Chapter Text
Law wasn’t an easy person to care for. He was head strong, didn’t bend and when he put his mind to something, he’d be damned if he didn’t get it.
Law wasn’t an easy person to care for just like it wasn’t easy for him to care. Good deeds made him sick, cheerful people made his stomach churn, people in general made him want to tear his hair out. It had taken him a long time to care for his crew – to see them as something more than pawns for his grand plan, to see them as friends, as something that could be family, but the only family he had burnt away, killed off, bled out in pure white snow–
Law was generally an unempathetic person; coldblooded the news rumored; ruthless others whispered. He didn’t go out of his way to help someone, didn’t put himself at risk to protect someone. He did what he needed to do – he did what he had to, to reach his goal. To kill Doflamingo, to ruin him – every action was thought out.
But there was a first for everything, Law mused. Perhaps Monkey D. Luffy just had that effect on people because Law had gone out of the way, put himself at risk, to get the straw hatted captain out of Marineford.
I want his favor, Law had claimed.
It’s a whim, he had added.
But when Mugiwara Luffy was placed atop his operation table, Law had seized for just a moment. One second, pure terror had gripped his being. He didn’t know where it had come from, didn’t know why he felt so strongly about someone he’s only been around for at least an hour. But Law simply felt like he couldn’t let Mugiwara Luffy die.
Mugiwara felt too important – it felt like he had so much left to accomplish, things that Law wanted to see.
There’s a first for everything.
When Mugiwara Luffy woke up, Law’s crew had already started to gather their things and get ready to leave. That was what they did; the moment the patient woke up, they left and never looked back. Yet this time, Law stayed where he sat, and watched as the man who he’s seen as a cheerful idiot – smiling as he attacked the marines around them, scowling as he struck Celestial Dragons – break.
There was no other way to explain how Mugiwara raged blindly, demanding his brother; the only word Law could use was break. The captain had broke at the loss of his brother, knew he was gone. Law could see in his eyes that Mugiwara knew very well that Fire Fist was gone, knew it but denied it because why would he die? How could he die? I still need him–
Law knew how it felt.
Small hands covered his mouth, muffling his sobs as he watched marines declare a man laid in snow dead.
Law didn’t know what compelled him to stay on Amazon Lilly for so long nor did he know what had him sit his fellow captain down and rebandage him carefully, touches soft, slow, and precise instead of his usual quick and cautious approach.
Law had left the island when he was sure Mugiwara would recover – wouldn’t do anything stupid.
As days turned into months and months into years, Law had fleeting thoughts of the younger captain he had saved. When the newspaper came with an article about the Mugiwara Pirates return, Law had smirked.
Finally, he had thought, and there had been relief buried deep inside.
It had taken two weeks, but Mugiwara had arrived onto Punk Hazard, much to Law’s surprise. Dressed in a long, stripped snow coat, straw hat atop golden locks, cheeks flushed by snow, eyes bright (nothing like those lost, lost eyes he remembered) and smile even brighter, Mugiwara Luffy had laid eyes on him and beamed.
He had smiled so brightly; Law had fleetingly compared him to the sun.
He had smiled so genuinely, like someone like Law deserved it.
I never got to thank you, he had yelled, running up and laughing.
It was on a whim, Law had responded.
He felt warm.
There was always a first for everything.
When he met up with Mugiwara and his crewmate (someone in Metal Man Franky’s body), Law hadn’t thought when he opened his mouth and offered–
Let’s create an alliance.
He never thought he’d ever want to be in an alliance with another pirate crew, let alone be the one to offer. But it felt right, it felt good.
Law had seen so many emotions flash through Mugiwara’s eyes once the words were processed, the younger’s lips parting in shock and then awe, and then he grinned, and agreed.
Nothing every went as planned with Mugiwara Luffy, and Law can’t say that he really regrets it.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law regretted joining forces with Mugiwara Luffy if only for a second.
If he succeeds, I want to see it with my own eyes. If he dies, I want to die alongside him! Law had declared, weakly gripping the man’s cloak.
Law wasn’t easy to care for. It wasn’t easy for him to care. He wasn’t that type of person, he didn’t let his emotions get the better of him, he planned, planned, planned.
Mugiwara Luffy was the exact opposite. He was easy to care for and it was easy for him to care. His emotions got the better of him, he threw plans out the window. He was annoying, didn’t think, acted on fleeting emotions, and he cared so very easily.
Law wasn’t easy to care for, yet Luffy had the gall to grin and say I like Torao very much!
Law didn’t care easily, yet for some reason, he couldn’t help but…
There was a first for everything, and Law, for once, was looking forwards to the firsts he would experience with one Mugiwara Luffy.
Shishishishi! I like Torao very much!
…I suppose I like you too, Mugiwara-ya.