Work Text:
“Remember when I used to do this for you when you were little?”
“Remember how you’d always fall over and knock it all down?”
A chuckle, followed by a pillow thrown in his direction was the reply Law received. Rather than dodging, he caught it, not wanting the other’s antics to break anything else. They’d already had plenty of non-living casualties that night, and as much as Rosinante swore to replace them all, Law didn’t want to have to deal with it at all.
Tossing the pillow onto the couch, Law sat down next to it, knees pulled to his chest and an elbow on the armrest. The coffee table had been pushed far off to the side, mostly to make room but also to keep the other from falling over it. Because he would—he had plenty of times before.
“I think I’m doing a good job this time though! What do you think?”
Rosinante spoke with excitement, his face absolutely beaming as he waited for Law to judge his work.
“Well,” Law started, eyes moving from that face to the tent made of blankets that now stood tall in the middle of their living room. “Good choice using the barstools. Though I still don’t think you’ll fit in there.”
He never did, but Rosinante was practically a giant, so that was to be expected. Law always found it amusing that he still tried though.
Said giant pursed his lips slightly, looking over his work. These were the tallest chairs he’d used so far, and with the help of a mostly empty bookshelf, their fortress of solitude had plenty of height. But when he stepped forward, bending ever so slightly, Rosinante’s foot caught one of the corners of the blanket. He could hardly get out a gasp before he was falling over, about to take everything down with him.
“I fucking knew it—”
And Law was on his feet in an instant, ignoring the other in favor of catching the blanket before it pulled everything down on them.
Rosinante landed with a loud thud, followed by a yelp as Law’s heel dug into his back. Law felt sorry, but with the man falling right in his path, that had been his only option if he didn’t want the fort destroyed. Luckily he’d managed to keep it intact, and he stayed completely still while Rosinante rolled out from under him and sat up, rubbing the side of his head.
“Get off your ass already and fix this.”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. Rosinante sprung to his feet, towering over Law and swiping the blanket from his hand, tucking it securely back into place.
Once he was sure things were safe, Law shuffled back toward the couch and fell on it with a sigh.
“I swear, every year.”
“Saved it this time though!” Rosinante laughed, giving the blankets gentle tugs in several places to make absolutely sure it wouldn’t come down before he moved to sit next to Law. “Might be the best one yet.”
Law hummed in response, gazing over the completed construction. They hadn’t turned off the main lights yet, but he already could tell that the new string lights the other had bought were a nice addition.
An arm moved back over the couch, and Law found himself slowly sinking toward Rosinante’s warmth.
“Yeah. It’s pretty good.”
The blond’s arm fell slightly, catching Law’s shoulder and pulling him closer. When Law glanced up at Rosinante, the proud grin on his lips brought the slightest grin to his own.
“Cora.”
A nickname Law had grown far too fond of for the other man, though he wasn’t exactly sure why. It had just felt right, and Rosinante had never minded it.
“Hm?”
“I still don’t get why you insist on doing this every year. I’m not a kid anymore.”
He always wondered, but never bothered to ask. Maybe because he was older, much older, now, it finally felt right for him to ask. He wasn’t a clueless child, wasn't a teenager struggling to understand himself—he was an adult, already an adult for a handful of years now. But it still hasn't felt right to ask in recent years.
But now, he needed to hear the answer.
Rosinante was quiet for a moment, and the only thing that let Law know the man was mulling over the question was the way his head slowly tipped from side to side.
As he waited, Law found himself counting to endless hearts that littered the other man’s shirt.
“Because…”
Rosinante finally started, sitting up a bit. His gaze stayed on the fortress of blankets and pillows, and for a moment, he was no longer in that moment. He was back in time, back so many years ago, to the first time he’d ever celebrated Law’s birthday.
“I remember the first time. That was the first time I ever saw you smile.”
Law had been quite notorious for being a troubled child, after all. And while Rosinante had no true connection to him, when they first met, they’d both felt something there, and Rosinante had decided in an instant to take care of Law.
It wasn’t without difficulty—Rosinante wasn’t even that much older in retrospect, and he definitely wasn’t fit to take care of someone else when he could hardly take care of himself. On many occasions, Law took care of him more than he took care of Law.
And a bond formed between them, but even then, Law remained closed off. Even though they had an unexplainable connection, there was a wall there that Rosinante couldn’t understand, couldn’t break down.
Until the first time he’d celebrated Law’s birthday.
“I guess it’s as much for me as it is for you. I like remembering that time.”
His grin softened, and just looking at it made Law feel at ease.
He wouldn't admit it, but he understood exactly what Rosinante meant. Because the first time Rosinante had wished him a happy birthday, had decorated their little home like they were camping under a sea of stars, the indescribable wall had crumbled instantly. He’d never forgotten the way he’d felt in that moment.
Everything had simply come together perfectly in that moment. In that lifetime.
And a smile spread across Law’s lips once more.
“You’re such a sap, Cora.”
Rosinante gave him a confused look as Law stood from the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Sure enough, it was covered in the same cheap plastic stars Rosinante had bought years ago. It was a miracle they still stuck, though he could see new bits of tape covering some points. Law couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
“You couldn't just buy new ones?”
The blond was also staring at them now, his lips pursed slightly.
“But Law, you love those!”
Law could only shrug in response.
“I guess.”
Making his way toward the entrance to the room, Law’s hand hovered over the light switch. Rosinante caught the hint quickly and made quick work of plugging in the string lights (without knocking anything over this time, thankfully). Once they were on, Law cut the main lights and simply took in the view.
It always reminded him of Christmas, even though he was a couple months off. But Rosinante always built their fort like a tower, and added some sort of lights to it. Had they been more colorful, it would’ve easily looked like a Christmas tree from afar. But it wasn’t just that—the stars stuck to their ceiling also reminded Law of a snowy night. And his heart would always ache for a moment at the sight, because all he could see was Cora smiling as the snow fell around them.
It was a memory that was his, yet wasn't at the same time. But as quickly as it came, it would leave, and he’d be left with a calm warmth inside.
“Doesn't it look pretty?”
Rosinante’s voice called him back to the moment, and Law made his way back into the room and to the other’s side.
“Yeah.”
He paused, eyes on the stars. Eyes full of stars.
Rosinante always created moments of opportunity for Law. Always put his whole heart into creating a moment of happiness, just for the two of them.
Law reached out for Rosinante’s hand.
“Thank you, Cora.”
And Rosinante welcomed Law’s hand in his own with ease. Between their fingers lingered a feeling all their own, one that settled them into the life they’d surely spend together for many years to come.
Neither could really picture a future without the other, after all.
“You’re more than welcome.”
When Law looked up at the other, at his sincere smile and gentle gaze, a low chime echoed from the grandfather clock behind him. It was midnight, and Rosinante had his arms around Law’s waist in an instant, pulling him into his endless warmth.
“Happy birthday, Law.”
And once again, the same as every year that he spent with the most important person in his life, Law was thankful to have been born into this world again.