Chapter Text
Law shifted a little, wincing. Gods, he hurt all over. His muscles protested every breath, and the throbbing of his body was a painful constant hum, concentrated more acutely in his arm. He closed his eyes and wondered, briefly, if he would be able to use it properly. Sure, it was technically back on, but there was more to healing an injury that severe than even his Devil Fruit could fix. It was beyond the pain though – his arm, the throbbing, his muscles, they were secondary. When he closed his eyes he could see it all again, the vivid juxtaposition of soft pink feathers and hard white teeth. He could smell the blood again, could hear the laughter, maniacal, evil, and someone was screaming, no – roaring, Luffy –
He flinched when a warm hand touched his cheek. Glared almost immediately, hiding it behind ire. As if summoned from his musings, there was Luffy. Banged up almost as bad as he was but still fucking smiling. His brown hair was getting a touch too long, hanging into his brown eyes that showed concern. Luffy had taken his hand away immediately, holding it in front of Law like one would a wild animal.
“Toroa.”
It was amazing, the things Luffy could ask with just his name in a certain tone. Are you alright? What’s going on? Why do you look so sad?
“Mugiwara-ya,” he said evenly, a touch coldly. He was at once relieved and annoyed it was Luffy that had come to him. Annoyed because – well, it was Luffy. Relieved because anyone else seeing him like this would piss him off. But Luffy had saved his life. No, more than that. He had killed Law’s demon. To be so broken in front of him seemed beyond the point.
“Ne, Toroa, why don’t you look happier?”
“Pardon?”
“We did it, didn’t we? Kicked Mingo’s ass. I thought you’d be happy but you look even more angry than usual.”
“We didn’t do it,” Law said, closing his eyes. Breathed in. Felt the ache in his body, in his heart. Breathed out. “You did.”
“Is that what you’re upset about?” Luffy said, “that’s stupid, Torao. We did it together. We couldn’t have done it without each other.”
Law blamed his pain and the meds for his cracked and shaky voice when he spoke next.
“You don’t know how it feels to not have been able to kill him. I’m grateful to you, Mugiwara-ya – as are so many who owe you their lives. But it should have been…I should have been able to do this. So many years. And I can never have them back. And I thought I would – that I could – but I couldn’t. I’m so weak. So don’t sit here and try to make me feel better,” Law hissed, and it felt good to watch Luffy’s eyes widen, to hurt him a little for trying to pretend he could know how Law felt. Cora-san was never coming back and had died for him and he hadn’t been able to kill the maniac who did that. He’d had to watch and listen and hope. Just like when he’d been in the trunk, watching Doflamingo and Cora-san face off.
“Yes I do,” Luffy said quietly.
The rage gave Law something to hold on to other than his own aching misery, and he might be patient with Luffy occasionally but he was still Trafalgar Law, a man not to be taken lightly, and he reached forward too fast – his arm protested – but his hand was around Luffy’s throat and he dragged him close, furious. Luffy didn’t resist, was hauled forward from the chair he’d sat at by law’s bedside until his knees were bent on the bed in front of Law, his form forced to bend with Law’s hand tight around him. Luffy put his hands on Law’s but didn’t try to claw him off.
“How dare you,“ Law said, so close he could feel Luffy’s strangled breath; he smelled like some dessert – mocha and rum and a little vanilla – “You may have saved me, ended Doflamingo, but –
“Ace,” Luffy said, voice sounding surprisingly calm for a man being strangled.
Law stilled. Luffy kept talking.
“I know what it feels like to lose someone. I lost Ace. I lost that battle.”
His eyes were an open, clear brown. He closed them for a second and went surprisingly limp in Law’s grasp.
“I think about him every day. About my lack of strength. I couldn’t save him, and I couldn’t save myself. You had to do that.” Luffy said seriously.
He removed Law’s hand from around his throat, trailed it down to the scar on his chest. The skin was warm, jagged. Law had tried and tried to make it heal more neatly, but the fact was that the skin had been traumatized to the point of barely being functional. He could feel Luff’s heartbeat, as strong in the center of his chest as to the left.
“I can’t do what you did, Torao,” Luffy said quietly, “I’m not smart. I can’t heal. But I am strong, and I did what I could do, which was fight.”
“Because you’re indebted to me?” Law asked, and strange, there was a new kind of pain there, “I didn’t do it so you’d owe me a favor.”
“No,” Luffy said, “Because that’s what nakama does. They do everything they can. Like you did for me. Like I would do for you again.”
Why? Law thought, his vision blurring, why would you put yourself through nearly dying again. I saved you and then asked you to die for me.
“We’re not…Luffy-ya. I’m not your crew.”
“Crew is not on the ship, Toroa. It’s here.” Luffy tapped his chest.
Law took a deep breath and tried so hard to come up with anything to say. Closed his eyes, opened his mouth –
And nearly squeaked when another mouth met his. Since he was Trafalgar Law, and he did not squeak, he made a strangled sound that was mildly higher pitched than normal. His eyes flew open but Luffy, the damn pirate, took his surprise as an advantage and pushed his tongue in, swept it quickly across Law’s teeth and lower lip, and then pulled back.
Law couldn’t ever remember his eyes being so wide.
“Can’t sew you up like you did me, or like Chopper does. Can’t cook for you like Sanji. But I can kiss you,” Luffy said, grinning, “that’s all I can do now.”
Law stared only a moment longer before he moved. He’d always been told he was bright, and he was bright enough to know what to do now. He leaned forward and kissed Luffy again, chasing the taste of – oh, Sanji made Tiramsu – Law thought with sudden understanding, the bitterness of the coffee, spice of the rum, and sweetness of the sugar were perfect on Luffy.