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There are a few things that Law knows about Luffy: he enjoys consuming copious amounts of food at any given time; he laughs at all possible opportunities, both with and at others; he is horribly, horribly loyal, mostly to the detriment of his own health; he earns followers like it’s nothing; he absolutely adores his friends; he is handsy as fuck ; and he is surprisingly charming.
Also, Luffy is, all things considered, a bit daft.
Which is perhaps why it bothers Law so much to learn that he is the last one to realize they are in a relationship.
“Torao?” murmurs a nasally voice, hoarse with the final remnants of sleep. A hand paws at his naked hip. “Torao, what are you doing up? Lay back down.”
Law, who is currently sitting up in the bed of some rundown inn they had both stumbled into the night before, looks down at Luffy. Wordlessly, he tangles his fingers together with the insistent hand.
He frowns, suddenly aware of his actions. Wasn’t this the kind of thing that got them here in the first place? He even thinks about retrieving his hand, but Luffy has already got it in a choke hold--bringing their joined hands close and rubbing his face against them like a cat, murmuring sleepily.
It’s an affectionate action--romantic even--and it brings an immediate panic to Law’s chest.
“Luffy,” Law begins, and though his voice doesn’t change from its usual monotone, he is nervous in ways he hasn’t been in a long time. He clears his throat. “Are we in a relationship?”
He must be wrong, must have these feelings confused with the gratitude he still feels over the Dressrosa debacle. Lord knows he’d done some unspeakable things to the younger captain afterwards.
He almost, almost, feels relieved when Luffy’s face twists into one of confusion.
There. He’s got it wrong, he thinks.
But then Luffy’s face brightens, that familiar shit-eating grin on his face, and Law suddenly feels sick.
“Of course we are!” He punches Law in the arm so hard that it would have left him breathless had the air not already been sucked from his lungs.
Feeling suddenly weak, Law is easily jerked back down under the covers. Luffy quickly wraps around him, rubbing his nose up the line of Law’s jaw before burying his face behind his ear--releasing a happy huff as he does so.
Law, meanwhile, is left to wonder exactly when this thing happened.
……..
The first time they’d messed around was shortly following the incident in Dressrosa.
It had happened at night, after a particularly uproarious party on Bartolomeo’s ship, when most of the crew had already drifted off. Surprisingly, it had been Law who had instigated the whole thing, and, perhaps even more surprising, he’d even been sober at the time.
He’d been staring at Luffy most of the night, filled to the brim with residual adrenal, heartache, and feelings of thank fuck you survived-- when something in him suddenly burst .
He didn’t know why he did it, or why Luffy in particular. Maybe because they’d been through it together--that more than anyone else they knew what it was like to go head to head with Doflamingo. Maybe it was because he felt some twisted form of gratitude for being saved. Maybe Luffy really was just that charming.
Regardless of the reason, it had been easy enough to lure Luffy away.
He’d only felt a touch nefarious as he grabbed Luffy and pulled him through the laughing crowds, bypassing the cheerful hollars and dancing bodies, down to the secluded pits of the vessel.
“Torao? Torao!” Luffy whined, tripping along behind Law. “What are we doing--”
Luffy didn’t get the chance to finish as he was pushed back against the side of the ship and kissed hard, hands pressing against his face and halfway through his hair. Luffy gasped into his mouth, and Law took the chance to move closer, to kiss him deeper--urging Luffy to respond in kind as he flicked his tongue against his lips.
Just when Law was about to pull away, sure that this particular venture had been a dud, Luffy’s tongue shot out into the Law’s mouth, his arms moving to wrap twice around the other’s torso. He was so aggressive with his affections that Law had to jerk his head back lest he choke on the tongue laving against his own. Luffy followed him, releasing a series of obnoxious kissing noises as he licked and bit his way throughout Law’s mouth.
Before he could help it, Law was laughing--actually laughing --into the kiss. He pulled back, stopping Luffy with a hand before he could kiss him again, and caught sight of the other captain with puckered lips and eyes squeezed shut.
“Slow down, Straw hat,” Law said, squeezing and pulling at the others cheek. He let it go, watching it snap back in place. He grinned at the indignant look on Luffy’s face before leaning back in to brush their lips together once more. “ Slow down .”
But once Luffy had a taste there was no stopping him. Like with everything he did, Luffy made out with a gusto--mashing his lips against Law’s and humming delightedly. Law felt the sound reverberate into his own mouth, moving down the back of his throat and settling in his chest in an odd warmth that traversed his entire body.
Soon, Law was equally lost in the hot, wet motions of their mouths. He felt his fingers curl into Luffy’s hair, eyes closed as he savoured the taste and touch of the other captain. His fingers moved against Luffy’s skin, enjoying the warm softness, scraping his fingers against his stomach. Luffy made some sort of noise against Law’s mouth, needy and eager, and Law replied by nipping him on the lip.
The enthusiasm Luffy put into kissing was surprisingly hot, and making out with him was the most fun Law had had in a long time.
He could have kissed him for hours.
So he did.
…..
Initially, Law figured it had been a one time thing--born of the volatile emotions they’d both experienced after Dressrosa--and decided it was best for both their sakes if he forgot the incident had happened at all. He chalked it up to the heat of the moment and resolved to get on with his life.
Luffy had other plans.
Law had been examining the admittedly small library of Bartolomeo’s ship, frowning at the small selection, when Luffy had come from out of nowhere, bounding towards him. Law only had time to jerk in awareness at the new presence before Luffy launched himself, immediately wrapping himself around Law as they tumbled together to the floor.
“Straw hat--” Before Law could say much else, Luffy leaned down and wordlessly pressed sweet, small kisses against his face.
Without the strange need urging him on like last time, Law was left feeling dumbfounded as the kisses against his face got wetter and sloppier--more urgent the longer he refused to respond. Law felt his lips twitch at the angry noises coming from Luffy, that strange urge to laugh once again rising in his chest. He was smiling as he murmured, “So we’re doing this again, huh?”
“ Yes ,” Luffy huffed out between angry kisses.
The laugh finally burst free, and Luffy stopped his actions to frown down at Law. Unable to help himself, still smiling in a way that felt strangely foreign, Law reached up to grasp the other captain’s face and pull him down for a proper kiss.
Luffy let out a happy noise at the action, and it wasn’t long before they were nearly wrestling in their fervour, both struggling to get on top. It was Law who ended up on his back, breathless as he was forced against the ground.
Luffy, on his hands and knees, grinned down at him.
Whatever he might’ve said was interrupted by the door to the library opening.
Together they scrambled upright, pushing and shoving at one another as they fell out of the rows of books and into the way of Nico Robin.
“Luffy,” she said, smiling. Then, with a knowing look, “Law.”
Really, he should have known after the look she sent him that something was up. Instead, he simply nodded at her and surreptitiously left the room while Luffy was occupied.
In the hallway he let out a breath, shoulders slumping as he fell against a nearby wall.
….
Luffy got better with practice.
Really, Law shouldn’t have been surprised by how taken with the whole thing Luffy was. Considering the tactile nature of the other captain, it should be shocking that he hadn’t found out about the more carnal aspect of life sooner.
For some reason, Law frowned at the thought.
“Tor--Law--!” Luffy gasped, breathing hot puffs of air against Law’s ear. “Don’t stop!”
Returning to the task at hand, Law continued to kiss and bite up the length of Luffy’s neck. He closed the gap between their bodies, needing to remove every unnecessary space that separated them. Luffy responded in kind, wrapping completely around Law, breath hitching as Law scraped his teeth against the sensitive skin under his ear.
“More,” Luffy gasped--and Law was pretty sure he didn’t know what more was, but that wouldn’t stop Law from delivering.
Slowly, giving the other captain time to stop him should he choose to, Law’s hand trailed down Luffy’s torso, slipping down beneath the waistband of his pants, a line of coarse hair under his fingers. He cupped the warm, semi-hard heat he found there, squeezing gently and delighting in the heady gasps it caused.
“Is this okay?” he asked against Luffy’s throat. “Tell me if this is too much.”
“Don’t stop!” Luffy snarled, tightening his hold on Law even further.
Luffy kept his eyes shut, head falling back against the floor, breathing faster. He got harder the further Law palmed him, as he stroked in the way that he knew felt best. Luffy’s reactions are fascinating, unabashed and unashamed as he writhes under Law’s touch.
Luffy leaned down, pressing their foreheads together, lips just barely touching Law’s, gasping with each stroke.
“ Torao! ”
And then Luffy jerked in his arms, a low moan pulled from his lips as he collapsed down against Law, breathing heavy.
There, in an abandoned hut in Wano, their bodies tangled together, safe and familiar.
….
Somehow, following the fight with Kaido, Law ended up sleeping with Luffy in his bunk.
At the time, his own vessel had been filled to the brim with wounded crewman, mink, and samurai alike--so much so that he’d been forced to give up his own quarters so that some of the more fatally injured could be closer to the high tech equipment of the Polar Tang. Once his own wounds had been treated, he’d put in numerous hours making sure that everyone who needed it got help.
Of course, after about hour 30 his vision had started swimming and he was forced from his ship by his own crew and told to find somewhere to sleep. Which was how he found himself wandering aimlessly around Wano until Nami came out of nowhere and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the Straw hat ship.
Without preamble, she shoved him towards the men’s quarters, telling him to “just get in with Luffy”.
“What?” he blinked. “Isn’t there a free bunk?”
She made a strange face, as though confused, before shaking her head. “The others will be back soon, if they aren’t already in there.”
“But…”
She scoffed, pushing him more forcefully. “Just go already, I’m tired too. It’s fine, okay?”
Too tired to begin to decipher what exactly was fine about it, Law simply nodded and tripped into the men’s bunk room. As Nami had mentioned, all the available bunks were filled with Luffy’s sleeping crew, so Law tripped over to the one that contained Luffy--brain too muffled with sleep to really care at the implications.
Besides, Nami had said it was fine.
He fell into the bunk, heard the rope stretch under their combined weight as he pulled Luffy’s pillow out from under his head to use for himself.
“Hmm?” Luffy murmured, blinking blearily as he came awake. “Torao?”
“Go back to sleep,” Law said, already drifting off himself.
Luffy hummed in agreement, but not before wrapping his arms around Law and pulling him closer.
…….
Luffy cornered him after the battle with Big Mama.
Pushed against the iron walls of the Polar Tang, looking down at Luffy’s determined expression, Law couldn’t help but remember the first time they’d been together--both high on adrenaline and touch. Instinctively, he reached out for the other captain, not entirely certain of his own intentions, but definitely something along the lines of kissing, stroking, holding .
Instead of anything physical, however, Luffy simply fell into Law, head landing on his shoulder, exhausted. Unable to bear the other’s weight with the extent of his own injuries, Law carefully slid down the wall to the floor, Luffy balanced in his arms. Really, he shouldn’t be surprised. The fight had taken a lot out of them both.
Wincing slightly as pointy elbows dug into sensitive areas, Law adjusted Luffy so that he was curled more comfortably against him, until he could feel his breath brush against his neck--until he knew in the most basic sense that Luffy was there with him, alive.
It was perhaps at that moment that he almost realized the thing that was transpiring between them, his thoughts drifting slowly towards something akin to the emotional as he casually stroked the length of Luffy’s back.
Then the door opened and every thought froze as Law stared wide eyed up at his navigator, his hand stilling. It was a relief that it was Bepo of all people who had walked through the door, though Law still felt strangely vulnerable holding the unconscious form of his fellow captain.
“I can explain,” he hurried to say, then nearly kicked himself because only guilty people said that.
But the Mink just grinned wide, like this was the most normal thing in the world, and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up. Then Law watched, open mouthed, as Bepo proceeded to pointedly exit the room once more.
Law could only stare at the closed door wondering what the hell? as Luffy snored loudly in his ear.
…….
Now, years away from Kaido and Dressrosa and Big Mama, Law is wrapped around his boyfriend staring ahead vacantly with something akin to horror.
“Ah,” he says, careful, noncommittal.
It all makes sense now.
The way the Straw hats are abnormally friendly, the way Luffy clings to him whenever they’re together--the way Law lets him. It explains the ache in his chest whenever he sees Luffy, whenever he has to watch him be beaten down time and time again only to get back up and win .
Law realizes that his own crew probably knew as well--the rat bastards.
In his own musings, he doesn’t notice Luffy frowning at him--an uncharacteristic look of worry marring his face.
“Is that a problem?” he asks, voice soft, uncertain.
Law immediately turns to Luffy, to the man that is so used to reaching out and grabbing everything he desired and very rarely being told no--at least not for long. But Luffy can’t force this thing that exists between them, and he seems to recognize that.
Law realizes, with an acute ache in his chest, that Luffy is scared he’ll leave.
Which, really, is absolutely ridiculous. Even if Law didn’t know it himself, they’ve been in a committed relationship for nearly five years now. They’ve fought side by side, defeated monsters and gods alike. And, perhaps more importantly, they’d been together in periods of peace--laughed together, loved together.
In answer, Law simply reaches over to press his lips against Luffy’s in a short kiss.
When he pulls away, Luffy is looking at him happily, cheeks flushed and lips smiling.
“We should get married.”
Law chokes.