Archive of Our Own

Luffy has always been a bundle of energy, running around the neighborhood, befriending everyone and everything that crossed his path. Yet there was no one he enjoyed being with more than his newfound brothers.

From an early age, he was always ready for an adventure, dragging Ace and Sabo with him on every escapade, discovering new things, getting into trouble and escaping every danger that came their way, even though Dadan would scold them relentlessly once they made it back to her house.

But it was fun, exciting, and boredom was something neither of them could even comprehend. Until the day Luffy learned of the existence of school.

All of a sudden, both of his favorite brothers seemed to be slipping away from him. They were gone for hours every day, and when they'd finally come back home, they were cranky and moody. They would refuse to play with him like they'd done before, saying they were tired or busy or that they had homework to do.

Was that what school was?

Luffy couldn't understand it.

They always played together, so why was it suddenly different? He didn't like this new arrangement at all.

"What the heck is school?" he had whined to Dadan one day after finding the house empty yet again. Being on his own was no fun. Not that a four-year-old could conceive such a notion, but Luffy never felt so abandoned in his short life before. He wished he could tag along, but his grandpa insisted he was too young to do so yet.

"It's where you go to learn things," Dadan told him simply, going about her chores without minding him much. She never did. "They teach all kids how to read, write and do math and all sorts of things you need to learn so you can be a useful adult in the future."

"That's dumb," Luffy huffed. "If it was that great, then you wouldn't be here!"

That earned him a good cuff on the head.

Well, Luffy didn't know how school was supposed to work, but it sounded super lame. If it meant acting like his brothers did when they came back from it and not being able to have fun anymore? Yeah, he already knew everything he needed to know. So imagine his surprise when Ace and Sabo started bringing someone else home with them in their second year in school.

It was a boy, thin along with a height that rivaled Luffy's own. Dark hair swept over his yellow eyes, and a scowl was plastered on his face.

"Who's he?" Luffy asked, running up to his brothers as they walked through the front door. Behind them, their guest followed quietly, hands deep in his pockets. His gaze swept around the entryway in silence.

"This guy's Trafalgar Law," Ace looked down at him and patted the stranger on the back. "We saw him win a fight against two fifth graders once. He's awesome! Law, this is our little brother, Luffy."

Law looked over his shoulder at Luffy with an expression of mild disdain. "Hi."

Luffy pouted. From up close, this guy didn't look all that impressive. Sure, the heavy dark circles under his eyes were kind of cool, but he didn't give off the kind of aura of someone who could beat up people. That aside, the name was kind of funny. What was it again? Tro-ra-lala?

"Why are you guys hanging out with this little kid rather than me!?"

"Believe it or not, Law is actually a year older than us, Luffy. He got held back because he got sick a lot and he just moved from Germany a couple days ago," Sabo appeared behind their visitor, a hand coming to rest on Luffy's spiky mop of hair. "We're working on a project together and he's gonna come over a lot to work on it. Try to be nice, okay?"

Luffy watched the three go upstairs with his mouth hanging open. This wasn't fair! Since when was it okay for his brothers to make new friends without him?!

Law came to Dadan's almost every day after that.

Even when the project was well over with, the trio remained inseparable. Apparently Ace and Sabo liked the kid well enough to keep him around, so here Law was, in the living room doing his homework while the rest of the house went on as usual.

Ace and Sabo tried engaging with him in conversation at first, but the guy just straight up ignored them. After a while they just stopped bothering and let Law do his own thing while they did theirs by watching TV.

To Luffy, this felt a bit too much like a betrayal. This weirdo was coming over and stealing all his brothers' attention just to sit silently in the corner? What was their deal with having such a useless guy around anyway?

With nothing else to do other than to get to know the quiet kid who had somehow won his way into his brother's favor, Luffy stomped over to the ravenhead and stopped before him with hands on hips.

"What's in your bag?"

"Books."

"What's that?"

"Homework."

"What are you working on?"

"Science."

"What's scien─"

"Go away Luffy! Stop bothering us," Ace glared over his shoulder and shooed him away.

Luffy stared at his feet with a huff and headed to the backyard. It's not like he wanted to know anything, anyway. Stupid Law with his stupid accent and stupid way of being. Stupid Ace and Sabo. If they weren't willing to give any decent entertainment, then Luffy was going to move on to something else.

The five-year-old didn't even make it past the sliding glass door before a sharp sting in his shoulder made him cry out in pain. He jumped when he saw a black and yellow striped insect fly off as he was rubbing the red spot it had left behind.

"It hurts... It hurts!" Luffy cried, falling onto his knees with the hand still pressed to the spot where the bug had stung. The tears that were trickling down his cheeks from the pain only made his anguish worse, and soon he found himself wailing out loud like a baby.

"What are you crying for now?!" Ace shouted as he raced to his brother's side. "You're such a crybaby. Come on, let's put some ice on it."

But Luffy didn't want any ice. He wanted it to stop hurting. What if it was deadly or something? He didn't want to die like this!

"No! Go away!" Luffy yelled as he pushed his brother off. "You don't care about me! I don't need you!"

"Well, fine! Be that way, see if I care!"

Luffy watched as Ace stood up and walked back to his game with Sabo. Law seemed to have closed his books now, staring at Luffy's pained form intently.

"Just ignore him," Sabo said with a sigh when he caught sight of the young boy's stare. "He never makes sense anyway. This happens every day."

Now Luffy had no one, still on the ground with the annoying sting and the blotches of red trailing down his arm from the wound. At this rate, it really looked as if he was going to die after all. Or at least, that was what he had convinced himself until a pair of warm hands gently pulled Luffy's own away from the sore spot.

The toddler blinked through his tears to see Law sitting besides him as he looked at his shoulder, turning it this way and that, inspecting it.

"Calm down," he told him in a soft voice. "That was just a bee. It hurts a lot, I know."

Luffy sniffed, trying to keep his crying at bay. It was no use. "I don't wanna die," he whimpered.

"Bee stings aren't fatal when you're not allergic. You're not gonna die," Law said dryly, though there was a bit of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he spoke. "I'll take out the stinger, so hold still."

Before Luffy could argue, Law was already done doing whatever he needed to do. It didn't even hurt at all.

Luffy blinked, staring down at his shoulder, then back to the older boy. How had he done that?

"...All better?"

"All better," Law reassured as he reached out to hold his hand and pull him up along with him.

The older boy led Luffy to the kitchen sink and helped him wash the sting with cool water before grabbing a few tissues. With surprising tenderness, he proceeded to dab at Luffy's face, wiping off his tears and snot.

"Here, blow your nose."

Luffy did as he was told, sticking his nose in the tissue Law held up and blew as hard as he could. Law threw the tissues out and came back next to him, giving him a once-over before he smiled as he reached up to ruffle his hair.

"There. No more tears."

Luffy's mouth opened slightly as Law pulled his hand back. The only person to treat him with this much affection had been Makino, but she was old. And a girl. The action coming from someone around his older brother's age was an unfamiliar one, and right now, it felt good.

Luffy hiccupped away the last of his sobs. "No more tears!"

The doorbell was ringing.

Luffy ran down the stairs two steps at a time, slipping the last one and landing on the floor flat on his stomach. Not missing a beat, he picked himself up and kept running to the door until he swung it wide open.

"Torao!"

"That's not my name."

"Torao!"

Luffy threw his arms around Law and pulled him into a tight hug. He heard the older boy sigh and briefly hug him back before he wriggled out of his grasp and walked inside.

"Look! I can tie my own shoes now!" Luffy said proudly, puffing up his chest for added emphasis. He yanked off his sneakers to prove it.

"Awesome," Law replied dryly, setting his bag down and taking off his shoes as well. But once he caught sight of Luffy's face again, his hands immediately flew to cup his cheeks and tilted his head from side to side to inspect him closer. "What happened to your face?"

"Bwhat?"

"This scar here," Law brushed the mark under his eye with his thumb. "Did your grandpa hit you again? This looks nasty."

Luffy snorted, lightly slapping Law's hand off. "Nah, I just stabbed with a knife myself to prove that I'm a man!"

Law gaped, looking completely stunned. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope!" Luffy chirped. "Shanks even gave me his hat right after too, so it proves I'm a man now!"

Luffy pulled on the brim of the straw hat that he refused to remove from his head ever since he had received it a few days ago for emphasis. Law's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he grabbed the hat right off Luffy's head to place it on his own.

"I don't know if you're a man or just plain stupid. What the hell were you thinking?" he asked, holding the thing in place with one hand while the other fixed the younger with a look. "I'm confiscating this until you get your common sense back."

"But... That's mine!"

Law stuck out his tongue and scuttled away from Luffy's grabbing hands. Despite how serious he sounded, there was a playful gleam in his eye that made Luffy pout in defeat. He supposed Law had a point... He'd have to be more careful next time.

"Hey!" Ace barked from the top of the stairwell. Both boys turned their attention to him as Sabo descended down the stairs. "How come you let Law take your stupid dumb hat, but you bite my hand when I go to touch it, huh?!"

Luffy glared up at his sibling with his arms crossed, looking fierce despite his button nose. "Torao is different!"

Because Law was different.

Luffy quickly found that the boy wasn't loud or rambunctious like Ace and Sabo. Instead, he had this calm, almost mysterious aura that drew Luffy to him like a moth to a flame. He also happened to be really, really smart. Sabo seemed especially impressed with Law's brain and would eventually spend hours with him reading thick books, muttering to each other about stuff Luffy knew he was too young to understand. But that didn't keep the younger kid from following Law around whenever he came over.

Law was patient with him even when Luffy's relentless energy usually got on everyone's nerves. He even started bringing him snacks on occasion, and that only fueled the small boy's admiration for him even more.

There were other new kids who came over from time to time to hang out with Ace and Sabo, like Ace's friend Deuce─ who was really cool since he let Luffy play with the guitar he brought along to practice─ or that Koala girl who Sabo hung out with sometimes even though it seemed like she hated Sabo's guts.

But no matter how fun they were, Law would always be Luffy's favorite.

So yes, Law was clearly different.

Luffy would often find excuses to stick around wherever Law was. He'd try his best to stay in the room he and his brothers were in in hopes of impressing his new friend with tales of his own escapades or weird things he had done before. Law often listened in with an almost uninterested look on his face, but he would nod along every now and then, and Luffy counted it as a personal victory.

Because he gave him something that everyone else didn't. He gave him his undivided attention.

And Luffy couldn't get enough of it.

Even when Luffy started attending elementary school and met friends his own age, he always looked forward to his afternoons spent with his older brothers and their best friend. Whenever Luffy had trouble with homework or school in general, he always sought out Law for help. Law always seemed annoyed at first but would ultimately relent and help anyway. He made learning fun just because he was there with him.

Law was cool. Law was knowledgeable. And Law was interesting. Luffy wanted to keep him all to himself.

Yeah, Law was definitely special.

Of course, Ace and Sabo often chastised him for acting too clingy with Law, saying that he was too old to be hanging out with him now or making jokes about his baby crush, whatever that meant. But none of it mattered. Because Luffy loved Law's company. So for now, all he could do was make sure Law was happy whenever he was over.

Even Dadan got mad when the rambunctious child got on her nerves while she was trying to talk to Law, and she would physically remove Luffy from the house before firmly closing the door behind her, leaving the kid outside to pout alone.

This carried on for several years.

While Luffy was nearing the end of his middle school days, Law was already breezing through high school with top grades and a steady stream of admirers. By then, he wasn't hanging out as much anymore because he had a life and a social circle of his own, but Law would still come over every now and then to hang out with the twins.

Luffy never let the other out of his sight during those visits. Law wasn't the same height as him like he had been when they'd first met. He grew taller─ way taller─ his voice deeper and his face and body maturing and filled out. And the tattoos... Luffy remembered the day Law had shown off his freshly inked forearms, grinning as Ace had wolf-whistled and Sabo complimented his daring nature.

Luffy had fallen quiet.

Well, yeah. Those tattoos sure did look cool. So cool in fact that even Luffy's own body decided to take interest, especially when Law rolled up his sleeves and pressed his forearms together, flexing the muscle underneath the ink. Luffy just stared for a solid minute, not saying anything and felt an unfamiliar heat settle low in his stomach.

He had quietly locked himself in his room and flopped on his bed to desperately hump the sheets, trying to chase that mysterious heat that had bloomed the minute he had looked up at Law's pleased smirk.

But that was normal, right? It didn't mean anything. He was just growing up, the same as his friends and peers.

And before he knew it, he was a freshman.

Ace and Sabo were in their last year now, meaning that Law was also going to graduate with them. Time was passing by so quickly─ it seemed like just yesterday that Luffy had brought Law a cool shiny beetle he had found in the playground and presented it to him with the smuggest grin on his face.

Now Law was walking through the doors of their house less and less, studying diligently for the sake of graduating top of his class. Still, that didn't stop Luffy from seeking him out and pulling him aside whenever he could, managing to get some spare time with him here and there.

Even though time was passing, Luffy found he didn't care. He was living in the moment as always. What the future had to offer, he'd face it head on and be excited for whatever would happen.

At least that was his mindset until it all hit him like a truck.

After school let out on a chilly February day, Luffy found himself hurrying home through the winding streets of his neighborhood. He had hung out at Zoro's house after class, playing games and pigging out on snacks with his best friend. Now it was nearly dusk, and he knew Dadan would be furious if he didn't make it back home before dark.

His eyes fell upon a familiar pair of shoes sitting neatly in the entryway once he entered through the front door. Luffy grinned widely as he dropped his things and was off like a shot, scrambling over furniture and down the hall.

"Hi Dadan!" He cried out, searching the kitchen and living room for any signs of his friend.

"Sabo's upstairs with Law. Ace went out. You just missed him," Dadan said from her seat on the couch. She held a steaming cup of tea in her hands, glaring at him over the rim. "Don't interrupt them. Unlike you, they're actually trying to graduate."

"Yeah, whatever," Luffy said hastily, already scrambling back out of the room.

After skidding down the hallway and up the stairs, he paused outside his brother's room, taking a moment to catch his breath. The door was closed, as it always was when Law was over.

Luffy smiled. Maybe if he snuck up on them, he could scare Law enough to finally get a laugh out of him. It would be a fun way to start off the weekend, he thought, silently sneaking towards the doorway with ninja-like precision.

Luffy threw the door open with a grin on his face and his arms wide open, but the sight that greeted him stopped him from going through with his yell.

Law was there alright. There, sitting on Sabo's bed with his eyes closed and tattooed hands cupping his brother's face. And Sabo? His back faced the doorway, completely unaware of his younger brother's presence as he worked his tongue against Law's with his fingers gripping the edge of the bed.

Luffy's smile faded and his mouth hung open in shock. His brain malfunctioned for a solid minute as his thoughts tried to process what he was seeing. He wasn't an idiot, he knew what kissing was. He'd seen characters on tv shows do it all the time before, but this was so, so different than anything he'd ever seen.

Whatever weird feeling was coiling up in the pit of his stomach and throat, Luffy didn't like it one bit. It didn't even seem like the two had heard him come in. Or maybe they didn't care.

They should care!

Because...

Because why?!

Right before Luffy could voice his confusion, Law's golden eyes opened mid-kiss. His gaze shifted towards him through hooded lids, surprised, but he didn't break away from the blond. If anything, he pulled Sabo closer and smirked against his lips, never taking his eyes away from Luffy.

With a jolt, Luffy realized he was moving. He backed out of the room until he collided with the wall. His chest was tight, his palm sweaty, and a low crack began to echo from somewhere, slowly growing into a horrible, terrible snapping noise.

At first, Luffy couldn't quite identify what was going on, but then he realized that it was coming from him.

From his heart.

Luffy turned tail and ran, nearly tripping over himself as he bolted in the safety of his own bedroom. His back hit the door with a thud as the breath he had been holding went whooshing out of his lungs. He clawed at his heart and his flushed face and he slowly sank to the floor, wishing nothing more but for his erratic heartbeat along with his shaky breaths to die down.

He didn't know what was going on. Or maybe deep down inside he did, but his psyche refused to acknowledge it. And that just pissed him off even more.

Luffy growled, getting up to bury his face against his bed. He could hear the muffled voices of laughter from his shared wall. Why were they laughing? What was this feeling?

"Fuck!" Luffy yelled, grabbing his pillow before chucking it against the wall that connected his room and Sabo's.

He didn't know why these thoughts kept popping up in his head, but it was unnerving, and he couldn't seem to stop. His heart was pounding a mile a minute, and he didn't know what to do about it. So he tried his best to ignore the twisting of his insides and settled for burying himself deeper into his blanket, hoping some sleep would take the nasty things away.

It didn't work.

Luffy remained in his room, not even coming out even when Dadan called him for dinner, which almost made the ginger call the ambulance for fear of him sick. He was anything but, really. There was just no way he was going out there right now when Law was in the same house as him. Nope, Luffy would rather sleep with an empty stomach for the rest of his days.

"Luffy?" Ace called out after a tentative knock on the door, startling Luffy out of his thoughts. "Should I worry or...?"

Luffy slipped out of bed and huffed as he bounded over to open the door. He shrugged, giving Ace a pouty look.

"Sheesh, so you are alive. That's good," Ace grinned, motioning for Luffy to follow him out of the room. "Come on. We were gonna have a snack in the kitchen and play video games. You up for a round before Law goes?"

"No! No way!"

Luffy immediately clamped his mouth shut at Ace's dumbfounded look. Yeah, it sounded exactly how Luffy thought it did.

"Okay, you're definitely not feeling well," Ace said, reaching up to press the back of his hand to Luffy's forehead. He frowned. "You don't have a fever... Maybe you should lie down for a little bit. You might be coming down with a weird virus or something."

Luffy let out a small frustrated noise, pulling away and ignoring the disbelieving look on his brother's face as he slammed the door shut. Once alone, he plopped back onto his bed and buried his head in his hands, letting out an angry growl.

Damn it.

Damn Law and damn Sabo and damn everyone in this stupid house!

Luffy barely slept a wink that night.

Every time he closed his eyes, his brother and his favorite person kissing would dance across his vision and force him awake.

When morning finally arrived, the young man felt worse than when he had first decided to go to bed. But he still dragged his feet downstairs, hoping a big breakfast might help his mood as the smell of butter and syrup teased him all the way down and had him speeding up his pace.

However, any appetite he had was washed down the drain as his eyes landed on Law sitting at the kitchen table. The raven was chatting casually with Sabo, occasionally lifting a mug to his lips while his friend babbled on. Luffy briefly considered running back up to his room before anyone could notice his arrival, but the rumbling of his stomach betrayed him and had both teens turn to face him.

"Morning Lu!" Sabo said in a cheery tone, smiling over at his brother who was frozen like a deer caught in the headlights. "Are you feeling okay? You seemed pretty out of it last night. I knew you were going to be hungry after not eating dinner, so I made extra."

Sabo motioned to the stack of pancakes dripping with syrup that sat in the middle of the table. Luffy swallowed thickly, his gaze darting from his brother to Law and back to his brother. Law was looking at him in that same curious way he had done yesterday, like he was attempting to bore a hole straight through him with just one look.

"What?" Law finally said, frowning when Luffy glanced away quickly. "Not gonna hug me like you always do? Surprising."

Luffy felt his cheeks heat up. His clinginess was never a secret to anyone, especially Law who had been its current victim for several years. Luffy had practically clung to him on every visit, refusing to let Law go anywhere unless he got a hug. But now...

"Cat got your tongue, Luffy-ya?" Law teased, tilting his head to the side. The sunlight that shone over his face made him seem almost angelic to the point of making Luffy choke back a gasp.

He blinked a few times, startled. Everything became terribly confusing. Like his head had stopped working properly and things were starting to break. Right as his stomach twisted in knots, Luffy snapped out of it and bolted out of the kitchen, scrambling back up the stairs as he rammed into Ace in the process.

"Hey! Where's the fire?!" Ace called out before turning back to Sabo and Law, both equally confused. "What's up with him?"

Sabo sighed, taking a small bite from his fork. "Beats me. I'm guessing that the rebellion stage is starting up now. Just let him blow off some steam."

"Or maybe he's finally learning a thing or two about respecting personal space," Law added sarcastically, a chuckle escaping him. He shoved the remainder of his breakfast away with a sigh. "Anyway, I'm gonna head out now. Got my physics test Monday and still have stuff to revise."

From that day on, Luffy did everything he could to avoid Law.

It wasn't that he hated him. No. In fact, he realized he liked Law far too much for his own good. It was just... all of this that he didn't get, the strange feeling and annoying thoughts. So Luffy did everything he could to stay away from the older teen or else these weird feelings might end up swallowing him whole.

Every time Law came over or happened to run into him in school, Luffy would just pretend to have somewhere else to be at that exact time. It worked perfectly, too. For weeks, he never even said a word to Law except for a very loud "sup" or "cya." But on the downside, that also meant his brothers were starting to become suspicious.

They grilled him with questions, asking him what was up, why he was behaving like this all of a sudden, if anything had happened, and if he and Law were fighting. Luffy would remain tight-lipped and would ultimately come up with an excuse to ditch them as fast as possible. He didn't even want to ask Sabo about the thing he walked in on between him and Law. Not. At. All. He refused. The thought of what he would say left his insides in complete chaos.

His little tactic of running away from his siblings didn't last very long though.

Ace and Sabo were not known for their patience after all, and taking matters head on seemed to be their number one approach to whatever issues they had. Which was why it was only a matter of time before the twins would directly confront him about his sudden change in attitude towards Law in the worst way possible.

Luffy was just about ready to go to his room to take a much-needed nap when both of his older brothers cornered him in the hall leading to their rooms. Sabo effectively blocked Luffy from retreating behind the familiar door of his bedroom while Ace grabbed his arm roughly and dragged Luffy towards his own.

"What gives?! Lemme go!"

"Nope," Ace growled as they approached his doorway. "I don't know what's going on with you and Law, but that's gonna end right now."

Ace roughly shoved Luffy inside, causing him to trip and land on his knees with an audible huff of surprise. Luffy looked up, rubbing his arm with a glare before finally noticing Law spinning around in Ace's desk chair with a confused expression. Ace nodded once as Luffy's brain quickly clicked into place.

"Wait, what─ no!" Luffy growled, jumping back up to his feet. He tried pushing past his freckled sibling, but Sabo was quickly at Ace's side, blocking the way.

"You're staying," Ace said, placing his hand on Luffy's head to push him back. It wasn't rough, but it did make Luffy stumble just enough for his brothers to slam the door closed and leave him trapped inside Ace's room with Law.

Luffy tried to pry the door open, but the twins were clearly expecting this and had firmly held the door shut. Luffy gave up with a groan, running his fingers through his messy black hair in frustration before he turned back to Law. The guy was still seated in the chair, looking about as bored as usual.

"Are you guys going to tell me what's going on?" Law called out to the two beyond the door.

"Sorry about this Law, but we didn't know how else to handle it," Sabo's muffled voice replied. "We'll be back later!"

The sound of footsteps and laughing got further and further away, leaving the second floor in complete silence.

Luffy stood with his shoulders slumped before reluctantly turning to meet Law's stare. The man had propped his chin up on his fist, eyebrows raised high. He didn't look particularly happy to be here.

"Wanna tell me what this is about?" Law asked, his voice flat and unimpressed.

Luffy just shrugged before walking over to plop himself on the edge of Ace's messy bed. He stuffed his hands in between his legs and tried his best to avoid the Law's stare, turning his gaze to the window instead where rain pelted down hard outside.

Luffy wished it snowed where he lived.

"I know you've been avoiding me," Law started slowly, looking away from Luffy and observing the messy room instead. "Is this about me kissing Sabo-ya? If you've got a problem, fine, but don't go treating me like I've got fucking cooties just because you caught us together."

Luffy stiffened for a moment and instinctively started chewing on a fingernail out of habit. Law was quiet as he waited for him to say something, anything. But when nothing came, he let out a loud sigh.

"So, I take it you've got some weird thing against guys kissing each other, huh? Fine, good to know I'm such a disgusting creature that it grosses you out that much. Awesome. Great talk."

"That's not it!" Luffy grit his teeth and balled his hands into fists before his head shot up. "I don't care about that! It's just that... You and Sabo... I hate it! I hate that you were kissing Sabo!"

Law's eyebrows drew together as his brow creased. "Why? You know he doesn't belong to you, right? Even if he's your brother, you can't expect him to spend his life tagging along with you forever. There will be someone else."

"I know that! But..." Luffy growled again, frustration rising to the surface. His nails dug into his palm as he tried to gather his thoughts. But he didn't want to think about any of this though, much less talk about it. This was why he wanted to avoid all this in the first place.

"Are you really jealous? Is that it?" Law's voice had softened to a gentler tone, and he smiled.

Luffy immediately clammed up at that, whipping his head around and averted his eyes. His thoughts were a mess again. He couldn't comprehend just exactly why Law's accusation was causing such an uproar in the back of his mind.

"Holy shit. I knew you had a brother complex, but I didn't realize it was this bad," Law snorted at Luffy's silence. He rose up from the chair and strode over to collapse backwards onto Ace's bed next to him. "Does the idea of someone else touching your precious brothers piss you off that much? Didn't realize you were that possessive."

Luffy frowned in confusion as he turned his gaze back to Law. His eyes swept over the older teenager's tattoos for just a moment before Luffy noticed a smirk spreading across the raven's lips. His amber eyes looked haughty somehow, even more teasing than usual and it immediately irritated him. Luffy did not like to be made fun of.

With a sudden surge of petulance, Luffy tackled the grinning teen to pin him in place. This might have seemed normal a few months ago, but now that Luffy was looking at the lean body squirming under him, certain feelings started to stir inside him.

What was this?

"Sabo can be with whoever he wants. Just not with you!" Luffy said sternly, ignoring the indignant look on Law's face. "Don't touch Sabo! You can't touch him 'cause I won't allow it!"

A deep scowl was starting to creep onto Law's features, and he didn't seem to be messing around anymore. It wasn't very often that Law got angry at Luffy, so seeing him do so now caught him off guard.

"What the hell do you mean I can't? Are you the one who calls the shots here or what?" Law scoffed, placing both palms against Luffy's chest to shove him away. "Don't tell me what to do. If I like Sabo-ya and he feels the same way, we'll do whatever the fuck we want!"

Luffy's hands started to tremble a little and the fight he'd mustered up a minute ago died down. He shook his head furiously and shoved at the larger form before him. "Well you better un-like him right now! I don't care if it's him or Ace, you can't like my brothers!"

"Oh really? Is that how things are? Am I not good enough for any of you guys now, your Majesty?" Law leaned forward dangerously with a hard glint in his eyes. "Well, too fucking bad! You can go right ahead and fuck off, cut me out of your life for all I care! I've had enough of your bullshit."

The two glared daggers at each other, neither backing down. Luffy didn't want to fight with Law, but the older teen's words only served to anger him more. And before he could do something he would regret, Luffy stormed over to the window, pushed the curtains out of the way and the glass pane upwards.

"What the hell are you doing?" Law said as he jumped to his feet and rushed to the window. "Are you insane?! What are you─ hey!"

Without even answering him, Luffy had already grabbed the edge of the sill and hurled himself through the opening, falling two stories towards the ground below.

It took him three months for his leg to heal from that fall.

"I still don't get why you're doing this," Ace grumbled under his breath as he walked beside Luffy down the street. It was finally starting to get easier for Luffy to walk thanks to his cast having been removed the other month. "You're being really annoying."

Luffy shot him a dirty look as he tossed a rock on the sidewalk. His new habit of avoiding Law had grown into a flat-out refusal to acknowledge his very existence. Law had given up on trying to approach him a long time ago, so now whenever their paths crossed, they pretended that the other wasn't there. No glares, no scowls. Nothing. Just complete and total silence.

Luffy would ignore Law, Law would ignore Luffy back and the twins would remain in the dark.

His brothers kept asking again and again what had happened on that rainy day, about what he and Law talked about that one afternoon for them to come to this, but neither said a thing. It was as if their fight had never happened, that the months following were completely normal.

Things had gotten so bad that they were starting to cause a strain on Ace and Sabo's friendship with Law, much to their annoyance. They had tried several times to get their little brother to open up about what was bothering him, but Luffy was nothing if not stubborn, and this time he wouldn't budge.

So far, the only person Luffy had talked to about the matter was Zoro, who had given him some cryptic answer by telling him to follow his instincts. Well, they hadn't done him any good so far, and if his instincts told him one more time that he was jealous of Sabo, he was going to lose his shit and become feral.

As he and Ace walked home from school, Luffy was well aware that the blond in question was home working on homework with Law. His chest constricted at the thought, but he ignored it in favor of trudging through the wet grass to Dadan's.

"Seriously, Luffy," Ace growled as he grabbed his arm roughly, pulling him to a stop. "What's your deal? I don't even care what you two talked about anymore. Just quit acting like a dick and get your shit together already!"

Luffy yanked his arm out of his grip, a dark look coming over his face. He didn't bother replying and continued stomping towards their house without so much as glancing back over his shoulder.

"I'm getting really fucking tired of this childish bullshit!" Ace shouted at the retreating teenager. "Is this really about Law moving away next week? Because we were all fucking aware of that already, and I doubt this little stunt you're pulling is gonna change anything, jackass!"

Luffy paused dead in his tracks as the words sank in. "Moving away?" He whispered softly to himself as he turned around slowly with a look of bewilderment on his face. "What?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Jesus fucking Christ. What? You thought he was going to stay with us forever? Newsflash, Law's a massive nerd! He got accepted to that med school back in Germany he always talked about. You know, the one his parents went to before they died and all? We all knew this would happen sooner or later. Now stop being such a whiny baby about it, would you?"

Luffy's eyes grew wider the more his brother went on. His breathing began to accelerate, suddenly feeling as though he had just swallowed a brick. It sank to the pit of his stomach, leaving an unsettled feeling in its wake, one that made him want to vomit. Why hadn't anyone told him? Why didn't Law...

"Law and the old man Cora are leaving town after graduation," Ace said sternly, unaware of the cacophony running rampant in his younger brother's brain. "After the party, they'll be gone. The guy worked hard for this. Why the fuck would you be mad at him for this?"

Ace kept rambling on, but Luffy couldn't hear a single word. He could only stand there frozen to the spot as he digested the information.

Law was going to leave.

Ace's expression softened and he placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Look... I heard med school's super stressful so who knows when he'll be able to come back again. It might be years until we see him next if ever at all. So at least try to make peace before he leaves for good, would ya?"

Luffy stood frozen in place for a moment, staring off into space as Ace's words repeated over and over in his head. Med school. Law had plans for med school. He was going away with no reason to ever come back. He wouldn't be at family dinners, laughing loudly over things Sabo said, or kicking Ace under the table because the latter always talked with his mouth full. No, Law would be miles away, studying hard and probably too busy for them all together.

Law was leaving soon, and Luffy might never get to see him ever again.

"Look, if you don't want us bringing Law around─ OW!"

Law smirked down at Ace from the open window of Sabo's room, chuckling to himself while tossing a coke can up into the air and catching it again. He was going to throw another one but stopped as soon as he made eye contact with Luffy. The playful look in his eyes disappeared once he did so.

Law looked away almost instantly, shutting the window loudly without looking back. Luffy bit his bottom lip.

Well, shit.

Luffy may be pretty dense at times, and maybe a little bit ignorant about most things, but when it comes to feelings and emotions, he always, always, picked up on these things without a problem. But now, he was just downright confused.

One day, Law had been his big brother's childhood friend, and the next, he'd been forced to face the truth. The problem was, he didn't realize something until it was too late.

It was that dumb kiss that changed it all, all thanks to his sudden lapse of judgment by jumping out of the window. Stupid move, definitely, but also a lesson. Because despite his broken leg, that day ended up being the day he learned a very important thing.

Luffy liked Law. Like, actually liked him. Romantic feelings type of liked him.

Luffy nearly groaned into his hands, letting his forehead hit the wooden desk with a thump as the girl in front of him called on the teacher. Seriously, did this kind of stuff happen in real life? Wasn't romance only found in sappy movies like the ones that girls liked? Why him of all people, really?

The worst part of it all? Sabo was probably getting kissed on the mouth by his favorite person every day now. So it wasn't enough that Luffy's favorite was off-limits, but now the anger that was so intricately woven into his heart and gut whenever Law came up in conversation only seemed to get worse.

And now Law was leaving.

Damn it. Damn it all.

Graduation came and went.

Law stood on the stage and delivered his speech as valedictorian. There had been a round of applause and cheers as graduates collected their diplomas and excitedly shared the next chapter of their lives with each other. Ace and Sabo had taken their walks as well, getting congratulated by everyone while Dadan stood in the audience with tears in her eyes.

Through all of this, Luffy sat silently in the crowd with a large grin on his face, his joy for his brothers overpowering all the other swirling thoughts in his head. But as soon as the ceremony was over, he put on a brave face.

Everything would be okay, he thought. No matter what was going on, Luffy was fine. That was his mental mantra when the going got rough.

Garp gathered everyone together to take pictures of each of the three boys with their friends and family before joining the festivities. Law had dutifully posed between Corazon, Ace, Sabo, Dadan, all the while Luffy hung back as he stuffed his face full of food until they puffed like a hamster.

The end of the night turned into a teary affair with Law hugging Ace and Sabo goodbye, promising to come visit as soon as possible. Corazon watched by quietly, a smile tugging at his lips as Law bid farewell to his friends, hugged Dadan, Makino and Garp as well before turning to Luffy, his arms held open.

"C'mere you," Law said softly, smiling as he did. "One last hug for the road, yeah?"

Luffy threw himself at Law for the biggest hug of his life without any hesitation.

He wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck tightly and clutched him close, unwilling to let go. Law gave a low chuckle as he hugged him back just as tightly, burying his face in Luffy's messy black hair.

They swayed left and right for a moment. Luffy hid his face into Law's neck as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He and Law made up, right? They were still friends, right? Despite all the avoiding and yelling and arguing, Law still wanted to be around him, right?

"I'm leaving for college, not dying," Law laughed as they pulled apart after a while. "And who knows, maybe med school won't last long and I'll be back before you know it."

Luffy swallowed thickly, finding it difficult to talk now, and settled for reaching out to snatch one of Law's sleeves. "...Really?"

"Pfft, yeah right," Law pulled away and grinned down at Luffy before ruffling his hair. "It's gonna suck ass and take forever, but hopefully you and the idiot twin duo will still write and keep me sane once in a while."

"Can't. We'll be too busy partying," Ace quipped in the background with a snicker that earned him a smack on the head from Sabo.

Law rolled his eyes at them before looking back at Luffy. "Don't miss me too much," he said softly as he stepped back to where Ace and Sabo stood watching them. "And please, do me a favor. Try to graduate from high school, will you? I'd hate to come back only to see you still in freshman year. And no more tears."

"Shut up, Torao! I'm not crying!" Luffy frowned, pulling his bottom lip out to pout childishly and looked away. "And I'll pass, just watch me!"

Law laughed along with Sabo and Ace, ruffling Luffy's hair one last time before saying his final goodbyes and walked where Corazon was bawling his eyes out at the loaded car parked nearby. Luffy's frown remained plastered on his face even after Law was completely out of sight, and the tears he'd been fighting so desperately came rushing out despite his best efforts.

"Aw, don't worry Luffy," Sabo slung an arm around his trembling shoulders to pull him close. Ace mirrored him on his other side, pulling Luffy tight in the middle of his brother sandwich. "We'll stay in touch, and I know Law will too. Things'll work out, you'll see."

"Hell yeah they are! When Law comes back loaded with those shiny doctor paychecks, I'm marrying him for his money and fat inheritance. That way he'll never be able to leave us again! Good plan, right?!" Ace yelled enthusiastically in an attempt to cheer up his sniffling younger brother. But the mere suggestion alone resulted in a fist to the gut from Luffy and he doubled over in pain.

Luffy's mouth drew into a thin line as his lips wobbled. His eyes closed, his face red as more tears started spilling. "You guys don't have to move out now, do you?" He sniffled. "Because then... Torao might really never visit anymore...!"

Sabo laughed loudly as he shoved Ace away. "Geeze Lu, hurt me while you still can. But, seriously though," he sighed, draping an arm over his shoulders. "I'll only be a bus ride away at the university in town so I'll come by when I can. And you can always come over to my dorm if you wanna escape your cluttered room."

Ace shoved at Sabo in retaliation before grinning down at Luffy. "Stop worrying, I'm not going to college. Who do you think will look after you and Dadan if I wasn't around, huh? Someone's gotta keep the old lady outta trouble."

Luffy sighed in relief. Ace would stay. Sabo would visit. This wasn't the end of the world like he thought it was. Things were definitely going to work out, and who knew? Maybe they'd have a massive reunion party once everyone was all graduated and happy and stuff. The more Luffy thought about it, the more excited he felt and he smiled up at his brothers.

He furiously wiped the rest of the tears out of his eyes and sniffled before beaming at the both of them. "Good! Now let's go eat. I'm hungry!"

The two pulled him into a headlock, messing with his hair until it was so tousled and ruffled that it looked like a bird's nest before shoving him away in the direction of the car.

Years passed, and life went on.

Sabo visited fairly often, even staying for a few days once in a while. He was getting along great in college, excelling in his classes and making new friends easily. Ace was doing pretty well too. With the new gig he'd gotten with his band, he seemed content with his life for now as he enjoyed the quieter moments he got to live.

But Luffy? He struggled with school most of all. It felt difficult to focus or try to succeed when the one person that could make learning fun was so far away. Sometimes he felt like it wasn't worth it because nobody except Dadan really cared whether or not he graduated, but Luffy wanted to prove to Law he could. That he would.

His friends were a huge help with keeping him motivated through the worst of classes and homework. They kept him busy so that he wouldn't get bored out of his mind or try to skip class. On the occasions that Sabo would come home, he would also tutor Luffy on subjects he'd gotten stuck on or help him work through tough essays.

Law's letters were also a good source of encouragement for Luffy. While med school kept the dark-haired man incredibly busy, he did send letters along with pictures once in a while. Most of them featured various people he had befriended at the school, or even local spots that he and Corazon visited during their free time. It made Luffy happy to see that his friend was doing well.

But once the first two years went by and life settled into some kind of rhythm for everyone involved, that was when the letters gradually got less frequent. Once a week would turn into once a month, which soon stretched on for every six weeks to even once every three months.

It didn't bother Ace, who simply shrugged at the silence from the other and said, "It was bound to happen. Who has time for writing when you're living out a dream in med school, right?"

Sabo was concerned at first, but soon resumed his cheerful attitude whenever Law did finally manage to reply. He reassured Luffy that the frequency had dropped due to a very important milestone. Luffy figured his chance of coming back home anytime soon were probably near nonexistent.

So all he could do was endure high school and wait patiently.

Still, school sucked and Luffy hated every second of it. But with a stubborn tenacity and determination that rivaled none other, he managed to scrap by and passed just barely. He even got accepted to the fire academy training program which put a great big grin on Luffy's face.

Both Sabo and Dadan cried openly at his graduation when he walked across the stage to accept his diploma and was immediately smothered by his friends once he came off stage.

There was a massive barbecue party held at Dadan's later that week to celebrate. Everyone came. All the friends Luffy managed to make throughout the years crammed themselves into the backyard, laughing and snacking and thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was awesome, the greatest party of all time.

While most of the guests stayed outside for the drinking games Nami always managed to come up with and the stupid competitions Usopp had started, Luffy found himself playing on the PS2 with the kids inside the living room. He had just decimated Momo in a round of Guitar Hero and was thoroughly basking in the misery of the eight-year-old's defeat when the doorbell rang out throughout the house.

"Well don't just stand there! Go get the door, you brat," Dadan slapped Luffy's head as she breezed by, heading towards the kitchen with her hands full of dirty dishes.

Luffy grumbled under his breath before passing the guitar controller to Robin. He climbed out of the mess of limbs piled on the floor around the TV set with a yawn, taking his time stretching along the way.

Once he finally yanked the door open with a wide grin already spread across his face ready to welcome the next person to the barbecue, his grin fell away in an instant.

"Hey. Long time no see, yeah?"

Standing in the entryway was a lanky tall man with messy black hair sporting a dark sweater, cargo pants, dirty converse, the tattoos, the eyebags─ the same amber gaze that had always been on him for the past several months was once again peering down at him silently.

"...Torao," Luffy breathed, not quite believing that the person standing on the porch could actually be him. He blinked once. Twice. Thrice. But Law remained. "Torao!"

Law was instantly tackled into a massive koala hug, nearly falling off the porch and onto the ground in the process. He steadied himself against the doorframe, chuckling softly as Luffy's arms and legs wrapped around his body to crush him close.

"I missed you. I missed you," he started babbling, even clinging tighter when he felt Law wrapping his own arms around his waist.

"It's nice to see you too," Law wheezed, tapping the teenager's hip in hopes of getting him to let go. "Ow, ease up. Christ."

Luffy reluctantly complied but remained firmly attached to the older man with his arms still draped around his neck and his legs locked at the ankle around his waist. He nuzzled into him without care of who might be watching and burying his head underneath Law's chin as he breathed in deep.

Law smelled amazing, like sunshine and something that Luffy could only describe as uniquely him. The combination had his skin prickling and blood rushing through his veins at a million miles an hour. It was so good in fact that it gave him a pleasant buzz all over, the feeling settling in the pit of his stomach with enough force to render him speechless for a second or two.

"How've you been, Luffy-ya?" Law asked gently, carrying him inside to allow the door to close behind him. Luffy shivered at his nickname when it escaped those lips, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "I see graduating made you even clingier than before, huh? Good to see not much has changed while I've been away."

Luffy reluctantly lifted his head and held Law's gaze for a moment. Those deep pools of gold stared back at him with his eyebrows raised. Luffy swallowed thickly and gathered his thoughts as best he could.

"TORAO!"

Law chuckled again when Luffy ducked his head against his collar bone and squeezed him tight, just shy of actually choking him. Luffy didn't let go, even when he felt the raven start walking through the house as he heard him greet Dadan. The woman's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull when Law placed a friendly kiss to her cheek, but she managed to compose herself long enough to slap Law's head with her magazine.

"Bastard! Where the hell have you been?" Dadan shouted in the loud way of hers at the surprised raven who rubbed his head gingerly from where he had been smacked. "Do you have any idea how worried I─ the boys were?! Your old man doesn't tell us jackshit these days it seems. How's Germany anyway? It's not too cold there for you and your clammy ass, is it?"

Luffy tightened his grip subconsciously. Law's laugh rumbled nicely against his ear. Hearing it again was like water in the desert or a long nap on a lazy Sunday, and Luffy could feel the familiar warmth settling in his gut from the sound.

Law proceeded to fill Dadan in on how everything was going up at med school, still cradling Luffy against his chest as he talked. Even after Dadan moved towards the sliding glass door that led out back to greet the others, Luffy remained glued to Law's front. He absolutely refused to let go of him for even a second.

His family's friends swarmed the raven, taking turns in hugs and slapping Law's back happily as they welcomed him back home. Ace had definitely not seen this coming, judging by the way his jaw dropped when he spotted Law entering the backyard. Sabo, however, just laughed merrily at the sight.

The two brothers forcefully peeled Luffy away from Law to steal him for themselves by tackling him to the ground with their hugs. Luffy watched as Ace and Sabo squished the taller man beneath them, laughing and messing up his hair much to Law's chagrin. He only succeeded in freeing himself thanks to Garp barreling right into them and flinging Ace and Sabo off.

"Good to see you there, kid!" Garp bellowed as he pulled Law up and smacked him hard on the back. The poor man winced, nearly stumbling forward and glared at the older officer, rubbing his back irritably. "Surprised you decided to grace us with your presence this summer. How's Rosinante?"

"He's fine," Law grimaced as he accepted a beer can from Makino. "Couldn't get him to tag along though, so sadly he couldn't make it. He sends his love."

"Yeah, yeah. He always does," Garp said disinterestedly, waving a dismissive hand. "Anyhow, better not keep Monkey Jr. waiting. He might explode if I take any longer."

Law raised an eyebrow and quirked his lips to the side as his eyes followed where Garp pointed. Luffy immediately looked away to try and appear casual while shoving a handful of barbeque ribs into his mouth. Law slowly turned back to face Garp and shook his head, a half smile playing on his face.

"It's fine, I've got the whole summer to catch up with him and everyone else here," Law shrugged, his amber eyes sweeping over the large backyard at all the familiar faces enjoying the barbecue. "And since I plan to spend it here, there's no need to rush."

"WHAT?!" came a cacophony of voices from those in the yard, causing Law to take a step back from their loudness with wide eyes.

"...Yeah," he said slowly, running his fingers through his hair nervously. "Sabo-ya told me I could crash here till my classes start again. Didn't mean to blindside you all or anything."

Sabo sputtered when everyone's gazes shifted to him. "What are you all glaring at me for? It's a surprise! Are we not allowed to surprise people anymore?!"

Luffy's eyes sparkled brightly as he raised his arms into the air. With a yell, he threw himself at Law before he could get a word in, climbing over the man's shoulders like a jungle gym.

Summer meant Law sticking around for at least two months. Summer meant spending almost all of his waking moments with him. Summer meant tons of fun to be had together again. Luffy's face split into an enormous grin.

Summer was going to be awesome. Or it would've been, had he known that Law was going to sleep in Sabo's room. With Sabo. Every night, without fail. For weeks.

Yeah... summer suddenly didn't seem nearly as awesome anymore. But what could he do about it?

Luffy put his stubbornness to work.

He practically spent every second of the following days hounding Law. Any time Luffy caught Law sitting by himself outside, smoking on the porch or reading a book under the shade of an old tree, he would quickly bound over and force the older teen to let him curl up at his side and sit together with him instead. He didn't care that it was always so hot, that they sweat from being so close. He loved it.

But it wasn't enough.

Anywhere Law would go, Luffy went too. He would tag along wherever Law went when he hung out with Ace and Sabo, even going as far as to drop his current plans with his friends just to follow Law to places instead. He refused to let Law have alone time with just his brothers, especially Sabo. Luffy wanted all his attention, and if that meant monopolizing every single moment, he planned to do so.

It pissed Ace right the fuck off. Law, however, didn't seem to mind Luffy's new clingy antics nearly as much as he did, which made Luffy a lot bolder than he'd ever been before in terms of touch.

He had no hesitation with placing his head onto Law's lap, no reservations to plop himself beside the man and wrap an arm around his waist or stuffing his face in the other's stomach whenever they lay down to watch a movie. And Law would casually wind his fingers into Luffy's dark spikes and play with his hair until he fell completely asleep to the sensation.

One might say that he was milking it as much as he possibly could. They'd be right, and Luffy had no shame to speak of in admitting that. As long as Sabo didn't take Law from him, everything was fine. He was enjoying himself thoroughly after all.

There were times where he couldn't do any of that, though. Such as when Luffy's body craved a different kind of attention. And try as he might, his resolve would eventually crumble in the end.

Luffy would have to excuse himself from whatever outing they were on, lock himself away in the bathroom, and furiously rub himself to completion with images of Law flooding his mind. It sucked having to do this when he could've been spending those minutes with Law instead. It happened more frequently than Luffy would have liked too, but he couldn't help himself. He craved Law's touch so much that sometimes he would jerk off three or four times a day.

Other times, it was Sabo who would occasionally steal Law away. The two would go on long walks or disappear together to some cafe in town or drive to nowhere in particular for an entire afternoon. Luffy wanted to go too of course, but the two were always coincidentally already gone when he came back from his fireman training.

And boy did it piss Luffy off.

Every time Law was with Sabo, Luffy couldn't stop thinking about what they might be doing. Or rather, what Law might be doing with Sabo specifically. The lingering kiss from three years ago returned to the front of his mind, and he found it difficult to look his brother in the eye afterwards.

Law said he liked Sabo back then. What if that still held true today? Did Sabo feel the same way? Would the two still act upon it while Law was home for the summer? The thought alone was enough to make Luffy go crazy and feel like punching holes in the walls. He hated it, and yet, he craved the answers.

But what else could Luffy do? It wasn't like he could force them apart. He couldn't. Luffy wasn't like that.

Still, Law made it so much harder whenever Luffy saw him and Sabo tangled on the couch sleeping, brushing their teeth together before bed, or simply laughing about something together.

Luffy knew he shouldn't let it bother him. But it did, and not knowing just how deep things between those two were bothered him even more.

So he did the only thing he knew how to do best; confront the answer right out of Law head on.

"Why are you and Sabo together all the time?" Luffy asked one day when he was hanging out with Law while Ace was busy with practice and Sabo went out with friends. The older man was lounging on his bed across from him with a book on physiology while Luffy sat cross-legged with his head propped up by his fist.

Law raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from the page he was on. "This shit again? Seriously, I thought you were past all this nonsense. But no, you had to fucking bring it up now."

"Hey! I am past it!" Luffy reached over to grab the book from Law's hand and tossed it over the side of the bed. "I just wanna know! 'Cause if you guys are─"

Law held his hand up to silence him with a soft snort and moved to sit at the edge of the bed next to him. "First off, it was just one. Fucking. Time. We were just boys messing around trying to see what the hype was all about. And we did. It was literally one kiss, and that's all it'll ever be."

"But why Sabo?!"

"Why not Sabo?" Law sighed. "I had a crush on him for a while now, okay? Sometimes when you want to tell people how you feel, you have to do stupid shit like kissing them to convey the meaning behind it. But it just didn't work out. We're better off as friends, and we both agreed on that. Nothing happened after that, so just drop it. Seriously, this is getting annoying."

"So why did you look at me like that while you did it?!" Luffy snapped, recoiling when Law smacked him upside the head.

"Do you have brain damage or something?" He crossed his arms as Luffy pouted and rubbed his abused head. "I looked at you 'cause you were literally the last person I expected to have walked in on us. It was funny. I wasn't about to stop kissing my crush just because his dumbass kid brother walked in on us. Happy?"

Luffy grumbled under his breath, scowling at the carpet as he turned his head away. "No. You and Sabo still won't leave each other alone. You guys always go off by yourselves and you spend every night together," he muttered, his jaw aching from the pressure of how hard he was grinding his teeth. "Why are you always..."

"Alone time isn't a crime. You still cling to me, so why can't Sabo-ya do the same?" Law deadpanned. "And you do realize he has a girlfriend, right? Just what kind of guy do you think I am? Cause I'm starting to wonder myself."

Luffy's eyebrows knit together in confusion before he scrambled closer towards the raven until they were practically nose to nose. "What girl? Since when?! He never told me anything about that!"

Law chuckled and pushed Luffy's head away by his forehead. "If he didn't tell you himself, then it's not my place to say. I don't blame him though. Your weird obsession with your brothers would've scared the girl away a long time ago."

"Huh?! I'm not obsessed with them!"

"Really now? So all those times you spent hounding me wasn't a way to keep me away from Sabo-ya?" Law leaned close and reached out to pull at one of Luffy's cheeks until the younger smacked him away with a pout.

"What? No! I was trying to keep him away from you, not the other way around..."

Law's eyes widened. Luffy froze on the spot.

Law looked him over with narrowed eyes before sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest as if trying to work something out in his head. Luffy remained silent as he stared right back up at him in determination. He didn't have to say anything. He was going to keep staring at him until he got it, until he understood exactly why he did the things he did.

"What is this really about, Luffy-ya?" Law finally asked after what felt like an eternity of staring. "Why're you so damn determined to keep Sabo-ya and I apart? Because if─"

"You," Luffy interrupted in a quiet voice as he balled his hands into fists. "It's 'cause it's you. And I love you a whole lot and I want to keep you for myself."

There. He said it.

Luffy felt a rush of satisfaction flow through his entire body and his grin widened, happy that he'd managed to finally tell Law what had been on his mind for so long now. The relief only lasted a second or two though, because Law had gotten the wrong idea. He was chuckling now. Loudly.

Luffy scowled at the older man. "Hey! It's not funny!"

Law grinned back before ruffling Luffy's hair and giggled when he growled in protest. "No, it's not. I love you too, you big dumb idiot. Don't worry, I won't tell the twins that you actually prefer me over them. Just imagining their shocked faces would be funny though. But it's alright, it'll be our secret, I guess."

"Wha─ that's not what I meant!" Luffy said, slapping Law's hand away in annoyance as he leaned forward until he was sitting knee to knee with him. Law leaned back on his palms in response, but Luffy didn't let him get far.

Kissing was the best way to convey his feelings, right?

With a quick jerk of his arm, Luffy grabbed onto the front of Law's shirt and slammed his lips firmly against his. It was quick, soft, and over before Law had time to react, but it was enough for Luffy to get the point across. He pulled away in his spot and met Law's shocked expression with a daring look of his own, licking on his bottom lip and savoring the lingering taste of his mouth.

"That's what I meant, Torao," he said with a frown. He carefully reached over to guide Law's hand towards his crotch and pressed his palm against the forming bulge there. Law's breath hitched as he stared down between Luffy's legs where his hand rested for emphasis. "I really, really like you. Do you get it now?"

Luffy waited with his heart in his throat for Law's reply. To his surprise, Law didn't move. Not an inch, not a wiggle. It was as if he had been turned into a statue. But when he saw Law's entire head flame up to a bright red color with eyes wide like saucers, Luffy's heart soared into the heavens above and so did his confidence.

"Well?" Luffy rocked his hips forward to meet Law's hand, pushing his groin against his palm to show just how much he wanted him. He smirked when he felt the other tremble under his touch and decided to dig the metaphorical knife deeper. "If you're not going to say anything, then you might as well help me out a little..."

Law was now sputtering incoherently as Luffy slipped their connected hands past the elastic of his waistband to wrap them tightly around his shaft. A sigh of relief escaped Luffy's mouth as the welcoming touch of another's hand enveloped his dick. He rolled his hips a bit, attempting to build up a rhythm against Law's cold palm.

"H-hey, stop! This is...!" Law fumbled for his words, frantically trying to pull his hand free but found himself trapped under Luffy's firm grip. The situation was starting to sink in at every twist and slow pump Luffy gave himself as he panted lightly through his mouth.

"Torao," he breathed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Law's shoulder as he rubbed himself furiously into their combined hands. "...Feels good. So good... Hah..."

Law inhaled sharply when Luffy thrust up harder with a curse under his breath. He quickly turned his head away with his eyes squeezed shut so that he didn't have to look anymore, inadvertently exposing his neck. Luffy's gaze snapped to it immediately. The view of his flushed skin paired with Law's rapid breathing fueled Luffy on as he bucked into their joined fist at a more desperate pace.

"Torao," Luffy groaned, sliding the tip of his nose along Law's neck and breathed in deeply. "Torao."

He began nipping at Law's neck, pressing his tongue against the warm skin beneath as he focused on the feelings of pleasure coiling in his gut. When Law shivered involuntarily, Luffy gave him a harder bite that made him jolt. Law's grip tightened around him, and in the blink of an eye, his release painted Law's tattooed fingers in sticky white ropes.

Breathless and sated, Luffy dropped his face into the crook of Law's neck and allowed his eyes to fall closed. He could practically hear Law's heart racing beneath his ear, or was that his own? Either way, Luffy couldn't bring himself to care as he gently stroked Law's fingers with his thumb before slowly releasing his stained palm from his softening member. He opened his eyes to admire his work, the sight of his cum splattered over Law's tattoos suddenly stirring something inside him again.

"You know," he spoke, staring back at the back of Law's head since he was still refusing to look at him. Luffy withdrew from him reluctantly and tucked himself back inside his pants with a smile before reaching out for the Law's chin. He guided his head back up until Law had no choice but to stare into his dark pools of ebony. "I think I might've fallen in love with you."

Luffy kissed him harder this time, letting his tongue slide past Law's parted lips as he licked his way past his teeth to venture further. There was resistance at first, but it only made Luffy more determined to have his way. The taste of the older man was intoxicating, addicting. He needed more. He wanted more.

Luffy eventually managed to guide Law down to lay flat on the bed with him looming over. The room was deathly silent besides the sound of their deep kiss, broken every once in a while when Law swallowed deeply before having his breath stolen once again. He looked completely debauched by the time Luffy pulled away from him with a string of saliva still connecting them together.

"Wow," Luffy breathed. "This is even better than how I imagined it."

He was about to lean in for another round when Law slapped a hand over his mouth in a flash. His chest rose and fell erratically, matching the quick flutter of his eyelashes. Luffy just barely resisted the urge to lick or bite at his palm until Law all but shoved him away and scrambled to his feet.

"...You," Law muttered between deep breaths, reaching up to wipe at the string of drool trailing from the corner of his mouth. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit..."

Luffy watched curiously as the taller man furiously cleaned his hand on his shirt before quickly making a b-line towards the door. A pleased smile slowly made its way over Luffy's lips and he gave a content hum, flopping down against the sheets.

Sure, Luffy didn't get any sort of reciprocation like he hoped for, but seeing Law act so flustered for once was enough for Luffy to know that he'd left an impression on him. And he definitely had plans on making Law see things his way now that he knew for sure he and Sabo weren't together.

There was a loud thump that had Luffy blinking back to reality. He lifted his head just enough to look over his shoulder and spotted Sabo staring back at him from the hallway with his backpack haphazardly thrown onto the floor from where it had slipped from his shoulder. The blond's face was morphed into a look of complete and utter disbelief as he looked between him and where Law had fled from.

Luffy stared at the bag for a moment before turning back to look at his brother with a bright smile on his face. "Hey! Welcome back."

"Don't 'hey' me! What the hell was that?!" Sabo exclaimed as he rushed towards the bed and grabbed Luffy by the shoulders tightly. "I just saw you two making out! Luffy, what the hell are you doing?!"

His grin only widened when Sabo started shaking him.

Oops, busted.

It was now Law's turn to avoid Luffy like the plague.

Wherever Luffy went, Law wasn't there. And whenever Law was in the same room as him, he'd find an excuse to quickly leave within seconds of making eye contact with him. And no matter how many ways Luffy managed to sneak up on the other, he would end up running away.

Law was out more often now, claiming he needed to study to get a head start or some other lame excuse.

But Luffy surprisingly didn't mind.

In fact, he found it quite entertaining to watch Law's usual stoic mask crumble in an instant the moment he saw him, replacing it with a heated blush that would rise up to color his sharp cheekbones and ears.

Ace seemed to have caught on after noticing how strangely Law had been acting. He would give Luffy hard stares and tried asking what was wrong with him, but Luffy merely shrugged his questions off, earning him a punch on the arm and a gruff reprimand about being secretive.

What Luffy did mind though was how Sabo kept him under close watch ever since he caught him the other day.

The blond would always glare daggers at him whenever they were in the same room together and always managed to find some way to force Luffy away from Law when they did get near each other.

Sabo never outright told him to stay away from Law though. But that didn't mean Luffy was going to follow his brother's wishes.

He'd always been one to do as he pleased anyway, and if Sabo was so hellbent on keeping them apart, then Luffy would just have to get creative when it came to getting Law alone again. He just needed the right opportunity and the patience to wait for it. He had lots of the former, but patience wasn't really Luffy's strong point. So he didn't have much choice other than suck it up and wait a bit longer.

"Okay. What the hell is up with all of you guys?" Ace asked one night at dinner. "Why does it feel like I'm missing something important?"

It had been a quiet affair with Sabo's constant glaring and Luffy's focused efforts of silently watching Law, who had been pointedly ignoring him for the entire evening by keeping his eyes fixated on his plate. Dadan was at her wits' end trying to get a word in edgewise, but the tense atmosphere in the room had her shutting her mouth for once.

"Because you are," Sabo huffed irritably as he speared a piece of chicken with his fork with a little more force than necessary instead of elaborating any further.

Ace's scowl deepened before he turned to Luffy for answers. The younger pretended not to notice his eldest brother's questioning gaze and just focused on his food instead.

"Luffy," Ace warned in a dangerous tone that had Luffy's eyes flickering towards him instinctively. "What's going on? Did you piss Sabo off or something?"

"What? No I didn't─ OW!" Luffy yelped in surprise when he felt Sabo's foot connect roughly with his shin under the table. He immediately rounded on his older brother with a heated glare and kicked him right back in retaliation.

Ace sighed heavily when both proceeded to kick at each other under the table with Dadan yelling at them to cut it out. "Fine, don't tell me. But you," he turned his attention towards Law, who was busy stabbing at his broccoli like it had done something to personally offend him. "Did you do something?"

"Did I do something, he says," Law scoffed indignantly at the question as his amber eyes raised upwards to pin the freckled man across the table with a heated glare. "How kind of you to assume all the problems here lie in me, Portgas-ya. Honestly, I have no idea how I put up with you assholes so long."

"Me?!" Ace and Sabo exclaimed incredulously at the accusation.

"What the─ dude, what did I do?! Tell me because I literally cannot come up with anything else that you would possibly be pissed at me about!" Ace snapped.

"Hey..." Dadan attempted to calm them down and was ultimately ignored.

The table erupted into loud shouting as the three broke out into their own side arguments that had their dinner nearly getting knocked to the floor. Luffy didn't bother taking part or trying to get them to stop and just went about his eating in peace until Sabo raised his voice above the rest.

"Why are you blaming me for doing damage control to keep our decade of friendship intact?! If anyone here should be upset with anyone, it should be me! And this dipshit is messing everything up 'cause he can't keep it in his pants!" Sabo added, jabbing a thumb at his little brother's direction.

"I didn't do anything!" Luffy shouted defensively over their arguing with a pout before shoveling more food into his mouth quickly. "This isn't even my fault."

"YES, IT IS!" Sabo, Ace and Law hollered simultaneously over his claim which earned the boys a fierce slap to the top of their head from Dadan.

"ENOUGH ALREADY," the woman shouted angrily, forcing all three brothers to shut their mouths while Law simply looked away in mild irritation. He made a move to get up, but Dadan snatched him by the arm and shoved him back into his seat harshly with a firm warning look. "Sit."

Law wisely followed her command.

Dadan turned back towards the rest of the table, folding her arms over her chest as she glared at each one of them. "Alright. I don't give a damn about what happened or who did what or who said what to who. But I will not put up with this fucking bullshit in my own house anymore. You hear me?!"

Nobody answered her, choosing instead to continue glaring at each other from their respective spots. Dadan continued speaking as if they had, completely ignoring their stubborn attitudes.

"I can't believe I have to do this with four grown adults," she muttered in disbelief before pinning each person with a heated glare of her own. "Now, I want you to point to the person you're most pissed at so we can get this shit over and done with!"

Law, Ace and Sabo immediately pointed to Luffy. Said man blinked back in surprise before throwing his hands up in the air in indignation.

"What?! That's not fair! Why me?!"

"You're obviously the problem here Luffy! Always have been, always will be!" Ace shouted loudly.

"HEY!"

Dadan groaned and rubbed her temples wearily. "You two," she said firmly, pointing at her two eldest boys who both crossed their arms over their chests in unison. "You stay right here. You," she continued, shifting her finger towards Law as he let out an exasperated sigh when she did so. "And you," Dadan finished, shoving her finger in Luffy's face. "Get the hell up and follow me."

Luffy and Law exchanged wary glances before getting up slowly from their seats. Dadan led them down the hall and stopped at a closet door where she promptly shoved them both inside before sliding the door shut. There was a resounding thud as Dadan surely placed a chair under the handle to lock them both in.

"Talk it out," she yelled from the other side of the closed door. "You're staying in there till morning whether you sort your shit out or not."

"What? What the hell did I do?!" Law shouted, hitting the door in retaliation which caused Dadan to shout back at him.

"I'm not blind! There's always something going on between you two, so I'm going to make this easier for all of us and have you two play nice for a little while!"

There was more stomping and angry muttering by Dadan and the boys before the house went eerily silent. Luffy gulped and let his eyes wander around the closet they'd been locked in, squinting when he spotted the light switch. He flicked it on to reveal several neat shelves full of various cleaning supplies stacked on one side, piles of boxes, some closed and some open, littered the space around them and were covered in a fine layer of dust.

Silence washed over him and Law as they both remained on opposite ends of the closet. Law scoffed after a moment before slowly sliding down the door to take a seat. He glanced up at Luffy for a second before looking away when the teen stared back at him curiously.

"So..." Luffy spoke in a low voice, settling onto the floor in front of Law comfortably. "Are we going to talk or not?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

Luffy frowned at the terse reply but didn't let it discourage him from probing further. "There is too! You still didn't answer me back then."

"What do you want me to say?!" Law muttered harshly, sending the boy a heated glare that didn't faze him. "That I've been avoiding you because I'm trying to stay away from the kid who forced a hand job out of me? The kid who's been like a little brother to me for years, I might add?! Fuck, I honestly don't even know what the fuck to say to you!"

"Well that's too bad, 'cause I wanna say lots and lots of things to you!" Luffy retorted as he moved closer. "I love you, Torao. I'm not gonna stop saying it either. I love you!"

"Just stop already! Stop saying that and stop... and stop touching me!" Law snapped, trying his hardest to put as much distance between them as possible in the cramped space they were locked inside. "This is fucked up. You are fucked up!"

"So what? I can't help how I feel," Luffy shot back, quickly closing the space Law had just created within a matter of seconds. His arms pinned him against the far wall so he couldn't move further away again. "And it's not like you hated it... You could've just pushed me away instead of letting me jerk myself off in your─"

Law's foot firmly planted itself onto Luffy's lower half in response, landing harshly between his legs against his junk. A pained squeal fell from his lips as he immediately curled into himself and writhed on the floor in pain.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Luffy groaned as tears prickled at the corners of his eyes from the throbbing ache in his nether regions. "That hurt! That was so mean Torao, not cool!"

"You're lucky that's all I did," Law bit out through clenched teeth, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. He scooted even closer to the door, firmly pressed against the wood as he carefully watched the younger recover at his feet. "Seriously, what the hell happened to you? How did you... how did you become like this?"

Luffy rolled his head to the side, grinning up at the taller man despite the uncomfortable throbbing still assaulting him down there. "I grew up, Torao. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I can fucking see that," Law snapped. "Shouldn't you be out chasing skirts or something? What's the deal? Why do you all of a sudden have feelings for me? Explain!"

"What's there to explain? I like you. Like, really, really, really like you! Isn't that enough?" Luffy pouted. "This isn't some phase or experiment I'm doing either. This isn't me figuring shit out. I did figure shit out, and it's getting annoying that you don't believe me. I've already waited a long time to say all this stuff to you and I don't regret any of it!"

A brief silence settled between the two as Law's expression scrunched up. It looked like he had difficulty wrapping his head around his words, unable to fully grasp their meaning.

"Are you really telling me the reason why you've been a pestering, attention seeking little brat around me lately was because you've actually been crushing on me? All of the hugging, following, sitting on me and latching onto me wherever I went was really just you, fucking─" Law waved his hands around wildly in exasperation. "What?! Getting your rocks off?"

"Yeah," Luffy nodded fervently, choosing to leave out the fact that his 'crush' for him started way before now, that his feelings were the whole reason why they broke apart after their fight in the first place. Law was probably going to hit him again if he let him know the truth on just how long he had been carrying these thoughts with him.

"Wow. Fucking wow," Law muttered incredulously, letting his head fall back against the wood behind him with a thud. "This is stupid. This is wrong on so many levels that I can't even begin to count!"

"What's the big deal anyway?" Luffy shrugged, pushing himself up so that he could sit across from him again with a pout. "What's so wrong with liking you?"

"Everything! Because it's me, Luffy-ya," Law said in exasperation like that explained everything, only further confusing the younger male sitting in front of him. "I'm four years older than you! We grew up together, I practically raised you with Ace-ya and Sabo-ya until you learned to wipe your own ass on your own and... and you're my friend. I don't want things to be weird between us."

"Then stop making it weird," Luffy grumbled in response, poking at the tan leg closest to him to try and get his attention. "You never said anything when I would touch you all the time before."

"That was different! Had I known how you felt all along, maybe I wouldn't have been so tolerant about that either!"

Luffy poked his leg again and frowned. Law grabbed at his finger, but Luffy simply maneuvered his hand to squeeze his hand instead. He looked up hopefully at him as he sat up on his knees.

"Just think about it, okay? No matter how many times you refuse me, I'll just keep on asking until summer is over. Until you say yes. Give me a chance."

Law clicked his tongue before giving the air a tired sigh. "...And here I used to think your childish stubbornness was cute. Look how that turned out."

Luffy smiled coyly at him. "Why can't it still be?"

They stared at each other for a long while, both not saying anything for the next few minutes. Law maintained his stoic features as he pondered what to say next, though Luffy could tell he wanted to kick him again by the way he would glance down at the way they were still holding hands.

A yawn escaped Luffy's mouth involuntarily and he slumped forward, placing his head in Law's lap. The hand in his grip tightened reflexively as Law tensed at his closeness but didn't try to push him off.

"...You're serious about this," Law finally spoke up. "Aren't you?"

Luffy cracked his eyes open to glance up at him before sinking in completely, wrapping his free arm around his waist with another yawn. "Mhm."

There was another pregnant pause before he felt Law relaxing under his hold. "Fine. Whatever. But I'm telling you right now that I'm not interested in you like that. At all. You're not my type, you're too young, and you're like family to me. So don't come crying to me once you end up hating me by the time I leave. Because I won't give a shit starting from now."

"I won't," Luffy mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes as he pressed his face against Law's stomach and breathed in deep. "M'not gonna hate you no matter what happens... You'll see..."

"Luffy-ya."

"Mmm..."

"Luffy-ya I mean it.

"A-ah! Ahn... Luffy─ Hmph!"

Law's words were cut off when Luffy forced his mouth against Law's lips, stifling any sound he tried to make. The raven's muffled grunt of protest changed into a drawn-out groan instead when Luffy grinded his hips forward hard as he broke the kiss and continued to lick his way down Law's neck, trailing his tongue from his collar bone to his pulse point where he gave a gentle bite.

"Shit, shit, shit," Law muttered breathlessly under his breath as they finally broke contact. Luffy roughly shoved his hips against Law's again as he leaned down to lick up the side of his cheek, earning a mewl from the raven in response. "Nnn... not s'posed... not s'posed 'ta h-happen like this... fuck!"

The day at the beach had been nothing but sun and fun. Brook had been kind enough to host a party on his villa's private beach for their friends to enjoy, all inclusive of food, drinks, and entertainment that only a famous musician such as him could provide.

The sun blared down on their exposed flesh, coating their bodies in glistening seawater and a fine sheen of sweat. Luffy's gaze kept wandering over to the half-naked Law working on putting sunscreen on his body. The sight of his newer tattoos, toned abs, and the way the trunks riding low on his hips seemed ready to fall off of him at a moment's notice were driving him mad.

It had been a week or so since Luffy and Law got stuck in the closet and it seemed like they had both made the agreement to just move on and pretend like nothing ever happened.

At least, that's how Law seemed to act. Luffy, however, found his newly acquired confidence and boldness impossible to contain.

They had continued talking and hanging out just like they always had, only now there was an underlying tension that existed between them that wasn't present before.

Luffy seized every opportunity to lay his claim with Law, grabbing his hand and leading him to watch movies, play games, share a meal, go wherever Law wanted to but never let go of him along the way. Occasionally, Luffy's advances would land him on the receiving end of Law's palm colliding against his cheek, but the Luffy would take it and grin up at the flustered raven who would then yell at him some more.

Ace had started to catch on as well, trying to crack Law's code and figure out why his little brother kept pestering him so much in this way. Sabo still hadn't let Luffy live down the stunt he pulled in his room, but Luffy didn't care anymore.

Sabo didn't really get a choice either on the matter.

Taking a seat on the sand to observe, Luffy kept stealing glances at Law, which was made easier to do since the man in question had his eyes firmly closed as a blindfold covered them. A watermelon sat in front of him on the sand, and he held a stick in his hands ready to strike it. Everyone was circled around him, egging him on and cheering him on while Brook played his ukulele in the background.

Luffy was having a hard time ignoring the heat coiling in the pit of his stomach and was even having a difficult time suppressing the urge to go to him and do more than just look.

But Luffy had to be patient. He would wait for him, as he had told him that night. Because it was true, Luffy could wait. He would wait as long as it took, until...

Until something struck him right in the face. Hard.

Luffy reeled back in surprise with his hands flying to his face and blinked rapidly in confusion as everyone around him laughed at his expense.

He was pulled out of his stupor when he noticed Law snatching off his blindfold to look at him, worry written clear as day on his features as his eyes immediately zoomed in on where his hand was covering his nose.

"Shit, sorry. Are you okay?" Law muttered under his breath as he strode towards him and dropped down to his knees, his hands cupping his face. "Why did you just sit there like an idiot instead of backing up like everyone else?!"

"I dunno," Luffy groaned in pain as he leaned his head back to allow him better access. His gaze shifted from Law's face to his chest, watching the way the droplets of water ran down the tanned skin in a way that had Luffy's nose twitching. "...I'm okay though?"

Suddenly, a stream of blood started running out of Luffy's nostrils like a waterfall. The laughter from his friends grew louder and more obnoxious at the sight─ especially Ace's, who doubled over on himself clutching his stomach in a fit─ but all Luffy could do was stare wide eyed as his hands flew up to his nose.

"Dude, that looks pretty bad," Usopp pointed out as his and Chopper's concerned faces loomed next to Law's. The three assessed him over before Law's hand latched onto Luffy's wrist and pulled him to his feet with a heavy sigh.

"I'll take care of this, don't worry," Law said over his shoulder as he dragged Luffy away towards the villa, ignoring his protests and whining.

"I said I'm okay," Luffy insisted, though he still let himself be dragged inside the empty beach house. Law guided him towards the first bedroom they found and closed the door behind them before sitting him down on the bed while he went to the connected bathroom.

"Your nose might be broken, dumbass," Law called back in a reprimanding tone as he rummaged around for something in the cabinets. "Just lean your head forward and pinch the bridge of your nose if you can. If it's really bad, you'll go to the hospital to get it set."

Luffy huffed as he did as instructed, watching the blood continue to seep through the cracks of his fingers. He listened to the sound of running water filling up the sink for a couple seconds before Law came back with a small towel in hand. He gently held Luffy's chin between his fingers to tilt his head back a bit.

"It doesn't look broken, but it'll definitely bruise," Law commented softly, giving him a soft look. The corner of his lips pulled up a bit to form a ghost of a smile before pressing the damp cloth to Luffy's face to clean him off. "You might even have a concussion with how hard I hit you. What would I tell Garp-ya if I'd killed you?"

The humor in his voice helped ease the pain, so much so that Luffy barely registered the sting at all when Law carefully dabbed around the cut on the tip of his nose. The raven applied light pressure to try and get the last of it to clot and scooted closer between his legs to have better access.

"Stay still," he said, wiping one last trail of blood away. He glanced over his shoulder then and reached over for the small med kit he'd taken from the bathroom and spread it out on the sheets next to him. He gestured for Luffy to hold the towel in place once his hands went towards it so he could rummage through the first-aid supplies. "It's gonna sting a bit, okay?"

Luffy hissed quietly and resisted the urge to pull his face away when he felt his wound being swabbed with rubbing alcohol, but soon calmed once he felt Law blow soft, cool air against the raw spot on his nose.

Law paused to open a packet and rip something off with his teeth, a white bandaid that he carefully laid over his new mark with delicate fingers. He then pried the towel away to clean up the little spots of blood still present and finished with Luffy's stained hand as well.

Once he was satisfied with the work he'd done, the raven put everything away again before throwing the towel into a hamper nearby and glanced over at Luffy in thought.

"You alright? Head swimming? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two. And I said I'm fine!" Luffy whined when Law moved to check his eyes and forehead with the back of his hands. It felt so natural that he found himself smiling when Law brushed the damp fringe away from his face to take a better look. "It was just a hit. I'm not a sissy, you know."

The corner of Law's mouth twitched before a chuckle slipped from his lips. "Uh-huh. Just stay put for a bit, I'll get some ice for you," he murmured, ruffling Luffy's hair.

Luffy took that as the cue to wrap his arms tightly around the other's middle and pull him back towards the bed with him. He flopped back onto the mattress with a bounce, taking Law along with him and was pleased with himself when the other landed on top of him.

"Hey!" Law exclaimed in surprise, his hot breath fanning across Luffy's face from where their lips were so close to touching. "Careful! Don't bump your nose."

"I don't want any ice."

Law clicked his tongue as his eyebrow quirked upwards. "You stubborn..." he started with his usual disapproval until Luffy could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to process what was going on before the realization of their position hit him like a freight train. "...You're not going to let me go, are you?"

Luffy shook his head in response with a cheeky smile.

"Idiot, you're going to kill me one of these days," Law mumbled half-heartedly as he tried to untangle himself from his grasp, but didn't put too much effort into it, if any.

Law fell back onto him and gave him a wary look, his lips dangerously close to brushing against Luffy's. It took everything Luffy had in him to resist leaning up and kissing him, wanting to see how far he could get him to go. But as quickly as the temptation came, it disappeared when he heard Law's exasperated sigh.

"Tell me what you want then," he muttered in a flat tone, staring down at him as Luffy licked his lips in thought.

"Kiss my boo-boo better? Pretty please?"

Law simply looked at him, unamused. "You're a real goddamn nuisance, you know that? My head is a fucking mess right now. Fuck," he groaned in frustration and banged his forehead onto Luffy's shoulder. "What the fuck am I doing?"

"Playing hard to get?" Luffy laughed. He thought Law's heartbeat quickened beneath his chest, or was it his own?

Law said nothing as he leaned in close. Luffy held his breath in excitement, letting his eyes drift closed just before he felt the feather-light press of his lips against his own.

But it was gone as fast as it came.

Luffy's eyes snapped open to find Law staring back at him with a thoughtful gaze and slightly pursed lips. He stayed like that for what felt like eternity before tilting his head to the side as he carefully avoided Luffy's nose when he dipped back in for more.

This time, Luffy instantly took the chance to claim his lips by parting them with his tongue as he tasted the soft flesh underneath. They tasted like the orange popsicle Nami had been handing out earlier.

Their exchange began to grow in intensity as their actions became more frantic. Law's hands buried themselves into his hair, tilting his head slightly to deepen the kiss as he slid his tongue into his mouth. Their sweaty bodies stuck together from the residue of salt and sand as they rolled across the sheets over and over again while hands wandered.

Luffy moaned into the kiss and bucked his hips against Law's experimentally, earning a surprised gasp from him. He twisted around on the bed before flipping their positions in one swift movement and straddled Law's hips, panting lightly as he looked down to stare hungrily at the exposed flesh lying beneath him.

"Is this okay?" Luffy whispered, grinding his hips down against Law's crotch, reveling in the gasp it drew from the raven beneath him.

Law bit the bottom of his lip in restraint. He glared daggers at the wall behind him and averted his eyes from Luffy as his entire face and ears turned bright red. "You suck, you know that? Goddamnit."

The statement wasn't really a resounding 'yes,' but that didn't stop Luffy from going back in to kiss Law once more. Luffy's hand ran along his stomach, tracing the line of his abs as Law gasped once his fingers dipped underneath the waistband of his swim trunks.

"Torao," he muttered, looking into his eyes as he wrapped his hand around him. He was hot and heavy in his palm and his cock twitched at the touch. "You're hard."

"No shit," Law ground out with a shaky breath.

"I thought you weren't interested in me like that?" Luffy chuckled lowly against his ear as he gave a tentative squeeze. "Are you gonna take it back now?"

Law threw an arm over his face in an effort to hide from the world. "Fuck off. I'm not taking anything back!"

"Okay," Luffy smiled, leaning down to nibble on his earlobe. He pumped him faster, using his other hand to pull down his swim trunks until his erection sprang free. His own dick was straining against his shorts, and he gave a sigh of relief when he finally pulled them down too. "I'll make you change your mind then."

Law gasped loudly when he lined up their dicks and started rubbing them together with a renewed vigor. Law's mouth fell open as his back arched off the bed and he clawed at Luffy's shoulders to find purchase.

"Shit─ it's so hot in here," he moaned, holding onto him tight as Luffy sped up his pace. "A-ah, fuck! Shit, slow down, you're gonna make me─ Nngh!"

Luffy stopped just shy of Law reaching his climax and sat back again to readjust himself. Law lifted himself onto his elbows with a flustered scowl aimed directly at him as his chest rose and fell in labored pants.

"Damnit... What the hell did you do that for?!"

Luffy flashed him a quick smile before quickly flipping Law onto his stomach and shoved his face down against the mattress. His fingers found their way into his dark hair and pulled hard enough to make Law bow his back into him in response.

"The fuck are you doing?" he muttered, letting out a choked breath as Luffy spread his thighs apart.

"Showing you what I mean by making you change your mind."

Luffy wasted no time reaching over the nightstand to grab the bottle of hand lotion sitting there and poured a generous amount into his hand. He slathered a thick layer of the product onto his member and gave it a few lazy pumps before smearing the rest onto his fingers and finally shoved two digits inside Law without warning.

"Fuck!" the other keened into the pillow with his fist pressed hard to his mouth.

The feeling of heat wrapping around his digits and sucking his fingers further in was a sensation unlike anything Luffy had felt before. It had his head spinning and his heart racing as he relished in the gasps coming from the man under him. He added in a third digit to join the party and curled his finger upwards experimentally until a strangled cry caught his ears and Law's hole twitched in response.

Law quickly slapped a hand onto his mouth as his muffled sounds of pleasure grew louder, prompting Luffy to attack that sweet spot in retaliation.

"Not...! No more, not─ ah, there!"

Luffy was all too happy to comply as he pulled his fingers free from the raven's tight hole with a lewd, squelching sound that left his dick twitching with anticipation. Law made a noise of protest and attempted to push himself up, but Luffy simply pushed him back down with a firm shove. He was panting heavily now.

"Stay," Luffy said, leaning forward and planted kisses along his spine until he reached his ear. "Just stay. I'll make you feel good, Torao."

Law trembled beneath him once he aligned his throbbing dick to his entrance. Luffy sucked on the skin where his neck met his shoulder and pushed in, swallowing his moans as he sank deeper inside him. He gave a low groan of pleasure at the sensation of Law's tight heat enveloping around his dick as he sheathed himself completely.

Law was right. It was hot, so hot... Too hot.

"A-ah... so t-tight," Luffy breathed in shakily, the sweat rolling down his skin as he waited for Law to adjust before giving an experimental thrust.

When he felt no resistance, he pulled out slowly until just the tip was left before slamming his hips forward with enough force to make Law yelp. The sound turned into a strangled moan as Luffy pulled out again to repeat the process, gradually picking up the pace until his hips were snapping back against his ass repeatedly.

The bed under them groaned and creaked loudly, shaking under the force of his movements. He reached up to wrap his hands around Law's own and intertwined their fingers together.

"Luffy-ya," Law rasped into the bed. His shoulders tensed and Luffy's entire body burned with pure unadulterated lust when he heard his name fall so lustily from the man's swollen lips. "L-Luffy!"

The noises Law made drove Luffy wild as he pounded harder into him, chasing the pleasure coiling in the pit of his stomach. He wrapped a hand around Law's dick and pumped in time with his thrusts, causing the other's breathing to grow labored.

"F-fuck─ ah! I'm... I'm gonna─!"

Luffy stopped. Again.

Law gave an indignant cry of frustration and he tried to move his hips to meet his dick but failed miserably. Luffy chuckled breathlessly as he leaned forward and kissed along his back, feeling the older man shivering under his touch.

"I told you Torao," he murmured against his sweaty skin, planting kisses along his spine as he went. "I'll make you change your mind. You can't finish until you say it."

"You─" Law panted heavily, trying to push himself up but Luffy shoved him back down. "You fucking shit!"

Luffy began thrusting again, making sure to aim directly for that spot that made Law's voice keen an octave higher. He could feel himself getting close too, but he refused to let go until Law said it.

"Come on Torao," he whispered into his ear, picking up the pace as he felt his orgasm fast approaching. "Just say it already. Just admit that you like me."

"No," Law bit out stubbornly, biting into his lower lip as Luffy rammed into him harder. "Fuck, no! I won't─ hah... I won't say anything!"

Luffy pulled out of Law once again and flipped him over onto his back. Law glared up at him but didn't protest when he raised his leg to his shoulder and entered him in one fluid thrust. He kissed the knee sitting by his head and began snapping his hips with more purpose.

"Say it, Torao," Luffy murmured, holding his gaze, leaning closer and closer until Law was folded nearly in half. "Say that you like me."

Law gritted his teeth, trying to hold back a moan. "N-no! Fuck... Ngh!"

Luffy snaked a hand between their sweaty bodies and found his cock again and pumped in time with the frantic snap of his hips. He didn't let up, not even when he could feel his orgasm threatening to burst forth. He was so close, but he couldn't give in just yet. Not until he got what he wanted. He needed to hear it. He needed to hear it from Law.

"Say it," he whispered harshly, letting his knee drop off his shoulder to pull his thighs further apart.

"Ah! Shit─ I...!"

"Say it Torao."

Law's body tensed up as he let out a loud cry when Luffy stopped moving again. His face scrunched up in frustration as Luffy waited patiently, staring down at the way Law took gasping gulps of air as his legs quivered.

"I hate you," he spat finally, amber eyes blazing with defiance even as tears pricked the corners of them.

"Aw, c'mon!" Luffy said in exasperation, rocking his hips in shallow motions, making Law let out a small gasp as his eyes fluttered shut. "Try again."

"Luffy-ya─"

"Try again."

"I..." Law's breath hitched when Luffy picked up speed. "I don't want to like you!"

Luffy let out a pleased hum as he thrusted harder and faster, stroking Law's dick as he did so until he had him at the edge again, ready to fall to pieces. But not yet.

"But I guess I do," Law whimpered as he arched his back to meet him. "Because─ Hah...! Because I like you! I think love you way too much─"

Luffy slammed his hips forward one more time and sent Law toppling over the edge with a loud cry. His whole body tensed up as thick spurts of cum coated the sheets under him. The sensation of Law clenching down tightly around his cock forced a loud moan out of Luffy as he spilled his load inside him right after.

They both stayed in place for what felt like forever, basking in the afterglow as they tried to catch their breath. The sound of waves crashing on the beach from the balcony accompanied by the faint chatter of their friends resonated throughout the silent room.

Luffy blinked down at Law hazily, his eyes bleary and unfocused as he pulled out of him. White liquid trickled out of Law's entrance and coated the insides of his thighs in a fine, sticky mess that had him feeling quite satisfied.

"Me too. I like you lots too!" Luffy said finally, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck while pressing a gentle kiss to the heated skin. "I've liked you since we were kids, y'know? Even after our fight and when you came back... I've been trying to get you to notice me since then. I'm happy... I'm so happy!"

Luffy ignored Law's annoyed grumbles at his affections as he gave him several sloppy pecks and nuzzled him to his heart's content. The feeling of ecstasy had faded but was still present enough that he wanted to roll around in bliss and do a funny little dance for no reason. Instead, he looked down at Law happily to see the man staring back at him with a look of utter bewilderment on his features.

"We... we just had sex. It's only been a week or two, and I already... Shit. Shit! I... I just had sex with my best friend's little brother. We just had sex!"

"...Yeah?" Luffy hummed, playing with the strand of Law's bangs absentmindedly as they dangled into his eyes. "So, are we dating now?"

Law stared at him in disbelief as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Are you fucking kidding me? You can't just ask something like that after you did all of that!"

"But I already said lots of mushy things to you! That should have been good enough, but if it's not..."

Luffy launched at him without warning and smacked their lips together in a deep kiss. Their teeth clinked against each other, and it hurt. A lot, especially the part where he hit his bruised nose against Law's, but he didn't stop, too thrilled by the idea of kissing him.

"Okay! Fine, God. Just please stop trying to devour me!"

Luffy barely pulled away to avoid a firm slap to the face, just a couple inches shy of receiving a direct blow as Law glared daggers at him. He ignored it and closed the gap between them to capture his lips again in a much more chaste kiss that he sighed happily into.

"So," he murmured against his lips. "Is that a yes?"

Law let out an exasperated huff and let himself fall back onto the bed. "Sure. Whatever. Just make sure you don't say shit to anyone yet. Got it?"

Luffy laughed loudly as he picked the naked man up in his arms, holding him bridal style. Law sputtered and tried to break free from the hold, but Luffy refused to let go and ran to the balcony, practically swinging the door open in his own full naked glory.

His brothers and friends had settled around to set off fireworks from their seats and they looked up curiously as a beaming Luffy hollered at the top of his lungs and twirled Law in the air.

"YOU GUYS WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT I JUST DID!" Luffy boomed as loudly as his throat would allow and raised Law in the air. "TA-DAH!"

Law could only scream at the top of his lungs and slap at him frantically, demanding to be put down while Luffy watched in glee as several of his friends dropped their drinks to the sand in shock as Sabo fainted and Ace doubled over onto his knees with wide, horrified eyes.

"Should we say something?" Ace muttered the following night, shaking his head as he tried to wrap his mind around what exactly happened between Luffy and Law.

Sabo furrowed his brows and shook his head in disbelief as he finished off his nightly glass of scotch. "Would it even make a difference at this point?"

"Fair. But I still can't believe you, Luffy! Of all the people─"

"Yeah, I know," Luffy sighed dreamily as he hugged his pillow to his chest. "I'm so lucky, right?"

"No, you're a fucking dumbass!" Ace shouted angrily, slamming his hands onto the table. "You don't know the first thing about relationships! I mean─ how do you even know if this is what you want? Maybe you're just confused and this will pass in a couple of weeks. It's not like you've ever dated anyone before!"

"Don't need to. I know what I feel, so I won't get confused," Luffy shot back confidently. "I want this. I want Law. I've wanted Law for years and now I finally have him. We even had sex and he said I was his first. His. First!"

Sabo grimaced. "Stop. We don't need to hear about what you did."

"Who the fuck knew my bratty little brother would actually get into a relationship before me!" Ace groaned and sunk down in his seat. "Unbelievable! This is seriously unbelievable! And with Law... My best friend, Law! Who did you kill?! What black magic is this?!"

Dadan let out a long sigh and downed her third glass of wine in one gulp. She poured herself another glass as the three brothers stared at her with questioning looks on their faces.

"Are you... okay with all this?" Sabo asked after a long stretch of silence.

Dadan shrugged nonchalantly as she took another drink. "What do you want me to say? I don't really give a shit. He's old enough to make his own mistakes, and he'll learn from them eventually like we all do. The only thing I care about is if that punk makes my boy cry."

"Are you kidding?" Ace said incredulously. "It's going to be a miracle if those two can even make it through next week without killing each other. Don't you remember the day they got into that huge fight and stopped talking for months? Till this day we don't even know what started it! That's how bad this is. That's how bad those two can be!"

"Hey! That was a long time ago," Luffy snapped, kicking his feet underneath the table. "Things are different now!"

"Law was literally avoiding you not long ago! He only started to come around again after Dadan took care of things to keep the same thing from happening a second time!"

"That was then. Now is now!"

Sabo gave Luffy a worried glance before leaning in close. "Hey Lu, are you really sure you know what you're getting into?" He asked gently. "Ace has a point, you know. I know you care about Law, but he's still going back to Germany in a month. Are you prepared to deal with that?"

"Doesn't matter. I'll worry about all that then," Luffy resolutely before bringing the large rubber straw up to his mouth, chewing on the end of it excitedly. "Whatever happens happens, as long as he stays with me! I just wanna make him happy 'cause that's all I've ever wanted."

In spite of everything, Sabo couldn't help but smile.

"You're ridiculous," Ace scoffed and walked over to where Luffy sat at the kitchen table to ruffle his hair affectionately. "But fine. You're a man who can make your own decisions. Even if they're stupid as fuck. If you wanna date him, then go for it."

Sabo shook his head and rubbed at his temples with a heavy sigh. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see you either of you get hurt. And I swear to God, if you guys break up, I'm with Law all the way. There's no way I'm siding with you when it comes to this."

Luffy grinned brightly, giving his brothers two thumbs up. "You got it!"

Ace and Sabo exchanged knowing looks before clapping a hand on his shoulders in unison. Luffy's grin widened even more when he saw Law standing in the hallway, watching with a small smile on his face. Their eyes met for a split second before Law looked away and walked off without another word.

Yeah, Luffy thought to himself, still smiling as he rested his chin on the back of his hand. Things are gonna go perfectly.

"Hey Sabo, how come you never told me you had a girlfriend anyway? Is it Koala? She's the only one I ever see you talk to."

The blond sputtered and turned a bright shade of red as Dadan nearly choked on her drink. Ace just started laughing his ass off, patting him on the back.

So far, things were going smoothly.

Law didn't seem to mind the physical contact much anymore. He actually welcomed it when Luffy reached out to hold his hand or wrap his arms around his waist. Sometimes he would even return the favor by planting a soft peck on the side of Luffy's mouth in the morning.

This pleased him greatly and it made the butterflies in his stomach come to life whenever it happened.

After a week, the novelty wore off on him and things fell into place in their little bubble. Law had long ditched Sabo's room to share one with Luffy instead. That made Luffy stick his tongue out at his brother in victory every time he crossed paths with him.

Nowadays, they did whatever the hell they wanted together.

They kissed and held hands whenever no one was watching and even sometimes snuck around the house at night when Dadan, Ace and Sabo were sleeping. They'd go out on their own at times, walking around the city and taking the train down to downtown to explore the various shops and restaurants there. Then there were times when they didn't get out of bed at all, spending the whole night getting to know each other physically.

 Luffy relished those times the most. Because even though Law was a lot more hesitant when it came to cuddling and kissing out in public, once they were alone together behind closed doors, all his inhibitions seemed to disappear immediately.

He was just as affectionate as Luffy remembered him to be, but he'd get flustered whenever Luffy mentioned it out loud. He'd say something along the lines of 'just shut up and let me do this' before burying his head into the crook of his neck with his arms wrapped tight around his waist.

Luffy had been the only person to see this side of Law. To see past the stubborn exterior and find the soft, caring, and sensitive guy lurking underneath once again after all this time, like now.

Law was on his stomach with his ankles in the air as he leaned his weight on his elbows, reading one of the comics he'd purchased the other day. Every so often a quiet hum would escape his mouth as he got deeper into the plot.

Luffy rolled over to his side, keeping a watchful eye on Law with his cheek pressed against his pillow and simply enjoyed being there. Just sitting here beside him brought him immeasurable joy.

But as much as he loved the fact that the Law from his childhood had started to emerge from its shell, the end of summer vacation came and went. Law's departure date loomed over the two of them with each passing day until finally, it arrived.

The airport was crowded that morning when Luffy, Ace and Sabo accompanied Law to the gate. The latter didn't want a grand send off, instead requesting for a simple, short farewell by the exit.

"I still can't believe you're leaving," Luffy muttered, gripping the front of Law's shirt tightly. "You only just came back. I don't want you to go."

Law gave an exasperated sigh before pulling Luffy closer to him. He kissed the top of his head gently, letting his lips linger for a moment before pulling away. "I still have a few years of medical school to finish, remember?"

"Then do it here. You can study here and─"

"That's not how it works," Law said with a shake of his head, putting his hands on either side of Luffy's face. "Besides, I thought we decided that you could wait for me."

"Yeah, but..."

Luffy paused when Law leaned down and kissed him softly, making his eyes widen slightly. He had never kissed him so intimately out in the open, in front of Ace and Sabo no less. His brothers stood off to the side of them silently, paying them no mind while talking amongst themselves.

"I'll be back for Christmas. So be good until then, okay?" Law said with a small smile as he wiped away a tear from the corner of Luffy's eye. "No more tears?"

Luffy nodded slowly and blinked the rest of the moisture away quickly before smiling up at him brightly. "No more tears!"

Law chuckled lowly before giving him one last kiss on the forehead. He stepped back, letting his hands slip away from Luffy's face as he turned to the twins.

"Take care of yourselves, okay? And keep an eye on this idiot for me."

"We always do," Ace replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "You just worry about your studies. I'll marry you for your money once you become a doctor, so don't disappoint me!"

Luffy kicked his brother on the leg hard for that one.

Sabo snorted and shoved Law's shoulder playfully. "Honestly, we should be the ones telling you to take care of yourself. Try not to work yourself to death while you're at it."

The older man chuckled before waving goodbye and headed through the gate without looking back. Luffy watched as he disappeared into the crowd before turning to his brothers with a determined look on his face.

"Alright, it's settled then."

"What is?" Ace and Sabo asked in unison.

"It's settled," Luffy repeated firmly, putting his fists to his hips. "I'm gonna marry Torao. He'll have to stay here forever once we're married."

Ace stared at him flatly, blinking several times before bursting into laughter while Sabo sighed loudly as he pressed a palm to his forehead, but Luffy couldn't care less.

His mind was already made up.

Today was one of the best days of Luffy's life.

He could barely contain his excitement as he stood on the altar in his black and white tuxedo, smiling so wide he felt his cheeks might split open. He ignored the awed mutters of the wedding guests as he practically danced in place, nearly bouncing in joy.

The church was packed from front to back and the scent of roses was in the air. Friends and family were in the audience, bridesmaids and groomsmen lined up along either side of the altar as they waited for the big moment to arrive.

Ace was dozing off next to him as Sabo sweated buckets at his other side. Luffy could hear Dadan and Corazon sniffling somewhere in the crowd, having already cried twice during the ceremony thus far.

Law rolled his eyes at him when he saw the messed up tie Luffy somehow managed to knot around his neck and made a move to fix it for him. Luffy tilted his chin upwards to better let him work.

"How do you even function?" he whispered, giving an exasperated sigh as he retied the bow tie to fit better. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

"Love me forever?" Luffy laughed quietly as Law straightened the lapel of his coat and smoothed out the fabric of his suit jacket. "It's a big day Torao! We can't mess anything up."

Law chuckled softly, looking over to the side as the wedding officiant stood before them and began reciting his scripted words of wisdom for the ceremony. He was listening intently, but Luffy's gaze couldn't be torn away from Law.

His golden eyes were shining under the light coming in from the stained glass window. And that smile. God that smile. Luffy felt his heart leap in his chest whenever he saw it. The way it made Law's entire face light up was almost magical, like all his troubles had vanished from existence just by him looking at it. And the best part was that it was reserved only for Luffy and nobody else.

A warm feeling stirred within Luffy as Law reached down to take his hand in his. Law gave his fingers a gentle squeeze as the speech began to wrap up and a collective gasp rang throughout the entire congregation.

"...You may now kiss the bride."

The whole place erupted in cheers when Koala and Sabo's lips met in a tender kiss. Ace practically shouted over the noise, Luffy's excited yell following after as Law joined in quietly with a fond smile.

The two newlyweds pulled away to beam at the crowd before linking their arms together and walking down the aisle together. The guests followed as Luffy raced up to the front and grabbed Law's arm, dragging him outside to the garden where the reception was being held.

The party was fun and Luffy was having a ball. He played tag with the kids while he ate five helpings of food all on his own. Everyone gave their speeches in regards to the happy couple before cutting the cake and letting the newlyweds have the first dance of the night.

Luffy finally sat at his assigned table with Law and happily went back to stuffing his face with the sweet dessert. Their friends were chatting across from them, sharing stories and memories while getting into silly debates. The sounds of music and laughter rang in the background, with Sabo and Koala dancing and gliding along the floor, beaming at each other the whole time.

Luffy couldn't wait to do that with Law one day.

"That'll be us soon," he chirped cheerily, pointing towards the happy couple before scooping another bite of cake onto his fork to eat.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Law replied and carefully wiped his cheek clean with a napkin. "And what are you talking about? Did you have too many drinks or something?"

Luffy just giggled and leaned against his side contently as Law put an arm around his shoulder. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he relished in the warmth coming off his body after being apart for so long.

"You know, it's been a while since we all met up like this," Nami mumbled, watching the two with a grin. "How long has it been? Three years? I'm glad you two are still going strong since then. How did the whole long-distance thing work out, anyway? Most people give up by now. Maybe this means our lovely future surgeon here will be the one in white next?"

Luffy hummed thoughtfully before shrugging a bit. "Dunno. You'll just have to wait and see."

"...We make it work," Law added quietly, cheeks dusting with pink. "I'm still trying to decide where to apply for residency. But once that's over, I'll be able to move back here permanently."

"Yeah! We're gonna buy a house," Luffy exclaimed happily as he threw his hands up into the air. "I'm already saving up thanks to all my tips as a fireman and stuff."

"Well, that's good to hear," Robin smiled. "Though I must admit, I'm surprised to see Luffy managing so well with the distance between you two. It's a little hard to believe, actually."

"I know right!" Usopp exclaimed as he took a sip of his drink. "I mean, come on! It's Luffy we're talking about here. I honestly half expected him to pop the question right after you two started going out just to keep you here for good."

Luffy laughed loudly at that. Law's ears went red.

The rest of the night passed by quickly after that. It wasn't long before Ace's band started to play their first song of the night, and the dance floor was filled with guests swaying to the music. Luffy danced with Law a few times during the evening before returning to their table to watch Sabo and Koala make their rounds. Kids were running around under the tables chasing each other and a few others had gotten themselves drunk and were starting to become loud and rowdy.

It was pure chaos. A good chaos, the kind of mess that would remain imprinted in Luffy's memory forever.

Law looked like he was having a good time too. Every now and then he'd chuckle under his breath, his hand reaching out to take hold of Luffy's across the table. It brought a smile to the younger man's face.

This was going perfectly.

Once the sun started setting and the sky was painted in beautiful shades of red and orange, the bride held up a bouquet of flowers to the air that had almost all the women present scrambling for a position behind her.

"Everyone ready?" Koala called out in a sing-song voice as she turned her back to the group. "On the count of three, alright? One. Two..."

Right as she reached 'three,' the bride casually lowered her extended arm without so much as a backward glance. The crowd of women behind her watched in stunned silence as she made her way through the confused guests, stopping in front of where Law sat and held out the flowers to him with a cheeky grin on her face.

"What are you doing?" Law whispered, looking around with wide eyes as all attention turned on him. "You can't just give me the bouquet, that's not how this works!"

Koala just giggled. "Don't worry about it. This is my wedding, so I'll do what I want!"

With that, she shoved the flowers in his hands before heading back towards her newlywed husband. Sabo watched the entire ordeal unfold in silence, unable to conceal the amused expression on his face. He placed his arm around Koala's waist and walked off the dance floor together, leaving a baffled Law clutching the bouquet to his chest.

The crowd broke into another collective gasp at the realization of what had just happened and started murmuring amongst themselves. Law looked on in confusion while Luffy just watched him with wide, anticipating eyes.

"...What just happened? Did I miss something?"

Law got his answer the moment he finally turned around to look at Luffy. He nearly choked on his own spit when he saw him already on his knee with a small velvet box opened in his outstretched hand. Inside sat a ring, a simple silver band with a tiny diamond glimmering under the lights.

"Oh my God," Law groaned as he buried his face into the bouquet. "You have got to be kidding me."

Luffy grinned widely, shuffling in his place impatiently as he tried to contain himself. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before reciting the long speech he had been practicing all day...

"MARRY ME!"