Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~

It was a normal day at the Swallow Island, the snow fell from the sky that was covered with thick clouds all the time, not letting sunshine through. A normal day indeed for the residents of this island in the North Blue, one of the five* seas of the world.

The townsfolk carried on their business as usual, making way through snow-piled roads to their shops and homes. The harbor was nearby where many ships were docked and their boarders swarmed the town, stocking supplies for their journey through the seas. Swallow Island was a small island and thus had no airports, let alone helipads, making sea route the only way to reach this place, as such, it was famous to the Navy, Pirates and others who preferred travelling through sea.

There weren’t many attractions in this town except for the large bell in the town square that rang loud enough for the whole island to hear. For an island that was not big and had no real material value for people of the world, it was oddly divided into classes, with the upper class occupying the most land and keeping the middle and lower class as their servants. The food items used by the upper class were also produced separately in their privates farms worked on by the unfortunate lower class.

The upper class, though refined and elegant, earned their living through dirty means i.e. by illegal trade of weapons, making deals with the brokers of the underworld and laundering their money for them, and their most active occupation, bringing them millions, was none other than the various forced prostitution houses in many parts of the island.

The majority of the island belonged to the rich pigs and the lower parts, close to the harbor with their small, dandy houses and shops was the habitation of the middle and lower class residents who preferred earning for themselves by putting up businesses for the travelers. It was there that the four prostitution houses were, one in all the prominent directions of the compass.

Near the harbor, in the south, was the most traffic of pirates, brutes and businessmen who didn’t like wandering far for pleasure. The Navy and other government bodies preferred the isolation of the other three locations.

In these brothels, the rule was simple, a satisfied client equaled to a piece of bread. Any behavior otherwise from the merchandise was punishable, harshly at that. There were about fifty bodies in each of these houses scattered on the island. These were big places with each having their own room but occasionally sharing on the request of the clients. Then there was the reception, the kitchen, the fee office, the combined bathrooms, the punish room where the wayward women and children were beaten into submission and thrown in their rooms, and finally the infirmary, another name for the drug storage room. Some days when the sales were high and the business was fast, the products were given relaxants to keep them going.

Even though the south house had the same number of products as the other three houses, there were some products for whom some clients demanded rather fiercely, against the advices of the administration staff. The kind of clients that went after them were strict sadists and pedophiles who wanted to tame and break them or just needed pleasure at their obvious expense. One of them was the wayward product because of whom the punish room was made. He was prone to hurting his clients all the time especially when he had food in his belly or fatigued from the side effects of the relaxants he would be forcibly given – the reason why many wanted him, because he was the Boss’ favourite too.

His name was Luffy. He was eleven years old, nothing special in terms of beauty or fitness except his small body that was built with enough harshness of the raw world, his face that often came off as ‘cute’ to the clients twisted enough to be in that sort of thing.

Today was no exception for him.

He bit the neck of another man – three times his age, he guessed – drawing blood and punched him in the gut, earning a hard slap to his face, knocking him to the cold, hard floor. He hadn’t had food in weeks and could not stand up after taking that kind of beating. His not getting up served as the unwanted signal for the old man to do whatever he wanted. He did not like it one bit. He never did but he did not have the energy anymore to fight back. All he could do was glare through the short, messy hair that fell on his forehead.

When the man was done with Luffy, he gave his face a good lick, smirking but that soon went away when the boy whose face he was holding spat at him, straight in his eyes – he had learned this from his brother. He was given another hard slap and the force of it burst his lip. The man left, sneering, and Luffy stayed on the cold floor, unable to move from the lack of energy and will.

He relished in the freedom that by such a display of behavior, he would soon be escorted to the punishment room, would be beaten or raped – like that was new –thrown into hot as fuck water as a means of getting him clean. He would then be thrown into his room and locked there for two days without food or water before another hungry, sadistic pedophilic pig would be led to him.

All the two days he was alone, Luffy was half-alive, clutching weakly on his treasured straw-hat. He was so starved that he could not sleep but so tired that he could not stay awake. He was in that annoying state where one wished that either sleep would come or death. Whenever he was blessed with sleep, he would wake up in cold sweat from the haunting memories of his past years, leaving him all the more out of energy at the recollection of the time he had been in this place and how there was little hope whatsoever of leaving it, at least not alive.

There was one window in the room Luffy was in, but that too was barred and too small that he couldn’t even see the sky properly. Never once in the time he had been here, had Luffy been under the real sky long enough to feel alive.

Luffy could only despair.

He could only focus on surviving one day to the next.

He could only imagine what it was like to be free.

Until one day, he would be free.

~

At the harbor in the south where a number of ships anchored and many more could be seen in the distance, it was an unusual sight for the water to be disturbed from within. There were huge ripples and the sea looked like it was gurgling.

Fishermen and passersby-s moved closer to the edge to see what was happening. Their eyes were glued to the water from which after a good amount of disturbance an antenna started appearing, followed by a small deck until more than half of the vessel was above sea level and visible. It was a submarine. A yellow submarine with markings on it of a round smiling face with round T-shaped arrow-heads pointing out. It had “DEATH” written on its sides and immediately the people who were very curious about it stepped back and some even left the place altogether, fearing for their lives because all they thought after seeing the submarine and its strange appearance, was that it was pirates.

Pirates often came to the Swallow Island, mostly to restock their supplies and to empty their balls. Sometimes they wreaked havoc and looted from the people, sometimes they would be pissed enough at the lack of loot and kidnap women from the pleasure houses. The residents present at the harbor thought that the pirates that would come out of the submarine would also be here for one of these reasons, however, when the bridge was dropped and bodies started exiting the vessel, everyone who was holding their breath felt its release in relief.

“They are just kids… I thought it would be big, mean men. Thank goodness, it would be peaceful for once.” Somebody said quietly to the agreement of others. People started scattering and went back to their businesses, unafraid.

“Shachi, Penguin, you both go gather supplies. Take the others with you if you want to.” The captain of the submarine-pirates said, stuffing his hands in his yellow hoodie pockets. The mentioned two swung their arms around the captain’s neck and sniggered.

“What are you going to do, Captain?” Shachi, the nineteen year old man with red hair, asked the comparatively shorter teen i.e. his captain.

“Yeah, are you going to go to the pleasure houses seeing as you are finally the ‘legal age’?” The other man, Penguin, twenty years old, teased with a grin. Their captain had turned eighteen last month.

“That might be true for this island but its twenty where I am from. And those places all across this island are off limits. You all know it’s forced labour. I don’t want any of you anywhere near that.” The boy spat shrugging the arms off him and starting his walk. “Bepo and I will go over the navigation route once again. I don’t want to stay here for more than a week, so keep your wits about you and don’t wander off course.”

“You got it captain.” Penguin called to the figure going out of his sight until he stopped and turned around.

“And stop calling me Captain, I have told you, it’s Law.” Saying this, the eighteen year old boy, with messy raven locks and golden eyes, turned back around and kept walking with his polar bear friend.

Law really just wanted to roam the Swallow Island one last time before he set sail for his destination. This was the place he had stumbled upon after a very tragic incident in his life and where he had met his best friends, Bepo, Shachi and Penguin, where he had learned and honed his skills as a surgeon without even having the need to go to school. He had left the place an year back to gather information and create some ties that would help him achieve his goals. He knew everything he wanted and all that remained was to put his plan in action. Stopping by the Swallow Island was Law’s way of trying to let go of the past as much as he could to move forward and to also gain strength for what was about to come.

“Those were the forests you found me in, Captain, do you remember?” Bepo nudged Law with his elbow, he was four years Law’s junior.

“Yeah.” Law looked up, a bit shocked that he had wandered this far in such a short amount of time. This was the forest he was roaming as a thirteen year old when he found Shachi and Penguin bullying Bepo who just wanted to find his brother. Law smiled to himself remembering how he had beat up the two boys and rescued Bepo but later when there was an explosion, he had also went to the aid of those bullying idiots. Penguin had lost his arm but Law had managed to sew it back, much to everyone’s shock and horror. He didn’t know himself that he had it in him to actually be able to sew back a severed arm when he was just thirteen years old. Later, Shachi and Penguin were also ‘adopted’ by Law and together they started their small “Hearts” group.

“The people at the harbor all think we are pirates.”

“Can you blame them? We did come out of a morbid looking submarine.” Law didn’t care about what the people thought but they weren’t pirates. Law didn’t like the kind of work he would have to do to achieve his goals when all he really wanted was follow his benefactor’s teachings. If he made an earnest living, he would soon be found out by the one person he was keeping himself hidden from until the time and place and preparations were right.

Law adjusted his spotted hat on his head, nestling his nodachi, Kikoku, under his arm and over his shoulder – he preferred carrying a sword over a gun, it suited and appealed to his aesthetic as a surgeon, a gun was sometimes messy and more than often, lethal but a sword could maim and mutilate and discouraged insistence on following the man – and stuffed his hands back in his hoodie pockets, walking aimlessly with Bepo until it was time to head back to the Polar Tang for the night. The submarine was still anchored where they had left it and the Hearts, minus Law and Bepo, and a few others whom he had left where he would soon be heading to make the place live-able, were having a small party on deck.

“Oh Captain! Come join us!” Uni waved at the approaching figures. Bepo stayed but Law just took a bottle of sake and onigiri, and kept walking to his quarters. It wasn’t that he didn’t like spending time with his group but after coming to the island, there were memories that came back and Law wanted to be alone so he could deal with them without causing anybody any worries.

By the time the night reached its peak, the noise from the partying outside died down gradually, the sake Law brought with himself was completely gone, and with sleep not gracing him again, Law found himself awake and wallowing in his messed up existence and how he got there.

~

Chapter Text

~

Luffy was willing and there was a spark in his eyes, the kind which was snuffed out when he was brought here and had lashed out for the first hundred times in this caged life. He had hope. He had a chance, an opportunity and he was going to take it, ignoring the nagging voice in his head telling him that this would be a mistake and that he was too trusting and naïve but he pushed that voice aside in favour of hope and freedom.

It had happened during Luffy’s two-day confinement in his room without food or water when he had attacked another one of his ‘clients.’ There was a man, quite influential at that, who wanted a taste of the boy who was known to bite and maim the people who wanted to touch him. That man had his ‘day off’ as he had barked at the guy who told him that Luffy was currently under punishment for disobedience and that he would have to come back later if he wanted to enjoy him. Waving a thick wad of cash in the staff’s face earned him the approval he was looking for and he was told to wait while the boy was readied for him.

“Get up, you have a client.” The staff member spat, throwing the door to his room open. When Luffy didn’t even flinch from the harsh light invading his dark den, the man got impatient and went inside with heavy steps and yanked the boy up with his arm, from the floor. “Get up, I said!”

“It’s…not even…two days yet…” The young boy tried arguing weakly, afraid with the slow realization that pain would soon invade his being and destroy whatever calm he had managed to achieve in the past few hours. His whole body was still in pain from the last time he was violated and the fact that he had attacked the disgusting pig, robbed him of the piece of bread he would have gained had he just stayed quiet and compliant for a few more minutes, drained his small body of the energy he had always had.

“Don’t talk back and clean yourself up!” The staff guy pulled Luffy on his feet and pushed him out of the door and towards the bathrooms where he handed him a new pair of clothes – quite unnecessary in his opinion since they would be ripped off in a few minutes anyway – and asked the boy to hurry up.

Luffy took advantage of the water falling on his face and let loose his hopelessness, sobbing under the showerhead, cleaning the dried blood and filth that was staining his body. He had promised Ace and Sabo – his brothers – that when he would be ten years old, just like them, he wouldn’t cry but here he was, eleven and a sobbing mess. He missed his brothers and regretted his rash actions that led to his current misfortune. He wanted more than anything, to be free and with his brothers again, he even missed his brute of a grandfather and the vulgar woman he had been left in the care of. He had tried escaping numerous times but all his attempts had been nullified and the only reason he was not mutilated was that he was the “boss’ favourite.”

His thought process and self-berating was interrupted when the man who had been his ‘escort,’ knocked loudly on the door, startling Luffy out of his daze. The boy hurriedly cleaned his tears and pulled on the flimsy clothes he was handed and exited the bathroom. He was led back to his room with a vise-like grip on his arm, thrown in and the door shut behind him with a loud noise that shook Luffy’s small and tired frame.

He was starving, his bones and muscles ached and his mind was numb. Luffy did not think he would be able to retaliate today, he did not have the bare minimum energy to even keep himself on his feet, let alone fight a grown man. He slumped against the side of the bed, adjacent to the door of the room, bringing his knees to his chest and hugging them with his head down and hidden in the space that it formed. He wanted to find his straw-hat and hide his face in it, feel some kind of warmth in this wholly desolate place, but his hat was lying in the far corner of the room and Luffy did not have the energy to go and pick it up. His eyes were starting to leak again but the door opened.

His whole body froze, tears instantly dried before they even had a chance to spill. Luffy did not want to raise his head but listened to the sounds and tried to steel himself for what was about to come. He was adamant to not inch his head up and give off any reaction, play dead as they say in the presence of a predator. When he heard multiple shuffling sounds and the door close, he peaked from the gap in his arms. His breath was caught in his throat, his heart dropped to his stomach and the shivering he had learned to force back, made itself visible.

There were four men in the room.

More than anything Luffy wanted to run, do anything but endure the torture that he knew was only minutes away. The men were talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers and when they moved a little away from the door, Luffy bolted. He didn’t know where that sudden energy came from but he was glad for it as his legs carried him through the short distance to the entrance of the room. He jumped a little to grab the handle – he was short for his age, malnutritioned, he can’t be blamed for it – to open the door, the handle twisted but the door stayed shut. He tried again and again, hopeful that he could make it out in time, the laughter behind him however, made despair settle.

Slowly, Luffy let go of the door handle and turned around, keeping his back glued to the wood of the door. He faced the men with fear in his eyes that dared spill out in the form of salty droplets. His legs were shaking and his throat felt constricted but he managed out a weak, “please…” before the rush of energy that he felt earlier suddenly left him and he found himself on the ground.

“Oi oi, is the kid even up to it?” One of the men laughed and frankly, Luffy was so distraught that he could not focus where the voice came from.

“It’s because you guys look like thugs that he is having a hard time.” Another muttered.

“Thugs? Might as well be but our suits give us the advantage regular thugs don’t have.”

“Maybe the kid needs a few drinks in him before he’s usable. He IS the boss’ favourite, there must be a reason.”

Luffy could neither focus on the faces nor the voices of the men in front of him and when he felt a hand touch his bare arm, his first reflex was to punch the face connected to the torso of that arm – and he acted on it, to even his own surprise.

“Ow ow, definitely knows how to pack a punch.” Luffy heard the man laugh but his vision was blurred from the tears that had now started falling in big amounts.

“Just drug the brat, our three hours are going to go by just fighting the idiot.” At this, Luffy started struggling against the grip on his arm and chin. He struggled even more when he saw a cup being pressed to his lips, through his teary eyes. One man was holding him in place and the other tilted the cup till the contents were slipping past Luffy’s lips. He tried pursing his lips and clenching his teeth but most of the liquid had already trickled down his throat.

“That oughtta do it.” With that, Luffy was let go and immediately his senses went blurry. He was awake and conscious but not reflexively responsive to what was going on. He couldn’t throw hands or kick and scream – like any of that would matter in the first place. All he could do was silently take what was being forced upon him.

The few hours his body had to endure felt like forever with his dulled senses and once the drug started wearing off, the pain was hellish. Luffy had never felt so disgusted with himself, filth pouring out of his mouth and pooling around his thin thighs when he was so gracelessly thrown aside after the men were done with him. Soft sniffling sounds were drowned out by drunk laughter and meaningless conversations.

“Well, we have enjoyed this place enough, guess we should start with our plan now.” Luffy heard one of the men say and his ears perked up at that, sobbing coming to an abrupt end. “You fucking idiots, stop drinking and go look through the window.”

“You are the fucking idiot, spilling all of that in front of the kid, what if he tells?” Another man said, the one who had fed Luffy the drug. Luffy closed his eyes at the comment and pretended to be asleep.

“He’s out cold, gotta be after such fun time.” The man kicked Luffy in his side as if to prove his point and when the boy did not move, they all agreed. Luffy alerted himself despite the pain and tiredness clouding his senses. This seemed like too important a conversation to not eavesdrop on.

All of the men had moved to where the barred window was and were taking turns looking out of it, devising plans.

“The bombs we’re using would destroy this whole side as well, the boy will be killed too. The blast radius is gonna be big.” One of the four pointed out.

“It will make his boss angry. Two birds with one stone, gotta admit that guy has power but he is a prick. I hate him. It would be fun pissing him off.”

Luffy tried keeping his breathing in control. These men were talking about bombing the building opposite to Luffy’s side of the whore house and they weren’t even remotely guilty about him being caught in the crossfire – well the fact that they would indulge in pleasuring themselves with the bodies of little boys sort of screamed that they were heinous creatures but it still came as a shock to Luffy.

The men stayed and planned in small voices, careful that the sound would not be carried beyond them. Luffy could only make out the occasional ‘bomb’, ‘blast’, ‘a few days’ and something along the lines of ‘this will be fun.’ After what felt like hours still, he heard the men getting up and leave. Luffy gathered himself up ignoring the dried filth on him to the best of his ability and walked to the window, jumped up and grabbed on the iron bars and tried hoisting himself up enough to look out to the building that would be bombed in ‘a few days.’

Luffy scouted the entire area his field of vision could hold – which was just the soon-to-be-bombed boring grey coloured building and piles and piles of snow on the road between the wall he was hanging on and that building. Luffy rubbed his eyes hopping off the wall and limped to get his hat. Not having enough energy, he slid down where his straw-hat was against the wall, and put it on his head, clutching his knees close to his chest and letting the tiredness take over his being.

A kick in the side, again, was the awakening he received and something was thrown on his head. He wasn’t paying any attention to it but his eyes flew wide when a hard fist came in contact with is face.

“You damn brat! Get the fuck up and go clean yourself! You will have more clients tomorrow!” Luffy heard the staff member in front of him spit and leave. The boy tiredly got up, hid his straw-hat behind the small space of his even smaller bed, picked the clothes from where they were sprawled on the ground and went to the bathrooms to clean himself up. When he got back and retrieved his hat, he wondered how he had missed the four pieces of bread on the ground where he was sitting before. Maybe that was the something that was thrown at him when he was woken up.

Luffy quietly chewed the dry bread and with every bite, he felt his senses coming back to him, with memories of what he had heard the men talking about.

There was going to be bombing. The building that could be overlooked from Luffy’s window would explode, take up Luffy’s room with it. It should have scared the young boy but all he did was grin the biggest he had in the two years he was here. This was a chance. This was hope. He could get out of here if he was a bit careful and played his cards right. He was willing to take that chance even if it there were consequences. He was ready for the fact that if he somehow messed up his timing, he could lose his limbs or his life even but that didn’t concern him in the face of the blinding hope that he could get out. That he could be free.

Luffy waited, complied with the clients to earn bread, and stayed silent and willing through the pain and torture so he could reserve his energy for when he would need it in a few days. The people responsible for him were a bit shocked to see the boy so compliant but figured it was finally time that he submitted. Luffy paid them no mind and focused on his plan. A few days came and went and it was nearing a week. Luffy waited his opportunity, eager and shaking in anticipation.

But it didn’t happen.

~

Chapter Text

~

It would be a little over a week today. Law did not want to stay on Swallow Island any longer. He had planned for a week but there was some complication acquiring materials he needed so they had to prolong their stay by two days but he had everything now and he was ready to put this place behind him. He left the relatively warm comfort of his sub and walked to the harbor with Kikoku on his shoulder. Some of the guys were carrying crates of non-perishable food items, loading them into the submarine and checking stuff off the list Law had made for supplies to be restocked. Law had went earlier in his stay to personally select the medical supplies needed for the journey and after it as well – he was the only one knowledgeable in that area so he had to do it himself.

During the last two days, Bepo and Shachi had been keeping surveillance throughout the south of the island and found some suspicious activity that could affect them and notified Law immediately. They mentioned something about a building at the back of the southern pleasure house being secretly loaded with what looked like explosives, poorly disguised at that too. Law expected trouble and he wanted to leave even sooner for it, but the blast never came and he was relieved in the knowledge that the Hearts would be leaving the island soon and there had been no trouble.

“Captain, can you go over the list one final time? Most of the stuff has been loaded in and checked off so you can leave that. I need to go assist Shachi with the sub’s oxygen canisters and batteries.” Penguin informed Law, coming to a stop behind him from where the crates were stacked on the harbor and Bepo was looking over them.

“Hand me the list.” Penguin gave it to him and Law walked to Bepo, matching items on the list and instructing where they need to be put when the guys came to take it away. Bepo was trying to soak all the cold air he could before they left the island. He was a polar bear, he needed the cold. Law smiled sadly looking at his friend’s content face as the freezing air hit him. He knew it was cruelty to put Bepo in a submarine of all things, where it could get so hot and suffocating. Law was no stranger to suffocation and such environments, he understood the agony his friend went through every time they submerged. Bepo never wanted to leave though and Law had tried many times to make the other see the point but Bepo was loyal and wanted to stay.

Law stuffed the list in his pocket, told Uni, who was passing by, that all the stuff was there and it just needed to be carried back to the sub. He readjusted his sword and was about to tell Bepo to come with him on a last walk through the island but everything was drowned out by the loud sound that came from the direction of the whore house – Law realized – followed by thick black smoke, distinguished against the white of the snow.

Shopkeepers ducked behind their stalls, a few people ran here and there in panic and obvious confusion but everybody had stopped what they were doing and were collectively looking in the direction of where the explosion happened.

“Somebody finally went and did it huh. Serves those pigs right.” Law heard a man say and wondered what the statement meant but it became clear with someone else’s follow-up dialogue.

“Yeah, I swear. They’ve been hoarding our food and money in that for far too long. Now it’s all burned up I bet, they can’t use it too.” All the residents, it seemed, cheered for what happened. In a way it was something to be cheered for.

The building that was bombed out of existence was not that far away from the harbor but far enough that the only effects that reached there was warm air.

~

Luffy was miserable and hopeless and kept beating himself up about being so naïve as to trust the words of the men who had had their way with him, after drugging him into submission no less. They could very well had been pretending all the time, knowing he was conscious and listening in their every word and nestling hope.

Luffy had put himself through pain for the entire week, willingly taking clients so he could have enough food and energy in him so that when the time came, he could make a run for it. But it all seemed useless and he felt like an idiot for entertaining any hope of escape.

When the hopelessness settled down and the sadness started overpowering his being, Luffy decided he was going to die either way – that is, by staying here and getting sick or by plotting an escape someday, when he couldn’t bear this captivity any longer, that would undoubtedly get him killed regardless of him being the favorite boy – so why not risk everything and escape when his energy was the best it had been in his two years in this hellhole.

He walked with a mission to the small space being his bed and retrieved his straw-hat. It was stuffed a bit further than usual and Luffy had to push himself in the gap to grab the rim. Half of his body was behind the bed and it was some sort of luck from the heavens that Luffy slipped on his feet and fell completely behind the bed because the moment that happened, the wall with the window on it exploded with debris and big chunks being thrown in the room and had the boy not been behind the bed, he would, no doubt, sustained terrible, life-threatening injuries. That being said, it does not mean that he came out of it completely unharmed.

The force of the blast pushed the bed back and the raw force of the rubble flying everywhere broke some wood on the bedpost which nicked the boy’s skin enough to produce deep cuts and draw blood in multiple places. Luffy squealed in surprise when he was further pressed against the wall because of the force of the blast.

It was difficult to reorient himself for a few seconds but as soon as realization struck that his most awaited opportunity had presented itself, Luffy grabbed his hat, put it on, pulled his bed sheet out from under the rubble cluttering the bed and made a run for it. The entire wall was gone, letting in the cold air of the Swallow Island, piling snow inside the room with the passing time.

Just as Luffy was about to step over the stray rocks, the door of his room opened and a few of the men, who loved torturing and raping him the most, arrived with guns in their hands. Luffy took a second to turn his head back enough to face the men and stick his tongue out and pulling down his lower eyelid.

“Baka~ Baka~!” Luffy taunted with a grin and jumped over the few big rocks hindering his path, making his escape.

“OI WAIT!” The men yelled following after the initial shock had subsided.

Like hell I would wait! Luffy thought running through the snow.

He was barefoot – he didn’t own shoes in that establishment – and the rubble in his room had injured his feet but the snow under his soles was making everything nice and numb so Luffy kept running. He gathered his thoughts as to where he should run and the strong smell of the sea invited him in that direction.

Sea meant there might be a harbor. A harbor meant there might be boats and as unskilled as Luffy was in sailing, he was willing to risk it. So he ran, tried ignoring the men who were following him. His breathing was heavy but the adrenaline was helping him stay focused.

When Luffy started hearing voices belonging to people in hustle and bustle of a marketplace, he sped in that direction, thinking of mingling with the common people to throw off the pursuit. He was nearing the sea, he could tell with the way the wind picked up and the smell of brine got stronger. Luffy loved the sea and spent a considerable amount of his short years at the beach with his brothers.

My brothers…

Luffy shook the thoughts out his mind and although it was a moment of clouded focus, it was there nonetheless and during that time, his brain had stopped registering what his eyes were seeing and he had collided head first with someone.

~

That blast radius was still too big though, Law thought. Some poor, unfortunate soul in the whore house could not have avoided being charred in the crossfire…

Just as he was thinking that, something collided with him head on, and since his mind was trying to soak in the blast, the people and their motives behind it, if this concerned him especially being on an island such as this in the North Blue, if he should stay a bit longer and find out or scram at once, he didn’t see the mass running up to him until it had run into him, making them both fall down, Kikoku falling out of Law’s grip a few feet away. This brought Law out of his head and he looked at who or what had the nerve to tackle him.

It was a small boy, probably seven he guessed, wrapped in a sheet, already trying to get up, failing miserably. But when there were gunshots heard and angry voices neared, the boy gathered himself up with fierce determination.

~

“Sorry! I’m in a hurry!” Luffy apologized getting up, adjusting his hat back and started running again but stopped when he noticed his surroundings. He was at the harbor and there were a ton of ships lined up, he could hide himself on any of them and be off the island but none of the ships looked like they would be budging any time soon and there was the matter of his pursuers too.

“Captain! Are you ok?” Luffy heard and gave himself a moment to acknowledge what was going on. A talking polar bear was crouched in front of the person Luffy had accidentally collided into. He was a teenager and looked so done with the world. Was he a pirate?

“I am ok Bepo. Let’s just get out of here.” The teenager spoke and Luffy completely faced him again.

“Take me with you!” The words were out of his mouth before he had a moment to actually think what he was saying. The other boy, the ‘Captain’ as the bear had put it gave Luffy a look and got up, walked to his sword that got knocked out and picked it up. But didn’t answer Luffy. “Are you a pirate?”

“No.”

“Then take me with you! Be my friend!” There were a dozen of other questions in Luffy’s mind like was he being too trusting again, was this the right choice even if the teenager agreed, could he trust the ‘Captain’ when he said he wasn’t a pirate? Then he looked at the polar bear, Bepo, he had heard him being called that so that must be his name.

People who have pets aren’t bad…right?

The Captain just turned his back to Luffy, not gracing him with an answer and started walking towards the harbor and Luffy had half the mind to follow. Amidst all this, Luffy had completely forgotten that he was being chased. It was a bullet that whizzed past him that brought back his focus on the situation at hand. Luffy was feeling frustrated at this point, he was so close to freedom and nobody was cooperating – his captors won’t leave him alone and the boy-who-is-not-a-pirate won’t help him get off the island. So Luffy was going to do what Luffy normally did, punch his way out of this mess.

Luffy looked here and there for anything he could use as a weapon for defense first and offense if the need arose. There was nothing he could see that he could use but then his eyes fell on the receding figure of the teenager he was bickering with a few seconds ago and the sword he was carrying on his shoulder.

I can use that…probably. Luffy thought and immediately jumped to grab the big weapon. He took it by the hilt and tried pulling it out of the scabbard but it was too big and the other boy had realized what Luffy was doing so he grabbed on hard.

“Let go!” Law pulled Kikoku closer to himself, stopping in his path, trying to shake off the monkey of a boy latched onto him in attempts to take Kikoku. The sheet Luffy had wrapped around himself while escaping fell off him in the process.

“Why?! You won’t help me get off this island! So stop being selfish and at least share your sword!” Luffy argued back, bent on unsheathing the sword.

“What kind of logic is that?!”

“Mystery logic! Gimme the sword!!” By now it was basically a tug of war, both boys fighting over the sword.

“Get off!!” Law finally snapped, letting go of his nodachi and using both his hands to pull the small boy off him, throwing him a few paces away. The impact had made the kid lose his grip on Kikoku and Law successfully retrieved it. But Luffy was back on his feet almost instantly and when he stood up, Law finally took in his form.

A straw-hat, loose and big. Small body. Weak. Underfed. Cuts and bruises littering all the skin that was visible. Bony arms. Posture confident but slouched. Stance wide and should have been stable but his feet were curved inside a little, probably because he could not stand on his weak legs. Legs that looked weak and were shaking like they would be in such a temperature or when the body had recently went through–

Law’s scrutiny of the boy’s body was cut short when he saw dried blood on the boy’s legs, not from the cuts on his skin, he was sure. Law’s eyes followed the trail of blood upwards for its source and when his vision met the fabric of the boy’s shorts, his search came to a stop. He knew. He understood.

Law was more than a few heads taller than the boy and as he looked down on him with a mix of thoughts, the small boy looked up at him with furrowed brows, probably still thinking of ways to acquire Law’s sword.

“Ah shit run! They’ve got guns!” Both buys turned at the panicked voices as people scurried inside town and away from the harbor, where now, more than a few thug-like men were surrounding them both and everyone else seemed to have run away already – minus the Hearts, who had started to pour out of the submarine leaving whatever they were doing.

Luffy’s small body tensed beyond what little boys should be capable of. He had wasted precious time arguing with the teenager who wouldn’t even help him and share his weapon and now he was worried. Law noticed it and some unpleasant memories forced their way back in his mind.

“Come on, be a darling and come back boy. We promise nobody will hurt you for running.” The ugliest of the men said, waving his gun, giving out an impression quite contrary to what he wanted Luffy to believe.

“No.” Luffy said, stepping back a little and bumping into Law, who didn’t budge. The glare Law’s golden eyes gave Luffy made the younger freeze in his place, suddenly aware of the fact that he shouldn’t be trusting anybody.

“Oh, is that the guy who was going to help you get away?” Luffy didn’t answer but he was aware that just by being seen with Law, he was dragging him into his mess and with the kind of brutes these people were, they didn’t care who was innocent. “Alright, if you’re not going to come quietly then we will start by cutting off your escape means.”

Luffy had mere seconds to think what the man had meant by that and had it not been for his observation skills being so on point at rare times, he would not have been able to see the bullet that left the man’s gun and followed the path to Law’s head. Luffy pushed the older boy out of the way in time, falling on top of him again.

Law was frozen when he saw the bullet lodge itself on the ground right where his brains would have been had it not been for the small boy who pushed him out of the way. “How the fuck?”

“I dunno, I can just see it sometimes.” Luffy shrugged and focused his eyes on the men who shot at them. “Oi! He has nothing to do with this!’’

Law was completely confused now. First the boy wanted to be taken along and wanted to be his friend, then he attacked Law for his sword, then when his pursuers shot at Law, the boy pushed him out of the way and now he said that it had nothing to do with Law.

“We don’t care love. Now come here. You know how the boss gets when he wants you and you refuse. You already have his mark, do you think he would let you go so easily?” Another of the thugs said.

Luffy was still on top of Law and the latter felt the smaller boy’s body stiffen on him, his hand leaving Law’s shoulder which he was holding for support and going to lower the fabric of his shorts as if to hide something. It was clear to Law that this boy had run away from one of the forced prostitution houses on the island and he guessed it was the south one. When the information settled in his brain, a part of Law wanted to help the boy escape.

Luffy started getting up and standing. Law took this chance to get up as well and leave before he got caught in a battle that was clearly not his. “I don’t care about that pink feathered idiot’s mark! I am getting out of here! Leave me alone, I AM FREE!”

”Leave him alone now! He is free!”

Law stopped dead in his tracks at the remembrance, his back to the small boy. He looked back at the ragged kid, who was not even a proper four feet, yelling at enemies much bigger than him. His hands were still pushing the end of his shorts down and it clicked to Law.

Pink feathered idiot.

His mark.

All sorts of memories that Law had tried suppressing for years resurfaced, because of a boy who was either brave or too stupid to stand against a monster that was more vicious than he could ever imagine.

Law cursed and took a breath through his nose, turning around completely, ignoring his friends’ calls. A feral kind of emotion had taken over his being at the thought of somebody else going through the heinous violations he went through and now that he was more capable than he had been when it was happening to him, there was no way he was going to ignore it and let the worst happen.

Screw my plan of leaving the island quickly and peacefully. I am burning this shit show to hell.

Luffy was focused on the men in front of him and was trying not to control his shivering. He had a thin shirt and shorts on in this freezing cold, it was needless to say that the weather was getting to him. But he was still determined to leave, he just didn’t know how he was going to go about it.

“Fine then kid, we can always tell the boss that you caught some random shit from one of the customers and died.” The sense of safety Luffy was feeling at the thought that the men wouldn’t hurt him because the boss wanted him alive and unhurt, was gone, replaced by a void that was slowly being filled with fear. They were not going to play around anymore and would probably shoot to kill and Luffy couldn’t possibly dodge all the bullets. He was feeling slightly hopeless but tried not letting it get to him.

“Who said you could kill him?” Luffy lost his focus at the voice behind him. It was the teenager who didn’t want to help him. He came and stood in front of Luffy, with his sword on his shoulder and his eyes shielded by his spotted hat. Luffy thought he looked cool.

“Oi oi who the fuck do you think you are butting in now?”

Luffy felt goosebumps at the cynical chuckle that escaped the older boy and he wondered if the dark skinned teenager had some sort of hidden motives to suddenly want to help Luffy now. He wanted to ask him that but his breath was caught in his throat by the demonic aura that surrounded the other.

Law’s tall frame was blocking Luffy’s vision whose hands had found their way to the former’s warm hoodie and he clutched at it without knowing. This was the back Luffy was familiar with as he had always been protected behind two of it. He inched his head to the side a little to peak at the situation but ducked behind when he heard a gunshot. His small hands had instinctively grabbed the hoodie harder. He felt like a small, defenseless boy again, the one he was allowed to be when his brothers were around.

Law knew that gunshot close to his feet was just a warning that he should hand over the kid and leave. He felt the boy clutching his hoodie and a sense of protection filled him. The boy reminded him so much of himself that Law just couldn’t leave him be anymore.

“Can you fight?” Law asked in a whisper so low that only the boy behind him could hear.

“Yeah,” came the affirmative response. Law didn’t know how true it was but the enemy was big in number and if had to fend for himself and the kid, he would have to slice everyone dead, something he avoided.

“I will give you a weapon but try not to kill anyone. Just render them unable to get up. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Wait for the right time.” Law whispered back simply and raised both his arms as if in surrender. The movement lifted the back of his hoodie enough to show that there was a dagger in his pants waist band. He felt Luffy take it out. Step one – done. His arms still raised, with one hand he was making a signal he knew the Hearts would understand since their eyes were glued to Law’s every action. A shout of ‘captain, don’t do it!’ let him know that they understood. Step two – done. He was going to play his plan but a body ran past him, battle cry echoing behind him. “Fucking idiot!”

It was Law’s plan to feign a surrender, get close to the enemy, attack them, the Hearts had guns, they could take the long range and Law would finish off those closer to him. Law didn’t like guns but that didn’t mean he was going to take away that twisted privilege from his friends. Through his plan, the kid wouldn’t have to fight if all went well but there still might have been a need for self-defense, for which reason the kid had the dagger. All could have been settled in less than ten minutes but the person Law was doing this for charged into battle, disregarding the warning Law had given him.

The older had no choice but to follow. He couldn’t let the small boy run into battle alone, especially when he had made an unspoken promise to help. So Law ran behind him, unsheathing his sword, battle-ready. Meanwhile, the Hearts had gotten the guns out and it was a matter of seconds that both parties started a full-fledged firing contest.

The gunshots from Law’s side had forced the men into hiding behind buildings and ships or whatever they could hide behind to avoid getting hit and took chances to shoot where they could. Luffy was still charging like a dumb idiot and Law picked a rock, threw it at the man’s head who had taken aim at the boy, with enough force that it knocked him out.

Law deflected a few bullets with his nodachi and jumped the rest of the way to the straw-hatted boy, grabbing his collar and rolling behind a pile of crates, away from enemy eyes.

“Did you even understand the plan?!” Law couldn’t keep himself from yelling.

“You said to wait for the right time and then you went for the surrender, wasn’t that the signal?!” Luffy argued back.

“What kind of a signal would that have been?!”

“How was I supposed to know that wasn’t the signal?!”

“IT-“ Law stopped himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is getting nowhere. You just stay here and out of trouble. Leave the rest to me.” Law started turning to leave.

“But I wanna fight too!”

“Stop being selfish.” Law muttered, scouting the area.

“You’re being selfish!!” Law was going to turn back to the kid to shut him up for good but froze at the unknown voice behind him. Their loud bickering had invited obvious attention.

“Don’t move.”

The kid had gone unusually quiet and Law could only think that it was because a gun must be pressed against his skull. Regardless, Law did turn around, just enough to look at the man. Their eyes met and the look in the man’s eyes, coupled with his cropped hair, reminded Law of someone he wished to kill with his hands – as much as he didn’t like killing, he would enjoy beating the shit out of that person.

“I will give you three seconds to withdraw that gun.” Law said, his voice low and dangerous. Luffy stole a look and was left even more frozen than before. “One.”

“You are in no posi-“

“Two.”

“What do you think a brat like you-“

“Three.”

The man wasn’t given any time more. Luffy shut his eyes close when he heard the hammer of the gun being brought back but he didn’t hear a gunshot, just a weird sound and a light thud, followed by a loud one. He slowly opened his eyes and looked where the sound had come from and found the man who had pointed the gun at him, dead and decapitated. He felt sick.

Law was wiping the blade of his sword in the snow with a scowl on his face but stopped and stood up. He gave Luffy a glare. “Don’t fucking move from here,” he spat and walked to where the thugs were concentration. This was bringing back too many memories and they were not welcome. Law wanted to finish it all, and he was not going to be careful enough to avoid murder anymore.

Luffy watched the older boy as he sauntered to the hiding men, bullets from his comrades whizzing past him, not one of them hitting him, his sword shining occasionally, stained with blood and as much as it was scary, Luffy was right when he thought he looked demonic. He wanted to fight too, was itching to do so but he complied. The look he received from the older boy was much too similar to the ones Ace would give him when he screwed up and put his life in jeopardy.

Ace…

Luffy hugged his knees close to his chest and buried his face, trying to drown out the sounds, waiting for it all to end. He felt useless, this was the fight he picked but couldn’t finish. He was constantly beating himself up about the truth that if the scary teenager hadn’t agreed to help him, Luffy might only have escaped the island as a dead body. The lack of movement had relaxed his muscles and the adrenaline that was keeping his pain at bay, subsided, unleashing physical and emotional torment. Luffy didn’t know he was sobbing again until someone voiced it.

“Get up. You can cry back in the sub.” Luffy looked up from under the rim of his head, still bawling. The older boy was drenched in blood and Luffy wondered what kind of death he had given to the men that his much blood was covering him. Luffy wiped his tears and got up, starting to follow the teenager as he also started moving.

There were a ton of questions Luffy wanted to ask. Why did he help? What had changed his heart about helping Luffy? Did he kill people? Why did he kill them when he seemed like the person who didn’t like killing? Wasn’t he going to tell Luffy to stop crying, like everyone else did? Why did he go so far for a stranger boy? All these questions but only one word escaped him.

“Why?”

“Everyone has something they can’t turn their back on, Mugiwara-ya.”

~

Chapter Text

~

Law walked ahead towards his submarine, gesturing his group to resume loading so they could get the hell off the island. He was shouldering his nodachi, trying not to think back on the worst days of his life, the memories of which were brought back because of the straw-hatted boy who followed him to the sub. Law had his guard down because he was confident that they had taken care of everyone who dared put up a fight. He didn't want to admit it but slashing through flesh and bone brought a sense of sadistic pleasure to his being.

The small sounds of footsteps following Law were welcome in his ears as they distracted him once he started listening in on them. The boy had stopped sobbing momentarily. His mind wandered to what he was going to do with the kid, how was he going to get him back to his family, if he was going to help him enough to get back to his family or if he should dump him on the next island and leave him to fend for himself. When Law was in such a stream of thoughts, he was hardly ever able to focus on what was going around him but right now he was fairly aware. That didn't mean he took immediate notice of the footsteps that stopped following him. He sighed and turned around only to find the boy collapsed on the cold snow with his face buried in its whiteness.

He went to the boy and crouched down to flip him on his back. He was unconscious. Law checked for a pulse, breathing and checked all the vital locations, coming to the conclusion that the exhaustion and malnutrition had finally caught up with the kid and that he was going to be this way for a while. Law had half the mind to leave the boy there but then his brain would play images of what the kid had said and Law would groan so he decided to comply.

He picked the kid up by the back of his shirt and adjusted him against his chest, putting his small head on the left shoulder and using his right arm Law brought his left arm under the boy's legs and held him there so it looked like the kid was sitting on Law's left arm, resting his head against his shoulder. Once the small body was that close, Law took notice of how thin and bony it was and how many injuries it had. The fever the boy had was burning through Law's shoulder and he didn't think it was a good sign. A boy this young was going to be difficult to bring back from the depths of malnutrition with minimum long term effects. Regardless, Law quickened his pace and went inside the submarine, not handing the boy to any one of his friends who asked. Law was unsure of why he wouldn't part with the small burning body but he dismissed it as it would be better and faster if the boy was in his care so that if there were any symptoms, Law could be quick to action.

He went to the med bay and put the kid on one of the beds and started working on him. Law asked for Shachi to help him because he needed to divide the work force and with Shachi assisting him, Law could be relieved leaving the rest in the capable hands of Penguin and Bepo, though he told the crew to keep themselves submerged around the island and not move further for a while.

Law asked Shachi to first remove the boy's accessories while he himself pulled on his gloves and put on his mask and arranged the tools he knew he'd need. The straw-hat was carefully placed aside and Law began cutting through the torn and blood stained clothes. The boy was all skin and bones and it shocked Law that he could run and move at all.

Shachi handed Law the peroxide first, helping him clean all the blood off. The hair were matted with blood and sweat but there were no head wounds so that could be left for a later time. Shachi went ahead and cleaned the dirt and blood off the boy's face and Law noticed the scar under his left eye, wondering how it got there. The small puckered lips, cheeks and forehead and nose red from the fever, made the boy look a lot younger than he probably was. There were numerous scars on the kid's body, much older ones that had started to fade out of existence and once again the young doctor found himself in thought of what kind of hell his patient had been in before he got to where he was. What kind of life did he have, what kind of human connections. When Law reached the kid's legs, he had to restrain himself from ripping the skin off the boy's thigh. There was definitely a mark there that he remembered the kid had been trying to hide. It was a tattoo, the presence of which sealed the body's belonging to a revolting bastard. Law felt that rage again and the need to burn something came back and he knew just what he would be burning.

"Captain." Shachi brought Law out of his thoughts and the latter noticed how he was gripping the tattoo on his patient's thigh. Law composed himself and got back to work.

There were a lot of cuts and bruises but more worrying than that was the obvious fever and the state of the little boy's insides. All messed up. It brought back memories and Law scolded himself to make it go away. This was not the time for it.

His hands worked fast and efficiently. He took blood samples and capped the tubes for an analysis as soon as he would stabilize the boy's condition that is. With the state of the child's lower abdomen and insides, Law knew what kind of hell the kid had went through so he also knew to thoroughly check the throat and airways. It was all a big mess.

Law did his best in the few hours he spent in the med bay with Shachi. The kid was dressed in the patient robes - a plain big shirt that opened in the back - they had aboard the Polar Tang, hooked to their advanced tech and a few intravenous medicines he needed to keep him stable for a while. Before they attached the machines though, they had shifted the boy to a semi-private section of the sub's med center. It had Law's computer and his books and a fairly sized bed for patients that needed constant attention so Law could be there all the time.

The boy had yet to gain consciousness but that was to be expected given the circumstances. Law adjusted the IVs and made sure all the machines were properly attached and working before he breathed out and relaxed his shoulders. He dismissed Shachi who went to clean up the med bay and pile the wrappings of the supplies that were used so Law could make a list later.

Law took off his gloves, threw them away in the bin and washed his hands in the sink nearby. He wasn't nearly done with the kid yet, he had only made sure that the boy won't die while Law ran some tests on his blood and tissues.

The kid's blood was type F. A rare type. Law cursed but let it go remembering he was also blood type F and that he would just prepare a bag of blood for the kid, so he left everything as it was - not in a dangerous or unprofessional setting - and went to prepare for blood donation. He got out the needle, tube and bag, attaching everything and cleaned the area on his left arm where he would be pricking with the needle. He taped the needle on his skin after the pricking so it wouldn't move while he worked and went back to the sampling table with the tube attached to his arm and the bag resting in his lap. He knew he shouldn't be working while his blood was being drawn out and leaving an uncomfortable sensation throughout his body but he didn't have much time. Besides, it would only take some ten minutes for a decent amount of blood to be extracted. He took this time to check the sample blood for diseases or allergies.

When the blood bag was full and ready, Law carefully detached the needle from his arm, ignoring the ugly bruise that remained because he was carelessly moving his arm a lot during the procedure. He stood up and immediately stumbled back down on the chair.

Shouldn't have done that. Law thought and rubbed his eyes to make the dizziness go away.

So much of his blood had just left his body and he was stupid enough to stand up immediately. He waited a few minutes so at least the fainting feeling would subside, he could deal with the throbbing headache later. He sealed the bag, made sure it was the right temperature to be transferred, grabbed a blood filter and attached the whole unit to the boy. The small breathing could be heard through the oxygen support and the noise of the numerous machines he was attached to. The blood would add to better the boy's condition.

Uni knocked on the metal wall lightly, getting Law's attention and silently passed him a mug of coffee, leaving as he came, quietly. He should be downing actual food but he left it for a later time. Law appreciated the coffee because just after he had given the kid blood, his head had started aching from everything that he was keeping at bay.

The memories. The tiredness brought by his insomnia and the day's events. The feeling of disgust at the recollection that he mercilessly murdered and decapitated human beings despite being taught otherwise.

Law downed the whole hot mug in under a minute and felt thankful for the burning in his throat that would surely keep him awake and alert, at least long enough to study the samples he had laid out and to prepare a whole plan of action for the boy for when he wakes up. It was up to the boy's will power and need to get better that would decide whether Law would have to adjust the diet plan for willing intake or tubal intake.

There were minimum allergies but the negligible white blood cell count was worrying. Law thought he would have to go through this really carefully or the body’s immune system would just up and shut down. He did not want that. Law was not going to let the boy die when he had went through the trouble of saving him. Might as well go the extra mile and make sure that he lives properly and healthy.

A final check on the samples and noting down the data, typing it in his computer, preparing patient sheets and changing some IVs on the boy, Law was satisfied that the kid would last the twelve hour time period in which he could get some rest, hopefully.

Law left the med bay and went to the control room where most of his group was. He told them to round the island and stop at specific locations. He had some last minute shit to pull before he could leave the island behind with a sense of satisfaction. The Hearts were a little worried at Law's command but followed nonetheless. Some of them went with him, especially Bepo, to do the deed, they trusted their Captain but thought that Law and his actions needed to be looked after when he got the cynical gleam in his eyes. This was one of those times and what Law had planned to do was good in a small way but dangerous in the grand scheme of things.

When they got back, Bepo took the controls of the submarine and Law sat down beside him, breathing in and out, in and out to keep himself from falling into panic. Bepo knew what was happening, going back in such a place where Law only had bad memories ingrained in his brain, he was sure to spiral down the darkly familiar path of panic attacks. It wasn't new for the Hearts' Captain but Law had never allowed his group to see him in that condition. Penguin and Shachi had caught him in that state on accident but Law willingly went to Bepo for comfort sometimes. He felt closest to Bepo than to anybody else and Bepo being a Mink had different ideologies than human beings and thus his presence was the most comfortable out of anybody in the Hearts.

Law leaned against Bepo, standing up, gathering some control over his raging mind. He reeked of blood from various battles in the day, was tired, extremely sleep deprived and hadn't had the proper time to put food in himself. But now there was time. He was going to do every one of those things he had neglected till now.

"Set course for Flevance." Law said and left the control room.

"Aye aye Captain!" Bepo called and Law smiled lightly before heading to his quarters for a nice bath.

Law would liken himself to a cat, well, a snow leopard by definition what with all of his aesthetic. He was not a big fan of baths but was enough of a clean freak to actually muster up strength to keep himself from accumulating filth. This time was no different.

There was a permanent scowl on Law's face when he undressed and showered and that worsened when some shampoo went in his eyes. He cursed under his breath before resuming washing his hair. His hat would need cleaning too and he was just hating the idea of putting his precious hat through a wash where it could get easily damaged.

Outside the captain's quarters and in the small lounge on the sub, the men of the Hearts were talking amongst themselves. Most had gone to sleep before their shifts for watch would start - they were under water but still somebody had to man the controls and the radars and with a patient on board, their captain was bound to fix monitoring duties.

"I didn't think Captain would actually burn down the whole building." Penguin laughed at his comrade's comment.

"That just explains that you are new. He has done more for less."

"Yeah but did he do it for the kid? I mean we could all guess that the kid ran away from the southern pleasure house but that doesn't explain why Captain would burn down all of those places on the island. I mean, wow, what."

"That's our Captain." Shachi defended. "We don't know who he did it for but what he did was good. He freed those under forced labor too. He's a softie."

"Man he was just badass." Penguin sighed.

"Yeah especially when he was going to light the fire and went, 'I am not some saint so get your asses out before I light shit up.'" Shachi acted in his best Law-voice but everyone's laughter got caught in their throats when an arm slid across the redhead's neck.

"Aren't you just having the time of your life, Shachi-ya?" Law looked dark and irritated and angry and downright scary. His hair dripping wet, the droplets amplifying the golden of his eyes as they fell past it. And there was the name tag Law used that made everyone shudder. This time it was a close mix towards knowing someone very well but not enough to not want to murder them.

"C-captain! Would you like something to eat?" The cook asked who had wisely scurried towards the sub's kitchen connected to the lounge. "Should I prepare some onigiri?" He was quick-witted enough to divert Law's attention from a gone-stiff-out-of-fear Shachi to onigiri. That always worked.

"Sure." Law muttered and took a seat between Penguin and Shachi, moving his arms behind both of their heads on the headrest. That shut them up good and proper. The cook went to prepare Law's food and the captain noticed that the lounge was mostly empty.

Law's hair were still dripping on the towel on his shoulders, he was just lazy to move his arms to rub his head with it. Penguin noticed this and sighed grabbing Law's towel and putting it on his head. "Dry your own hair for once you brat." he rubbed viciously and Law could head Shachi laughing behind him.

Law was the youngest in among the three of them and sometimes they treated him like that too and though he would never admit it, Law liked it. It was a change from the intimidation he always seemed to carry around. So Law realized something that all his friends could be relied upon for something different. Bepo can't bash him like he is a brat, it was something only Shachi and Penguin were brave or stupid enough to do. But they always created some sort of fuss over Law's nightmares, sleeplessness and panic attacks, something Bepo took silently and never talked about again.

The cook came and put a huge tray of onigiri on the table that was bolted to the floor. Law was going to get up for coffee but grimaced when he was handed tea instead. He liked tea but right now he was in the mood for coffee.

"The mug Uni gave you was enough Captain. You need to sleep. There is a patient on board." Law would have glared at the chef but he was right and he appreciated it when he was called out on his bullshit.

Law silently ate his onigiri, sharing with the idiots on his either side. The amount of huffs he let out during his mealtime made it known to both his friends that the grumpy was tired enough to consider even chewing a chore. He rubbed his eyes multiple times as well.

When they had all eaten, Law took the two of them to the infirmary and explained the situation. He showed them the machines they would be taking readings from every two hours and that should the numbers go below average - the list of which Law has stuck on the side of his table - they were to wake him immediately. He didn’t put them at ease that he thought that the boy would be relatively stable because if he did they would unconsciously be relaxed enough to make a mistake.

"You know what, I am not going to be able to sleep anyway, I will stay here just in case." Law said and made to move to the chair in front of his desk.

"Oh no, no, you are not doing this. You are going to sleep."

"Don't order me around Penguin and I’m staying here."

"How about you try sleeping and if that doesn’t happen in an hour, you can come here?" Shachi reasoned.

"I am having a coffee first though, my head is aching." Law side stepped the two and started making his way towards the kitchen. They both took Law by the shoulders and started guiding him to the captain's quarters. Law was still scrawny and shorter than the two so they were easily able to overpower him and steer him where they wanted. Law thought he would have to get some muscle buildup to stop the two idiots from bullying him but felt like he would really just stay thin all his life, that maybe it was his physique to not be a macho-man. He was OK with it though. The one person he admired more than living itself wasn't macho either so Law was content with what he had.

"Fool somebody else Law, go to sleep." Penguin started.

"You clearly need it." Shachi backed.

"I still have to wash my hat, it’s going to get ruined if I let it stay blood stained-"

"We got that."

"Geez does this kid have arguments for everything or what."

When they turned the corner they almost collided into Bepo who was coming out from the navigation room.

"Suimasen." He went immediately.

"Oh nice timing. Stay watch on the Captain so he actually sleeps?"

"Ok."

Law grumbled when Shachi and Penguin shut the door of his room behind him and left him probably after locking it from the outside. Law messed with his hair but decided to try sleeping since his body was on the verge of shutting down and that was something he wanted to avoid because he didn’t know when he might need the strength in this unknown sea. He thought sleeping a better tactic and followed on it.

He didn’t even have to even struggle to find a comfortable position because as soon as his head hit his pillow he was out like a light.

~

Chapter Text

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"I thought you wanted to live by on your own. So why are you asking for my help?!" Ace questioned letting his temper get to him.

"Oi Ace that’s not nice-" Sabo interjected, clearly not liking the tone.

"You heard him too right Sabo? He said he wanted to be able to live alone so he should learn to do things by himself!"

"I am sure he didn’t mean it like that." Sabo then turned to Luffy who looked on the verge of crying. "Luffy-"

"Fine then! I will leave and live on my own! I don't need your help!" Luffy yelled getting equally angry as Ace who was ready to throw hands with his younger brother.

"Fine!"

It was the harshness of the memory that woke Luffy up from his long slumber. He was disoriented. He saw that in his dream nearly every day but this time it felt different. Luffy wondered what was different, he was still in that hellhole so what had possibly changed.

Strange... Luffy thought, it doesn’t hurt.

He focused on his lack of pain and tried remembering why it didn’t hurt. Had he finally died? Or did someone give him painkillers again so he could be ravaged beyond recognition? Either way he was not looking forward to opening his eyes and finding out. But the more Luffy focused on why he wasn’t in pain, he felt something on his face, in his arm and then some things all over his body and then there were sounds that he had never heard before and that triggered the memories from before he collapsed.

Now his eyes were wide open and he tried to take in where he was. The surroundings looked all metal. That something which he felt was on his face was a mask thing and there were rounds things stuck on his skin, even his clothes were different. Luffy looked around more, trying to gain some sense of orientation because if not that, he would spiral down panicking.

He heard footsteps and no sooner two guys came in. They didn’t look all that old but Luffy didn’t recognize them and that was enough to put him on guard but when his eyes went to their clothes and the mark on their jackets, Luffy was out of control. It looked like the same mark he had on his thigh.

Before the men started noticing, Luffy had gotten on his feet on the bed he was lying on and had started detaching stuff from himself. He wanted to get out of there and wanted to get out fast.

"Oi calm down-" The one with red hair started saying but Luffy threw his mask thingy at him. It didn’t reach him but made him back up.

"I am getting out of here! Let me go!" he yelled.

"Stop it!" The other yelled when Luffy threw his pillow in feeble attempts to make the two older boys back up. Where was that grumpy teenager who helped Luffy? He didn’t want to see unknown people anymore. He wanted to hide behind his hat.

His hat...

"WHERE IS MY HAT?!" Luffy yelled, startling both the guys and making them stop in their tracks. Luffy was absolutely angry at the misplacement of his hat and he no longer cared about getting out but wreaking havoc so he launched himself at the taller one and started throwing punches but he was just grabbed from under his arms and held up at a distance.

"Call Captain, Shachi." And the redhead left. Luffy was still thrashing in his grip when there was a voice from behind the guy who was holding him.

"What the fuck?" Luffy took the guy's distraction as an opportunity and lifted his arms up his head and wriggled out of the grip. Once his feet landed on the solid floor, he dashed to the side making for the exit but the guy caught him by the collar and lifted him back up but now Luffy was facing the person with the new voice. It was the grumpy teenager. "I go through the trouble of saving your ass and you have the nerve to thrash around in my sub? In the med bay of all places?"

Luffy stilled. He heard the other two guys mumbling a 'shit' and 'he hasn’t slept enough that’s why he’s so cranky.' He looked back at the teenager who was glaring at him through his obvious tiredness.

"You guys go. I will take care of this little shit." Law said and Penguin let down Luffy who didn’t run anymore. "And get me a coffee. Strong. I’m going to need it."

They both left and Law sighed shifting Kikoku on his shoulder. He put his sword aside and took the boy by his shoulders, forcing him back on the bed.

"Don’t fucking-"

"Don’t touch me!" Luffy finally snapped out of his stilled horror and backed away in the corner of the bed. Law saw the fear in his eyes and wondered why it was there.

"If I don't check your vitals and if they are not normal then you can die. It was already hard enough to keep you alive for this long, give me a break." Law explained in hopes that the boy would understand but Law got confused with his next words.

"You’re one of them." When Luffy saw the confusion on Law's face, he pointed at the sign on Law's hoodie, proud and stark. Law got the meaning and understood that he would have to use a much gentler approach with the kid - one he was out of depth in.

"Look at it closely." Law said and brought lifted the boy's patient gown just enough to expose the mark on his thigh. "They are not the same."

"But they look the same."

"Mine is a direct rebellion against the bastard's who put yours on." Law pointed out where the differences were and Luffy seemed to have calmed down and his hands went to his head and he was stiff again.

"Where is my hat?" Luffy asked in a low voice, he judged he could trust Law.

"Ah." Law got up and went out of the curtain and came back with the hat. "Here. I had it cleaned and repaired." He handed the hat back to Luffy whose eyes had lit up at just the sight of it.

Luffy eagerly took the straw-hat and put it on his head. "It just doesn’t feel right without it."

"Is it that important?" Law found himself asking before he could even think about it. Luffy hummed and Law took that as a yes and began cleaning up the small space Luffy had thrashed around in.

Law first attached everything that was attached to Luffy, glared at the kid for the animalistic way he had undone his IV so Law had to attach the needle in his other arm. When he was done, he grabbed Luffy's med board and sat down in his chair in front of the computer. "What’s your name?"

"Luffy." Law wrote it down.

"Age?"

"Eleven."

"You're kidding." Law uttered looking up from the board. "You look seven at best."

"Nope! Shishishi!" Rolling his eyes Law wrote it all down.

"Damn you’re just a child."

"And you’re just a teenager." Luffy laughed. "Though you look like you have lived long enough that you are tired of the world."

Close enough.

"How long were you in that place?"

"Two years..."

"Any known illnesses or family history?"

"I don't know."

"Ok then how do you feel?"

"Weird＂

"Elaborate."

"And hungry." Law was going to ask him to elaborate again but Luffy had started talking on his own. "I don't know. I feel weird."

"Can you tell me where you feel weird?"

"All over."

Law rubbed his eyes. This was getting nowhere. "Have you ever been to a doctor before?"

"Nope!"

Oh god this was going to be difficult.

"I am going to check some things and take some more tests so sit still and let me do things." Law gathered the supplies. "Open your mouth." Law poked a stick on his tongue and pushed it down to get a better look at the back of the throat. It seemed ok but he knew there was no way it actually was ok. "Lift your arm." He placed a thermometer under his arm and put it back and attached a BP apparatus to Luffy's other arm. Luffy kept flinching when Law put the stethoscope to the boy's chest and back, listening for any abnormalities in the chest cavity. "You still have a fever..." He muttered to himself taking a look at the thermometer.

"Hey when is this going to be over, I wanna go home." Luffy pouted and kicked at the sheets.

"About that...you won’t be going home-"

"What?! Let me out! I knew you were with them!"

"Hey hey calm down, let me finish first."

"Ok."

"So you are severely malnutritioned which means that during your time in that place your body grew weaker and there are a shit ton of things that need to be brought on the right track before I can allow you to walk out of here."

"How long?"

"It depends on you actually, how well you respond to the treatment plan and how willing you are to actually recover. If all goes well then some time over six months."

"Six?! I can’t meet my brothers for six more months?! I will get better on my own! I don’t want to wait around!" Luffy started to pull at his IVs and machines and catheter again. "I’m leaving now!"

"You will do no such thing." Law warned but Luffy was not listening so he decided to threaten him. "Do you want me to cut off your arms and legs when you have collapsed even when I have warned you about it?" Luffy stopped for a second and glared at Law who was a little taken back by the intensity of the look he received.

"I don’t care! I am going!"

"Then why did I go through the trouble of saving your life if you are going to just throw it away anyway?!"

"That’s your problem. You said you couldn’t turn your back on my situation."

"Listen here you little shit." Law grabbed Luffy's face in his hand, easily and made him look at him. "You will obey me or I will kill you before your recklessness has a chance to. Understand?"

"I’m not afraid of dying so your threats mean nothing!" Law was irked. He grabbed a syringe with painkillers and sleep medicine, and uncapped it, bringing it to the connector of the cannula.

"Ok then, prepare to die." He injected the stuff in Luffy's veins. The said boy looked shocked from Law to his arm, slowly understanding what was happening. He began to take out the cannula again, obviously panicking.

"What did you do?!" Luffy felt himself getting sleepy and for once he was really scared that he was going to die. He thought that maybe he should have kept his mouth shut and let the grump take some tests and cure him. He hadn’t met his brothers in two years surely he could withstand it for a couple of months more.

"Relax, it was just something to ease your pain and put you to sleep. Scared you though, didn’t it?" Luffy heard the teenager say but his voice was echoing in Luffy's head.

"Asshole..." Luffy said, energy being drained from him and his head falling back when sleep overtook him.

Fucking idiot, Law thought and settled the boy back in the bed.

The next time Luffy woke up, he wasn’t so panicky. He instantly remembered where he was, what happened to him and the joke that sadistic teenager played on him to scare him to stay put. Luffy noticed there were more tubes attached to him now. They looked like clear liquids. He noticed his savior sitting where he remembered him sitting before he was put to sleep. Luffy wanted to gather his attention to tell him that something wasn’t right and that his chest felt heavy and it hurt too much to breathe but his voice was caught in his throat. He opened his mouth again and moved his arm to reach the back of the chair the boy was sitting on but it wouldn’t reach. The movement hurt too.

Luffy coughed.

"Did you just cough?" The teenager was onto him in under a second with his stethoscope. He pushed the round piece on Luffy's chest and listened. "Cough again." And Luffy did.

"It hurts..." He was finally able to say. Law wanted to ask where it hurt but Luffy was already pointing to the right side of his chest where his lung was.

Law pressed a button on his desk and spoke in the mic. "Peng, get the x-ray machine here. ASAP." they had a small x-ray machine that could be carried on wheels easily. It was very convenient. While the machine was being brought to him, Law put aside any metal there was on or beside the chest of the boy.

"Captain." Penguin got Law's attention and the latter was immediately at work. He had an idea of what was going on but he wanted to be sure. He adjusted the machine's x-ray particle focus on Luffy's small torso, pushed the film in and fired the particles. He didn’t need to wear his protective suit because this was probably the first time he was using the machine so it was safe.

Law got the film out and attached it to his computer that immediately started reading the film and prepared to print the x-ray. Penguin took the machine back and Law retrieved the x-ray, one look at the abnormal webbing in the lungs and he sighed. This was not good but not surprising either.

Luffy was looking at him through teary eyes, asking the question that he couldn’t voice. Law rubbed his forehead and put the x-ray aside.

"It's not really a surprise given the conditions they were making you live in but one of your lungs is close to collapsing." Seeing the alarm on the boy's face, Law regretted his word choice immediately. Well he couldn’t have said it any other way since he normally didn’t give a fuck about others but he could have been a bit more sensitive. "There is nothing to worry about, this heals faster than you think. Can I go on with the procedure or would you still like to die?"

Law didn’t expect an answer as he had already started preparations for a effusion extraction. He prepared the gauze, anesthesia, syringe, alcohol, everything and set the tray beside Luffy who was beginning to have labored shallow breaths and was shivering.

"Try to keep breathing steadily and do not jerk away at anything." Law warned and first cleaned the chest area he would be performing on, next he injected the anesthesia in the nerve endings and in the lining of the lungs so the kid wouldn’t feel the pressure or pain of the thickass needle in it. There was fluid build-up between his lung and its membrane, luckily it wasn't much but this still needed to be taken out and assessed before or if it became a bigger problem.

Luffy was watching Law intently and reflexively twitched and moved away from him when he saw the thick needle. Law sighed and stopped for a second.

"It would be better if you didn’t look." Luffy tried not looking but his curiosity and fear were making him open his eyes every time.

"Captain do you want-oh" Penguin had arrived back to ask Law about food but saw that his gloves were still on and he had worn a mask now. He was going in for a minor invasive procedure.

"Good timing. Cover his eyes and distract him." Law ordered and Penguin went to work immediately. He pulled a chair and sat close to Luffy's head and pulled the straw hat from the boy's head to cover his eyes or his general vision so he wouldn’t be able to see what Law was doing.

"Hey kid, I wouldn’t ask if you're ok or anything because well I can see it's not ok but you are in capable hands." Law heard Penguin talk to Luffy and took this chance to insert the needle in his chest, moving it to where the effusion was. "Don’t try to look, it’s easier that way."

"Yeah I have your entire lung in my hand so you better not look or I’m going to sever it and sell it in the black market." Law said darkly, laughing cynically in the end.

"Law! Stop it, he's panicking." Law shrugged. It wasn’t his fault the kid didn’t appreciate his humor and Law didn’t like fidgety patients to begin with, felt that they needed to be taught a lesson and scaring them worked best. "He's just kidding. Hey look at this." Law heard shuffling but kept doing his work, extracting the liquid and air stuck in that suckish place and draining it all in a bottle for sampling later. "My whole arm was blown off in an explosion once and this guy here reattached it! Can you imagine he was just thirteen!" Law smiled a little under his mask and kept going, more than halfway through. He heard a soft choked whining from the kid. "It’s ok, hey he just looks and behaves like a heartless asshole-" Law cleared his throat, audibly at that but Penguin continued, "-but he's really not bad so try and calm down, he won't do anything bad. The worst is already over."

The worst is already over.

Law briefly looked at Penguin to see what kind of face he was making while saying things like these and he was a little surprised to see a fond smile.

Law concluded the procedure with cleaning the entry point again and putting the syringe away. He covered the bottle with a lid, quickly scribbled the name, time, date and sample type on it before putting it away. He cleaned the area once more and taped gauze on it. He pulled his gown back down and pulled the sheets back on and left to get the new medicines that would help heal the lungs for now if this was the extent of the illness that is.

"Im hubgry." Law heard the boy say once he entered that section of the infirmary again. He was clearly talking through his tears.

"No solid food for now. You're already getting nutrients through the IV, feeling hungry is just a faulty brain signal." Law said adjusting the medicine in the IV and then adjusting the IV flow.

"But I want meat..." Luffy whined and Penguin suppressed his laughter. Law glared at them both.

"I’m the doctor here and what I say, goes. You will get meat when your body can handle it."

"You’re mean." Luffy pouted. "And grumpy. And bossy."

"Whatever Luffy-ya."

"I’m Luffy, I think I told you my name. Are you a dumb doctor who can't remember stuff?" Penguin burst into full blown laughter.

"I know what your name is. The 'ya' is an idiosyncrasy on my part."

"What’s an idiot sink racing?"

"What did I do to deserve this?" Law mumbled pulling off his gloves and mask, throwing them away.

The older boy was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he picked up another kid off the road even though it was temporary. He just couldn’t bear the thought and imagine what the next few months would be like since the boy just talked non-stop and idiotically at that too, something that was a complete hundred and eighty from Law's behavior.

"Good job distracting him Peng, you can go."

"What about food? Chef said something about fish today."

"Later. I have to assess this fluid first." Law showed him the bottle filled with the fluid he extracted from Luffy's lung.

"You got it."

When Penguin left, Law set up his station, that is, a petri dish, microscope, different chemicals and tools in the small space of the separate room Luffy was in. The kid would be sleeping soon anyway so Law had hopes that he would be able to work without interruptions.

"Don't fight the sleep when it comes. Your body is weak right now." He told the boy and sat down to start the process. "And do not disturb."

Law first put a few drops of the fluid on the glass slide and prepared it before putting it under the microscope and examining its contents. Looked like a strain of bacteria, a staph.

This is going to be tricky to get rid of.

Law felt eyes on him when he moved from the microscope to scribble down his findings on his notepad. He got up altogether and put half of the fluid in an analyzer to be sure that it was indeed a bacteria. He hadn’t been wrong before but this was a situation where if he was wrong, it could cost the boy his life after a hell lot of pain and suffering from collapsed lungs.

"I-I don't feel too good..." Law looked at the boy who voiced the words weakly, his hands on his mouth and abdomen.

Ah shit.

Law grabbed the bucket from the boy's bedside and handed it to him just in time to see him puke out stuff that he should not have in his system. One painful thing about this particular illness was that muscle movements that induced vomits didn’t cease when the contents of the stomach had been emptied but continued well for a few minutes and nothing would come out but gagged whines and painful whimpers and it would keep on hurting for a good twenty minutes afterwards too.

When the kid was done, Law wiped his mouth and gave him a medicated mouthwash to rinse out the aftertaste while he examined the vomit. Mucus. He concluded that the lungs were in a shape worse than he thought. He just hoped that the boy would be able to recover from this and it won't leave a lifetime of pulmonary weakness.

Law increased the dosage of the nausea medicine in the IV and went to retrieve the sample readings from the analyzer. It was a bacterial staph. He was right. Law low-key pumped his fist in the air at being right and got down to administering the correct variations of fungus to counter the bacteria.

"What I am giving you will make your skin itchy at some point down the road so tell me as soon as that happens." He informed his patient who nodded. He looked tired and about ready to fall asleep so Law left him alone after he was done adjusting all the IVs and taking all the necessary notes. "Press this button if you need anything or if you don’t feel good or it starts to hurt anywhere. But try to sleep."

Law cleaned the area, made the list of supplies used and headed to the lounge where there was just Bepo who was busy in a book.

"How long till we arrive in Flevance?" He asked his navigator, taking a seat beside him and pulling out his phone to see the time and date. When they had set out from Swallow Island, Law barely had the correct orientation, then the emergency wake up today and Law was completely out of it.

"A few hours if there are no strange currents." Law hummed in response and just on cue, the chef arrived in the lounge and seeing Law he went to prepare some food for him. Once Law had eaten and had his dose of coffee, he found that he had nothing to do, he could obsess over the kid's treatment but he had just made sure that everything was perfect. He could prepare for Flevance but that was already done too. Without thinking, Law had already leaned on his furry friend as was always the case when there were just the two of them and with no time to spare, the doctor had fallen asleep.

"I swear he likes you more than he likes any of us." Shachi commented arriving in the lounge with Penguin.

"Suimasen!" Bepo sulked immediately and the noise made Law furrow his brows in his sleep.

"Bepo don’t move! I’ll get captain a blanket." Penguin ran quietly to get Law's weighted blanket and put it on him. "Strange, where is his sword? He never parts with it."

"Must have left it in the infirmary. Had it with him till then." Shachi replied.

"He's stressed." Bepo informed.

"Has a pretty good reason too." Penguin stated.

"Yeah I mean if I were to be going back to my hometown which I had to abandon to save my life because of some stupid plague that was not even contagious or anything, I’d probably be stressed too."

Law groaned and everyone stiffened thinking he had woken up but he shifted more against Bepo, now laying his head on the Mink's thigh and turning on his side, pulling the blanket closer.

"Just let me take a picture and then we'll leave him alone." Penguin said taking out his phone, silencing the camera shutter and snapping a photo of Law's sleeping face.

He made a mistake though.

The camera flash was on.

And the next thing they knew, Law was running behind them in the whole sub and when he had finally caught up with the two idiots, he tied them together with handcuffs and made sure they forcibly drank enough water infused with tabasco sauce to cause them...problems.

"Just be glad I'm not amputating you." Law muttered and went to resume his sleep which he was having a hard time getting so he spent the time putting away the last of his stuff because they would be at Flevance soon.

Law was not looking forward to that.

~

Chapter Text

~

When they reached the port of the country that could lead them to Flevance, Law figured they would have to hide the submarine somewhere from prying eyes and the only place that was good enough was the warehouse he had bought at the harbor. Part of the building was underwater so it was easy to just park the sub there and leave it, though Law felt uneasy leaving it like that, he had no choice.

They shifted their stuff into the truck that one of the Hearts brought and which would carry most of them to the next country over. Flevance was land locked save for the little bodies of waters such as lakes and small rivers, so the group would have to cross countries but it wasn't hard. Law had smuggled himself out of there when he was just ten, surely at eighteen it was way too easy for him. People valued money so just give it to them.

When they were done shifting all the necessary stuff to the truck, Law wondered where to put Luffy. They had a separate van for the rest of the Hearts, a smaller group that included Law, Bepo, and Uni etc.. Law had Shachi and Penguin in the truck so they could control any situation if it arose. Back to Luffy, he was still not in an OK enough condition to be put through with the jerky movements of the truck but he couldn't be put in the van as well, it could get claustrophobic and well, it wasn't big enough for a whole bed and he couldn’t leave a patient alone either.

He made changes in his plans then. A few more of the group in the truck would make some space to give Luffy an entire back seat, he was small enough so he would fit. The problem was that Law would have to stay in the back with him because seat belts were pretty much impossible.

They fixed Luffy's IVs and oxygen tank in the back of the van and Law brought a digital BP apparatus with him because they couldn’t just keep the machines attached, he would have to keep checking his blood pressure every two hours. The upside was that the warehouse they docked the Polar Tang at was closer to the border and it was probably just three hours. The real issue was safely crossing the borders. Sure they would be paying to get their way in Flevance but that didn't mean that everything would go right. There was always a chance for something going wrong.

Once the van and truck were settled, Uni started the vehicle and drove ahead of the truck. Law settled Luffy's head in his lap because he had to keep it elevated for easier breathing path. The IVs were hung from the hand-rests on the roof on either side of the seats. Adjusting the blanket on the boy, Law leaned back and tried to relax. The nerves that he had been keeping at bay this whole time were catching up to him. He had sent half of his team ahead of him to Flevance but didn’t know what the situation of the country was itself. By the reports of those who came here before him, he was assured that everything was like it would be in a normal country but had yet to see it for himself.

Bepo and Clione were talking amongst themselves and Law had a loose grip on Luffy who had started muttering in his sleep. He was still having a fever with chills. It would go away with proper rest and medication.

"Ace... Sabo..."

Must be a bad dream. Law thought sighing. He was only doing this because Luffy reminded him of the important things Law's adoptive father had begun to teach him before he was...

Law rubbed his eyes to get the images out of his head and when he looked down at the boy he noticed the kid was crying. His breathing was normal and he didn’t seem to be reacting in pain of any sort so Law took the liberty of assuming that it was because of what he was seeing behind closed eyelids. Law was no stranger to nightmares as such he found himself sympathizing with the boy. He pulled his hat down till his eyes were covered and tried to sleep. He had alarms checked in his phone to wake him up whenever he had to take a blood pressure reading so he could take short naps. Who was he kidding, sleep or even naps were an impossibility for him so he was stuck with boredom the entire ride.

The sky outside the window was awfully blue for November and Law observed that the same weather might be continuing in Flevance which was not a country where winters were extreme, it was moderately sunny with occasional rains and light winters, nothing like Swallow Island where it snowed all year round.

The van was stopped at the initial check post where Uni and Bepo took care of the all the talking, showing necessary documents and money. They were allowed to pass the border followed by the truck. Law relaxed in his seat. He didn’t know his muscles had been that tense all the way till they had passed the border.

Law looked at the boards of 'Welcome to Flevance - The White City' and almost scoffed in bitterness. The day when he had to hide underneath dead bodies to get out of this country was all too fresh in his brain.

Adjusting Luffy's oxygen mask on his face, Law opened the window of the van to look at the places as they were passing by them. It all looked like somebody uprooted the entire thing and made everything from scratch. Nothing was the same as Law remembered, save for the roads and some buildings he knew were left to serve entirely political agendas.

The thing that took the young doctor by surprise were the number of people inhabiting the city - too many. He hadn’t expected that in the least. He thought that since this was a place the government ruined the name of, people wouldn’t want to settle here but he was wrong. He would have to dig through the current library archives to see what exactly happened.

They arrived at the apartment building after driving for two hours and began setting things out. They had bought the whole building seeing as there were about fifteen of them and the building had three floors with seven rooms on each floor. They had the thing remodeled a bit to make space for a fully equipped infirmary, a central kitchen and lounge and the likes. The fact that this place was far from the border served Law's purpose of staying hidden from public eye. There weren't many other apartments nearby so people won't be bothering the group either.

Penguin and Clione helped bring a stretcher out and put Luffy on it and stayed with him in the garage while Law went inside the building, straight to the infirmary to prepare for Luffy's arrival. Most of the stuff was already set up but not personalized so Law did all that in a quick way and went outside to roll the boy in. He adjusted the small body on a freshly made bed, hooked his IVs to the stand, clipped the heart monitor and strapped the oxygen tank to the wall before pulling the blanket till his chin and putting the emergency call button close to his hand. The entire building had central heating/cooling so the infirmary was warm enough for the patient right now.

Law was not letting anybody rest until they had shifted all the stuff back. The ones who had been here before them had done an excellent job in creating a livable environment, adding personal touches here and there but they told Law that they left his room and office alone after putting in the basic things because firstly, he didn't have many things and secondly, they didn’t want to face his wrath for putting something that he clearly wouldn’t like. Law appreciated their concern and let them know it too.

Finally when everything was done, the truck had been emptied and the stuff had been brought in the building, Law let everyone take five.

"Get some rest you all, good job." He said and plopped on the one seater couch.

"What're we ordering for food?" Penguin asked holding his stomach.

"OK so this place a few blocks away has the best pizza-"

Law scrunched his nose at the word pizza but didn't say anything. They all knew him enough for that.

"Don't worry Captain, the next one over has some really good fish, we've been monitoring food here as well." Law didn’t say anything to that and let them all decide and order on their own. He just wanted some food, a long cold shower even though he hated baths he loved cold showers, and a nap, the last one was not going to happen, and Law knew that.

Everyone was talking and catching up to what both the groups had been doing and Law had reclined in the sofa, making his presence scarce and was ignoring everything until the question caught his ears.

"So what’s that kid's story? Where did Captain pick him up from?"

"You are not going to believe it but-"

"Penguin, Luffy-ya's past and current situation is his to tell and his alone. Leave those parts out." Law cut through the banter that was undoubtedly going to start anytime soon.

"You got it."

"Captain that sounded an awful like you were siding with the new kid."

Law was going to say something but Bepo intervened, reading that the atmosphere could get tense. "Well we have all been pick-ups by Captain and none of us are really comfortable sharing our stories so please don't make Captain uncomfortable."

"Wow Bepo you've grown up! Talking so wisely!" Shachi said.

"Suimasen!"

"SO WEAK!!" Both Shachi and Penguin said in unison and the whole lounge burst into laughter. Law just smiled a little but that was replaced by a frown in a nanosecond when the reality sunk back in that times like these would be a luxury in the upcoming future.

The talking continued and Law took his phone out from his back pocket, examining the signal strength this place had. There was plenty. He scrolled around a few apps, switching between them to pass his time but when he was about to push the power button to lock his screen, he spotted it. The one thing he had forgotten amidst everything, from making a place in Flevance to the lack of signals on Swallow Island to the mundane but somewhat exciting journey back to Flevance.

It was there.

Staring at him with its innocent icon.

It had been a while since he last logged in there.

It was sort of his escape.

Law gulped and quickly pressed the Wi-Fi icon and waited for it to connect, forgetting that he needed a password. "What’s the Wi-Fi password?" He asked to whoever would hear and there was complete silence.

"HEARTSPOLARPOLAR, all caps." Somebody replied. Law didn’t care who.

"What the fuck kind of password is that?" Law mumbled not looking away from his phone screen. His eyes were fixed on the rotating loading of the connection.

"Oh God, don't tell me..." Uni noticed the way Law talked, distracted.

"Shit."

"His teenager is finally making a comeback." Shachi said suppressing laughter.

"What? Is Captain watching porn?" One of the newcomers asked.

"Something even worse."

Law had forgotten that his notifications were not on silent and his app music volume was also not at all low so when he clicked the icon, the whole room heard the intro music.

"What is it, I don't get it."

"He used to do this a lot just until last year. Oh gods there was no stopping him from making stupid mistakes."

"Captain making stupid mistakes? I don’t believe it." Law turned red and quickly turned off all kinds of volumes and tuned out the conversations his friends were having, he was too busy being impatient for the screen to load already.

"Oh you better believe it now."

"What are all of you talking about, tell me what’s he onto?" The hearts group all collectively sighed and spoke together.

"Pokémon Go."

They all noticed Law was immersed in whatever the screen was displaying and the newcomer had a hard time believing what he was seeing.

"He’s a Pokémon nerd, watch." Penguin said. "Hey Captain, what’s your buddy right now?"

"Eevee - gotta evolve it into Espeon for the special research."

"Well isn’t it easy to evolve it into an Espeon? I heard it was easy."

"Are you kidding me? That’s false information. All the methods and tricks that were applicable and valid before, don’t work now but we’ve got another trick. It’s all logic and rational, everything workable. So I gotta walk with my buddy for ten kilometers and evolve it during the day - by day I mean when there is daylight on the screen. It will evolve into an Espeon. Next might be Umbreon, god I’m behind." They weren’t even sure Law was answering them or mumbling to himself. He just kept making circular movements with his finger on the screen then making a slingshot movement as if letting that circle go.

"But why Eevee as your buddy? Isn't Eevee weak? It's a normal type right? I would totally go for Squirtle myself as a starter."

"How dare you slander Eevee! I use a sword in an age of guns and other forms of technologically advanced arms. I don't see you telling me I am weak and normal."

"That...doesn't answer my question though."

"I don't feel the need to answer to anyone who slanders Eevee."

"See? Nerd."

Once the food had arrived everyone settled down to eat. Everyone except Law who was still fixated on his game, the tip of his tongue poking out the right corner of his mouth and eyes glued to the screen. Penguin was irked.

"Captain, food."

"In a minute."

A minute passed.

"Captain."

"Wait a bit, the incense is almost over, I might be able to get a shiny Electabuzz soon." Law heard Penguin sigh and just as the older guy got up shaking his head, a shiny Electabuzz did appear. Law threw a pinap berry at the pokémon and spun the pokéball waiting for the perfect opportunity for an excellent curve. He landed it but the pokeball kept moving, the pokémon was trying to break free.

And just like that, NETWORK ERROR (0).

No no no no no no no.

Law frantically pulled the notification panel down and saw that the Wi-Fi was disconnected. This was his chance for a shiny Pokémon, the like which didn’t grace him very often. But now that it had, some idiot had turned the Wi-Fi router off. Law didn’t have data on his card right now so it disturbed a lot more.

"Food. Now." Penguin said with a frown and Law put his phone aside, his face stoic but eyes screaming murder.

"Sleep with an eye open." Law said and the group all turned their faces away to cover their laughs.

~

Law was in the infirmary again, after not being able to sleep. He didn’t want to spend time alone with his thoughts which started turning pretty morbid after the first five minutes of sleeplessness. It was one A.M. in the night and everyone else was obviously asleep.

"...hu..." Law focused on the mumbling that was coming from his patient who was trying to open his mouth to speak again. "...hu...hurts..."

The young doctor was immediately on his feet, checking on the pain killers, the dosage, time elapsed since the last shot and was quite shocked to find out that he had already administered the boy with enough pain killers that should have lasted him the entire next day too but here he was, telling him that it hurt.

"Where does it hurt?" Law asked as a way of making conversation and finding out the source of pain as well. Luffy opened his eyes and tried sitting up. Law didn’t see anything wrong with letting the boy sit up so he helped him.

Luffy put his hand on his chest and breathed heavily and the older boy got the idea. The medicine was definitely working but yes, the chest pains would take time to go, hence the pain killers but Luffy's body was reacting strangely to it. The young boy was now entirely awake and looking here and there with wide, curious eyes, trying to hide his pain as well.

"We changed locations. You are in Flevance now, a country in North Blue." Law explained while checking some vitals and hearing for Luffy's breathing patterns and any abnormalities with his stethoscope, pressing on the boy's chest and back. "Cough for me." Luffy did and after hearing a bit more, Law hung his stethoscope on his neck. "I am surprised your chest cavity is a lot better in such a small amount of time. Do you have inhuman healing?"

"I don't know. Is that bad?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head. The boy seemed well enough to answer a few questions about his pain.

"It's good." Then Law took the patient sheets and his pen. "Now tell me, did the people back at that...place... give you any drugs of any sorts to relieve pain or muscle relaxants? This is important to know for your current pain." When the words were out of his mouth, Law saw the shift in Luffy's body language and his facial expressions.

He wasn’t saying anything but was looking down and his small hands were clutching the sheets. His breathing was getting quicker too. Just when Law was about to tell the boy to forget it, Luffy spoke. "They would...inject things sometimes when...when there were more..." Luffy gulped obviously having a hard time trying to say the words but continued, "people so we could..." His breathing had gotten worse. Law recognized the signs Luffy was displaying as a soon to be a full-fledged panic attack so he decided to stop it there. The information he got was enough.

"It's ok, I get it. You don't have to say it." He rubbed the small boy's back for good measure so he wouldn't fall into an actual attack because if that happened even once, there would be no stopping it from happening again and again till the root was nipped which would take years.

Both the boys hadn’t noticed that Luffy was crying until the younger of the two had sniffled and wiped his face. Law thought it best to just put him back to sleep so he wouldn’t dwell on the unwanted memory any longer and maybe not remember that this questioning happened when he next woke up as well.

"I don't wanna sleep. This place is cold." Luffy said unexpectedly when Law was writing and typing the records in. They had been giving the people at the whore house some kind of drugs to keep them going for use so that was causing the early ineffectiveness of the pain killers. Sadly, Law couldn’t give the boy more or it would start getting him addicted to it and his body would start demanding it unnecessarily.

"It’s pretty warm, what are you talking about?" If Luffy was feeling cold then his fever was returning and with it, the chills but he didn’t have a fever right now and it sent Law into thinking what was causing the cold.

"Not that kind of cold." The young doctor thought of indulging the boy because one, it could be a symptom and two, he would be distracted from his pain.

"What kind then?" Law was still thinking that this was a medical symptom that he needed to write down about.

"I don’t know, the kind that settles in places where there aren't people often and warm memories..." Luffy trailed off in thought with his hand on his chin.

Law sighed and put the patient records board aside. "You are throwing me off here, are you seven, eleven or fifty-two? Because I haven’t known eleven year olds to be saying this kind of stuff. What kind of stuff did they teach you at school?"

"School? I don’t go to school."

"What? Why?" They were causally conversing now, neither had to put in effort.

"I went once, didn’t like it. Left." Luffy shrugged and Law looked at him a bit bewildered.

"What have you thought about doing with your life then? I hate to be the one to break it to you but if you don't get education in this world, you are bound to end up on the streets, unless you enlist in the army, navy whatever."

Luffy laughed. Actually laughed. Law couldn’t keep his own lips from twitching upwards at the carefree sound. "I want to be a mafia boss! I don’t need education for that."

"That...is not entirely true. You would still need knowledge of the world and the contemporary socio-political stances of various other mafia groups operating in the same-" Law stopped himself from rambling on. He should be telling the boy to consider a more sane option of livelihood but he was no better himself.

"I will have my friends for that! Everything will turn out fine!"

"How many friends do you have?"

"None! But I will definitely have nakama soon!" The way the boy made everything look so easy made Law feel a bit lighter. "And then I will the greatest, most bestest mafia boss in the world! The king of mafia bosses!!"

"If you actually went to school, you would know most and bestest don’t go together. Bestest is not even a word."

"Did you go to school then?" Luffy asked still grinning.

"For a while."

"Then what happened? Did you stop because it was boring? I knew it see, school is boring! But wait you said you were a doctor, I may be stupid but I know you need to go to school to be a doctor, so did you go to a doctor school then?"

This boy talked a lot.

"No to all of that."

Luffy remembered something Sabo had told him when four years ago Luffy got lost in the bad parts of the city they lived in.

"Listen Luffy, there are people in this world who look like doctors but they have never went to doctor schools and don't have legal permissions to do doctor stuff. Stay away from them, they will sell your organs and throw your body in the garbage."

"My brother told me to stay away from doctors who didn’t go to doctor schools because they will sell my organs. Are you one of them?" The boy asked so earnestly and casually that Law could keep the cynical smirk from making its way on his face.

"Half of your organs are already gone." The doctor thought he would scare the boy for good fun but the younger was much too pure for that.

"No, you wouldn’t do that. You’re a nice person! Shishishi!" Luffy said and flashed a big toothy grin.

"What makes you say that?"

"You helped me! And you have been looking after me too! But you are not giving me meat so I guess that makes you a bad person, but my body isn’t in the garbage so you’re good - ughh! Thinking is so hard! I have decided! You are good! It’s because I said so!"

Law shook his head at Luffy's verbal stream of consciousness and the part that denying him meat made Law a bad person in Luffy's eyes.

"Can you sleep now?" Law asked when the boy yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"What’s your name?" Luffy asked suddenly, ignoring Law's question and irking him in the process.

"Trafalgar Law." He saw no harm in revealing his name. Luffy thought he had heard that name before somewhere.

"Trafalfar-"

"Trafalgar."

"Tragahalfa?"

"How the fuck even..." Law sighed, annoyed. "Tra-fal-gar. Try saying it after me. Tra."

"Tra."

"Fal."

"Fal."

"Gar."

"Gar."

"Trafalgar."

"Trahalma."

"Just call me Law."

"No! I will get it! Tra- sounds like Tora..."

"One last time then, Tra-fal-gar."

"Traf-trafff-" Luffy was having a hard time pronouncing the rest of the syllables. "Torao then!"

Law felt his entire ancestral group face-palm themselves at the blatant and vicious butchering of the family name. "You are ill and you need to sleep." Law emphasized trying to make the boy forget that horrid nickname he came up with.

"But Torao! It’s cold here! I can’t sleep!"

"It’s not cold-" But Law stopped himself remembering what Luffy meant by cold. "And don’t call me by that name!"

"To-ra-o," Law felt a vein pop in his forehead at the deliberate separated pronunciation of each syllable, the little shit was capable after all. "Then stay here until I sleep."

"What? No."

"Toraooooooo pleaseeeeeeeeee"

"No-"

"Toraaaooooo-"

"Fine stop with that name then!" Law snapped and rubbed his eyes.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed and started laying back down. "Hold my hand?" Luffy remembered how whenever he had trouble sleeping, Ace and Sabo would hold his hands so he would feel safe and cared for enough to fall asleep.

"No way."

"My brothers always held my hand."

"In case you have failed to notice, I am not your brother."

"But Toraoooo" Luffy started and pouting looked at Law with his best puppy eyes, the kind that worked on Ace and Sabo whenever he wanted to get something or get out of trouble.

Law looked at those eyes for a second and felt a guilty tug at his heart for unknown reasons. "Fine! Just go the fuck to sleep already." He took Luffy's much smaller hand in his and propped his other elbow beside the connected hands, putting his head in that space. Luffy fell asleep quickly and hearing his soft breathing, Law didn’t know when his own eyes started closing and he fell asleep too.

What Law woke up to warranted murder in cold blood. He heard sniggering from a far but he was too tired and his muscles were too sore for him to move and find out. He didn’t know who was sniggering and at what but he was in a really foul mood for having to wake up.

Law felt warm and cozy and not the kind that was provided by the central heating too. He lifted his head a bit because now his brain was awake enough to let him know that he was not only in unfamiliar surroundings but in a totally unfamiliar position too. He was sitting, in his chair but his head was on a bed...? And there was something heavy but comfortable on his shoulder and entire arm and his hand felt like-

Felt like...

Like it was holding another hand and that which was not his.

Law was about to jump in his place, completely shocked but stopped when he heard small whining sounds near his ear and then he remembered. He fell asleep holding Luffy's hand but...

He shifted his head to the side where the whining came from and noticed the boy had made himself comfortable on Law's shoulder while the rest of him was sprawled ungracefully on the bed, sideways, with his feet hanging off the long edge.

Law mentally applauded himself for using the longer tubes for the boy's IVs because if not, he would definitely have pulled them. Law let go of Luffy's hand and brought both his arms under the boy to shift him so he was actually on the bed more and not on Law. He pulled the sheet on him carefully, checked the vitals again and adjusted his IVs then made to leave.

His back ached from sleeping like that for however long he slept. He popped his joints and continued walking when he heard scurrying sounds.

Ah yes, time to find out that source of sniggering.

It was Penguin and Bepo. They were hiding outside the infirmary and having a reaction at Law's "cute" behavior with Luffy. Law was mortified when he saw them with remnants of a good laugh on their faces.

"Nice sleep Captain?" Penguin asked.

"Another word and you are dead."

"How is the boy though?" Bepo asked and Law thought he was also making fun so he glared at him. "Suimasen!"

"He is recovering at a remarkable pace. Might have trouble on our hands soon." Law said thinking back on the way Luffy kept talking and talking and he was sick! The doctor only wondered what the boy was like when he was at a hundred percent of his health.

"He is a kid. Just how much trouble can he be?" Bepo commented.

"You have no idea." Penguin and Law spoke at the same time. Law had nearly forgotten that penguin had been Luffy's first target on the sub and he was sicker then more than he was now.

Law smirked to himself.

This will be fun.

~

Chapter Text

~

Man... sure is a nice weather out there...

"Ace! Pay attention to class!" The teacher yelled, snapping the dark haired freckled boy out of his daze. He was spacing out looking at the sky from his classroom window. He glared at the teacher.

"No thanks. You're boring." The boy remarked and stood up.

"This is the fifteenth time this week Portgas, deten-"

"Detention. I know. That’s all this school knows on how to deal with children." Ace scoffed and grabbed his bag, ditching the class mid-session. He shrugged at the whispers of 'son of a criminal,' 'bad blood' behind him.

School was a waste of his time. He didn’t want to become the system's slave anyway. Ace hung his bag on his shoulders and jumped through the stairs, making his way out of the building. He knew Sabo would be mad but right now, he didn't care about any of that. He just wanted to leave this suffocating place.

"Portgas, where are you going?" The boy was stopped by the principal but he showed him his middle finger and kept walking. He had no plans of returning to school, ever. Ace thought he would wander around town but he didn’t want to drag his bag around as well so headed 'home' first and dumped his stuff there.

They lived in the bad parts of the country Goa in the East Blue. When Ace was born, Luffy's grandfather, Garp, had immediately taken Ace into his custody to avoid the boy being labeled and discriminated just because his father was a huge criminal. His mother had died soon after Ace was born. Garp had handed over the newborn Ace to Dadan, the leader of the small thug group that operated in Goa’s lower class society. Dadan owed Garp favors for not ratting her out to the government and have her arrested so she took Ace in - with complaints of course.

Dadan was a bulky woman with curly orange hair, always the elephant in the room as Ace not so nicely put it but he couldn’t find her anywhere in the house. He went to the room he shared with Sabo and... Luffy, and threw his bag across, leaving after closing the door even before the mass hit the ground.

Ace was looking around to see where the woman was but he couldn't find her. Dogra, one of the thugs, was watching Ace looking for his boss.

"She's out trying to gather intel from the new comers." Dogra informed. New comers meant the people who would come from out of town, they had information of the other cities in other countries.

"Intel?" Ace questioned crossing his arms and scrutinizing the man before him as he fidgeted.

"About...Luffy-"

"That idiot left on his own! Don't search for him!" Ace yelled in anger and ran out of the house. He ditched the idea of wandering around town and went to the forest instead. It was still untamed and free of human intervention. He already knew which paths to take to avoid running into wild beasts but he also knew the tactics to bring those wild beasts down if he encountered them too - he had been doing this since he learned to walk.

Ace found the cliff that overlooked the ocean and sat there, dangling his legs off the edge. Looking at the ocean and it's wild and free waves, Ace couldn't help his mind wandering to his youngest brother.

"It's my turn on the wheel! Aceeeee! Give me the wheel!" Luffy whined clinging to his older brother. They were playing pretend, being pirates in the tree house that they had built in the forest.

"Wait for a minute, it's not going anywhere."

"Then you wait and give it to me!" Luffy exclaimed clinging to his brother.

"Ace, it’s not fair, give Luffy the wheel." Sabo interjected before Ace could say something jokingly mean and Luffy would say something equally bad out of pure retaliation but no ill will. Sabo noticed how angry Ace got with Luffy sometimes, like he couldn't control it all and Luffy being Luffy, liked everyone until he didn't, so whenever Ace lashed out unnecessarily, Luffy would respond in the same manner. It was worrying a bit but the way they both made up some time later dismissed Sabo's worries.

"Fine, fine. Don't gang up on me." Ace said letting go of the wheel and letting Luffy take his place.

"Yay! Now I am a pirate! Nishishishi!" Luffy laughed and just the sound of it was enough to soothe all the tension in the air.

Even after the memory had faded out of Ace's eyes, he could still hear the remnants of Luffy's laugh lingering the air. Ace looked at the passing ships in the horizon and another recollection forced its way in his head.

"Ace! Sabo! Look! It's a pirate ship!" Luffy exclaimed pointing at the ship in the horizon. He jumped and flailed his arms around trying to gather it's attention. "Oi! Oiiii!!!"

"That's a Navy ship Luffy." Sabo pointed from his seat on the cliff at the back of the forest, overlooking the sea.

"What? It's not a pirate ship? How boring." Luffy pouted and slumped on the grass. Ace and Sabo both noticed how out of energy he seemed. Maybe this had something to do with the stomachaches Luffy complained about yesterday.

"Luffy you feeling ok?" Sabo asked when Luffy was quiet for more than five minutes. Ace just assumed he was sleeping. When Luffy didn't answer, Sabo got up from where he was relaxing and walked to Luffy. He put his hand on the younger boy's forehead and frowned.

"What?" Ace asked, now concerned.

"He has a fever."

"But Luffy never gets sick."

"I know but he is definitely feverish. Maybe something he ate?"

"Well he does eat anything he lays his eyes on." Ace agreed rolling his eyes but squatting so he was closer to Luffy. He pushed some hair out of his baby brother's face.

"Let's take him back to the house for the time being, maybe Dadan knows what to do." Sabo pointed and Ace handed him his pipe, angling himself better to pick Luffy up in his arms. He was definitely burning.

They rushed through the forest and got Dadan to see Luffy. She deduced that Luffy was, indeed sick. Ace and Sabo found it exceptionally hard to believe as did Dadan and her thugs.

Luffy was never sick.

Everyone was out of their depth in this case because the thugs weren't sick often, just injured. Ace and Sabo weren't sick either so when somebody was, they didn't know what to do. The most medical person in the thugs thought this was just a fever and would wear off in a few hours.

Luffy was sleeping for a while and when he woke up, he was clutching his abdomen and sobbing. Ace and Sabo were torn. Their brother was suffering and they didn't know what to do or what was even wrong. But they made up their minds when Luffy started vomiting non-stop for five minutes.

"I think we should call Makino-san. She might know something." Sabo suggested and Ace agreed. It was better than doing nothing but watch Luffy cry in pain. Dadan had to leave with a few of her men in an emergency so the boys were left on their own and in Luffy's condition they didn't think it would be safe to carry him to the hospital. They couldn't take him to the hospital even if they wanted, they lived with the thugs that the government would no doubt be after them if they found out and they needed a legal guardian to sign all of Luffy's paper which they didn't have. Dadan was their guardian only by word of mouth, Garp never made anything legal on paper. This situation sucked.

"Makino-san, Luffy's sick, can you help? Dadan had to leave and now Luffy's vomiting and we don’t know what to do." Sabo got to the point as soon as the line connected.

"But he's never sick."

"We know but this time it's looking bad."

"I will be there in ten minutes. If he has a fever, wrap him in a blanket and put cold watered rags on his forehead." She hung up with that and Ace and Sabo got to work. They informed Dadan via text that Makino would be coming and that Luffy was not getting better.

"Luffy," Ace called lightly to see if the boy was awake, he was if the nasal whining sounds were anything to go by. "Makino-san is coming to help. Based on your situation we have to take you to a doctor-"

"No!" The once all-out-of-energy-and-in-pain Luffy jumped out of the bed and away from Ace. He looked frightened.

"Shouldn't have told him about the doctor part." Sabo said as he neared Luffy with a blanket.

"Why not Luffy?" Ace asked. The said boy was having a hard time keeping his small frame standing and soon collapsed on the ground, once again holding his abdomen.

"You're not well Luffy. You need to see a doctor." Sabo tried reasoning with him, slowly advancing towards the small boy and wrapped him in a blanket.

The horn outside the house brought the boys' attention and Sabo went to get Makino while Ace kept Luffy in bed. He was awfully fidgety ever since he heard the word doctor. Ace just assumed that Luffy disliked doctors but couldn’t understand why. They had been together for most of their years together so when Luffy displayed such a fear, Ace was confused.

"Oh poor Luffy." Makino arrived in the room and sat beside Luffy's bed, caressing the burrito's cheek. "When did this start?"

"Just this morning." Ace answered and Makino nodded. "He's causing a fuss about going to a doctor, not like we can take him to one anyway."

"What do you think might be wrong?" Sabo asked, keeping his voice low because Luffy was starting to doze off and it was better that way.

"Hard to say anything." Makino said and shook Luffy a little. "Luffy." She called and the boy opened his eyes. She took Luffy's distracted face as an opportunity to press on his abdomen to see if he would react in pain, he didn't and it wasn't inflated either so Makino safely ruled out appendicitis.

"Makino..."

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"...bad..."

"Can you tell me if you ate anything weird before this started happening?" Luffy huffed and closed his eyes only to open them again after a few moments.

"Just the purple fruit in the forest. It tasted real bad too-" The boy let out a pained groan which was deafened by the simultaneous smacks to the forehead by the two brothers.

"What's this about?" Makino asked the boys.

"This idiot..." Ace started.

"There is a fruit in the forest that we don't eat because it's just bad. I looked it up in one of our books and it had no nutritional value as well and it just causes this to happen so when Ace accidentally ate it last year and got mildly sick, we made it a rule to not eat it." Sabo explained and shook his head. "But Luffy..."

"Now that I know what's wrong, I can help." Makino turned to Luffy. "Don't worry Luffy, you will be better in no time." She assured the boy and went to her car. She kept different kinds of medicines there and found her bottle of ipecac syrup. They stopped making this a while back but it was still safe to use.

Makino fed Luffy one tablespoon of the syrup and made him drink half a glass of water immediately after it. She sat him up and rubbed his back. Sabo placed a bucket near Luffy to vomit in as he was instructed. Sure enough in half an hour, Luffy was throwing up everything in his system.

"What did you give him?" Ace asked concerned at the amount of stuff coming out of his brother's guts - he ate a lot so...

"Ipecac syrup. It's supposed to make you throw up the bad stuff you have in your stomach, if any."

"And how do you know this would work?"

"I was fed this by mistake once. So I know the proper protocols." Makino pointed, her hand not leaving Luffy's back. "You're doing good."

"Hurts..." Luffy mumbled before continuing to throw up.

"What happens after?" Sabo asked.

"Plenty of fluid intake, light diet for a few days should do the trick. Knowing Luffy he would be running way before that." She chuckled in the end.

"Shishishi." Luffy laughed despite the vomit surrounding his mouth.

"What are you laughing about you idiot!" Ace was furious. "Making us worry like that!" Luffy continued to laugh and throw up.

When Makino was sure the boy's stomach was empty, she cleaned him with a wet towel and changed his clothes as well. Luffy laid down after drinking more water than he had ever drank. He felt better but he had trouble sleeping. Makino was staying the night to keep a hold of the situation.

Ace and Sabo brought their blankets and hopped on Luffy's bed, laying on his either side - Luffy was small so he didn’t take up much space. Makino smiled warmly when both brothers took each of Luffy's hands and tucked him closer to themselves.

"He can't sleep otherwise." Sabo explained with a sheepish scratch on the forehead. Makino shook her head.

"You brothers have something special, treasure it."

Ace remembered how Luffy was jumping the very next day but shouted insults at Makino when she told him he couldn't eat meat yet. He was angry at his baby brother for being an idiot and eating the fruit they all decided not to touch when Ace got sick but Luffy just...

This wasn't even the worst of it. It all really went downhill after that, when Luffy got lost in the bad parts - worse than the ones they lived in - of the city and almost ended up with his organs cut out of him.

"Sabo! You look there, I'll search here!" Ace yelled as he and Sabo split up in different alleyways, looking for their brother, who was lost, again. But this time wasn't the same as any before. They couldn't find Luffy anywhere! Not in the good parts of Goa, not in the mediocre parts, not in the bad parts where they lived in. All that remained was to look for the dumbass in the extremely bad parts which even the older two avoided.

Luffy had ditched school because he said he didn't like it. When both the brothers were called in the principal's office to be informed about this development, they just sighed and went along with it because they couldn't really force Luffy to do anything, he was too 'my pace' kind of person, always doing what he wanted, when and how and he wanted. So when they both arrived home to give Luffy a short lecture - especially Sabo - the troublemaker was nowhere to be found.

Dadan said that he came home and went out so Ace and Sabo had a lead on where to find him but he wasn't in the forest, or on the cliff, they searched the town then and asked Makino if Luffy was around, he was nowhere. Ace and Sabo got worried when they realized that they didn't know what had happened that caused Luffy to drop school in the first place. They both knew he didn't like being there but he tried his best for Sabo who always told Luffy that he somehow just had to get through high-school then he could do whatever he wanted so Luffy always tried - but never quit. This realization brought some desperation in both the brothers' temperaments.

"Can't find him." Sabo said between breaths, hands on his knees.

"That idiot!"

"All that's left is the really bad parts..." Ace clenched his teeth and started marching towards the said area.

"I swear if he's there..."

Ace and Sabo sneaked in through the back. This particular area was lawless enough that even the military and navy people deemed it a lost cause. Nobody who was sane wanted anything to do with the people there. The politicians had once tried to clean the 'filth' as they called it but not even a blinking second later, the whole area was back to how it was before.

All the worst kind of criminals lived in this part and nobody lifted a finger to do anything about it. Sabo was particularly disturbed about it all and wanted to change it but there was only so much a kid like him could do so he pushed his sentiments aside and decided to bide his time, focusing instead on his education so he could become someone who would make a difference.

Both the brothers sneaked around alleys, keeping hidden from the eyes of the criminals that pranced around. Looking all through the area and risking exposure, they were about to give up, thinking that even Luffy had the good sense to not come here after all but as soon as they turned their backs and started their sneaking back towards the lesser bad parts, they heard it.

"So you just need a little blood right? And your sister would be ok?"

It was Luffy.

"What is that idiot-" Ace started.

"Sshhhh!!" Sabo quietened him and they both peeked from the edge of the wall they were hiding behind. There was a big man, who definitely looked up to no good and there was Luffy, who looked a little beat up but overall fine.

"Yeah, you said you were type F right? She is type F too, that is hard to come by and we don't have any money so we can't go to the hospital either. If you don't spare us some blood, she would die." The man fake cried and any idiot could tell it was a bad act.

Any idiot but Luffy. "Ok! I'll help you!!"

Ace and Sabo nodded to each other and first scanned the area for other thugs and criminals. They found just two other men who looked they would be easy to defeat. Both the brothers nodded to each other and sprung to action as soon as the big man started leading Luffy inside the breaking-cabin that stood a few paces away.

"Hands off him!" Sabo yelled and jumped to hit the man with his weapon of choice - a steel pipe. It hit its mark but did little damage. "Luffy! Run!"

"Oi oi! What are you children doing here?!" One of the two hidden men made his appearance and tried to grab Luffy before he had a chance to run but was deflected by Ace.

"Luffy you idiot!"

"Ace, Sabo! What are you both doing here?" Luffy asked, as clueless as the day he was born.

"We will explain later, for now let's just get out of here!" Sabo started and grabbed Luffy's arm, starting to run with him, leaving the cover to Ace who hit the approaching men with his pipe in their heads to stop their advances.

They stopped for a moment, grasping the situation that they were being attacked by children. While it made them angry, they decided to not give chase since the kids seemed too well-versed in running and fighting. They did regret letting go that type F though.

Ace followed Sabo to the forest. Sabo chose to go to the forest because the three of them knew every corner of that place and if they were chased into it, they could easily turn the tide in their favor. They reached their treehouse and Sabo let go of Luffy, slumping against the wood and catching his breath.

"Looks like we weren't followed." Sabo wondered looking over the edge of the window to the forest for any distant movements.

"What were you thinking?!" Sabo jumped in his place at the intensity of Ace's voice.

"What do you mean? That guy needed blood for his sister, she was dying and my blood is the same type or something he said so I was helping him." Luffy said with a tilt of his head like that was the most obvious thing in the world and his brothers were idiots for not noticing.

"Luffy, do you remember what I told you about doctors who never went to doctor schools?" Sabo started, giving Ace a look to shut up.

"Hmm." Luffy nodded. "You said they would take my organs and throw me in the garbage."

"That man was trying to do the same."

"What? His sister didn't just need my blood but my organs to? She was that sick?!"

Sabo wanted to face-palm himself. Luffy was sometimes a little slow on the uptake but Sabo was patient. "No Luffy. I don't think he even had a sister. He just wanted your organs. The people in that area are mostly black market sellers, it's dangerous that's why we don't go there."

"So he was like those bad doctors?"

"Yes." Luffy hummed in understanding and Sabo sighed in relief. "Do you promise to not go there again?"

"Hmm!!"

"Good." Sabo slumped further in his place, knowing that Luffy understood now. It was partly their own fault that they didn't explain the dangers of that place to Luffy properly and Luffy being Luffy, the boy who wants to help everyone indiscriminately, of course he would fall for a trick like that.

"It's not good Sabo! You're too lenient with him!" Ace started and Sabo wanted to tell Ace to be quiet that they would both come up with a plan to deal with this problems again later but Ace went up and asked what he wanted to ask. "Why were you even hanging in such a place where that guy found you?! Why were you even out there?! Are you an idiot?! After so many times of us telling you to not go there, you still did! What kind of an idiot would agree to giving their blood to shady people like that?! Are you that much of an idiot-"

"Shut up! Stop calling me an idiot! You and everyone in that school! Everyone keeps calling me an idiot!! I know I am an idiot! It takes me time to understand things! I know! They don't have the time to be patient with me at that school so I'm not going back! You won't understand! You are smart Ace! But even you don't have patience! I left school! I'm not going back-"

"You can't even manage five minutes alone-" Ace was still yelling.

"Fine then!! I will show you! I will live on my own!"

"Oi! Ace! Luffy! Stop!" Sabo intervened but it was too late. Both the boys walked in the opposite direction of each other and it was the start of the strife that ran deeper than any had anticipated at that moment.

After that fight, one thing led to another and the anger between the brothers kept increasing. The three would still share a room but Ace and Luffy would not look at each other, let alone talk. Sabo was worried and he tried talking to the two separately. Ace didn't budge but Luffy did. Luffy was young and as much as he didn't like to admit it, he understood that he could not do everything alone so he agreed when Sabo suggested that he try talking to Ace himself.

Luffy sucked in his pride and approached Ace on one fateful day. Sabo decided to be present to act as a buffer if things didn't go right. What both of them did not anticipate was that Ace was having a particularly bad day that time.

"Ace, can you help me with something?" Luffy asked, hands behind his back and eyes on his feet that kicked the ground in a nervous way.

"What?" Because Luffy was looking down, he didn't see the 'leave me alone right now' look on his brother's face and spoke again.

"I need your help with something."

"I thought you wanted to live by on your own. So why are you asking for my help?!" Ace questioned letting his temper get to him.

"Oi Ace that’s not nice-" Sabo decided to step in because Luffy was trying and he did not deserve this shit for being the bigger person.

"You heard him too right Sabo? He said he wanted to be able to live alone so he should learn to do things by himself!"

"I am sure he didn’t mean it like that." Sabo turned to Luffy who looked on the verge of crying. "Luffy-"

"Fine then! I will leave and live on my own! I don't need your help!" Luffy yelled getting equally angry as Ace who was ready to throw hands with his younger brother. He had agreed to try but not to grovel.

"Fine!"

"I hate you!" Luffy yelled and turned on his heel to leave.

"He was trying." Sabo gave Ace a look then followed Luffy. Luffy's go-to place was always the forest but this time, he was too angry to think straight - if he ever did that - and he marched towards the harbor, getting on a random boat that was leaving. He was angrier than he had ever been and he wanted to be away from Ace so he could prove that he was able to live on his own.

Ace was guilt ridden when he finally came to his senses in a few minutes and he tried finding Luffy with Sabo to apologize and make things right but by the time the thought crossed their mind that Luffy could have gone to the harbor, it was already too late.

They informed whoever would listen that Luffy was missing. Dadan dismissed it as Luffy being Luffy and that he would return in a few hours but he didn't. Makino was worried but didn't think Luffy would just run away so she tried to do what she could while tending to her bar but when one day became two and two became five, they rang up Garp, who just laughed and said that boys need their space and that Luffy was his grandson, he'd be ok.

That did not erase anybody's worries and the more days that passed, the more everyone started making sure that at least Ace and Sabo were not deviating too since they tried to go off-country to look for Luffy. Dadan would have someone pick them up from school and accompany them there too because as chill as Garp was, she did receive some warnings about neglect.

When the one month mark passed, everybody knew in their bones that Luffy wasn't coming back, either by choice or by circumstance. Sabo took the responsibility of drilling it into Ace that the most they could do now was wait and go on with their lives while keeping up with the interrogation of the newcomers as well. They were by no means capable of navigating the seas themselves and nobody was going to help them and they didn't even know where to start looking. So they should wait.

And waiting they had been, for two years.

Ace tossed a rock in the open sea and watched the ripples amount to nothing in the grand, deep ocean. He felt himself like that rock in that moment, a small existence that couldn't even cause note-worthy ripples.

He was worried about Luffy, he finally admitted to himself. He had been guilty from the day they couldn't find the youngest, thinking that he had been the one who drove him away. If he had been a big brother like Luffy deserved, if he had been patient like Sabo, if he had just listened.

Ace put his hands in his hair and yanked. Was Luffy ok? Was he eating well? Was he sleeping well? Hell he couldn’t even sleep without holding hands! Is he even alive...?

Ace was worried for his brother and in his worry and distracted state, he didn't notice when Sabo arrived and sat beside him.

"So you finally ditched school too huh?" He wondered out loud.

"What's the point? I can't focus on anything, it's a waste of time, theirs and mine, both." Ace answered, not looking away from the ocean that was starting to turn dark because of the setting sun.

"Well, don't worry, I will stay in school for the three of us and create a better life too so that-"

"Three of us? Us who? Luffy isn't here, I drove him away and I sure as hell am not going to stay any longer either."

"It's true that if you both hadn't fought that day, Luffy wouldn't have run away but you need to learn to forgive yourself too. Luffy isn't a kid who can't look after himself. Sure he would have trouble but he can always fight his way out of it. He always has too. Even when we were there to hide him behind us."

"That doesn't change the fact that he isn't coming back."

"We don't know that yet. But we can hope. So let’s wait for him and when he comes back, lets welcome him with open arms, none of our differences in the way. You're the only two brothers I have in the world and I am not letting you both get taken away from me."

"You also have Stelly." Ace mentioned the adopted brother Sabo's real family brought in after Sabo ran away for the first time.

"Thinking about that creep gives me shudders. He might be my natural family but I chose you both." Ace smiled a little at that. "Ace, Luffy will come back. Then you can apologize but for now, get your shit together."

"Ah."

~

In the Marine Headquarters, near the Sabaody Archipelago and Marie Jois on the Red Line, sat a big man with an equally big afro and a braided beard. His round glasses reflected the mission report he was reading, pleased with the performance of Aokiji - the Admiral - who had been sent to give hell to some outlaws and arrest a few as well.

All was quiet and serene, even Baarbara was not chewing on his old mission reports, sleeping on the sofa that was in his office. Sengoku sighed, his eyes were reading the report but his mind was going back and forth between the report and the mission marine captain and that captain's son by extension as well.

The room was too quiet and peaceful so the sudden ringing of his phone, startled him and Baarbara alike.

"Puru puru puru puru...puru puru puru puru..." Sengoku hesitated to pick the phone. There was no caller ID displayed so he was vary of the connection. He pressed the button on the recording and tracking system and picked the receiver.

"Crackers." He said as a way of greeting like he always did with these calls to know if there was one of his agents on the other end.

"Cookies." For a minute Sengoku stopped.

"Identification."

"Marine Code 01746. I‘m alive, dad."

~

Chapter Text

~

Law tossed and turned in his bed but could not fall back asleep. He saw it again. The pink shirt adorning a torso riddled with bullets, black feathery coat cushioning the large man gradually going as cold as the snow beneath him, the satisfied smile on his face, fading as he embraced death knowing Law would be safe now.

Fuck this shit!

Throwing aside his blanket, Law got up. It hadn't been long since they came to Flevance and he had yet to explore the place. Thinking he had nothing better to do and since everyone was asleep, Law decided to leave for a walk. He grabbed his coat and made for the infirmary first. Luffy was asleep and his vitals were alright so Law could afford to leave him unsupervised for a few hours and even if anything happened, the boy had the call button handy, somebody would tend to him. But he thought he'd already be back by the time Luffy would wake up so he pushed the other thoughts aside.

Law pulled on his black coat and was about to exit when he remembered something important. There might be somebody who could recognize him based on his hat and golden eyes as the signature features of a Trafalgar boy who used to thrive in this city before it fell to ruins. He thought anybody with enough brains might recognize his resting bitch-face and the infamous scowl he had been wearing since childhood and that caused him to groan. He put his hat aside carefully in his room and grabbed two masks, a surgical mask and a cloth one, pulling them on his face before finally leaving the building.

It was cold. Law's previous impression of a few days ago when they arrived was changed to this, he did not like the weather. It was cold. He pulled his coat closer and stuffed his hands in his pockets before continuing out of the door. He was just roaming about, no particular destination in mind before he spotted a cafe and knew where to start. Law went into the cafe and ordered a coffee to-go.

"You're new here?" The cashier asked as Law was pulling out his wallet to pay for his drink. The boy didn't look over fifteen. This confused Law. Normally he was above small talk but he wanted information and this seemed like a start and the cafe was completely empty so he could afford some time.

"I am. What about you? You look young, I heard labor laws here said work only after legal age?" Law asked, appearing oblivious. The old Flevance had the legal age of twenty and nobody was allowed to work before that, it was a wealthy city so nobody had to send their children out to work anyway. It prevented a system of unjust child labor but now Law wasn't so sure.

"You are really new, aren't you? Labor laws changed. If you can secure work, you can. Age doesn't matter anymore." The boy answered, amused.

"And why are you working?" Law couldn't help himself asking. He had a childhood where he didn't have to worry about finances and stuff so he was able to focus on his interest and education but this boy, out to work this late, he just had to inquire.

"My parents can't afford me education, so I'm trying to do it myself." Hearing the boy's answer suddenly made Law feel privileged even though he obtained money through illegal means.

"What do you plan on doing in the future if you do get education?"

"I heard what happened here, so maybe I'd like to be a doctor or at least a researcher so well, I can help if something like that broke out again."

"They said it was contagious, what was it, Amber Lead? Why put yourself through a research for something that was contagious and could kill you too?"

"How can I be sincere in my research without putting myself in the field?"

Law was quiet. He quickly paid for the coffee and left a huge tip, something that might give something away if he wasn't careful.

"Education is important, sure. But live a little too." Picking his coffee, Law left before the boy could say anything else.

With coffee starting to warm his system up, Law decided he would walk till the library, see if he could dig up about what happened in Flevance after he left and also some medical journals on bacterial pneumonia for Luffy as well as about rehabilitation and stuff. Sure Law was a genius but that did not mean he could slack up on his medical readings and research. Luffy was presenting an excellent opportunity for Law to test his skills.

He quietly walked to the library five blocks away, clutching onto his cup of coffee, the contents long gone but the cup was still a little warm. Law fished out his library passes, the ones his group got in his alias before he came back, and showed the necessary card where applicable and adjusted for in-library reading.

The librarian was an old man who looked really happy to see him for some reason. "Young people these days don't come to the library as often. They have this internet of theirs but books, books are still genuine information."

"Agreed."

"What was your name again?"

Law expertly sneaked a look at his cards before saying, "Antonio."

Antonio? Do I look like a fucking Antonio?! Those guys are getting it when I get back.

"Ah yes, Antonio. Well, son, I will leave you to your reading." The old man waved walking back to his desk at the entrance.

Law flipped open a few years’ worth of newspapers he picked from the shelf and started scanning for relevant information. He started with the year he had to flee - 1506.

• Amber Lead breakout in the prestigious White City, Flevance - death toll over one thousand every day.
• No cure in sight.
• Is the disease contagious?
• The Government does all it can to help the Flevance souls trapped in a diseased hell.

• Flevance set for doom! Citizens refuse government help!

What the fuck?

What the fuck?!

Law's blood boiled at the headline. This was from a time where the disease was so widespread that nobody had the time to look at newspapers anymore. Law remembered he was just eight and helping his parents, full-fledged doctors, with patients in and out. Lami was sick too and needed constant care and he had volunteered for the job as well. This headline though... there never was any help from the government, much less help that his people refused!

Switching to the next set of newspapers, Law read the headlines from the end of the year 1506 and the beginning of 1507.

• Civil War over Medicine in the White City!

There was no civil war! We were quarantined and attacked!!

• Neighboring Countries extend their hands for help once again refused!

The guns they pointed at us weren't help!

• Flevance Falls - Not a Soul Survived

Yeah you made sure of that didn't you? Murdering innocents over something that could be cured! It wasn't even contagious! Mother and father were so close to a cure too!

• World Government Laments the Loss of a Beautiful City

Like hell they lamented... those pigs rejoiced!

Law closed the newspapers and rubbed his eyes to dissipate some anger. He sighed and picked up the next set of the papers noticing the year 1514. There had been no news whatsoever for the years in-between.

• World Government Cleanse Diseased Grounds for Re-population!
• Flevance! Re-population Scheme to Begin!
• Immigrants Settle Without Fear!
• The White City, Flevance Sees Life Once Again

These were the news Law had read that made him come back to Flevance. He was angry at the World Government for taking everything from him. In the despair of losing his home and everything he had known from his birth, he had found Cora-san but he too, was taken away. The only thing left to do in this world was to destroy it but for that, he needed time and planning. He hoped in casual defiance that Doflamingo would never look for him in a place that Law had run away from.

Law photocopied a few of the newspapers then put them back, moving to his second objective of looking for Luffy's condition in some of the medical books the library had. He pulled out a particularly battered looking book reading the spine containing faded letters but he could make out 'pulmonary' so he decided to take his chances.

The cover of the book was equally battered so Law opened it and scanned its contents, coming to the conclusion that it might have some information of the topics he required. It did have various pulmonary diseases registered in it. Law noted every relevant information down in his phone, taking pictures where necessary. He made a memo to download a PDF version of this book later, if it was available.

Seeing he still had time, Law went through a few more books, same protocol. He was idly scanning information on heart diseases, all he knew, when the old man librarian came to him again.

"Still here son? What, medical books? Are you aspiring to be a doctor?"

"I already am."

"My granddaughter is very ill, can you help us?" Law narrowed his eyes.

"Why haven't you gone to the hospital?"

"The fees are too high and the treatment is not good."

"I heard that hospitals in Flevance were very advanced."

"That was when the Trafalgars were heading it. Right now, there are people from the government running the hospital and it is not good at all."

Law smiled under his masks at the mention of his family name. "Trafalgar? Where are they now?"

"Dead probably. Died with the old Flevance."

"If everyone died in Flevance, according to the newspapers, how do you know so much?"

"You seem like a curious soul. I will pay you back with knowledge if you take a look at my granddaughter." Law pondered over the offer for quite a bit then stood up and put the books back where he got them from.

"You got yourself a deal. Where is your granddaughter?"

"The house next door. Come, I will take you." Law stuffed his phone in his jacket and followed the old man out of the library after logging his exit. Once the library doors were locked, they both set for the old man's house.

The walk was short, they reached the house in five minutes. It was a small place, modest but not poor. Law entered the house after the old man and took in the surroundings for any threats or danger. He found none. The house was peaceful - like a house with a sick person should never be. They both took off their shoes and entered the small house.

"In here." The door to their left led to a smaller room and there was a deeply unsettling stench - one he knew very well.

Law pulled his mask better around his face and brought out his surgical gloves from the first-aid fanny pack he always carried. The room was overall clean or maybe that was mandatory considering the illness of the young girl lying in bed, wrapped in blankets. Her head peaked from under the covers. There was negligible light in the room and Law sighed.

"Do you have any additional source of light?"

"The bulb is busted and I haven't got the back to fix it."

"I will do it." Law found himself saying and watched as the man left and came back a few minutes later. For an old man, he wasn't that slow. Law took the bulb from the old man, dragged a chair to reach the socket, got on it quickly unscrewing the old bulb and replacing it. The old man turned on the switch and there was light. Even with the light though, he couldn't see past his shades so he cursed inwardly and took them off to assess his patient better.

He knelt by the bed and removed the blankets a little to see the girl's condition. She looked very weak and scared for a huge part that she refused to speak.

"What are her symptoms?" Law asked getting ready to bring out his thermometer, stethoscope and a portable sphygmomanometer. He was a doctor, he carried instruments around.

"There is fever, she coughs at night and vomits everything. Sometimes she says she can't breathe at all."

"And when did this start?" Law asked lifting the girl's arm and putting the thermometer there and started pressing the stethoscope to hear what seemed wrong.

"Since the cold winds started blowing."

"Is this a normal occurrence or has this happened for the first time?"

"She usually got sick during winters but this has been the worst."

"Chest is heavily congested. Fever, I bet it's recurring-" Law talked to himself, then turned to the girl. "Do you suddenly feel cold sometimes?" She nodded meekly and Law pulled his stethoscope back. "Got it. She's allergic to cold and dry weather." Law told the old man, tucking the girl back in.

"Will she get better?"

"With proper medication and care, yes."

"Thank goodness." Then something struck Law. Law texted in the Hearts group chat about the medicines he needed and where he needed them brought.

"Someone will bring the medicines along soon. But I have to say that I don't have a medical license, you shouldn't trust my judgment." He warned and the old man laughed.

"I know a Trafalgar when I see one boy. There is no doctor in the world I'd trust when there is a Trafalgar in front of me." Law was confused and now at full alert.

How did this old man know he was a Trafalgar? What gave him away? Will he tell the government or the local police?

"Ok old man. Time for answers." Law decided to play his hand at this game. This man seemed to have worked through his disguise quite easily and Law wanted to know how.

"I was only a young man when I arrived in Flevance to settle. If my old brain remembers correctly, your grandfather was the head of medicine back then and your father assisted him. You weren't born then."

"You are sounding awfully creepy but please continue." The old man laughed again, leading Law to the living room and dishing out tea.

"I never met you before but your father did convey that you would not be a typical doctor."

"What's that supposed to mean? Also, my father?"

"Yes, whenever I went to the hospital I would meet your father seeing as he was my attending doctor. A few years before Flevance as we knew it burned, your father told me how the successor is already a genius but very unorthodox."

"I might have been only five or six by then, I do not remember any of that."

"Of course you don't. But your father was proud nonetheless, already assured that the medicinal future of Flevance would be safe in your hands."

"Saw quite a wrong future, didn't he, my father? There is no Flevance and I am certainly not going to waste my time on medicine in this city."

"We will see about that son."

"That aside, how did you survive the...extermination?"

"Oh I had left quite some time before the situation started appearing widespread. My son had married somewhere in West Blue so I went to live with him for some time but he died an year back so I took his daughter and came back here."

"Not the best place for her though."

"Indeed. We might relocate but I am not so sure where an old man like me can go anyway."

"Your granddaughter would be healthy in any environment that isn't unnecessarily polluted or dry. Pick one of the scattered countries on the Grandline that has a stable near-tropical weather."

"I will think about it son, thank you."

Just then Law's phone rang, it was Shachi. "Where are you?"

"In front of the address you sent with the medicines."

"Ok, wait." Law faced the old man. "Your granddaughter's medicines are here." Law went to the front door and let Shachi in. Placing the box on the living room table, Law carefully took out the contents, examining if they were correct first then started explaining. "Give this one once every night, it's a non-drowsy anti-allergic that will help her budding bronchitis to ease. These drops, put an individual packet in steaming water and let her inhale it as long as she can, but do not exceed the already provided dose, these are medicated steroids and her body does not need more than these. Others are multivitamin and a tonic so she gets hungry and wants to eat, easy recovery. No restrictions on food but be wise and don't feed her ice cream or the likes which can constrict her chest, take these three times a day. Soup's a must every day, chicken broth whenever you can, eggs to keep her warm and lots of green leafy vegetables for blood." Law explained than pulled out a sheet of paper. "In case I wasn't coherent enough, this is a print out of everything I just said."

"Thank you so much son."

"It's Law."

"So it really wasn't Antonio."

"It wasn't. I don't know which idiot chose it. I do request you to keep my existence as a Trafalgar hidden from everyone."

"That much I can do. Thank you again."

"I am a doctor's son." Law smirked under his masks.

"That you are. Stay hopeful, good things will happen."

"Sure." And Law left.

"What was that all about?" Shachi asked when the two of them exited the house and started walking back to the apartments.

"He used to live in Flevance before, knew my parents, recognized me through my disguise." Shachi snorted.

"You call that a disguise? No wonder you were recognized."

Law grunted and pulled out his phone to occupy the walk back, not hearing what Shachi was saying.

"Cap you listening?" Shachi turned back when he heard no response from Law. The teenager had stopped a few steps back. "Cap?"

"There are three gyms here!!" Shachi groaned.

"Play Pokemon Go later, your patient is awake and wreaking havoc." Law reluctantly shoved his phone back in his pockets and matched paces with his friend.

"How is he wreaking havoc when he shouldn't even have the energy to stand?"

"No idea but when I was coming to get you the meds, the infirmary sounded very lively. Maybe he recovers insanely fast or something? Like you do, except when you catch a random cold." Shachi shuddered at the remembrance. "You're such a handful those times." He muttered under his breath.

"Maybe he does recover fast, I noticed it before too." Law commented then started his monologue that people could hear. "I would have to run some tests and depending on them, maybe he would be rid of that horrid cannula in his arm...the meds would persist though, but I could reduce or even do away with the painkillers and sleep meds slowly so he can begin healing and recovering in earnest...yes."

Shachi smiled proudly and fondly at the way his friend was lost in his thoughts, not even caring that he had spoken all of it out loud. He was a doctor through and through and even though he appeared detached, his soul was still a doctor's.

Law was worried about the reality check Luffy would most definitely have when he wouldn’t be able to sleep once law would take away his sleep meds and pain killers.

Just like that, they arrived back and Law first removed his coat and bagged it because it contained who knows what contagions from outside. He dragged his feet inside and threw the bagged coat at the nearby person with the orders to 'clean and sanitize' the coat. He was about to ask where Penguin and Bepo were when Law heard the loudest voice he had heard. It was coming from the infirmary and the words rang in the entire building.

"GIVE ME MEAT!!"

~

Chapter Text

~

Law walked briskly to the infirmary. The sun had just come up and with it, chaos. He could hear the distant noises of alarm from a few of his group members and hurried all the same to where it was all coming from. He stopped on his way to grab Kikoku from his room then resumed his walk.

What he saw boiled his blood and he was sure if he measured his blood pressure right now, the machine would break. Luffy had jumped on Bepo - how in the world he managed that was beyond Law at the moment - and he was biting his ear, choking him with his arms and legs, it might have been the boy gripping his neck for support but to Law it looked like choking.

"Not my bear you fucking savage! Get off Bepo!!" He yelled and made to detach the monkey from his friend. Penguin was silently sniggering in the corner but stopped when Law shot him a glare.

"Oh! Torao-"

"Do not call me that!"

"But that's your name."

"It's not!! And get off Bepo! Right! Now!" Law said pulling the back of Luffy's patient gown to get the boy to come down but he moved further upwards and Law was kind of not tall enough to reach there.

"Will you give me meat then?"

"You are in no fucking condition to digest meat!" Then he noticed there were no IVs attached to him. "And what the fuck have you done to your tubes?!" Law looked around the bed and found all the tubes and attached needles on the ground, including the urine catheter. He pulled it out. Again. "You're making me regret saving you."

"You're mean." Luffy pouted and buried his cheek in Bepo's fur. "And your bear is soft and comfy."

Something in Law snapped and it was very obvious that he was losing it. Slowly everyone who was in the infirmary started leaving until it was just Law, Bepo and Luffy.

"Mugiwara-ya, come down. Right now." Law said slowly, trying to breathe himself into being calm.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't like the needles, especially not the one you keep putting in my peepee, and I am hungry, I want to eat meat!"

"I will give you meat then. So come down." Luffy eyed Law suspiciously but did not find anything that would have told him that Law was lying so Luffy complied.

"Ok." And he jumped down. JUMPED!

Law was about to comment on the boy for jumping from Bepo's height in his condition but stopped himself, lest he wanted him to climb up and never come down.

"Bepo, get me my coffee."

"Suimasen!"

Once Bepo left, Law asked Luffy to sit on the bed so he could check him, again, because he had yanked his needles and catheter out, again. Luffy kept swinging his legs and it was disturbing Law's work but he couldn't snap as much as the kid got on his nerves.

"So when am I getting the meat?" Luffy asked when Law was cleaning the cannula sites off blood and anything else Luffy might have managed to invite there.

"Soon." Law moved his attention down south where the restless idiot had yanked the catheter from. "Don't move, I am checking for any damages."

"How soon? I am hungry."

"Let me check you in peace first."

"How long does that take? You do that every day!" When Law did not grace Luffy with an answer, the latter started swinging his legs again.

"How do your lungs feel?" Law asked taking his stethoscope and pushing it on various spots on Luffy's chest.

"Better. I still can't breathe easy though."

"That's gradual recovery. But I am really amazed that your chest cavity is already so clear." Law muttered to himself. "Inhumane healing alright."

"So does this mean I will get meat?"

"I can put you off the catheter," Law started and showed Luffy which one of the things was a catheter, "but your needles will have to stay a while longer. Just a week at most but let's not put the cannula back right away and let your arms rest a bit."

"So I can walk around now?"

"There is just one more test, if the results show nothing wrong, then you can definitely start walking and doing some light exercising for your lungs and muscles."

"Yay!" Luffy pumped his fists but titled his head in confusion when he saw the discomfort on the teenager's face. "Why are you making that face?"

"You will not like the test itself."

"Why not?"

"It's sort of invasive..."

"How come?" Law did not know why he was having such a hard time saying the entire steps of the procedure. It was maybe because of what Luffy went through and Law did not want to send the boy into panic and did not wanted to trigger the PTSD he knew was hiding somewhere in his small, underfed body. "Torao?"

Taking a deep breath, Law pulled himself together and switched to detached doctor mode. "I will have to put a tube in your body through your anus and pump up some medicine in there. It's uncomfortable and it can trigger bad memories."

Luffy smiled. "Just that? Do it then, I survived back there too, this is nothing. I can handle it." He grinned in the end.

You shouldn't have had to say something like that.

Law felt odd sympathy for the boy seeing him show so much teeth. Flevance was by no means warm but sitting in the infirmary, in front of Luffy who smiled like that, Law felt warmth flood his usually cold being.

"Ok then. I will get the kit."

"Ok!" Luffy chimed as Law got up to first lock the infirmary door then got the enema kit, pulling the curtains around the cot and pulling his gloves on.

"Lie down on your right side." Law instructed and arranged the items on a sterilized tray then sat down behind Luffy, popping the lid off the jar of petroleum jelly he smeared on his fingertips. He lifted Luffy's gown a little, adjusted him so his left leg was bent at the knee near his stomach. "I am going to lubricate the entrance now." And Law did just that, his fingertips rubbed the jelly on and around the puckered muscle. It was not reddened so that was a relief that at least there was no bristles or anything that could have been indicative of an injury.

"Warmmmmmm." Luffy hummed and Law nearly snorted.

"The tube is next. I am going to put it in slowly so do not move or it is going to poke somewhere and injure you. But if it hurts, I need you to tell me. Ok?"

"Hurry up Torao! It's going to take all day like this!" Law rolled his eyes but took the tube and took a deep breath.

"Deep breaths, Luffy-ya, and relax." Law instructed one last time and when he felt Luffy exhale, he started pushing the tube in, very slowly. He stopped when the tip went in and Luffy gasped followed by a whine. "Ok?" Luffy didn't speak but Law saw him nod. "Use words, does it hurt?"

"N-no."

Fuck. I need to hurry this up. Law thought when Luffy stuttered. His speech starting to leave him was a sign that he might start panicking soon so Law wanted to hurry this up as much as he could without causing Luffy pain or discomfort.

"I am continuing." He did just what he said. Luffy let out occasional sounds of discomfort but nothing that indicated that he was in pain and once a considerable length of the tube was inside, Law stopped. "I am going to pump the medicine now, it will definitely feel weird."

"Do it." Luffy's voice was thick and Law knew it was from the boy trying to keep himself from crying. All this was definitely taking a toll on his mind.

"Take a deep breath." Law instructed and on its exhale pumped the medicine in. "Taking it out now." He informed and slowly but steadily started removing the tube, bagged the contents and discarded it. "Good job."

"Is it done?"

"Yes." Luffy sat up and wiped his eyes. "Now starting from fifteen minutes to an hour, you will feel like rushing to the bathroom to empty your stomach. When that happens, you will do just that, go to the bathroom and empty your stomach. But, I need to see what comes out-"

"That's funny!" Luffy laughed and Law sighed. "Why do you wanna look at my poop?"

"To see if there is blood in it." That shut Luffy up and he titled his head to the right again.

"Why would there be blood?"

"If your insides are injured, then there would be blood but the medicine I sent up there would probably be enough to heal it too."

"Oh."

"Now stay here until you have to go the bathroom. It's the first right door when you get out from here." Law removed his gloves and pulled the curtains back. He was about to leave when Luffy stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"To get some much deserved coffee."

"Can I get meat then?"

"I am going to review your diet plan and start you off with some light soups, just to get your gears used to digesting and processing proper food."

"But you said I could get meat!!" Luffy protested.

"I didn't say when." Law smirked.

"You meanie!! I want meat! I am not eating anything that's not meat!!"

Luffy being so insistent on eating meat right off the bat was giving Law a huge headache, one he didn't want to deal with without his average three cups dose of morning coffee. Law sighed.

"Luffy-ya this is a step by step treatment, your body cannot handle meat right off the bat, I’d have to ease you into it." Law explained feeling stupid for even feeling the need to explain.

"No! I can difest meat! It's no biggie!"

"Digest. And no. I am the doctor here."

"You didn't go to doctor school so I won't take your word for it." Law's eyes twitched at the bullheadedness of the boy in front of him.

"Alright then, let's make a deal." Luffy looked at him, his pout tracing away. "I will give you meat but if you vomit it, you will have to follow my diet plan."

"Deal!" Luffy agreed without thinking about it further. He was getting meat, what was there to think about?

"Deal."

Law left for the kitchen with purpose and found the chef hunched a little on the counter with knives and vegetables occupying the space. He knocked on the nearby surface to get the man's attention.

"Oh cap, coffee?"

"Some other matter." When the cook raised his eyebrows, Law started. "Do we have some meat that's going bad? If not can you get some and cook it? Light roast, nothing fancy?"

"Why...do you want bad meat?" The chef asked raising his eyebrows further up, not bothering to hide his reaction at Law's weird request. The kid was a healthy eater if he ate anything which was a miracle in itself since the boy barely ate.

"To teach an idiot a lesson." Law considered this explanation enough and by the shrug of the other man's shoulders, Law gathered he got the deal.

"There is some beef that looks pretty inedible but I gotta say, anybody normal and healthy would just throw up or get some really bad stomach pains." Law smirked.

"Perfect. Roast it. I'll be back in an hour." With that Law left but not before taking the entire coffee pot with him. He went back in the infirmary and sat down in front of the computer, putting Luffy's latest developments in the system and going over the diet plan again.

He was so going to win that deal.

"What're you drinking?" Law heard Luffy ask.

"Coffee."

"What's that?"

"You have never heard of coffee?" The older asked incredulous.

How could someone not have heard of coffee?

COFFEE!!

"Nope. Is it good? Gimme some."

"Never. You're jumpy enough as it is, I do not want to find out the horror of putting you on caffeine."

"You're not making any sense. Torao are you stupid after all?" Law pinched between his eyes and sighed audibly. "Hey where's your bear, I wanna play with him."

"Bepo is not a plaything."

"I know, how does a bear talk though?"

"He is a Mink."

"What’s that?"

"Dear GanFall let me die." Law mumbled.

"Who's that?" Law was about to throw the coffee pot with delicious coffee still in it at Luffy but controlled himself enough to not reply. "Torao, I'm hungry."

"After you have to go the bathroom." Luffy whined like a kicked puppy and Law assumed he would settle, he should too before he hurt himself. Luffy was fidgeting in his place and Law wondered what a handful the boy would be once he would be allowed to walk unrestricted by his IVs and catheter. "Stop fidgeting. Can't you stay still for more than a minute?"

"But I'm bored!! And hungry!!" Law looked at the coffee pot in his hand and shook his head. This will not do. He pulled out a bottle of spirit from one of the cabinets and dumped its contents in the coffee pot. Mixing it all, he chugged it without restraints. Law enjoyed the slight buzz it gave him and made it possible for him to ignore Luffy a little.

Law checked the time on his phone realizing Luffy would be needing to rush to the bathroom soon so he grabbed some water and downed it to bring his senses back. It worked a bit.

"Do you feel like going yet?" Law asked, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets and fixing Luffy a look as if that would get the boy to hurry up.

"Nope." Luffy jumped down the bed. "Ok now I feel like going!"

Law followed Luffy to the bathroom at a leisurely pace. Luffy ran but didn't bother shutting the door. Law sighed and shut it for him. All the while Luffy was occupying the bathroom, Law could hear the boy singing faintly.

"Binkusu no sake wo, todoke ni yuku yo~" He whistled the rest and Law couldn't help the small upward twitch of his lips. His whistling was really bad but his gusto was more than making up for it.

"Where did you learn that song from?" Law asked from the door.

"Back home. There was this guy, really awesome who gave me my hat, he used to sing it all the time!"

"It's a pirate song you know."

"Yeah! That's why I wanted to become a pirate! So I would sing it all the time with my nakama!" Law hummed a response. "Ok I’m done!"

"Stay there." Law said and pushed the door open. He peeked at the contents Luffy excreted and sighed in relief. "You're good."

"Does this mean I can have meat?!"

"Clean yourself and wash your hands then come back in the infirmary." Law said ignoring Luffy and leaving.

"Torao you're mean!"

"Never said I wasn't!" Law called back and quickly typed his notes before Luffy began interrupting him again. When Luffy got back and settled in the bed, Law faced him and beckoned the cook to enter. "As promised." Luffy's face went from normal to one million megawatts.

"MEAT!!" He all but jumped and Law had to hold the boy back so the cook had the chance to run away.

"Remember the deal Mugiwara-ya."

“I do!” Luffy yelled, distracted by the aroma of the roasted meat in front of him. He grabbed it directly by the bone and began eating, discarding the cutlery. Law cringed at the raw display and began tinkering with Luffy’s IVs, stopping the nausea and vomit medicines to further make sure that Luffy would throw up or have indigestion and Law would win. It was a petty move but he needed the win. Law grinned secretly but it didn’t go unnoticed by Luffy who thought something was up. Luffy stopped for a minute and smelled the meat, even if Law was a good guy, he didn’t put him above pranks but the delicious smell of roasted meat was so strong in his nose that he didn't care and ate it. All of it. “Meat is the best!” Luffy remarked, satisfied and patting his belly.

“I’m sure it is. I have something to do so I will take my leave, you try to sleep. If there are any pains, push the call button.” Law informed and left for his room to prepare something he had been meaning to for his group, they wouldn’t like him very much for that but he was not going to let something that minor get in his way.

Law was occupied with this task for who knows how many hours so when the call button rang red, he jumped, startled. Law smirked his victory and went to the infirmary only to see Luffy making his way to the bathroom. Luffy's guts were giving him problems. He tried hiding it from Law but Law knew.

"What's wrong Luffy-ya, not feeling good?" Law asked with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Shut up! It's nothing-" Luffy was cut short by his stomach letting out a pained whine that made the boy run to the bathroom. Law gave Luffy time to empty his stomach and waited outside the bathroom for his victory to be declared. "You won..." Luffy admitted meekly exiting and shutting the door behind him. He was sobbing through the painful convulsions and something tugged at Law's heart seeing that sad and pained expression. He was still a doctor.

"Are you ok?" Law asked feeling slightly bad for the convulsions, not his cheating though. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He took Luffy to the infirmary and settled him under the sheets, restarting his IVs and giving him a syrup for the convulsions. Once he saw the tiredness creep onto the boy, Law made his leave.

~

"Gather up everyone." Law called and sat down on the one seater sofa with his feet up while all his group members called each other and settled down as well.

"What's up cap?" Uni asked when everyone was present.

"Pass these out." Law handed out the bunch of forms he brought with him. "Write down what you want to do with your life, I will collect these tomorrow. No criminal stuff."

"What?"

"Why?"

"Weren't we gonna help you with your goal?"

"I am doing it alone. There is no need for anyone else to go down this illegal, lawless path." Law answered.

"Captain!"

"That's not fair!"

"I didn't pick you up to turn you into a criminal." Law said over his shoulder and left for his room. He placed Kikoku by his bed and just dropped on it.

This was going to be tough. Everyone would probably just write illegal stuff but he believed they respected him enough to not do that.

Law opened his laptop and began researching for job and career opportunities the current Flevance had to offer. That particular thing led him to look at the new Flevance's laws for labor. That kid in the cafe was right... no age limits or restrictions.

Feeling a mix of frustration and relief and privilege, Law closed his laptop and got back up to go to the infirmary. He needed to hand Luffy's meal plans to the cook so they could do this without Law's constant supervision. Honestly the boy was healing so fast Law was at a loss. He wanted to start the kid on exercising his muscles and light cardio soon too but he first wanted to monitor him for a few more days. He looked fine and he walked and ran just fine too. Hell he climbed on Bepo just this morning and then jumped! That was apparently fine too...

Law finalized the meal plan and went to where he knew his cook was. He handed him the papers.

"The kid's meal plans with the schedule. No matter how much he insists, do not deviate from this."

"How did the morning meat incident turn out?" The cook asked looking through the papers.

"As planned."

"Threw up?"

"Indigestion." Law was met with a raised eyebrow.

"Isn't he your patient?"

"He wasn't shutting up about meat, what else was I supposed to do?"

"So he's as stubborn as you are huh."

"What?" Law snapped, daring the man to say it again.

"Ok I will follow the meal plan, gotta go shopping though. See ya later captain."

Law shook his head and went back to the infirmary for final checkups on Luffy for the day.

"If we had known, we'd have fixed your bed in the infirmary." Law turned around to see Shachi and Penguin entering the place.

"Known what?"

"That you'd stay with your boyfriend all the time." Penguin added.

"He's a kid."

"You're a kid too but you are not denying the boyfriend part I see." Shachi said with a curious hum.

"I'm sure you both didn't come here to get scalpels plunged in your brains."

"Have you eaten anything today?" Peng said.

"At all?" Shachi repeated.

"Coffee and spirit."

"That...is not food-"

"SPIRIT?!"

"Doctor that's malpractice. Let me see your license." Penguin joked.

"Here." Law joked back putting his hand in his pocket as if to retrieve his license but coming back with a middle finger.

"Very mature." Shachi rolled his eyes.

"You two are older than me, remember that."

"Time to use some 'old people' privileges Peng." Shachi said elbowing his friend.

"Why not Shachi."

Law eyed both of them suspiciously and nearly screamed at the two when they both put their arms under his shoulders and picked him till his feet were off the ground.

"Let me go." Law said simply.

"Food first Law." Peng said.

"Yeah you're such a child, why can't you keep track of your meals on your own?"

Law grumbled and didn't answer, letting the two take him where they wanted, which was the kitchen.

"Cook's out so, I'm on duty." Law looked at Penguin waving the knife around. "What do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry." Law said and stood up to leave but Shachi grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Yeah, dumping all that coffee in your system like you do, no wonder. But you're not going back to your haven until you eat something." Shachi said despite Law's glare.

"Seriously Law, you've been up all night too. Maybe if you ate warm meals, three times a day then your insomnia might leave you alone too."

"I don't think 'warm meals three times a day' is going to bring the whole of Flevance back so I'd stop having nightmares." Law snapped and bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more. The other two didn't speak. "Fine. Just give me whatever you're both having."

"Without the bread."

"Without the bread." Penguin and Shachi said at the same time.

"You are joined at the hip. One of these days I am going to operate and research on you both about the workings of a hive mind." Shachi scooted away from Law at his creepy, psychopathic smirk.

"That new kid, he's either stupid or brave to get treated by you." Penguin made conversation as he began preparing a chicken steak.

"Definitely stupid." Shachi said.

"Brave." Law spoke at the same time.

They both looked at each other until Peng laughed and caused them both to look at him. "He seems more on the stupid end of the spectrum though truthfully."

"Might be but the kind of treatment he had to go through, he wouldn't have been able to if he wasn't brave." Law put in.

"So is he getting his own room or what?" Shachi asked adjusting his hat.

"Yeah, how long is he staying?" Penguin added.

"Where is he even from?"

"I don't know. Haven't had the time to ask him." Law said.

"Not even when he was sleeping on you?" Penguin teased and Law's whole face turned red.

"Stop that. He's just a kid." They both snickered but didn't say anything else. "His treatment plan is at least six months, we don't have anyone in the infirmary so he can continue to stay there."

"What?" Shachi gasped.

"Law that's bad, give him his own room, we have plenty of free rooms."

"No. He's not staying so there's no point in it."

Both the older boys shared a look and sighed. "Is it because if you gave him a room you'd start growing attached?" By the way Law chucked a nearby spoon at Penguin's head was proof that he hit bullseye.

"Awh he's already in love~" Shachi sang and avoided a pan thrown his way.

"Stop that!"

"Ok ok jeez, don't get a heart attack over this."

"I hate you both."

"Yeah sure." Penguin rolled his eyes.

"Whatever floats your boat 'Torao.'"

"Peng, I’m giving you some orca meat for dinner tonight." Law said running after Shachi.

Penguin marinated the chicken, fondly shaking his head at the idiots running around the kitchen. All was well.

~

Chapter Text

~

"Ok so what are we doing about these forms?" Uni asked the whole group that had gathered in the lobby. Law had gone to sleep or at least they hoped because if he happened upon all of them in one place, he would sure have questions.

"Why is captain being like this? Weren't we supposed to help him with his goal?" Clione added.

"What even is his goal?" Musta asked.

There was silence after that. Nobody knew what Law actually wanted to do. He hadn't told them at all. Shachi cleared his throat and got everyone's attention.

"I don't want to know what Captain will do if we write something he doesn't like. He'd probably reject the idea and throw us in a solitary confinement until we come up with a new answer?"

"You're letting your imagination run wild man." Penguin snickered.

"Come on Peng, you know Law, he's a different brand of stubborn."

"I don't want to disappoint Captain so I will respect that he doesn't want any of us to do bad things." Bepo said.

"Why, Bepo?"

"Suimasen!"

"Hey no, like really, why?"

"Maybe if we are all in safe, legal professions, Captain won't have to worry about us while he plans and executes his own goals. I think he deserves that much." Bepo explained, scratching his head.

"Makes sense."

"He's just a kid, why does he want to take on the world by himself!" Uni said, exasperated.

"He's like that." Penguin muttered with a groan. "Idiot kid."

"So he's gonna play Santa with us then? Make all our dreams come true, while we don't even know what his dream is."

"He's kept it that way for a reason then." Shachi said adjusting his hat.

"It's surely something illegal as hell."

"And equally dangerous."

~

Law looked at all of them, matching their gaze, one by one. His eyes were scrutinizing his group, some of whom had scooted to the far end of the living room. He had gathered them up to collect the 'career forms' from them but once they had all appeared in the living room, everyone kept pushing someone else ahead to submit first.

Law sighed. "Just put it in the basket. I don't care about who goes first and I won't murder you for the wrong answer." They all sighed in relief, at least that's what Law thought it seemed like. "I might only cause minor disfigurement so you've learned your lesson." That didn't help at all. "Or major if you all keep delaying."

That worked.

Everyone was quick to put their forms in the basket Law brought with him and once he saw everyone had put the paper in, he collected them from the vessel face down and counted it to make sure it all tallied. It did.

"I am going to be in my office going over these." Law stood up. "Clione, Peng, you're both on the kid's duty. He's stable and fed, no IVs attached, just keep an eye on the basic stats."

"You got it."

"When will we know about the results?" Bepo asked innocently about the forms.

"If you aren't disfigured tomorrow morning then know that you've passed."

Smirking at the shudders that passed through the group, Law went back to his room and sat by his desk, putting all the papers on it and grabbing his laptop to get to work. He put on his glasses and began the preliminary read-through just to get a gist of what was written, then he would think thoroughly on if it was correct or not, dividing them into the 'approved' and 'not approved' piles.

The first one brought a smile on his face. It read: a doctor like captain. That, he could approve of. Next were all,

Florist.

Mechanic.

I might want to have my own coffee shop.

Teaching!

Banking and accounting.

Med school.

I want to work my way to having my own restaurant.

Dog walking.

Nursery teacher.

Info Tech...? I swear it's not for hacking. So computer school?

A doc.

All of this he could approve. He opened his laptop and quickly drafted an excel sheet typing in what everyone had written, in front of their names and coming to realization that none of them went against him to write illegal or dangerous professions. He would need to have a talk with his three idiot best friends though. Law didn't understand their motive for them wanting to step in the field of medicine. It was rough and grueling and those were the good days. Law himself hadn't been a professional doctor but he had worked enough shifts with his parents to know about the bad days, when you lose patient after patient or even a single one, that much is enough to send your whole world tumbling.

Shaking his head free of such thoughts, the teen got to work creating and drafting what everyone would need for their choices, a light drafting only which he would solidify after talking with the person.

He was almost done with the initial drafting when he heard the emergency alarm blare. Ditching his laptop and glasses, Law rushed to the infirmary thinking of everything that could have happened.

"What happened?" He asked to the two who were standing beside Luffy who looked to be in pain, crouched on the floor, clutching his abdomen.

"He won't say anything beyond 'it hurts.'" Penguin provided.

"His vitals?"

"All normal."

Law bent to Luffy's level and put a hand on his back. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"H-hurts." The boy cried. He was literally crying. Shit. Law looked at where exactly Luffy's hand was to try and determine the cause.

Lower abdomen so,

Abdominal pain?

Internal injury, perhaps rectal? Shit fuck.

Urinary tract infection?

Muscle spasms? Could be since Luffy-ya is weak as fuck and anxious too, some erratic movement might have caused that.

Was there any injury Law overlooked? He was at a complete loss.

"Come on, help me out here, what else are you feeling?" Law pushed.

"I'm gonna die!" At that, Law just straight up started panicking. What was he supposed to do?! The kid was not answering him and all his vitals were ok, his medicines were ok, if there was any internal bleeding there would have been obvious signs but nothing! Nothing!

"Luffy-ya, you are going to have to be specific. You need to tell me where it hurts and what else you are feeling so I can help you." Law tried being patient, he didn't want the boy to become unresponsive at hostile behavior.

"I-I" Luffy started and Law urged him by rubbing his back. "I'b hubgry!" He cried, clutching tighter on his...stomach.

"What?" Law asked, an automatic response to what he had heard.

"Ibba die i'b so hubgry." Luffy sobbed through his words, snot and tears doing little for coherence.

Law felt like grabbing his scalpel and ending this mess right then and there. He didn't know he was doing just that until Penguin restrained his right arm.

"Captain what the hell are you thinking?!"

While Peng was pulling Law away from Luffy, Clione picked the boy up from the ground and put him back on the bed. Eventually Law let go of the scalpel and handed it to Penguin, along with his hidden dagger that somehow the other knew about.

"I can still strangle him." Law warned fisting his hands.

"You can but you won't." Peng argued back. "Now go examine him or something."

Law went to Luffy and started by taking a deep breath. "You were fed less than three hours ago, your schedule does not account for heavy meals or frequent ones at that because right now your body cannot handle all that."

"Bub-" Luffy started then wiped his nose on his arm, something that cringed Law out so much that he grabbed a few tissues and cleaned Luffy's face himself, then his arm.

"Did you experience any stomach pains after your last meal?" Luffy shook his head. "And now you're hungry?" A nod. If the kid said he was hungry, so he probably was. Maybe he had a fast metabolism, which would explain his high as fuck energy levels. "Ok, I'll see what I can get you."

"Really?!" Law nodded, slowly, at the starry eyed boy. "Torao you're the best!!"

"...Sure..." Law went out of the infirmary telling the two to, "keep an eye on him."

He went to the kitchen to let the cook know of their current predicament and received a huge bowl of assorted fruits.

"He looked like he eats big, so." The cook shrugged. "Might do you good to steal a few of them for yourself too you know."

Law heard that as 'eat your damn fruits you brat.'

"Thanks." He said quickly and left for the infirmary. "Here." He handed Luffy the bowl and pulled a chair, personally wanting to witness if Luffy 'ate big.' The moment he was handed the bowl, he had literally started to inhale the pieces of the neatly cut up fruit. "Slow down you're going to choke." Law warned but by the time his warning reached the kid, the bowl was empty.

"Seconds!" Luffy held out the bowl for Law.

"No." The kid made a face at Law's blatant refusal.

"Hehhhhhhh, Torao's mean."

"Let's first have you digest this without throwing up, if you're still hungry then I will revisit your meal plans. Sounds good?"

"Ok!" He bounced in his place and Law raised an eyebrow. The boy was much too active for Law's liking. He was sick the other day, throwing up and had a pleural infection, but now it was like none of that had ever happened. "Hey can I go out?"

"I doubt your ability to-" Law was about to say 'stand and walk' but Luffy had walked around, ran and even fought in a more weakened state so...why not? "Ok."

"Yay!" He hopped off the bed.

"Cap, going out?" Clione asked appearing in the infirmary.

"Yes." Law got up and walked out with Luffy in tow. When he was putting his own coat on, he handed a coat to Luffy as well. "On second thought, let me get you a change of clothes first, and shoes, then you can go out."

"Why? I'm ok with this." He spun in his place.

"It's cold out and you're not ok enough to resist that."

"I'm fine!" Luffy stomped his foot like a kid. Well...he was a kid. "See?" He jumped around and started running around Law in circles until he lost his footing and collided with the older, falling with a fit of coughs. "This doesn't count."

"Yeah sure." Law helped the kid up and led him back to the infirmary. "Now stay here. I will be back in an hour with something. What are your preferred colors for shirts?"

"Red!"

Law left after pulling his masks on. He quickly bought the things he needed, a single set because he wanted to let Luffy choose for himself and he wasn't in the mood for shopping for clothes...ever.

He arrived at the building and headed to the infirmary to let Luffy know that he had arrived under an hour and they could go now but when he stepped foot in the place, he saw Luffy clutching his thigh and frowning at the mark tattooed there. He was clearly not happy with it being there.

"I can remove it surgically you know." Law offered. "But it will leave a scar and you won't be able to walk on that leg for some time."

Luffy was lost in thought that Law thought he might not have heard him but then Luffy nodded. "Do it then."

"Later then when I’ve gathered the supplies and you're off meds. Didn't you want to go out?"

"Yes!" He got off the bed and Law handed him the clothes and shoes.

"Change."

Law turned around and pulled the curtain for Luffy to change in privacy but the kid was an utter savage who walked out of the curtain with pants in his hands instead of wearing them.

"What the fuck!"

"I've never weared pants so they keep fighting me." The boy shrugged and Law sighed mentally correcting the grammar and pushing Luffy back in the curtain to help him with the pants. "Shoes too."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I only wear slippers so I dunno how to wear these." He poked at the boots until Law snatched them from him and put those on for him as well, tying the laces as well.

"I am sure you can put your coat on by yourself?" Law rolled his eyes.

"I’m not a baby! Of course I can!" Law could feel his fingers itching for that scalpel and dagger Penguin confiscated.

"Put the hat on, it's cold out." When Luffy put his strawhat on over the woolen beanie, Law sighed once again and handed him a face mask to protect him from potential allergens in the atmosphere.

"How do I put this on?"

Law crouched to put the mask on Luffy's face and nearly groaned at the height difference but stopped himself when he remembered that the boy might suffer from stunted growth all his life.

Huh, they were the same in this matter. Amber Lead destroyed a few of the growth factors and delayed more than a few in Law too. So they were somewhat the same.

"Let's go." Law said and Luffy sprinted out of the door at such speed that Law had to run after him. "Wait Mugiwara-ya! Don't run!" When he caught up with Luffy who had stopped to enjoy the cold, Law grabbed his hand forcefully, preventing him from running further away.

Luffy was...quiet. His big eyes were curiously looking around at everything they passed, from flowers to stones to benches to rubble. And people. He looked at people with the same curiosity but shirked away towards Law when someone was in certain proximity. Law gathered Luffy was subconsciously wary of people, might be because of what happened, though Law never asked how it happened.

He wanted to run and jump but Law didn't allow it, tightening his hold on Luffy's hand whenever he felt like the younger might start running. Luffy tugged and tried but Law never budged. The kid weighed a great deal less than Law and the older was confident in his own weight.

"Toraooooooo, let's go there!!!" Law looked in the direction Luffy was pointing. The park. Many children Luffy's age or younger were playing in the grass. Naturally Luffy would want to as well.

"You are in no condition-"

"I am! I will stop when I get tired!" Law raised an eyebrow at the negotiation.

"Ok." Law ceded and sat on the bench letting go of Luffy's hand so he could go and play. Meanwhile Law started on Pokémon Go. This park had so many pokéstops but they were placed unstrategically on the grid so there were only two gyms. He claimed them both to mystic and put his strong to average Pokémon there.

The moment a Team Go Rocket balloon appeared on the screen, Law heard a loud, "aa! My hat!" before the said object came flying in his face.

"Tch." Law took the hat in his hand and sighed. It was Luffy's strawhat.

"Torao! My hat!" Luffy came running, hands stretched forward for Law to give him his hat back.

"I'll keep it safe. You go play."

Luffy looked at Law then his hat, then the playground and the numerous swings, then at Law and his hat again. "Ok! Thanks Torao!"

Law put the hat on his lap and went back to his game but didn't feel like mustering finger power to battle a Grunt so he closed the app and put his phone in his jacket pocket, switching to people watching around the park.

Luffy looked like he was having fun on the swings, going higher than the other kids, leaving his laughter ringing behind him. He was in an unknown country in an unknown continent, not knowing how many miles away from the people he knew or called family or when he would see them again, but he was still laughing so...freely. Law was envious of the kid.

While Law was zoning out looking in just one direction, his attention snapped back to the present when Luffy started making his way to the monkey bars.

"Oh no you don't." Law was on his feet in an instant and didn't care that he had to push some kids aside to get to Luffy on time but the moment he did, he yanked the boy away by the back of his jacket.

"Lemme play!"

"Not those. You still have a cannula in your arm."

"So?"

"So you can't play on anything that can hurt your cannula site. And you've already played for longer than thirty minutes, let's go back."

"Eehhhhh? I don't wannaaaaaaa." Luffy whined flailing his little arms. Law sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Ok how about, I take you to buy some clothes and when we get back, you can have your meal early?" Law negotiated knowing that Luffy was enthusiastic about food.

"Ok!"

Well that worked. Law thought with a roll of his eyes. Simple kid.

They went to the mall that stood where the church once was and Law was getting extremely uncomfortable the more that thought settled in his brain. Law was holding Luffy's hand so he wouldn't run away and unintentionally squeezed it trying to subdue his panic before it got out. Luffy looked up at Law with a question on his face but didn't voice it, instead he held Law's hand tighter. Law still held Luffy’s hat in his other hand.

"Torao! Food!"

"Not the mall food in your current state."

"Meanie." Luffy pouted and Law took him to the first shop he could see selling clothes that were Luffy's size.

"Remember, you might be staying for half an year or more so pick accordingly." Law said and sat down near the entrance/exit so Luffy wouldn't accidentally leave the shop without Law knowing.

Luffy ran around displays like an excited puppy, taking in everything he saw. It wasn't like a shop he ever got to see in the parts of Goa he lived in so this was new for him and like for everything new, Luffy was curious.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A man appeared from behind one of the displays and smiled. The sudden appearance shocked Luffy so much so that he bumped into him and fell back. The man smiled again and Luffy panicked. He immediately got back on his feet and ran to where he thought Law was.

"Torao!"

"Sir?" The man called.

"Stay away!" Luffy yelled and ran. "Tora-oof"

"Woah, what happened?" Law steadied Luffy by putting his hands on his shoulders when the younger collided right into Law who looked for Luffy when he started yelling.

"Sir, is everything ok?" Law looked at the store employee who Luffy was...running from? That might be correct seeing the way Luffy hid behind Law the moment the man appeared.

"Ah yes. We will look for stuff ourselves and bring it to the counter." The man left and Law turned and crouched to Luffy's level. "You ok?" Luffy just nodded and Law noticed the shaking. "Bad memories?" Luffy nodded again. "It's ok, I sent him away. Do you want to continue here or leave?"

"Come with me?"

"Ok." Law took Luffy's hand again and they looked through the shop together. Luffy liked a variety of stuff and colors, all of which Law was ok with buying but grimaced when he remembered he would be the one seeing bright neon colors when Luffy wore those shirts so he discreetly put those back.

Since Luffy was going to gain muscle and weight, loose pajamas and trousers were a safer bet than pants and Luffy agreed saying he didn't like pants either. Luffy hid behind Law again the entire checkout then held his hand when they left. Law put Luffy's hat back on his head so his hand could hold the bags.

Luffy didn't like closed toed shoes so they bought a couple of flip-flops for indoors only as Law continuously warned. Law chose some easy cotton sleepwear for Luffy because by that time, Luffy was starting to show early signs of tiredness.

"Get on." Law didn't want to do what he was doing but he couldn't have Luffy dropping unconscious in the middle of the mall, so he crouched and told Luffy to get on his back.

Luffy got on without a second thought and fell asleep sooner than that. Law sighed and headed back. Luffy kept talking about someone called Ace and Sabo again in his sleep but he was smiling this time so it must be a good dream.

"Oh boy." Shachi said when Law got back with shopping bags in his arms and Luffy on his back.

"Oh boys." Penguin snickered.

"Oh no." Bepo commented when he saw Law putting down the shopping bags and reaching for his shoe.

"Careful Law, you'll wake him up." Penguin said noticing Law about to throw his boot at them.

"Don't want that right-oh he's drooling on you." Shachi pointed and Law suppressed the cringe that went through him because he did not want to drop the kid as per his usual and first instinct.

"Go tell the cook to ready his meal." Law said instead jutting his chin towards Luffy, breathing through his nose to keep himself calm.

"What about you, Captain?" Bepo asked.

"Not hungry."

"Suimasen!"

"Oi oi! You can't do that all the time. Why aren't you hungry?" Shachi asked.

"I dunno. Don't feel like eating." Law answered and made his way to the infirmary to put Luffy down.

"Where are we putting these?" Penguin pointed to the clothes and Law stopped for a moment to think.

"Get one of the rooms clean. We'll give it to him once it's ready."

If Penguin and Shachi high-fived and cheered behind Law's back, he didn't hear. He made his way to the infirmary and finally put Luffy down, the act of which woke him up.

"We're back?" He asked rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Yeah." Law pulled his coat, mask and hat off and put them on the chair, turning to Luffy when he remembered something. "Go take a bath before your meal."

Luffy made a face. "I hate baths!"

"Shachi!" Law called and the guy appeared almost immediately.

"Yes boss?" He did a fake salute but eased up when Law glared.

"Clean him up."

"No!" Luffy jumped off the bed and started running but Law grabbed his arm.

"Yes. Cleanliness is part of the treatment."

"Then you do it. Not him."

"Pfff- sorry!" Shachi covered his mouth before any more sounds escaped that might want Law to decapitate him later.

"I'm tired. You can trust him."

"You can always take a bath with him Law." The words escaped Shachi before his brain registered that it would certainly spell his doom.

"He needs a warm bath and you guys have fished me out of the tub enough times to know better." Law said without malice which confused Shachi a little. Maybe Law was more tired than he was letting on. He didn't even have the energy to get mad. "Besides, I already took a bath this morning. It's enough to last me till the end of the week."

"But that's three days away."

"No need to unnecessarily waste water."

"You cat.”

"Orca."

"Alright. Come on kid."

"Go with him." Law said to Luffy.

"Fine." Luffy stomped his foot and headed for the bathroom.

"Shachi," Law called when Luffy was out of sight.

"Hmm?"

"Keep your eyes open for signs of panic."

"What? Did something happen?"

"He panicked in a store. I don't know what a bath might do."

"You got it."

"Thanks." Law said before leaving the infirmary ahead of his friend who was slightly surprised at the sudden honesty Law was displaying.

Law arrived in his room and the moment he closed the door behind him, his discomfort from earlier coupled with his tiredness and set loose the seal he had on his panic. Fumbling through his phone and looking for his headphones, Law put on the song that helped calm him down but he had played it three times and he still wasn't coming from that high. So he just let it go away on its own. He could hear a knocking on his door but didn't have enough stability to go and see who it was and what they wanted.

When he was heaving from the after effects of the panic attack, Law got on his feet and washed his face and made himself look like he was ok. The knocking came back and he went to open the door. It was Penguin.

"Oh." Somehow these idiots always understood that Law had a panic attack even if he hid it expertly. "Anyway, food's up."

"I'm not hungry." Law growled without meaning to.

"Yeah we don't care about those lies. Come on." Peng took Law's thin arm and led him to the infirmary, shoved him in. "Eat with him. Maybe you'd feel like eating then."

"Have you see how he eats? I will lose my appetite forever."

"Then tell him to slow down for his own good."

Law sighed and obliged just because he was too tired to go against anything at the moment.

Wait a second, are they taking advantage of that?

"Torao!" Luffy greeted, all clean and sparkling. Shachi did a good job.

Law only waved his hand as a way of greeting and sat down where his friends had set the table and picked up his spoon. Curry rice looked really appetizing, Law just wished he had enough of an appetite to consume it. Luffy had begun to eat his meal. "Eat slowly." When Luffy didn't show signs of slowing down, Law just stopped looking at him altogether and ate his own meal in his own space. He was hungrier than he thought because his hand wasn't stopping.

"You don't eat much." Luffy mused watching Law still at his first plate while Luffy had finished half of his entire food.

"Yeah..."

After Law was sure he wouldn't be able to put another bite in him, he pushed the plate to the side and watched how Luffy eyed it. It wasn't spicy or bad for health so he let Luffy have it.

While Law was waiting for Luffy to finish eating so he could take the plates back, his eyes went to Luffy's hat for a second and he remembered that it was prone to flying away so he grabbed it and sewed a string on two sides.

"Now it won't fly away." He handed the hat back to Luffy.

"Waaaa! Torao! Thanks!" Luffy grinned broad and free putting the string through his neck and letting the hat hang on his back. "This is so cool!"

Law didn't know if it was because he was tired from his panic or tired in general but Luffy seemed a really nice kid to him at that moment. Sure there were habits he would be happy without but the overall aura and persona of the boy, even though sick right now, was very warm and sunny, something Law needed in his life and could definitely get used to. He guessed the next few months won't be that much of a trouble to go through after all.

~

Chapter Text

~

"So none of us were dismembered, does this mean we're all safe?" Clione pointed two mornings after Law had collected the forms from the group.

"Or Captain hasn't read them yet." Shachi put in.

"Yeah he was out all day yesterday so maybe he didn't get the time." Uni wondered.

"That isn't like him, being lazy-"

"Who's lazy?" They all froze in their places, huddled in the small kitchen and looked at Law with a mix of horror and fear.

"Penguin!" Shachi screamed. "He still hasn't started cleaning a room for Luffy." Penguin gasped putting a hand on his chest, faking hurt.

"You haven't?" Law asked taking a step forward and all the guys backed up a bit, squishing the ones in the very back.

"I did! It's done!" Penguin waved his hands in defense. "Shachi is lying!"

Law just looked at them both then stepped forward again, and again, until he reached the coffee pot and took it out of its place, scaring the shit out of everyone in the process.

"No!" The cook swatted Law's hand and put the coffee back. "Eat proper breakfast."

"And puke that proper breakfast? No."

The cook didn't relent one bit and everyone switched looks of concern because, one, Law had probably just woken up, two, he was grumpy as fuck because he probably just woke up, three, he looked more tired than usual for having just woken up and finally four, Law didn't like being told to do things, especially those he didn't want to, especially when he had just woken up.

"Then no coffee either. Come back when you're hungry for food."

There was a collective shocked gasp from all the guys standing behind the cook. They all waited for Law to jump on the big guy and go absolutely feral without his morning coffee but that didn't happen.

"Fine." Law slumped his shoulders and walked off to the infirmary.

"Crisis averted?" Musta asked freeing himself from the squish-pit.

"For now yeah."

Shachi and Penguin shared a look knowing Law was tired and was probably having continuously bad attacks to make him this compliant. They both discreetly left the kitchen premises and went to the room Luffy was going to have since it was cleaned.

"Ok this is concerning." Penguin pointed.

"I don't think he's even sleeping, more passing out than actual sleep maybe." Shachi sat down on the bed sticking his tongue out to Peng when he made a face complaining about 'I just made the bed.'

"Yeah. And now he has no coffee."

"You think he's gonna down some spirit again?"

"Oh god I hope not." Penguin rushed out of the room with Shachi in tow and the two went to the infirmary ready to yank the bottle of spirit out of Law's hands but they found him squinting his eyes on the computer screen.

"Funny guys!" Luffy greeted and made to get out of bed.

"Stay the fuck there." Law warned from his seat, back turned to Luffy. All three didn't know who Law meant by that so Penguin and Shachi remained frozen but Luffy, who was most likely the person Law told to stay put, jumped out of bed.

"Torao imma go out!" Luffy said grabbing his shoes. Law didn't say anything which got the attention of everyone involved. He seemed focused on whatever he was reading. "Torao?"

"Would you like to paint?" Law asked suddenly. He had spent some time to monitor Luffy’s psychological behaviour and came to a conclusion that he was dyspraxic, dyslexic and most likely also on the spectrum of ADHD. He wanted to further his findings and was seeing what would help keeping his hyperactivity in check. So, he suggested painting.

"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "Ok!"

"Oi, conjoined twins." Peng and Shachi jumped at their mention and turned to Law. "Get him paints and paper. And a smock. And a sheet to spread under so there's no mess."

"Sure..." Penguin trailed.

"You're okay?" Shachi asked before he would leave with his friend.

"Just tired." Law replied and turned back to his screen.

The two left and Luffy abandoned his shoes in favor of getting to paint in a while. Law researched Luffy's conditions more thoroughly during the time it took his two friends to get back.

By the time both Penguin and Shachi got back with the painting supplies, Luffy had been forced to sleep because his fever returned from all of the excited jumping he was doing because he would get to paint.

~

"Welp, I tried." Law muttered under his breath and exited his room because he couldn't sleep and the one second he did sleep, he was woken up by very traumatic images. Everybody else was asleep so the whole building was quiet. Luffy, too, had been sleeping the whole day.

Fucking idiot. What did he think would happen if he continued to roam and jump around in a weakened state?! Law thought cursing.

He went in the kitchen feeling himself sort of hungry and roamed, opening the fridge, forgetting what he did that for, closing it, remembering what he was looking for and opening the fridge again with a sigh. He took out the wrapped onigiri plate and started munching on the snack.

The television was boring Law out of his mind and by the time he had finished his food, he felt slightly sleepy. Mentally thanking himself for the blanket he had the good foresight to bring with himself, Law readjusted himself so he was leaning on the arm-rest. Turning the T.V. off, Law welcomed the darkness and the quiet, dozing off sooner than he could realize.

Luffy stirred awake and rubbed his eyes with his right hand, a habit he made in the small time he had the grumpy teenager taking care of him and having a cannula in his left arm. Luffy wanted to know what time it was because it looked like nighttime. Everything was so quiet and he didn't like it. This felt like the same quiet that he endured back at that place and the reminder was not welcome.

Luffy got out of bed, itching his backside and stumbling in the dark. He took support from the wall and walked with small careful steps until he reached the living room. He didn't see anyone there so he thought he would try and find out Torao's room. Luffy was about to turn away but the sight of the T.V. captivated him. He didn't have one in the house he lived in with his brothers and it seemed like a very fun thing so Luffy was tempted for that adventure.

He walked a bit closer but stopped near the sofa when he saw someone was sleeping. He grinned when it became clear it was Law. Luffy tiptoed near the older boy to see if he could get under the blankets, remembering that Ace and Sabo always welcomed him under a shared blanket when Luffy had trouble sleeping. It was warm and safe so sleep came very easy like that.

Luffy was trying to be cautious but his hand grazed Law's arm that was protruding out of the sofa slightly. One moment Luffy is looking at a sleeping Law and the next his back is pressed on the sofa, a hand around his neck and another with a knife pressed close to the skin under his jaw, an intense feral gaze on him.

"Torao! It's just me!" Luffy said in attempts to get Law to release his hold. Law's eyes looked like some animal who is out to get angry revenge. He looked blind in rage and Luffy gulps thinking what might have happened to Law to cause such a look to come to his face and for him to react like that immediately out of his sleep at just a simple touch. And just as fast as it happened, it was gone.

"Sorry... I’m sorry." Law said calming down and lowering his knife and sighing before holding his head. "I’m sorry." But it seemed like he was apologizing for something else entirely.

"It’s ok. I think I shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Why're you up at this hour?" Law asked putting his knife back.

"You said to tell you if its starts itching." Luffy remembered scratching his back.

"Show me." Luffy turned around and Law lifted his shirt for a better look. The fungal infection was just starting to form, there were small bristles that Law knew he could control through proper medication. "Ok stay here, I will bring your medicine."

"Ok!"

Law went and got the topical spray for the fungus, sprayed it on and around the affected area and Luffy hissed at the burn. "It’s very small so there is no need for oral medication right now." Law informed Luffy waiting for the spray to dry and once it did, he pulled the shirt down. "You're good. Go back to sleep." Law said putting the spray bottle on the table and getting back under his blanket. He knew he won't be able to sleep but maybe...if he was warm enough he might doze off? Luffy started pulling at Law's blanket and made space for himself in it. "What're you doing?"

"Sleeping."

"Go sleep in your bed."

"I can't. Whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, Ace and Sabo always stay with me till I go back to sleep, so right now you’ll have to do." Luffy said with conviction, nodding in the end. Law rolled his eyes.

"I’m not your brothers."

"I know. But I’m sleeping here." Luffy said and leaned on Law's left side. "Good night Torao." he closed his eyes and was asleep in minutes. Law rolled his eyes and pushed Luffy up a little so he could readjust their position. Sleeping while sitting won't be good for Luffy in the morning. So Law grabbed a couch cushion and put it beside the armrest as a makeshift pillow, resting his head on it, laying down on his back and pulling Luffy's small light body over himself, spreading the blanket evenly. His put one of his arms around Luffy, resting his hand on his back while the other unconsciously patted the younger's head and Law swore he heard Luffy purr at one point but when the occurrence didn't repeat, he thought he had imagined it. His best friends would have quality teasing material in the morning but right now, Law wanted sleep and with Luffy's weight and unnatural warmth, Law was sure he could sleep.

And he did.

Because when he opened his eyes, he was met with light bouncing off the walls. The curtains were certainly pulled over the windows and the sunlight was peaking from the cracks. Law smiled to himself at the consideration of his friends but that soon turned into a disgusted frown when his eyes went south and he saw Luffy drooling a pool on his shirt. He looked cute with his small mouth parted and eyebrows flying freely till his hairline and small hands clutching at Law's shirt but it was all void because of the drool.

Law sighed loudly and retrieved his phone for the time and notifications and world news. He didn't want to get up. Frankly he was feeling somewhat nauseated because of all the panic attacks he had been having from the past few days.

There was the purring sound again that made Law shift his attention from his phone to the boy napping on him. Law realized he had been absently stroking Luffy’s head while reading the news and he found it immensely embarrassing. The older thought he would put Luffy to bed and made to do just that but the moment his hand went away from Luffy’s hair, the younger woke up, his hands on Law’s very sensitive ribs and his whole weight on his arms.

“It’s morning!” Luffy chirped, a bit too loud and cheerful for just having woken up. “Good morning Torao!”

“Good morning-oof!” Law doubled over in pain when Luffy just jumped on him and off the couch.

“FOOD!”

“Psycho devil.” Law wheezed out and got up from the couch and found Shachi and Penguin suppressing their laughter some ten feet away. “You both are dead.”

“You’re able to sleep like that Law, that’s a good thing, no?” Penguin pointed.

“Yeah never mind the roughhousing and the drool pool.” Shachi added.

“Fuck off, it’s too early for everything.” Law mumbled and went to the kitchen to get some breakfast too. Luffy was stuffing his face with pancakes, syrup all over his hands and all around his mouth. “Would it kill you to eat like a human being?”

“What would you like cap?” The cook asked before Luffy could respond with his mouth full.

“Poison.”

“That isn’t food.”

“Eggs. And milk tea.”

“That’s a good change.”

“I don’t feel like coffee today.”

“Coming right up.”

When Law had eaten and Luffy had…inhaled his breakfast, Law took the younger to the infirmary for his IVs and left for his room. He had to take a bath and wash his hat too, it had been accumulating germs for a while now.

Law was fondly washing his hat when it started triggering memories from when he first got it and what he had been through with his hat as his companion. The memories reminded Law of the task he had been putting off for days because it could trigger traumatic response, but since he was already getting panic attacks and nightmares…

Might as well.

Law quickly washed himself and his hat and got dressed in multiple layers, took his wallet and keys, pulled his masks and glasses on and headed for the door. He stopped for a few moments to really gather the courage to do what he was about to and almost backed out of it but-

“I wanna go out too!” Luffy jumped up and down.

“Who undid you IV?” Law raised an eyebrow.

“Your bear!”

“Grab your coat and outside shoes. Don’t forget the mask.” Law told the boy who went sprinting to get his stuff.

“Ok let’s go!”

They went out and Law immediately set the course for the flower shop. He bought a good ton of Queen of the Night, he was surprised a few days ago on a recon walk that they even had any because roses were not his style, and set course for the gravesite memorial stones the World Government had set up for the innocent victims of the amber lead genocide. Law knew he was going to go into a serious panic attack with the memories his hat triggered so he thought about why not get this whole thing over and done with. He had been lazying and slacking and putting this particular visit off for days but not anymore. It was time to put it all behind him.

When the two boys arrived at the location, Luffy looked around, his movement tugging at the hand Law was holding so he didn’t run off. The memorial stones were bluish in colour, seemed to be made of some shining stone, with names engraved in them, one stone for each family. Luffy looked at Law questioningly after the older did not move a single inch when Luffy tugged particularly hard. Law looked unusually tense and scared and angry and Luffy had never seen these many emotions in one person at the same time so he did not know what was happening.

“Stay close.” Law let go of Luffy’s hand and took a deep breath. Law let Luffy loose because he knew he had to do this alone and he began with the smaller stones, the names he knew, his friends and classmates that insisted Law go with them but he couldn’t because Lami was sick, the church sister that wanted to help him till the bitter end. Law placed one flower for each name at the foot of the stone before silently mourning a prayer and moving on. Luffy tried understanding what was going on, what Torao was doing but even to his naïve self, it felt too fragile a situation to disturb. Law looked like he was carrying rocks on his back and slowly he was putting each one down. It looked to Luffy that Law was getting less heavier the more he put down flowers.

Law was about done with the smaller stones and was about to move towards the biggest stone, his family’s but before he could really make up his resolve, he heard Luffy’s voice.

"Hey Torao! Why's your name here?!" Luffy called not being able to understand why the name that looked like the grumpy teenager’s was written on a stone. Law bit his lip to stop from tearing up, heading to where the younger was.

"My name is Law. Trafalgar is my family name." Law stated simply pulling his hat, glasses and mask off. They gave a whole stone to just the Trafalgars, the doctors that were fighting till the end.

"So are they your family? Why are their names here?" Luffy asked and if Law were to be honest, he was so numb in that moment that he wasn't paying attention to what was coming out of his mouth.

"These are for people who died. Everything you see in this country is new, a few years old. What was here before all this, I am from there. Last of the real ones."

"So these stones have names of the people of an entire country?" Luffy asked, trying to understand better.

"How many remained by the end...yes."

"Why isn't yours with your family then?" Torao remained by the end so shouldn’t his name be there too?

"Because I am alive and they're all dead." Law didn't know why he was saying all this, maybe it was because Luffy wasn't staying forever and would be leave in a few months so Law could confide in him. It was like talking to a stranger on a bus stop because you will never see them again. The same rationale applied to his confessions to the younger boy.

“Oh…” Luffy finally understood. The nice and grumpy but kind older boy, that helped Luffy, did not have a family anymore. It struck Luffy as extremely sad and unfortunate. Luffy was even sadder at the part that having lost his own family, Torao was going to help Luffy find his.

Law spotted a few vendors near the edge of his vision and pulled out some money. "Do you know how to handle money?" Law asked Luffy.

"Yeah, I’m not a kid Torao." Luffy said with a pout.

"You see those there? Get yourself whatever you want and get me something that isn't bread. Ok?" Law was not going to spill his guts with another human present in the vicinity.

"Ok!" Luffy eagerly took the money.

"And don't run. Take your time. The roads might be slippery." Law warned and watched Luffy walk slowly and carefully.

Law faced the stone with his parents' and sister's name on it and put his forehead against it. "I'm sorry." He didn't want to cry but it just happened. Was it because his face was hidden or there were no people to judge him or was it because this was the only real connection he had left of his real family, Law didn't know. He couldn't even speak through the thick sobbing, feeling guilt rack his body for being alive while everyone he knew was just a name on a stone. "I'm sorry for taking this long, mother, father, Lami." He put the flowers at the foot of the stone and wiped his face. "But I’m here now, to stay, probably. And I will have our revenge so don't worry about that." Law looked briefly in Luffy's direction and saw the boy thinking hard over what he wanted and smiled. "I wish you all could have met Cora-san, he's the real reason I'm alive you know. Lami you would've loved him, he would have taken you to all the festivals you wanted and bought you all the ice cream you could eat. I... I didn't appreciate him too though... and now he's gone too. Sometimes I feel like everything I touch dies... Flevance, Cora-san... you. Mother, Father, I want to be a doctor like you but forgive me, my life isn't the same anymore... I am still a doctor but I am doing things you won't be proud of so forgive me."

"Torao! They have so much food!" Law heard Luffy say in the distance and figured he barely had a minute left.

"Don't worry about me though, I have proper friends. They are nosy and sometimes complete assholes but they always mean well and even if I amputate one of them one day, they had it coming. I don't believe in an afterlife or that we have souls that will watch over the living when they're gone so I know I am just talking to a stone but...for a few seconds, I do want to believe that you watched over me and know that I am ok and that I still love you and miss you. And that I will remember you. Just for a few moments... I won't come here again though. Not to talk anyway. I hope you can understand that I want to move on. I will carry you with me all the time so don't worry about that too. I hope you're all in a better place now...even though I don't believe in that too...ok so I became an asshole, can you blame me? Though I hope I won’t have to stay like that for long." Law chuckled to himself looking at all the stones then fixing his eyes on his family's name, taking a deep breath putting his fist on the D. "A Trafalgar is still in the world and he's a D. No matter how long it takes, watch me bring up a storm." Law bumped his fist lightly on the family name once then turned his back and waved. "Goodbye."

~

Law was feeling exceptionally under the weather with panic and anxiety because of memories and trauma. The visit to the gravesite had done its job. He had told everyone to steer clear from him if they knew what’s good for them. He confined himself to his room where he was going in and out of panic and getting woken up from nightmares. His only solution was to let it happen and to breathe through it. He was all set in his weighted blanket but forgot to lock his door and that was the reason something happened.

Luffy was roaming the entire building wanting to do something or to see where Torao was because he hadn't seen him all day and odd as it was, he was missing his sour attitude. So Luffy decided he would go looking for him. Nobody paid the kid any mind except telling him not to over exert himself because he's been active all day. What everyone seemed to forget was to warn Luffy about not bothering Law.

Luffy eventually found the one room he hadn’t been into and silently opened the door. It was Law's room. Luffy stepped in quietly and Law was immediately aware that somebody had intruded. Luffy was small so he barely reached the top of the bed. He tiptoed to the opposite side of the bed and peeked. When his eyes met Law's angry scowl, he ducked to hide then peeked again.

"Get out." Law said from his cocoon, only his eyes visible.

"Are you sick?" Luffy asked still peeking. "You can have the rest of my jell-o, it will make you feel better." Luffy extended his hand with his yellow jell-o inside.

"I don't want your jell-o, get out."

Luffy pouted pulling his arm back and inhaling the jelly, putting the empty container and spoon on the table and trotting to the side of the bed Law was closest to. He climbed the bed and attached himself to Law in a hug.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Hugging you. So you'd feel better."

Law rolled his eyes and tried to wring himself free but Luffy's grip was too strong. He sighed and called for "PENGUIN!"

"Law! What's wrong!" Peng came running and worried because Law was in a really bad state of mind and him calling someone was not going to be good.

"Get this monkey off me."

"Sure thing. Come on kid, let him rest." Peng said and lightly pulled Luffy, who didn't budge.

"No!"

"Hey come on!" Peng pulled harder and harder still but it was like Luffy was attached to Law with super glue.

"Fucking forget it. Leave him." Law groaned. Law remembered that when Luffy had been allowed to walk, he had made a weird habit out of it that whenever he can’t sleep, he would find Law dozing off either in the infirmary or in the balcony or in the lounge and he would just sit beside Law and share that space, both sleeping peacefully because it kept the nightmares at bay. By that theory, there was no way Luffy was going to budge.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Peng left and Law sighed audibly. "Luffy-ya, get off this is very uncomfortable."

"But you look sick so you need a hug."

"This isn't a hug. You're more draped over me. Get off and get in the blanket." Luffy was off in an instant and burrowing in Law's blanket like a fucking mole. Law let the boy wrap his arms around him and in return, Law put his own arm over Luffy, pulling him close under the blanket. Law remembered that all the times he had let Luffy close, he was able to sleep peacefully. "Just mind your cannula."

"Nishishishi." Luffy laughed and scooted even closer. Law just smiled to himself as he felt the strong waves of sleep washing over him. Safety. It was safety that Law felt in the last moments of his consciousness before letting sleep take him over.

~

Chapter Text

~

Huffing, Law pulled off his coat and mask, immediately going to clean his hands. He had gone to visit the sick granddaughter of the librarian, to see how much she had improved and was glad to find that she was making a standard paced recovery. The young doctor put his things away in his room and ran his fingers through his hair, enjoying the peaceful quiet. It had been more than a few months, more months than Law had anticipated, since Luffy came into his care and it had never been this-

Wait. Peaceful quiet?

Law peaked in the infirmary and his patient wasn’t there or anywhere in the compound Law looked around at. He was overcome with a sense of foreboding, wondering if something befell the boy. He went to the lobby and found Uni there.

"Where's Luffy-ya?" Law asked Uni.

“Quiet, isn’t it?” Uni mused then replied, “Painting. In his room.”

Law slapped his forehead. He had searched the entire place except for Luffy’s room. Law was turning into an idiot and he blamed Luffy’s constant energy for it. To confirm Uni’s words, Law went to his patient’s room, the door was open so Law leaned to see what was going on. Sure enough Luffy was painting, his tongue sticking out and hands holding a dozen different brushes. But he was quiet. And still. Two things the boy never was every hour of every day. He even slept loud and restless.

Maybe Law had been staring for too long because Luffy eventually noticed and his face split into a grin. "Torao!! Look!" Luffy got up and grabbed Law's arm, dragging him to the paper he was painting on. "It's my pirate flag!"

"It's...creative." Law said not really sure how that distorted image was a skull and crossbones.

"Ace and Sabo have different ones!" Again with Ace and Sabo. Law rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of, I am going to need all the details of where you live so we can navigate a route to send you back when you get better." Law pointed and Luffy’s eyes lit up. "Do you know where you lived?"

"East Blue! Goa."

"How the fuck did you end up all the way in North Blue?" Law bit his tongue as soon as those words escaped him. "Never mind that." But the damage had been done. Luffy sagged in his place.

"I ran away..." Luffy said in a small voice. Law decided not to ask more about that and sat down beside Luffy, taking out a pen and paper.

"Ok so where in Goa? It's a big country." The older asked when Luffy started painting again, swinging his legs and humming a tune.

"I lived in Fuusha Village but then jiichan sent me to live with thugs after some time so... it's in bad parts of Goa but I dunno where." Law stared at Luffy.

Fuusha…?

Jiichan?

Thugs?!

"So is there someone we can contact and let them know or ask for directions?" Law tried again.

"You can call Dadan but nobody uses the telephone much and I dunno the number so..." Suddenly Luffy paled and Law thought it was a symptom of something but relaxed when Luffy continued. "Don't call jiichan please." Before Law could even think about this, Luffy started again. "Oh you can contact Makino maybe but I dunno her telephone number too."

"What's the fucking point in giving me this information then?!" Law cursed under his breath then something clicked. "If we reach the… Fuusha…? village, would you know your way from there?"

"Yeah! Makino has a bar! She'd be there!"

"Ok." Law got up and went to get Bepo to navigate a route for Fuusha.

~

It didn't take much for Luffy to convince Law to let him run and play around and Law was not the type of person who'd let someone healthy stay sick so he allowed it 'at your own peril' rule.

Law, Penguin, Uni and Luffy were walking one night. It wasn't past people's bedtime so there were still a few people out. Law wanted to gather enough steps to hatch the twelve kilometer egg, so he was constantly monitoring his progress on his phone screen. Penguin came along because he didn't want Law to go wander the streets alone. Uni tagged along because he wanted to go out for a walk. Luffy... Luffy just took any opportunity he got for going out. So they were all out, with no apparent destination in mind.

The air was chilly but Law found it mildly refreshing with Fall Out Boy blasting in his ears. He made sure everyone donned a few layers before they left. Law was occupied enough in his game and music to not notice that the two older boys were not in sight and Luffy was running around like an overjoyed puppy. Law stopped and looked around and spotted both Penguin and Uni in an alleyway, their backs turned towards the entrance. He sighed and stuffed his phone and earphones in his pocket and walked up to them silently.

"I would honestly be less angry if you both were jacking off." Law said, spooking the two who turned around and cursed. Law took the lit cigarette from Uni's hand, they hadn't had a chance to smoke it yet. "Go run seven laps in that park as a punishment." Law said pointing the way with the lit cigarette between his fingers. Both the boys groaned but complied. The moment they were gone, Law pulled his mask down and took a long drag of the death stick in his hand. He smoked the whole thing out in record time and extinguished the butt beneath his feet pulling his mask back up.

"Hey let go! Torao said I'm not supposed to go with strangers!" Law's ears strained when he heard his name and he immediately moved in the direction of Luffy's distressed voice. He saw three guys picking on the kid. One of them pulling Luffy by his arm, probably wanting to take him somewhere.

"He told you to let him go." Law said coolly, stopping directly in the range of the three men.

"Another pipsqueak. Lucky lucky!" The big guy grinned.

"You really have a knack for getting into trouble." Law told Luffy with a sigh.

"How is it my fault?!" Luffy asked trying to pry his arm free.

"Oi you brats-"

"What do you want with him? Where do you want to take him?" Law asked cutting the thug off by kicking his jaw shut.

"Why would we tell you?!"

Law rolled his eyes and brought his hands out of his pockets. "Because I am asking. Nicely." He then turned to Luffy and raised an eyebrow. "Did they say anything?"

"Just they wanted to try something."

"Sounds like drugs. Or pedophilia." Law turned back to the men in question. "Both of which I despise."

"Don't act smart, you're just a kid!!" Law readied himself to attack but Luffy beat him to it and kicked the man holding him hard in his shin and used the time frame it provided to free himself and uppercut the thug.

"See! I can fight!" Luffy boasted, showing Law his fist and Law scoffed.

"Don't push yourself, you're still healing."

"Law! What's happening?!" Hearing more voices, the men decided to scram but Law was not about to let that happen and threw his scalpel at the man's retreating figure. He hit the tendons near the feet and the man collapsed.

"Whatever you're trying or selling, get the fuck out of Flevance. This is your only warning." Law said and pulled his scalpel back. "Run."

"What the hell happened here?" Uni asked when Penguin and him caught up with the two.

"Luffy-ya was getting picked on." Law explained briefly, eyes scanning for the said boy. He found him crouched and holding his arm, where he was grabbed.

"Why is it hurting?" Luffy asked Law innocently pulling his coat sleeve up to look at the damage.

"Probably bruised. You're still healing, don't forget that." Law turned to Penguin. "Pick him up."

"I can walk!!" Luffy protested.

"I can't risk you falling and chancing more infections. So obey." Luffy grumbled but didn't protest actively and let Penguin carry him.

"Your egg hatched?" Peng asked when they started their way back.

"No. It can wait."

~

“Toraoooooooo!” Law’s eye twitched at the unnecessary elongation of his even more unnecessary nickname. He put his book aside and went to open his room door lest he risk Luffy running into it and start banging till Law opened it.

“What?” Law closed his eyes briefly, Luffy was wearing a neon yellow shirt.

Goddammit I thought I put all those back!

“I ran out of paints.”

“I will send someone to get you new ones.”

“Ok!” Luffy was about to run back to his room but Law stopped him.

“You have your last removal session today, you remember that right?”

“Yeah!”

Both the boys went their ways, Law to assign the errand of buying paints to someone and Luffy to his room to paint with whatever paints he had. When Clione had left to the market with a list of things to buy, Law went to the infirmary to prepare for the tattoo removal session. Luffy did well enduring the aftermath of the last few sessions and recovering from the procedure. Law was honestly surprised at the pace at which the young boy healed, it made Law want to experiment on him to determine the factors that led to Luffy’s remarkable inhuman healing.

~

“This last one will leave a small scar.” Law informed Luffy while cleaning the procedure site once the tattoo on the skin was completely removed and the skin was stitched close.

“I don’t care.” Luffy voiced and tried not to jump from the weird feeling in his leg the anesthesia always brought.

“Good.” They were both quiet after this, Law silently working on putting his tools away for cleaning and making sure no steps were left in the procedure or closing the site.

“Torao?”

“Hmm?” Law asked, his back turned to his patient.

“Can you teach me how to fight?”

“You already know how from the way you delivered that uppercut yesterday.” Law remarked facing Luffy properly.

“I wanna get better at it so I can fight off big guys too.”

“I am hardly a competent teacher in that field.” The older shrugged.

“You fought dozens of guys back on that island.”

“You mean decapitated.”

“Ok how about you just fight me once every day, I might get better like that.”

Law didn’t see any harm in that. “Works for me.” He picked Luffy up in his arms and sat him down in the wheelchair and pushed him out of the infirmary.

“See you’re a good guy!” Luffy chirped, grinning his trademark face splitting grin.

“All of this was on a whim.”

“Yeah but you did it anyway.”

“So I did.” Law agreed.

“I have to thank you somehow then.” Luffy thought out loud, putting his finger on his chin as if thinking really hard. “Makino taught me to thank people when they do something for me.”

“Just get better and go home.” Then Law thought of something better. “Maybe not drop out of school till high school. Complete your education, I’d consider that debt repaid.”

“Bleh! I can’t understand most of the stuff! Pick something else!” The younger twisted his neck at a weird angle to look back at Law.

“How about I teach you some basics and you can use those whenever you are stuck?”

“Can you teach in a way I would understand?”

“I will take that as a challenge and see where it takes us.”

“Good guy Torao, nishishishi!” Law just shook his head and risked a small smile.

~

“Dinner is ready guys.” The cook called everyone in the lobby and they all shifted to the kitchen in a civilized manner to fill their plates, letting their captain first and then their guest, Luffy. In Luffy’s company, Law had learned to eat more which was a miracle for everyone involved. Law piled meat and rice and potatoes on his plate and went back to sit in the lobby and Luffy followed him soon after with ten times the food Law had.

They were eating peacefully, everyone, then Law looked at Luffy chewing happily on the meat and he remembered something.

“I cheated you know.” Law confessed suddenly.

“Hmm?” Luffy asked around a mouthful.

"With the meat a few months ago, our bet. I intentionally gave you bad meat so you would have stomach problems and would listen to me."

Luffy's mouth fell open but he soon realized that he had meat in front of him now and maybe eating it any sooner would have caused problems because rehabilitation was difficult and Luffy didn’t know his limits so maybe Law being the doctor was right.

"Why did you tell me then?"

"It was weighing on my conscience." Law confided, taking a bite of rice with potatoes.

"See, you're not bad! I judged right."

Law hid his smile behind a spoonful, huffing through his nose. "I guess so." He said in a small voice, much for his own hearing.

~

“You sure you have packed everything?” Law asked one final time, loading everything in the car Penguin was going to drive to take both Law and Luffy to the airport.

“Yeah! I’m sure!” Luffy answered grinning. He was finally going back, he was ecstatic.

“Have you ever been on an airplane before?”

“Nope!”

“Oh god.” Law mumbled fearing for his sanity by the end of this trip. “You guys better not be skipping on your jobs and school while I am away.” Law warned his group. He had arranged what they had all written on their forms. Some of them had their shops, some worked for other people and some were going to school for their preferred choices.

“Yes sir!” They mock saluted and Law sighed.

“Ok let’s go.”

“We will miss you Luffy!” All the Hearts yelled, tears in their eyes, waving as the car drove away.

Penguin dropped Luffy and Law off at the airport and they went through all the immigration procedure. Luffy’s passport was made through back alley means because they didn’t have his legal documents with them at the time. Goa had an on-arrival VISA so that part was easily managed too. Tickets were also easy. The plane would first land at the Red Line International Airport and they would get a direct flight from there to Goa, a connecting flight.

Luffy had healed up quite well, his recovery was still going on but Law deemed it unnecessary to keep the boy with him any longer. It had been more than six months, it was time to let him go back. The said boy was all energy and sunshine when he learned he was going back but there was a period of time when he was excessively sad, Law wondered why that was but Luffy refused to let anything up.

They boarded the plane and Law let Luffy have the window seat. He put their luggage overhead and sat down and breathed a heavy sigh. It was twelve hours from Flevance International Airport to Red Line, Law wanted that to pass as quick as possible so he immersed himself in his medical readings. Luffy was busy being overjoyed by the scenery outside the airplane until it was time to get off and wait for the connecting flight.

Law made sure Luffy was fed and had gone to the bathroom on the airport before boarding for Goa, it was just four hours from Red Line and would pass in no time. From Goa, they took a bus to Fuusha village which was another two hours, then they were finally there. Law was tired from the travel but he wanted to get this over with so he quickly pulled Luffy’s luggage off the bus, he himself only brought a single bag pack because Law was going back immediately after making sure Luffy was with someone he knew so he didn’t feel the need to bring anything more than a few snacks and books to occupy time.

“Ok so we are at Fuusha. Can you lead the way?” Law asked once all the bags were unloaded and the bus had left.

“I have never been to the bus station.” Luffy said looking here and there.

“Let me check the Google maps then.” Law opened the maps and the area was not registered that well on the app. “We are going to do this old school I see. Stay here.” Law went to the police officer that was stationed outside the bus stop. “Excuse me, can you guide me to Makino’s bar?”

Law followed the directions he received from the officer and started the journey there. He could make out the bar from a distance. There was a woman outside, sweeping the floors, it was fairly early in the morning so she must be opening the bar. Was she Makino? Law didn’t have to wait to find out because Luffy ran. He ran like his life depended on it.

“MAKINOOOOOOOO!”

Law saw the woman go from scared stiff, to confused, to shocked, to bawling when Luffy landed on her, crying equally as hideously. Law sighed and picked up the bag Luffy had abandoned in favour of running to the woman.

“Luffy!” Makino cried and hugged the boy closer, she was at a loss for words and was glad that Luffy was finally home. Law made his way towards the woman and placed Luffy’s bag on the porch.

“I take it he’s safe now.” Law commented and Makino looked at Law. “Please do not hug me.”

“You brought him back?”

“Torao is a good guy!” Luffy answered for Law. Law patted the boy’s head and sat down to rest a little before he left.

“I only did what was right.” Law excused.

“Luffy just stay here I will call Ace and Sabo, they’re going to be so happy! Dadan was worried sick!” Makino ran inside the bar to call the said brothers.

“Torao you gotta meet Ace and Sabo!”

“Go help inside.” Law told Luffy and when the boy did go inside, the older put his bag inside the building and took his leave, silently.

“Torao! Ace and Sabo- huh, Torao?” Luffy searched for Law when he came back outside but there was no sign of the grumpy teenager. Did he leave? Luffy was furious that Torao left without saying goodbye-

“Luffy…?” All thoughts left the boy when he heard Sabo’s voice. “Luffy!!” The three brothers hugged and cried and all was ok in the world.

~

“Fleet admiral!” The soldier saluted to Sengoku, a report at the tip of his tongue.

“Report.” The older man allowed with the wave of his hand, sitting back in his chair with tea in his hands.

“A Trafalgar Law was spotted on the Red Line International Airport, getting off the flight from Goa.”

“Law?” Sengoku abandoned his tea. “Where is he now? Take him in custody but don’t be rough!”

“Yes sir we know, he is your grandson. Some soldiers were sent to retrieve him but he managed to defeat them. He was on the run when-“

“Oi Sengoku! Look it’s Rosi’s kid!” Garp barged in his friend’s office holding a very irritated and pissed Law by the back of his collar, suspended from the big guy’s hand.

“Let go of me old man!” Law kicked at the big man, trying to get free but to no avail.

“-when he ran into Vice Admiral Garp and got captured.” The navy soldier finished his report.

“Very well. Dismissed.” Sengoku told his soldier and he left with a bow. “Garp! Put him-“

Law stealthily brought out his scalpel that even the immigration officers didn’t detect and stabbed the vice admiral in his shoulder, making him loosen his grip and letting Law go. Law landed on his feet and adjusted his shirt and cleaned his weapon, putting it back, glaring at the big man.

“Ahahahahha!! He’s quite lively!” Garp laughed and tended to the wound.

“Our grandsons are a handful.” Sengoku sighed.

“Yeah that Luffy is raising havoc I’m sure wherever he is.” Garp seconded.

Luffy? So this is Luffy-ya’s jiichan?

“He’s back home.” Law informed and took a seat on the sofa, his arms spread on his sides on the back rest.

“Hmm?”

“Luffy-ya. He’s back in Fuusha.” Law repeated. “This was why I was there.”

“He was with you?” Sengoku asked, not understanding the situation.

“I found him in North Blue.”

“What was he doing in North Blue of all places?” Garp was shocked but laughed it off. “Hahahahahhaha! As expected of my grandson!”

“And where have you been? I have been trying to contact you for months.” Sengoku told Law, sighing.

“Man dammit this is bleeding a lot. Oi Sengoku, I am borrowing your nurse.” Garp said and made his leave before the other could respond. Law watched the man leave, satisfied that he needed professional help for a wound he inflicted on him.

“Where I was, is nobody’s concern but mine.” Law answered his grandfather. “Can I leave now? I have to be back at the airport for my flight.”

“Before that, there is something you need to listen to.” Law raised an eyebrow when Sengoku didn’t elaborate and got up from his seat and arranged a few machines on his table, put his hand on Law’s shoulder and left the office. Law was confused but he looked at the machines and found out it was a recording device. He was supposed to listen to the recording. He pressed play.

"Crackers." This was Sengoku, Law recognized the voice.

"Cookies." Law’s breathing stopped.

"Identification."

"Marine Code 01746. I‘m alive, dad."

“What? Rosinante! Is it really you?”

“Yes, I don’t have enough time, so please listen. I am stranded here and it would take me some time to get back, I can’t say where I am.”

“Give me some clue, I can send a ship, something-“

“Dad it’s dangerous. Anyway, are you recording?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to pass this on to Law.” Law bit his lip to keep himself from tearing up.

“I will make sure he listens to this.”

“Law, how are you? Are you eating well? Are you sleeping well? I hope I am not adding to your nightmares. I am alive, and well and I will find a way out of this mess soon so please don’t do anything stupid like plotting revenge or take on something bigger than yourself. Just wait for me to come back, I promise I will come back Law so please just… hang on. I am sorry I haven’t been there when you, no doubt, were having a hard time. But I will be with you soon! We can have ice cream and we can watch Doctor Who together again! Let’s build a life sized TARDIS too like we talked! Hey, are you a doctor now? Are you helping people in need? Who am I kidding, of course you would be helping people. My son is the kindest person I know. Listen Law, just keep on the straight path and I will find my way back to you. I promise. Aishiteru ze~!”

 Law laughed thickly through his tears and snot, knowing what kind of face his dad was making on the other end. He pressed the stop button and wiped his tears. His dad was stupid! Law stormed out of the office ignoring Sengoku, ignoring the numerous heads that turned because ‘the Fleet Admiral’s grandson was running in the halls and it looked like he wasn’t well.’

“You stupid dad! It’s already too late!” Law yelled in the air and made his way out of the navy headquarters.

It was already, too late.

~

Chapter Text

~

“Oi Luffy, take Nami up on her offer.” Usopp insisted walking behind his seventeen year old best friend.

“Yes please, I will drop you off.” Nami seconded.

“You will charge me more than my kidneys are worth.” Luffy deadpanned and crossed the road with his friends, bagpack hanging loosely off his shoulders. “I like to walk anyway.”

“Walk at the edge of the forest, with the sun setting. Luffy you will get kidnapped.” Usopp tried once again, panicking.

“I can fight now.” The boy commented, sort of annoyed at his friends for being so fussy. He was in his second year of high-school, he had taken that road for more than an year, he knew what he was doing. “Nami don’t you want to spend time with Vivi?” Vivi was their friend and the princess of Alabasta, that country still had the monarchy system in place, weird but who cares.

“I-“ That caught the orange haired third year off guard. “Fine.”

“Usopp, I will be ok. I have taken this road for the past year-“ Luffy addressed his long-nosed friend next.

“But there wasn’t a serial killer on the loose before. I swear if Zoro was here, he wouldn’t let you do anything like this.”

“What are you saying, that muscle-head would join Luffy.” Nami corrected.

“Did Ace or Sabo put you guys up to this? I know they are very persuasive when they get overprotective.” Luffy narrowed his eyes at the way both his friends avoided looking at him at the mention of his brothers. “I can’t believe it.” Luffy huffed and walked faster to deliberately leave both his friends behind.

Ever since Luffy went missing for those two and a half years, Ace and Sabo had been overly protective of their youngest sibling. They won’t let Luffy go alone anywhere. The starting few months were hell when Luffy wasn’t allowed to even go anywhere. Then when the immediate sense of danger had passed and the brothers realized that nothing of the sort was going to happen again, they relented but stooped to following Luffy to places, which was embarrassing and annoying for the youngest. Now, they were bribing his friends or seniors to keep an eye on Luffy and accompany him if he looked like he was going to travel alone.

“Oi Luf-“ Usopp tried once more.

“Don’t follow me.” Luffy called and started his sprint to the forest path. Everyone was right that it was dangerous with a serial killer on the loose ‘apparently,’ it was not proven, somebody just kicked up the rumors for fun probably, and Luffy wasn’t the type to get scared by a threat that was yet to be proved.

Luffy hummed to himself walking at the edge of the forest, it was calm tonight. They stopped living in the bad parts of Goa when Luffy came back and the three brothers shifted to the comparatively better parts. That society even had a hospital at the other end.

The sun was indeed setting and the sky was getting darker. Luffy was tired today because of all the running in P.E. and not enough food after it. He had half the mind to stop at the restaurant Sanji worked at, on his way back but Sabo was cooking meat five ways and Luffy wanted to be there as soon as possible.

~

“Yeah yeah I know, I’ll be careful.” Law rolled his eyes at the concern Penguin voiced through the receiver of his phone.

“And if by any chance you meet Luffy-“

“I am not here for old platonic relationships.”

“You didn’t have to specify the kind of relationship.” Penguin laughed.

“You would have misunderstood on purpose if I hadn’t.”

“Goa is a big place Law.”

“I am aware. Can I go now? My client will be here in another two hours and I have to set up the lab.”

“Ok ok, bye and be careful.”

“Yes mom.” Law joked and stuffed his phone in his hoodie pocket and got in his car.

Trafalgar Law was a black market doctor and organ dealer. Best in his field. Nobody like him. In the underworld, he went by ‘The Surgeon of Death,’ an epithet given by his peers that didn’t know his real identity and because he performed surgeries on patients that even Death had to withdraw its hands. Today his patient was a man of influence that got shot in the leg and didn’t want other parties knowing so he arranged a meeting with the Surgeon of Death on a short notice. Goa was his choice of location. Law's friends didn't know what he did, expect of course Penguin, Shachi and Bepo.

Law had lied to Penguin when he said two hours, it was actually still a whole day till his client would be here so Law had plenty of time to go by his routine checks. His lab was set up in a house, in the basement in the good parts of Goa, near the actual hospital so nobody would question the stench of blood or a stray ambulance. Law took the forest route because it was fast and quiet and there would be less traffic of people to spot him.

Law was driving at a hundred and twenty kilometers per hour because the road was empty. He was not at all anticipating a hitchhiker to suddenly jump in front of his car so that he would have to slam the brakes and get off the road for his car to stop in time. But that happened.

Who the fuck?!

“Do you know what you’re doing?! Are you fucking insane?!” Law yelled getting out and giving this idiotic stranger a piece of his mind.

“Nishishishi, but you stopped so it’s ok.”

Nishishishi? Oh for fuck’s sake…

Law slapped his forehead and took a deep breath to calm himself down. In front of him stood Monkey D. Luffy, Law came to that conclusion the more he looked at him. The same strawhat, the same scar under the left eye, the same fashion sense of a shirt and jorts and the same nonsense fashion sense of wearing flip flops outdoors. And the face matched the picture he would often see in the newspaper.

“Drop me home ok?” Luffy said and went to sit in the car, just like that. Law found it odd that Luffy didn’t recognize him but then again, Law had changed a lot too and didn’t have many trademark features.

“Overbearing idiot.” Law mumbled under his breath and got in his car, ready to drive. “Where do you live?”

“I’ll guide you, you don’t seem like you live here.” Luffy’s intuition was sometimes so on point, it had Law scared.

“What about you? Shouldn’t you be careful, who you get in a car with at night? You could get kidnapped or I could be a serial killer.”

“Take a left here.” Luffy guided and Law turned. “Nah, that happened once but I’m stronger now. I can kick butt.”

“I know, you’re Monkey D. Luffy. I have read about you.” Law pointed, playing with the boy to see how far he can go before Luffy remembered.

“What about me?”

“You are in the news sometimes for showing some bad guys their place. Like, who was that? Ah yes, Arlong. It was pretty admirable.”

“He was hurting my friend, I had to do something.”

“Fair enough.”

"Nice tattoos! My brothers said tattoos mean something! What does yours mean?" Luffy pointed all excited, almost taking Law's hands off the steering wheel.

"I'm not telling a stranger." Law snapped and swatted at the teen's hands with one hand.

"You know my name, and soon you'll know where I live, I'm not a stranger to you."

"Then again, I really could be a serial killer." Law chuckled. "I could take you to my lair and carve out all your organs."

After having heard those words and that oddly familiar way of chuckling, Luffy couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this person. “Hey do I know you? You seem familiar. Oh take another left at the signal.”

“You tell me,” was all the hint Law dropped and followed Luffy’s directions, coming up at a lane of buildings with apartments.

“Yeah you can drop me off here.” Law stopped the car and let Luffy off in front of one of the buildings. “Thanks. Here.”

Law took the paper the kid was handing him. “A coupon?”

“Yeah for my friend Franky’s workshop, he can fix your car.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my car.”

“You drove it off the road when I jumped in front of you.” Luffy pointed. “Have him see it for any damages and show him this coupon, he would know I gave it to you so you will get two special discounts!”

He still speaks a lot.

“Uh ok, thank you.” Law said and when Luffy had started walking to a particular building, Law called, “hey, never thought I would meet you again like this,” Luffy turned at the mention, “Mugiwara-ya.” But before Luffy could wonder on the words, Law left only to apply emergency breaks on the second turn and slam his head on the steering wheel.

I got dragged in his pace again!!

~

“Hmm, weird. I swear I know that guy.” Luffy talked to himself, walking up the stairs to the apartment he shared with his brothers.

“Luffy who was that that dropped you off?” Sabo asked from the kitchen.

“I dunno. I hitchhiked.”

“You what?!” Ace started.

“And stop paying my friends to look after me, they do that without your interference anyway.”

“We are worried-“ Sabo justified.

“I know but I can take care of myself. Let me breathe.” Luffy went to his room and put his bag aside and went back to join his brothers in the kitchen. “Where’s the meat?”

“In the oven, another five minutes.”

The brothers ate in as much peace as was possible for these three brothers on the dinner table. Luffy helped clean the dishes without breaking them, which was a feat in itself. After Ace and Sabo made sure Luffy had done his homework, the three went to sleep.

Luffy was always a fast sleeper and a deep sleeper at that but today he was restless. The object of his sleeplessness was none other than the man that dropped Luffy off at home. Luffy kept tossing and turning trying to remember where he knew the mystery man from and his brain wouldn’t shut up about it and he thought he was getting a fever from all the thinking. Luffy looked at the clock and it read three a.m.

The man had spiky midnight blue hair, his eyes were golden, he kept grinning and smirking and he called me ‘Mugiwara-ya.’ And he was dressed in a yellow hoodie and his car was also yellow. Geez that guy had an obsession with yellow. And that cynical way of chuckling... Now who do I know who is like that…

Then it clicked and Luffy let out the realization louder than he had intended and anticipated.

"IT WAS TORAO!!"

"LUFFY SHUT UP!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP LUFFY!" Sabo and Ace screamed simultaneously from their rooms when Luffy's declaration woke them up.

~

“Franky!” Luffy called his mechanic friend the next night, appearing at his workshop. “Fu-ra-n-kiiiiiiiii!”

“Luffy-bro, what’s up?” The said hulking man walked out from inside his shop, cleaning his grease filled hands on a rag.

“Did a tall man come by in a yellow car?” Luffy asked, urgency in his tone.

“Not yet. Why?” Franky raised an eyebrow when the boy in front of him deflated.

“I even gave him the coupon.” Luffy pouted and mumbled under his breath. “Ring me if he comes ok? Byeeee!”

“Man that boy is a superrrrr storrrm.” Franky shook his head fondly and resumed his work.

“How can I find him? How to find him?” Luffy talked to himself walking towards Baratie, where his friend Sanji worked.

"You look awfully preoccupied." Sanji called when Luffy almost crashed in the door.

"I'm trying to find a way to find Torao." Luffy confided and went to the back of the kitchens in the restaurant with his friend where he always had a special seat just for Luffy.

"Torao? Is the same Torao from your childhood." Sanji asked, interested. "The same Torao you might have feelings for?" He grinned around his cigarette.

"I have feelings for all my friends." Luffy responded, confused at the way Sanji slapped his forehead and mumbled a 'I didn't know what I expected.'

"But this is the same Torao?"

"Yeah. I hitchhiked yesterday and realized later that it was Torao. Now I wanna see him again."

"I haven't known you to actively seek someone out on your own." Sanji pointed and grinned in that way again. Luffy honestly didn't know why his friend did that.

"I wanna give him a piece of my mind! You know when he dropped me off all those years ago, he left without saying goodbye! Who does that?!" Luffy let out the real reason for his frustration and inhaled the meat Sanji put in front of him.

"You don't say goodbye too you know."

"But I always say a 'see ya again.' Torao sent me inside Makino's bar to help and just vanished by the time I got back. He didn't even say a 'see ya again.'"

"That was just rude." Sanji agreed.

"I know right! So I wanna see Torao again! I have lots to tell him too!"

"Hmm." Sanji finally lit the cigarette. "Well if you will it enough, you just might meet him again soon." Just at that, Luffy's phone rang.

"Yo, Sabo." Luffy started.

"We are going to the hospital to get a refill on Ace's narcolepsy meds, wanna come with?"

"Ok! Pick me up from Baratie."

"I'll ring you when we're there." Luffy put the phone down.

"Oh did you get to see Zoro today? I rang him but he didn't pick up." Luffy asked eating more of the meat and potatoes.

"Yeah, apparently Mihawk isn't letting him drink until he masters a sword technique and that's taking a toll on him. He's all sober and melancholy." Sanji snorted.

"Man his dad is tough. I'll go see him tomorrow."

"Do that."

Luffy's phone rang again. "Sabo's here, gotta go." The younger said and got up.

"Wait, I'll pack you something." Sanji got busy putting a lot of stuff in a lot of boxes and handed them to Luffy at the door of the restaurant, waving him and greeting his brothers a goodbye.

"But we didn't need to visit the hospital for another two weeks." Luffy recalled munching on the food Sanji gave him, defending everything from Ace. Ace was narcoleptic, Luffy was dyspraxic so only Sabo drove.

"The doctor called, he wants to refill sooner because he's leaving town for a while." Sabo answered.

"Man I wanna go out of town too." Luffy wondered absently.

"Absolutely not!"

"Not alone your ass won't!!" Sabo and Ace screamed at the same time, again.

"You guys are being idiots again." Luffy pouted and opted to look out the window instead of listening to his brothers' lame reasoning for Luffy not to be alone. They were nearing the hospital and the houses started getting smaller. It was all very boring.

Until Luffy spotted it.

A yellow car. The yellow car!! The same yellow car Torao was driving yesterday!!

"Stop here!!" Luffy yelled and was out of the car the moment Sabo slammed the breaks.

"Luffy what the-"

"I'm getting off here." Luffy cut Ace off at the question. "I uh, I forgot I have homework to do."

"Try again." Sabo raised an eyebrow.

"I can't explain right now! I gotta go!" Luffy jogged without moving, eyeing the car to make sure it stayed in its place. "I gotta meet a friend!"

Sabo and Ace looked at each other and had a silent conversation with their eyes until Ace relented and Sabo sighed.

"Ok fine. But let us know you're ok every hour via text." Sabo said.

"Yeah and a picture!" Ace called from behind.

"Ok! Ok! I gotta go!"

"Go then." The moment Luffy ran, the brothers made sure Luffy was ok before driving off to the hospital. "That was very weird."

"Do you think he has a girlfriend and is hiding from us?" Ace asked.

"Luffy can't lie so I don't think but if it really is a girlfriend, I hope he can trust us enough to have her meet us."

"Yeah man."

Luffy ran across the road and towards the yellow car. It definitely was the same car as yesterday but where was the owner. Luffy looked at the house the car was parked in the driveway of and it looked abandoned. Luffy knocked on the door regardless, endlessly but nobody showed up so Luffy went around back and saw a door that led to the basement. He was about to open it when he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and a blade being put on his shoulder, really close to the skin of his neck.

"You have three seconds to explain who you are and what you're doing here."

"Torao!!" Luffy turned around mindlessly and cut his neck on the blade in the process. "Hey it's really you!! Your hat is back!"

“Luffy-ya?” Law looked at the teenager and recognized him without the moonlight as a guide, Luffy also wasn't wearing his strawhat today so that made recognizing him from the back a little difficult.

"Ack!" Luffy realized a little late that he had cut his neck. His hand went to the skin to stop the bleeding.

"Oh god you still have no sense of self-preservation." Law commented, annoyed. "Come on, I'll treat that." He offered Luffy a hand and the younger took it with his signature million megawatts grin.

"Nishishi, just like old times!!"

"You're fucking bleeding from your neck and have the audacity to laugh! Be sober for once! Kikoku is very sharp and often times poisoned!" Law scolded, putting Kikoku back in the sheath and going inside the apparently abandoned house.

"Why didn't you go to Franky to get your car fixed? I even gave you his coupon." Luffy asked as he was sat down on the counter in what seemed like a kitchen. "Torao you're very bad at keeping your house clean."

"Stop talking, you'll bleed more." Law called from the floor where he was crouched to get the first aid kid from a cabinet. "I don't live here so I don't feel the need to keep it clean."

Law spread open the box and pulled Luffy's hand away from the wound, injecting anesthesia carefully so the bleeding would stop. The cut wasn't very deep but Law still felt the need to put dissolvable stitches because knowing Luffy he would definitely open a normally wrapped wound.

"I didn't go to your friend's because my car is ok and I am here strictly on business, I have no time to waste on material things." Law explained working on the cut. Luffy swung his legs on the counter and Law had to stop his job to glare at Luffy to stay still.

"So you're not staying long?"

"No."

"So you planned on leaving without saying hello and goodbye if I hadn't happened on you yesterday?"

Law took a deep breath. "Yes." Law sighed at the obvious displeasure taking over Luffy's face. "Listen-"

"You left without saying goodbye that time too. What kind of a jerk does that? I was with you for more than six months, you could have stayed for a minute more and said goodbye." Luffy spilled boring holes at the side of Law's head, making his stop in his task again.

"I don't do goodbyes."

"Then a 'see ya again' would have been ok."

"Can I finish patching your dumb ass or would you like to keep talking and bleed all over this place?"

"Crap." Luffy realized and paled.

"What?" Law did not like the way all the color suddenly left Luffy's face.

"Ace and Sabo are going to be even worse if they find this out!!" Luffy panicked pointing at his neck.

"Don't show it to them then. Prop your collar up, I'll put a discreet dressing." Law offered.

"Thanks Torao." Law relaxed when Luffy let out the stiffness and the older was able to work again.

"Ok I'm done. These will dissolve themselves in a few days so don't touch the dressing and definitely don't make random head movements." Law told Luffy packing his things and washing his hands.

"So-"

"I have a client coming over in less than an hour and I want you out of here."

"I'm not leaving! I have loads to talk to you about!!" Luffy pouted almost angrily.

"I don't have time to indulge you."

"Then I'm really not leaving."

Law knew how stubborn Luffy got whenever he wanted something and there was no way he would back off without either getting what he wanted or a reasonable negotiation.

"How about I meet you at Sim's Cafe tomorrow night and answer your questions?" Law offered, defeated.

"That's in the really good parts of Goa."

"Yes or no?"

"What time?"

"Around midnight."

"I'd be asleep."

"Nine then, your majesty?" Law rolled his eyes.

"Works for me!!"

"Good."

"And if you are not there and I find that you left without a 'see ya again', again, then Torao I will come to Flevance and make you answer me, I don't know how but I will come!" Luffy threatened.

"I'll let Peng know that I'll be arriving back a day late."

"Gimme his number. Gimme your number."

"Not happening."

"Torao!!" Luffy pouted.

"Not even your cute- monkey face can make me give you my contact information." Law mentally questioned himself on what he was about to say. Luffy pouted more then grinned.

"Ok then! See ya tomorrow Torao!" Luffy hugged Law and the older was very numb in his brain from this small an encounter with Luffy so he let it happen.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

"Bye!!" Luffy saved all his questions for the meetup the next day and left.

Law cleared the space and shook his head smiling fondly at how he felt like a storm had touched him and left him winded and he had only been in Luffy's sunny presence for twenty minutes.

When Luffy arrived home, he was, for once, not questioned by his brothers. Not immediately. Luffy went through the living room to go to his room and Ace was there, watching TV.

"How did it go with the doc?" Luffy asked by the way, stopping behind the couch.

"Refills and a new date for appointment." Ace answered boredly and turned to look at his brother. "Hey what's that on your neck?"

Luffy’s hand immediately went to his dressing and he tried to hide it to the best of his shit-liar ability. "Nothing."

"Luffy." Sabo warned also appearing in the living room. Luffy wondered where he was hiding.

"It's nothing! I'm ok! Promise! Ok! See ya both tomorrow! Good night!!" Luffy ran to his room faster that he comes out of it for breakfast. Both the brothers heard a click of the lock and faced each other again.

"He never locks his door." Sabo pointed.

"Was that a hickey?" Ace brought the question to words and Sabo cringed. "Man he definitely has a girlfriend."

~

Chapter Text

~

"Zorooooo~" Luffy sang to wake his friend up but when the man didn't budge, Luffy brought out his semi-permanent marker and began drawing a mustache and beard on his face, one exactly like his father's.

"Oi Mugiwara, any luck-pfft!" Perona, Zoro's adopted sister laughed at the result when she walked in on Luffy turning Zoro into Mihawk. "We're both adopted but he does look like Mihawk."

"Maybe you got the creeps and Zoro got the looks?" Luffy pointed since Perona was just as goth as her dad.

"So even you can't wake him up." The goth girl pointed sitting down beside Luffy.

"Oh I haven't tried properly." Luffy grinned mischievously and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Zoro, Sanji said you can't defeat him-"

"Where is that curly-brows?! I can kick his ass!!" Zoro roared standing up and looking around then his eyes went to his sister and Luffy. "Witch." He said to Perona then turned to Luffy. "When did you get here?"

"Half an hour ago. Wanna hang out?"

"I'm on house arrest."

"He's grounded." Perona put it easier.

"Why?" Luffy asked the sister.

"He got caught sneaking sake after dad told him he isn't allowed."

"Right, your new sword skill. Sanji told me."

Zoro sat back down and rubbed the back of his neck and yawned. "So how's school?"

"I'm going to order pizza, I'll call you when it's here." Perona said and left.

"Thanks!" Luffy called and scooted closer to Zoro. "School's ok, some things are difficult, some are easier."

"How's school without us?" Zoro grinned.

"Boring. I don't get into as much trouble. It makes Ace and Sabo happy but man, school's boring."

"Drop out then." Zoro suggested, falling backwards on the bean bagged chair he dragged behind him and threw one at Luffy who also sagged in it.

"Nah, I made a promise not to- oh yeah! You know Torao's in Goa!!" That got Zoro's attention. Torao was someone Luffy had talked a lot about to all of his friends and they all sensed something was up with the way Luffy talked about him.

"Did you meet him?"

"Yeah! Yesterday! Zoro he got so tall! I can barely reach his shoulder! At first I didn't recognize him because I dunno, I blame it on the hat, he wasn't wearing his hat, but then I recognized him and you know he was going to leave without saying hello!"

"What a jerk." Zoro said.

"Yeah! But then I made him agree to talk so I'm meeting him today again!"

"Excited?"

"Yeah! I have loads to tell him!"

Zoro put on Street Fighter and handed a controller to Luffy and while he was absently looking here and there, Zoro spotted the band-aid on Luffy's neck. "What happened there?"

"I accidentally cut myself." Luffy answered and turned all his attention to the game. He could barely concentrate on the game with the time ticking towards when he's supposed to meet Law.

Zoro and Luffy played a lot of games and when Luffy was sure Zoro was feeling better, he decided to take his leave. Luffy's bedtime was eight p.m. He would have to get out of the house without raising suspicion on himself or he would have to sneak out without his brothers knowing.

It turned out that Luffy would have to do the latter because his brothers both also went to sleep at eight. Luffy carefully jumped from his window, it was just one floor above ground, and stopped to listen to any sounds from inside the house. When all was quiet, Luffy started his walk. The cafe Law suggested was in the really good parts of Goa so Luffy had quite a long walk ahead of him and he sort of wanted to arrive early so he didn't miss any time with Torao.

Luffy turned the corner of the street the cafe was on and spotted Law going inside the cafe. It was still half an hour earlier than their meetup time.

Why is Torao early? Wait, I'm early too.

Luffy sprinted to the cafe and saw Law take a window seat. With a devious grin on his face, Luffy walked to that window and stuck himself to it, waiting for Law to notice.

Law liked being early to places. He had intended on going through a research article in the cafe by being half an hour early to the place. He parked his car a street away from the cafe and walked to the establishment.

"May I take your order sir?" A waitress asked.

"I'm waiting for someone." Law answered and the woman left. He opened the journal and began reading the article. A few minutes passed and Law couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He turned his head to look out the window to see if he could spot something but instead received a mini heart attack and jumped in his place. "Fucking-"

"Nyahahahhahahahahahhahaaa!!" Luffy laughed at Law's face and made his way inside the cafe. People looked at Luffy like he had grown six heads. Luffy with his fashion sense and Law with his aesthetic, both looked out of place and not for the really good parts of the town but the cafe can't kick out customers. Law smirked. This was exactly why he chose this place. Stick it to the rich pricks. "Gotchaaa!!" Luffy greeted and sat himself in front of Law.

"Caught me off guard more like. I was not scared." Law pointed trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Sure Torao, whatever you say." Luffy grinned eyeing the menu. "Why're you early?"

"Why are you?"

"I asked first."

"I thought I could read in peace." Law said with a roll of his eyes, closing the journal with a huff. "That certainly won't happen now."

"I didn't wanna miss the time so I left early. The walk is kinda long."

"Oh yes, dyspraxia."

"Yapp."

"Order what you want, it's my apology treat for leaving without a goodbye."

"Ok!!" Luffy ordered when the waitress came again and she gave Law nervous looks when Luffy kept ordering. Law just shrugged.

"I'll have black milk tea, no sugar, and house special cookies. Gluten free." Law ordered.

"Coming right up." The lady said and went behind the counter.

"Tea? Weren't you always drinking coffee?" Luffy asked.

"Changed that. Coffee isn't that good for the system. Milk tea and cookies are a good combination, you can take a taste from mine." Law shared. "Ok so you can ask me your questions until they kick us out or you've run out of them."

"Are you really a serial killer?" Luffy asked right off the bat and Law raised an eyebrow. "Everyone keeps talking about a serial killer and then you're here at the exact same time and you're even saying that you could be one."

"Oh no, my secret is out. I didn't know people in Goa could sniff out a few dead bodies this quick." Law said with very obvious fake worry.

"So you're or you're not? Torao be clear." Luffy pouted.

"I'm joking. I'm not a serial killer. I'm something worse."

"How's a doctor something worse?"

"I'm not a typical doctor." Law pointed and watched Luffy's face shift to a frown.

"Right you must be in the black market then."

"How the fuck-"

"You seem like the guy."

"HOW THE FUCK-"

"I can tell things about people sometimes." Luffy shrugged and fidgeted in his place.

"Your intuition is scarily on point sometimes." Law commented putting his research journal aside to make room for the numerous food items Luffy ordered. When the waitress had finally brought out everything, she took her leave before Luffy ordered something else. Law discreetly snapped a picture of the table and sent it in the group chat he shared with Penguin, Bepo and Shachi with a caption 'he still eats this much.'

He shouldn't have done that because not a minute passed and his phone started ringing. Law hit the ignore button and went to the chat to tell his friends that he won't be attending the call.

"Who're you talking to?" Luffy made conversation stuffing pie in his face.

"Peng was calling." Law scowled. "Now they're demanding a picture."

"No worries." Luffy snatched Law's phone from his hands before the older could protest and snapped a photo of them both in the frame. "Imma send it."

"Wait!"

"Sent." Law took his phone back and groaned looking at the picture. Luffy was grinning and Law was flipping the camera off. It was an ok picture. Before there could be any more calls or messages, Law turned his phone off and put it aside.

"Go ahead with your questions." Law allowed dipping his cookies in the tea and enjoying the treats.

"What made you get tattoos?"

"Pass."

"Piercings?"

"Pass."

"Toraooooo answer the questionnnnn!" Luffy pouted, again.

"I didn't say I would answer any personal questions." Law said dipping another cookie till it was softened by the tea.

"Stingy."

"What about you, how has your health been?" Law decided to ask some questions of his own.

"Great!" Luffy began stuffing his face again and Law took this time to properly look at the younger. The past two meetings were in barely enough light so now that he could actually see Luffy in the cafe light, Law paid attention to everything.

Luffy was lean but built strong. He was still wearing sleeveless hoodie and jorts and his arms and legs that could be seen, Law noticed how his bones were sticking out but the muscle mass was providing more than structure, he was thin but his muscles were strong.

Law scanned Luffy for any signs of any illnesses that remained because of malnutrition but found none too obvious. Luffy looked healthy. That was a proud moment for Law.

"Are you going to school like you promised?" Law remembered.

"Yeah, I'm in my second year of high school. School's a bit boring now that some of my friends have graduated but I still find ways to cause trouble. Nishishishi."

"Causing mayhem wherever you go huh." Law shook his head. "Good job not dropping out though."

"I promised." Luffy ate another piece of meat then asked Law. "Hey are the funny guys doctors now? And your bear?"

"They have their boards coming up for specializations. But yes they're doctors now and working at Flevance General."

"That's so cool! If you weren't a black market doctor you four could be working together."

"Please don't say black market so casually." Law warned sighing. "And that particular field is fun in a twisted sort of way. Imagine a mafia boss wanting a heart transplant, the amount of leverage I have over them is just amazing." Law found himself saying without really meaning to, questioning why he did so as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"Would you be like that when I become a mafia boss too?" Luffy asked innocently.

"First, you don't strike as the mafia boss type. Second, have your own doctor. Third, if you do happen to be my patient again, I will charge you more than all your organs are worth so don't sustain those kind of injuries and don't come to me."

"Wow you're mean now." Luffy remarked. "A mean black market doctor."

"I never said I was nice."

"You patched this up, you're still a good guy." Luffy pointed to the band-aid on his neck. Law chose to ignore any answer that came to his tongue and sat in silence, trying to enjoy his tea. Luffy also silently ate until they were both just sitting in silence, food long gone.

"Excuse me sir, we are closing." The waitress came to announce to both the boys and they noticed that they were the only ones still in the cafe. She silently put the charges sheet on the table and left.

Law paid at the counter and walked out with Luffy who looked troubled for some reason.

"Remember, your stitches will dissolve on their own. Wait, let me check actually." Law said and peaked under the band-aid. "It's all good. They will dissolve in two days."

"Thanks."

"Can I drive you back?" Law offered.

"Nah I will walk."

"Ok."

This was awkward for both the boys. They wanted to go their separate ways but it felt too odd to do just that. Law walked to his car with Luffy in tow, both silent.

"When will you be back?" Luffy asked stopping Law.

"No idea. I had a client that decided Goa so I was here, I don't know when that will happen next or if it ever will."

"That sucks."

"Take care Mugiwara-ya."

"Yeah. You too." Luffy looked awfully sad and bummed out about the goodbye. Law rolled his eyes. He did not want to part like this, Law didn't want to admit it but this would weigh on his conscience.

"See you again someday." That cheered Luffy up.

"Yeah! See ya Torao!!" Luffy hugged Law again and the older let it happen, again. It wasn't like he would see Luffy again so he guessed it was ok.

~

Law dropped his bag in his room and dropped himself on his bed. He was tired from the travel and barely had enough energy to stay up and eat dinner that Shachi said would be in a few minutes. He closed his eyes for a few minutes to relax his brain but didn't know when he dozed off.

"Law! Food's up!" Law woke up to the knocking on his door and Shachi's voice.

"Don't wannaaa." Law didn't want to get up and move but found himself doing just that. His hair were probably sticking up but he didn't care. He walked to the kitchen in a sleepy stupor and put some food on his plate, finding a place to sit beside Bepo and slowly eating. His brain wasn't even registering what he was eating.

"Sooooo, Law," Penguin started, it was just them four in the lobby, Bepo, Law, Shachi and Penguin. "How was your visit?"

"Ok." Law answered sleepily.

"And your date with Luffy?" Shachi almost choked at the bold question by his friend.

"Good." Law answered sleepily again. A few moments passed and his brain did register what was asked and how he had answered. "It wasn't a date!!" All three burst out laughing at Law's embarrassed, red face.

"Very cute." Shachi commented slapping the table to contain his laughter.

"It was an apology treat. Nothing more. And he's a kid, stop it already." Law mumbled, annoyed.

"He's what, seventeen by now? That's legal age there so by that definition, he's not a kid. You can make your move." Penguin persisted and dodged the fork Law threw at him. "I mean, you could have stood him up if you wanted to-"

"Peng. Do you want to get amputated this bad?"

The thought of not going to meet Luffy at the cafe had crossed Law's mind and he was almost tempted to do it too but then his conscience started giving him shit for even thinking of doing such a thing to an innocent, unsuspecting Luffy and Law couldn't win against his conscience.

"Alright alright." Penguin stopped with his teasing and picked up the used dishes, putting them in the sink for washing later. "Oh yeah, there are some things I want you to review later."

"What kind of things?"

"Cardiology things."

"You're taking cardio?" Law asked, surprised. His friends hadn't told him the fields they were specializing in mainly because Law had been too busy with Goa and his personal research to spare time for anything else.

"Me too." Shachi announced. "And general surgery."

"Pediatrics and general surgery for me." Bepo added.

"Yeah I'm going for general surgery too and cardio." Penguin cleared.

"Why?" Law asked. They were going for multiple specializations, which was difficult as fuck.

"We wanna be of help to you when you go straight." Bepo answered.

"What makes you think that will ever happen?"

"Surely you don't plan on working in the underworld forever?" Shachi asked.

"True. Only as long as it takes to complete my plans."

"So when that happens, wouldn't you want to work in an actual hospital? Like your parents? Be called Doctor Trafalgar?" Penguin added.

"Sure. That would be nice." He didn't hide the sad smile on his face from his friends. But Law didn't plan on making it out alive by the end of his plans. "Don't bound yourself with me though. Do what you want to do."

"We want to follow you." Bepo said with conviction.

"Yeah."

"Yasss." Penguin and Shachi added at the same time.

"What happens when I'm not around to be followed?" Law accidentally let slip. Thank goodness his voice was low enough to not be heard.

"What?" Peng asked.

"Nothing. Just do what you guys want to do and don't do it because of me." Law got up from his seat and went to his room. He was wide awake now, awake enough to continue writing on his personal research.

He would somehow have to convince his friends to let him go because he won't be around in a little more than a few years.

~

"Monkey D. Luffy! Pay attention." The teacher called and Luffy pouted. He had been zoning out very visibly in class.

"I can't. I miss Torao." Luffy announced and almost everyone started laughing.

"Class! Quiet down!" Just at that moment the bell rang and everyone shuffled out of class for recess. Luffy made his way to Usopp's class so they could go to their tree together where the rest of the group usually hung out.

"Man math is brutal this year." Usopp commented looking exhausted. "What about you?"

"I use the basics Torao taught me when I get stuck so I'm ok. Sometimes." Luffy answered picking his nose.

"Oh yeah how did it go with Torao yesterday?" Usopp wiggled his eyebrows and gave much the same look Sanji did whenever he asked about Torao.

"They had to kick us out at closing time."

"Hahahahahahaha!!!" They arrived at the tree and saw Nami already there.

"I miss Sanji-kun's bentou." Nami said when Luffy and Usopp sat with her and they all started with their lunches. "Luffy how was yesterdate with Torao?" She was being like Sanji too! What was up with that?!

"Good! But Torao didn't answer many questions." Luffy pouted. "He let me eat all I wanted though."

"Did you take pictures?" Nami asked, excited.

"Yeah!"

"Show me!"

"It's in Torao's phone." Nami and Usopp deflated at that. They had yet to see what Torao looked like. They both had known Luffy for over an year and there were points in time when Luffy talked about Torao non-stop and everyone in their group had unanimously agreed on one thing: Luffy had a crush on Torao. But Luffy being Luffy hadn't even realized that, he thought of Torao as a really good friend.

"Did you ask for Torao's number so he can send you the picture?" Usopp asked, hopeful.

"I did, he didn't share." Luffy pouted.

"What a jerk-"

"How did you injure yourself there? And when?" Nami asked interrupting Usopp, pointing at Luffy's neck. They didn't get a chance to meet yesterday so they didn't know how long it had been there.

"Oh this? I accidentally cut myself on Torao's sword. He patched it up though." Luffy answered, uncaring.

"HE HAS A SWORD?!" Nami and Usopp inquired simultaneously. They shared a look, starting to question this Torao.

"Yeah. It's so cool!"

"Luffy, did he hurt you?" Nami asked, big sister mode on. If he hurt Luffy, she was going to go wherever this Torao lived and give him a beating.

"No, it was an accident." Luffy answered. He did not like the way Nami posed the question. It was like she was blaming Torao that he purposely hurt Luffy but that wasn't it.

"If you say so." Nami still looked doubtful but decided to back off.

"Yeah Torao said it's healing and the stitches would dissolve in a few days too."

"S-stitches? It's cut that bad?" Usopp shivered.

"Nah. Oh yeah, my brothers don't know about this so don't tell them"

"Luffy let Chopper have a look later, ok?" Nami suggested. Chopper was their small reindeer friend. He was an excellent doctor at just the age of fifteen.

"Yeah." Luffy agreed, excited. It had been a while since he last saw Chopper anyway.

“So when are you meeting Torao next?” Usopp asked scooting closer.

“He was here on work so I don’t know when.” Luffy pouted and picked on the meat bones in his lunch box.

“He should have given you his phone number.”

“Still it’s amazing how someone can say no to Luffy.” Nami mused.

“Yeah so Torao is immune to Luffy huh.” Usopp agreed, impressed.

“I wonder if Torao slept well.” Luffy pondered out loud, falling backwards on the soft grass.

“Hmmmmm?” Usopp asked but looked at Nami doing so. They both exchanged another look.

“He rarely slept back then too and his eye bags looked really bad yesterday so maybe he isn’t sleeping well now too. He should have just stayed for a few more days and let me help him too.” At this point Luffy was more talking to himself.

“Help him how?” Nami asked and Usopp took a drink from his thermos.

“I would have slept with him.” Usopp choked on his drink and Nami’s eyes nearly popped out.

“W-what do you mean by that?” Nami patted Usopp’s back to ease his coughing.

“You know, sleeping together, cuddling, body warmth? Those things help sleep better. Ace and Sabo always do that for me when I have trouble sleeping.” Both of Luffy’s friends took a breath of relief. He wasn’t talking about that kind of sleeping together.

The recess bell rang and the friends gathered this things to go back to class. Luffy was teased by a lot of his classmates for his declaration of missing Torao but he shrugged them off agreeing that since Torao was a friend, of course he missed him.

When Luffy left for home, Nami gathered Usopp and Zoro at the Baratie and talked about this with the group. Sanji was clearly surprised by all this new information and Zoro would be too if he wasn’t sleeping all the time.

“So I think we need to be careful about this Torao. This is definitely a crush and it could be more.” Nami declared.

“Yeah Luffy usually lets go of things and times bygone so this is really weird. Why else would he still be hung up on Torao?” Usopp seconded. “Somebody from his class told me he couldn’t focus in class because, get this, he ‘missed Torao.’”

“What even…?” Sanji blew his cigarette.

“This is Luffy we are talking about though. Could it be that Torao really is just a friend?” Zoro pointed, waking from his nap and chugging the sake in front of him. He was out of house arrest when Luffy told Mihawk to let Zoro go and Mihawk was also a man, not immune to Luffy.

“I get what you mean, but…” Usopp sighed.

“Yeah he just gets different when talking about Torao. We all have experienced that.” Zoro commented.

“And that Torao is playing with him! There’s no way he doesn’t know about this!” Nami pointed.

“Or he is as thick as Luffy himself.” Sanji added. “And when is Torao coming back?”

“He didn’t say.”

“This is a mess.” Zoro finalized and all were silent on the table. The group of friends was worried about Luffy. He had never showed interest in anybody, ever, to the point that they thought he was aromantic but here Luffy was, with stars in his eyes whenever he talked about Torao. Even between the four of them, they were at a loss of what to do.

~

Chapter Text

~

"How are you today?" Law asked his patient, sliding the curtain aside for entering the space and sliding it back behind him. He took the chart that hung from the bed and went through the specifics.

"It itches and there was some pain but other than that, nothing." The woman answered eyeing Law. "How long do I have to stay here again?"

"Until I discharge you." The doctor answered and went over the stitching in the woman's said leg. "Try moving your toes."

"They moved yesterday." The woman said concentrating on moving her toes. They twitched and Law immediately noted that.

"So nerve connection is ok." He muttered to himself, noting down every movement of the toes the woman was able to make. "Do you want to try walking, see how much weight the muscles can take?"

"Can it wait until the stitches are removed?"

"That's your call." Law said noting 'anxiety about stitches' in his chart. "I can remove the stitches in a few days though, the skins are almost healed."

"Ok."

"Keep concentrating on moving your toes and foot until the stitches are out then."

"Ok." The woman said and Law left it at that. His next patient wasn't conscious yet so there was no point in conversation. Law quickly checked his chart and how the stitching of the arm was holding, finding it satisfactory, he went to his computer and began typing his notes.

This was Law's personal research. He transplanted and attached dead organs and limbs to people in need and revived them. His current patients were a woman in her thirties that had lost her leg to a car accident, Law had found her having a breakdown in the park and offered her the procedure, his other patient was a small boy that had lost his arm to an infection, he found the boy in an alley, begging for change and food, Law proposed the surgery to him and the boy thought he had nothing to lose so he agreed.

The question that raised from this explanation was, where did Mr. Trafalgar Law get the limbs and organs he attached back from? The answer was, the morgue. It was his shopping plaza. So many organs and so many bodies to choose from. He accessed the morgue at the Flevance General, the security was pretty shitty and there never was any staff or cameras operating in the place. Free bodies. He knew it was wrong to mutilate dead bodies and he would soon come into notice but he picked carefully from the bodies that had been autopsied. He edited notes on the bodies when he took obvious parts. The hospital was very careless. Other than the free market of Flevance General, Law went after criminals, no one would certainly miss them.

His research included revival of dead and wasted organs and limbs, sometimes transplanted, sometimes the original ones, sometimes successful, sometimes not. His patients were made aware in the very beginning that this was something he was doing illegally and that it could go either way but his patients were always people too desperate to care so Law was safe. As another safety measure, Law had developed a serum to make people forget about him whenever they were discharged.

He operated from a safe house not far from the apartment building the Hearts owned. He chose a nearby place so he could rush there if one of his patients developed a problem. He had cameras installed and had the video being played in the office attached to his room. Whenever Law had to leave for a few days or more than a few, he hired help and injected them with tracking chips to make sure they never made any unauthorized moves.

None of his friends knew about this. Of course they didn't. They would go apeshit if they ever found out. What Law was doing was not only illegal but amoral to some degree. He was only an oath away from being a doctor and here he was using his skills on cutting people up, sometimes dead, sometimes alive. On his worse days, it haunted Law, the things he was doing but on his worst days, he didn't care and that scared him on his good days but thankfully they were scarce and short lived.

~

"Not too deep. This is too deep Penguin." Law commented, supervising his three friends on the correct way of stitching. They were practicing on fake skin. "Bepo is doing the best job."

"No you just like him more." Shachi grumbled.

"Yeah." Penguin agreed but stopped what he was doing and went to observe the polar bear mink to learn how to do a better job.

"Suimasen!" Bepo apologized for nothing but continued his work.

"How do you even know all this? You haven't even went to medical school." Penguin asked, exasperated that they went to school and were getting worked to the bone in the hospital and somehow Law was still head and shoulders above them.

"I was running a hospital with my parents when everyone my age was sucking candies. And I happen to be a genius." Law shrugged and sat back on the sofa. They were gathered in the living room again. Most of the others were on their jobs.

"We get the genius part but who the hell lets a child run a hospital? Isn't that like, illegal?" Shachi asked, finishing his stitching and sitting beside Law.

"There's nothing illegal when more than half the country is being brought to the hospital and there's not enough people around to do the job."

"The Amber Lead outbreak?" Bepo asked, sitting back silently to hear Law tell a piece of his past he rarely visited.

"Yes. I was eight years old and already prescribing correct medicines to my sister, my parents supervised of course." Law smiled sadly, recollection too vivid in his brain. "I had to do my first stitch job at seven when mother and I were traveling back from seeing a patient in a village and some robbers hurt us. There was a big cut on her waist and she was feverish from all blood loss and the cold and the infection from the rusty knife those idiots used. The city was at least a day away and there was no reception so I had to do it, found some medicines in mother's bag that helped fight her infection." Everyone listened quietly. Law sighed and continued. "Later when we made it back, both my parents were surprised I handled the situation like I had. I was already always at the hospital to study but from then on, I was allowed in operating rooms and emergency room. I racked up experience like that and then Amber Lead happened and even the grown up doctors that sneered at me for being allowed in the hospital, left big decisions to me. The way things happened, patient after patient, research and procedures hand in hand, I got the experience of half a lifetime."

"Man that sounds tough." Shachi exhaled. "No wonder you don't want back in the legal side of medicine."

"I do want back in, but I would have to give up on my goals for that." Law explained taking his hat off and putting it over his eyes.

"And what goals are those, care to elaborate?" Penguin batted his lashed.

"Don't push it."

"Yeah Peng, he's awfully indulgent today, but don't push it." Shachi teased.

"Good mood, maybe because of Luffy."

"That was a month ago, let it go already." Law groaned. "And you guys asked about it, that's why I told you the story."

"And we are thankful that you consider us close enough to share that." Shachi said. "Group hug fellas." They all wrapped Law in a big burrito hug.

"You guys are idiots." His words may have been such but his actions of hugging his friends back defied them.

~

"Hey cap!" Clione looked around for Law and found him tinkering with some equipment in the infirmary.

"Yes?" Law stopped what he was doing and looked at his florist friend. "Shouldn't you be at the shop by now?"

"Yeah but here." The man handed Law a vase full of Queen of the Night. "We got a big shipment and since you like these..." He trailed off.

"Thank you." Law hid his smile behind the flowers. Clione took his leave and Law went to put the vase in his room. It was true, he just loved those flowers. Law was going back to the infirmary when he spotted Clione looking for him again.

"Oh one more thing!"

"Yes?"

"I'd be planting some sunflowers in the garden behind the infirmary and your room soon, is that ok?" His friend looked excited for it and Law was not going to rain on his parade.

"Ok."

"Yes!!" He ran off to the lobby. "Hey guys I got cap's permission!"

There was a chorus of 'woohoooo's and Law shook his head fondly, going back to the infirmary. His phone vibrated in his jacket pocket and Law took it out to see it was his underworld phone that had received a notification. Another client. Law was given twenty four hours to confirm and to select a location. Law researched a little on the client and found he was from the East Blue. Law lived on the other side of the Red Line and honestly calling a client to a new location and to set up a new base of operations put Law in an unfavorable mood so without really processing what he was writing, he wrote his Goa address and sent before thinking what he was doing.

It was late at night when Law was half asleep and half awake from the nightmares that the 'ok' from the client arrived and Law was too out of it that he didn't remember what he had sent before that message and when he scrolled the chat to see, whatever sleep that still lingered went away.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. FUCK!!

~

"Are you sure it's not because you just wanted to see Luffy?" Shachi teased putting Law's bag in the car.

"I will murder you." Law glared.

"Shachi, of course it's because of Luffy." Penguin sighed as if Shachi was stupid.

"I will murder you too."

"Oh look at him. Now that he has Luffy, he had no need for us, we've been replaced Peng!" Shachi draped himself on his friend. Bepo looked worried from them both to the murderous glare Law was shooting in their direction.

"Why am I even being teased about him?" Law finally asked. "Forget I asked." Law said the moment Shachi opened his mouth to explain.

"You know you smiled more often when Luffy was here, then you just frowned and scowled." Penguin said in Shachi's stead.

"And then you were all smiles again for a while when you came back from Goa." The redhead added.

"He has a positive influence on you and we want to keep seeing that."

"Yeah you used to eat more too and now we have to remind you of your meals again."

"And Luffy liked you best among all of us." Penguin pointed, counting reasons on his fingers.

"So maybe consider?"

"Never." Law let out much angrier than intended. "I am not wasting my time on this."

"You deserve to be happy too captain." Bepo spoke in a small voice.

"My happiness died with the old Flevance." Law spoke loud and clear and went to sit in the car.

"You know this means he wants to consider being with Luffy." Penguin said. "He said he doesn't want to waste his time."

"Meaning his heart is starting to go against him." Shachi added, grinning.

"I wish he would let it happen if and when it happens." Bepo pouted. "But captain would definitely fight it."

"Yeah he's an idiot." Shachi agreed.

"So let's leave it to Luffy."

"Yeah."

~

"No this heart will not do." Law told the man accompanying his most recent client. "I have examined him and his tissues thoroughly, his system will reject this organ."

"What else can we do? This was the closest match!"

"Don't shout in my presence." Law warned, his eyes flashing gold and rooting the man in his place, scared. "I would need your consent to try a few different things and there will be a forty percent chance his body will accept this heart."

"Let me talk to the boss."

"Take this. Read it to him, these are the consent forms for the experiment." The surgeon handed the man a few papers explaining the nature and series of procedures he would be running on his client and the results it could reap. The man took the papers and left to the other room where his boss was.

Law sighed. He hated these type of clients, those that thought they could push Law to perform miracle surgeries, he was very close to performing such procedures, that's what his research was for, but it was still a forty-sixty chance of success and failure and Law did not want a whole mob on his ass because their boss didn't make it in a procedure Law already warned them about the failure of.

"He's agreed." The man handed the papers back and Law made sure every field was correctly signed.

"Alright. I will begin preparing him for the procedure then." Law informed and began setting up his lab and his patient in the basement of the house he had bought for this purpose.

It was around three in the morning when Law was finished setting up tissue samples, blood samples and several other things including the serum he injected through an IV that would make a radical change in tissue acceptance should the recipient body reject the organ.

Law hated staying stagnant in one place but he would have to do just that since he couldn't trust the man with his equipment. He wanted a coffee really badly.

Tea, Law. You're taking milk tea. Law reminded himself and went to his corner to rest for the procedure he would have to perform in eight hours. This was a difficult procedure and Law thought he should definitely bring one of his three friends with him next time to assist him but then Law thought better of it since he didn't want to throw them in the underworld.

Morning came and when Law's patient was ready, he performed the heart transplant. It was a long and delicate procedure and with the injection of the special serum, the patient was stable in the next seventy-eight hours so by the time the mob boss and his attendant left, Law had been on his toes, attending to the client for a whole week. Needless to say he was tired and all his bones and joints and muscles ached.

He needed good tea and so he went to get just that, even if it was past midnight.

Law easily found a window spot in his go-to cafe and didn't even have to go through the menu this time to know what he would order.

.

Luffy was casually enjoying his meatloaf with tea, Torao was right, milk tea was a delicious thing. Why was he out this late at night? He couldn't sleep and felt very restless for some reason and he kinda missed Torao so he went to the Sim's cafe and ordered himself some food. The place wasn't really crowded at this time of the night but there was someone still awake by the sound of the little bell chiming when the door opened. Luffy didn't pay it any attention, he was busy stuffing his meatloaf in his mouth.

"We are closing in an hour but some light orders are still being dished out." The waitress told the new person, they had apparently chosen the place behind Luffy.

"I'm sorry about that but please just get me a black milk tea."

"Right away sir."

The huge, yummy bite Luffy had taken of his food got stuck in his throat when he heard the voice and he drank his tea and water and hit his fist on his chest to down the food.

"Torao?!" Luffy yelled the moment that humongous ball of food went in his stomach. He left his seat and went to confirm his suspicions.

"Wha?" Law was barely able to voice his question.

"Torao! When did you get here?!" Luffy asked, jumping with joy, bringing what remained of his meatloaf and tea to Law's table and sitting in front of him. Law looked very tired but the more time that passed, Luffy could see his sleepiness dissipating.

"Mugiwara-ya?" Law asked, his mind getting clearer. "Why can't I have some peace..." Law mumbled dropping his head in his hands, words made inaudible, but Luffy caught that.

"That's mean."

"Here's your tea sir." Law's head immediately shot up and he didn't even wait for the waitress to leave and blew on the tea just once before sipping from it.

"Hits the spot." Law sighed content and in a much better mood than before. "Please no difficult conversation, I have been on my feet for a whole week."

"Have you eaten anything?" Luffy asked when Law's stomach made a sound.

"Tea is enough."

"No it's not. Torao you have to eat something." Luffy pushed looking at his meatloaf, wondering if it was bread and had gluten. "Stay here." He got out of his seat and went to the counter to ask what could be prepared that was gluten-free at that hour.

Law enjoyed his tea in silence, barely noticing where Luffy went until the teenager came back and pushed a plate of loaded fries in front of Law.

"Eat." Luffy ordered.

"Too heavy and I'm not hungry." Law answered and took another sip of his tea.

"Torao you skips meals when you're working, funny guys always said that. So eat." When it didn't seem like Law would eat, Luffy pouted. "Eat or I will start screaming."

"What even?" Law's face delivered the entire emotion he felt not comprehending what Luffy meant but when Luffy sucked in a deep breath and Law understood he would really scream, he relented. "Alright alright, fine." He put the fork aside and just picked a french fry with his fingers and ate, reluctantly but on his tenth bite, Law realized he really was hungry.

Strange, how did Luffy-ya know and I didn't?

By the time Law finished his food, he felt much better but still sleepy as fuck. He wanted to crawl in his bed and sleep for days but knew his nightmares wouldn't let that happen. Law got up to pay for his food but Luffy pushed him down and left with a "I got it." Law was grumbling about sleep under his breath when Luffy got back. "Man, Torao, you look like you're gonna fall over."

"I might."

"Did you bring your car?" Luffy asked wondering if Law would be able to drive in his state.

"Oh god I should have brought the car..." Law groaned.

"So you walked here? From your basement place?"

"Seems like it."

Luffy didn't like the answer, it made it seem like Law wasn't aware of his actions and so Luffy decided he shouldn't be left alone like this. "Come on Torao, I'll help you back."

Law was out of it so he agreed and got up, walking out of the cafe and to the hotel he was staying at. They were both quiet the entire way mainly because Law was basically one step away from being called a sleep walker. His eyes kept closing and his legs felt weak but Luffy supported him whenever he swayed. Law was oddly glad Luffy was with him.

"Oh so you're staying here." Luffy wondered when they crossed the lobby and the reception to the elevator.

"Yapp."

"What floor?"

"Fifth."

Luffy pushed the button and watched concerned as Law slid down the wall of the elevator. He had never seen Law that tired in the time Luffy had known him. The elevator 'ding'ed to a stop on the fifth floor and Luffy helped Law up. "Come on Torao."

Law walked slowly to his door and took out his keys, having trouble putting the right key in the keyhole. "Ughhhh."

"Gimme." Luffy took the keys from Law and got it right in one go, opening the door and keeping it open for Law, going in after him.

"Stay here for the night. Your walk back is too long." Law said through his sleep and went to the bedroom to take off his shirt and to change in cotton trousers.

"Ok." Luffy walked in the bedroom after Law and his breath stopped at the sight of more tattoos on Law. He couldn't see the chest tattoo very well because of the undershirt Law was still wearing but the shoulders were on full display. Law grumbled something and sat on the bed, going through his phone, barely noticing Luffy who was sitting beside him. "Sleep Torao."

"In a minute." Law mumbled and his forehead came to rest on Luffy's shoulder. The phone light was still on so Luffy thought Law was typing something on his phone but then a few minutes passed and he heard soft snoring.

"Torao you're a baby." Luffy whispered, snickering and put Law's phone away, laying down and bringing the older's head on his shoulder and patting his back.

Luffy couldn't sleep and his attention was getting pulled towards the sleeping Law and how cute he looked. Luffy remembered he once saw Marco and Ace in the exact same position when Ace had a narcoleptic attack, he wondered if this meant Law was to Luffy what Ace was to Marco. A few minutes passed and Luffy's face turned red when the implications of his own thoughts kicked in because he had seen and walked in on Marco and Ace doing a lot of stuff. Luffy's mouth made an 'o' because at that moment he understood why his friends were all being so weird.

Law moved his arm over Luffy's chest and mumbled something in his sleep, gathering Luffy's attention from his thoughts. "Yeah ok." Luffy spoke and brought the covers over them both, sliding down to cuddle with Law, sleep pulling him under almost instantly.

Luffy was the one that woke up first and to his phone vibrating in his pants no less, he had forgotten to put it aside last night. He sleepily pulled his phone out and attended the call.

"LUFFY WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Sabo's voice cut through Luffy's sleep and the boy instantly sat up.

"I uh... I'm at a friend's." Luffy gulped, answering.

"Oh. Ok. Stay safe." And the call was disconnected.

Huh? That's it?

Luffy expected a bit more yelling and relaxed when his brother ended the call. He looked at the time on his phone, it was already afternoon. Luffy wanted to get up but Torao was holding him very tightly and remembering last night, the younger did not want to wake Law up but fate had other plans. Law stirred.

"What time is it?" Law asked sleepily and turned on his other side.

"One in the afternoon."

"Ok..." Law mumbled. Luffy went through the notifications of his phone but jumped and his phone flew out of his hands when Law suddenly got up. "Mugiwara-ya?!"

"That was scary." Luffy breathed and got out of bed to pick his phone, jumping back in when he found it.

"What are you even doing here?" Law wiped his eyes and looked for his own phone to confirm the time.

"You said to stay the night."

"Use the couch dammit."

"No way, that's uncomfortable." Luffy said jumping off the bed. "Let's go get food."

"Wow I actually got to sleep for more than three hours." Law got out of bed and went through his bag for clean clothes. "And I'm not going out, it's too bright. Order room service."

When Law's back was turned to pick out clothes, Luffy saw he had another tattoo there but he could only see the lines that were coming out of the undershirt. Dammit.

"When are you going back?" Luffy asked suddenly.

"Don't know, haven't booked a flight yet." Law answered going in the bathroom. Luffy followed.

"Why not? You did so last time."

"I don't know. Get out." Law pushed Luffy out of the bathroom and locked the door.

"Is it because you wanted to see me after your client thing?" Luffy heard multiple things falling and laughed.

Oh yeah.

Luffy searched around the room and found Law's phone on the night stand. He thought it would be password protected but a swipe opened the main menu. Luffy quickly dialed his own number and called himself, quickly saving his number in Law's phone and putting it back in it's place. He went to his phone and saved Torao's number then went to order food through room service. By the time the food arrived, Law was done taking a bath and joined Luffy in the kitchen.

"Didn't you have school today?" Law asked sitting down by the kitchen table and pouring himself some tea. Luffy was already munching on some sandwiches.

"Today's Sunday Torao." Luffy said like Law was stupid or something and in that moment Law felt himself stupid. How had the sequence of days eluded him?!

"Right. And what were you doing out so late at night? Doesn’t his majesty sleep early?" Law mocked, smirking.

“I missed you.” Luffy answered and Law went silent. He was not good with upfront attacks like these. Luffy noticed how Law only cradled his mug in his hands, avoiding eye contact. "Eat something too. You can't only keep drinking tea."

"What're you my mom now?" Law bit, annoyed.

"You're much better when you're sleepy." Luffy grumbled and pouted and Law remembered every little detail of last night and his face turned bright red. He actively avoided Luffy's gaze. He knew they both had slept in the same bed before but it was when Luffy was a kid but now...

Wait a second... Does this mean I'm acknowledging that Luffy-ya is not a child anymore?

"You're still a kid." Law said stubbornly, more to convince himself than anything.

"Hey! I'm seventeen! I even have a citizen's identity card now! I'm an adult!" Luffy defended himself.

"Then how are you still in school?"

"I don't know, ask the government, they made the rules!"

"Child." Law smirked.

"I am not!" Luffy fumed but continued eating. Law pulled the tray of curry and rice towards himself, putting a generous amount of both on his plate.

"Well where I come from, you're an adult starting at twenty so you're a kid compared to Flevance laws."

"Ossan*." Luffy said in a mocking tone and Law stopped eating.

"I am not going to let any remark from a child get to me." Law grinned at how Luffy pouted. Luffy thought back to how Law reacted to his words back in the bathroom and decided to try that again.

"Your sleeping face is cute." Law choked on his food and his face turned red. "Nyahahahahahhahahahahaaa!!" Luffy laughed devilishly. "I have pictures too."

"Oh god! Delete those!"

"Only if you agree to hang out at the beach later."

"I hate the sun. So no."

"Then let's go get ice cream before you have to leave."

"That's ok with me. But when the sun's gone down."

"Ok!"

So the men lounged all day at the hotel watching movies and eating, in Luffy's case. Law had booked a flight for the night. He did go for ice cream with Luffy as promised and only after it did he find out that the younger was lying about having taken pictures. He was a shit liar so how he managed to fool Law was beyond him.

Luffy talked and talked about everything, his friends, his classes, his brothers, the scraped knee he got because he thought he was seventeen so his dyspraxia must have left but it hadn't. The more Law looked at Luffy talking and smiling and grinning, the more he started resembling the sunflowers Clione planted at the back strip of the building. Law thought he had avoided being under the sun but being out with Luffy like this, he hadn't avoided shit.

Luffy went to the airport with Law and only left when Law had to go through the gates for processing. Luffy went to his own home and thankfully but oddly, his brothers didn't ask many questions and when his friends did, Luffy didn't tell them he was with Law in particular, just that he was with a friend.

Law reached his building and put his bag in his room, immediately opening his laptop to copy his research from the client's organ replacement. He was immersed in it and had been at it for hours, then his phone rang.

"Hello?" Law answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Torao!! Did you reach home safe?" Law's peace shattered.

"Oh my god! Mugiwara-ya! How the fuck?!"

~

Chapter Text

~           

"Kanpai!" The Hearts all cheered and drank from their glasses, a celebration under way.

All twenty of the Hearts were gathered in the lobby for celebrating Shachi's first heart transplant operation, and successful at that. He wasn't a bystander and assistant but the leading surgeon and the patient had recovered and been discharged not more than a week ago. So Law decided this was a milestone for celebration and gathered everyone for it.

"Good job Shachi. Keep it up." Law raised his glass to his friend, a small smile lighting his features.

"Captain!!" The redhead cried and hugged his grumpy friend.

"You aren't really drinking alcohol, are you Law?" Penguin reminded the younger.

"Controlled consumption won't hurt anybody." Law answered and downed his glass in one go causing a few of the Hearts to whistle, impressed.

Penguin, Shachi and Bepo all cleared their exams and got to choose their desired practices, excelling among their peers. Law was proud of them all.

The Hearts had all different timing and schedules now that everyone was professional one way or another, they rarely hung out like this so Law made sure to stay for as long as he possibly could and talk to his group. The party would only die down when they start passing out from drinking.

"Don't drink so much if you can't hold it, idiots." Law mumbled when Jean Bart, a relatively new addition to their group, passed out. The surgeon decided it was time to take his leave.

"Going to talk to Luffy huh?" Penguin asked, a goofy drunk grin on his face.

"I have better things to do." Law answered rolling his eyes.

"Like calling Luffy yourself this time?" Shachi joined in.

"Don't make me maim you on a good day."

"So if we barge in your room, unannounced, you won't hide your phone under your pillow and pretend to sleep, again?" Penguin laughed as Shachi recalled the happening of a few months ago.

"That happened once!!" Law screamed, embarrassed. He had no idea why his brain decided hiding his phone like a teenage girl getting caught doing something bad, was a good idea back then.

"It's ok Law, you're allowed happiness too man." Penguin swayed and took Shachi with him to the ground, passing out drunk.

"Not while I'm still in my senses." Law muttered and left for his room. He immediately immersed himself in writing and rewriting his research reports and going through new research journals that had popped up over the internet over the time he hadn't logged in the research portal.

Law's research was going great, there were more cases of success than failure and the latter was only in those people that had a fuck load of diseases to begin with so they were too weak to save but Law was working on that too. His underworld business was going as well as it could but he wasn't getting the information he required so that was frustrating the surgeon a little bit.

He had been going to Goa for procedures a lot and now that Luffy had his phone number, Law relented to his fate and told the younger whenever he was there. They would hang out, talk - that was mainly Luffy, and Luffy would show Law around places in Goa that Law hadn't been to. He also showed Law his ship, Going Merry. Apparently Luffy and friends had proper licenses and went sailing on short vacations. It concerned Law a little that people that young went to sea unsupervised but he himself wasn't any better, sailing in his sub in the depths of the sea no less. It had been six months since then, of having met Luffy again and something was starting to stir in the surgeon's heart.

Law's eyes ached reading the articles off the laptop screen but he couldn't bring himself to stop for the night. Even if he did stop, he would need a lot of time to unwind before he would be able to sleep and he had no idea how that would happen. He was going through a really badly written article when his phone rang.

"Hello." Law answered without looking at the ID again.

"Yo! Torao!" Came Luffy's greeting and Law found himself shutting his laptop down and placing it away. This would unwind him just right. Law didn't know how Luffy did that but talking to him left Law feeling cathartic and so the older was able to sleep better, on the good days.

"Hey."

"What're you doing?"

"I was reading some articles but not anymore." Law tried sounding annoyed but it came out tired.

"Awh you made time for me?" And Luffy had to say that.

"It's not like that!!"

"Nishishi." Luffy grinned on the other end. "How was the party?"

"They're all drunk and passed out." Law rolled his eyes and made to get into bed, turning off the lights.

"Not you?"

"I don't drink much."

"Why not?"

"Bad things happen when I am drunk." Luffy laughed heartily and Law felt himself smile a little too. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing. I was bored so I called you."

"Are you sure it isn't something else?" Law asked when Luffy took a moment to reply. The younger had been calling Law a lot and by that it meant all the time. Law first thought it was just the teenager being annoying but then one day Luffy told him he had a fight with his friend, that was a week ago.

"Yapp!"

"I don't know who you think you are fooling and how stupid you think I am-"

"I don't think you're stupid."

"Alright then, tell me, did you make up with your friend?" Luffy went quiet. "Mugiwara-ya?"

"No..." Came a sheepish reply.

"Don't call me until you have done so." Law said strictly and felt Luffy pout on the other end of the phone.

"But..." Luffy had been skirting around the issue for a week and Law could tell but this ended now. "Usopp was the one who said he wanted to leave."

"Did you try and think of possible reasons for that?"

"He doesn't like it that Merry can't be fixed-" Luffy had told him that his ship, the Going Merry had sustained some damage and their shipwrights had all given the unanimous answer that the ship couldn't be fixed and to get a new one.

"So abandonment huh..."

"What?" Luffy stopped because it seemed like Law hit the nail in one go.

"That's a real concern for some people." Law voiced, sighing.

"Come on, explainnnnnnnn."

"He might be feeling that now that like the ship's not of any use anymore, you might abandon him the same way some day-"

"That's bullshit!!"

"You can't tell people their insecurities are invalid. Didn't his father up and leave one day too? Go talk to him." Law pinched the bridge of his nose, already annoyed by Luffy's weak thought process. This was why he didn't like people. They never understood another person's trauma.

"But Zoro said..."

"Then why did you call me and not listen to Zoro?" Law was mildly angry now and it showed in his tone. Luffy was quiet. "You wanted to be a mafia boss right? You're going to let an argument like this get between you and you friend? Then you're going to listen to others and not make a decision for yourself? Nobody great ruled like this. Think for yourself and decide what kind of a leader you want to be."

"Hmm.." Luffy was impressed on the other end because this was the longest Torao had spoken in a while and it was to correct Luffy in his ways. Luffy liked that. But Luffy also felt scolded and that he had disappointed Torao and he didn't want to feel like that because it was heavy in his chest and not nice.

"But don't let your friend wallow in that feeling for too long. It's not nice to be alone with that particular thought process." Law clarified.

"...ok..."

"Good luck." Luffy was quiet again after that and Law wondered if he had scared the younger off by letting out a little of his anger and annoyance.

"When are you coming to Goa again?" Luffy asked in a small voice, clearly having been affected by Law's tone earlier.

"Not for a while."

"Can I come to Flevance then?" Law sat up at the question.

"...why?"

"I wanna meet Torao."

"Don't you have school?"

"We have some vacations coming and we can't go sailing this time because Merry... so can I come to Flevance instead?"

"No."

"Torao!!" Luffy whined and Law sighed.

"I won't be here, I have to go to Drum for a client." Law explained.

"Then I can come there!!"

"You will do no such thing."

"Ok I am meeting you in Drum! Tell me the day ok? Ok!!" Luffy decided by himself and Law groaned.

"Will your brothers even let you go?"

"Yeah, they're being really weird and not crowding me like before so they won't have a problem."

"Fine." They were both quiet for a while then Law remembered Luffy had his exams coming up, maybe the vacations were after those. "How prepared are you for your exams?"

"About that..."

"What happened?"

"I think I might be failing a few subjects..." Luffy trailed.

"Which ones?"

"A lot of them."

"Do you need help with them?" Law found himself offering.

"Yeah. Robin helps me a lot but sometimes I don't get things easily and Usopp... he helped me too."

"Ok, send me all the topics you want covered, I'll see what I can do but I won't hand over anything until you have talked to this Usopp."

"Alright." Then Luffy remembered something. "How do you know everything though? You didn't even go to school."

"I am a nerd." Law said seriously.

"Nobody calls themselves a nerd Torao." Luffy laughed.

"Hello, I am Law and I am a nerd. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Law joked, feeling very good and very light talking to Luffy. "Not kidding though. I might not have gone through the motions of schools but I have all the knowledge and definitely more than what they teach in those factories."

"Yeah! I don't think I will ever use that PythonHorses thing in real life!"

"Pythagoras. It's not about using it but learning how to think and get to conclusions the correct way." Then Law thought a little more and continued. "How about we make a deal?"

"Hmm?"

"How about, if you pass every subject and clear through highschool, I treat you to an all-you-can-eat for every A you get, sounds good? A guaranteed one for graduating, and one for every A on your report card."

"Deal!" Luffy agreed before Law had even finished speaking. He probably just heard food and said yes.

"Work hard then."

"You bet!"

Law wondered if he was getting too involved with Luffy, indulging him a bit too much but brushed it off as Luffy being overbearing so he had to do all this to get him to stay back. When Law would think about all of this in retrospect, he would notice how wrong he was.

"Sleep well Torao!" Luffy announced.

"You too." Law reciprocated and the call ended.

~

"Accceeee! Sabooooo!" Luffy called for his brothers descending the stairs and peeking in the kitchen to find them both there.

"Hmm?" Sabo asked from the stove, he was cooking lunch. Ace had come back from a fight and was dabbing his bruises with something Luffy didn't know.

"I'm going to Drum after exams are over." Luffy said sitting down beside Ace and poking one of his wounds. "That looks bad."

"It might be too. I'll ask Marco to check all of this later.

"Yeah!" Then Luffy's brain really heard the words and he remembered what he had thought when he spent the night at Torao's hotel room all those months ago.

"Maybe get you checked too, you are all red." Ace said touching Luffy's forehead to feel if he had a temperature.

"I'm fine! This-this is nothing!" Luffy stuttered and scooted out of Ace's range, avoiding eye contact. While Luffy was being weird, both brothers shared a look.

"Ok so about Drum, why and with who?" Sabo asked and gathered Luffy's attention.

"Just wanna. We can't go on Merry with everyone this time so I was thinking I will go to Drum. Everyone is doing their own thing this time." Luffy shrugged.

"Have you asked Chopper if he wants to go with you? Doesn't his mother live there?" Ace pointed.

"I wanna go alone." There was a finality in Luffy's tone much beyond his years.

"I'm ok with it." Sabo answered after a while. "Ace?"

"Yeah sure you can go Lu. Just keep us posted." Luffy cheered when Ace also agreed. "How's your finals prep coming along?"

"There's a buffet on the line so I have to get serious about my grades." Luffy said sighing. "I'll go and study. Call me when food's done."

"Ok." Sabo said. As soon as Luffy left, Sabo was half on the table. "Something's up!" He whispered to Ace and pushed aside the closed first aid kit to make room for plates.

"Bruh something's been up for months."

"He's been sneaking out at night, spent that entire day and night 'at a friend's,' he's studying willingly, even his grades are getting better and now he wants to go to Drum! Alone!"

"And why was he so weird about Marco just now too? Marco and I have been together for years."

"This isn't just about a girlfriend anymore Ace. We thought giving him space, letting him explore things, it was the right thing to do but our brother... our brother is sick!" Sabo slammed the plates on the table with his comment and Ace jumped.

"Oi oi I wouldn't go that far. I'm worried too but this is Luffy. He hasn't been hurt by any of this, maybe he's just...growing up." There was something sad in the way Ace sighed.

"So we are just going to let him be?" Sabo asked, looking heartbroken.

"Maybe break the bones of the culprit if Luffy gets hurt and burn their house down?" Ace suggested. "But Luffy has been growing up the same time we were growing up too so I guess it's time to let him leave the nest if he wants to."

"But he's our little brother."

"And he will remain that even if he wants to go to Drum alone. For whatever shady reason."

"It did sound shady." Sabo agreed and turned the stove off, sighing heavily. "As long as he comes home happy and unhurt."

"Of course." Both the brothers gave themselves time to stifle their sadness.

"LUFFY FOOD'S UP!" Sabo yelled suddenly, startling Ace again. When Luffy arrived, he was engulfed in a strong brotherly hug.

"You guys are being weird."

"You're growing up." Sabo sounded like he was going to cry. Luffy rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you already cried when I got my citizen's ID."

"Luffy you will still let us kick ass if you get hurt, right?" Ace asked for a confirmation.

"Well yeah if I get hurt, who else is gonna kick ass if not you both." Sabo starting sobbing audibly. "Why are you being so weird?! Did I say something?!" Luffy asked worried. "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Come on, food's gonna get cold." Sabo spoke through his tears and Ace discreetly wiped his.

"Yeah. Don't cry if you don't get any Luf!" Ace challenged and got to the table first.

"Hey that's not fair!!" Luffy cradled his hat on his head and the fight for food started among the siblings. All was good.

~

Law packed a bag and slung it over his shoulder, making his way through the lobby of the building and towards the door. He was going to make a quiet exit if Bepo hadn't spotted him from the kitchen.

"Going somewhere?" It was an innocent question but Penguin's head that popped from the kitchen below Bepo's ruined any possibility of that.

"Where are you going, so quietly?"

"To the airport." Law answered and put his bag down. He would have to stop and satisfy his friends if he wanted to avoid any sort of conflict later. The way both his friends raised their eyebrows was enough of a question. "Why're you both home today anyway?"

"Off day." Penguin answered.

"Same." Bepo echoed.

"I'm going to check on the sub." Law answered to the earlier unspoken question.

"Why now?" Penguin came and stood in front of Law.

"Taking the Tang to Drum, got a client there."

"No air travel facility?"

"Can't rely on the weather."

"Who's going along with you to Drum?" Bepo asked thinking it nearly impossible to man a submarine alone.

"I... I didn't think of that."

"Law are you ok?" Penguin maneuvered Law and sat him down on the couch.

"I'm fine." Law answered but his friends picked on his foot tapping and avoidance of eye contact, a clear sign of nervousness to them.

"Try again." Penguin challenged.

Law sighed and took off his hat, deciding to answer truthfully. "It's a big client, he might have information I'm looking for. I need this to go smoothly to obtain that information."

Both Bepo and Penguin were quietly having a conversation over Law's head when their captain bent to rest his arms on his knees.

"Ok I will come along. I'll gather the team, see who can open their schedules." Penguin said and patted Law's back. "There's no way your insomniac ass can possibly manage the entire Tang alone."

Law felt this was a lost battle so he gave up easily, keeping the matter that he would be meeting Luffy after the client thing to himself. "Can I go now?"

"Ok go."

~

The Tang ended up requiring a lot of repairs, nothing surprising when the Hearts thought back on the last time it was operated. Years ago. The team that was to go with Law ended up being Penguin, Jean Bart, Musta, Ikkaku and Clione.

Once everything was confirmed, Law texted Luffy his schedule of when he would be arriving in Drum, how long he would need to finish off his underworld work and when he would be able to meet Luffy and how long he would be able to stay. He also told Luffy to let him know when and where Luffy arrived so Law could pick him up.

Preparing, checking and rechecking things, came the day of departure and the group led by Law started their way to Drum. Law left Penguin incharge and went through the data he had on his client over and over again, in case he had missed something.

"Go sleep Law." Penguin suggested when Law was still fidgeting when they were sailing through the sea.

"Med bay is all stocked right?" Law asked and put the papers aside.

"Yeah we made sure. You think we'd need to use it?"

"Just an annoying hunch that something might go wrong."

"None of us can predict the future so instead of worrying about it, go to sleep." Peng sighed pushing Law towards his quarters.

"Fine." Law exhaled and tried his best to sleep.

~

"You guys can either stay in the sub or explore the town. Do as you wish." Law said as soon as the sub docked and the Hearts all got out.

"Going solo cap?" Ikkaku asked scratching her head, wondering if it was ok to let Law go alone.

"Yes. Peng, you're incharge."

"Aye sir." Then the older remembered something. "Wait, Law, take this." Law looked at the satellite phone in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how well the reception is here and if we get separated and well, should you need us, just give us a call."

"Alright. Thanks." Law patted his friend's arm and made his way towards the warehouse he had bought as a temporary base of operations. He placed everything in order and checked for time, he still had nine hours before the client arrived so Law checked and double-checked everything, making sure everything was ok for a spinal injury surgery.

When the helicopter landed on the nearby clearing, Law pulled his masks, gloves and gown on. He had put in his lenses before that since he didn't want the clients or any attendants to remember that the Surgeon of Death had golden eyes. He made sure to change colours all the time so people won't be able to associate just one image with him and his cover would be relatively safe for at least the time it would take him to dethrone a certain bastard.

Law worked efficiently and swiftly on his client, spinal injury of this sort might cause paralysis if Law wasn't careful and this was a big underworld boss on his table so he didn't want anything going wrong. The guy couldn't move his feet already so Law made sure he would be able to do so after the surgery was complete and checked all other nerve connections just to be safe.

Once the stitches were in place, Law checked the vitals of the patient and ruled him stable enough to spend a few days in the warehouse so Law could be sure his patient would be ok.

The surgeon stayed in the warehouse but told the attendants they were free to leave if they wanted but they wanted to stay and keep an eye on Law. Eventually the days passed without a hitch, as they always did when Law was incharge, and came the time for the patient to leave.

The boss and one of the men he brought with himself were having an argument amongst themselves. Law had already posed the question regarding the information he required, they must be arguing about handing Law the answer. The doctor armed himself with his scalpel in case things went south with the transaction but thankfully nothing of the sort happened.

Law was handed a card. It was blank on one side and when Law turned it, he found the answer to his question.

'Dressrosa.'

~

Chapter Text

~

Law got off the phone informing his friends that he would be staying a few days extra because he was meeting Luffy.

"Ooooooo! A dateeeeee!!" Penguin, Musta and Clione all had sang and Law slapped his forehead. "Bring him back before you guys get together."

"No promises." Law had said and cancelled the call. The reception in Drum was really bad but the closer Law got to a town, the more bars he received. When he was close enough, Law checked his phone to see the address Luffy had sent him. The hotel was in the same town Law was standing at the edge of so he didn't have to walk much to get to Luffy's hotel.

Law got to the room number mentioned in the address and knocked. He knocked twice more before trying the knob. It moved. The door was open. Law let himself in and found Luffy snoring on the couch.

This idiot.

"Oi, Mugiwara-ya." Law called the younger but Luffy didn't wake up. "Mugiwara-ya wake up." This time Law resorted to violent shaking but it was still ineffective. Law sighed. "Oh no, there's so much meat, how could I possibly finish it alone."

"MEAT?!" Luffy shot up and looked around for the said meat, then his eyes landed on Law. "Wha... it's only you." He fell back asleep.

"Don't look so disappointed!!"

"Toraoo!!" Luffy sat up again when his senses kicked in, stars in his eyes. "When did you get here? How did you get here? Did you pick the lock?"

"Your dumb ass left the door unlocked." Law sighed. "And wasn't the couch uncomfortable for you to sleep on?"

"Man I was so tired." Luffy rubbed his face. "Alright let's go get food!" The teenager jumped from the couch and Law was barely able to move out of the way when Luffy started running around putting on clothes.

"Wear proper pants and shoes." Law suggested pointing to Luffy's jorts and flip flops.

"Nah I'm ok! Let's go!!" Luffy took Law's arm and dragged him behind, running through the halls.

"What the f- slow down!" Law dug his heels in the carpet and stopped both of them. "Stop running."

"Oh yeah you must be tired from your black market thing."

"Don't saying that so casually."

"Hey your coat is fluffy!!" Luffy hugged Law and ran his hands all over the coat, letting out content sighs. The people passing by them were giving them odd looks. Law was beyond embarrassed.

"Stop it." Law smacked Luffy's head to get the younger to stop but he just hugged Law tight and rested his chin on the doctor's chest, looking up with watery eyes.

"Torao that hurt, take responsibility."

"How do your brothers put up with you? Are you like this every morning?" Law sighed forcibly detaching Luffy from himself and shaking his head.

"No, only with people I like." Luffy said and ran off to the lobby.

Like?!

Law followed Luffy out of the hotel, still red in the face. The younger was leading the way confidentally but one look back, he saw that Law was following slowly so Luffy grabbed Law's arm again and kept pace.

"I can follow you just fine, you don't need to grab my arm. People are going to get the wrong idea." Law explained, trying his best to pull his arm back but Luffy only tightened his hold.

"Let them. I don't care."

I do!! Law's brain was screaming at him but his heart was not protesting at the touch. It was liking it in fact. Heart! You have betrayed me!

"Let's go there! That looks like a good place to eat!" And Law was being dragged again. They ordered their food and chatted about what they both had been doing the past days, mainly Luffy blabbering about anything and everything until the food arrived and he got busy with that.

"You didn't have trouble booking an operational flight?" Law asked putting aside his plate for chicken rice and going for his tea. Way to warm up the system.

"Nope! How did you arrive here?"

"I brought the sub." Luffy had stars in his eyes. "Speaking of, the crew that's present at the moment wanted to meet you."

"Let's go then!"

"Let me drink my tea in peace first."

"You're slow." Law ignored that comment and enjoyed his tea, he would have to step out into the cold so of course he needed to warm his insides. "Torao hurry up!"

"They're not going anywhere." The older said, annoyed but drank the rest of his tea and they were both on their way. The Polar Tang was quite some walk away from the town, towards the secluded area where the river met the forest. Law led the way and when they descended the almost-steep path, Luffy could make out the submarine in the distance.

"It's as yellow as I remember!!" The younger exclaimed in joy and ran towards the sub, laughter ringing behind him.

"Oi Mugiwara-ya! Slow down!" Law cursed that he had to run behind Luffy in inches thick snow. Law did not like the cold weather that much and having to run was something he despised as well, the combination of running in the cold weather put him in a foul mood.

"Hurry up Torao!!" Luffy called turning back and stopping for a second. Law was very annoyed at the moment that he picked up some snow, shaped it into a ball and threw it at Luffy, smirking smugly when the snow met it's mark.

"I said slow down! Not all of us like to run!" Law shouted from the distance.

"Oh now you're on." Luffy grinned and Law instinctively took a step back.

"Do not-" Law was about to warn but was quieted by the snow that hit his face. Luffy laughed at the glare as the snow slid down Law's face.

"Nyahahahhahahahahaha!!"

"I will fucking obliterate you." Law walked to where Luffy had decided to stop and wait for him and once they had started walking again, Law stopped Luffy with a hand on his shoulder. "Wait Mugiwara-ya."

"Hm?" When Luffy was caught off-guard like this with Law's face all serious, the older took advantage of it and pulled the back of Luffy's coat and slid snow in it and ran to the sub, chuckling like a maniac. "Uhiyaaaa!!! It's cold! Torao! That's cheating!!" Luffy screamed, dancing in his place so the snow would either melt or fall to the ground. When the wetness had stopped bothering him, Luffy scooped up a lot of snow and ran after Law.

Law finally arrived at the sub and stopped to catch his breath, cursing himself for being so unatheletic. He could fight and perform days long surgeries but when it came to running, it never ended well for the surgeon.

"Oh Law you're back. Did you bring Luffy?" Penguin asked. "What's wrong?"

Law held up a finger to indicate he needed a minute to catch his breath and when he looked back, he saw Luffy laughing and running with arms full of snow that he would definitely not hesitate to dump on Law.

"Oh god he's a madman." Law dreaded and spotted Jean Bart, moving efficiently to hide behind him the same time Luffy neared enough to start throwing snow. "Jean Bart! Shield!" Law yelled as if the other was a Pokémon.

"Oooohhh!!! You're bigggg!!!" Luffy wondered coming to a stop and all the snow fell from his arms. Law considered himself safe and stepped from behind the giant. "He wasn't with you before."

"Jean Bart is relatively new." Law answered as a way of introduction.

"Ohh! Luffy!!" Penguin ran to the younger.

"Funny guy!!"

While Penguin and Luffy were laughing and talking and hugging, Law sat aside to relax. Clione and Musta also came out with Ikkaku in tow when they heard Luffy's familiar laughter.

"Is Law treating you well?" Law's ears perked at the question from Penguin.

"No he dumped snow in my coat and ran! Torao's mean!" Luffy complained and Law relaxed further in his seat, closing his eyes.

"Law that's not nice." The said man showed his friend the middle finger.

"Hey I know! Let's make snowmen!" Luffy chirped. "I've always wanted to make one!!"

"Okay let's do it!" All Law heard after that was laughter and whatever sounds snow made when it was being used to craft snowmen. "Pfft-hahahahaha!! That looks like Law!" Penguin laughed and caught Law's attention.

"It is Torao!" Law finally opened his eyes and looked at Luffy moving the snowman's twigs-for-arms and voicing behind. "I am Torao. I have very unfun way of doing things."

"I am going to decapitate you along with this monstrosity." Law said walking to where Luffy was, bringing Kikoku with him.

"Torao! Don't hurt Torao!" Luffy stood in front of the snowman, arms extended to the sides to protect it.

"Hey Law!" Law turned at Penguin's call and received a snowball to his chest. "Pick on someone your own size!" Law's eye twitched and he placed Kikoku by the snowman's side, picking up snow and turning it into a ball.

"Peng, we will pray for you." Ikkaku and Clione said diving to the side, betraying and leaving Penguin to deal with Law alone.

"It's a snowball fight!!" Luffy announced and immediately started throwing snowballs at Penguin. "Torao you're with me!" Luffy said pulling Law by the back of his coat and hiding behind a tree.

"That means I get Jean Bart!"

"No fair!" Luffy called.

"The bigger the target, the easier to hit, Mugiwara-ya." Law pointed. "But Penguin is mine."

"Nishishi! You're finally having fun!" The younger grinned and Law brought his hat down to cover his eyes.

"I am just taking revenge."

"Whatever you want to call it Torao." Luffy stood up from his position with a hand on Law's shoulder and made a run for Jean Bart, a direct attack. He managed to hit the giant man but got hit in return by Penguin. While Peng was distracted by Luffy, Law barraged him with half a dozen snowballs. Then Luffy started throwing some and it all got out of hand, everyone throwing snowballs at everyone else. It was Musta's call for food that stopped the men.

"If I get sick, I am killing both of you." Law huffed, shaking snow out of his hat and coat, glaring at Luffy and Penguin, both of them were sprawled on the cold snow catching their breaths, tried but happy.

"Man this was fun! But food now!" Luffy jumped up and went in the sub, followed by Peng and Law.

They all ate protecting their food from Luffy and being nostalgic about it. Law had saved himself a plate and went to take a bath first, not wanting to get sick and not liking the wetness from the melting snow on his skin.

Law got back to the others with his plate, towel around his shoulders, hair dripping wet. He sat beside Penguin and noticed Luffy eating slowly, a sign he was nearing the end of his meal. Law shook his head so some droplets would hit Peng on purpose.

"Still a brat." Penguin mumbled getting the hint and grabbed Law's towel, drying his hair for him. Law began eating but he was being too slow and his friend noticed. "Warm bath?"

"Yeah." Law ate in as much peace as one could eat with Luffy around.

"It was fun seeing you guys again!" Luffy stood up and took his plate to the kitchen and came back. "I'll see you guys tomorrow maybe."

"Just stay the night idiot. The sun's already down." Law mumbled and hit Penguin, threw his fork at Clione for the grins he received.

"I can't. I didn't bring my phone and I have to inform my brothers about my whereabouts or they get worried."

"No reception here too." Ikkaku waved her phone in front of Luffy to let him see the zero bars.

"Ok I'm gonna go!" Law felt unsettled letting Luffy go back alone in the snowy weather when there was hardly any sky light to guide him. "I will see you tomorrow Torao!"

"Wait." Law stood up and handed the extra satellite phone to Luffy. "This phone has reception even in a storm so just press this button to call us if something goes wrong." Law explained pointing to the emergency call button that was homed in to the submarine.

"Got it." Luffy said but the look on his face had Law worried if he actually understood anything. The older sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Two of you, go with him." Law ordered and took the phone back.

"Awh are you worried Torao?" Luffy asked, unabashed. There were choking sounds and those of spitting liquids behind Law and he closed his eyes, praying for patience.

"I will not grace you with an answer. Take two of them with you. See you tomorrow." Law turned to leave and glared at all four of his friends, daring them to say anything.

"Oh you're just shy." Luffy wondered out loud and Law wrapped the younger's head with the towel he had brought from his bath.

"I will smother you!"

"Nyahahahhahahahahahaa!!" Luffy laughed and Law eased up on murdering him. "See ya tomorrow Torao." Luffy grinned, engulfing the older in a sudden hug, leaving with Penguin and Musta.

"Do not fill his head with unnecessary nonsense." Law warned his friends before they left.

"Whatever do you mean captain?" Musta said, feigning innocence.

"Ok ok we are leaving!!" Penguin hurried when Law grabbed a butter knife.

~

It was late at night, everyone was asleep, Jean Bart was on night watch. Law was in his room, studying the medical journals he had bought from the town during the day when he was with Luffy. His room lights were off but the desk lamp was enough to provide him with reading light. Law found it strange that after playing in the snow all day, he oddly wasn't tired but more energized and so he took advantage of that to study.

Jean Bart was on the upper deck, keeping an eye towards the sea and the land. Everything was calm, the breeze was close and there was a prediction for a blizzard the next day so nobody in their right minds was out. Nobody but the idiot that jumped on the Tang's deck and caught the giant's attention.

"Who's there?" Jean Bart flashed the light in the direction he heard the sound from and spotted a familiar face. "Oh it's you. What're you doing here this late?"

"I wanna see Torao." Luffy mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eye and walking past Jean Bart who let him enter the sub, too dumbfounded by the situation to stop him.

Luffy easily navigated himself to Law's room and first thought about knocking on the door to announce his arrival but he was too tired so he just tried the door knob and when it gave way easily, the door being unlocked, Luffy made his way inside, discarded his coat, put his strawhat aside and got in the bed, wrapping the blanket around himself, thinking he would be able to sleep now. A few hours passed but Luffy still couldn't sleep, he tossed and turned but nothing worked. Luffy turned towards Law and wondered when he would notice the younger was there.

Law's study table was adjusted by the wall so his back was to his bed. He was very immersed in the interesting new medical practices of Drum, introduced after Wapol was literally overthrown and the Isshi Twenty were allowed to spread medical knowledge and experiment on new things. The study light from the lamp always blinded Law's periphery so even if something was happening behind him, he would never know. He thought he heard some noise behind him but dismissed it as the cold wind crashing against the sub's metal and producing sounds.

It was hours later that Law's concentration started to wane and his eyes began to hurt from all the reading, he had foregone his glasses and was now regretting it. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned lightly but his movement went stiff and his ears perked when he heard the shuffling noise behind him, again and because he was not focusing on the text in front of him, he was more aware of the noise as being actually there instead of being a product of nature.

Law closed the journal in front of him and slowly turned around, hand going towards the scalpel he hid in his desk. His eyes scanned the room starting from the door, nothing was out of place. Moving further, Law's eyes landed on a pair of another eyes staring directly at him and he nearly screamed and threw his scalpel at the intruder but controlled his violence when his brain recognized the eyes.

"What the actual fuck!" Law cursed putting his weapon aside and rubbing his eyes, glaring at Luffy.

"I had a nightmare, couldn't sleep back." Luffy spoke, voice low and scratchy, half his face hidden in the blanket. He sounded out of energy and the solemnity in his voice was very out of character.

"And a panic attack by how tired you sound." Law observed and shifted his chair so he was directly facing the younger. Luffy didn't answer and shifted his gaze to elsewhere. Law found that strange. "Did you walk all the way here? In this weather? At night?"

"Yeah. I'm kinda cold." Luffy brought the blankets around him tighter.

"Let me check." Law sighed and got up from his chair, bringing his palm on Luffy's forehead to check if he had a fever temperature. "No fever, you're ok." The doctor spoke and pulled his coat on. "Wait here." He said and left for the kitchen to make some soup.

Law knew he had no obligations to Luffy but he always found himself making sure the younger was always safe, comfortable and well fed. He was confused by his own behavior but shook his head to get the thoughts out before they started making his head ache.

Law first went on the upper deck and handed a big bowl of soup to Jean Bart then descended and returned to his room to give a bowl to Luffy. "It will warm you up." Law went back to sit on his chair.

Luffy lazily got up, sniffling all the while and gingerly took the bowl from Law's hands, taking small bites and sips, allowing the soup to warm him up properly. He hummed in content when he was finished, putting the bowl in Law's extended hand. The older put the bowl on his study desk, not even risking Luffy's stray arm breaking the bowl by putting it on the nightstand.

Law faced Luffy who had curled up in the blanket again. "So what's this really about?"

"I told you."

"And?"

"I needed to see you." He was avoiding eye contact again.

"You need to stop doing this. Call your brothers or friends or something."

"But I like you."

Law rolled his eyes. "You like everyone."

Luffy stayed quiet and kept his thoughts to himself. He was going to tell Law that he wasn't exactly right and that Law was different somehow but decided to keep it to himself until he knew how Law was different and found all the answers he needed to even begin talking to Law about it.

"Help me sleep?" Luffy asked, sniffling, finally looking at Law and the older was thrown back to the time when Luffy was eleven and would have a nightmare or panic attack in the night and would ask Law this very same question.

This is getting out of hand. Law thought to himself but seeing Luffy wipe his eyes and how tired he looked from probably crying, Law sighed. "Fine."

Law got in bed and propped his head on his elbow, his other hand going to pat Luffy on his chest. Luffy shifted closer to Law with the blanket and older continued the patting until Luffy fell asleep, smiling to himself at the recollection of how he used to do that for him when he was young too, the rhythmic light pats soothing him into slumber.

"You're such a handful." Law mumbled pushing luffy's hair out of his eyes and got up to get another blanket for himself, going to sleep beside Luffy, careful of not waking him up. "Well, I don't blame you for today." Law whispered and closed his eyes.

The cold weather outside with snow and an incoming blizzard already making the winds harsh, must have reminded Luffy of his time on Swallow Island so it was a given if he had nightmares and panic attacks. This was one of the reasons Law had suggested Luffy just stay at the Tang, so he won't be alone. Law wasn't much better himself and had Luffy not distracted the older with caring for him, Law would have been in much the same boat.

Law was the one that woke up first, he barely got any sleep and his eyes were still aching. Sighing and realizing he won't be able to sleep anyway, he carefully got out of bed. He turned his head to check on Luffy and saw the younger curled up into a ball with the blanket.

Must be cold.

Law spread his own blanket on Luffy and when he was close enough, he noticed fresh tear stains on his cheeks, eyelashes still wet. Law sighed and adjusted the cover of the porthole to make sure no light came in. He wanted to let Luffy sleep in as much as possible since he looked awfully out of energy yesterday. Law wondered how bad Luffy's panic attacks were now to render him like that. They weren't too bad in the past but maybe something changed.

"Morning cap." Clione greeted when Law went in the kitchen for some tea. He washed his face and rinsed his mouth, and sat down with his mug. Law grunted a response and closed his eyes, trying to rest them as much as possible.

"Breakfast cap?" Musta asked and Law shook his head. The annoying bad feeling from his instincts was back and he doubted he could stomach anything.

"Hey guys! Check what I found out when I was in town to get the newspaper!" Penguin announced coming in the kitchen and sitting down excitedly. "Morning Law, man you look dead."

"What did you find out?" Law asked to divert the attention from him before Penguin got the idea that Law himself was being a victim of nightmares and panic attacks.

"Ok so you know the previous tyrant in this country was Wapol right?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Ikkaku asked from Law's right. Law took small sips of his tea, willing his eyes to stop aching.

"And you know he was overthrown right?"

"Yeah get to the point!" Clione said.

"But do you know who had a hand in it?"

"No, who?"

"Mugiwara no Luffy!" Law had taken a big sip this time and the revelation made him spit it all out in the mug.

"What the fuck?!" Everyone laughed at Law's expense. Law got a rag and cleaned the table where he managed to get the tea drops. "How the hell did that even happen?" Law was genuinely curious now.

"Ok so the story goes," Penguin started. "Luffy was here to get treatment for one of his friend and then he made more friends and Wapol hurt those friends so he fought him out of the country."

"What a menace!" Clione laughed.

"He dethroned a tyrant because he hurt his friends. Wow what a guy." Ikkaku whistled, impressed.

"Yeah the same happened with that Arlong story, you know. The news never mentioned where it happened but I asked Luffy about it and he said the fishman had been terrorizing the small village of Cocoyashi and one of his friends got hurt so he 'kicked his ass.'"

"Cocoyashi? Did he say Cocoyashi?" Law found himself asking before thinking about it, his relaxed posture now stiff.

"Yeah. Anyway so..." Penguin continued the story but Law zoned out as he got more unsettled by hearing the village's name. His bad feeling was getting worse and he did not want to find out why that was.

~

Chapter Text

~

Luffy woke up much later or so he thought because when his senses kicked in, his head had started aching, the kind of ache that happens from sleeping too much. He wondered if Zoro got any headaches since he slept a lot. Luffy kicked the blankets aside noticing he slept with one but there were two now, Law was nowhere so maybe it was his blanket. He got out of bed and put his strawhat back on his head, wiping his eyes and making his way outside towards the kitchen. He was hungry. When Luffy neared the kitchen, he heard some voices from the lobby.

"When did you have to go meet Luffy again? Aren't you sort of late?" Luffy heard the lady Ikkaku ask and changed his destination to the lobby.

"Penguin I swear I will take your eyes out." That was Torao.

"Good morning~" Luffy sung still sleepy and head aching. He took the nearest seat and it was by Musta. He leaned his head against the guy. Everyone went quiet.

"It's afternoon." Law answered sighing. He then noticed that all his friends had gone silent. Law mentally counted to three and the questions started pouring in.

"What is this?!" Penguin screeched. "When did this happen?!"

"Oh boi oh boi! Captain when did Luffy get here?" Clione asked.

"Was he staying in your quarters?" Ikkaku asked, hiding her grin.

"He looks awfully tired, what were you both up to?" Musta raised an eyebrow.

"He got here last night." Jean Bart provided. "He said he wanted to see Captain."

Law rubbed his temples, a headache forming but before he could say anything, Luffy did. "Shut uppppp my head is aching!"

"Oh." Musta voiced after he observed Luffy's face closely. "Guys let's leave this matter alone." He told everyone with a straight face. "Up for breakfast Luffy?"

"Always!" The teenager was up in a second, following the mustache guy to the kitchen.

"So?" Penguin pushed and Law groaned.

"That's his business," was all Law said and went back to his room. Now that Luffy was up and having breakfast, he would want to go out soon so Law started changing into outdoor clothes.

"Toraooo! Let's gooo!!" Luffy declared barging in Law's quarters, slamming the door on the metal wall and Law shuddered from the noise.

"Where are we going?" Law asked folding the blankets neatly, his back to Luffy.

"Exploring near the mountains! I heard there are caves!" Luffy sat down on the bed and swung his legs, his gaze fixed on the older. He looked better than yesterday night. Law wondered why he was so relieved about that.

"The weather can take a turn for the worse either today or tomorrow, I don't think exploring anything but the town is a wise move."

"Boooo!! Torao where's your sense of romance? It's an adventure!" Law sighed.

"Fine." Law grabbed a small bag and filled it with two flashlights, water, a few ropes, his satellite phone, his emergency kit and extra batteries. Law also discreetly put a gun in the bag. There was no way of knowing what they might encounter.

"You pack like a mom nishishi." Luffy snickered.

"What do you know about packing like a mom?" Law gave him a weird look.

And since when do moms pack guns!

"Sabo packs for me because I always forget to pack anything but the snacks. Sabo acts like our mom sometimes." The boy laughed and fell back on the bed, accidentally making a mess of the blankets Law just folded and put aside.

"Ok let's go." Law said zipping the bag and moving before Luffy started making more of a mess.

"Yahoo!" Luffy jumped off the bed and Law grabbed his hat, coat and bag on the way out from the room, locking it after him. They both went to the lobby to inform the others.

"Keep an eye out for the blizzard. I've packed my satellite phone with me so ring me if anything happens." Law told his friends and left with Luffy before they could make any weird remarks.

When they were out of the sub and on solid ground, Luffy mostly led the way, Law let him because it was the younger's idea to 'explore' but Law himself was keeping track of where they had passed through, snow was a tricky terrain when something went wrong and by the intensity of Law's gut feeling, something would definitely go wrong.

"Torao you look like your stomach hurts and you might throw up." Luffy had turned around to see if Law was following because he was so quiet but he saw Law looking uncomfortable and that he would throw up at any given moment.

"I'm fine." Luffy looked at Law for a moment before shrugging and continuing his walk.

"If you don't wanna tell, that's ok." There was something oddly mature and unsettling about the way Luffy spoke those words that left Law rooted to his spot for a few seconds.

"How are you even walking in those shoes?" Law commented falling into pace with Luffy.

"One foot in front of the other, that's how walking works. Silly Torao." Luffy laughed and Law's eyes twitched. "Ohh!! There's the mountains!!" Luffy ran ahead and Law struggled to follow.

They both went around the rocky, snowy mountains in search of cave entrances. Law frankly did not want to enter any caves, not because he was afraid, he did not like stepping into places without knowing about them. Fate had other plans and it was Law that found the cave and instead of keeping his mouth shut, he told Luffy.

"Mugiwara-ya, this way." Law called and Luffy turned, running to him.

"Let's go in!!"

"Wait a second." Law grabbed the hood of Luffy's coat and pulled to stop the younger. "You don't even know what might be in there, there could be Lapins or Hiking Bears-"

"Well we won't know unless we go in." Law face-palmed himself.

"I can feel my life span reducing." The older mumbled under his breath but got the flashlights out and handed one to Luffy. "Do not go off on your own and if we get attacked by a wild animal I'm leaving you in there and saving myself."

"You won't." Luffy grinned cheekily and went ahead in the dark cave. Law shook his head and followed.

They shone the light where the path led, it was all brownish and rocky, nothing surprising considering it was a cave in a mountain. Law didn't know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't a boring cave. Thinking of, Law mentally questioned himself on his train of thought, when had he even gotten excited about the cave that he was now disappointed?

"There's hardly anything here, let's go back." Law suggested, stopping.

"Nah, there might be something ahead." Luffy shone the torch in Law's face and got his hand smacked away.

"Let's not. I have a bad feeling about this." The older confessed, his instinct alarms were practically blaring in his head, making it ache now.

"We've been heading up all this while, there might be something there!" Luffy insisted.

"How do you know we have been heading up?"

"Look at how we are standing." Law saw the younger point to his legs and they were indeed standing slightly bent, like they had been walking upwards. It was a weird feeling that Law felt in his chest when he realized Luffy was right and that his brain was picking on these sort of things. It was kind of amazing. Law was impressed.

"Point taken."

"So, move ahead?" There wasn't much room for an argument when Luffy started leading the way again and Law reluctantly followed. Visibility was getting a little distorted. They were sometimes passing narrow halls, sometimes spacious clearings but they were certainly going upwards still. Law thought it might lead to outside the mountain.

"Water break." Law stopped and handed a bottle to Luffy. Even if it was cold, there was still perspiration and they had been walking for a good two hours now. They both drank in silence and started moving again after Law put the bottles back in his bag pack.

"Thanks by the way." Luffy said suddenly when they were walking.

"What for?"

"For coming with me! The last time I was in Drum, I didn't get to explore."

"Yeah you were busy uprooting tyranny." Law rolled his eyes. "And your friends needed medical treatment."

"Yeah. Adventures are always fun when there is someone to share them with nishishi." Luffy grinned.

"I hardly make a fun partner."

"That's not how I see you though." Law was about to ask Luffy to elaborate on that statement but the younger's seemed to want to avoid that. "Minami no shima waaa attake~" Luffy started singing and Law swore he hadn't heard someone sound so bad in his entire life.

"Please don't."

"Painappuru puru, atama poka poka~" Luffy grinned but kept singing.

"I will bury you here." Law warned.

"Aho bakkaaaaa~ Nyahahahahahaha!!"

"Please don't sing anymore." Law sighed.

"Come on Torao! Have some fun!" Law grumbled something incoherent and wasn't watchful of where they were heading. "Careful!" Luffy pushed Law back and Law realized they had arrived at the edge of their walk. It was quite a deep fall. The path ended there.

"Ok we've explored. Let's go back." Law said after having shone his light downwards and not seeing the bottom. This was definitely a dead end.

"No! Let's go down!" Luffy jumped but Law turned his back.

"That's too dangerous. We're lucky we haven't encountered any wild animals. I agreed with you this far but I will not be going down." The only answer Law received was some rocks getting kicked down the edge and quiet. No protests. Law started walking. "Didn't think you would agree this easily."

Quiet.

Law turned around to see if Luffy was pouting but he found no Luffy. The pathway was relatively narrow all the way towards the edge so Luffy couldn't be hiding.

Oh no.

Law speed-walked back to the edge and shone his light down again. He really couldn't even see the bottom. Did Luffy actually go down? Then Law remembered he heard rocks getting kicked down. So those weren't rocks but something did get kicked down. Amidst his thoughts, Law noticed the edge was shorter than when he was standing there.

Luffy had fallen.

Oh noooo.

"Mugiwara-ya!" Law called. His voice echoed and his breath got caught in his throat. There was no answer. "Mugiwara-ya! Answer!!"

There was still no answer for a long while and Law had already prepared himself for the worst. This must have been what his gut was telling him about. Why did no one ever listen to him?!

"Ouch..." Law heard a faint cry and tried again.

"Mugiwara-ya!"

"Torao?" Oh thank fuck there was an answer.

"Are you ok?"

"My leg hurts!"

"This is what your dumb ass gets for being unrelenting!" Law called just to get the frustration out of his system.

"There's nothing here!" Luffy called back, sounding bored and disappointing. "I'll come back up!"

"Ok!" And the conversation stopped happening. Law considered the drop a little too deep that he couldn't even hear Luffy if he wasn't shouting.

"Nope! My leg hurts! Can't move it without hurting!"

"Ok just stay put, it's probably a sprain or a broken bone, both of which should not be moved! Just stay there and I will come get you! I will throw a rope down, let me know when you start seeing it!"

"Gotcha!!"

Law pulled his bag pack off and got the ropes out and attached the ends of two ropes together, throwing it off the edge to measure the depth.

"See it yet?!"

"Nope!" Law added a third one then threw it again. "Seeing it!!" Law immediately found a strong, solid protrusion and tied the rope to it. "Torao hurry up, I'm hungry!!" Law rolled his eyes.

"Coming down!!"

While Law took slow and steady steps down the rope, Luffy spread his legs in front of him and rested his back against the smooth rocks. He had moved a little in hopes of seeing something new. There really wasn't anything down there, just some mushrooms and a little suspicious puddle of water.

In his hunger, Luffy moved and grabbed the few mushrooms, sniffed them, shrugged when they seemed alright, and stuffed them in his mouth without a second thought.

"That tasted weird." Luffy observed and sighed, he was hungry. What was taking Torao so long?!

Law stopped by securing his feet on the wall and grabbed the rope righter with one hand, shining his flashlight below with the other. He had been descending steadily for twenty minutes and the end still wasn't in sight. He wondered if Luffy was actually really alright except his leg because this was a really deep fall.

It was some twenty more minutes later that Law jumped the rest of the fall and landed perfectly, letting go of the rope. He waited a minute to catch his breath then scouted the area with his light.

"Mugiwara-ya!" Law called and waited for a shout back to guide him in the right direction. A minute passed. No response. "Fuck." Law advanced forward and away from the rocky wall, thinking if Luffy had moved, he would definitely have gone in that direction and he was right when he spotted the younger sitting against the rocks. "Answer me when I call dammit." Law scolded.

"Torao?" Luffy asked raising his head to meet the flashlight in his eyes. He squinted then hung his head.

"Let's see what's wrong with your leg first." Law bent and sat down, placing his things aside and getting his first aid bag out. He moved Luffy's coat out of the way and was first greeted by scraped knees. "Which of your legs hurt?" The older asked but poked and prodded both the legs and when Luffy winced and moved away, Law found out it was the left one. He checked for broken bones and sighed in relief when there were none. "Sprain. Easy." The doctor got the bandages out and firmly tied them around Luffy's left ankle. "Don't move it if you can help it, your ankle's sprained. It's an easy recovery."

Luffy didn't respond to anything Law said or even winced or show pain when the other was tying the bandages around his ankle and Law found it a little concerning, thinking that Luffy might also have hit his head somewhere. He moved to check for any head injuries, his hands pressing and gliding.

"Are we gonna die down here?" Luffy asked in a small voice when Law didn't find any bleeding from the skull and had moved to check the rest of the body to make sure Luffy was ok for moving but the question from the boy caught him off guard.

"What? No. The rope's still attached, I will get you up there-"

"I don't wanna die down here- I haven't even told my brothers where I was going today-" Luffy's voice started getting thick from all the tears falling down his face.

"Nobody's dying-" Law tried explaining and abandoned his search for more damages and grabbed Luffy's face, shining his small torch in his eyes to check if there was trauma. His pupils were blown wide. He looked drugged.

"-I just made up with Usopp and now I'm gonna die down here- there won't even be anything to bury- nobody would know where I died- my grave would be empty-"

"You're not dying. Get a grip, what happened?" Law asked to try and see if Luffy answered why he was being so scary and hopeless. He was talking fast and was overall delirious, his neck not supporting his head. When Luffy didn't answer, Law took his face in both his hands and steadied his line of vision. "Look at me, and tell me, what's wrong?" Luffy didn't answer, just kept mumbling under his breath. Law remembered him saying something about being hungry. "Did you eat something down here?" The older looked around and found only a puddle of water and some weeds growing out of the ground. "Answer me, did you eat something?"

There was only a slight nod and Luffy's eyes moved towards where he had plucked the mushrooms from and where there was only weeds now. His brain was shutting down, he couldn't think clearly, he knew what Torao was asking but his body wasn't responding.

"What did you eat?" Law asked, already tired of the situation. "Open your mouth, let me check." He let go of Luffy to get a cotton swab sampler and when he tried to hold him steady again, Luffy fought his hands off, pushing at Law's arms and shoulders to get away from him. "Stop." Law tried his best to be nice about the situation but the more time that passed without him knowing what Luffy had ingested, the worse his situation would become. "Alright that's it."

Law brought his knee up to hold Luffy's torso in place and used one of his arms to hold both of Luffy's arms aside. He grabbed Luffy's chin and pushed his mouth on the other's, using force to go past his teeth and used his tongue to try and gather a sense of the taste of the thing Luffy had eaten.

Luffy's body was fighting but his brain was silent, oddly enough liking the invasion. As soon and abruptly as it had happened, it had ended, with Law spitting whatever he tasted on the side and rinsing his mouth with waste to rid himself of the entire sample.

"Leave it to you to ingest poisonous mushrooms!" Law spat and got the remaining rope out of his bag. By the delirium Luffy was displaying and how his skin had started getting clammy and cold, Law assumed the poison was spreading fairly quickly. He was using the task at hand so he won't panic. He didn't know what to do. Of all the poisonous mushrooms Luffy could have eaten, it had to be amiudake! There was no cure for it! None!

Law's breathing laboured and he tried controlling himself because if he fell into panic then Luffy was definitely dead. He still had to get him up and get him to the Tang, maybe he could think of something to do to save Luffy's life till then.

Get it together Law! You are a doctor, you can't let your situation get worse!

Law took deep breaths and calmed himself down. He closed his bag and hung it on his chest. "Mugiwara-ya, I am going to get you on my back and tie this rope around us so you don't fall, ok?"

"Uhnnnhhhggg..." Luffy whined and his eyelids fluttered, eyes unfocused. He was in pain. He was definitely in too much pain. Law sat down in front of Luffy and had the younger fall forward on Law's back, he quickly tied the rope and secured Luffy's arms around his own neck and stood up.

"Just hold on as long as you can. I'll get us out of here, I promise, you’re going to be ok." Law focused on getting up. He pulled at the rope a few times then took a deep breath and began climbing it slowly, his feet providing as much stability as Law could afford with Luffy going more and more limp by the minute, his speech getting more morbid and hopeless with time.

"Save yourself Torao, leave me here." Luffy spoke close to Law's ear, resting his head further inwards.

"Shut up asshole, I'm already half-way up. If you wanted to die, you should've spoken sooner!" And with that Law's panic was back. "You just had to eat the incurable poison! Why couldn't you control your impulses better!! I swear if you die on me I will bring you back and murder you myself!"

Luffy coughed and then it was silent. Law's hands holding the rope shook whenever he let go to grab it again and his eyes had started watering at the edges, he didn't know why this was affecting him like this and so much at that but he knew he didn't want to lose the ball on dimming sunshine tied on his back.

As soon as Law saw the edge, he pushed himself on the flat ground faster than he thought he was capable of. He began to run through the path they both had come and rummaged through his bag to get the satellite phone. He pushed the sub's button and waited for someone to pick up, his breathing coming out in short gasps. He hated running.

"Law-"

"Peng, get Ikkaku the bike and have her track me through this phone!" Law shouted, not waiting for any affirmations from the receiving end. "Get the dialysis machines prepped, get F type blood and other fluids ready for transfusion. Get the CT, MRI and X-Ray machines out of the storage! Put everything in the med bay!"

"Oh boi what happened?" Penguin asked, panic settling in himself as well, nudging Ikkaku to get the bike they had on the sub. It was one of the same bikes Law and the three friends had on Swallow Island.

"Mugiwara-ya ate amiudake. He doesn't look too good." Law answered and kept running, his lungs burning.

"Oh shit. Ikkaku is already on her way, I've sent the tracking screen with her." Law ended the call and didn't stop running for one second until he was out of the cursed cave. He stopped for a while to curse when he saw the winds picking up. Just their luck!

"Captain!" Law heard Ikkaku call and ran to meet her halfway, stopping when the bike was in front of him. If Ikkaku noticed Law being on the verge of a mental breakdown, she didn't say anything. They both quickly undid the rope tying Luffy to Law and got on the bike, securing Luffy between the both of them. Ikkaku drove fast and efficiently back to the sub. By the time they reached back, Law couldn't tell how much time had passed but Luffy going unconscious was definitely not good.

Penguin and Clione were waiting outside with a gurney and they quickly put Luffy on it, wheeling him to the medbay. Law used the time Luffy was being wheeled to calm himself down and to think of possible ways to either delay the poison spread or eradicate most of it.

This is going to be a tough one.

~

Chapter Text

~

"Subject him to activated charcoal, it would bind itself with the poison, prevent more from mingling in the blood stream." Law told Penguin who ran to get the supplies. "Ikkaku, patient gown, now."

"Gotcha." She helped Law take off Luffy's clothes and put him in a gown, attaching monitors. Law took off his coat and got the supplies for taking a blood sample when Penguin got back.

"Law, gloves! And mask." Penguin brought Law's attention to the fact that he was skipping steps, whether on purpose or not was confirmed when Penguin's eyes saw his friend's hands were shaking.

Law was panicking.

"Yeah-" Law quickly pulled on his mask and gloves, trying to get his breathing to become normal and his shaking to stop. He hadn't been able to calm down and he needed to keep his mind level to think up of best possible solutions to save Luffy's life.

"Step back, I will do it." Law relinquished the job to his friend and instead got the machines ready. "Tox screen?" Law nodded and Penguin was away again to analyze the blood for toxins. Law prepared Luffy's left arm for attaching the dialysis machine and began the first cycle. He quickly got a CT and X-Ray done and made a diagnosis.

"Lungs and kidneys look bad." Penguin commented coming back and handing Law the toxicology report. It was bad.

"Speed up the dialysis." Law suggested and Penguin did what he was told while Law paced to think of something fast enough to clean the poison out of the system. His palms were still sweating, the lump in his throat was still there.

"Haven't seen captain panicking, this is very disturbing." Ikkaku whispered to Penguin when Law had paced outside hearing distance.

"He never panics when there is a life on the line."

"Maybe it's because of this particular life?" They both shared a look and came to the wordless conclusion that it was in fact because of Luffy being the patient that this was getting to Law.

"Administer pain meds." Law pointed, urgency in his tone when he got back to the two and saw Luffy's eyes scrunched in what could only be pain, incoherent speech falling from his lips that were turning blue.

"On it."

"What should I do? What should I do?" Law started mumbling under his breath. "Already done with activated charcoal, dialysis is already doing its job but very slowly, what else, what else?"

Ikkaku looked at Law concerned and spotted Clione and Jean Bart at the entrance of the medbay with much the same face. None of them had ever seen their captain look so distraught. His hands were still shaking, he was accidentally stumbling on his own feet while pacing and he kept mumbling incoherent things.

"Got it!!" Law spoke so loud that all four of his friends jumped. "We do a whole body transfusion!"

"That's risky right now." Penguin countered.

"But think about it, he's on dialysis which is slowly cleaning out the toxins and if we put him through a whole body transfusion, it will clean out almost ninety percent of the poison out with the old blood. We get a shot at minimizing the damage to vital organs." Law explained, hands making frantic movements.

"We don't have that kind of blood right now."

"So we do a live transfusion. Use me."

"What're you saying?" Penguin asked just to be clear. Law wasn't actually suggesting he risk himself... right?

"Live whole body blood transfusion Peng, pay attention."

"And transfuse from you?"

"Yes."

"No." Penguin said in a tone of finality.

"This isn't a suggestion Peng." Law glared.

"You hit fifteen percent and you will start going into shock, then what?" Penguin was slowly getting angry at Law's disregard for his life.

"Use the bags we have, trick my body that we are getting blood. Add other fluids with it so we don't need more blood but the volume gets stable nonetheless." It made a whole lot of sense to Law and he was getting exceedingly frustrated by Penguin not seeing the point.

"No."

"We are doing it one way or another, I am not letting him die." Law took off his doctor’s coat and put it aside.

"Well I am not in the favor of letting you die."

"Listen dammit! I promised him that he would be ok! I'm not having another person die on me!"

Clione, Jean Bart and now Musta watched from the edge of the infirmary but they were ready to intervene if a brawl broke out. Ikkaku had never seen both Penguin and Law getting so worked up and since she was nearer to them both, she was more on edge with the way their voices escalated.

"I am not doing it." Penguin crossed his arms, his words final.

"Medicine isn't for the weak willed. This is a situation where you have to make a decision but you are clearly incapable of that right now. Are you so scared that you’ll lose me? What are you, a coward?" Law mocked, smriking, knowing his words would get under his friend's skin.

"Asshole!" Penguin brought his fist forward and connected it with Law's face. The act was so sudden that the surgeon fell back.

"Peng!" Ikkaku pulled Penguin back by putting him in a deadlock to the best of her ability but the man was overpowering her hold.

"This is your life on the line if you go through with this! Don't take it lightly! You might even die!!"

"I don't care really." Law said getting up, wiping the blood from his split lip. "I'm not going to live another second of this borrowed life if I have to lose another person." He took off his shirt next and slid out of his pants, pulling a patient gown. He placed his piercings on the table beside the bed. He would go into a hypovolemic shock and he would get hypothermic, clothes that stick to skin would only irritate him. "I'm tired of losing."

Penguin watched Law as he got the transfusion needles out and arranged the entire thing. He looked at how solemn his friend looked and understood that this wasn't just because it was Luffy's life, it was all connected to losing his Flevance and then losing his second father.

Penguin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was angry but he couldn't let his friend go through this alone. If Shachi and Bepo were here they would protest too but when they had started their journey with Law, they all had sworn they wouldn't let Law feel so hopeless and empty ever again.

"Give it to me." Penguin extended his hand for Law to put the equipment there. Law looked at the older for a few seconds then sighed, handing the transfusion needles to Penguin. "Get in the bed." He turned to Ikkaku. "Get as many blankets as you can and find any heatpads we have here."

"Changed your mind?" Law grinned putting his hat beside Luffy's strawhat and adjusting the pillow to lay down.

"You are a menace."

"That I am."

"When you go into shock, Law, do not give up on life." Penguin warned and pricked Law's arm with the needle and taped it in place. When Penguin's back was turned to Law and he was working on Luffy, Law sighed.

"I don't intend on dying. But don't bring me back if my heart stops for more than ten minutes."

"Yeah that's not happening." Peng patted Law's shoulder and elevated his feet with one of the extra pillows Ikkaku brought, moving to Law's other arm to prepare him to receive blood and fluids.

Going into such a risky procedure, Law was oddly calm. As the blood left his body, so did any anxiety he had about Luffy's condition and his own. He wasn't the ideal candidate for giving blood because of his past illnesses but right now that's all they had. A silent prayer for Luffy's life left Law's lips and his mind started slipping.

Penguin was closely monitoring both the idiots, the one that ate poisonous mushrooms and the one that would risk his own life for the other.

"Cap's going out." Clione reported looking down at Law's face, his eyes almost closed. All of them had come out of hiding when the transfusion had begun.

"His vitals are still ok though." Penguin checked the monitor attached to his friend. He felt for Law's arms and legs and they had started to go cold. "Cocoon him in blankets." While Jean Bart and Clione and Musta were doing that, mindful of Law's needles, Penguin checked on Luffy. He was slightly more conscious after some fresh blood had entered him but he was still delirious.

"I don't wanna die like this..." Luffy mumbled, clearly still under the effects of the toxins. "I want my brothers..." Tears had started slipping from Luffy's eyes.

"Man this is just sad." Ikkaku sighed.

"I haven't even told Torao I like him... Torao..."

"Crap."

"Oh boy." Musta sighed at the words that left Luffy.

"So we can't let him die now no matter what huh." Penguin grinned. "Finally some progress for these two."

"Let's hope cap is honest about it too." Clione said sitting down on the other bed.

"Penguin, something's wrong with captain's monitor. He's starting to go pale too." Jean Bart informed and Penguin quickly shifted his attention to Law.

"Ok Law, time to show us what you're made of." Penguin adjusted the IV to speed up the blood going in Law's body. "Keep an eye on him." He left to get the IV bags to infuse dopamine and epinephrine so Law's heart would keep a strong and steady beat. He attached the needle in his friend's arm and waited. "Pulse is still strong."

"This is scary." Ikkaku muttered also sitting down. "And exhausting."

"Normal people start going into shock when they lose fifteen percent of their blood volume. Law's already passed that, he's nearing thirty but he's still ok." Penguin told his friends. "Luffy looks better too."

"Maybe it's the idiot factor." Clione chirped, trying to lighten the mood.

"Let's hope. Law was right though, with blood entering and leaving his body, he's tricking his brain into believing he has enough to go on." Penguin said and moved near Law, making sure the blankets and heatpads were properly placed.

Everyone stayed in the infirmary with Penguin to keep him company in such a difficult time. It was some half hour later when Law had hit sixty percent that his blood pressure started declining. The waves on the monitor began to lose their crests and trough until it was flat.

"Make room! Count the seconds." Everyone dispersed at Penguin's order who first disconnected the transfusion from both ends then began chest compressions on Law, moving his blankets aside. "Come on Law." He whispered under his breath keeping a steady rhythm with his hands, glancing at the monitor every few seconds. Everyone was quiet while Penguin worked. The hormone IVs were still entering Law's blood stream but his heart wasn't restarting. "Come on. Come on."

"One minute." Musta said when a minute mark passed and Penguin put more energy behind his hands, keeping steady pace with his compressions and prayers, worry and doubt seeping his mind. He mentally berated himself for even agreeing to Law and letting him hit sixty percent.

Ikkaku had started tearing up when four minutes passed. Clione and Jean Bart stayed quiet and a heaviness hung in the air. Musta was monitoring the time but didn't mention it again.

"Fuck Law! Get back here or I'm coming over and kicking your ass!!" Penguin yelled and just then there was a beat. The monitor had started showing waves again. "Time!"

"Five minutes and forty three seconds." Musta said and sunk down on the floor with the other three while Penguin ran and brought more IVs and administered them to Law.

"He's ok." Penguin breathed a sigh of relief and buried his head in the numerous blankets surrounding his friend. His shoulders shook from silent sobs but nobody said a thing.

"Good job Peng." Everyone hugged the man of the hour and they all let out their worries.

"You guys go rest. Nobody's dying anymore." Penguin told the four and brought a chair between Luffy's and Law's bed, slumping in it.

"What about you?" Clione asked.

"Just get me something to eat. I need to stay here and keep an eye on them."

~

"So he guilt-tripped you into agreeing?" Shachi confirmed after hearing Penguin's story of what had happened in Drum.

"Can you blame me? You know how he gets when he wants to do something."

"How long did his heart stop for?" Bepo asked over the phone.

"Over five minutes. It wasn't a nice experience at all." Penguin groaned and shifted the phone to his other ear.

"And they're both stable?"

"So far." Penguin eyed the monitors beside both Luffy and Law and found the readings satisfactory. "Let's see who wakes up first."

"It’s so unfair that you got to meet Luffy though." Shachi complained. "How much has he changed?"

"Not at all! We all know people get sober as they grow up but Luffy just got more of himself."

"I wonder how Law's coping with this."

"He's not being honest with himself about it. Now even I'm confused if he's only being nice to Luffy, well as nice as Law can manage to be, because of Luffy's past or because he has started to like him. Oh wait! Get this, yesterday Luffy was talking in his sleep that he hadn't even told Law he liked him!"

"Called it!!" Shachi cheered.

"Ok talk to you both later, Luffy's waking up." Penguin ended the call when he saw the younger's hands move and his head lifting. Penguin quickly left his seat and went to the boy. "Hey, hey, don't do that." He put Luffy's hands back by his side because he was trying to undo his IVs. Penguin pulled the curtain to shield Law's bed from Luffy's.

"Wha-?" Luffy looked around confused, he didn't know where he was and what had happened to him. His eyes were not focusing on anything and his brain was too clouded to remember anything.

"Do you need water?" Luffy turned his head to look at the source of the voice and found one of the funny guys, Penguin standing beside his bed. Luffy only nodded and soon got a straw guided to his lips. He drank and drank until the glass was empty. "Want to sit up?" Luffy nodded again and was helped till he was sitting. His mind was clearer now.

"What happened?" Luffy asked finally being able to see the numerous tubes and needles attached to his arms and some going into a big machine. His head was aching and he was hungry.

"How much do you remember?" Penguin asked and pulled the chair to sit closer to Luffy.

"I dunno..."

"Try."

"I... I went to the caves with Torao..." Luffy recalled. "Oh, I fell."

"And?" Penguin pushed.

"I was hungry so I ate some mushrooms." Luffy tried hard to remember beyond that but it was all a big blur. "I can't recall anything else."

"Well those mushrooms were poisonous so here you are." Penguin said casually. "So you have some IVs for adding nutrition to your blood and body, and you're attached to a dialysis machine to constantly clean out remaining toxins."

"Where's Torao?" Luffy asked, his eyes suddenly clear from the previous fogginess. "He was with me."

"Yeah um..." Penguin started but didn't know how much he was supposed to tell so he opted to omit details. "He got you out but uh, injured himself a little so he's sleeping at the moment."

"How bad is he?" Luffy felt a guilty pang and a heavy pain consuming his chest.

"Hey it wasn't your fault!" Penguin panicked when he saw tears pooling around Luffy's eyes. "Law's just... stupid."

Luffy didn't say anything for a while and tried to stop crying, sniffling and wiping his eyes. "I'm hungry."

"Well you are on a strict liquid diet until your blood is clean. I'll get you some juice." Penguin left before Luffy could protest about wanting meat.

Luffy looked around and remembered this place as the medbay, he had spent some of his time here when he was in the sub out of Swallow Island. Luffy didn't like the number of machines attached to him. He wanted to get out bed and go see where Torao was and if he was ok. Luffy didn't know he had started crying again until Penguin pointed it.

"Does it hurt somewhere? Do you want me to increase your pain meds?"

"N-no." Luffy took the big glass from the other's hand. "Torao said he had a bad feeling about the caves. I didn't listen."

"Law actually has a bad feeling about everything so believe me when I say this, it wasn't your fault." Penguin patted Luffy's back. "Now are you going to drink that or not? You're lucky I'm your doctor this time around, Law would have already yelled himself hoarse."

"Torao's fun." Luffy said, a small smile lighting up his features. Penguin finalized that this was what suited Luffy best, a happy face. The patient happily slurped his juice. "Can I use that always-reception phone to call my brothers?"

"Sure. Do you remember the number?"

"It's written in a diary, I think it's in my bag or maybe I left it in the hotel with my phone."

"I'll check your bag just in case." Penguin got Luffy the phone and his diary that he did find in the bag. "Lucked out."

"Thanks."

While Luffy dialed his brothers and talked to them, Penguin went over the other side of the curtain to check on Law and found him already awake but not conscious. His eyes were open but it didn't look like he was all there yet.

"You up?" As soon as Penguin patted Law's shoulder to check how awake his friend was, light started reflecting in Law's eyes until he sucked a deep breath and furrowed his brows, sitting up with a start, hands clutching at his head, breath short and painful. "Shit." Penguin realized this as a panic attack and immediately tried calming his friend down.

Law had been seeing the fires burning Flevance, hearing the shouts and cries of his people as they were gunned down, the firing of every bullet leaving a ringing behind. Law knew he was awake, Law knew he was ok, Law knew this was a panic attack but it all took him so suddenly and so intensely that he found himself helpless against the assault on his mind.

"Law you're ok-" Penguin started, rubbing his hand on Law's back and pulling the blankets closer to his body. When Penguin was close enough, Law's hand had went to clutch at his overalls as if he would drown and perish should he not have anything to ground himself. "Dammit." Law still kept breathing in short gasps, eyes still not focused. Penguin remembered learning an introduction sequence from Bepo that the other had said helped ground Law sometimes.

Penguin put one of his arms around Law tightly and his other went to shield Law's eyes so he would have just his hearing senses available for stimulus. "You're Trafalgar Law. You are twenty-four years old. You are currently in the medbay of the Polar Tang for a stupid ass decision. You're very weak right now. But you are ok. You are safe Law. You're ok, Law." Penguin whispered directly in his friend's ear until his shaking had lessened. Law's breathing was getting better but his hands were searching for something and clawing at his windpipe. "Yeah, I got ya."

Penguin's hand went into his pockets and he brought out an inhaler, Bepo had told him about Law sometimes needing it when his panic attacks were particularly bad. He shook the inhaler, uncapped it. "Exhale Law." His friend did so and Penguin placed the mouthpiece on his lips. "Giving two puffs." He pushed the top of the inhaler two times. "Alright inhale."

Law inhaled and held his breath waiting for Penguin's signal to exhale. When the ten second mark has passed, Penguin patted Law's back and the other exhaled, then breathed again and again till the weight on his chest had diminished. His breathing had calmed and his shaking was slowly leaving and his mind was returning.

As soon as his senses had returned, Law groaned and let his friend go, grabbed his blankets and buried himself under them. Law hated how Penguin had to help him through this panic attack, he didn't want to rely on anybody. He appreciated his friend had so expertly brought him out but he hated himself for even allowing himself to be in such a state in the first place.

"Go back to sleep if you can." Penguin patted Law's whatever it was under the blanket and shifted to his chair, putting the inhaler back in his pocket. He was deep in thought. He got to see and experience Law's panic attack first hand this time and he did not like it one bit. He was practically useless apart from providing the inhaler. None of them liked seeing Law in so much anguish and pain but they all knew they could only provide silent support and were powerless whenever their friend heaved from panic attacks.

"Shut your brain up." Law started, sitting up with the blankets. "And stop your self-pity. Even I can't control my panic attacks so I absolutely do not expect you guys to either or think of you any less for being as powerless as I am against it."

"But-"

"How did you know about the inhaler?" Law asked to change the subject. Penguin sighed knowing Law would definitely not return to the earlier subject again.

"Bepo found out about it first then told me and Shachi. All of us carry one now."

"My bear betrayed me?" Law faked a look of hurt and shock that made Penguin shake his head, smiling. Law sighed in relief when his friend wasn't looking, glad he lifted the burden off him. Law himself was enough for this suffering, his friends didn't need to worry about him.

"How are you feeling now?" Penguin asked getting Law's chart and beginning to fill it with new information.

"Like all my blood left my body. When did I hit the shock point?" Law asked, sort of excited in a twisted way to know about his current limit.

"At sixty." Penguin glared at Law when his friend whistled his surprise. "And your heart stopped for five minutes and forty three seconds."

"Damage report?"

"Your x-rays are pretty much ok, echo was clear, no lasting damage really. But you will be very fatigued for more than a couple of days." Penguin said flipping through different papers and x-ray films.

"Figured."

"Don't do something this stupid again." Law shrugged at his friend.

"Speaking of, what about him?" Law pointed his thumb in the direction of the curtain and Luffy's bed.

"Woke up before you, he's very weak right now. I'm still keeping him on dialysis and liquid diet. His lungs and kidneys and liver would need to be brought back to health but he's going to be ok." Penguin reported, peeking through the curtain at Luffy because he thought it was too quiet for him to be talking to his brothers. Luffy was asleep with the phone still to his ear.

"So, was I right? How much poison does he have in his blood now?" Law asked when Penguin got up to pick the phone and tuck Luffy in properly, getting back to his chair beside Law and sighing.

"What's your guess?"

"I was only estimating a forty percent volemic loss till shock so I said ninety percent of his blood would be clean but since it's sixty now, I'd say, his blood is at least ninety-five percent clean." Law calculated and answered.

"Ninety-seven actually. His liver fought very well."

"No surprise seeing how much he eats."

"So even though this was stupid and risky as fuck, you managed to save Luffy from amiudake, the poison with no cure." Penguin grinned, impressed and proud of Law.

"How about that huh." Law mused, his eyes in the distance and a child-like wide grin taking over his features as his accomplishment set in. Penguin smiled and huffed a chuckle, shaking his head fondly at how Law looked like the thirteen year old that was livid with himself over having successfully attached Penguin's arm back. He was just as happy back then. Dammit, he was really a doctor at his core.

"Nikuuuuuu..." Both the men were brought out of their thoughts by Luffy mumbling in his sleep.

"He's so going to hate being on a liquid diet." Law sniggered and laid back down, discarding some blankets since his blood circulation was starting to be back on point and was distributing heat properly across his body. "And I am going to enjoy every minute of it."

~

Chapter Text

~

Law was wrapped in a sheet, he had discarded the blankets entirely since the central heating was more than enough to keep him warm. He was laying on his side facing Luffy's bed. Law had sent Penguin to rest because he himself was doing a lot better but was still fatigued enough that he couldn't move to his own bed. The curtain was pulled and Law kept an eye on Luffy's vitals.

Law had woken up yesterday after the entire ordeal that Penguin got the worst end of. His friends had made sure he ate a lot to replenish the nutrients he had lost. Luffy had been sleeping the entire time. He would wake up for a few moments all confused and delirious, then he would pass out again. It wasn't easy being on a continuous dialysis and to fight an incurable poison with it. Both the boys being all tired and fatigued, hadn't had the opportunity to talk to each other.

Penguin told Law how guilty Luffy had felt the few moments he was awake and had known that something had happened to Law. The surgeon was glad his friend had opted to lie about the intensity of the situation.

Law sighed and checked his phone for the time. It was past midnight and he couldn't sleep. His mind was blank, he wasn't thinking about anything, just his eyes were trained on the body snoring lightly on the other bed.

"Uhnhgg..." Luffy stirred and opened his eyes. Law didn't move but did keep an eye on the other. From the way Luffy's half-lidded eyes were going here and there and his expressions were changing from confusion to sleepiness to confusion again, Law deduced he was still in a trance. "Torao...?" Luffy's eyes had landed on the older's since only Law's eyes were visible. The younger extended his arm a little outside his bed and moved his fingers around as if asking for Law to hold his hand. Little whining sounds kept escaping Luffy the more time passed with his hand empty.

Law huffed and hesitantly moved his arm outside his sheet and even more gingerly touched Luffy's awaiting palm. That singular touch was enough for Luffy to close his palm around Law's hand, a goofy-drunk smile taking place on his face, and his eyes drooping until he was back asleep. Law's blood reached his face when he realized what had transpired.

The older's brain constantly tried to work out Luffy's reasoning behind this gesture. Was he scared? Did he want some company, in whatever form or did he just want to hold Law's hand in particular? Was it a subconscious act or did Luffy deliberately seek him out? Grumbling when Law couldn't pinpoint the reason, he resigned himself to his fate and didn't move his hand for as long as he could remember before sleep overtook him.

It was evening when Law next woke up. He saw Penguin hovering beside Luffy, setting up IVs and drawing blood for probably another tox screen. He couldn't see if the younger was awake yet. Law wiped his eyes and sat up, feeling a tug in his left arm as he did so, realizing, much to his embarrassment, that Luffy was still holding his hand.

"If you had told me you were this worried about him, I'd have joined your beds." Penguin sniggered and Law's face turned red again.

Law forcibly pulled his arm to his side and cleared his throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure captain, whatever you say." Penguin grinned.

"Can I go take a bath now and get out of this gown?" Law asked because Penguin had refused when the other had suggested about a bath yesterday, saying that he was still not stable enough to be out of bed.

"Have someone by your door and you're coming back to this bed." Penguin relented.

"Works for me." Law shrugged and hopped out of the bed, standing up with his usual vigor but he had forgotten how weak he was.

"Careful." Penguin quickly supported Law and sat him back down when his frame had shaken along with his head.

"Thanks."

"Slow and steady Law." Penguin reminded and went back to his check-up on Luffy. "Oh and wrap a sheet around you, your gown's awfully messed up, you're gonna scar poor Ikkaku."

Law pulled the sheet he had been using around him and slowly stood up, making sure his head didn't spin again he made his way towards the lobby. Law silently signaled Clione to follow him.

"Stand guard. I'll call for you in case I start drowning." Law said nonchalantly and went to the bathroom to get the water running.

"Does that happen often?" Clione called from the door, dragging a chair near it and sitting down.

"It does." Law answered coming out to gather his clothes and going back, closing the door behind him but not locking it. "If I do end up needing help and you snap pictures, I will murder you and not even allow a burial." Clione shuddered at the after-note from inside the bathroom.

Law took his time with his bath, as unusual as it was for him to do so. It was just his muscles being extremely fatigued and sore and his body weak that his movements were slow and shaky. Washing his hair was a chore Law did not want to partake in but he had to. After wiping the rest of his body clean, it was time for a nice and warm soak in the small tub Law had managed to get built in his personal bathroom.

"Did you drown?" Clione asked from the door when the quiet got too long.

"Unfortunately not." The man sighed in relief at the answer, resuming his wait.

Law got out of the tub when the heat proved too much and shook himself like a dog, taking support on the sink when that made him lightheaded. He quickly pulled his clothes on, leaving his hair wet and a towel around his neck.

"Ok you're off duty. Good job." The surgeon told the other patting his shoulder and dumping his clothes in the hamper in his room. Clione quietly left and Law went back to the infirmary.

"Really?" Penguin sighed, exasperated when he saw Law's hair still wet. Law just grinned and sat down on his bed which his friend had put new sheets on.

"I hate drying my hair. Requires too much energy and movement, very annoying." Law said as Penguin rubbed his hair dry. "And I am very weak right now, you can't possibly ask me to do it myself, right?"

"Of course not." Law had been playful in his comments but Penguin's response was entirely serious. "You can put your earrings back on you know."

"Right." Law remembered and took half the gold from his friend, both putting the hoops in each ear. "Felt weird without these."

"Are you hungry now?" Penguin asked when he was about to make his leave.

"Sure why not."

"On it."

Law settled himself back in the bed, pulling a sheet around his shoulders and spreading it down his arms and sides. He glanced to the bed beside his and sighed, Luffy still wasn't awake. Penguin had put him off the dialysis for the time being to see how well his organs were taking the circulation.

Law went through his chart again until Penguin brought his food and put the tray on the bed after Law folded his legs inwards.

"It's too much." Law complained.

"And you're finishing it." Penguin said in a tone of finality and left to do whatever. Law groaned but began eating. He knew he was hungry and that his body needed the nutrients but old habits of starving himself kept coming back and he didn't have enough energy to fight those. Nevertheless, the surgeon ate, very slowly. He wrapped the meat and vegetables in spinach and cabbage leaves and munched on it to the best of his fatigued ability.

"Meat..." Luffy said and Law turned to see the boy slowly waking up. The older rolled his eyes at how the smell of meat was enough to rouse him from slumber. It took Luffy quite a while till he was properly awake, Law had tuned his attention to the way the younger's face went from confusion to sleepiness to confusion again, to realization and then finally to betrayal when he noticed Law eating. Luffy was drooling at the sight of meat so close but he couldn't have it. Law found it very amusing.

"Hope your mushrooms were worth it." Law teased stuffing his mouth with another spinach-cabbage roll.

"Torao! You're mean!" Luffy huffed and made a feeble attempt at throwing his pillow. Law dodged easily and grinned until he couldn't control himself and let out chuckles at the face Luffy was making.

Luffy's breath stopped at the sound and the brightness on Law’s face that replaced his usual gloominess. Luffy felt his heart skip a beat and pick up pace. He was entranced by Law's carefree expression. Until...

When Luffy's heart had sped, his monitor had picked on the pulse and blood pressure and that ruined the moment. The change in the readings caught Law's attention and he quickly pressed the call button for Penguin.

"Why's your heart speeding up? Are you feeling ok?" Law asked starting to get up and check on the younger himself but stopped when Penguin arrived.

"I'm fine!" Luffy said before Penguin even had the chance to ask anything.

"Lay back down Luffy, you're stressing yourself." Penguin advised and moved to help Luffy lay down until he noticed his pillow was gone. He looked around and found it a few paces away from Law's bed. Penguin was quick to connect the dots. "Did Law say something to you?" The question was addressed to the boy but the glare was directed at the older.

"I didn't!" Law defended himself.

"Torao was being mean because I can't eat right now." Luffy pouted and let Penguin help him to lay down.

"Well Law is a certified asshole so don't let it get to you. You can't get stressed because your body is still fighting ok?" Penguin patted Luffy's shoulder and the younger nodded, shifting to his side so he could look at Law. Luffy frowned, Law's gloominess was back.

"Laughing suits Torao." Luffy pointed and closed his eyes, grinning. Law had just taken a bite and choked when the words registered in his brain.

"Oh. So that's what happened." Penguin shook his head, losing it that Luffy's vitals went out of whack because he heard Law laughing. Penguin slapped Law's back especially hard and he stopped choking. "Don't give him so many flutters, he's still a patient." Law couldn't find words on time before Penguin left him to figure out what he had meant.

Luffy was going in and out of sleep the whole day and it was again after midnight that he woke up feeling more rested than he had the entire time he was in this bed. He was still on his side so when he opened his eyes with a sigh, he saw Law. It took Luffy's brain a few moments to register what he was seeing.

Law was sitting on his own bed with his back against the headpost, his sheet was wrapped around him. He had his headphones and he was doing something with a pad and a pencil. He looked to be in a zone. Luffy could sense the good mood radiating off Torao, wondering what he was doing that made it possible.

"You're awfully creepy with your staring sometimes." Law commented, taking his headphones off and looking at Luffy with an annoyed frown.

"You looked happy doing what you were doing so I didn't wanna disturb."

"I'm pretty sure the word you should have used is 'psychopathic'."

"Nope." Luffy said and brought his blanket closer around him. "What were you doing?"

"Sketching the heart of one of my clients." Law answered and shifted the sketch pad so Luffy could see. He looked so proud that Luffy felt proud looking at Law.

"That's totally different from what we study in school!"

"At highschool level yes. Those are the easy, simple diagrams. Human hearts are way more complex."

"And you know your way around it! Torao you're awesome!" Law blushed at the blinding praise.

"This-this is a given for someone at my level." Law mentally kicked himself for stuttering and cleared his throat putting aside his things. The two were then enveloped in a silence until Luffy broke it.

"I can't sleep."

"Try your best." Law advised, not really sure what else he was supposed to say.

"Torao can you come here so I can sleep?" The question was so sudden that it caught Law off guard.

"What?"

"This bed can fit both of us-"

"No."

"But-"

"No." Law refused, his tone heavy.

"Why not?!" Luffy pouted. He was getting tired again and his body was aching, he wanted to sleep. "Stop being selfish!"

"What even! Stop being a baby. Go to sleep on your own."

"I can't-"

"How is that my problem?" Law was on the track of getting annoyed by Luffy's persistence again.

"I'm used to sleeping together!"

"Then get un-used to it idiot!" The way Law called Luffy an idiot triggered something in the younger. He had always been called an idiot for things that weren't in his control. People had always called him an idiot because he wasn't like them. Luffy didn't like it.

"Stop calling me an idiot! I'm not an idiot!!" Luffy roared. It was perhaps the first time Law had ever seen Luffy so angry. There was a frustrated yet fragile look in his eyes that Law knew and understood so well. It was insecurity. Luffy buried himself inside his blanket, hiding himself from view.

Law's mind began turning its gears around the possible reasons for Luffy's outburst. Was it because Law said it? Was it simply the meds? Was it because someone made him feel like an idiot and took advantage? Or was it that people never understood anybody slightly different and just labeled the unorthodox as they pleased?

Just how many times and by how many people had Luffy been called an idiot? Law wondered and something softened in him without his permission. Law had become one of those people that had contributed to Luffy's trauma without really knowing.

"You're not an idiot. I'm sorry I called you one." Law sighed.

"Promise?" Luffy asked from inside the blanket.

"Yes. You're different, different isn't always bad. But you absolutely are a dumbass for putting yourself in situations where you get hurt."

"Nishishi, but you always get me out of those situations too." Luffy pulled his blanket down till his head was visible.

"Don't make a habit of it." Law frowned.

"That's what you said about sleeping together too."

"And I mean it. The way you can't sleep right now, haven't you become dependent on my presence or whatever to be able to sleep?"

Luffy thought on that for a second. "So what? You say it like it's bad. You're able to sleep too with me around. What's so bad about it?" Law took a deep breath to keep his patience from running out.

"I didn't sleep well before I knew you so it really isn't a problem for me but you, you need to stop doing this before you become completely incapable of sleeping on your own."

"Like I said, what's so bad about it?" Luffy was getting annoyed by the way Law kept using words to avoid giving a straight answer.

"A lot of things, first being that we both live in different countries and have a huge difference between our lifestyles." Law started explaining. He could feel himself beginning to get frustrated and anxious about Luffy's lack of understanding.

"So?"

"So?- What is it that you don't understand?!"

"Just say what you want to say, stop making excuses." Luffy said, his face serious. Law was irked. He wasn't used to voicing what he was feeling so it was very difficult for him to give Luffy a straight answer but his constant naivety was making Law exceedingly angry and anger was where Law lost his verbal filter.

"You can't get attached to people to help you! What's wrong with you?! People took advantage of you for fuck's sake! How can you even trust anybody?! Screw even that, why would you even trust people to help you?! They can so easily make their way in your life and then disappear! Or worse, die! And you can't certainly keep expecting me to help you, I am one of those people who want their life to end on a daily basis so don't count on me for always being there for you and forget the fuck about me! I am so done with your childishness that gets you hurt and- why are you always bent on being with someone?! Are you that afraid of being alone?!" Law stopped to take a breath but it got caught in his throat when he finally looked at Luffy. The younger was silently crying, his eyes downcast and sad. "Fuck everything!" Law cursed and just left his bed and the infirmary.

He hadn't meant to hurt Luffy but he had been on edge for quite some time about how trusting Luffy was with him and how he kept getting dependent on the older as if Law would always stay with him.

Law went to his quarters and locked the door. He would stay there until the rest of Luffy's stay aboard the Tang. He was not going to add to the other's need to always be with someone.

Luffy silently sobbed. Law's words were true. He was afraid of being alone, he didn't like it. It was worse than being in pain. But Law had left. Luffy had wanted Law to stay and help him sleep, keep him company, but Law had left. Luffy had driven him away. He blamed himself. He didn't know how to shut up or how to sound reasonable in his requests and that drove Law away. And now after yelling at Luffy, Law must be feeling bad, it was all Luffy's fault. He blamed himself.

Luffy didn't see Law the next day. Penguin kept up Luffy's treatment.

"What happened?" Penguin asked selecting a new location for Luffy's cannula, his old ones had all run their course.

"It's my fault." The way Luffy had started crying again, Penguin decided it was better if the younger was put to sleep. He would ask Law.

Penguin knocked on Law's door and entered on the permission. He put the tray he was carrying on Law's study table, not leaving until Law at least acknowledged him. The surgeon was buried in his covers, obviously not sleeping.

"Why are you still here?" Law asked sitting up and fixing a sleepy glare at his friend.

"Why aren't you in the infirmary?" Penguin asked, arms crossed.

"I don't like being there." Law lied expertly.

"You didn't have a problem with it till yesterday. So what changed?"

"Like I said, I don't like being there."

"What else? Because Luffy is awfully messed up-"

"I do not care about that." Law spat, anger starting to overtake him again. Why was everyone so bent on talking to Law after Luffy?!

"Law-"

"No. I am not going back and I am certainly not feeding that moron's bad habits. He wants to cry about it? His choice! None of you can hold me accountable for something I didn't agree to!" Law yelled and groaned. Great! Now he yelled at his friend!

"But don't you want to help him get better?" Penguin tried again, doing his best to stand his ground.

"I can barely help myself! Why would I want to waste my time with him! This whole thing was a mistake! I should have refused when he wanted to meet here! I should have just told him a definite no! I can't give what he wants from me! I should have tried harder! He needs to leave. He can't keep staying here. He needs to stay away from me."

"Oh." Penguin understood what this was about. Law was scared. He wasn't quite sure what brought this on but his friend was definitely scared. Just a few days ago he put his own life on the line for Luffy and now that the younger's safe and alive, Law wanted to be away from him. "You're not some curse you know. You're allowed happiness too, I hope you know that."

Law didn't answer, his emotions were all over the place and right now even he himself wasn't sure why that was. Yesterday he thought it was because Luffy was being stupid but that certainly wasn't the case.

Penguin quietly left and heaved a heavy sigh. He had an inkling what this was. Law went into hypovolemic shock, if somebody survived that, they were prone to go into an emotional shock on their way to recovery. It could alter everything they knew about themselves to how they felt about everything else. It was perhaps that shock that Law was being so oddly open and vulnerable and scared.

Luffy's stay on the Polar Tang was a week more with on and off dialysis and IVs, until Penguin deemed him good enough to eat solid food and be out of bed. Luffy's blood was clean but he had been prescribed medicines for some time as a precaution. He had also been prescribed doctor's visits to keep an eye on his organ health.

Luffy had been asking for Law all the while he was on the Tang but Law had refused to see him. The older had completely shut himself in his room, just allowing Penguin to deliver him food that he ate little of. Penguin was concerned but Law made it really clear that he would get better when he wanted to.

And so it came, the time for Luffy to leave and head back home.

"He's locked his door, Luffy, I'm afraid he won't be coming." Penguin told Luffy, the news heavy on him too. Luffy sighed and dropped his bag on the metal floor, walking past the few of the Hearts and going straight to Law's room.

"Torao?" Luffy knocked on the door but received no answer. "Torao?"

Law sighed and closed the medical journal he was reading but didn't move to respond to Luffy. Penguin had told him that Luffy would be leaving today and to be nice and to come out to at least say goodbye. But Law wouldn't.

"I'm leaving." Luffy said solemnly and Law could hear the heavy breath that accompanied it. "Just wanted to tell you that... you got caught up in this mess because of me. It's my fault, I know that... but..." Luffy was going to tell Law how he felt safe in the older's company and that it was part of the reason he always sought him out but decided not to say all those things. Luffy took a deep breath again and placed his fist on the metal door. "I'm sorry."

Law's heart was hammering in his chest, it seemed to want to get out of his body and go tell Luffy that sure it might be Luffy's fault but part of it was also Law's. For allowing the closeness, the friendship, the comfort, for that it was Law's fault, especially when he knew he would distance himself eventually. But Law again, didn't move. He just sighed and sighed until he heard the footsteps going away till there was silence.

Luffy was gone.

And Law was left alone all over again.

But this time, he brought it on himself.

~

Chapter Text

~

"What the hell happened?!" Penguin screeched looking at Law all beaten up at the front door.

"I got into a fight." Law answered boredly wiping the crust of blood from his nose, taking off his shoes and coat, putting them aside.

"Law that's the fifth time this week and it's only Thursday!" Bepo and Shachi hid behind Penguin because Law had been awfully brutal for the past few weeks whenever they asked what had happened and they didn't want another of that attack. If Penguin wanted to, that was his problem.

"Stop nagging. I'll take care of this on my own."

"Like hell you will!" Penguin pushed Law towards the sofa in the lobby and sat him down. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere, I'll get the kit."

Shachi and Bepo gulped at the glare they received from their friend but didn't back away. Thankfully Penguin got back quick so they left the talking to him.

"Take off your shirt." Penguin ordered and Law smirked, crossing his legs.

"Didn't know you were into men." Law commented, his eyes flashing dangerously. This wasn't a sarcastic comment to a friend, this was a remark void of emotion and familiarity with people it was directed at.

"Shut the hell up and do as you're told." Penguin was so done with Law constantly picking fights and treating them like shit all because he was too much of a coward to realize there were certain people worth fighting for. Shachi and Bepo jumped at the harshness of Penguin's words but that seemed to have done the trick because Law quietly took off his shirt and revealed the numerous bruises on his chest. "Shachi, stitch him up."

"Why me?" Shachi complained, scared that Law would murder him for being so close right now. He was tasked with stitching the profusely bleeding cut above Law's left eyebrow.

"Bepo, you're on bruises." Penguin ignored Shachi and turned to Bepo, handing him the medical kit to get the things he needed.

"Aye!"

"And you, blow on this." Penguin put a tissue on Law's nose, pinching it in place until Law was done blowing on it. "Good. Now you better not have murdered these two while I'm preparing your bath." Law rolled his eyes and Penguin took his leave.

Bepo gently patted clean all the bruises he could see and moved to Law's busted hands. "Captain, please take good care of your hands, they're important to you as a surgeon."

"I know." Law huffed tiredly and slumped in his place.

"Ew, how hard did you hit the other guy?" Bepo asked pulling out a tooth from Law's busted hands and showing it to the two, dangling it from his forceps.

"Hard enough apparently." Shachi answered for Law and shuddered. "What did he do though?"

"They were forcing themselves on a woman in an alley."

"They? How many?" Bepo asked. He and Shachi shared a look of concern.

"Four men." Law answered after a while and instead of receiving a scolding session like the four times before just this week, his cheek was met with Bepo's nose, the bear nuzzling his face.

"You're kind." Bepo said and Law leaned in the touch.

"Hey stop moving your head!" Shachi whined and finished the stitches when Law steadied his head again.

"Bath's ready." Penguin announced just in time when the other two were putting the medical supplies away.

"Don't want to." Law slid in his seat on the sofa and gave a weak glare. He appeared more like a sixteen year old shitty brat than a twenty-four year old brilliant surgeon.

"But you have to. Come on, get up, I'll help." Penguin offered pulling on Law's arms to make him stand.

"No. Bepo can help."

"Favouritism, I tell you." Shachi remarked when Bepo aided Law towards the bath, leaving both him and Penguin in the living room.

"Did he say what happened?" Penguin asked sitting down.

"Saved a woman from falling victim to four guys." Shachi answered. "Bepo fished out a tooth from his knuckles."

"What the-? That's never happened before, isn't he getting more aggressive?"

"I don't blame him for today though. Must have triggered some bad memories."

Penguin sighed and rested his head against the back of the couch, eyes moving to the ceiling. "It's been a month Shachi. I thought he would pull through but he's not."

It had indeed been going on for a whole month. Ever since Law's boycott of Luffy, the older had been distant to everyone, including his three best friends. He had been harsh, he had been cold and he had been very much a brat. When they had returned to Flevance, Law had always been out during the day and night and when he returned, he was all blood, wounds and bruises. His friends had thought he just needed some space to cool off and gave him that but it only got worse with the passing of time. All three of them didn't know what exactly had happened between Luffy and Law that the surgeon was being like this but it was certainly taking a toll on him.

"Shock? Or Luffy?"

"What happened with Luffy was because of the shock I'd say. He said allowing Luffy to get that close was his mistake." Penguin started. "But, you should have seen him, so ready to throw his own life away, it still disturbs me. He didn't think of it as a mistake that time though."

"You think he realizes that he might be going through an emotional shock?"

"I doubt it. You know how he gets, he shuts off his brain when things are getting bad-"

"Captain!" Both the men rushed at Bepo’s distressed voice. The door to Law's room was open, walking through there the two arrived at the bathroom door, also open, Bepo's huge body blocking their view of what had happened but Law's wet coughs were indication enough. The mink patted Law's back until the older had coughed out all the water in his lungs.

Shachi dragged Penguin out of the room to let Bepo help Law into some clothes. For some reason or another, Law only ever allowed Bepo that privilege but they weren't jealous or envious of their friend, they were assured and relieved that Law at least considered one of them enough to let himself be helped.

The two went back to Law's room on Bepo's silent signal and saw Law sitting with his arms around his legs and his blanket around his shaking body. Now that Law was all washed up, they could work on bandaging his wounds. Penguin got the medical kit and him and Shachi began their work. Bepo had a constant paw on Law's back, trying to soothe him.

"Let me see your chest." Penguin said, moving Law's arms out of the way so he could bandage the remaining bruises but Law subconsciously moved away from his two human friends and more towards Bepo. "It's ok, Bepo can do it."

Law was always like this whenever he accidentally went underwater in a bath. He got spooked and his speech left him for some time and he only seemed to trust Bepo no matter how much he knew and understood that Shachi and Penguin won't hurt him.

Bepo quietly and efficiently wrapped Law's chest in bandages, applying a salve before doing so. He placed the supplies aside when he was done and helped Law put his hoodie back on.

"Law, are you ok?" Shachi asked, not being able to withstand the silence and melancholy in the air like somebody was about to die.

It took a while before Law sighed and answered a truthful, "no."

"What's wrong then?" Penguin pushed a little.

"Nothing." Law was shutting them out but he was speaking to them, unlike all the other times the whole past month.

"Captain, we think you're going through an emotional shock." Bepo said and patted Law's back, letting him know they weren't cornering him. The statement though brought some life to him.

"How so?"

"It's something that happens after going through extreme blood loss. Your heart stopped too. These two major events could have triggered it." Penguin tried explaining. They were all doctors but it was hard when they were giving out information to their bestfriend.

"And well, you have been refusing clients this whole time. You aren't the poster boy for perfect mental health but it's been visibly deteriorating each passing day, you're angrier and more irritable." Shachi started.

"And we know you have something on the side that you're doing, that you have been hiding from us, we don't know what it is, just that it is something. You haven't been going there too. It's like you've given up on all your goals." Penguin continued. It was true that Law hadn't had a patient in his research after discharging the few he had before going to Drum.

"You're out all day picking fights and coming back all bloodied. You never pick fights without a reason. You're always fatigued and tired, more so than usual too." Bepo backed the two.

"Excellent deduction." Law said, breathing out through his nose and stretching his legs in front of him, landing his feet on Shachi's knee that was in his way. "I really might be in shock."

"You need to try and get better." Shachi pleaded, holding Law's feet, warming them up with his hands.

"And we want to help so please just tell us when you need something." Penguin added.

"I promise to you tell you guys if something comes to mind but right now, I need to sleep." Law answered truthfully.

"You got it boss!" Penguin said and stood up. "Come on guys, out."

"Nothing fazes you three huh." Law smiled a small but genuine smile and all three of his friend froze up. "Thank you."

"Captain!!" Bepo bawled and was the first to jump to hug Law. Penguin and Shachi followed suit.

"Ok enough, I can't breathe!"

The three filed out of Law's room and felt a huge burden off them seeing Law smile like that. They were assured that Law wanted to get better too.

The next day, however, the guilt for their actions had started eating them up from the inside when Law sat with them for breakfast before they had to go to the hospital.

"I'm leaving for some time. I need some space to clear my head." Their faces said it all and Law was quick to provide reassurance. "It's not your fault. It's not because you guys think you cornered me yesterday." Law provided, trying his best to use correct words for his thoughts. "I've been thinking about it for a few days and since this is a shock, maybe some change in scenery or air would help. And you guys were right, I have been neglecting my underworld duties too and I need to check the situation and condition of my operating theaters too. Then I can get back to taking clients-"

"Ok." Penguin agreed.

"Just keep us posted about where you are and when." Shachi pointed.

"Yes!" Bepo nodded.

Law felt very blessed in that moment that his friends didn't bring up warnings about picking fights and getting hurt and acting on his suicidal thoughts that they knew he had. He felt very blessed because as worried as they were about Law, they trusted him enough to give him his space, something he considered himself unworthy of for being an asshole for the past month.

~

Luffy had aced his second year examinations and as a third year now, school was even more boring with most of his friends gone. Usopp and him were in the same class because Luffy had managed to get enough grades to be sorted with the good students. Usopp was the best in their batch.

It was fun being in the same class as Usopp but it also had its disadvantages, like his friend keeping a close eye on Luffy and knowing something was up with him. The long-nosed boy did not bring it up with Luffy in person and didn't have the need to tell all their other friends because everyone knew Luffy was behaving strangely ever since he got back from his trip during vacations.

"I swear if his phone becomes too important to him today too, I am taking it away." Sanji commented setting the table with Usopp's help. They were all gathered in Robin's backyard. She had the best lawn for an outdoor, homely meal time.

"Where even is he? He's never late for food." Nami wondered, sipping on her drink, her arm looped in Vivi's.

"Maybe marimo rubbed off on him and he's lost." Sanji remarked sighing.

"What was that you ero-cook?!" Zoro woke up from his sleep and attacked the blond.

Robin chuckled at the liveliness of her friends and leaned on Franky's arm. Another minute passed and Luffy jumped over the fence around the lawn and landed perfectly on the grass.

"Hey guys!!" Luffy grinned and handed Sanji the bags he was carrying. "Sabo made me bring ice cream so I got late."

"Go sit, I'll bring the food out." Sanji told Luffy, pinching his cheek. Luffy sat beside Brook and Zoro, the latter already dozing off again.

Everyone got into conversations about their lives and plans for the future and how school was going. Sanji's food was as awesome as always and since Luffy was involved, everyone fought to keep their plates protected from the raven's seemingly rubbery arms.

"How's your thesis coming along Robin?" Nami asked and Usopp tuned in to their conversation too. Brook had taken to the piano and was playing a soothing melody, perfect for the after-meal atmosphere. Sanji was fawning over the ladies, bringing them desserts and drinks. Chopper was enjoying his cake. Franky was busy looking at Robin with stars in his eyes. Zoro was... just sorta there. He wasn't sleeping but his eyes were closed. And Luffy, he was immersed in his phone.

Luffy was hunched over and looking at the different screens on his phone as his fingers worked between applications. Zoro opened his eyes and silently observed his friend without moving. To Zoro, Luffy looked anxious. This was how Luffy had been ever since he got back. He was basically glued to his phone as if he was waiting for something and if he took his eyes off it, he would miss it. But what that something was and how it was related to Luffy, nobody knew.

When Zoro saw Luffy scrunch his eyes, bite his lower lip and sigh with a whine, he closed his own eyes and took a deep breath. He had had enough of this.

"What is up with you?" Zoro asked, annoyed and snatched Luffy's phone away from his hands, stretching his arm upwards to keep the phone away from Luffy.

"Give it back!" Luffy tried reaching but couldn't. That caught everyone's attention.

"Not until you tell me what has you looking at your phone every ten minutes." When Luffy stood up to get a better reach, Zoro also stood up and it was only a matter of seconds before the two were brawling on the grass. Nami sighed, she knew Zoro would lose it and this would happen.

"That's my business!"

"We are nakama! Anything that's ailing you is all of our business!" Zoro spat and sat on Luffy's legs, his weight making the younger unable to move.

"Zoro is supeerrrrr right, Luffy-bro." Franky backed his friend.

"Though I hate to admit it, marimo is right, Luffy." Sanji added and sat down beside Luffy. "You know you can talk to us about anything."

"Not this." Luffy answered, voice low, eyes fixed on the sky.

"Why? Is it something difficult to say?"

"Are you in some sort of trouble, Luffy-san?" Brook asked, standing close.

"Is this about Torao?" Usopp asked and the way Luffy jerked at the name, it answered the question.

"Is it?" Nami pushed. Before Luffy was further questioned or he was asked to answer, his phone rang. Zoro looked at the caller ID and made a face.

"What sort of a person is it that you nicknamed them Penguin?" Zoro said. Luffy used his entire strength and pushed Zoro off him, using the surprise to get his phone back, jumping over the fence and leaving before he was caught again.

"What the-" Sanji got up to follow.

"Let him go, Sanji." Robin said. "Nobody follows him."

"But Robin-chan!"

"Give it up Sanji, do you wanna go against Robin?" Usopp patted his friend on the shoulder. "It's not wise."

"Man this Torao problem got superrr complicated." Franky observed, crossing his legs and his huge arms.

"Yeah Luffy hadn't been talking about Torao for quite some time so I thought he was over it but... something has happened." Nami said, sighing.

"Did they break up?" Vivi pointed and everyone got a dangerous look in their eyes.

"I am going to find this Torao and murder that piece of-" Sanji started.

"If Luffy's hurrrt because of Torao-" Franky spoke over Sanji. Zoro was quiet again.

"You all are not seriously thinking about murdering Torao, are you?" Vivi asked, worried. Chopper looked like a headless chicken when he realised everyone just might murder Torao.

"Everyone, let's leave this Torao matter to Luffy." Robin spoke, patting Vivi and Chopper on the head, to calm them.

"I agree with Robin-san. Luffy-san must have his own reasons for not telling us." Brook agreed.

"This doesn't sit well with me. He's helped us so many times and the one time he's really troubled, he won't allow us to help him?" Sanji groaned.

"Sanji-san, this might not be a matter where we would be able to do anything. Maybe Luffy-san is keeping us in the dark because he knows that."

"He's acting all grown-up and tough. Dumbass." Zoro muttered and took his seat by the table again, downing his beer and refilling the glass.

.

"Is he ok?" Luffy asked the first thing after answering the call. He came to a stop quite a distance from Robin's house and since nobody was following him, Luffy sat down on the sidewalk.

"He's stupid and aggressive but yes, he's ok." Penguin answered and Luffy exhaled in relief.

"He hasn't been seeing or replying to my texts and my calls aren't getting through."

"Must have blocked you. I am so sorry for that."

"It's not your fault Peng."

"Anyway, I called to let you know that Law has left Flevance a few days ago but if he will go to Goa or when, we don't know."

"Oh it's ok, I check by his hotel every two days so I'll know if he comes here." Luffy answered casually.

"And nobody told you it's creepy to do so?"

"I can't let this keep going on. Torao has to talk to me."

"Good luck with that buddy, he barely talked to us this entire month."

"I won't take no for an answer."

"Just don't corner him or something, he's not really stable right now."

"Torao has a lot of bad memories in his head, doesn't he?"

"That's his story to tell Luffy."

"I won't push him or hurt him. But he still has to answer."

"Good luck really."

"Thanks."

They switched to mundane topics of life and school until the sun had set and Penguin ended the call. On his way home, Luffy went by the hotel, not even having to ask the receptionist.

"He's here but..." The woman started but avoided Luffy's gaze.

"What?" Luffy insisted, leaning over the counter.

"He said he was out in case you asked."

"I'll come back tomorrow." Luffy huffed and turned to leave.

"Stay safe Luffy."

Law was 'out' the next day too and the next and the one after that as well. But Luffy hadn't stopped asking. It was his off day from school because someone died and the entire staff had to go to the funeral and Chopper had free time from his hospital duties so he was coming over to play.

"Luffy this is so cool!" Chopper chirped, stars in his eyes. Sabo and Ace had decided to buy Luffy one item for clearing through his second year with good grades and Luffy had bought a new robot toy. It came with very real robotic movements and sounds and laser beams.

"Right?!" Luffy jumped, excited. "I'll get us some snacks."

When the two were munching on the crackers and cookies, Chopper's eyes went to Luffy's arms. It was the first time the young doctor had seen his friend without a full-sleeved shirt in a whole month. There were some marks on the older's arms that caught Chopper's attention.

"Luffy, what happened to your arms? I noticed it that day at Robin's too when you are fighting with Zoro. It didn't look like you wanted anybody to know so I didn't say anything... but... are those IV marks?" Chopper asked, meekly, not wanting Luffy to get mad at him for asking.

"Oh yeah something happened." Luffy answered simply, laying down on his bed.

"What happened?" Chopper stared back at Luffy when it seemed like Luffy was scrutinizing him for something.

"Alright." Luffy got up and went to retrieve his medical file, handing it to Chopper. Luffy thought since Chopper was a doctor, it was ok to tell him.

"Why has it gotten so thick?"

"Nobody knows so can you keep this a secret?" Luffy asked, sitting back down and watching Chopper go through the medical records.

"Ok."

"I went to Drum during the vacations. I wanted to go alone so I didn't tell anyone where I was going." Luffy started. "So-"

"What did you do there?! This is bad!" Chopper yelped, eyes going wide in horror.

"I accidentally ate poisonous mushrooms. The marks on my arms are from the treatment."

"You were on a continuous dialysis and somebody gave you blood." Chopper read from the report.

"What?" Luffy asked, brows furrowed. The blood donation part was news to him.

"Look, it says here," Chopper started, pointing at the text printed on the report. "Live whole body transfusion. It means someone gave you their blood. It says sixty percent of the volume... do you know who it was and if they're ok?"

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked, now more confused by Chopper's line of questioning.

"A human body can only lose so much of the body's liquid volume before a person dies, that volume starts from fifteen percent and varies according to the situation. But nearly everyone starts going into irreversible damage beyond forty percent loss and most even die. Even if someone survives, there are health complications most of the times. This person gave you sixty percent of their body liquid volume Luffy, that's blood and other fluids mixed in the blood. Is that person ok? Was there someone with you? Admitted at the same time?"

Luffy thought back to how it was only him and Torao in the infirmary and that Torao... had injured himself. He was still a little confused by the explanation so Luffy only answered Chopper, leaving the thinking for a later time. "Yeah there was but he's ok."

"Oh thank goodness." Chopper heaved a sigh of relief. "Though I don't know how he's alive but it's good that he is. Did you thank him properly for giving you more than half of his blood?"

"I didn't know that happened."

"The transfusion must have happened really early in the treatment then." Chopper went back to reading from the file and Luffy was left to his thoughts. "You could have gone to Doctorine."

"Totally forgot about that."

"Show me your arms again." Luffy extended his arms in front of him and let Chopper examine them.

"Some sites are still bruised. I'll give you a salve for this, it'll help ease the bruising."

"Thanks Chopper!"

When Chopper had left, Luffy's mind was invaded with a lot of things, things he didn't normally pay much attention to. Ace and Sabo weren't home yet so the quiet only added to the younger's aggravation.

Luffy kept thinking about what Chopper had said that if a person loses more than a certain amount of blood, they die. Did Torao give him blood? And that much blood? From his own body? Wasn't he afraid of dying? Why had he done that? Surely Torao must have known what would happen since he was a doctor himself.

Was I... Was I really the reason Torao was in the infirmary...?

Once that thought had entered in his brain that Law was in the infirmary because he had given blood and was not injured like Penguin had lied to him, Luffy found himself going through a state of confusion behind Law's motives, from confusion he moved to realization that Torao had given him so much blood and that meant he could have died. When that realization sunk in, Luffy was angry.

Oh so angry.

He got off his bed, put on his shoes, stuffed his keys in his pockets and marched to the hotel Law was staying at. The receptionist was barely able to voice that Law was out when she saw how angry and absolutely feral Luffy looked. The teenager skipped the elevator and went through the stairs, arriving at Law's floor.

Luffy didn't care if the loud bangs disturbed other people. Luffy didn't care if Law was really 'out.' He had a hunch that Law was in that room and avoiding Luffy. But Luffy didn't care. He would keep banging the door till either Law opened it or somebody kicked him out or till even if Law was out, he got back.

A few more loud bangs and the door opened and Luffy's brown eyes met Law's golden ones.

~

Chapter Text

~

Penguin lied that time. Torao was not ok!

Luffy banged on the door again and again, anger taking over him the more the thought settled that Torao was not ok when they were in Drum and Luffy felt an unimaginable amount of guilt for pushing Law to give straight answers that led the older to shut him out. He hadn't seen Law since that day and so he didn't know if Law was really ok.

Luffy tried keeping his angry and sad tears at bay but the more time that passed knocking on the door, the more Luffy starting losing his grip on his emotions till at last the door opened and the angry tears leaked from just a single second of looking in those golden eyes.

"What are you doing here-" Law started asking as soon as he opened the door but Luffy pushed him back and slammed the door shut, the loud noise made Law jump in his place. Luffy took a breath through his nose and Law gulped, he had never seen Luffy look so angry before, the entire air around him was thick.

"Are you an idiot Torao?! You could have died!! Why did you do that?!" Luffy let loose, hitting Law's collarbones with a weak fist, other hand holding his shirt collar, he could only muster so much strength when he was bawling that hard.

"Are you drunk?" Law asked and moved to take a whiff to see if he could smell alcohol because only that way this would all make sense.

"No!! Answer my question!!" Luffy yelled and pushed Law back yet another step, eyes angry and wet, tears no longer there but the feeling lingered displaced in his chest now along with an odd heaviness that what if Law had died?

Law took a hold of Luffy's wrists in both his hands to stop the younger from hitting him again or pushing him back. He was shaken by the intensity of Luffy's emotions directed at him. "I don't even know what you're talking about. Calm down-"

"Back in Drum!! You gave me all your blood! You could have died!!"

"...oh." Law lowered Luffy's arms when all the strength had left the younger at the verbalization of his worries.

"You idiot!" Luffy slumped forward and brought his arms around Law, crying and holding him like he would disappear any second. Law didn't know what to do in this situation except answer the questions. "Why did you do it?!"

"I... don't know." And Law really didn't. It had been the only option available to him that time to keep Luffy alive and he hadn't even questioned the danger of it before diving into it. He didn't really know, even now a month after it, that what actually had made him do it. He just knew he didn't want to let Luffy die.

Luffy cried until he had fallen into a fit of hiccups and looking at the boy being so vulnerable, something overcame Law and he forgot that he was avoiding him. The older unwrapped Luffy's arms from around him and sat him down on the couch, sitting beside him sideways and rubbing his back till he calmed down, keeping an eye out for any panic attacks.

Law couldn't fully wrap his head around the current situation because he was so angry the last time he saw Luffy and now it was like none of that had happened. He couldn't understand why Luffy was so upset at the thought that Law could have died. Maybe it was the same reason as why Law didn't want to let Luffy die but the older was at a loss at pinpointing what that reason actually was.

Luffy sniffled and wiped his eyes, slumping sideways into Law, making the older fall back as well, his back hitting the couch arms. Law sighed but didn't move. Luffy had calmed down a great deal in just a few minutes of being like that.

"Who even told you about this?" Law asked when Luffy's breathing had mostly evened out.

"My doctor friend explained the whole live transfats something."

"Live whole body transfusion." Law corrected and scratched his head before deciding to expand on the memory. "It was the only way to keep you alive." Luffy tensed and got up by pushing on Law's chest. "I was getting blood through my other arm so-"

"You could have done that to me!!" Luffy interrupted, angry again.

"You were already on dialysis and your body was already fighting off the poison, I... we didn't need you going in a hypovolemic shock from the direct transfusion too, so being the only same blood type around to be a safety net, I was the natural option." Law said, detached from the emotions that had run through him when he was fighting Penguin about using him. Luffy didn't like the way Law sounded so cold and distant about something that could have killed him.

"You're explaining it like it was nothing!" Law wanted to roll his eyes when Luffy started crying again but he was quite frankly touched that Luffy cared. His friends had gotten angry with him and that was care too but Luffy was crying for him... Law was not used to that. Seeing that kind of ugly crying, Law was reminded of another idiot that had cried from him. Law shook the memory of his adoptive father out of his head lest it make a home there and haunt him again.

"It was a calculated risk. I'm fine." Law insisted. Luffy wiped his eyes again and the look in them changed when he remembered he still had bruises from his own dialysis.

Luffy looked over Law's arms, hidden beneath the long sleeves of his yellow hoodie. Law didn't know what Luffy was looking for, being so serious all of a sudden and he certainly had not expected Luffy to slide the sleeves back till Law's elbows to expose his arms. Luffy's eyes went wide when he saw the swollen patches, much worse than his, he could also see the numerous prick marks on Law's skin from the needles that were to receive and give blood and fluids.

Law saw Luffy's eyes tear up again. "I'b sowwy!"

"It's fine." Law started. "I've dealt with worse." Law secretly thanked whatever he could that Luffy didn't know about his heart stopping, a reaction to that would have been much worse.

Luffy couldn't stop his tears, all his previous anger gone and replaced with grief now that because he was stupid enough to eat poisonous mushrooms, Torao had suffered. Luffy could tell by looking at Law that he wasn't eating well too or his bruises would have healed by now, like Luffy's. Even his bones were poking Luffy at odd angles.

Still bawling, Luffy brought out the salve Chopper had sent him after he had left for his own home and uncapped the container. He was careful in scooping out the medicine and generously and gently rubbed it on Law’s bruises. “Chopper made this, he said it would make the bruises better. I’m leaving it here.” Luffy said when he made sure he had covered all of the swollen sites he could see and put the salve aside. Law was stunned at the oddly…sweet way Luffy had taken charge of the situation, wiping at his eyes every few seconds but being serious and focused on the task at hand.

When Luffy buried his head in Law's neck and didn't look like his crying and shaking would stop, Law saw his only option to hug Luffy, to comfort him till he was alright. Law rubbed Luffy's back with one hand and had the other around his shoulder in a comforting grip. It was that day and that moment that Law found out he didn't like to see Luffy cry, reasons unknown, he just didn't like to see Luffy cry.

The silence between the two made the sounds of Luffy's pounding on the door echo in Law's head and that was a sound that usually threw him into panic. Law was very sure that he himself was going to be a mess a few hours from now if he didn't distract his brain enough to forget the sound of knocking on wood and he didn't want Luffy to witness that but Law was also against sending Luffy on his way home when he was so tried from crying and barely awake.

Law sighed and rubbed a hand down his face, not sure if he should tell Luffy to go or if he should trust himself to not fall apart. Luffy's weight spread on Law was comforting but it was also a reminder that this was a closeness Law could not allow to bud more than it already had.

"What happened to your hands?" Law heard Luffy mumble, bringing his face out from Law's neck and resting his cheek against the doctor’s collarbone. Luffy ghosted his fingers over the bandages on the older's hand but stopped when Law flinched and moved his hand out of Luffy's sight.

"Busted them punching some men. Some idiot's tooth got left in there."

Luffy hummed then frowned and looked at Law from his position. "Aren't your hands important to you as a doctor?"

"They are." Law admitted.

"Take good care of them then." Law scoffed, Luffy was the last person to be lecturing Law on taking care of himself. Even though it irked him a little, Law found himself answering nonetheless.

"Ok."

"Good."

The two were again enveloped in a silence. Law didn't ask how Luffy knew he was here, he wasn't sure he would like the answer so he kept those questions to himself. Law was pretty sure his heart was beating hard in his chest and that Luffy could hear it with the placement of his head on Law's chest.

Law kept repeating the past hour in his head over and over again, realizing how easy everything with Luffy was. From talking to him, to letting a smile slip, to allowing himself to be light, to be sad, to be angry, how easy it was to start a fight with Luffy and get lost in it, how easy it was that the crack was mended before Law could realize it had mended. And today, though it was Law that was doing the comforting, with Luffy draped over him and breathing evenly, he was also grounding Law. The small conversations they shared felt very... familiar and nostalgic even though there was no memory to fall back on in terms of familiarity and nostalgia. In a corner of his brain, Law felt it was wrong to be with Luffy like this when he had no intentions of letting anything progress and he was pretty sure Luffy wouldn't want to progress anything anyway. This was wrong. Law believed Luffy must feel that too after what he had gone through as a child. There was no way he would be open to something like physical and emotional vulnerability no matter the companion. So Luffy must also be feeling that this was wrong. There was no other way.

"Why is this so easy with you?" Law hadn't meant to say it out loud and he was surprised these words slipped his mouth even unconsciously. By the way Luffy's muscles shifted, he had heard Law, there were no take backs.

"Because it's right." Luffy said loud and clear, breaking through the thick barriers Law was setting in his mind that all of this was wrong. But Luffy didn't think so. Luffy felt something shift in Law and decided it was time to leave the older alone. Luffy had come to be angry at Law and he had found out Law was ok. He had accomplished his tasks. "Can I come see you tomorrow?" Luffy asked, getting up and moving so Law could get up too.

It took Law a while before he shook his head and muttered a "no."

"Please?" Luffy insisted.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"I do but I can come here after school." Law saw the tear stains on the younger's face and relented.

"I'll meet you at the cafe."

"Text me the time ok?"

"Fine." Law waved his hand and watched Luffy walk to the door. He tripped on a stray shoe and bumped his head on the door. Law flinched at the sound and Luffy noticed. "Next time and onwards, whenever there is a wooden door or wooden anything in my presence, do not knock or bang on it. I don't like the sound." Law said as clearly as possible without really telling that those stupid sounds initiate his panic attacks. "Just call me to open the door, if it's a door that is."

Luffy looked at Law for a while, wondering what to make of that information other than the fact that maybe the knocking sound was a trigger for Torao. "But you've blocked me. And you told the reception lady to lie to me."

Law cursed, Luffy was really smart when it came to things like these. "I'll unblock you. And tell Miss Akemi to tell you of my whereabouts. Deal?"

"You're agreeing pretty easy..." Luffy narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin in suspicion. "Hmmmmm..."

"I think it's pretty useless to avoid you anyway seeing how you're here in spite of my sort of best efforts." Law rolled his eyes.

"Ok deal. Take care Torao." Luffy grinned and Law's heart skipped a beat. He was turning to leave then remembered something. "Oh and don't skip any more meals! Your bones are sticking out! See ya later!"

Law felt around on his torso and indeed he could easily feel his bones. He felt embarrassed that he got told to eat properly even though he was the doctor.

Long after Luffy had left, Law's brain was on a repeat of Luffy telling him that because it was right that it was easy to be with Luffy. It might be right to Luffy but there was something that felt very wrong to Law. The entire night Law couldn't sleep, he was thinking why being like that with Luffy felt wrong, why he always found himself taking care of Luffy, why he didn't like it when Luffy cried, why it was his instinct to comfort Luffy when he was troubled, why he allowed Luffy to touch him when he avoided being touched. He kept thinking and thinking until the image of Lami popped in his brain.

Oh.

~

Luffy took detours to get home. He didn't want to go straight home because he was feeling very down and heavy after leaving the hotel and he needed to make sure none of that showed on his face when he got back home in case Ace or Sabo were awake.

Luffy felt very confused. He understood months ago why his friends were making weird faces and weird comments whenever Luffy talked about Torao, he understood that they thought it was because Luffy liked Torao and while it was that Luffy did like him, it was somehow different too. He wanted to be with Torao, share experiences, eat food together, try new things too... Luffy found out the past month when Torao was not talking to him that he didn't like not knowing what the older was up to, not knowing if he ate or slept, not knowing if he was ok or if he needed help with anything. Luffy did not like that distance Torao kept putting between them. He felt so confused because on one side he wanted to literally attach himself to Torao so he wouldn't miss a thing but he also wanted to give the doctor his space and let him explore and live his own life too, have his own experiences.

Luffy kicked a stone in his path in frustration, he didn't know what he wanted anymore, he just knew that he wanted to spend his time with Torao and not in a friendship sense. He wanted to see how Torao would respond if he did all those things to him that he had seen Ace and Marco do to each other. He wanted to know what it would feel like to hold Torao's hand while being more than friends, he wanted to know if he could get Torao to trust him enough to let him kiss the older.

Wait what?

Where did that come from?

Luffy questioned the direction his thoughts were taking but didn't dwell on it much longer, coming to the conclusion that he wanted to try everything there was in life and world to try but it had to be with Torao. Luffy realized that's how Torao was different from all his friends. That's what made Torao different. Luffy wanted Torao to be the only constant in his life.

Luffy wiped his face once again before turning the key and opening the door to his home, locking it behind him and taking off his shoes. He was passing by the living room and spotted Ace there, watching TV.

"Why're you awake?" Luffy asked and sat down beside his brother.

"Too many attacks today, I can't sleep now." Ace answered and briefly glanced at his brother, noticing his red eyes and tear stained face. "What about you?"

"I went out to meet someone." Luffy answered truthfully, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Luffy," Ace started and put his arm around his brother's shoulders, pulling him close. "You would tell us if something was bothering you, right?"

"Only if it's something I can't handle myself." Luffy wasn't dumb, he knew what Ace was asking him. "I could handle it this time."

"And you're ok?"

"Yeah." Luffy buried his head in his brother's shoulder and let out a heavy breath. "I'm hungry now though." No answer came from his brother. "Ace?" Luffy raised his head and saw Ace passed out. He picked his brother on his shoulder and tucked him in bed, being careful to be silent since he didn't want to wake Sabo.

Luffy looked around in the fridge for something he could eat but didn't have enough energy to actually take it out and warm it in the microwave. Sabo had left a huge dish of spaghetti for him but Luffy was too tried to warm it so he ate it all like that. He put the dish in the sink and went to his room, stripping to his shorts and flopping on the bed. He was tired but couldn't sleep.

Luffy felt very weird with his thoughts and didn't know who to talk to about that and if he should even talk to someone about it. Luffy dialed Penguin's number and waited but he didn't pick up. A few minutes passed and his phone buzzed with Penguin's call in return.

"Hey Luffy! What's up? I couldn't find my phone, sorry." Penguin started.

"I met Torao today."

"Ohhhh!! And how did it go? Is he ok?"

"No. He's too guarded. And his hands are in a really bad shape."

"Yeah that's going to take some time to heal."

"Why was he so stupid that he got hurt that bad?"

"Law's weird like that. He's a mix of vigilante justice and self-destruction when he's really angry."

"He's really thin now, I thought if I hugged him tight enough he would break in two." Before Penguin could respond to that, Luffy started again. "Why didn't you tell me that it was because of Torao that I survived? That he gave me more than half his blood so I wouldn't die?"

"Law didn't want you to know. He was relieved when I told him that I lied to you."

"What else did you lie to me about?"

"What do you mean?"

"How bad was it for Torao?"

"I can't tell you that if Law himself hasn't."

"That bad huh." Luffy turned on his side and sighed. "Ok Imma hang up. See ya later Peng."

"See you later. Take care Luffy."

Luffy put his phone aside and rested on his back again, spreading his arms on his side and staring at the ceiling. He wanted to talk to Law again already. He yawned and his hand accidentally hit the headpost, the wooden headpost and Luffy remembered the numerous times he noticed Torao jump startled or look uncomfortable at the wooden sound. He wondered if something had happened to Law in the past that he doesn't like those sounds. Going down this line of thinking, Luffy recalled that Law's room door in Flevance, in fact all the doors in that building were metal.

Come to think of it...

Luffy remembered that Law looked like he would crack and break any time. Was it because of those sounds? Luffy cursed inwardly that he had banged that loudly on the door, it must have really brought some bad memories for Torao. Luffy couldn't bear the thought that Law might not be alright right now because of him so he decided to check on him.

|Unblocked me yet?

Luffy quickly typed and sent the message. He wasn't the patient type so he didn't wait around for a text that might not even come. He dialed Law and sat up when the line rang. Torao had unblocked him!

"I said I would text you the time." Law grumbled the moment he answered the call.

"You're ok?" Luffy asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I was hitting your door pretty loud and you said you didn't like the sound, silence usually triggers my panic attacks so I think those sounds trigger yours. So, are you ok?"

"...very perceptive." Law answered and Luffy heard him take a deep breath. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I feel weird, can't sleep." Luffy let Law change the subject and avoid Luffy's question.

"Weird how?"

"I dunno. Just weird." Luffy laid back down and listened to Torao talk. His voice was soothing at the moment.

"Ok, weird where?"

"In my chest and tummy."

"Did you eat something wrong again?" Law asked, exasperated.

"No, I've learned my lesson!" Luffy defended himself with a pout that was clearly audible to Law on the other end.

"Get it checked out if it continues to bother you. You said you have a doctor friend, have him see it."

"But you're my doctor friend too."

"I'm not functioning well right now so I won't take you in my care."

"Will you be better tomorrow then?"

"Mugiwara-ya..." Law groaned and sighed. "I don't know. I don't know when I'll be better."

"Do you need a hug?" Luffy asked, eyelids drooping a little. Torao's voice was slowly dissipating the weirdness he was feeling in his chest.

"No."

Luffy giggled sleepily at Law's shy response and closed his eyes. "Can you... keep talking to me until I fall asleep?"

"I..."

"Tell me about the circulatory system." Luffy helped on the topic. Torao was a doctor, he would definitely be able to talk endlessly about this.

"Fine." Law sighed and relented. "So the blood circulatory system, also called the cardiovascular system plays the part of delivering nutrients and oxygen to all the cells in the human body. It's a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels..."

Law stopped when he heard the soft snoring from the other end of the line. Luffy had really fallen asleep listening to him. For some reason, Law found his heart beating fast and hard and his face felt warm. Luffy's request was odd but Law somewhat liked it that the younger wanted to sleep to his voice.

What the fuck.

Law groaned so loud his throat hurt. He had been trying to create distance between himself and Luffy but today he had managed to do just the opposite. He had once again gotten dragged in Luffy's pace!

But... maybe it isn't so bad.

Law clenched his hands into fists and sighed. Luffy was unpredictable and Law was tired. He didn't want to think anymore. He was confused. He wanted to stay away but going with Luffy's flow was easier and he sort of liked it too.

Get a grip Law!

Rubbing his temples, Law exhaled deeply. He had sat down to bandage his hands again then Luffy had called and he had stopped his task. Law resumed his work and cleaned his knuckles, wincing at the burn, rubbed the medicine Luffy had given him and rolled firm bandages around his hands. It would take time for them to heal. He had indeed been blind and stupid that his greatest assets got hurt. He was tired. He was so very tired. Sighing again, Law put the things aside and went to bed. Whether he would be able to sleep or not, he would find out.

~

Chapter Text

~

Law was lounging on the steps of a house few blocks down from his basement. He had spent all day cleaning it and making sure it was fit for use whenever that would be. The sun had already set and the moon had come out.

Law checked the time on his phone and noticed he had half an hour till he had to go meet Luffy at the cafe. He was enjoying the cigarette between his fingers, taking one deep inhale after another. He wasn't dependent on nicotine, nor was he a chain smoker, it was a sort of thing he indulged in when he needed a break. Blowing the smoke in the air above him, Law sighed.

"Come on! Stop!" Law heard a distant yell, wincing at the crude intrusion in his peace.

"What, you scared?! Let's see who can get home first!!" Another person shouted and ran towards Law until he passed him. It was just a few more steps that the person stopped abruptly and fell to the ground. Law barely paid it any attention until the other person got closer.

"Ace! Dammit!" The person turned his head towards Law for a few seconds when he passed him by. Blond hair, round as fuck blue eyes.

Sabo. Law's mind provided. He called the other person Ace and Law moved his head to check, sure enough the man passed out had wavy black hair, could be Ace. Law wasn't sure since the face was hugging the hard concrete and there was blood starting to seep out.

Law of course knew these were Luffy's brothers. He had done his research on every person Luffy mentioned the name of in their conversations, so he of course also knew that Ace was narcoleptic. Law stared for a while as Sabo tried to shake his brother awake but that was only making him lose more blood. Law closed his eyes and mentally cursed, was Luffy's entire family like this?

"Ace come on asshole, we just got back from the hospital!" Sabo shook Ace some more because that had done the trick a few times in the past.

Law groaned and rolled his eyes, taking a final inhale of his cigarette and pulling his masks back on. He could not let this situation escalate, for whatever reason, he felt compelled to help. When he got up and extinguished the butt of his death stick, he caught Sabo's attention for a little while before it was back on Ace.

"Step aside, I'm a doctor." Law said pulling gloves from his fanny pack and walking to Sabo. The blond eyed Law for while.

"You're a doctor and you were smoking?" Sabo raised an eyebrow, moving closer to Ace, as if perceiving Law a threat. The worry for his brother was clear on Sabo's face because he had little to none medical experience and Ace was bleeding a lot.

"We all have our vices." Law answered and crouched to get a better look and angle to treat the black haired man. "Call an ambulance, I'll stop the bleeding and put stitches in the meantime."

"Show me some ID first." Law rolled his eyes and fished out his fake medical ID, it was really convincing for people that didn't know shit about medicine and Luffy's family were those people. "Alright, Antonio..."

Law quickly got to work when Sabo gave him some space and stepped aside to call for an ambulance. Ace had managed to cut his forehead, the wound wasn't big but it was deep, Law wondered if there was a skull fracture too. Law cleaned the bleeding area and injected a little anesthesia to stop the bleeding. He brought out his thread and needle for stitches, Ace would need four of them. All the while Law was meticulously threading through Ace's head, his phone was vibrating in his pants pocket. He briefly looked at the time on his watch and sighed. It was twenty minutes over the time he had to meet Luffy at.

Law took his gloves off after the final stitch and first called Luffy back. He answered on the first ring.

"Toraooo you're lateeeee!" Luffy whined and Law almost smiled at the sound. He sounded very... home-y.

"I'm sorry, I'm treating a head wound on a narcoleptic idiot. I'll be there soon." Law answered ignoring the hard stare from Sabo.

"You're kind shishishi."

"I am not!"

"Alright, I'll wait, see ya soon! Go be a doctor!" Law's heart skipped a few beats at that.

Law put his phone aside and bandaged Ace's head after applying some pyodine on the stitches. He was putting his supplies back when he heard the ambulance sirens. Law stayed for a few more minutes to talk with the EMTs, telling them to not jostle Ace's head too much because there was a chance of skull damage and effusion.

"Thank you." Sabo said before the doors closed and the ambulance drove away.

'Go be a doctor.'

Law smiled to himself behind his masks, liking the feeling of helping someone like his parents always did. They would too stop in their walks if someone needed medical attention, Law remembered his mother once helped a woman through labour in a cafe because the ambulance was taking too damn long and his father had treated the head wound on that woman’s husband because the idiot had fainted witnessing live birth. He had learned to carry medical supplies from his parents. One never knows what they might need and when.

Walking to the cafe, Law was mentally debating if he should tell Luffy that the narcoleptic idiot in question was his own brother. When Law walked through the doors and saw Luffy waving at him, he showed him his palm to tell him to wait and went to wash his hands first and reapply the bandages. He did carry a sanitizer around but sometimes his anxiety only calmed down when he washed his hands with water.

Luffy went through the menu again while Law was off to the restrooms for whatever reason. When Luffy got to the cafe and didn't see Torao around, he thought Law had changed his mind and decided to not show up. That had made Luffy angry for the few minutes until he remembered that Torao wasn't doing too good yesterday so he called him and found out he was being a doctor, helping someone. That had made Luffy happy and proud.

Law came back from the restrooms in a few minutes and sat down opposite to Luffy, putting his phone on the table and sighing. When Luffy took a breath, his nose scrunched and he immediately pinched it.

"Ew! You smell of cigarettes!" Luffy whined and tried to move a little away from the smell.

"Bothers you?" Law asked sniffing his shirt in places and taking out his cucumber scented deodorant, spraying it on himself.

The few seconds Luffy had inhaled the smoky smell, his brain was thrown back to the fires wrecking Grey Terminal. His eyes had glazed over and he was seven again, running for safety with his brothers like all the other residents of that place. Their ruling party had burned the entire place in hopes of 'cleansing' it. It had almost killed all three of the brothers. Luffy could still remember the amount of smoke there was. It was all up in his nose, his lungs, breathing hurt because of it and the smell stayed with him through his memories.

"Mugiwara-ya." Law called and snapped Luffy out of his thoughts.

"Bad memories. I don't like the smell." Luffy said in a small voice and that caught Law's attention. It was more than bad memories but who was Law to pry. "Ok let's order!" Luffy dispelled the somber mood and called for the waiter. The time Luffy was seeing some bad memories behind his dazed eyes, Law could see the subtle bags under his eyes and he remembered how Luffy had asked him to keep talking so the younger could fall asleep. Law wondered about Luffy's sleep schedule.

"Do you..." Law started and cleared his throat. "Do you often have trouble sleeping?"

"Sometimes. Usually when something triggers my panic or something upsets me." Luffy answered casually. No matter how cheerful or nonchalant Luffy looked right now, Law could see the small eye bags from sleeplessness. "You helped yesterday though, I wouldn't have been able to sleep otherwise!"

Law had been thinking about this the entire night he was awake. Luffy had been unable to sleep because he had found out about Law's decision for blood transfusion and that knowledge had upset the younger. That thought process led Law to the last time he spoke to Luffy on the Polar Tang, that was not pleasant. How many disturbed nights had Law caused Luffy because of that?

"I... I'm sorry I yelled at you that time." Law said, looking down and pulling his hat lower on his eyes. "When we were in Drum."

Luffy gauged Law for a few seconds then shrugged. "I was pushing you to give me straight answers, that usually happens, I get yelled at."

"I-"

"And you were sick too." Luffy justified Law's anger for him. Law sighed, the younger was not going to let it be Law's fault. Realizing this, Law shifted the focus of his questions.

"Speaking of straight answers... when I told you to call your friends or brothers when you had a nightmare, you didn't answer me properly." Law took the tray of food from the waiter and helped him put everything on the table.

"I don't call or tell anyone." Luffy answered when they were alone again.

"Why not?" Law took a sip from his iced tea and eyed Luffy over the glass.

"They don't know this happens." Luffy avoided eye contact, playing with the straw wrapping, eventually flicking it aside and taking a big gulp of his milkshake.

"Why not Mugiwara-ya?" Law asked again.

Luffy sighed and looked at Law a little annoyed for not giving up. Law smirked at the win when Luffy inhaled to start speaking. "My brothers worry too much, they would start crowding my space again. My friends would be the same. I don't tell them everything, they're the best but they would worry too and I don't want that. Nobody even knows what happened when I went missing back when and where I had been. I don't want everyone to give up their lives because they think I need to be looked after all the time. If I tell them everything, they would just stop living their own lives and I hate that."

It made sense to Law because he too was similar to Luffy in this regard. He didn't want people to stop living their lives because he needed help. He just wouldn't let it happen.

"So nobody knows what happened to you in Drum too." Law stated thoughtfully after a while.

"Yeah, I just said the weather got bad and the flights got delayed."

"And the numerous bruises on your arms from the dialysis and IVs?"

"I said I got into a fight." Luffy said eating his rice.

"Nobody sane would have believed you. Anybody who has seen bad days can tell what those marks were." Law rolled his eyes.

"But they didn't say anything. I also kept my arms mostly covered, took my baths when my brothers weren't home."

"And your recommended doctor's visits?"

"I didn't go."

"You what?!" Law was thankful he wasn't eating or drinking anything, the shock would have made him choke. Law cleared his throat to divert the people's attention he had gained by talking loud. "Not even once?"

"Nope." Luffy shrugged.

"Oh god, you fucking monkey." Law mumbled under his breath, covering his eyes, angry. "You are coming to my basement with me. I'm running tests on you."

"Ok." Luffy saw the bandages on Law's hand again. "How's your hand?"

"It's going to take time."

Luffy hummed in response and was about to resume eating when his phone rang. "Sabo?" Luffy questioned and answered the call. "Yo." Law watched as Luffy's face turned from all grins to ghostly pale. He wondered if Sabo was telling him about Ace's condition. "Ok... I will visit later then." Luffy put his phone aside and looked like he was about to cry.

"Let me guess, your brother had an accident and was admitted in the hospital for monitoring?" Law asked, he knew if he talked and got Luffy to talk, it would eventually make the younger feel better.

"How did you know?" Luffy lazily sipped on his drink, wanting to just jump and go see Ace but Sabo told him he didn't have to hurry.

"I told you I was treating a head wound on a narcoleptic idiot. How many people do you know that are like that?"

"So the shady weird doctor person Sabo mentioned was you?!"

"Yes." Law exhaled rolling his eyes at the description. "Don't worry too much. I mean Ace-ya did hit his head pretty hilariously but I didn't feel any apparent skull damage when I checked. The most he might be needing is some blood and painkillers, head wounds are nasty and painful."

Luffy relaxed visibly, calm. "Sabo said Ace was admitted so they could make sure nothing was wrong and that he was mostly ok."

"See? I have a weird sort of experience-beyond-my-years situation going, so trust me." Law grinned.

"Thanks Torao. I'm glad you were there." Luffy still felt anxious about Ace being hurt but he trusted Law and knew if Law said Ace was ok, he would be ok. But he still wanted to know and see firsthand.

"You want me to accompany you till the hospital?" Law offered and Luffy looked at him like something was wrong with Law now. "Only till the hospital, I'm not going in. You look like you'd rather make sure about your brother's condition yourself."

"Torao... can you read minds?"

"Yes."

"What am I thinking now?" Luffy asked, stars in his eyes, impressed.

"You're choosing between ordering more and going to the hospital at the earliest." Law answered not even thinking about it. Luffy was a simple boy with simple thoughts.

"Whaaaat?! How did you know!"

"I can read minds Mugiwara-ya, like you said." Law played along. "So which is it? Are you staying or going?"

Luffy deflated in his seat and thought for a few minutes, eyes scrunched and lips pouting as if thinking was too difficult for him. "I'm going." Luffy decided and quickly ate what was left. "And you're coming along."

"I did offer." Law agreed. They paid the bill and were soon on their way to the hospital.

"Torao how much do you sleep?" Luffy asked randomly when the two were walking to the hospital.

"Why do you ask?"

"Answer the question."

Law rolled his eyes but decided to answer anyway. "I don't sleep much."

"Yeah I know that but how much? Some time back you slept through the night and you said you were shocked that you got to sleep more than a few hours."

"I can sleep for a few hours on my good days. That's it."

"How many good days do you have?"

"A few every month. Most of the times, none." Law shook his head a little to stop getting swept in Luffy's pace. "Again. Why are you asking?"

"I can help you sleep y'know. I at least remember that you were always asleep when we-"

"Stop. I won't be saying this again so listen well, I am not making my sleep patterns dependent on you. You would be wise to avoid that for yourself too."

"But I wanna help you!" Luffy pouted.

"I don't want your help." Law sighed.

"You don't know that."

"What- that doesn't even make any sense."

"Sure it does. Sometimes people don't know what's good for them so they don't accept help." Luffy explained, nodding in the end.

"I do not want to hear this from someone who ignored his recommended doctor's visits." Law bit back.

"Those weren't important-"

"They are!!"

"Your sleep is more important Torao. When was the last time you even slept?" Luffy pushed.

"I'm not answering that."

"I'll ask Peng."

Law groaned and stopped for a second so he could stomp his foot instead of doing something that would definitely be considered violent. "Fine. The last time I slept was one night before leaving Flevance."

"How long ago was that?"

"Almost a week." Law answered in a small voice.

"Ok." Luffy said and the conversation ended. It disturbed Law a little how quick the younger had gone silent.

"Ok?" Law asked a few minutes later when Luffy hadn't said anything else.

"Yeah. I got my answers."

"What... are you going to do with this information?"

"Nishishi." Luffy just grinned, creeping Law out a little. "Ah wait here!" Law barely had time to respond before Luffy ran to the opposite side of the lane, to the small flower vendor. It took the boy five minutes before he was back with a lone hibiscus in his hands. "Ace likes these." Luffy explained, grinning.

The rest of the walk was spent with Luffy talking about what he had been doing the past month and Law listening and nodding his head, providing one word answers to indicate that he was indeed listening.

"I'll take my leave then." Law said when the hospital gates were visible.

"What about your basement plan?"

"Take your time with your brother."

"I'll call you later then ok?"

"Sure."

"See ya later Torao!" Law waved and turned to leave. "And thanks for helping Ace!"

When Law was out of sight, Luffy went inside the hospital and to Ace's room after signing in at the reception. Sabo had said Ace was conscious and seemed ok but Luffy really wanted to see for himself. He clutched the flower in his hand, careful still that he didn't squish it.

"Ace!" Luffy declared his presence by opening the door, a little louder than he had intended.

"Luffy! A little quieter please!" Sabo scolded in a hushed whisper. He was seated beside the bed Ace was on. Ace was looking at Luffy with a grin.

"Huh, you're ok." Luffy said looking at Ace with a tilt of his head and a frown on his face.

"Why are you disappointed?!" Ace retorted and his hand immediately went to his head, clutching it.

"You're both morons." Sabo rolled his eyes. "Yes he's ok Lu, like I said."

"Right." Luffy nodded and walked to the bed till he was close enough to slide the hibiscus inside one of the many wrapped layers of bandages on his brother's head. "There." Luffy grinned at his work and stepped back, sitting on the bed.

"Sabo my brother got me a flower." Ace felt his eyes tear up, his lower lip quivering. "And it's my flower. My hibiscus."

"Yes I can see that."

"What did the doctor say about discharging you?" Luffy asked kicking his shoes off and bringing his feet up as well. "Did they redo your bandages?" The way the bandages were wrapped didn't look like Torao's work so he was curious.

"Yeah he said if I'm stable for a few more hours, I'm ok to leave. And they did some scans so they removed the older bandages." Ace answered. "Man I was really lucky that doctor guy was there."

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed, grinning. Sabo raised an eyebrow at the odd display. The fact that Luffy was grinning wasn't odd, but that he was grinning like that, so broad, at the mention of a doctor. Strange.

"While I am also glad that guy was there, I can't help have my suspicions if he really was a doctor. He was smoking just seconds before Ace faceplanted himself on the pavement." Sabo commented.

"Well if he helped and Ace is ok and the doctors don't have a problem with his stitches then I guess he's a good guy." The youngest of the three shrugged.

"Guess so." Ace agreed ruffling Luffy's hair. "How was your meetup with your friend Lu?"

"Great! But I was worried about you so we cut it short. He walked with me till here though."

"Sorry about that." Ace apologized.

“It’s no problem Ace, we are meeting later.” Luffy cleared and just stayed with both his brothers until he started feeling sleepy.

"Luffy you go home first. You have school tomorrow." Sabo said.

"But-"

"I'm here ok? I'll look after Ace."

"Yeah Lu, you need to sleep well for school tomorrow." Ace backed Sabo.

"Alright." Luffy hopped off the bed and remembered something before leaving the room. "Oh, just in case I don't see you both before school, I might be going to my friend's right after school and might stay the night too."

"Ok." Sabo nodded. "Same friend as today?"

"Yapp."

"Is he really a friend?" Ace confronted. He had been thinking about this for a while. "The same friend you usually stay the night with? The friend we haven't been introduced to yet?"

"...yeah."

"Lu when did you fall in love with this friend?" Ace's words were so raw and sudden that Luffy stopped functioning for a whole minute. Sabo looked at Ace worried during that minute, worried that Ace had hit the mark and he himself had been somewhat blind. Or that Ace had really hurt his brain when he fell. One of the two.

"WHAT?!" Luffy burst, face going redder than the vest he was wearing.

"Luffy! Hospital!" Sabo shushed his brother.

"I-I... I- he- we- I don't know what you're talking about. See ya both later! Take care Ace!" Luffy said in a single breath and ran out of the hospital. He only stopped to catch his breath when he was a few good miles away from his brothers.

"What the hell Ace." Sabo commented when the silence after Luffy's stormy departure got too much.

"Think about it. This is a friend we haven't met and Luffy continues to stay with, he has even stopped talking about that Torao too. What if he doesn't have a girlfriend, but a boyfriend? Frankly I'm ok with both, at the same time too. I just don't think Luffy himself knows what he's feeling." Ace clarified.

"You're right about the secrecy parts. And you're right about that other part too, but he isn't talking to us about that so guess we can't do anything about it."

"Yeah man, we gotta wait for Luffy to tell us himself."

"You say that now after scaring him just a few minutes ago." Sabo shook his head, smacking Ace's bandaged one.

"That was a bull'seye though."

~

Chapter Text

~

'When did you fall in love?'

Luffy thought over Ace's words the entire time in school. It got to the point that Usopp had to repeatedly throw paper balls at him to make sure Luffy paid attention in class. Luffy knew what he felt for Torao was different than what he felt for anybody else but to call it love... Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Luffy just knew he couldn't tell Torao yet until he found out for himself and learned how best to tell it to Law.

"Oi Luffy! We're going to the arcade today! You're coming right?" Usopp asked exiting school with his friend.

"Nah, I have to go somewhere today." Luffy answered getting his phone out.

"Where?"

"Made an appointment with someone." Usopp raised a brow at the lack of explanation but let it pass. Luffy had been really weird the entire day, maybe it had something to do with it. The long nosed boy decided to leave Luffy be for the time being and not push him.

"Ok, see you on Monday! Or before if we made some plans!"

"Yeah! See ya Usopp!" Luffy texted Torao that he was heading to the basement house and to meet him there. Ace was discharged late at the night before so Luffy didn't worry much about his brother and went ahead with his plans. Upon receiving an affirmation from Law, Luffy stuffed his phone in his pocket and picked up his pace, heading towards Law's basement.

"Directly from school?" Law inquired when Luffy appeared in his line of vision. He was still far enough to have heard Law so the older tried again when Luffy neared. "Eager to get your tests done?"

"I get to spend time with you!" Luffy justified, grinning. Law just stared at Luffy, stumped with the boldness again. The older cursed inwardly for not having the courage to tell Luffy what he felt for him and the reason he was looking out for him.

"Stop being so mushy, I don't like that."

"I don't care." Law rolled his eyes and led Luffy down the stairs. "Did you get to sleep last night?"

"That's not your concern."

"Torao you're mean sometimes."

"Don't touch anything." Law warned when Luffy looked around at the machines with stars in his eyes. The place was equipped with all the medical machinery one could need to perform a variety of surgeries and procedures. Law made sure the sterilization vents were working before he took Luffy's bag and put it on a chair in the corner. "Did you eat anything before coming here?"

"Yapp!"

"How long ago was that?" Law inquired writing down different blood tests that needed to be done without fasting.

"An hour." Luffy peaked at the chart Law was making until Law turned around and pushed Luffy towards the bed in the middle of the room. Law put on his crisp white overalls and gloves. "You look like a real doctor now!"

"I am a real doctor!" Law almost pouted at Luffy's laughter but caught himself. "Take off your shirt and lay down." Law said and walked to wheel a few machines to the bed. The older's words threw images of Ace with his lover in Luffy’s mind and he was red in the face again. When Law turned back to Luffy, having expected him to be lying down, he found the boy still sitting on the edge of the bed, buttons barely touched, eyes unfocused and face steaming. "You ok?" Law asked and checked for fever. Luffy moved back to avoid the touch.

"I'm fine!" Law raised an eyebrow.

"...sure. Shirt off then. X-ray first, then echo." Law informed and set the x-ray machine while Luffy took off his school uniform shirt and undershirt, draping them at the edge, finally lying down. Law adjusted the x-ray machine over Luffy's chest. "Take a deep breath and hold it when I say so."

"Got it."

Law looked at the screen and found the placement perfect. "Deep breath and hold it." Law watched as Luffy's lungs filled up with air and stayed that way. He pressed a button that saved the image and pushed the machine aside. "Ok, exhale."

"Done already?"

"X-ray is easy. You were co-operative too. Good job."

"What's next?" Luffy asked lifting himself on his elbows and looking at the other big machine Law was typing into.

"I'm going to check your heart." Law answered lifting the echo probe and pushing Luffy back down, smearing the cold gel on his chest and pressing the probe on it.

"My heart?"

"Stop talking. And hands behind your head." Law guided, resuming after the position was perfect. "No vegetation, valves look ok." Luffy giggled to himself at the way Law was mumbling to himself, pressing buttons on the machine and moving the probe to the sides of his chest. The next few giggles got caught in Luffy's throat when Law looked at him with a mix of wonder and curiosity, a grin without malice or sarcasm on his lips. "Wanna hear your heart?"

It took Luffy a few moments to get the words out. "We can do that?"

"Yes."

"Sure! Let's do it!" Law pressed some buttons on the machine again and the room was filled with loud 'shsssakkk ssshssaaskkkk' noises and a weird goopy kind of sound that Luffy couldn't really describe but he was hearing his own heart! How rad was that?! "Can I see too?"

"Ok. Turn on your left side, arm under your head." Law guided again and moved the screen so Luffy could see. He pressed the probe on Luffy's chest again and pointed at various locations on the display. "That's your right upper chamber, this is the valve connecting it with the right lower chamber. This is your aorta- look at the colours, that's blood flow and oxygen."

Luffy could only look with awe, both at the screen and Law. It was fun seeing and hearing his own heart like that, especially since this was an experience he shared with Torao and was made possible because of the older too.

"So? Is my heart normal?" Luffy asked when Law glided the probe head on his chest one last time before placing it back alongside the machine.

"There are signs of strain," Law began and glared at Luffy, continuing, "signs that would have subsided had you gone to a doctor on time like you were told to."

"But it's nothing bad right?" Luffy got up on his elbows again.

"No it's nothing bad. You can take a few meds for some time and exercise to reduce the strain." Law answered with a sigh and handed the boy a few towels. "Wipe yourself and put your shirt back on."

"That's it? No more tests?"

"All the other tests require a minimum of ten to twelve hours of fasting. And I'm going to draw blood right now for the non-fasting tests." Law pointed at the chair in a corner. "Go sit there."

Luffy hopped off the bed and went to the chair Law pointed at while putting his shirts on. He sat down and examined the work station. The table was small but it had some needles and vials on it. Law came to sit on the other side of the table a few minutes later.

"Left arm forward." Luffy did as he was told. Law slid the sleeve back and tied an elastic band above the elbow. "Make a fist, thumb inside." Luffy followed directions. Law tapped the elbow pit for a good blood vessel, cleaned the area when he found a big pulsing one. "Close your eyes."

"I don't have problems with this." Luffy defended himself.

"Alright." Without a warning or any other sign, Law pricked the skin with a thick needle and attached the vials one by one to fill them halfway for testing. Two vials down and the blood flow got disturbed because Luffy was fisting his hand too hard. Law checked on the boy and found him fighting against a probable panic attack. "Dumbass, this is why I told you to close your eyes."

"I-I'm fine." Luffy stuttered. The needle in his arm reminded him of the numerous things the people in those prostitution houses injected in him to keep him going and the reminder was not welcome. He didn't get many reminders about that time and he had learned to control it to avoid panic attacks but this was triggering a bad one.

"Hang in there, I'm almost done." Law opened Luffy's fist and used his own hand to keep the fingers spread and relaxed. It was working because the slight shaking that was there, stopped and the blood flow was back to normal. Another vial in the basket and Law was done. "Good job." Law took the needle out and immediately replaced it with a ball of cotton. "Keep your arm bent at the site." Luffy did so, looking and feeling drained and exhausted. The doctor quickly labeled all the vials and placed the blood in a sterilized chilled facility. He rummaged through his bag, bringing out juice boxes he bought for Luffy for after the test. "Drink."

While Luffy was sipping on the juice, Law draped a blanket on his shoulders, patting him and ruffling his hair, gestures Law thought would calm Luffy down, and replaced the cotton ball with a band-aid. "T-thanks."

"Let me know when you're feeling better." Luffy nodded and sagged in his seat, exhaling to further calm down. Law took this time to print the x-ray and study it. He put on his prescription glasses only for x-ray and C.T. films. "Well your lungs have some webbing. Do you have trouble breathing sometimes?" Law asked, his back turned to Luffy.

"Very little. I thought it was just because I was always tired after I got back from Drum."

"You're lucky it isn't worse than it could have been." Law shook his head and put the x-ray aside, taking off his glasses. "I'll give you meds after all the tests are done. For now, let me hear your chest." Law dragged a chair close to Luffy's and brought out his stethoscope, putting the hearing piece on Luffy's chest. "Take deep breaths." Law listened carefully at each rise and fall and sure enough found some obstruction. "The fatigue you felt, that was natural after what you went through. I'm sorry I should have talked to you and made it clear how necessary those tests were. You wouldn't be suffering now if-"

"I'm not suffering Torao." Luffy cut through.

"Your heart will continue to get weaker if you don't exercise it properly, your lungs will continue to get the webbing till you can't breathe and I don't even want to know the state of your kidneys and liver, they took the worst damage."

"Peng told me very clearly that I needed to go for checkups but I didn't. That's on me."

"Penguin is nice, he would never yell at a patient and always trusts them to follow advice but when the patient is you, even smacking is justified."

"Do you usually smack your patients to make them listen?" Luffy asked, grinning, standing up and stuffing the juice boxes in his bag for throwing away later. He didn't litter.

"Most of my patients come to me half dead. But I smack their attendants and threaten them with the life of their boss so they'd behave."

Luffy hummed as an answer and watched Law put the machines back and discarding the used sheet on the bed and his gloves. Law put aside his overalls and quickly scribbled a list of everything he had used before grabbing his keys and motioning for Luffy to follow him out.

"Are you going back to your hotel? Can I come?"

"Are you going to take no for an answer?" Law asked tired, locking the basement doors and stuffing the keys in his bag.

"Nope. Nishishi." Luffy grinned and Law sighed.

"Fine. But you're going back for the night."

"We would need to stop by my house, I wanna take a bath, that probe gel felt weird."

"Didn't it dry already?" Law inquired walking to his car and getting in, turning the ignition when Luffy closed the door.

"It has but I know it was there so it feels weird."

"Mugiwara no Luffy, willingly taking a bath. What a time to be alive." Law joked.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"Sure whatever you say." Law chuckled. "Get your clothes, you can take a bath at the hotel, I'm not sitting in the car like a creep for too long."

"Ok!"

When Law stopped at Luffy's apartment building, the boy quickly got out and returned not even ten minutes later with his bag stuffed full.

"What even is in there?"

"Clothes and my medical file, you'd need that right?"

"Yes." Law answered, impressed yet again at Luffy's awareness and perception. He looked and came off as aloof and careless but Law had been a witness to many a times Luffy was just the opposite.

The two arrived at the hotel and Law parked his car in the basement parking, going to his room using the elevator. He put his bag aside, keeping the door open for Luffy who closed it behind himself.

"Remember, you're not staying the night."

"Let's go eat something!" Luffy declared throwing his things on the sofa.

"You wanted to take a bath. And I'm not getting out again till I have to."

"Boooo! Torao you're boring!"

"I always say that but you refuse to believe it." Law sighed and took a seat on the sofa, pushing Luffy's stuff in a corner. Seeing the empty space, Luffy jumped in beside Law.

"Yeah, you're not boring!"

"Order room service or something from nearby places, take your bath in the meantime."

"Sounds nice! Ok imma order!" Luffy quickly went through the different restaurants on his phone but had another idea. He dialed Sanji. "I've sent you a location pin, can you deliver here?"

"Let me check." Sanji answered and there was silence for a moment. Law looked at Luffy curiously. "Yeah I'll send Patty. Text me what you want Luffy."

"Gotcha! Thanks Sanji!" Luffy ended the call and went through his bag to get the Baratie's menu card out, he was there so much that Sanji handed him his own menu card to order whenever he wanted. "Oh right." Luffy turned to Law and handed him the card. "Choose."

"Baratie? Isn't that really famous around here?"

"Yapp! My friend Sanji works there! We get discounts or free food! So pick! The food is always so amazing Torao!" Law took the card from Luffy's hand and browsed through it.

"Onigiri."

"You're always eating that! Choose something else!"

"You order then."

"Ok!" Luffy ordered a lot of meat, some fish, rice, curry, some barbecue and lots of juice.

"By the way," Law started when Luffy gathered his clothes and stood up. "Your other tests, they need to be done on a minimum of eight hours of fasting but just to be on the safe time, I'm advising you a twelve hour fast, no food or meds but you can drink water. Only water."

"Whaaaatttt?! I can't eat for twelve hours?!" Luffy dropped the clothes he was holding. "I'm gonna die Torao!"

"Nobody dies from this. You'll eat now and then you will begin your fast starting from nine." Law rolled his eyes at the dramatics Luffy was exhibiting. "You've probably had worse, this should be nothing."

"I can't even have candy?"

"No. Now go take your bath."

"Grumpy Torao." Luffy pouted and picked his clothes back up, walking to the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He took a bath as quick as was humanly possible.

The food arrived and the two ate in relative silence except for the times when Luffy asked for reviews and pushed Law to eat more. Law did eat more than he usually did. The surgeon cleared the table and prepared some milk tea for himself to get his system warm, it sometimes helped him sleep too. He offered Luffy a cup and the younger eagerly accepted.

"So warmmmmmm~" Luffy mused, sighing content and exhaling with a big smile.

"It's the last thing you're ingesting before your fast begins." Law reminded him and took a sip from his mug, smirking when the calmness left Luffy at the reminder.

"Torao you're mean." Luffy fake cried and finished his tea, handing Law his cup when the older was going to the kitchen to put his own away.

"You're free to leave anytime now." Law said gesturing to the door. He watched how Luffy's face turned from a pout to a mischievous smile to neutral. He slid down the sofa until he was half laying down and half sitting.

"Oh no, Torao, I am soooo tiiirrrreeeedddddd! I can't walk bacckkkkk! I'm so sleeeepppyyyy." Luffy said and closed his eyes to fake tiredness. Law's eye twitched. Of course this would happen. Luffy was definitely lying. When Law didn't say anything for a few moments to see what Luffy would do, the younger opened one eye to peek at Law, to see if he was buying it. Law was standing unimpressed but sighed.

"Fine. But you're staying on the couch. If I so much as sniff you near me, I'll personally kick you out."

"Yay! Thanks Torao!" Luffy called when Law left to get extra pillows and blankets for the younger. Law made sure Luffy had everything before he retired for the night himself. He was tired and felt like he would be able to sleep for at least two hours today so before even that left him, Law went to bed.

It was past midnight and Luffy couldn't sleep, more like got roused from his usually deep slumber by an odd feeling that refused to let him go back to sleep. He didn't blink his eyes in hopes of retaining whatever sleepiness he had but when even his brain started turning its gears, Luffy grumbled when he figured he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore and sat up on the couch, pulling the blanket closer to him. It was cold.

Luffy felt hungry but controlled himself because he didn't want to disappoint Torao for having broken his fast so he got up to drink as much water as he could to quiet his stomach. On his way back, the black haired boy heard sounds of sheets shuffling from Torao's room. The door was slightly open so Luffy decided to check.

Law was still asleep but he didn't look like he was having a peaceful sleep. His brows were furrowed and his jaw clenched. Luffy knew what this was and he wanted to help but he didn't want to wake Law up because the older was finally sleeping after who knows how many sleepless nights.

"Wait here Torao." Luffy quickly ran back to his couch and got his blanket. He sat down on the carpeted floor beside Law's bed and draped the blanket over his own shoulders. He rested his head on the bed and held Law's hand, tightening his hold when it seemed like Law was seeing a particularly bad nightmare. "It's ok Torao, I'll hold your hand. You're safe." Although it was Luffy that was providing the safety and the comfort, he also felt those things himself and dozed off before long.

Law's eyes opened blearily. It was still night but he felt oddly calm, not well rested but calm. The sleep was thick on his lashes and he knew if he tried hard enough, he would be able to fall right back to sleep. He was going to do just that until his brain became aware that his hand was heavy and tracking that, he was led to a Luffy, holding Law's hand and sleeping with his head on the bed. Law remembered he was having a nightmare and that he didn't get woken up by it. Was Luffy the reason for that? Did he really hold Law's hand all through the time just to make sure the older was ok?

Law was overcome by a heavy feeling, like ocean waves all angry and frantic, drowning him but he didn't feel like he was drowning, it was a nice heaviness, it was heavy but it was also light and tingling. Luffy's gesture touched him.

"Luffy..." Before Law knew it, the name escaped his lips and his hand was gripping the younger's that was in his own. Luffy's hand was cold and Law felt like an idiot, cursed himself for not noticing the bundled blanket around Luffy's feet. How long ago had that happened?! Had Luffy been sitting in the cold like that for hours?! "Get up here dumbass." Law muttered and tugged at the boy's arms, scooting backwards himself to make room on the bed.

"Mhmmmnn?" Luffy mumbled sleepily but didn't protest the movement and settled next to Law, humming in contentment at the warmth of the sheets. Law spread the blanket over them both and turned to his other side to sleep. He hadn't accounted for Luffy to also turn and drape his entire weight on Law's back but to Law right now, it was welcome. The older didn't protest and the two fell back to sleep.

The next time Law opened his eyes, it was to loud rumbling coming from a certain boy's stomach. The sun was already out so Law thought he might as well get up. It was still an hour before his scheduled alarm but he still got to sleep a lot. He really wondered if it was because Luffy was there. Speaking of, the younger was getting up, rubbing his stomach, mumbling something incoherent.

"Remember, you're on a fast." Law said, getting up himself and starting his day. He chose to ignore what went about last night, putting it aside for pondering later or never. But no, he wanted to let Luffy know sooner rather than later about what he felt for the younger.

"Noooooooooooooooooo." Luffy whined and fell back on the bed.

"Water's ok." At this, Luffy was up and ran to drink like he hadn't had water for weeks. Law finished his morning routine and grabbed his car keys.

"I'm going to get the car started. Come down when you're ready."

"Nu-uh! Let's walk!" Luffy called from the kitchen area.

"You can barely stand up and the basement is a little farther than you can probably handle right now." Law countered.

"I can walk fine!" Law rolled his eyes at the stubborn monkey and sighed, putting away his keys.

"Alright. Then get ready to leave in fifteen minutes."

"Ok!" Luffy went about his routine behind the bathroom's closed door. Law thanked whatever he could that Luffy learned to close the door, remembering how he had to do it for him a numerous traumatizing times when Luffy was in Law's care.

Law went through his phone while Luffy was getting ready and deliberately left all messages in his group chat on 'seen.' Luffy was out within exactly fifteen minutes and no sooner were both heading towards the basement.

They were walking in relative peace, Luffy was quiet but keeping pace, he did not at all look tired. Until they passed by a few food vendors that is.

"Toraooo I'm hungry! I can't walk!" Luffy whined.

"I told you, you weren't fit for walking, that's why I said to take the car."

"I wasn't tired thennnnn! I'm tired nowwww!"

"How is that my problem?"

"Gimme a piggyback!" Luffy tugged at Law's sleeve.

"Absolutely not!" Law pulled his arm back to make the younger let go.

"Heeeeeeeeee! You did so when you got me out of the caves!" Luffy pouted.

"I-!! Wait- You remember that?"

"Yeah it's sort of coming back in parts."

"What else do you remember?" Law asked, he was curious to the effects of amiudake on a survivor.

"I was saying some very scary things, I just know it. And I remember you gave me a piggyback because I was decapitated."

"Incapacitated." Law corrected. "And yes I did because that was the only way of getting you out of there."

"Thanks Torao. I know I told you to leave me there but you didn't. Chopper told me how difficult my situation was but you didn't give up." Luffy grinned. "Thanks."

"I-I just promised you to get you out before you had completely lost it so I was only making good on my words." The doctor pulled his hat down to cover as much of his face as he could.

"Nice guy Torao." Luffy sung and laughed, his tiredness all forgotten in the moment. The mood prevailed the rest of the walk to the basement where Law first took blood samples and performed the remaining ultrasound before he told Luffy that it was ok if he left.

"I'm going to analyze your blood and I need absolute peace and quiet for it so go and eat something. You can come back in eight hours." Law explained.

"You haven't had breakfast too, let's go together."

"I'm ok."

"But I wanna eat with you." Luffy jumped off the bed and pulled his shirt back on. Law closed his eyes and sighed.

"Bring me something back then, Mugiwara-ya, after eight or so hours have passed." Law negotiated.

"Ok!" Luffy agreed and checked how much money he had. "Why're you calling me that by the way? You said my name last night, why not use it all the time?"

"You don't use my name so it's only fair that you receive the same treatment."

"But you used to call me by my name back then too-"

"You were a kid. Since you refuse to grow out of it, you'll remain a child and recipient of a formal nickname."

"If you're going to be like this, Law, you said my name twice so I'll return the favour. See ya later Law!"

When Luffy left, Law buried his face in his hands and let out what could only be called a little squeal. Hearing his own name from Luffy felt...good. He liked it. He wondered why he liked it and came to a conclusion that this had to do with what Law felt for Luffy and he absolutely needed to tell him. Maybe today.

Shaking his head like a wet dog, Law began working on the blood samples in front of him. He wanted to get these tests done and see how much Luffy still needed to recover. The ultrasound was mostly ok, now it was time for blood. Time passed by quick and Law was preparing reports for all the blood tests when Luffy arrived.

"Torao I'm back!" Luffy announced hovering over Law and watching what he was typing.

"I could hear you from the ground above, your footsteps are very loud."

"Nishishi. Are you done?"

"Just printing these. Bring me your medical file." Luffy went and got the said file and Law put the pages in it. "Your blood work is mostly ok too, I have written a few medicines that would help recover the damages and a tonic for your fatigue."

"Thanks!"

"And you will get checked out at least a month later." Law warned.

"You can do that."

"I won't be here. Ask your doctor friend since it feels like you don't want to go to a regular doctor. He seems competent enough."

"Ok!"

"That's done then." Law took a deep breath and his stomach made a sound. "What did you bring me back?"

"Nothing. We're going out for food." Luffy started heading for the exit. "You're always taking care of me, I'll treat you to a feast Torao!"

I can tell him now. Law's brain was then adamant about telling Luffy what he had been feeling.

"Mugiwara-ya." Law called and Luffy stopped.

"Hm?"

"I need to tell you something. It's sort of important." Law mentally cursed himself at how unsure he appeared.

"You don't wanna go out?" Luffy asked, face all serious. "Are you tired?"

"Stop, just listen!" When Luffy took in a deep breath and stopped talking, Law exhaled and began talking. "You always keep saying how I'm taking care of you... I, yes that's true. I guess what I want to tell you is that the reason I'm always looking out for you or making sure you're ok..." Law saw as Luffy's face turned red, was he ok?

"Go-go on." Luffy fell on his words, trying hard to maintain eye contact. He was thinking if Torao told him he liked him, Luffy would also say the things he had kept within himself for months.

Law took a deep breath and dropped the bomb. "I do all that because I think- I think of you as a little brother."

~

Chapter Text

~

"I think of you as a little brother." Law said and fell quiet. Luffy's brain was spiraling. He had expected to hear a few somethings but not this! How was he supposed to react to this!

"Huh?" Luffy titled his head in confusion. He had unfortunately heard correct. He wasn't disappointed, he just thought Torao was misguided like Luffy was a lot of times.

"I'm not saying it again."

"Ok now we definitely need to go out for food!" The younger grabbed Law's hand and led him through the stairs. They were walking to their destination of course. Law was quiet, his brain thinking he had done something wrong and ruined whatever friendship he had with Luffy. Luffy was quiet because he was thinking.

Quietly, they arrived at the Sim's cafe and ordered what they wanted and sat in silence because Luffy still looked like he was thinking. Law didn't know what to do.