like a team. Penguin’s idea.”
“I always liked that my crew could dress however they wanted,” Luffy said.
“It was their choice, I never enforced it,” Law shrugged. “And some of your crew have very questionable tastes in clothes.”
“Like who?”
“Like Franky,” Law said, making a face at the memory. “Why the speedos?”
“I have no idea,” Luffy laughed. “Did you know I stole them once, to recruit him?”
“I wish I could say I was surprised,” Law snorted. “From what I’ve heard, your recruitment methods were always a bit…unorthodox.”
“Yeah, but you can’t argue with the results,” Luffy grinned, then got that serious look on his face again. “I wanted to ask you to join me, you know. When I heard about Blackbeard.”
Law looked at him in shock. How was he supposed to react to that?
“I was in no shape to join anything,” Law eventually said, quietly. “And even if I had been, I would have declined. I had my own crew.”
“But-” Luffy started, and Law held up a hand.
“Let’s not talk about it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what could have happened, only what did.”
“You’re right,” Luffy said. “I just wanted you to know.”
Law wanted to ask why, but he wasn’t sure how he’d feel about the answer.
***
After a ridiculously expensive breakfast, that Law insisted on paying for, fearing that Luffy might dine-and-dash, Law showed him around the city. He expected Luffy to get bored, but he actually seemed to pay attention, maybe because Law started with pointing out all the cafes and restaurants. There weren’t that many yet, but the city was growing.
And, as much as he loathed to admit it, they were getting a fair amount of tourists who wanted to see the infamous Flevance. The city council had started the construction of a museum, and was trying to talk Law into giving a firsthand account of life and death in the city, but he hadn’t agreed yet. He could understand the historical importance, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
It was hard enough, just looking at the monument to the White City, and he had raised it himself.
He still took Luffy there as the last stop of the little tour.
“What’s this?” Luffy asked, watching the large obelisk and the statues of faceless children surrounding it.
“I raised it in memory of my family, my friends, and all the rest of the people who died here 20 years ago,” Law said. “There used to be a hospital here, on this spot. They burned it down when they were killing everyone.” He paused. “My little sister died here.”
He waited for Luffy to say something, but he didn’t. Instead Law felt a warm arm around his shoulders, and this time, he let himself lean into the touch. They stood in silence for a while, just watching the monument.
Eventually, Luffy asked: "Who are “they”? Who did this?”
“The neighbouring nations and the World Government,” Law said. “And this country’s nobles.”
Law felt the arm around his shoulders tighten around him, and shook his head. He put a hand on Luffy’s arm, pushing it away. “You already crushed the old World Government, I don’t need you to fight anyone else for me.”
“What about the neighbouring nations?”
“At first they didn’t know what to make of us. When the World Government fell, I got them to recognise us as an independent city-state. They have nothing to gain from attacking us,” Law said. “They still haven't officially apologised for their actions 20 years ago, but the papers are on our side. With all the research I’ve published, it’s only a matter of time.”
Luffy frowned. “And the nobles?”
“No idea where they are, but I imagine they’ve gotten their comeuppance by now,” Law shrugged. “The former royal palace is a hospital now. Unless they come back to try something, that will do.”
“It doesn’t seem like enough,” Luffy said.
“It’s not,” Law agreed. “It’s nowhere near enough. But nothing can give me Flevance or its people back. After Doflamingo, I realised-” Law hesitated. “I think this, living here like this, would make them happier.”
Luffy gave him a smile. “You’re so strong, Torao.”
Law blinked in surprise, then huffed a laugh. “You wouldn’t say that if you saw me fight.”
“It’s not the only way to be strong,” Luffy said, and Law supposed he couldn’t argue with that.
***
The former Heart Pirates held a party for Luffy that weekend.
There was a bonfire and excessive sake and an abundance of food. A hastily scraped together band was playing barely recognisable sea shanties. Like old times.
Well, not exactly like old times. Many of his old crew brought their spouses and children, so the atmosphere wasn’t quite as wild. Law didn’t mind, and neither, it seemed, did Luffy. He seemed more than happy to make friends with the additional people, many of whom started the evening terrified of him, but were dancing happily with him minutes later. Law smiled. He had that effect on people, making people’s lives brighter just by being there. By being himself.
On Law’s part, he watched the party from the sidelines, as usual. Which meant a gaggle of tired children eventually gathered around him. Law had never particularly liked children, even when he was a child himself, but his crewmates’ brats were…tolerable. Shachi’s two-year-old fell asleep in his lap halfway through the party, and towards the end, Law was sitting in the middle of a pile of sleeping children. It wasn’t the first time.
They trusted him, he supposed. Trusted him to protect them. Even though he had failed when it mattered.
Luffy laughed when he noticed him babysitting, and Law gave him the finger, much to the amusement of the few children around him who were awake enough to see it.
The party didn’t go late, but Luffy still got pretty drunk, and was leaning on Law for support as they walked home. Law didn’t think he used to drink, back in the day. Maybe it was Zoro’s influence. Between Zoro's liver and Sanji’s lungs, poor Tony was going to have to deal with a myriad of health problems as they got older. Maybe Law should offer to help, when they visited in a few months. Removing toxins was his specialty, after all.
Luffy stopped in the middle of the street, looking at a closed store flying Flevance's banner outside. Luffy pointed towards it.
“That’s you, isn’t it?” he said.
“It’s the city’s banner, yeah,” Law frowned. “There were a lot of suggestions, but that’s the one we settled on.”
Luffy laughed. “It’s because it’s you. You’re the moon.”
Law sighed, not unamused. “And you’re drunk.”
“You are,” Luffy insisted as Law attempted to drag him away.
“Why? Because I’m cold and distant?” Law asked.
Luffy frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Why not? It’s true,” Law said lightly. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
When he finally got Luffy back to his house and was about to lay him down on the futon, Luffy’s arms snaked around him, and pulled Law down with him. Law yelped as he lost his balance, falling down partially on top of him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Law yelled, trying to roll away, but Luffy was still holding him.
“You let the kids sleep on you. Why can’t I?” he pouted into Law’s neck.
“Because they are kids, Luffy,” Law scowled.
“Torao,” Luffy whined. “Let me stay with you.”
Law sighed, and cast a Room, replacing himself with a pillow from his own bed. Luffy protested loudly, and when he met Law’s eyes, he looked sad. Hurt. Like Law refusing to act like a stuffed animal was actually painful.
Law sighed. “I’m not sleeping on the floor. If you can get yourself to the bed while I’m in the bathroom, I’ll consider it.”
The smile Luffy gave him was almost blinding, but Law ignored it and went to wash his face. When he returned, he saw that Luffy had indeed moved to his bed. Law hesitated a bit as he approached. This was probably a bad idea.
Luffy reached out from under the blanket to grab his arm, lightly tugging him forward.
“You said you would.”
“I said I’d consider it,” Law scowled, but he let himself be pulled into the bed regardless.
It was a strange situation, and he didn’t think he could face Luffy right then, so he lay down with his back towards him. It may have been a mistake, as Luffy proceeded to wrap himself around Law with both arms and legs, as if to make sure he wouldn’t run away again.
A while later, Law heard his breath even out, and the limbs around him relaxed somewhat. Law frowned into the darkness. He was weirdly…disappointed? Although he wasn’t sure why. This was Luffy , after all. He shouldn’t have expected anything else.
Law took a deep breath, and allowed himself to relax. Strange as the situation was, it felt nice having someone that close. If he moved a little closer, no one was awake to noticed.
Law closed his eyes and went to sleep, surrounded by Luffy's warmth.
***
Law resumed his work the following day, leaving Luffy to roam the streets of Flevance alone. When evening came, they went for a walk together out to the cliffs facing the ocean. Law’s favourite thinking spot.
Luffy sat down beside him, looking out at the waves. The moon was rising from the horizon as the last rays of sunset faded away.
“Do you miss it?” Luffy asked, turning towards Law.
“The ocean?” Law said. “I suppose. But I rarely ever saw it the way you did. We travelled beneath the surface.”
“Oh yeah, your submarine,” Luffy said. “We found the wreckage, you know. Before we heard you freed your crew and disappeared. We just wanted to make sure-”
He trailed off, looking out over the ocean. Law tentatively put a hand on his shoulder.
“We survived,” he said. “Did you salvage anything?”
“We didn’t know what was important, but we filled a box of things. The others are bringing it with the Sunny,” Luffy said. “I found this.”
He held out his hand, and Law saw the coin from Flevance. The one that had been in his pocket when he originally escaped. He had kept it as a reminder of where he came from, all those years at sea. He had lost it, along with the Polar Tang and the rest of his possessions.
“How did you know to keep this?” Law asked. His heart ached as he accepted the coin from Luffy. They had found plenty of old Flevian currency lying around the city, but it hadn’t been the same. They didn't have the same marks, the same chipped edges.
“It just felt like you,” Luffy said.
Law smiled. He looked down at the coin, then put it in his pocket. It felt right.
Then he looked back up at Luffy. He was wearing that serious, intense expression again.
“Torao,” Luffy said, looking straight into Law’s eyes. “You know why I came to look for you, right?”
“Do I?” Law asked, and Luffy frowned as he leaned forward, closer into Law’s space.
“I thought you did,” Luffy said. “We had something between us. Something I was too young to understand, because I had never felt it with anyone else. I thought you felt it too.”
Law found it hard to breathe as Luffy gently caressed the side of his face, urging him closer until Law could feel his breath against his face.
“Torao?” Luffy asked, sounding almost scared. “Was I wrong?”
“No,” Law said. “No, you weren’t wrong.”
Luffy kissed him, and Law melted into it. How long had he wanted it? He wasn’t sure. Too long. Long enough to threaten to overwhelm him now.
When Luffy withdrew, Law followed him, into his lap, unwilling to let him go just yet. “What took you so long?” he asked. “And don’t talk about pursuers. You became the King of Pirates four years ago. You knew where I was.”
“I wasn’t lying,” Luffy pouted. “I really did have a lot of people following me, for good reasons and bad reasons. It took me a long time to get rid of them. And then I was going to come visit, I really was, but…”
“But?” Law prompted.
“But you disappeared without a word,” Luffy said. “I thought I had been wrong. That you didn’t want to see me. I thought maybe you were settling down here with someone else.”
“Then what changed?” Law asked.
“I ran into an old friend who had visited here,” Luffy said. “He told me about the city, and about you.”
“That I’m alone and miserable?” Law scowled.
“He didn’t say miserable,” Luffy smiled. “But I thought, at least I won’t have to see you in the arms of anyone else, even if you don’t want to see me. So I came.”
“I thought you always went straight for what you wanted,” Law said.
“I did. I do,” Luffy said. “But you need to want me too, or it’s not right.”
Law snorted. “Infallible logic,” he said, and moved closer to kiss Luffy again. Luffy responded immediately, with more force than expected, and Law found himself pushed down on his back, with Luffy smiling above him.
“You always look so pretty in the moonlight, Torao.”
“Yeah, when half my face is in shadow,” he said wryly, ignoring the heat those words caused in him.
“You’re always pretty,” Luffy said, gently kissing Law just above his left eye. “But when I see the moon, I always think of you.”
“Why?” Law asked. “You said something similar when you were drunk.”
“Because, in my darkest moment, you were there,” Luffy said. “I wasn’t conscious a lot, but I always remembered. You never left. Not until I was awake.” Luffy smiled. “Like the moon.”
Law raised an eyebrow. “Not sure I agree with the metaphor, but I’ll give you points for poetry.”
“Torao,” Luffy complained. “I was being honest.”
“You usually are,” Law agreed. “And it’s pretty easy to tell when you’re not.”
Luffy made a face at him, and Law laughed, then raised his arms to bring Luffy down on top of himself.
“Well, it only took us seven years,” Law said. “Could have been worse.”
“You’re right,” Luffy said. “And I’m not going to waste any more time.”
He leaned down to kiss Law again, and Law wrapped his arms and legs around him, to keep him there.
He wasn’t going to let go any time soon.