Archive of Our Own

“It’s only for a few weekends, Law,” Cora sighs and reaches out to tousle the boy’s hair, eliciting a dark scowl from him.

“But he’s so annoying,” Law grumbles and slumps further into his chair. 

At the ripe age of 15, the last thing Law wants to do on his weekends is babysit the next door neighbor’s noisy and hyperactive child. His weekends are specifically reserved for video games and comic books but Cora just has to put a damper on his mood by making plans for him. 

It doesn’t help that the kid in question is eight years old, unbearably annoying, and won’t stop following Law around every time they cross paths, which unfortunately is often since they’re neighbors.

“I owe Garp a favor, and he’ll even pay you!” Cora looks at him pleadingly, eyes wide and bottom lip puckered in a pout.

Law takes a moment to observe the older man’s unkempt appearance. There’s dark bags under his eyes, and his cheeks are covered in stubble, something very out of character for Cora. His shirt is wrinkled and his hair looks more like a rat’s nest than anything else, and Law realizes with a frown that the man is severely stressed.

Law blows out a frustrated breath before rolling his eyes.

“Fine,” he mutters, getting up from his chair and walking over to the fridge. Cora’s shoulders slump in relief and he turns his head to smile brightly at Law. 

“Thank you, kid,” Cora says. ”And don’t be too harsh on Luffy, alright? He adores you and Garp tells me you’re the only one he actually listens to.”

“Tch.” Law rolls his eyes again. “Whatever.”

Law is aware of Luffy’s strange obsession with him– even if it makes little to no sense– but it isn’t his fault that he caught the eye of some little child, and he shouldn’t have to deal with any repercussions because of it either. 

Babysitting, he thinks with a scowl as he grabs a bottle of water from the fridge. Stupid Cora.

Saturday rolls around quicker than Law would’ve liked and a sharp knock on their door comes at the crack of dawn. He rolls out of bed with a groan and pulls on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie before shuffling down the stairs towards the voices that are too loud this early in the morning.

“Torao!” Luffy shouts and runs up to him, tightly hugging him around the waist. Law winces at the loud sound and awkwardly pats the kid’s head before he subtly glares at his so-called guardian. 

“Alright, I left some money on the counter for food,” Cora says and sheepishly scratches the back of his head, averting his gaze. “We’ll be back tomorrow night but call us if you need us.”

“Thanks again, kid!” Garp barks and slaps Law’s back, his booming voice echoing throughout the house. Law flinches but tries not to show how his breath nearly got knocked out of him.

“Yeah, whatever,” Law mumbles, his eyes flickering down to Luffy who’s still clinging onto his waist while looking up at him with stars in his big round eyes. 

Law tries to resist the urge to purse his lips in annoyance, and internally curses the ‘training course’ both Cora and Garp have to attend for the next three weekends. As far as Law is aware, Garp has been a detective for over thirty years so he’s not sure what he could possibly need to learn at some overnight course in the next town over.

Luffy doesn’t even say goodbye to Garp as the men leave, too busy babbling Law’s ear off about what he had for breakfast, and all Law can do is give them a small wave as he pretends to listen to the kid. 

“Can I check out your room, Torao? Please?” Luffy tugs on his sleeve and looks up at him with the most ridiculous puppy eyes, and Law frowns, the stupid nickname already grating on his nerves.

“Yeah, just–” Law sighs, pinching his brow. “Don’t touch anything.”

Luffy nods happily before sprinting up the stairs. He pauses halfway and looks back at Law impatiently. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” Law slowly ascends the stairs behind Luffy, already feeling a headache starting to form in his temples. 

This is gonna be a long weekend, he thinks, as Luffy inspects the figures on his bookshelf in awe. 

He notices how Luffy forcibly clasps his hands behind his back to refrain from touching anything and Law tries to ignore how stupidly endearing it is. He doesn’t understand why Luffy likes him so much; not even his brothers can reign him in and Law knows how much the kid admires them too.

They spend the morning with Law showing Luffy his figures one by one– at the boy’s insistence– and Law would be more annoyed if it wasn’t for the fact that he got to talk about Sora. Law will never pass up an opportunity to talk about his favorite comic book hero, and Luffy is young enough not to mock him about it like certain people at his high school do. 

Maybe this won’t be so bad, he muses as they settle down in the living room to watch some TV. Luffy seems to be on his best behavior, a far cry from how he acts around Garp and his brothers. Law wonders why they’re not around, and he realizes he should’ve asked Cora about it before he left. 

“Where are your brothers?” Law asks bluntly, curiosity getting the better of him.

Luffy’s smile slips off of his face almost immediately, and Law instantly regrets opening his own stupid mouth. He doesn’t know what to do if the kid starts crying. Luffy pouts and crosses his arms, looking away from Law.

“They’re at a bored school.” He sniffles, scooting closer to Law for comfort.

Law assumes he means boarding school, and he clumsily pats Luffy’s head in an attempt to console him. His eyes dart around the room in panic, desperate to find something to distract Luffy with, until his gaze finally lands on a stack of takeout menus on the coffee table.

“You hungry?” Law asks, leaning forward to pick up some of the menus.

“Yeah!” Luffy’s face splits into a wide grin, all of his teeth on display, including the gaps where some are missing. 

Too easy, Law thinks, smirking. 

He almost forgot that Luffy is an absolute fiend when it comes to food, and remembers a particular instance last summer when one of Cora’s famous strawberry cakes disappeared from their garden. 

Cora had been setting the table for his birthday party and walked inside to get the plates, and when he came back out the cake had mysteriously evaporated. The culprit was found not too long after in the bushes separating their yards, his face completely covered in whipped cream and eyes crazed with what was probably the biggest sugar high of his life. 

Cora had only laughed before ruffling Luffy’s hair, telling him he’d bake a cake for him again if he liked it so much. Although from what Law had heard later that day, Garp had given him the scolding of a lifetime about how stealing is a crime, even if it is ‘ just cake’.

After deciding on their lunches, Law picks up the house phone to call in the order while Luffy happily watches cartoons on the TV. Law wonders if it would be irresponsible of him to nap while they wait for the food, but then he briefly recalls seeing Garp chase Luffy around the neighborhood every time the kid manages to sneak out. He decides that the nap will have to wait.

He catches Luffy staring at him and he raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing!” Luffy looks back towards the TV, his cheeks appearing slightly flushed. 

Law frowns in concern and gently presses his palm against Luffy’s forehead. “Are you feeling warm?”

“No! I’m good!” He squeaks, hiding his face behind his hands while simultaneously leaning closer to Law’s side. 

Weird kid, Law thinks, and sinks deeper into the couch. 

After they eat, Law can tell that Luffy needs to burn off some excess energy before he starts bouncing off the walls, so he takes him out into the backyard. The plot of land Cora’s house is on is spacious, and the end of the backyard even leads into a decently sized forested area. 

Law has seen Luffy playing out there with his brothers countless times, and repeating a familiar routine seems like a good idea to put the kid at ease. 

“Wanna go into the woods?” Law asks, already knowing what the answer will be.

“Yeah! Can we look for beetles?” Luffy asks, grabbing Law’s hand as they make their way into the forest.

“Sure.” Law carefully maneuvers them over the roots sticking out of the ground until they reach a little clearing. Luffy lets go of Law’s hand and runs towards the trees surrounding the grassy area, and Law makes sure to keep a watchful eye on him and lingers closeby. 

Luffy is inspecting a fallen tree, clearly looking for bugs, and Law startles when the boy shouts triumphantly. 

“Torao! C’mere!”

Law steps over a rotten stump before sidling up next to the boy, and he leans down to look at whatever it is that Luffy has caught.

“It’s an Atlas beetle,” Luffy states, proudly holding it up for Law to see. 

Law cracks a smile at that. “You know different types of beetles?”

“Duh,” Luffy responds and looks at Law like he’s stupid. Luffy drops the beetle back where he found it to instead inspect a different tree.

“Can I sit on your shoulders? I can’t reach,” Luffy asks with a pout, tugging on Law’s sleeve.

Law sighs before reluctantly sitting down in a squat. “Get up.”

Luffy giggles and climbs up Law’s back until he’s perched on his shoulders. Law stands back up and holds onto Luffy’s ankles so he’s secured and they walk around the woods with Luffy reaching up to grab whatever bug he can find, excitedly showing them to Law every single time. 

The kid seems to know most names of the little creatures, and Law is surprised at how smart he is. Most people seem to talk about Luffy as if he’s this stupid and hyperactive little shit– which to be fair, is the same train of thought Law had about him previously– but he’s actually pretty clever for his age, albeit very restless and easily bored. 

Law thinks most kids that age are probably like that, though.

They must spend hours wandering the woods finding all sorts of bugs, with Luffy climbing into trees while Law stands closeby to catch him in case he falls. Law doesn’t want a broken neck on his conscience, after all, knowing his own neck is on the line with Garp involved. 

The sun is starting to set behind the trees and the sky is painted in soft pastel pinks and mellow oranges by the time they start to head back home. They pass the same clearing they had entered earlier and are greeted by a sight that makes Luffy gasp from his perch on Law’s shoulders.

“Torao! Look!”

In the clearing, there are what must be hundreds of fireflies weaving in and out of the tall grass, and Law’s eyes widen in astonishment. 

The blinking lights only grow brighter the further behind the treeline the sun descends, and Luffy quickly scrambles off of Law to run into the clearing in an attempt to catch one. The sight of the kid spinning around in circles while wildly waving his arms around makes Law chuckle in amusement.

Law takes a seat in the middle of the clearing and leans his weight on his hands, the feeling of the damp grass against his skin cool and comforting. He tips his head back to admire how the skies have turned a beautiful purple shade before Luffy pops up in his line of sight, effectively blocking the view.

“Gift for Torao,” Luffy says with a shy smile, holding out his clasped hands towards Law. 

Law can see a flickering light in between the small gaps of Luffy’s fingers, and he dutifully cups his own hands around Luffy’s smaller ones.

“Thanks, Luf,” Law says, and he can’t help the way his lips curl up into an amused grin.

Luffy quickly withdraws his hands, and Law feels the insect buzzing against his own palms as it tries to find a way out of its fleshy prison.

“I’m gonna let him go, but next time we’ll bring jars, okay?”

Luffy nods sheepishly, pursing his lips in dissatisfaction at his gift being set free. They watch together as the imprisoned firefly darts off into the grass, before Luffy decides to sit down in front of Law, facing the older boy and looking up at him with a thoughtful expression– something that looks very out of place on Luffy’s usually carefree features.

“Did you know fireflies are actually beetles?”

Law raises his eyebrows. “I didn’t.”

“Yup.” Luffy looks off to the side, his gaze focusing deeper into the forest where the glowing insects are blinking almost in sync, his round eyes appearing to glitter as they reflect the lights.

“You’re kinda smart, huh, kid?” Law says amusedly, never having expected his babysitting gig to turn into an entomology lecture.

Luffy’s head turns towards him again and his lower lip sticks out in a pout before his expression softens.

“Torao looks pretty,” he says, and Law is silent for a few moments as the boy’s words sink in.

He suddenly lets out a laugh which seems to startle Luffy who looks up at him with wide eyes. 

“Cute,” he says, and reaches over to tousle Luffy’s hair fondly.

Luffy doesn’t seem pleased with Law’s reaction and his brows furrow in frustration before he abruptly stands up.

“Be my boyfriend, Torao!”

Chuckling, Law stands up as well and brushes off his jeans, before he reaches out to grab a hold of Luffy’s hand. 

“If you were older, then maybe,” Law says thoughtfully, a playful smile on his face as he looks down at a fuming Luffy.

The kid pointedly looks away from Law’s outreached hand and stubbornly crosses his arms.

“C’mon, firefly, let’s head home,” Law tells him softly, finding the situation both hilarious and adorable, but he doesn’t really feel like mocking the poor kid.

Luffy tilts his head towards him in confusion before grabbing his hand tentatively. “Firefly?”

“You have a nickname for me, right? Now I have one for you too,” Law explains as they start heading back towards the house. 

Even though he’ll never admit it out loud to anyone, he’s really starting to warm up to the kid. His sunny disposition and carefree nature truly does make him seem like a little light bug, and the nickname suits him perfectly.  

Luffy straightens up and smiles proudly, puffing out his chest. Law bites back a laugh and squeezes Luffy’s hand, a comfortable silence enveloping them as the exhaustion of spending the whole afternoon outside seems to catch up with them. 

The cool evening breeze carries with it the scent of petrichor and fresh earth, and Law can’t help but inhale deeply, a rare sense of serenity washing over him even through the loud buzzing of cicadas. 

They make it halfway back home before Luffy’s eyes start drooping, and Law ends up carrying him the rest of the way in a piggy back with Luffy’s chin resting on his shoulder.

When they finally arrive, Law carefully places the boy down on the couch and covers him with a blanket before he settles into the armchair with a tired sigh, turning on the TV as he feels his own eyelids growing heavy. 

It should be safe to nap now, he thinks, and it’s not long until the soft sounds of Luffy’s snores and the TV lull him into a peaceful sleep.

Law wakes up with a start to the sound of glass shattering and his eyes flit over to the currently empty couch. 

Shit, he hurries into the kitchen and sees Luffy standing in front of shards of broken glass, and Law quickly scoops him up before he steps into any of them.

“You okay?” Law asks, placing Luffy onto one of the bar stools by the kitchen island before gingerly grabbing his feet to inspect them. After making sure that his feet have no cuts he moves on to the kid’s hands and sees that one of his palms is bleeding.

“I’m sorry, Torao,” Luffy sniffles. “Please don’t be mad.”

Law furrows his brow and looks at Luffy's face, his eyes widening when he sees tears slide down his reddened cheeks.

Oh no. 

“Hey, hey, don’t cry, firefly, it’s not a big deal,” Law says, wondering why something as innocent as an accident would bring the boy to tears. 

“Accidents happen, okay? I’m not mad,” Law insists, squeezing Luffy's shoulder gently in comfort. “Let’s get your hand patched up, alright? Does it hurt?”

Luffy shakes his head and wipes the snot from his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. 

“C’mon.” Law carries Luffy to the bathroom and rinses his hand, making sure there’s no shards of glass stuck in the wound before he disinfects it and puts on a bandaid. It’s not deep enough to need anything more than that which Law is grateful for, finally feeling the weight of responsibility at being in charge of another human being’s life. 

Falling asleep like that had been too careless, and he thanks his lucky stars that nothing worse happened. Sweeping the kitchen floors really isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. 

Law grabs a soft towel and soaks it in lukewarm water before he gently cleans Luffy’s face from the tears and snot, taking special care around the peculiar scar under the boy’s eye. 

After returning to the living room, he gives Luffy one of his less expensive figures to play with while he cleans up the mess, and makes sure to leave the kitchen door open so he can keep an eye on him. 

It doesn’t take long for him to finish, and after making sure all of the glass has been swept up and tossed into the trash can, he pops his head into the living room.

“Pizza for dinner?”

Luffy’s face lights up, any previous sadness forgotten which makes Law sigh in relief. Law doesn’t even like pizza, but he guesses some sacrifices will have to be made. 

He wipes his brow and leans against the counter, suddenly exhausted. Taking care of a kid is much harder than he expected, and he wonders how adults do it while simultaneously having jobs and other obligations. 

They spend the rest of the evening eating greasy cheese pizza and playing Super Mario Kart on Law’s Nintendo, and when he sees Luffy start to nod off he decides that it’s bedtime. 

When Law talked to Cora about the sleeping arrangements, he reluctantly agreed to let Luffy sleep in his room and hoped from the bottom of his heart that Luffy wouldn’t touch his stuff. Although after seeing how he acted today, Law genuinely doubts that Luffy would purposely break any of Law’s belongings, but there’s still a nagging concern in the back of his head. 

Either way, Law tries not to dwell on his worries and tucks Luffy into his bed while he himself retires into Cora’s room, feeling relieved that the day is finally over.

Luffy isn’t a bad kid, though– it’s the opposite really. He’s kind and fearless, albeit a bit reckless, but it’s obvious to anyone with more than one brain cell that the kid has a good heart along with an unquenchable thirst for adventure. Even so, Law can’t wait for these three weekends to pass so he can actually relax. 

He doesn’t even want to think about how tired he’s going to be on Monday at school, but he values his grades too much to even consider slacking off due to something as silly as exhaustion.  

Law eventually falls into an uneasy sleep– his body not enjoying the change of environment– but it feels like only minutes before his eyes blinks open again. 

He squints and looks at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 02:31AM. He sits up, wondering why he woke up so suddenly. He doesn’t think it was because of a nightmare; his pulse is normal and he’s not sweating–

“Torao?” His nickname is uttered quietly, and he sees a dark blob in the shape of Luffy standing in the doorway. Law leans over to flick on the night lamp, illuminating the room in a soft orange glow.

“What’s up, firefly?” Law asks, voice raspy with sleep.

Luffy tentatively walks into the room.

“Can I–” he starts, before stopping abruptly, furrowing his brow in frustration. “Can I sleep here? Please?”

Law blinks a few times, confused, before properly taking in Luffy’s appearance. The kid looks like he’s been crying; his eyes are red and puffy and his cheeks are shiny with tears.

“Okay,” Law says, pulling back the covers so Luffy can get in next to him. “Did you have a nightmare?” 

Luffy nods, snuggling into Law’s side. He’s trembling, Law notices, and he sighs softly and wraps an arm around the boy. 

“You’re okay now,” Law mumbles, reaching his other arm out to turn off the light before changing his mind half-way. He decides to keep it on, since the dark could potentially spook Luffy even further.

“Wanna talk about it?” Law adds quietly, wondering how often Luffy’s plagued by nightmares, and if he ever gets comforted by Garp. He makes a face, doubting it, and feels saddened by the thought.

Luffy shakes his head, hiccuping, before he cuddles closer. 

“Try to go back to sleep, yeah? I’ll be here.”

Luffy seems to relax, his breathing evening out, and he eventually slips back into what seems like a restful sleep. 

Law doesn’t get much more sleep that night, though, his thoughts wandering as he thinks about his own childhood and the loneliness that tormented him then. 

His family, Lami in particular, crosses his mind. He wonders if she would get along with Luffy, and the thought of his lost sister making a familiar ache spread in his chest.

Luffy probably misses his brothers, too, and he wants to cuss out Garp for deciding to send them away. The whole neighborhood knows that they’re troublemakers, but boarding school seems very extreme, even for Garp. Law would bet his most expensive Sora figure that they’re wrecking havoc at the school, though, and he smirks at the thought. 

Law manages to fall asleep at some point, and the next time he wakes up it’s with a weight on his chest and the sun glaring into the room. He looks down and sees Luffy drooling on his favorite Deftones shirt with his little arms tightly wrapped around him, and Law tries to be mad, he really does, but it’s so cute.

Dammit. Law has always had a weak spot for cute things, and Luffy seems to be no exception.

He carefully unwraps Luffy’s arms from around his waist and rolls out of bed to get started with breakfast, because there’s nothing cute about a hungry Luffy. 

He might not be the best cook, but Cora loves his omelets, and he’s sure Luffy won’t complain about the limited recipes in Law’s arsenal.

Luffy joins him in the kitchen not long after breakfast is finished, and he eagerly shovels a whole omelet into his mouth before asking for seconds, which confirms Law’s suspicion about his lack of pickiness. Law will never cease to be amazed at how much this little kid can eat, though– it doesn’t seem normal– but he obliges and makes him another serving to keep him from being fussy.  

They spend most of the day playing video games, with many snack breaks in between. Luffy doesn’t say anything else about his nightmare, and Law doesn’t bring it up either since he’s not sure if it’s a sensitive subject or not. 

Garp and Cora make it back earlier than expected, the sun barely setting when they arrive. Law notices that Luffy looks disappointed, and he stubbornly clings to him when they’re about to part. 

“Hope he didn’t cause you any trouble, kid.” Garp laughs from where he’s standing in the doorway with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. 

“It was no problem,” Law replies, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the man. 

Cora crouches down in front of Luffy and smiles broadly at him. “Did you have fun with Law, Luffy?”

Luffy nods and squeezes Law’s hand, pouting at the thought of going back home. 

“I’ll see you next weekend, firefly,” Law says and ruffles the boy’s hair. Luffy nods and walks towards Garp with a trembling bottom lip, twisting his head to look at Law the whole way out the door. Law’s heart clenches at the sight, seeing too much of himself in the sadness reflected in those big dark eyes.

Cora shuts the door and pats Law’s shoulder proudly. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Law mutters and walks up the stairs to his room, finally rewarded with some peace and quiet to get his homework done. 

The next two weeks pass by in the same fashion, with Luffy being on his best behavior in front of Law every single weekend. They catch bugs, eat junk food, play too many hours of video games, and Luffy seems to come out of his shell more around Law. His previous shyness seems to subside when he tells Law about his brothers and how he can’t wait to see them over the summer break, and Law feels a bittersweet sting in his heart at how happy Luffy is when he talks about his siblings. 

As the last day of Law’s impromptu babysitting gig comes to an end, he can’t help but feel like he didn’t mind it at all. He doesn’t think he would mind it if he got asked to do it again, either. It was nice to spend time with Luffy– it made him feel like he got back some of the experiences he missed out on when he was younger, a well-needed lightness enveloping him every time he’s around Luffy.

Luffy seems reluctant to leave as always, but Law promises that he’ll hang out with him and his brothers over the summer which makes that familiar sunshine smile spread across the boy’s face again.

“I think this was good for you,” Cora says after they leave. 

“You just like being proven right,” Law mumbles, making Cora burst out into laughter. 

“It’s okay to be soft sometimes, Law,” the older man says once his laughter subsided. “It’s not a bad thing.”

Law thinks about those words a couple of weeks later, right before summer break, when he finds out that Garp has been promoted rather suddenly, and will ultimately be moving across the country with Luffy. 

He feels sad, his heart clenching, and he wonders if it’s worth being soft when it can so easily welcome sadness. Is it not better to build walls and avoid attachments so you never again have to experience loss and absence? 

He can’t help but worry about Luffy, and he hopes from the bottom of his heart that he makes friends that can cure the loneliness Law always sees in his eyes.

Luffy comes over to say goodbye before they leave, and Garp impatiently honks the horn of the moving truck which Law decides to ignore to focus his full attention on the boy. Instead of the tearful departure that Law expected, Luffy has a confident and serious expression on his face when he looks at Law. 

He walks up to Law with decisive steps before he holds out his hand that seems to be clasped around something, and Law raises an eyebrow questioningly.

“Gift for Torao,” Luffy says firmly, and Law holds out his hand with his palm facing upwards, an amused glint in his eyes.

Luffy deposits an acorn into his waiting hand before taking a step back, and Law looks at the item in bemusement. Luffy takes a deep breath in preparation for whatever comes next, and Law has to bite back a chuckle at the sight, wondering what could possibly warrant this odd behavior.

“Torao,” he starts, before some of his confidence deflates and he looks away, a blush coloring his chubby cheeks. A moment passes before he takes a deep breath and clenches his little fists, looking back up at Law.

“When I grow up, I’m gonna marry you!”

Law is silent for a moment before a chuckle abruptly bubbles up in his chest. He can’t even begin to try to hold it in, and he starts laughing so hard his stomach hurts, tears of mirth stinging his eyes. 

Once his laughter subsides, he crouches down in front of Luffy and grabs his hands.

“Okay,” Law says with a soft smile playing on his lips. “Whatever you say, firefly.”

He hugs Luffy tightly before sending him off, the acorn safely nestled in his pocket.

14 years later

“It’s a good learning experience.” Marco’s voice in the receiver is far from loud, but that doesn’t stop Law’s headache from pounding painfully in his temples.

“For the kids? Sure. For me? No. Find someone better suited for it.” Law flicks through the chart in his hands absentmindedly, his phone nestled in the crook of his shoulder as he listens to Marco trying to rope him into something he doesn’t have time for. “Someone a bit more…”

“Charismatic?” Marco chuckles on the other end, and Law feels his eye twitch. “You’re one of the best cardiac surgeons in the country, Law, and the only one I personally know.”

“Flattery isn’t gonna make me say yes,” Law mutters under his breath as he walks into his office. 

“Kureha told me you’re overworked, anyway, so take a break.”

“A lecture isn’t exactly my ideal way of unwinding.” Law settles in the chair behind his desk and looks through his schedule on the computer. 

“I’ll owe you one, alright?” Marco finally says in desperation, and Law lets out a snort at the pleading tone of his voice.

“Fine, fine,” Law sighs after a few moments and reluctantly agrees, knowing he would never hear the end of it if he didn’t say ‘yes’. He could move his schedule around to accommodate for the lecture, and he realizes begrudgingly that he has no important surgeries requiring his expertise on that particular day.

“Text me the details,” Law mutters before abruptly ending the call, wanting to spare himself from Marco’s misplaced gratitude. Law is known to avoid any and all events– whether it be lectures or parties– as he’s become a bit of a recluse over the past decade. 

He didn’t have the time for anything other than studying when he was in med school, so it worked well as an excuse, but once he actually started working at the hospital, those habits lingered. He has the tendency to take on extra shifts instead of resting, and the staff at the hospital knows that he’s only one phone call away at all times.

He knows it isn’t healthy, and he knows it isn’t sustainable, but he really doesn’t have the energy to self-reflect enough to actually do something about it.

Marco thanking him doesn’t really sit right with him, especially since holding the lecture is the least he can do after everything the older man did for him during his time in med school. 

He rubs a hand over his face as a heavy feeling of guilt makes his stomach clench painfully, and he winces.

Marco is relatively young compared to the other professors at campus, but he’s one of the best teachers Law has ever had. When Cora got sick, and as a consequence hospitalized, Marco did him favor after favor by postponing turn-in dates and rescheduling exams, even emailing him the lecture notes every single week. 

When asked why he went that extra mile for him, his professor merely responded by saying ‘personal matters shouldn’t punish a student’. Law admires him greatly, both as a professor and a mentor, even if he’s bad at showing it.

I’ll do better, he thinks, knowing himself well enough to know it’s a lie. It’s the thought that counts, right?

On his way home, a familiar melancholy brews in his chest as he looks out of the subway window towards the city skyline, the bright lights a stark contrast to the bleak darkness surrounding him. He briefly glances at the other passengers, watching the bags under their eyes mirror his own as they stare blankly ahead after back-breakingly long days of work.

He resumes looking through the window, his eyes unfocused as he wonders how he let it come to this. He doesn’t think Cora would like the way he’s isolated himself; the way he’s thrown himself into his work without taking care of his basic needs. 

His own reflection stares back at him when they enter a tunnel, and he looks almost as exhausted as he did back in med school. He doesn’t blame Bepo for his insistent concern– not when he looks like that. He frowns at himself, wondering if everyone feels this emptiness at a certain point in their lives. 

The conversation with Marco made his brain delve into memories he’d rather not unpack; memories of what was probably the lowest and darkest point of his life. 

He recalls studying until the early hours of the morning before rushing between lectures. trying to weave hospital visits in between, remembering how he was like a walking corpse going through the motions, running on nothing but black coffee and pure stubbornness. Years later, he still doesn’t know how he drove his car to and from school without getting into a severe accident, since his mental state was in such disarray. 

He flicks on the light as he enters his apartment, the large space and high ceilings offering nothing more than a crippling sense of loneliness that he wasn’t aware was brewing beneath it all. It hits him like a freight train, sudden and unforgiving, and he slides his back down the wall until he’s seated on the floor. He threads his fingers through his hair and lightly thumps the back of his head against the wall, closing his eyes as he lets the feeling wash over him.

“You have to sit with your feelings,” his therapist told him years ago. 

Well, here I am, sitting with them, he thinks. What next?

He practices his breathing exercises, and he feels more ridiculous by the second before he eventually gets up and drags his feet towards the bedroom, opening the closet to look for any lecture appropriate attire. He can’t even remember the last time he dressed smart, and realizes he has to squeeze shopping into his schedule. 

He fishes his phone out of his pocket to add a reminder into his calendar, grateful that he at least has a full week to get it sorted. He frowns as reality sets in, and he can’t help but dread having to socialize, the regret of accepting the invitation setting in with a vengeance. 

Law sighs as he walks back out into the living room, pausing at the large mahogany bookshelf that holds all of his favorite books, figures and trinkets. He gets the sudden urge to thumb through one of his old photo books, and he shuffles over to the correct shelf to grab it, knocking something over when he pulls it out of its place. He crouches down and picks the item up, and he feels a small smile tugging his lips at the sight.

In his palm lies an acorn, immortalized in discolored epoxy resin, and a fond memory of simpler and more innocent times briefly pops into his head.  

~~~ 

The day of the lecture arrives in the blink of an eye– much too quickly– and he stands in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. 

It’s a nice suit, he thinks, having picked out a relatively pricey and well-tailored black suit to match the black tie, finishing the outfit off with pointed leather boots and a yellow button up. 

He thought a white one would make him look like a waiter so he went for his favorite color instead, and he thinks he looks okay. He isn’t sure how dressed up you’re supposed to be for these things, and his med school years were so chaotic that he can’t even remember what his own lecturers wore at the time. 

A suit is a safe bet. 

He checks the time on his watch before shoving his phone and wallet into his pocket, patting himself down to make sure he’s got everything he needs. 

Alright. He takes one last look at himself in the mirror, awkwardly smoothing down his tie.

He sighs, grabbing his coat before locking the door. His mind reels with his thoughts, the nerves making his hands tremble as he takes the elevator down to the garage. He’s opted for taking his car since the campus is further away than the hospital, and he doesn’t want to risk wrinkling his suit by squeezing into the always-crowded subway.

The nervousness only gets worse as he pulls out of the garage and onto the winding streets that lead out of the city center. He’s avoided returning to campus ever since he graduated almost five years ago, and he tries to mentally prepare himself for the onslaught of unsettling nostalgia. His time at University of Sabaody is just too entwined with the stress and despair of Cora’s illness along with the pressure he put on himself to still somehow power through his classes. 

He doesn’t want to relive those turbulent times, but it seems like he doesn’t have another choice.

Law takes a deep breath as he takes the turn that leads him to the parking lot of the university, his hands gripping the steering wheel slippery with cold sweat as he pulls into an empty spot. 

Marco comes out to greet him as he’s getting his bag from the trunk and the older man looks at him with an amused glint in his eyes.

“A lecture isn’t exactly a black tie event, Law,” Marco says, a teasing lilt to his tone.

“Nice to see you too, doc,” Law says with a sardonic smile, one hand sliding into his pocket to fiddle with the acorn. He doesn’t know why, but carrying around the silly trinket makes him feel a sense of comfort he wasn’t aware he needed. 

Marco just chuckles and pats him on the back. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Here goes nothing.

~~~

When Chopper tells Luffy a renowned heart surgeon is going to hold a lecture at campus, he doesn’t think much of it until he glances over his friend’s shoulder and sees a familiar grumpy face staring back at him. 

Luffy feels his heart skip a beat and he shoves Chopper out of the way, the younger letting out an indignant shout at the sudden and unprovoked violence. Luffy takes his spot in front of the computer and leans closer to the screen to read the article published in the campus newspaper, and he grins triumphantly before standing back up.

He turns to Chopper with a grin still splitting his face. “I’m going with you!”

“Hah?” Chopper looks up at him in bewilderment.

And that’s how Luffy finds himself dressed in borrowed black slacks, a slightly too small cream-colored button up, and a poorly tied tie, squeezing into a line of tired med students as they pile into the auditorium. He looks around with a frown at the sight of the other students, noting how they’re mostly dressed in stained sweatpants and hoodies that look like they’ve been washed one too many times.

Luffy thought med students dressed smart, so to try and fit in and not seem conspicuous he borrowed a pair of Sanji’s slacks that fit him well enough– albeit slightly too tight around his ass and crotch area, and a bit too long– and the button up had been a gift from his gramps on his previous birthday. This is the first time he wears it.

He sees Chopper bolt for a front row seat but Luffy stays further back, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself for once. He wants to observe in peace. 

He wonders if Torao would even recognize him after all these years, though, and he decides that it would be unlikely, but he can’t help but feel a sense of long-lost exhilaration at the thought of finally seeing him again. 

His heart rate picks up speed as the auditorium quiets down, and the screen behind the podium lights up where a text reads: 

“Introduction to Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) with Trafalgar Law.”

It might as well be written in a different language to Luffy, but the sight of Law’s name makes his stomach flip in excitement and he quickly takes a seat.

The sound of heeled boots clicking across the stage is loud in the otherwise subdued aura of the auditorium, and Luffy eagerly sits up straighter– practically half-standing– to get a better look. 

When Law comes into full view, Luffy’s jaw drops. 

Wow. 

With his heart in his throat, he fully rises from his seat to get closer to the stage but lets out a yelp as he trips over a students' backpack, almost falling flat on his face. Several heads turn his way and even Law furrows his brow in confusion as he squints towards the back of the room, trying to see what all the commotion is about. 

Luffy swiftly gets back up on his feet and plops into a seat closer to the middle, squeezing in between two students who look like they haven’t slept in days. One of them mutters something rude under their breath but Luffy happily ignores them as his attention fully focuses on the magnificent man at the center of the stage.

Torao looks incredible, Luffy thinks, his eyes taking in every single visible inch of the older man. 

The suit he’s wearing hugs his body in all the right places– the slacks enhance his long legs, and the jacket does the same with his slim waist. He looks put together, he looks smart and sophisticated, and that’s putting it mildly. Luffy looks down at himself and scrunches his nose. He spots a few of the buttons on his shirt threatening to pop out from the fabric straining across his chest, and the outlines of his nipple piercings are clearly visible. 

When Law finally opens his mouth to speak and address the attendees of the lecture, Luffy’s breath hitches and a shiver rolls down his spine. He thinks he could listen to that voice forever; the rich baritone scratching his brain in all the right ways, and he wonders what other types of sounds the older man could make in a different type of scenario.

Luffy fidgets in his seat, his fingers twitching with a primal need to touch, to feel, to hold. He swallows hard and sits on his restless hands, using every single ounce of self-restraint he has to stay seated instead of running up to the podium to whisk the older man away.

Halfway through the lecture, Law removes his jacket and Luffy audibly gulps. It gets even worse when Law absentmindedly rolls up the sleeves of his button-up, the sight of toned, tattooed forearms making Luffy exhale a shaky breath.

He hears whispers from the girls sitting behind him and manages to make out some of their words.

“-he’s so hot.”

“You think he’s single?”

“There’s no way.”

Luffy squirms in his seat. 

They're probably right, he thinks, deflating slightly. But Luffy isn’t a quitter, or a coward, and regardless of what happens, he isn’t going to let an opportunity to finally meet the older man pass him by.

Growing up, Luffy didn’t experience a lot of tenderness. He was loved by his brothers, sure, and by his granddad in his own peculiar way. He remembers when his brothers got sent away to boarding school, and the bitterness he had felt towards the old man the years following, and when his brothers eventually moved back home, Luffy was a lot angrier than they remembered him being. 

After the move across the country, he would lash out in school– getting into fights with students and teachers alike– and he lost count of the amount of times he got expelled or sent home with his knuckles raw and bleeding. He knows his gramps thought about sending him away too, but the amount of trouble he would stir up at a boarding school far exceeded what he did in any public school, so he got to keep his freedom, but not without a lot of tough love from his dear granddad. 

The amount of bruises littering his body over the course of his childhood weren’t caused by just dicking around in the woods or getting into schoolyard brawls.

Thinking about his brothers managed to ground him to a certain extent, and he tried to soldier on until they’d be allowed back, but there were a few particular memories from his hometown that always managed to calm him down whenever he felt consumed by white-hot rage.

Torao. 

Kind, beautiful, gentle Torao, with his golden eyes and tender smile. 

Torao’s kindness all those years ago had seemed as effortless as breathing, and even though almost fifteen years have passed, Luffy fondly recalls careful hands patching him up after he carelessly scraped his knees, or the time he shattered a glass and the initial reaction wasn’t to yell at him or berate him, but to make sure he was okay. 

He remembers the way Law’s breathtaking eyes would light up when he talked about Sora or his favorite video games, and Luffy could only stare at him in awe.

Torao was good then, and Luffy can see that same goodness in his eyes even now, albeit hidden behind a tough exterior that he is itching to find out the reason for.

Luffy clung onto those memories throughout his school years, all the way into high school where he finally met his best friends. He’d still think about Torao now and again– when playing a particular video game or when hearing people at school talk about the latest volume of Sora, but he finally had his friends. 

They were there to back him up in fights, to pull him back when he was being unreasonable, to have late night study sessions over copious amounts of energy drinks. His friends were there to hug him to express their love, and to slap him over the head when he was being crude. Luffy finally had a family. 

Even when Ace had gone backpacking across the world and Sabo had been away at university, Luffy didn’t feel alone. 

When he told his friends during his senior year that he’s going to become an entomologist, he was met with loud exclamations of disbelief and slackened jaws. He just grinned at them, scratching the back of his head, explaining his long-lasting love for bugs and how it suits his thirst for adventure and dream of traveling the world.

Graduating high school with good enough grades to get into university hadn’t been easy, though, especially getting into a science program at that, but he did it. With support and help from his friends, he pulled through and got into Sabaody University, not with honors, but that didn’t matter to him. 

His future was looking bright, and he was happy, but life came to a screeching halt the summer before he started university– shortly after Ace came back from his travels, they got into a violent car accident. His heart clenches at the thought; three years have passed but it feels like it was only yesterday when he pulled Ace out of the blazing wreckage with his own chest on fire, skin boiling and peeling off of bone, but the only thing that had been on his mind was “Ace, Ace, Ace”. 

It had been too late. 

He recalls waking up in the hospital with his friends' concerned faces entering his vision, and he remembers the pure, unadulterated despair as he wailed and screamed until he lost his voice.

He winces at the familiar pain and regret, his stomach lurching with discomfort, and he lifts a hand to the scar on his chest to scratch it before refocusing his gaze back onto Torao, a renewed determination bubbling up inside of him. 

Luffy had learned the hard way that life was fleeting, and he wasn’t going to waste time wallowing in regret and lose more time. The opportunity to finally reunite with the man of his dreams is so close he can almost taste it, and the urge to reach out and capture the moment is impossible to ignore.

His confidence wavers slightly the more he looks at Torao, though. Luffy is an adult now, but will Torao ever see him that way? Will he just be that silly kid that he used to babysit? Will he see him as the man he’s become? Will he like who he has grown into?

When the lecture wraps up and Law leaves through the staff exit, Luffy is quick to get out of his seat and run out of the auditorium, shoving past some of the med students as disgruntled shouts follow him out the door. He sprints around the building and sees the older man about to cross the campus grounds and the rate at which Luffy’s heartbeat quickens can hardly be blamed on his running.

He realizes a moment too late that the speed in which he’s tearing across the lawn separating him from Torao is too fast, and before he can stop, he ends up roughly crashing into the older man, knocking them both to the ground.

“What the fuck,” Law groans from where he’s spread out like a starfish on the harsh pavement, and Luffy raises his head from where it was plastered on top of Law’s sternum.

“I’m so sorry.” Luffy quickly stands up, breathless, his cheeks red with embarrassment as he reaches out a hand to help Law up.

Law doesn’t meet his eyes, instead he stares forlornly at the paper cup of coffee that was knocked out of his hands from the impact, the contents spilled onto the cobblestone.

He eventually grabs Luffy’s hand and stands up with a grunt, brushing dirt off of his slacks with pursed lips.

“Dumbass,” he mutters, before finally looking up. 

“What’s your problem–“ he pauses, his eyes widening in careful recognition.

“Torao.” Luffy smiles sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. 

This didn’t go the way I planned, Luffy thinks. 

Not that he’s ever been good at following plans, whether it be someone else’s or his own.

“Luffy?” 

Luffy grins and closes the distance between the two of them to pull the taller man into a tight hug, feeling Law freeze up for a moment before he finally relaxes and reciprocates the embrace, his arms wrapping tentatively around Luffy’s back. 

Law smells like coffee and freshly washed linen, and Luffy inhales deeply before pulling away.

“It’s been ages, huh?” Luffy says, laughing as he takes in the shocked look on Law’s face. He has to crane his neck to look up at him because dammit, he’s still so much taller.

“Yeah, it has– wait, what are you doing here?”

“I go here, silly,” Luffy says. “Duh.”

Luffy thinks Law looks like a fish with the way his mouth is opening and closing. Cute.

“Studying what?” Law asks once he gets over the initial shock, absentmindedly shoving a hand into his pocket.

“Entomology, of course!”

The crooked smile Law awards him with makes Luffy’s stomach flip like he’s on a roller coaster– like he’s in a free fall, the ground nowhere in sight.

“Can’t say I’m surprised, firefly.”

The nickname that Luffy had almost forgotten about makes a familiar warmth bloom inside of his chest, and he has to stop himself from knocking the older man over again. 

Luffy clears his throat, clasping his hands behind his back in an effort to keep himself from doing anything too impulsive. 

“Can I buy you a coffee? Since I kinda owe you one anyway,” Luffy asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Law is silent for a moment, his gaze calculating as he observes Luffy. 

The next few seconds of silence feel unbearable, and Luffy holds his breath.

“Sure,” Law finally says, his eyes flickering down to Luffy’s chest. 

Luffy exhales and smiles widely, the tension dissipating from his body.

“Tch, who did your tie?”

“I did,” Luffy says and tilts his head confusedly.

Law rolls his eyes, a soft smile curling his lips. He walks the few steps that separate them before he reaches out to grab the silk fabric around Luffy’s neck. Luffy watches as those long, elegant fingers work nimbly to fix the knot, and Law finishes his work by smoothing out the fabric with his palm, leaving it pressed against Luffy’s chest for a moment too long. Luffy finds himself melting under the older man’s touch, and he can’t stop himself from pushing against it, eager for more.

“Wow,” Law breathes, before he catches himself and quickly withdraws his hand, clearing his throat as a pale blush dusts his cheekbones. Luffy instantly misses the physical contact and has to force himself to not reach out to get it back.

“Thanks!” Luffy grins, before lightly grabbing hold of Law’s wrist. 

“C’mon, I know a great spot,” he adds and starts leading them away from the campus grounds.

They make small talk on their way to the cozy little coffee shop that Luffy frequents with his friends, walking side by side at a leisurely pace, the spring breeze crisp as the sun warms his already flushed face. Luffy listens intently as Law tells him about his job, although the way the older man moves his hands while he talks is incredibly distracting. 

Law really does have the prettiest hands. His fingers are long, graceful, and the tattoos on his knuckles only manage to enhance their beauty.

The coffee shop is crowded but they manage to snag a table by the window after ordering their drinks– Law opting for a black coffee while Luffy gets an iced tea to cool himself down. 

“Thank you,” Law says quietly, sighing after taking his first sip. He licks his lips and closes his eyes in satisfaction, and Luffy can’t take his eyes off of the older man’s plush lips– they’re a kissable pink and slightly shiny from the coffee.

“What?” Law asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re beautiful,” Luffy breathes, without hesitation, not exactly one to beat around the bush.

Law’s gorgeous eyes widen before he chokes on his coffee, and Luffy slaps his back a couple of times until his coughs subside.

“Uh,” Law starts, his face red and expression slightly constipated. “Thanks?”

They’re sitting so close at the small table that their knees knock together, and Luffy wishes he could reach out and touch, to close the distance between them for good.  

“No problem,” Luffy says cheerfully and returns to his drink, his cheeks heating up with embarrassment. 

He should’ve listened to Sanji when he would ramble about how he flirts with women to at least get some pointers on what to do. Luffy finds it hard to contain himself and has a habit of blurting out whatever is on his mind, something that he assumes isn’t very popular when trying to flirt.

“How are your brothers?” Law asks suddenly, and Luffy’s smile wavers.

“Sabo is good,” Luffy says, fiddling with the straw in his drink. “He works in investigative journalism, so he travels a lot. I miss him, of course, but he’s following his dreams which makes me happy.”

He pauses for a moment, turning his head to look out the window at the people passing by the quaint coffee shop. 

“Ace died, three years ago,” he says quietly, his lips downturned into a frown.

He sees Law’s eyes widen from the corner of his eye, and he turns to face the older man fully again. 

“Grief is a weird thing, huh?” Luffy laughs awkwardly, not particularly fond of talking about it but he wants Law to know. 

“It never really goes away,” Law says somberly, looking into his cup of coffee as a forlorn expression flickers across his features. “It’s been almost a decade since Cora passed but… I still have days where it hurts so much it takes my breath away. I’m sorry for your loss, Luffy, I didn’t know.”

“I like to think it’s their way of staying with us, y’know? But I know Ace wouldn’t want me to lose myself to grief.” Luffy smiles softly, memories of their childhood replaying in his head, like a collage lovingly taped together in an old scrapbook. 

Law places a hand on his knee tentatively, his eyes filled with so much sadness and sympathy that it makes Luffy’s heart clench with affection. 

“I’m not very good at… comfort, but I’m familiar with loss,” Law tells him quietly. “If you ever wanna talk about it, I’m here to listen.” 

“Thanks, Torao.” Luffy places his hand on top of Law’s and squeezes it. 

“I’m sorry about Cora too. I was still a kid when gramps told me, and he wouldn’t let me come with him to the funeral. Said it wasn’t a place for kids,” Luffy scowls, wishing he could’ve been there for Torao during what must’ve been a very difficult time.

“It’s okay.” Law gently pulls his hand away and returns it to his drink. “It was so long ago, and I was so fucked up I barely remember the funeral.”

Luffy nods sadly, picking up his iced tea and sipping it slowly, lost in thought.

“By the way, why were you in a medical lecture?” Law probably senses the melancholic atmosphere and changes the topic into something more lighthearted, which Luffy feels grateful for.

“To see you, obviously!” Luffy cracks a smile at the blush creeping up on Law’s cheeks, eyes darting away to look anywhere but at the younger man.

Conversation flows smoothly after that, as they talk about less heavy topics. Law asks him about his studies and Luffy happily supplies him with interesting bug trivia. 

Luffy tries to suppress showering Law in compliments during their impromptu not-date, especially after seeing how caught off-guard Law looked after he told him he was beautiful. He doesn’t let himself feel too disheartened by the reaction, though; he knows that he will do everything in his power to make Law fall for him. 

He made a promise all those years ago and he intends to keep it. 

The nervous energy returns with a vengeance when he walks Law back to his car. He knows he’s done everything out of order; his plan falling apart as soon as he had laid eyes on Law again, so utterly mesmerized by the older man’s presence. He knows he can’t let him walk away without having a way to contact him, though, and he tries to hype himself up while Law digs for his car keys.

Luffy fidgets in place as they stand next to Law’s car, trying to be subtle about his deep breaths. Law pauses with the keys finally in hand, fumbling with the keyring as if he’s not quite ready to unlock the car.

“You okay?” Law asks, and Luffy thinks he might imagine it, but there seems to be careful hope mixed with concern in his golden eyes.

“Can I have your number?” Luffy blurts out.

Law stills his hand as it hovers next to the car door.

“Of course,” Law says, a relieved smile tugging his lips that makes Luffy’s heart soar.

When Law drives off after they exchange numbers, Luffy waits an appropriate amount of time before he fist pumps the air victoriously, staring triumphantly at the new contact in his phone. 

~~~

Law has never really been a believer of “manifestations” and the like, but when he gets home after the lecture, he can’t help but stare incredulously at the acorn. It lies innocently in his palm, looking the same as it did the other day when it resurfaced on his bookshelf. He glowers at the inanimate object as if it was to blame for the events of the day.

So he ran into Luffy. Luffy who looks nothing like the scrawny little kid all those years ago. Twenty-two year old Luffy with bulging biceps, a wide chest, and nipple piercings. 

Law shakes his head, trying to physically rid himself of the shameful thoughts. The image of the Luffy’s bright smile remains.

Luffy wants to stay in touch, and that’s fine, Law thinks. He can’t deny that it was nice catching up with him, can’t deny that it gave him a semblance of an inner peace that he hasn’t felt in the longest time. Luffy is familiar with loss the same way that Law is, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to stay in touch. 

He hopes the foreboding feeling he gets at the thought is merely his paranoia speaking.

The next day on his way to work, Law is half asleep on the crowded train when he receives a text. He never receives texts in the morning, or really ever, being known as a “shitty” texter amongst his small group of friends. He fishes his flip phone out of his pocket and sees a notification– a text from Luffy.

Luffy: bug fact of the day: bees travel up to 60 miles per day while gathering food!! one could say they are… busy bees LOL

Law snorts out a laugh before looking around the train, mortified. No one seems to be paying attention to him so he looks back down at his phone and tries to think of a good response. 

Law: Haha

Luffy replies almost instantaneously. 

Luffy: goodmorning :)) 

What Law realizes a week later, is that this was the start of a daily exchange. Luffy will send him a ‘bug fact’ every single morning without fail, which then turns into actual conversations, and Law finds that he doesn’t mind. Luffy is effortlessly funny, and his unrelenting enthusiasm is charming rather than overbearing, he can reluctantly admit that.  

Law never really crafted a defense-mechanism for the embodiment of the sun entering his life, so all he can do is lower his head in defeat as Luffy climbs over his carefully raised walls with the dexterity of a monkey.

“What do you like the most about being a surgeon?” Luffy asks during one of his impromptu lunch visits. 

Yes, two weeks after they exchanged numbers, Luffy started showing up to his place of work with lunch. Law was initially disappointed in his own failure of setting boundaries until he realized he doesn’t want to set those boundaries at all. He tries not to dwell on the why too much.

Law hums, contemplating the question for a moment. 

“The souvenirs,” he finally says.

“Souvenirs?” Luffy asks with his brows scrunched together in confusion.

“I get to keep the hearts of the patients that don’t make it.”

Luffy’s mouth opens before he shuts it again, a wary expression on his face. 

“Can I see?” He whispers conspiratorially after giving it a bit of thought.

A heavy silence blankets them for a few moments. 

“It was a joke, firefly.”

Luffy groans before he crosses his arms and pouts, averting his eyes away from where they’d been focused on Law, clearly unamused at having been tricked. 

The petulant look on Luffy’s face makes Law laugh fondly, and he resists the urge to reach over and tousle the younger man’s hair. 

Luffy’s pout is long forgotten as he instead stares at Law in awe, a soft blush dusting his cheeks as his lips tilt up into a tender smile. Seeing that soft expression makes Law pause, his heart clenching with an unfamiliar sensation.

“I like hearing you laugh,” Luffy says, sounding breathless.

The silence that follows isn’t uncomfortable, but there’s a certain tension in the air that Law can’t quite put his finger on. He drinks in the sight of the other’s flushed cheeks and big doe eyes that stare at him with such admiration and care that he can’t help but feel a little hot under the collar. 

Luffy finally looks away– the moment gone like it wasn’t there in the first place– and stares at the empty plate in front of him, distraught when he realizes he has already finished his meal. Law rolls his eyes and pushes his own half-empty plate towards Luffy, whose expression immediately lights up with joy.

“You’re da beft, Torao,” Luffy says in between shoveling fork-fulls of food into his mouth, and Law absentmindedly leans forward to wipe a few stray grains of rice from Luffy’s upper lip. Luffy tenses in his seat and the fork clatters onto the table, making Law withdraw his hand quickly as realization dawns on him.

Inappropriate, he thinks and busies himself with sipping his coffee. Stupid.

“You’re still a messy eater,” he mumbles into his cup, staring intently at the wall.

Shortly after Luffy leaves, Law can feel three sets of eyes burning holes into the back of his head. He slumps into the nearest seat in the breakroom and sighs.

He closes his eyes and leans his head back onto the headrest, mentally preparing himself for the incoming onslaught. “Alright, get it out of your systems.”

“When are you gonna introduce us to your boyfriend-“

“He’s hot–“

“Were you ever planning on telling us–“

“Like really hot–“

Law cracks an eye open and glares at his friends-turned-coworkers, silencing them momentarily.

“He’s not my boyfriend, first of all–“

“Why not?“

“Geez, Law, you fumbled-“

“Pussy.“

“Listen,” Law finally snaps. “It’s complicated.”

Shachi, Penguin and Bepo all take a seat around the table, their eyes ablaze with curiosity. 

“I used to…” Law trails off, his expression morphing into a scowl at the thought of feeding into his friends gossiping tendencies. “I used to babysit him. Briefly.”

There’s a short pause as the trio stare at him incredulously.

“Okay?” Penguin looks at him quizzically.

“So what?” Shachi asks, his expression mirroring the other’s.

Law’s lips curl downwards. “Isn’t it… weird?”

“You’re both adults now,” Bepo says, shrugging. “How old is he?”

“Twenty-two,” Law mumbles.

Penguin and Shachi burst out laughing and Law feels one of his eyes twitch in annoyance. He immediately regrets telling these idiots anything.

“I think, what they’re trying to say is–” Bepo cuts in with a soothing voice, ignoring the other two wiping tears from their eyes. “That it’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Law parrots, raising an eyebrow.

“Loosen up a little. He seems cool,” Shachi says once his laughter dies down. “He makes you smile, which is a damn near impossible feat anyway.”

Law hums, deep in thought. He normally wouldn’t take advice from the three stooges he calls his friends, but they do undoubtedly have more dating experience than he does. Not that it’s difficult, considering Law’s very limited track record; he’s never been one to seek anything like that out because it simply doesn’t interest him. He’s tried it out a few times because he felt like he had to, but he never enjoyed it and only really regretted it afterwards. 

There hadn't been a spark with anyone else.

With Luffy it’s… different. He has a hard time keeping his hands to himself around Luffy, and the way his stomach flips at every single accidental brush of hands, or the way his eyes can’t stop drinking in the sight of any sliver of skin he could see… It’s definitely new. 

He recalls brushing his thumb over Luffy’s upper lip, and he feels his face heat up. He thinks about the tight red t-shirt he’d worn that accentuated his muscled chest beautifully, and his mouth waters. 

Also nipple piercings, his mind adds unhelpfully.

Okay, so he wants Luffy. 

He wants to touch him, kiss him, he wants to do much more than that, but most importantly, he craves his sunny presence around him more than he’s willing to admit.

He thinks about how sweet Luffy is around him, how effortlessly he’s slithered his way into Law’s life over the past two weeks, and how he looks at him. Luffy looks at him like he’s the most interesting and beautiful person he’s ever seen, his attention always fully on him, so eager to listen, to please. 

Law slips a hand into his pocket and curls his fingers around the acorn, the trinket a familiar and comforting weight in his grasp. 

He thinks Luffy wants him too.

~~~

The rest of the month passes by in a daze, and suddenly it’s June and the sweltering heat that usually sours Law’s mood doesn’t seem to have the same effect on him this time around. 

His beloved friends aren’t shy about pointing it out, a fact he promptly ignores every day at the end of his shift as he makes his way out the double doors and into the parking lot, their knowing and smug gazes planted firmly on his back.

Luffy is waiting for him– a part of their new routine– and Law finds him deep in conversation with one of the security guards, which isn’t rare by any means. Every time Law meets up with Luffy downstairs, he’s either making new friends, bringing coffee to relatives of patients, or helping old ladies cross the street. 

It’s almost sickening how good he is, and Law felt himself falling, and falling hard. 

Ever since he realized that he wants more than just friendship with Luffy, he hasn’t exactly done anything about it. He wanted to bide his time to make sure it was real; not just something fleeting and tied to nostalgia and simpler times. 

The more time he spends with Luffy, the more it solidifies his feelings, though, and he finds himself growing more and more impatient with each passing day. He had been sure Luffy would make the first move as the other man’s patience is close to non-existent, but he’s also the type of person to do and say whatever is on his mind without a filter.

Law’s starting to doubt whether Luffy wants him the same way he does, and a dark cloud of uncertainty starts to gather over his thoughts, successfully dampening his mood. 

He sighs and starts discreetly checking Luffy out before he’s inevitably spotted. 

Luffy’s outfit of the day doesn’t make his lack of patience any easier to deal with, though; instead it does the opposite. His short-sleeved button-up is almost completely unbuttoned, and Law almost doesn’t notice the sunflower pattern on the fabric, too distracted by tan skin, and appetizing pecs that he’d love to sink his teeth into–

It’s not fair, he thinks. He might actually die if he doesn’t get to roam his hands over Luffy’s gorgeous, tan skin.

There’s an x-shaped scar across Luffy’s chest that basically frames his muscular tits, and it makes Law’s thoughts wander even further. Is the scar rough to the touch? Is it sensitive? How did he get it in the first place?

“Torao!” Luffy finally spots him, excitedly running up to him before wrapping him in a tight hug, practically vibrating with energy. If he had a tail, he would most definitely be wagging it vigorously.

“Hey,” Law hugs him back, hooking his chin over the shorter man’s head as he soaks in the comfort of the embrace. He would never say it out loud, but Luffy really gives the best hugs. 

Luffy pulls back– to Law’s disappointment– and looks up at him intently, almost calculating. 

“You okay?” Luffy asks softly, tilting his head questioningly. 

He really is like a puppy.

“Yeah, just a long day,” Law sighs and digs through his pocket for the chocolate bar he got from the vending machine. “Got you a snack.”

Luffy eagerly grabs the chocolate and peels it open, shoving the whole thing into his mouth. Law watches dazedly as the treat disappears in one bite, lips smacking in its wake, and considers what other things can fit into that insatiable mouth. 

His gaze flickers down to Luffy’s chest, and he licks his lips at the sight of the swell of pecs and the curls residing comfortably between them, nestled right above the large scar. Luffy really is a man.   

“Thanks!” Luffy says with a bright grin, rolling the wrapper up into a ball and throwing it towards the trash can. He doesn’t miss, of course, and Law tries to pretend he’s impressed and isn’t busy ogling him while thinking unholy thoughts.

They walk towards Law’s car together, Luffy with his hands behind his head as he soaks up the late afternoon sun. He’s uncharacteristically quiet, and Law takes note of the thoughtful expression on Luffy’s features. His eyes flicker down to the scar on Luffy’s chest once again.

“That scar… What happened?”

“The car accident that killed Ace, I was in the passenger seat,” Luffy says bluntly, absentmindedly dragging a hand over his chest.

Law’s breath hitches, his eyes widening. He didn’t know Luffy had been there when his older brother died, and his heart sinks, a lump forming in his throat.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.” Law’s eyes dart away nervously, and he shoves his hands into his pockets, feeling awfully stupid. 

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind.” Luffy knocks Law’s shoulder with his own, a lighthearted expression on his handsome face.

Law nods, breathing a sigh of relief. He and Luffy had hung out a lot for the past month, but that doesn’t mean that he wants to cross any boundaries that the younger man might not be ready for or appreciate.

“There’s a meteor shower tonight,” Luffy says, interrupting Law’s train of thought when they stop next to his car. 

“Oh?” Law pauses with his hand on the door handle.

“Wanna watch it with me? We can drive out to my super secret spot. ”

Law hums, opening the door. “Alright. Let’s get some food and bring it with us.”

That seemed to be the correct thing to say because Luffy practically launches himself into the passenger seat, buckling his seatbelt swiftly.

After ordering half the menu at a drive thru, and Law paying for it, they hit the road towards the super secret spot that Luffy guides him to through mouthfuls of french fries. Law scrunches his nose at the specks of salt flying that will undoubtedly dirty his seats. 

He startles when he feels something pushing against his lips, and he quickly averts his gaze from the road to look to his right. He sees Luffy sheepishly holding out a fry, and Law feels his cheeks heat up before he opens his mouth slightly to let Luffy feed him, his stomach lurching at the intimate gesture.

“Thanks,” he mumbles after he finishes chewing, and although his eyes are once again focused on the road, he can still sense the brightness of Luffy’s smile and it warms him to his core.

The sun is well on its way to setting when they park at the bottom of a large hill, and they seem to be the only ones around as far as Law can see. Maybe Luffy was right about it being secret after all. 

Law grabs his black and yellow hoodie from the trunk and slips it on before they start climbing the steep hill, and he’s thankful for the cardio he has a habit of doing in the mornings, not wanting to get out of breath in front of Luffy and his ridiculous athletic prowess.

During their ascent, Luffy tells him about his finals and how he thinks he did okay, and that his graduation was scheduled for next week. Law was mortified when he found out Luffy had finals while he was spending time with him instead of studying, but Luffy had assured him that he was fine and Law didn’t wanna be a nag. 

“Wanna come to my graduation?” Luffy asks, and they’re walking so close that their knuckles brush with every step. Law itches to reach out to intertwine their fingers, but he shoves his hand into his pocket before he does something as stupid as that. The acorn greets him and his heart stutters.

“Sure,” he says casually, and Luffy smiles at him. It’s a soft thing, not as wide as his usual bright smiles, but it doesn’t fail to make butterflies erupt in Law’s stomach. 

They reach the top of the hill, and Law thinks they really lucked out– the hill is completely devoid of people, and there’s a lone bench under a large oak tree surrounded by tall grass that Luffy leads the way to with enthusiasm. 

The orange and pink hues of the sunset make the scene look truly picturesque, and Law can’t stop his breath from hitching when he takes in the sight. 

“You coming?” Luffy asks, cocking his head while walking backwards towards the bench. Law nods, breathless, speechless, as Luffy’s face becomes illuminated by the setting sun, succeeding in making him appear almost… ethereal. 

They get comfortable on the bench, and Luffy shuffles so close to him that their thighs press together. Law thinks his heart might beat out of his chest as he feels the body heat radiating from Luffy where they touch, and he can’t help but lean into it until they’re shoulder to shoulder. 

They watch the sun set fully in a contented silence only broken by the sounds of the summer breeze rustling the leaves of the oak tree, accompanied by the buzzing of far-away cicadas, and Law thinks he’s never felt more at ease than he does in this very moment. 

He doesn’t know how it happened, but the way Luffy just fits into his life like a long-lost puzzle piece and fills him with an unfamiliar lust for life is baffling to him. He doesn’t know what Luffy possibly sees in him, whether it’s strictly platonic or something more, but he selfishly wants to keep him by his side forever. 

Luffy feels like home, and being home is something Law hasn’t felt for the longest time, the last time being so long ago that he can barely remember ever feeling it at all.

Law glances at Luffy out of the corner of his eye and sees the younger man already looking at him with an expression he can’t decipher. 

“I never stopped thinking about you, Torao,” Luffy says softly, breaking their companionable silence. Law turns his head to face him fully, eyes wide as he tries to digest the words coming out of Luffy’s mouth.

“You were always so nice to me, even if I was annoying. You were gentle and patient and I never forgot about it.” Luffy’s eyes are soft and he smiles fondly.

“I wanted to track you down sooner, but I wanted to show you that I’m not a stupid kid anymore, y’know?” Luffy chuckles and scratches the back of his head before looking out towards the horizon. 

Law doesn’t look away, instead he stares reverently at Luffy’s side profile, drinking in the sight of his sharp jawline and the cute curve of his nose.

“So I wanted to wait until after my degree, but then I saw you that day…” Luffy trails off and looks down at his lap where his fists are clenched in frustration. “I couldn’t wait anymore.”

“I don’t care about degrees, or careers, or anything stupid like that,” Law says firmly when he finally finds his voice, wondering if Luffy can hear him over the sound of his heart frantically beating in his ribcage. “For me it’s enough that you’re you.” 

Law pauses and bites his lip, struggling to find the right words.

“But… a lot has changed, I’ve changed, since back then,” Law tells him, a somber tone to his voice. “After Cora died… it was hard, it still is, and I can be cold and distant–”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to disappoint you, but I'm not easy to be around.”

Luffy finally tears his eyes away from his lap and looks up at Law, and the stars that finally emerge reflect in those big, dark orbs. 

“That’s not for you to decide,” Luffy says, a determined expression on his face.

“I’ll have bad days too, y’know? And that’s fine,” Luffy says genuinely and shuffles even closer to Law. “But you’re not difficult, you’re just human. And I like being around you whether you’re having a bad day or not.”

Law gapes at Luffy, once again at a loss for words at the honesty pouring out of him, radiating empathy and affection in ways that feel so unfamiliar to him. He can’t help but feel undeserving, but he craves it so much he aches.

The inexplicable urge to reject it all is nonsensical, and he would be a fool to reject Luffy’s affections and care. The words spoken by Cora almost fifteen years ago echo through his head, like a far-away whisper.

‘It's okay to be soft sometimes, Law.’

“Can I kiss you?” Luffy breathes, licking his lips. 

You win, Luffy, Law thinks as every fiber of his being finally relents, and he lets himself succumb to what he’s been yearning for. 

I give in.

Law doesn’t respond with words, not trusting his vocal chords to work with the way he can feel his heart in his throat. Instead he leans in and gently cups Luffy’s cheek before closing his eyes, and he finally captures those irresistible lips with his own in a tender kiss.

He feels a shiver travel down his spine at the long-awaited feeling of their lips locking, and he hopes Luffy can’t feel how the hand cupping his cheek trembles. 

He starts pulling back, intending to say something, but Luffy wraps his arms around his neck and deepens the kiss eagerly, the previous tenderness thrown out the window. Law promptly forgets what he was about to say and instead climbs into Luffy’s lap without breaking their lip-lock for a single moment, not wanting to waste anymore time not kissing him. Luffy’s hands travel down his back until they finally settle on his hips, and Law prods his tongue against Luffy’s lips until he parts them, the feeling of their tongues swirling around each other making Law gasp into his mouth.

“Torao,” Luffy mumbles against his lips, his breaths coming out in sharp pants. 

Law reluctantly breaks the kiss and presses their foreheads together, trying to catch his breath.

“Torao, look,” Luffy says, making Law blink his eyes open. The first thing he sees is Luffy’s flushed face and shiny lips, his disheveled shirt making his chest look even more inviting, and the sight makes a new wave of arousal crash over him. 

He realizes Luffy isn’t looking at him but rather his gaze is focused on something over his shoulder, and Law twists his head to see what could possibly be so important that he has to interrupt this.

Fireflies. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of them weaving in and out of the tall grass, brightly blinking as nightfall blankets them. 

An old memory of a similar sight many years ago resurfaces and Law’s lips curl upwards into a fond smile when he turns back to look at Luffy’s awestruck face, his eyes glittering as if the starlit skies themselves resided in those dark depths. 

Law leans forward to bury his face into the crook of Luffy’s neck, knowing the younger man can feel the smile against his skin. He plants soft kisses all the way from his collarbone up to his jaw before he pulls back just enough to whisper into his ear, his lips ghosting against the shell of it. 

“Did you know fireflies are actually beetles?”  

Luffy is quiet for a moment before he groans, the blush blossoming on his cheeks too adorable. Law could just eat him up. 

“Shut up,” Luffy whines, the grip on his hips tightening. 

“You were such a little smartass.” Law chuckles, leaning back so they’re face to face.

“You’re making fun of me,” Luffy says with a pout, and Law can’t resist capturing that pout with his own lips.

Luffy quickly forgets that he’s supposed to be upset and pulls him closer, licking his way into Law’s mouth with urgency. It’s messy, unrefined, and wet, and Law doesn’t want to have it any other way. Luffy kisses like he’s starved for it, and Law’s lips happen to be his first meal in months.

They only manage to get glimpses of the meteor shower that night; and it was truly breathtaking. Although nothing compares to the sight of Luffy’s mussed up hair, sparkling eyes, and swollen lips– Law wishes he could tattoo the image into his skin to carry with him forever. 

~~~

The ride back into town is hell on earth, if you ask Law, with Luffy distractingly kissing his neck and rubbing his dick through his pants the whole drive. Law has to roughly pull him back by the hair after snapping at him to stop unless he wants them to crash into a fucking tree. 

“Be a good boy and wait, yeah?” Law says, not really thinking about the words coming out of his mouth. 

Luffy inhales sharply and his eyes practically roll back into his head at the words, and Law raises an eyebrow as he contemplates the reaction.

“I’ll be good, I’ll be so good,” Luffy whines, and Law feels his dick twitch before he releases the hold on his hair. 

Interesting.

Luffy is on his best behavior after that, until they get into the apartment building and Law finds himself being thrown over Luffy's shoulder as he takes the stairs two at a time.

“Luffy! There’s an elevator!” Law complains as he’s carried up the stairs like a useless ragdoll.

“I’m faster,” Luffy says confidently, any pretense of being good long forgotten. 

When they get to the correct floor, Law is placed back on the ground and they barely make it through the door before he’s plastered against it by an overly excited Luffy. 

“Luffy,” Law calls out between forceful kisses. “Luffy.”

“What,” Luffy grunts and reluctantly pulls away from the kiss, instead nuzzling his nose into the crook of Law’s neck as his hands roam past his waist and down to his ass. Law bites back a moan as Luffy’s large hands cup his ass cheeks, but when the shorter man’s thigh presses against the growing bulge in his pants, he forcibly pulls away.

“If you don’t slow down, we’re not doing this tonight,” Law says firmly, unwilling to let his arousal make him stupid. He wants to take his time with Luffy, he wants to make it memorable.

Luffy whimpers and rocks his hips against Law’s leg, leaving a trail of kisses along his neck and jaw. 

“Please,” Luffy pleads, his lips brushing against Law’s earlobe.

Law threads his fingers through Luffy’s hair and yanks his head back, drawing a choked out moan. 

“Bedroom,” Law growls, and Luffy quickly backs away and lets him lead them towards it.

The bedroom is pitch black when they enter, but Law swiftly twists the dimmer on the wall to bathe the room in a soft orange. He wants to see Luffy in all his naked glory, after all. 

Luffy perches on the bed, his leg bouncing impatiently as he watches Law slowly make his way towards him. He sees Luffy’s eyes following the sway of his hips and he bites his lip to suppress a smirk.

Law stops between Luffy’s spread legs, standing close but not quite close enough to touch.

“Do you trust me?” Law asks, reaching out a hand to tenderly cup Luffy’s cheek. 

Luffy nods, staring up at him with wide eyes as his fists clench in his lap.

“Use your words, firefly.”

“Yes, I trust you,” Luffy rasps out, practically trembling with the effort it takes for him to not jump Law’s bones right then and there.

Law hums, releasing Luffy’s cheek to instead slide his hand down to his chest. He spreads the shirt open painstakingly slowly before he slides it past Luffy’s wide shoulders, until his upper body is completely bare.

“Lie down,” Law murmurs, and Luffy is quick to comply. He lays down in the middle of the bed and Law follows, straddling Luffy’s lap but pointedly avoids sitting on his crotch.

“Good boy,” he coos, testing his theory from the car.

Luffy’s reaction is instantaneous– he shivers before his hands shoot out to harshly grip Law’s thighs, and he bucks his hips in search of something, anything, to give him a semblance of friction where he needs it the most.

Praise kink, huh? Law might just be the luckiest man in the world.

He pauses momentarily to admire the breathtaking sight underneath him: Luffy laid out on silk sheets with his muscled and strong upper body on display, dark curls between defined pecs so inviting that Law can’t resist reaching out a hand to lightly drag his fingers across the wide expanse of his chest, his touch even softer when it passes the rough skin of the scar. 

A smirk tugs at his lips as Luffy lets out a soft gasp at the barely-there caress. 

His hand continues its journey south until it reaches Luffy’s treasure trail, and he suppresses an appreciative groan at the sight of the very large, very hard cock pressing against its clothed confines.

“You look so good like this,” Law breathes. “So good for me.”

Luffy shudders at his words and Law dips his head to press featherlight kisses along the rough edges of his scar, the hand previously splayed across Luffy’s chest traveling towards one of his nipples. 

So the scar is more sensitive. 

He feels excitement thrumming under his skin at the thought of finally playing with those goddamn nipple piercings.

He circles his finger around the nipple and feels it harden, but doesn’t give Luffy any warning before he harshly tugs on the piercing.

“Oh god,” Luffy keens, throwing his head back on the mattress. The grip on his thighs is unrelenting and Law knows he’ll have finger-shaped bruises there for days. 

The reaction spurs Law on and he latches his mouth around the nipple, sucking and nibbling on the stiffening nub as Luffy’s breaths quicken and incoherent words spill past his lips, mixing with heavy pants and drawn-out moans. Law finally tugs on the jewelry with his teeth, and he’s sure it’s rough enough to be painful, but Luffy doesn’t complain– he seems to revel in the pain. 

Luffy’s hands travel up the expanse of Law’s back until they settle in his hair, roughly threading through the soft strands before pushing his face against his chest as if he wants more. 

“Jesus fuck, Torao, don’t stop,” Luffy chokes out, and the sound of profanities coming out of his mouth only works as a motivator for Law.

He reaches up to grab Luffy’s wrists and pins them against the mattress, holding the other man down while he swaps to the other nipple to give it the same treatment as the first, swirling and flicking his tongue over the peak. 

There’s a salty taste to Luffy’s skin that Law can’t seem to get enough of, and the thin sheen of sweat covering the swell of his muscular chest makes him want to lap at it for the rest of the night. He’s already addicted to Luffy’s scent and taste, and he can’t wait to taste other parts of him.

Law leans back to observe the wrecked state of the man between his thighs, and he bites his lip at the sight of Luffy’s red face, his pupils blown wide with arousal, looking like he’s on the verge of snapping. 

“Torao,” he growls, half-heartedly pushing against the tight grip on his wrists. 

Law smirks before he leans forward until his lips ghost against Luffy’s, their breaths mingling.

“There’s so many things I wanna do to you,” Law purrs, pressing a soft kiss against the corner of his mouth.

“Please,” Luffy whines needily, chasing after his lips in an attempt to deepen the kiss. 

Law ignores him and instead peppers tender kisses along his jawline. 

“Anything,” Luffy begs, arching his back and pushing his hips up in search of relief.

“Anything?” Law raises a brow before his eyes flicker down to Luffy’s chest again.

“I wanna fuck your tits,” he says lowly, and Luffy jolts underneath him, making a strangled noise.

Law releases his grip on Luffy’s wrists and gets up from his seat on top of him. He stands next to the bed and unbuckles his belt before slowly unzipping his jeans, feeling Luffy’s eyes burning into him with an intensity Law has never seen before. It makes him draw in a sharp breath; he’s never felt so wanted before, and he’s never wanted someone like he wants Luffy. He wants to devour Luffy, he wants to keep him. 

He slides his boxers down his narrow hips until his erection springs out and bounces heavily against his abdomen, and he sighs in relief as the heated skin gets exposed to the cool air of the bedroom. He sees Luffy lick his lips at the sight, and his dick twitches at the attention.

Law pulls his hoodie and t-shirt over his head, throwing the clothes into a corner of the room, and he pauses at the bedside table to grab the bottle of lube before he gets back on the bed. 

He crawls over Luffy until he’s straddling his waist, his knees caging him in, and Luffy’s eyes seem to drink in every single inch of his naked body, especially lingering over the tattoos that cover his chest. Luffy reaches out to trace over the thick, black lines with calloused fingers and Law quivers at the touch, goosebumps erupting over his skin. 

The bottle of lube is cold in Law’s hands and it grounds him from losing track of what he’s supposed to be doing. He uncaps the bottle before pushing Luffy’s wandering hands away.

“Squeeze your tits together,” Law orders, and Luffy is quick to comply, his large hands sinking into the soft flesh of his muscular pecs as he pushes them together, creating a perfect valley for Law to rut into. He feels saliva pool in his mouth and swallows thickly before squeezing the bottle to drizzle lube onto Luffy’s chest.

Luffy hisses at the feeling of the cool liquid against his too-warm skin, and Law is quick to spread out the lube with his fingers in an attempt to warm it up.

“So good, so gorgeous,” Law murmurs huskily as he looks down at Luffy’s bulging and shiny tits.

Law slides a hand down to his cock and tugs on it a few times to spread the remainder of the lube over his length, and he lets out a soft moan at the feeling. Luffy huffs underneath him, and Law thinks he can see him losing his patience.

He smirks and lets go of his dick, leaning forward to rest one of his hands against the headboard as he tilts his hips downwards to slide his cock against the slick skin. 

He grabs onto the base of his cock with his free hand and angles it so it slides in between Luffy’s breasts, and he lets out a low groan at the feeling. He sets a slow yet firm pace, his hips snapping as he chases his release between Luffy’s fantastic tits. 

He tears his eyes away from the mesmerizing sight to look at Luffy’s face and sees him looking up at him through half-lidded eyes, his mouth slightly agape, and Law thinks he can see drool trickle down his chin.

“You feel so good, baby,” Law gasps, starting up a firm pace of thrusting back and forth.

“Torao,” Luffy tightens the grip on his tits, squeezing them even more, and Law feels his brain short-circuit at the sensations mixed with the sights. Luffy’s nipples look so swollen and puffy, and the scar and chest hair makes the glide feel slightly rough rather than completely smooth, something Law absolutely adores. 

“Wanna suck you,” Luffy says, his voice dangerously low as he looks up at Law with smoldering heat burning in his dark eyes.

Law bites his lip and thrusts one more time, two, three, before he reluctantly stops and moves further up Luffy’s body. Luffy releases the hold on his tits to place his hands on Law’s hips, lifting him up slightly to angle his cock against his lips. Law pulls back the foreskin as he readies himself to enter Luffy’s sinful mouth. 

Luffy diligently parts his lips and sticks his tongue out, and Law can’t resist slapping the head of his cock on the wet muscle, drawing out a whine from the younger man. He almost chokes on his own spit when Luffy tugs him forward until half of his dick is engulfed in that tight heat, and Luffy hollows out his cheeks as he eagerly sucks him down even deeper into his mouth.

Luffy traces the thick vein that runs on the underside of his length with his tongue, and any and all coherent thoughts leave Law’s mind the further he sinks into his wicked mouth. He cautiously ruts his hips forward and finds no resistance, wondering how the fuck he got so lucky as to have this man in his bed. 

No gag reflex. Fuck. 

He pulls out of his mouth before thrusting back in, and Luffy is so good, so perfect– flattening his tongue and slackening his jaw enough for his teeth to not graze against the sensitive skin of his cock. 

“Such a good boy,” Law manages to choke out, his words slurring as if intoxicated, and Luffy hums appreciatively around his throbbing length, swallowing around him. 

Law takes that as his cue to start up a rougher pace, and he begins to slam into Luffy’s mouth, his balls slapping against his chin, and he feels himself getting closer and closer to release. Luffy’s hands travel from his hips down to his ass, and Law is too far gone to protest when he feels one of his fingers pressing against his perineum, making him jerk forward until he’s buried all the way down Luffy’s throat. 

Luffy keeps rubbing against the sensitive spot, one of his other wandering fingers pressing against his hole until the tip of it dips in, and combined with Luffy swallowing around him, Law feels the fire pooling in his abdomen finally spill over as his vision fades to black, an earth-shattering orgasm making his body tremble with shivers as he shoots his load down Luffy’s throat.   

His climax lasts for several moments, and the feeling of time slowing overwhelms him, but Luffy is relentless, and he swallows down every single drop as he milks his pulsating cock until he hisses from overstimulation. Luffy relaxes his jaw and Law slides his dick out carefully, his chest heaving with his breaths. 

Law barely manages to recover and clear his vision from the black spots before he’s roughly rolled over until he’s on his back with Luffy towering over him, an animalistic glint in his obsidian eyes that makes the hair on Law’s neck stand up. 

Luffy unbuttons his pants one-handed and carelessly kicks them off of the bed, boxers nowhere in sight. 

Luffy is big, Law thinks hazily, and he appreciatively drinks in the sight of the massive cock, so large that it doesn’t even bend upwards, it just rests heavily against one of Luffy’s muscular thighs.

Luffy settles between Law’s spread legs, and Law scrambles to take back control of the situation.

“Slow down, firefly,” Law murmurs, wrapping his arms around Luffy’s wide back before he soothingly slides his hands across the taut muscle.

Luffy’s gaze softens momentarily, and he dips his head to nuzzle into Law’s neck.

“Please,” Luffy whimpers into his neck, his cock rubbing against Law’s thigh, the tip wet with so much precum that it makes the glide effortless.

“Please what?” Law teases, threading his fingers through Luffy’s hair.

“Can I–“ Luffy gasps, his hips stuttering as he continues to hump the older man’s leg. “Please let me–“

Law tugs on Luffy’s hair to make him look at him, and the sight makes his dick fill out at an alarming speed again; Luffy’s cheeks are flushed and his lips are shiny and bitten an angry red, and there’s wild desperation in his dark orbs as he looks at him pleadingly.

“Are you gonna be a good boy?” Law purrs, releasing his hair to cup his cheek gently, wiping away the tears he spilled during the blowjob with his thumb.

“I’ll be so good, I’ll be so good for you, Torao, please.”

Law hums and spreads his legs, hooking them around Luffy’s waist and pulling him in closer as the younger man presses his groin against his ass. The feeling of Luffy’s length rubbing against his hole makes him choke back a moan, and he wraps his arms around Luffy’s neck to pull him in for a messy kiss.

Luffy keens into his mouth, his hips sharply snapping against him before he stiffens and cums with a loud groan. Law pulls away and clicks his tongue when he feels the hot release dripping down his balls and past his rim, and he looks up at Luffy’s distraught face.

“I’m sorry,” Luffy whines, his doe eyes wet with unshed tears.

“I told you to slow down.” Law sighs, grasping Luffy’s chin with his hand to tilt it up. He leans in so his lips brush against Luffy’s ear, tickling it with his breath.

“You’ll get hard for me again, yeah?” He murmurs, tilting his hips up to press his own hardening erection against Luffy’s stomach. 

Luffy nods eagerly, his hands sliding up Law’s thighs until they grab onto his hips in a tight grip, thumbs harshly digging into the soft skin.

Law fumbles across the bed sheets with his free hand until he finds the bottle of lube. He picks it up and presses it against Luffy’s chest. 

“Be a good boy and go slow.” 

Luffy shakily takes the bottle and pours a generous amount on his fingers before carelessly discarding it, sliding his hands down Law’s lower back until he’s cupping one of his asscheeks, his other hand reaching for his entrance. Law can feel his hole flutter in anticipation as Luffy spreads him open before lightly prodding against his puckered rim with one finger.

Luffy is surprisingly gentle as he slowly dips his index finger to the first knuckle, and Law inhales sharply and squirms at the slight discomfort. He hasn’t done this with someone else in years, and the previous times were less-than pleasurable. 

But this time it’s Luffy. 

Luffy’s thick finger finally slides all the way into him and Law lets out a pleasured sigh as his body adjusts to the intrusion. 

“You’re doing good, baby,” he rasps wantonly, pushing down against Luffy’s finger. “More.”

Luffy is quick to comply, moving his finger in and out of his tight hole with his brows furrowed in concentration. He slides his middle finger in next and starts scissoring, curling his fingers each time they bottom out in search of his prostate.

Law’s body jolts when Luffy finds his sweet spot and his back arches, his nails raking across the younger man’s back, undoubtedly breaking the skin. He shudders when Luffy presses roughly against the sensitive bundle of nerves, and he forces himself to blink open his heavy eyelids to let his gaze fall on Luffy.

If Luffy looked like he was on the verge of snapping before, it’s nothing compared to what he looks like at this very moment– jaw tightly clenched, muscular chest heaving with breaths, and pupils even wider as his eyes hungrily drink in Law’s reactions to every delicious twist of his fingers. 

“Torao,” Luffy growls dangerously as he continues to thrust his fingers into the tight heat, ruthlessly slamming against his prostate, and Law can’t stop the desperate mewls from spilling past his lips.

“Ah, ahh– Luffy– don’t stop!” Law manages to choke out, throwing his head back against the mattress as his thighs clench around Luffy’s broad waist. 

Luffy whines, the grip on Law’s asscheek almost painful as the younger man squeezes it tight in frustration. “Can I put it in now? Please?”

“No!” Law feels what is unmistakably Luffy’s rock hard and ridiculously sized cock against the back of his thigh, and he looks up at him with a mortified expression.

Luffy huffs and Law feels a third finger joining the other two, and the stretch burns so good, his dick leaking pre-cum as it rubs against Luffy’s belly with each tilt of his hips as he chases after those thick fingers with every thrust.

Law finds his coherency slipping away as Luffy skillfully picks him apart, so he squeezes one of his arms between their sweat-slicked bodies to press a trembling hand against Luffy’s sternum. 

“Enough,” Law grunts, pushing Luffy back. 

Luffy looks concerned as he pulls his fingers out, but he leans back dutifully, his muscles wound taut with tension as if he’s forcing himself to not ravish Law and take what he wants. 

Law reaches for the discarded bottle of lube and squeezes a dollop onto his palm before he roughly jerks Luffy’s cock with it, making the younger man collapse onto his elbows on top of him, groaning into his neck. 

With strength Law doesn’t realize he has, he flips them over until he’s once again straddling Luffy, and he finally feels a semblance of control return to him. He doesn’t give Luffy enough time to speak or even think before he’s reaching behind him for his cock, heavy and warm in his palm, as he lines up his entrance with the leaking tip.

“Torao– are you sure–” Luffy stutters, his cheeks red as his hands tentatively reach for Law’s hips.

“Yes.” Law lets out a shaky moan as he slowly sinks down on the large cock, the head stretching him so much he feels every single thought he’s ever had evaporate. 

“So big,” Law pants, sinking down even further. “So good.” 

The praise seems to reassure Luffy and he grips Law’s hips tightly, but doesn’t thrust up into the tempting, velvety heat like Law expected. He stays still until Law is fully seated on his lap with the massive cock spearing him, like the good boy he is. 

Luffy’s dick fills him up in ways he never thought possible; his sensitive walls on overdrive as the sensations send sparks of electricity down his spine, his heart hammering in his chest as his thighs tremble with exertion.

“You fill me up so good, baby.” Law exhales as his body adjusts around the girthy cock, his hands roaming over Luffy’s chest before they still, and he lifts himself up until only the tip is inside. 

Luffy eyes are scrunched closed as moans and incoherent words spill past his kiss-bitten lips, head thrown back leaving his throat bared, and Law can see the tendons on his neck straining as Luffy struggles against the overwhelming pleasure. Law sinks down roughly again, the sound of skin slapping against skin loud even amongst their moans and heavy breaths.

“Open your eyes, firefly,” Law purrs, sliding a hand over to one of Luffy’s nipples. Luffy opens his eyes, looking up at him with desperation mixed with burning passion pooling in his dark eyes, and Law abruptly tugs on the piercing. Luffy cries out at the pain-pleasure, and Law sets a pace of riding his cock while he plays with his tits, slowly lifting himself up before roughly sinking back down, his own dick bouncing against his belly each time Luffy bottoms out inside of him. 

Luffy slides his hands up to his slim waist, thumbs harshly digging into the soft flesh as his half-lidded eyes sultrily roam over the body on top of him.

“Can I?” Luffy asks, a pleading lilt to his tone as he unexpectedly snaps his hips upwards, hitting Law’s prostate dead-on.

Law’s body jerks, losing his rhythm as he sees stars.

“Ahh– Luffy–“

“Please?” Luffy asks wantonly again, emphasizing exactly what he wants with another rough thrust up into Law’s clenching hole.

“W–wait,” Law gasps, and doesn’t realize Luffy has planted his feet on the bed until Luffy starts a ruthless pace of thrusting up into him.

Law finally loses grip on his sanity as Luffy hammers into his prostate over and over again, and he can only sink his nails into the skin of the younger man’s chest as he’s taken for a ride, quite literally. 

“You drive me fucking crazy,” Luffy growls heatedly, using the bruising grip on Law’s waist to pull him down to meet his frantic thrusts, his ass roughly landing on Luffy’s lap with wet slaps. 

Drops of sweat slide down his back, and wave after wave of almost unbearable pleasure wash over him as his hole gets fucked raw with each unforgiving snap of Luffy’s hips. Law babbles uselessly, trying in vain to form words of disapproval, but his body betrays him by reacting in ways that show Luffy just how much he likes being fucked like this.

Luffy stops after a particularly brutal thrust, bottoming out inside the wet heat of his hole before he sits up and wraps his arms fully around Law’s waist, pulling him closer so they’re chest to chest. He leans up to press his lips against Law’s as he starts rolling his hips in slow and firm motions, and they pant into each other's mouths as their lips frantically lock with unbridled desperation and passion.

Their tongues swirl around each other messily as spit dribbles down their chins, and Luffy swallows down every pathetic mewl and whimper that crawls out of Law’s throat.

Law reluctantly pulls away from the kiss in an attempt to catch his breath, but Luffy quickly latches onto his collarbone instead to hungrily nip and lick along it, leaving a trail of bright red marks in his wake.

“I can’t– I’m gonna–“ Luffy grunts, his hips stuttering the closer he gets to the edge.

Law threads his fingers through Luffy’s hair before he tugs, pulling the younger man away from where he’s been feasting on his skin.

“You gonna be a good boy and fill me up?” Law rasps, his throat raw.

“Yes, yes, please–” Luffy whimpers, speeding up the uneven pace of his desperate thrusts. “Daddy.”

Law gasps, his jaw slackening in shock as he feels a jolt of white hot pleasure searing in his abdomen at being called daddy. His cock leaks even more and he realizes with a sudden clarity he definitely wants to explore this newly discovered kink.

Luffy clenches his jaw shut after his clearly accidental outburst and buries his red face into Law’s neck, mumbling apologies into it as his thrusts slow.

“Baby, look at me,” Law coos reassuringly, grinding his hips down onto Luffy’s cock.

Luffy reluctantly lifts his head and looks up at Law with his wide doe eyes, his lips downturned into a frown. He’s still blushing, and Law finds it fucking adorable.

“I want you to fill daddy up with your cum,” Law whispers heatedly, rolling his hips sensually and moaning as Luffy’s cock hits his prostate just right.

Luffy looks up at him with something akin to awe sparkling in his eyes before he leans forward to capture Law’s lips in another passionate kiss, and Law tries to communicate just how much he likes everything about Luffy by attempting to pour the very essence of his soul into their heated lip-lock. 

Luffy starts rutting up into Law’s clenching hole again with renewed effort, his thick arms squeezing tightly around his body, the embrace almost suffocating. Law bites down on Luffy’s lower lip hard enough to break the skin, making him let out a guttural groan of pleasure that Law swallows down greedily, lapping his tongue over the bleeding wound on Luffy's lip.

Law grinds down on Luffy’s cock to meet his every thrust, sweat trickling down his brow as he feels himself getting closer to the edge of ecstasy, the glide of their bodies providing just enough friction for his leaking dick trapped between them. He pulls away from the kiss and buries his face where Luffy’s neck meets his shoulder, panting and whimpering praises with each electrifying slam onto his prostate, Luffy’s calloused hands leaving a trail of fire where they roam over his back and ass.

“Luffy– fuck, baby, I’m close–”

Luffy’s breaths are labored, his thrusts growing more and more erratic with each snap of his hips, and it’s not long before he tenses up, his short nails digging into the skin of Law’s back as he bottoms out and spills his seed into Law’s insides. Law feels the hot, thick liquid filling up his hole to the brim, and he throws his head back and moans, a mixture of curse words and Luffy’s name spilling past his spit-slicked lips. It’s like a tightly coiled spring finally snaps, and he feels himself dissolving into pleasure as wave after wave of delectable bliss washes over him, his hips stuttering as he milks Luffy’s pulsing cock for every single drop, his own cum splattering their chests and stomachs as he climaxes practically untouched. 

“Torao– Law,” Luffy breathes, affection dripping from his voice, his arms wrapping around Law’s waist as they both come down from their highs, their bodies sticky with a mixture of sweat and cum which should be disgusting but Law can’t bring himself to care. 

“That was- wow,” Luffy whispers, sounding breathless before he starts giggling into the crook of Law’s neck, the puffs of air tickling the sensitive skin.

“Mmhm.” Law can only hum in agreement, feeling spent and sore in places he didn’t know could be sore, but also feeling oh-so content being held by Luffy after the best sex of his life. 

Law feels cum dripping out of his asshole as Luffy’s cock deflates, and he winces with discomfort. He wants to clean up but he’s so goddamn comfortable in Luffy’s arms, and he can’t help but feel like their bodies slot together perfectly, and he feels like home. 

“Let’s take a bath, baby,” he manages to mumble after a few moments, the need to be clean finally winning over his contentment. 

Luffy nods enthusiastically, his dick twitching where it’s lodged inside of Law, making the older man’s eyes widen. 

Again? Already? 

Luffy abruptly stands them up from the bed, still holding onto Law who scrambles to wrap his arms around Luffy’s neck.

“Is that the bathroom?” Luffy says, walking towards the double doors at the far end of the bedroom. 

“That’s the closet,” Law tells him with an amused smile on his lips, hidden where his face is still buried into Luffy’s shoulder.

Luffy turns around and walks to the other door until they successfully make it into the master bathroom, and Luffy looks around in awe at the size of it. The countertop made out of white marble has two sinks with Law’s skincare neatly organized along it, and the vintage-looking taps are made out of brass, a design choice made by Law himself when he moved in. 

“Whoa. You loaded or something?” Luffy gapes as he looks around the big bathroom, gently sliding out of Law and placing him down on the tiled floors. Law hisses as his puffy and sore hole contracts around nothing but air, feeling awfully empty as he stands there on wobbly legs. He makes a grimace at the feeling of cum slowly seeping out of his hole and sliding down his inner thighs.

“You could say that,” he admits, limping over to the clawfoot bathtub to twist the taps, and the sound of water hitting porcelain is strangely soothing as Law eagerly looks forward to dipping his aching body into the hot water. Luffy follows him around like an eager puppy, looking over Law’s shoulder at the large bathtub and the steam rising from the water.

“Your tattoos are so hot,” Luffy says hungrily after a few peaceful moments, and Law startles when he feels warm palms enveloping his bruised hips. 

He twists his head to look behind him and sees Luffy’s eyes roaming over his body before they lock onto his ass, dazedly watching his own cum dripping down Law’s thighs. His eyes flicker down to Luffy’s dick and he sees it filling out slowly but surely, the stupidly big thing looking shiny and awfully appetizing the longer Law looks at it. 

Luffy tears his eyes away from where they’ve been focused on Law’s ass to look up at him from under his long eyelashes, releasing Law’s hip with one of his hands to lazily stroke his hardening cock. He takes a step closer until he’s almost flush against Law’s back, and he carefully positions the head of his cock against Law’s sore hole, biting his lip. 

“Luffy,” Law says sternly, shying away from the touch and pressing himself up against the edge of the bathtub. 

“Please?” Luffy asks sweetly, his arms wrapping around Law’s waist as he plasters himself against the older man’s back, his chin hooking over his shoulder as his cock rubs between Law’s asscheeks.

“I’m too sore.” Law sighs, his own arousal pooling in his belly, and he lets out a soft gasp when the tip of Luffy’s cock catches on his rim. He tugs on the hands splayed over his chest and Luffy reluctantly lets him go. Law turns around so they’re facing each other, and he lifts a hand to gently cup Luffy’s cheek, tenderly dragging his thumb over the scar under his eye, before he leans down to brush their lips in a kiss. 

“Get in the bath and I’ll take care of you,” Law murmurs against his lips, and Luffy is quick to comply, pulling away to climb into the bathtub. He hisses at the heat of the water but easily sinks in, and Law turns off the taps and climbs in behind him, sighing happily at the feeling of the water soothing his tired body. He gets comfortable with his back against the short end of the bathtub, his legs spread to accommodate Luffy’s width. 

He observes the deep scratch marks on Luffy’s back with something akin to glee spreading in his chest, a primal part of him satisfied at having marked his lover.

“Lean back against me,” Law tells him, and Luffy does, his wide back pressing against his chest while the back of his head rests against Law’s shoulder.

Law starts gently stroking and massaging Luffy’s torso under the water, his touch firm but fleeting. He gets carried away when he reaches Luffy’s pecs, the alluring softness of the muscle making Law’s breath hitch, and he continues his ministrations before pausing at Luffy’s nipples, lightly pinching the hardening nubs before he abruptly tugs on the piercings. 

Luffy is practically putty in his hands, little moans and gasps spilling past his lips at every touch he receives. Law’s own erection presses against Luffy’s lower back and he can’t resist grinding against him, biting back moans of his own before his hands slide lower until he grabs the base of Luffy’s cock. He reaches further with his other hand and starts fondling his heavy balls gently as he starts to slowly jerk him off.

“Feel good, baby?” he whispers breathily into the younger man’s ear, and Luffy shivers before he pushes his hips up, chasing after Law’s hand in an attempt to quicken the pace.

“Yes,” Luffy whimpers, his fingers digging into soft skin as he tightly grips Law’s thighs.

Law looks at the side of Luffy’s face, taking note of the wet hair plastered against his forehead, his cheeks red from the heat of the bath and his arousal. Law speeds up his strokes, and Luffy scrunches his eyes closed, his swollen lips parting as he breathes heavily.

Law wets his lips at the sight and dips his head to nip at Luffy’s earlobe, soothing the bites with little licks before he moves down to his neck. He sucks a hickey over his pulse point, briefly feeling slightly juvenile at the action but not caring enough to stop. 

He wants to mark Luffy, he realizes, feeling a wave of possessiveness wash over him that catches him by surprise. He decides to give in to the impulse and starts working on another hickey, leaning back to observe the red marks with satisfaction.

Luffy is a babbling mess at this point, and the sounds of his pleasured groans in sync with the splashing of water as Law jerks him off echoes in the large bathroom. Law can’t help but love the feel of the heavy cock in his hand, and he flicks his thumb over the slit when he feels Luffy’s balls tighten the closer he gets to his release. 

He stops his strokes abruptly, tightly gripping the base of Luffy’s cock to stave off his climax. 

“Stand up. I wanna blow you,” he says heatedly, and Luffy’s eyes blink open in shock, turning his head to look at Law with gleeful disbelief painting his features. Luffy doesn’t need to be told twice, though, and he scrambles to get up from his seated position and turns around so he’s standing over Law, his hands trembling with excitement.

Law kneels in the tub, the porcelain hard and unforgiving under his bony knees, but he ignores the unpleasant feeling in favor of eyeing the tasty meal in front of him. Law places his hands on the backs of muscular thighs, and Luffy tentatively grabs his cock, his dark eyes following every single move that Law makes with intrigue.

Law dips his head to lap at the tip, and Luffy carefully threads his fingers through his hair with the hand not holding his cock. He leans in more, enveloping the head in the hot cavern of his mouth, and Luffy keens, the hand in Law’s hair tightening its grip until it’s almost painful. 

Law tests the waters by sinking down further, inch after inch of the massive cock disappearing into his mouth, and he feels tears stinging his eyes the more he feeds into his mouth. But Law isn’t a quitter, and when the head hits the back of his throat, he swallows, making Luffy roughly snap his hips. Law moans around the hard length, tears now freely running down his face as he tries to breathe through his nose, slobbering all over himself as saliva drips down his chin.

Law looks up at Luffy from under heavy eyelids, the tears clumping his eyelashes together blurring his vision but not enough to miss the hunger in Luffy’s eyes as he looks down at him.

He pulls back off of the cock with a loud pop, wiping his mouth with his forearm and gasping for air. 

“I want you to fuck daddy’s mouth,” he rasps, his throat already sore, but he wants this so badly that he refuses to back down. 

Law prefers being in control, loves it even, and would usually shy away from handing the reins over to anyone else. His lack of trust for other people plays a big part in it, but with Luffy… it feels almost natural– the trust comes effortlessly, and Law wants to reward Luffy for being such a good boy for him.

Luffy’s breath hitches at his words and he bites his lip, reaching out to tenderly wipe the tears running down Law’s cheeks with his thumb before he pulls him towards his crotch. Law opens his mouth and slackens his jaw dutifully as he prepares himself for what is sure to leave him hoarse for days.

Luffy guides his leaking cock into Law’s mouth again, and the taste of the younger man leaves him feeling intoxicated, the slightly bitter and salty flavor making him just want more. He hums dazedly around Luffy’s length as he inches into his mouth until he’s almost bottomed out, Law’s nose buried into dark curls. 

He inhales deeply, the scent mixing with the taste making his brain short-circuit, and he’s caught off-guard when Luffy abruptly pulls out to the tip before slamming back into the tight heat of his throat.

“Fuck, Torao," Luffy groans, setting an unforgiving pace as he follows Law’s order to a T, ruthlessly fucking into his mouth as he chases his release. 

The sounds they’re making are obscene, but Law is way too far gone to focus on the wet squelching noises as he gags around the cock in his throat. Luffy doesn’t slow down to give him a break, he just fucks his mouth through it and Law can’t help but adore it, the burning sensation in his scalp from his hair being pulled only making him love it more.  

His own erection stands proud under the water, and he can’t resist releasing one of his hands from the tight grip on Luffy’s thigh to start stroking it, and he whines needily around the cock in his mouth. His strokes are uneven, but he doesn’t think it matters when Luffy’s hips start to stutter and the words spilling past his lips turn into incoherent babbling the closer he gets to release.

Law blinks his eyes open and looks up at the sweating and panting mess Luffy has turned into, and he cums with a muffled groan, his vision turning white as his third orgasm of the night hits him like a fucking truck, and he practically cums dry as his overly sensitive and sore cock spurts out a few pathetic strings of it. 

He can barely hear anything over the blood roaring in his ears, and he almost chokes when he feels his mouth filling up with hot liquid, some of it leaking past his swollen lips as he stubbornly tries to swallow most of it. Luffy’s cock pulses in his mouth as ridiculous amounts of cum continue to shoot into his mouth and throat.

He’s gently pulled back off of Luffy’s cock and he gasps, his chest heaving with breaths as he tries to blink away the whiteness in his vision. 

When his vision finally clears he sees Luffy kneeling in front of him with a sheepish expression on his face, and he reaches out to cup Law’s face with his calloused hands, leaning in to press soft kisses on his brow and cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Torao,” he mumbles, concern lacing his voice. “I got carried away.”

“Hah?” Law’s voice cracks, and he flinches at the soreness in his throat. He clears his throat and puts his own hands over Luffy’s, his lips tugging up into a fond smile.

“I liked it,” he admits, when he’s done catching his breath. “If I didn’t like it, I would’ve stopped you.”

“Okay.” Luffy smiles, seemingly relieved at the admission. He leans in to capture Law’s lips in a soft kiss filled with affection and sweet promises, and Law can’t do anything but reciprocate, feeling himself melt in Luffy’s arms.

“Let’s shower and go to bed, yeah?” Law mumbles against Luffy’s lips, feeling the tiredness of a long day finally settle in. 

Luffy nods, and Law pulls the bath plug before they get out of the tub, and he feels like a newborn deer when he walks over to the shower with Luffy close behind him, the hands on his hips steadying him.

Law’s shower is as grand as the rest of the bathroom, with large glass doors and sleek tiles, his shampoos and soaps organized neatly, and the showerhead is one of those fancy rainfall ones that he doesn’t regret investing in for a single second. They both easily fit inside the large space and Law groans appreciatively at the feeling of the hot water cascading down onto him.

Law steps out of the water and reaches for the shampoo first, pouring some into his palm before beckoning Luffy closer. Luffy stops in front of him, his hands automatically shooting out to grab Law’s hips in a gentle hold, looking up at him with his big eyes, wet hair plastered over his forehead. 

Luffy looks delectable naked, but even more so when he’s wet and shiny, fat drops of water rolling down his muscled chest. Law wonders if he’s drooling.

He lathers up the shampoo in his palms before he sinks his hands into Luffy’s hair, gently massaging his scalp. He pays special attention behind Luffy’s ears and he chuckles when Luffy sighs happily and pushes up into his touch like he’s some big cat. He pours some more shampoo out for himself and washes his own hair before they both return under the spray to rinse it out, stealing kisses like lovesick teenagers. Law finds that he doesn’t mind. 

He grabs the body wash next and starts by soaping up Luffy’s muscular back, massaging and stroking the skin, digging his fingers into particularly tight spots. Luffy groans at the sensations, relaxing under Law’s skillful hands as the older man mumbles praises under his breath. He gently grabs Luffy’s elbow and turns him around, and he soaps up his chest, gently running his hands over the large scar as his eyes appreciatively drink in the sight of those tits covered in suds. His dick twitches weakly.

“Do you even realize how hot you are?” Law asks while scrubbing Luffy’s muscular arms, his hands easily gliding over the prominent biceps. If he hadn’t already gone for three rounds today, he’s sure his cock would be standing proud at the sight of this greek god of a man standing in his shower. 

“Eh?” Luffy tilts his head, furrowing his brow. “I guess? I don’t think about it much.”

Law hums. “Well, you are.”

“Thanks!” Luffy smiles broadly, practically preening at the compliment. “You too.”

Law kneels in front of him and starts lathering up his broad thighs, and when he looks up he sees a mischievous look on Luffy’s face. 

“I think I like seeing you on your knees for me,” Luffy says cheekily, reaching out a hand to gently stroke Law’s cheek.

“I think you need to keep it in your pants until tomorrow,” Law tells him firmly and stands up to scrub his own body down. There is absolutely no way he can go for round four tonight.  

“But I’m not wearing pants,” Luffy pouts, moving to stand under the showerhead to rinse off.

“Ask me again after breakfast tomorrow,” Law says, making Luffy let out a pitiful whine. 

“Be good, baby, I’ll make it worth your while,” he adds, pulling him close to capture his lips in a heated kiss, and he runs the tip of his tongue over Luffy’s bottom lip before he abruptly pulls away, opening the glass door of the shower to get the towels.

Luffy groans, exasperated and horny, by the look of his already hardening cock. 

“Fine,” he sighs in defeat, and Law hands him a fluffy white towel before wrapping his own around his waist. Law digs up a spare toothbrush from one of the drawers and they brush their teeth together in a companionable silence that’s only broken by Luffy endearingly humming a song slightly out of tune as they get ready for bed.

When they walk back into the bedroom, Luffy trips over Law’s jeans and something tumbles out of the pocket. Law’s eyes widen and he quickly tries to grab it, but Luffy is faster and snatches it up, curiously inspecting the little trinket.

Law feels his cheeks heat up in embarrassment as he waits for Luffy to realize exactly what it is, and he waits with bated breath, hoping that Luffy somehow had forgotten. 

There’s no way he remembers, right?

“Is this–” Luffy turns to look at him with wide and shiny eyes, a soft smile stretching his lips.

Law adjusts the towel around his waist and stares stubbornly at the wall. “Maybe.”

“It is! You kept it? All these years?” Luffy says and Law barely has enough time to muster up a response before he’s quite literally swept off of his feet when the younger man lifts him and happily spins them around the room. 

Law mutters for Luffy to put him down half-heartedly, but he can’t help but feel pleasantly warm at seeing the other man so happy. Knowing he’s the cause for said happiness makes his stomach flip pleasantly.

“You’re so cute, Torao!” Luffy laughs, putting him down but not letting him go. He wraps his arms around Law’s waist and stares up at him reverently, nothing but pure affection glittering in his dark orbs. 

“Shut up,” Law tells him, but the smile on his face betrays him.

Luffy giggles before he leans in to plant a wet kiss on his lips. 

“So is that a yes?” He asks, tilting his head curiously.

“What?” Law replies, furrowing his brow in confusion.

“To being my boyfriend, duh.” Luffy rolls his eyes before giving Law a look like he’s an idiot.

“Hmm,” Law pretends to consider it, tapping his chin. 

“I thought you wanted to marry me,” he teases.

“Would you say yes?” Luffy asks eagerly, his eyes lighting up.

Law laughs at the ridiculousness of the situation, and he dips his head to kiss Luffy’s cheek affectionately. “Let’s start by being boyfriends and see what happens, alright?”

Luffy nods eagerly, the big smile on his face shining brighter than the fucking sun, and Law quickly pulls him towards the bed before he does something stupid like propose to Luffy himself. 

They don’t bother putting any clothes on before they climb into bed, something that Law is positive Luffy is ecstatic about. He pulls Law close to him as soon as they get under the covers, and Law has no choice but to settle on top of Luffy’s chest. He doesn’t think it’s so bad, though– the squishy pec he’s laying on makes for a spectacular pillow.

Luffy sighs happily as he wraps his arms around Law’s waist, tangling their legs together. Law can’t help but hum appreciatively as he soaks in the body heat of the younger man, nuzzling his face into his chest.

“I’m so happy I met you, Torao,” Luffy whispers, planting a kiss on his forehead.

“Me too,” Law admits with a tender smile, and it’s not long until his eyelids grow heavy and he falls into a restful and dreamless sleep, feeling safe and content.

~~~ 

Law wakes up to sunrays glaring through the large windows of his bedroom, and he realizes regretfully that he forgot to close the blinds before he fell asleep. He buries his face into his pillow with a groan, but he realizes with a start that his pillow has a heartbeat, and he’s confused for several moments before his mind catches up, eventually resurfacing from the dreamy haze. 

He smiles sleepily, looking up at Luffy’s face where he’s splayed on his back, soft snores spilling past his lips as he continues to snooze peacefully. 

Luffy looks his age when he’s asleep– his relaxed features make him look soft and youthful, a far cry from how he’d looked last night when he was ravishing Law like a goddamn animal. Law shudders appreciatively as he thinks about their activities the other night, but the sharp pain in his lower back and ass is a stark reminder of how they perhaps had gotten a bit carried away.

He thinks he could spend hours watching Luffy sleep, but his dick twitches at the sight of the very naked, and very attractive young man in his bed, and he realizes he needs to distract himself before he accidentally instigates something his asshole isn’t quite ready for. He carefully rolls out of bed and slips on his midnight blue silk robe, quietly padding out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. He knows Luffy has a ravenous appetite, and after last night he’s positive he will need a hearty breakfast.

Law opens the fridge and retrieves eggs, diced pancetta and a variety of fresh vegetables, mixing the ingredients and starting the process of making omelets. The scent of his cooking must’ve wafted into the bedroom because he hears heavy footsteps and turns away from the stove to see a completely naked Luffy staring at him with droopy eyelids and a goofy smile, his messy hair sticking up in all directions. 

Cute. 

“Torao,” he sing-songs before making his way towards him, wrapping his arms around his waist and looking down at the contents of the frying pan. “That looks yummy.” 

Law hums, lifting the frying pan to slide the omelet onto a plate. “I’m making more, don’t worry.”

Luffy grins happily and grabs the plate, taking a seat at the kitchen table, bare ass and all. Law can’t find it in himself to be upset.

Law thinks three omelets should suffice, glancing over at the table and seeing the first one already polished off of the plate. He makes a smaller one for himself and serves the remaining two to a blissful Luffy who happily eyes the plate that Law carries over to the table. 

He bends over to put it down in front of Luffy, but he doesn’t release the plate, not yet. He dips his head to brush his lips against the shell of Luffy’s ear. 

“Aren’t you gonna give daddy a smooch first?” Law whispers before he leans back, a playful smile on his lips. 

Luffy’s cheeks turn a fiery red, the blush spreading all the way to his ears, and Law can’t help but chuckle heartily at the sight. Luffy tugs on Law’s robe to pull him closer, and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. 

“Dick,” Luffy mumbles, dragging the plate towards him and stuffing his mouth until his cheeks puff out like some sort of chipmunk.

Law sits down in the chair opposite of Luffy and just smirks, enjoying teasing the younger man a little too much.

“I haven’t forgotten about your promise last night,” Luffy says between bites, his eyes glinting with something almost primal. “You said after breakfast, right?”

Law gulps, instantly regretting the teasing when he realizes his ass will be more than just sore after Luffy is done with him.

Refusing to be intimidated, Law clenches his jaw unwaveringly, a spark of arousal lighting up in his lower belly. 

“Do your worst,” Law says cheekily before taking a sip of his coffee.

The wide smile and determined expression on Luffy’s face makes Law’s dick twitch, and Law realizes he can’t wait until they’ve finished eating.

~~~

If his coworkers notice the slight limp in his step the next day, none of them point it out. He can sense Shachi and Penguin looking at him with gleeful smiles on their faces, but he chooses to ignore them, going about his day like he always does. 

When Luffy arrives during lunch, a whirlwind of tangled limbs and wet kisses and a bouquet of sunflowers that get slightly bent and squished from their enthusiastic embrace, Shachi and Penguin watch from afar, snickering mischievously. 

He sees Shachi eyeing Luffy’s neck, and Law’s cheeks redden in mortification.

They finish eating, with Law pointedly not looking in his friend's direction, and Luffy kisses him heatedly before he leaves. “I’ll see you after work, yeah?”

“Mhm, yeah.” Law nods, unable to resist leaning in for another kiss before they part. He’s addicted, what can he say?

Luffy leaves with a skip in his step, and Law can’t help but follow him with his gaze, a fond smile curling his lips.

“Geez, Law, what are you? Sixteen?” Penguin says teasingly.

Law startles, having been spaced out watching Luffy’s sculpted ass swaying temptingly in the distance, and he’d been so focused on it he hadn’t noticed his friends sidling up next to him.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Law mutters, starting to walk away, the bouquet tightly clenched in his arms.

“Hickeys? Hickeys?” Shachi gasps through uncontrollable laughter, and Law feels his ears heating up. 

“Shut up,” Law hisses, walking towards his office with quickening steps. “Just because you don’t get laid.”

Shachi places a hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt.

“Oh no, Penguin, he wounds me,” he wails, grabbing onto Penguin in mock despair.

“It’s okay, Shach, one day you’ll find the boytoy of your dreams too.”

Law slams the door to his office closed with a scowl, and sees Bepo on the small couch in his office, his large stature folded awkwardly as he tries to fit on the small piece of furniture.

“For what it’s worth, Law, I’m happy for you, and I know those idiots are too.” Bepo smiles warmly, and Law’s eyes soften as he looks at his best friend. 

“Thanks, Bepo,” he says with a small smile, carefully placing the flowers on his desk.

He decides to give his friends a break, and he figures he should go easy on them even if they continue to ruthlessly tease him. 

Later that day, he goes to his locker to grab his things at the end of his shift, and an envelope slides out and flutters to the floor. He picks it up and opens it with furrowed brows, and glares darkly when he sees the contents.

The card says ‘Happy 16th Birthday!’ and when he opens it up, it says ‘Congrats on the sex!’ in terrible and wonky handwriting, and he knows exactly who’s responsible. 

He’s going to murder his friends.