Chapter Text
Navigating his way around the clearing without waking anyone up was hard for the large polar bear. After the feast Master Nekomamushi had declared in thanks for the pirates’ help, everyone just fell asleep exactly where they were and with most of the minks sleeping in one big cuddle pile, it was almost impossible not to step on anyone. Bepo silently congratulated himself when he finally got out before he turned his attention back to looking around the surrounding area in search of his captain.
They had been sleeping in their usual arrangement with Law using Bepo as a pillow until only a few minutes earlier when the mink got woken up by the comfortable weight disappearing. When he opened his eyes, he could see Law getting up and walking away somewhere, Bepo deciding to go after him only a moment later as he suspected the man hadn’t slept a wink the whole night again. He wanted to make sure his best friend was alright. Now if only he could see where he had disappeared to.
Suddenly, bright light from one of the houses a little ways off drew Bepo’s attention and upon recognizing Law’s figure disappearing inside, Bepo quickly followed him there. As he quietly walked through the hallway, he strained his ears to figure out where exactly Law went until he nearly jumped out of his fur when a loud crash resounded through the building.
“I’m not stealing food, I swear!” came a cry only a second later and Bepo placed the voice as Straw Hat. A beat of silence passed before the pirate spoke again, this time significantly quieter, “Oh, it’s just you, Torao. Were you hungry, too? Want some pie?”
Law’s quiet chuckle followed the question, accompanied by the sound of a chair being pulled out and Bepo could only assume his captain had sat down at the table with the food thief. “No, thanks,” Law finally replied, traces of amusement still in his voice.
Straw Hat hummed as if deep in thought before announcing, “Okay, more for me then!”
“Sure,” Law agreed. “But you do realize this is the food you should have been taking with you tomorrow, right?”
Bepo wondered whether he shouldn’t just walk away now that he knew his captain had company but something in Law’s voice stopped him. It was like he was worried about something while trying very hard not to show it. It would probably fool most people but Bepo knew the surgeon for over ten years at this point and he knew what to look for in his voice. Maybe he should wait until Law got whatever he came for and then make sure he was alright.
“Torao, what’s wrong?” Straw Hat asked suddenly and Bepo’s eyes widened. He honestly didn’t think the young pirate would notice, or dare to ask. Although now that he thought about it, it never really seemed like Straw Hat was the type to mince his words; more like he was the type to say exactly what he was thinking, right when he was thinking it, without an ounce of care.
Law let out a tired sigh and answered him only a moment later, “I just can’t imagine you crashing one of Big Mom’s tea parties going as well as you think.”
“I’m not going to crash the party. I’m only going to go in, grab Sanji, and get out,” Straw Hat pointed out and Bepo had to stop the snort from leaving his mouth. Even he could tell Straw Hat was incapable of laying low for longer than five minutes and he had been around him for a grand total of one night—if he didn’t count the short time after the war two years ago, which Straw Hat spent either unconscious or delirious anyway.
“Because you did so well not attracting attention to yourself on Dressrosa,” Law noted, but somehow, he sounded more amused than annoyed, making Straw Hat laugh loudly.
Bepo wondered what had happened during the time Law and the crew had been separated or what kind of magic Straw Hat had pulled. As far as Bepo knew, ruining Law’s plans was a quick way to incur his wrath, not… fondness. Bepo couldn’t help but remember how Law had acted with Straw Hat two years ago. Could it be…Could it be Law still wasn’t over his crush? It seemed hard to believe but it would explain the way Law had kept stealing glances at the other pirate yesterday, as well as the fact that Law didn’t dismember him when Straw Hat had grabbed his arm to drag him inside Master Nekomamushi’s residence after Law had introduced—or failed to introduce—the crew to him. Or how unusually relaxed he looked every time the rubber man had draped himself over Law’s shoulders during the feast.
On second thought, maybe it wasn’t so hard to believe, after all.
The mink wasn’t sure what to think about that. Was he even right? He thought that maybe he would be able to tell more if he could see them so he slowly inched forward towards the open door where their voices were coming from, then crouched down to peek inside carefully.
The two of them were at the kitchen table, a half-eaten pie sitting in front of Straw Hat as he sat with his legs crossed on his chair, eating without care. Law was next to him, looking at the other pirate with a look on his face that Bepo had never seen before. There was something impossibly gentle, yet worried in his eyes, something that Bepo had trouble deciphering.
Law sighed heavily before speaking up again, his voice quiet and… soft, “Just come back, alright?”
Bepo could then only watch as his captain slowly raised one of his hands to run through Straw Hat’s hair. The gesture seemed so familiar, so intimate, and suddenly, Bepo felt very uncomfortable spying on them like this. It didn’t feel like a moment that was meant to be shared with anyone but the two of them. Bepo couldn’t help but wonder whether there was something that his best friend neglected to tell him, something beyond a simple alliance or a little crush.
“I’m gonna be the Pirate King. And I’m going to make you my Pirate Queen. Of course I’m coming back,” he replied, and although he was facing away from Bepo, the bear could just picture the earnest, serious expression on his face.
It was so ridiculous that Bepo had to catch himself to not fall over in shock. Not only did he just declare the exact same thing he did two years ago, this time he was actually in his right mind when he said it. And he sounded every bit as serious about it as he did back then. Bepo wondered whether he actually remembered the conversation inside the Tang's OR or just came to exactly the same conclusion while sane.
Law didn’t even say anything to that; he only laughed and shook his head. Then, the soft expression was back on his face, a small smile on his lips as he let his hand slide through Straw Hat’s hair down to his nape before he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Straw Hat’s own.
As Bepo stared with wide eyes and open mouth while the two of them kissed slowly, their touches gentle and seeming almost innocent, only full of unspoken words that even Bepo could feel, the mink was hit by the reality of the situation.
He was glad he couldn’t blush.
And yeah, he seriously shouldn't have been there for this.
Carefully backing away and out of the house, Bepo thought to himself how happy he was for his captain. He deserved some happiness after everything that he had gone through and if Straw Hat could give that to him, Bepo was all for this relationship—as long as the other pirate didn’t die within the next two weeks, at least.
He still wasn’t sure about the whole ‘Pirate Queen’ thing, as he didn’t think human males could become queens. But well, he was a bear so what did he know? Although, he did have a feeling it would probably be best if he kept it to himself and made sure Penguin and Shachi never got wind of this particular piece of information. Whether it was possible or not, he was pretty sure Law wouldn’t appreciate being called a Pirate Queen by anyone other than Straw Hat and Bepo knew that those two would never pass up an opportunity to tease the captain about it.
And even though Bepo knew he would be able to get away with knowing without getting killed, he didn’t want to be responsible for Penguin and Shachi getting tossed off of Zunesha.