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Everyone had told him to sleep, not just his own crew that had gotten to see the extent of his injuries when he'd Shambled himself on board the Tang after escaping Hawkins, but even the Straw Hats he'd spoken to afterwards in regards to the plan. That had taken some pride swallowing to even talk to them, given he wasn't in a forgiving mood after the way Shinobu had more than suggested the deaths of his oldest friends, his family he'd only just gotten back less than a month before. Law's anger was still white hot, but there were a number of things that were distracting him at least and just for once he'd been hoping sleep would be added to that list. How wrong he'd been.
To his credit, Law was lying down, but plans and deals and feelings were running rampant in his mind, keeping slumber from actually coming. Too much to deal with, too many variables, too much anger. He needed… help. Typically Bepo's warm and solid fluffiness could take the edge off enough for him to get a nap, today it wasn't helping and the Mink could certainly tell.
Between the way he kept shifting and his own inability to sleep, Bepo was picking up on Law's own restlessness and mirroring it. Which wasn't fair to him as he also needed his sleep before the raid. After trying for some time the lanky captain finally rolled to his feet with a growl and limped off, sparing one pat on the side so the bear didn't think he was mad at him . Not when he was so mad at himself and at someone else.
What Law missed as he limped unevenly towards one of the abandoned huts on the outskirts and far away from the blazing bonfires and partying was a pair of eyes that watched him, the eyebrows above them pulled tight. Too focused on the internal to catch sight of anything. If he had then he might have known what’s coming his way, predicted it in some small way before it hit, instead he simply pulled the door shut and slumped to the floor in the darkness.
Not something he usually indulges in if he can help it, but certainly something that's taken the edge off in the past, Law pulls out a pack of cigarettes he'd gotten off Black Leg- ya and lights the first one out with a match. It's a practiced ease but if Bepo, or any of his crew for that matter, saw him smoking they'd lose their minds. With the first few draws he already feels nicotine dulling his nerves a bit and lets himself relax as it takes the momentary effect, wishing that he could ask for the other method that helped him sleep once in the past.
Rather well in fact.
Maybe due to a mix of the nicotine and his own momentary lapse as he remembers a soft moment from weeks before, Law doesn't sense the third method's arrival at all.
"Y'know, I heard something interesting about those injuries of yours the other day." Law's eyes snap up in surprise. Leaned cross-armed in the door frame, backlit so that his face is hidden, Luffy's tone of voice cuts through the silence like a sharp knife. In that outfit, with that much tangible anger in his voice, the other captain's whole being is exuding a predatory presence that raises the hair on the back of his neck. "Wanna tell me what happened yourself?"
Suppressing a shiver of trepidation even thinking about the conversation, Law offers a low snarl by way of response and stubs his cigarette out. A waste in this country. Deep down he knows that Luffy is every bit the captain he himself is, no matter his typical carefree idiocy, when he's serious or, Seas help anyone that causes it, angry, he's a force. And when someone he cares about is hurt that side comes out, that's all this is, but Law despises feeling like prey even when it's under the gaze of the only person to ever make his stomach flip.
"Yeah, that's not gonna get you out of this." Luffy growls in response to Law's snarl and dammit if that isn't enough to make his stomach drop instead of flip.
Fuck emotions, he'd light them all on fire if he could.
----
Anger isn't what he wanted to color his words, the first words he's gotten to speak to Law in weeks, right out of the gate. In fact he'd tried to hold back as best he could, but every step closer to the little hut he'd watched the taller captain enter had made Luffy's blood boil. As smooth as Law tends to be, even he couldn't hide that limp or the way he was holding his shoulders.
It had been one of the Heart Pirates that had slipped, he didn't know which one and frankly didn't care, telling Nami about how Bepo and the others were freed. Really the fluke of it all was Luffy even hearing it, since he'd been in party mode and enjoying himself. Just hearing it had taken all the joy out of his body and left him prickly for two days.
So here he was, upset and on edge knowing one of his allies, someone he cares about more than the rest, had not only hidden his capture from him, but also the torture that left him so wounded he was limping. When he'd been finally healed up after 'Mingo. Luffy didn't mean to start a fight or make Tora- o snarl the way he just had, but if it's about to descend into a physical one he'll make sure to pound his frustrations into the man's head.
"Why're you hiding it when you're hurt?!" Luffy growls, stalking into the room as Law uses the match in his hand to light a candle he hadn't seen. "Why do you never let anyone help you Tora- o ?"
"If it's all the same to you I'd rather not have anyone's help with this but my own crew." Law's voice is like ice. "Not when there's at least one person in our alliance who wished three of that crew dead."
Damn if the ice in Law's voice, paired with those words he spoke so bluntly, doesn't freeze the heart in Luffy's chest.
"What? Who?" Fire burns in his own voice. No one threatens the people he cares about, especially not someone he's allied with doing it to another.
"Doesn't matter, that part should be finished, I handled it." Law growls out, eyes staring down at the candle instead of at him. "But nothing changes that it happened and I don't have to forgive them."
"It does matter. Your nakama are great, who threatened them?" Sure he doesn't know all of their names, but they aren't his nakama either. No matter what their names, no one gets to threaten his allies.
"Why the fuck does it matter to you anyway? You were busy in Udon Prison, beaten half to death yourself." If words could have a physical impact those certainly hurt where it counted.
"It matters to me because it matters to you . There were ways you coulda told me about it, Raizo was right there and Kin'emon had contact with him the whole time!" Luffy's arms spread wide in frustration, his teeth bared and close to grinding. "You think I wouldn't have broken that place apart to help you guys?"
Scoffing, Law just shakes his head and pulls further into himself, his arms crossing inside his kimono's sleeves. It's the last thing he wants to see happen right now and Luffy realizes his goal should have been getting him to open up instead. Too late. "If you could have you would have."
"Yeah well the Kairōseki here is more of a bitch than it normally is and I was able to train while I was in there. But if someone ha…"
"Well fuck I'm so glad for you! At least you weren't sitting on your ass while you were stuck in there. Congratulations." Sarcasm drips off of every word Law speaks when he cuts him off and his expression would likely be enough to send even a few of Luffy's own crew running.
There's a whole ocean worth of unspoken words and pain underneath Law's tone, but with his own anger spiraling Luffy doesn't care. "Better than sacrificing myself to be tortured."
"As if that's not exactly what you did. What you would do if the situation was reversed!?"
"You're right, I would! Because I care about you and your crew dammit! So tell me who tried to kill them and got you tortured so I know who's ass to kick!"
"No one's! It would only make things worse all around if you hurt her and we're one day out from Onigashima, you idiot!"
'Her'.
Running down through the women in their alliance there's really only one Luffy could imagine would threaten someone's life to keep the alliance and the raid a secret. His blood boils in his veins and wisps fog the air around him for a moment as a result. Law seems to be kicking himself too much to notice, having realized that his tongue slipped enough to reveal who was responsible.
"Fucking… fuck, just forget it Mugiwara- ya ! I'm fine!" Law finally manages, his face a wreck of seething anger, some of it turned inward if his body language is anything to go off. He still hasn't looked up since saying it.
"No you aren't."
Lifting his head to glance at Luffy, Law just seems to fill further with anger. "No, you know what? I'm not fucking okay. The second you got here everything got thrown to hell and I had to watch Kaido turn you into a bloody imprint after blasting off the top of the mountain our crews were supposed to be safe at! You got slammed in a prison cell in a different part of Wano still bloody and hurt and fucking out of reach! All because you couldn't wait five seconds!"
"We thought everyone was dead!" Luffy snaps out in response, bluster really since he knows Law isn't wrong. Knows this is anger built over the time the man’s had to stress about it.
"I could have taken us back there to check! Don't you trust me? Why the hell can't you learn what fucking restraint is!?" Law's voice raises loud enough that everyone in the whole village can probably hear him now, but Luffy isn't any quieter himself.
"Of course I trust you! Why do you think I'm so mad that you bottle everything up and hide it away so no one can tell what you're feeling ever ? Well sorry, if that's restraint it doesn't work very well, you can lie all you want but I see what you're dealing with dammit! Just let it out for once!"
"Is that what you really want?!" The other captain slaps the challenge across his face and Luffy snarls in response.
"Yeah! I'd love to see you actually open the whole way up for once and not lie to me! I thought… fuck, I kept hoping..." The stammer comes out quieter. There aren't many things Luffy questioned or strung himself out about in life, but whatever he feels for this man has stressed him out as well, even in this moment. His head feels like it's on fire from how angry he is and Law's outright seething at him now.
" Fine. "
One second Law's sitting and the next Luffy finds himself smashed between the nearby wall and a body, golden eyes flashing dangerously at him and two arms caging him in the taller man's personal space. It occurs to him that he never saw a Room open up, it's just that he's that fast and strong when he wants to be. It sets his heart hammering and at first he thinks it might be because of the blow that has to be coming after he intentionally riled Law up past his rational limits, only to have that blown away when the other captain crushes their lips together in an angry kiss. Unprepared for it Luffy breathes a gasp against Law's lips and flinches when a tongue presses into his mouth, strange and warm against his own.
It takes several long moments for him to realize Law's arms have stopped caging him and instead his hands are holding his sides as loosely as possible, giving Luffy the option to break away and stop everything. And dammit… anger gives way to desperation, weeks of doubt and questioning if he was alone in his feelings are finally brushed aside as warmth spreads through his whole body. Wrapping his arms around the taller frame, Luffy presses back, unsure movements matching Law's own and it sinks in that neither of them know what the fuck they're doing. But he feels a desperate need to reassure the man in his arms that he won’t push him away, to prove himself, and he’s rewarded when the hands holding him wrap around his body, pulling him impossibly tighter.
A whimpering moan escapes one of them and Law pulls his head back for a moment, his breath shivering out of his lungs and the only way Luffy even knows that is how closely they're pressed together. Needing more he drags the taller man’s head closer, his heart slamming against his ribs sharply as he watches pupils widen until there's hardly any of that pretty gold there anymore. More, more, more. His brain shuts off entirely and he growls as he pulls Law's mouth back to his again greedily.
There's no more skill in their second kiss than there was in the first but it doesn't seem to matter to either of them, too lost in the action itself and the way hands are gripping one another to register inexperience. It quickly becomes a battle, each struggling to gain a sort of control that the other captain won't let them take. And Luffy only wins when he rocks Law back onto his injured leg accidentally, making him lose his footing against the onslaught. Toppling gracelessly into a heap, Law makes a noise like nothing he's ever heard before and he follows, hands trailing apologetically up that leg to his side and higher, settling around his neck.
Apologies fall from Luffy's lips for a second before he's silenced again, pain clearly not banking Law's desperation as he pulls him in for more physical contact. For all the height Law has on him the man is thin as a stick and Luffy winds up needing to straddle his waist just to keep from rolling off onto his side, but the flex of muscles beneath him is worth the effort of staying put. It's awkward with his arms stretched up around the other captain's neck though and he can tell he's pulling the injured man into a bad position.
Instead Luffy yanks his head back with a gasp and seeks physical contact another way. His fingertips trail down from Law's neck and trace the swirling paths of his heart tattoo on his chest, pushing the fabric of his kimono to the sides as he does. Gold he never noticed before glints up at him and he grins broadly, running one palm across it and then down the flat expanse of stomach just to hear Law's breathing change and feel his muscles shift more when his back arches into the touch. Everything about him is dark with flashes of gold and a warmth Luffy wants to keep to himself.
"You're so pretty." Luffy breathes finally, voice raspy with awe that Law's letting him touch him like this. That he can without getting chopped to pieces thanks to the way they were arguing such a short time ago.
The admission makes the other captain's eyebrows shoot up as high as they'll go, golden eyes that Luffy likes so much widening in shock. And then suddenly Law's laughing, a noise he's never heard before that starts with a gentle snort and turns into something as rough around the edges as he is. "That's not what I was expecting you to say right after a fight." Law admits after it subsides, but he's still grinning and his hands are still holding Luffy close, all good signs he thinks.
"But you are." He still can't keep the awe from his voice and Law just gives his head a shake and pulls him closer, his mouth slanting back across Luffy's once more. This time he opens up willingly and sighs at the tongue that starts exploring his mouth again, more purpose driven now than desperate, like Law's taking his time to learn what he likes. Encouraged, Luffy rumbles each time one of them finds something new that sends a rush through him and it makes it harder to pull up for air. "I want you all to myself."
"Greedy." Law huffs, his breathing ragged and hot against Luffy's skin.
"Pirate." At that both captains grin.
It seems to break the spell at least and Luffy heaves a sigh, nuzzling his face against one of Law's soft sideburns to ground himself. Everything had started in frustration and anger, so he isn't sure how they wound up curled into one another but it doesn't seem as important anymore. The hand running soothingly down his spine and the face pressed into his shoulder seem more welcoming than they had been before, like Law finally opened a door for him to walk through, even if he did it with his mouth.
And that has him laughing this time.
"I'm sorry." Luffy sighs finally, only briefly irritated when Law gives him a look of shock. "Hey I've apologized for things before! Was mad that you put yourself at risk and didn't tell anyone, told your crew not to tell anyone. Not to tell me… But I think I know why you did it."
"Comedic, given you chased a crewmate into a Yonko's territory not knowing if he'd even come back and then hauled off and punched Kaido in the face the second you saw him." It doesn't sound angry anymore, in fact Law's voice sounds surprisingly relaxed but his arms squeeze Luffy tight. "My worst nightmares played out in front of my eyes the very first day you got here and there wasn't anything I could do to stop them with that nail in my arm. And just for the record I've never lied to you about my feelings, this is all just so new I didn't know how to deal with them."
"I'm sorry about that too. I was messed up thinking you just lied to me to shut me up all these weeks since we didn't get to talk about it again after that time on Zou."
"For the record there wasn’t any time for us to talk about that since the minute you got here everything got thrown into chaos. But I'm sorry as well, these sorts of things aren't easy and it's terrifying trying to figure out what's going through that head of yours."
"You're one of the smartest people I know, I figured you knew more than me about it. You always know what to do."
Teeth sink into his shoulder and pull at his rubber skin, making Luffy yelp at how unexpected the action is from the normally stoic captain. "No I don't. This is all new territory, and you can't make anything easy. Ever."
With a snort Luffy pulls the other's head up and kisses him again, briefly and chastely compared to the last time. It makes Law grin stupidly and he decides he likes that look just as much as all the others he can make. "Don’t bite me when I'm trying to apologize to you, asshole."
"You suck at apologizing. We both do." Law's still grinning and hasn't tried to pull his head back out of his hands yet, so Luffy kisses him once more before letting go. The noise that Law makes at the loss of Luffy's hands is completely unfair but he ignores it.
"Seriously though, what does this mean?" Luffy's voice is slightly shaky when he asks it, concerned Law might consider it a mistake made in the angry heat of a moment. Somehow the man is still sprawled beneath him, seemingly at ease despite his pain that can't be comfortable in their position.
"So greedy a second ago and now so shy." Law sighs and lets his head drop to the floor when he sees the pout. "I don't know exactly. We could both die at the raid tomorrow night for all I know. But this was nice."
"I liked it. A lot." Luffy admits, smiling brightly.
"I could tell, is that why I'm still pinned on the floor?" His grin is sharp but not unkind.
Thinking for a moment, Luffy leans down to press a kiss above the heart tattooed on Law's chest. "Don't wanna let go of you now that you're here."
A shiver runs through Law's torso and Luffy tightens his knees at his sides nervously, afraid he might have finally overstepped when he'd finally got him to open up. "It's okay." Law breathes up at him gently. "I'm still here and I… really hope that made some things clear because I have no idea what I did or what I'm doing. Dammit, I really didn’t think the first time I kissed you it would be because we were both angry, there was a way I wanted to do this and none of this was what I was planning."
"None of your plans work Tora- o , but you do feel the same way then?"
"Not at all, I kiss everyone I'm allied with." Law rolls his eyes, the sarcasm back but with zero bite. And he must be relaxed, because he didn’t take the bait that Luffy went so far as to hand him.
“ What should we do? ” he presses gently, needing to hear it from the other’s mouth that nothing is screwed up, that nothing will disappear because it started in anger.
“Fuck if I know. As long as you’re not trying to pick a fight again then I’m happy with staying just like this.” An arm curls up to wrap around Luffy and pull him closer. “I’d wanted to ask you for some help falling asleep anyway since it worked last time, but you weren’t in the mood for that when you walked in here.”
Guilt spreads through him at that. “I was really mad knowing you were hurt and that it coulda been avoided if people had trusted your nakama. I like your guys, they’re great and I trust them.”
For the first time since their fight ended Law’s body tenses and, to his shock, he pulls him even tighter, burying his face against Luffy’s throat and muffling his words. “I wish you’d been there.”
Luffy can’t imagine what went through Law’s brain when Shinobu accused his nakama of betraying them and can still feel his own anger at her suggesting they be killed, but he knows what he’d have done if it had been his own nakama. No place on Wano would have been safe, hell he hadn't been lying when he'd said he would have torn himself straight out of Udon early if he had to, training be damned, and that’s when the realization sets in. If Law’s men had told them about his willingly being imprisoned to save them, Luffy would have done the same for him in a heartbeat. Worse maybe.
“Really surprised you didn’t hit me earlier when you kissed me. I deserved it.” Luffy sighs and curls his fingers into Law’s hair to pull his head back so his face is visible. “I’m sorry Law. That won’t happen to you again. I promise. Anyone suggests killing anyone else in this alliance and I’ll pound them into the dirt.”
A grumble vibrates through the taller man’s chest. “I don’t hit people I care about when I’m angry.”
“My grandpa used to try and cave my head in to show his love and my nakama do it all the time. I’m used to it.” Luffy grins at him.
“Your family and your crew are absolutely terrifying. I’m not ever going to hit you Luffy. Even if you think you deserve it.” There’s something gentle in Law’s voice when he says it and Luffy can’t keep the blush off of his face.
“Well… if whatever just happened here loses Nami any money then she’ll hit me enough to make up for it.” Just thinking about it makes him grimace.
“Why does your crew bet on our feelings? Do they have nothing better to do than mess with my head?” Law’s exasperation escapes him as a wheeze and he flops flat again.
“It’s better than what they usually bet on.” Luffy says with a laugh, remembering how he’d had to slam his fist down as the captain to get the majority of them to leave Zoro and Sanji to figure things out without meddling. If he had to do it again just to put Law at ease he would. Though that does remind him that he owes Zoro a few knocks for betting on him as well and Luffy’ll have to try very hard to remember that.
“Are there any other bets I should know about?”
“Probably. Maybe about whatever happens next? After this?” He waves a hand between their heads as if that could clarify what he was thinking when he doesn’t know himself.
Law just lifts an eyebrow. “Sex? Your crew is going to be the death of me. It’s way too early to even have that conversation.”
“ We know that.” Luffy stretches more of himself over Law’s slim frame and relaxes. “They think we kissed like we just did a long time ago back on Dressrosa.”
“Could care less what they think happened, honestly. The only person whose opinion matters in that regard is you. If you didn’t enjoy it then it won’t happen aga…” Law’s cut off when Luffy presses their mouths together again, licking into his mouth and slowly stealing his negativity in a bid to get him to relax again and forget the current line of conversation.
By the time he pulls away both of them are breathing heavily again and Law is completely boneless beneath him. “Don’t care what the others think, just want to be able to keep doing that with you. If that counts as an opinion.”
“Fuck.” It seems to be the only word Law can find at the moment, but the negativity is gone. Hard as it is when he’s laying sprawled like this with his tattoos and golden piercings bared for him to explore like some twisted and pretty treasure map, Luffy just grins at him instead of teasing him further.
“You really do need to get some sleep, you get so little of it.” His tone is concerned and he knows that’ll just irritate Law more so he lays his head down on his chest, a happy sigh escaping him when the man curls his tattooed fingers in his hair the way he likes. “We’re not gonna die tomorrow and when we win we’ll have a big feast with everyone, you’ll see.”
The other captain just snorts, too close to sleep already to bother hashing out all the ways Luffy might be wrong. Once Law’s breathing levels out and his fingers slide out of black hair, the rubber captain shifts his head a bit to listen to his steady heart beating in his chest.
“I promise.” He whispers to it.