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Law sat on a rocky outcrop facing the sea. The trees behind him sang with the sound of cicadas, the loud chirping continuing unperturbed by the darkness that had swallowed the small summer island. His shirt clung to his body like a second skin. The Thousand Sunny rested on the waves below his spot, a shining beacon signaling the only trace of civilization for miles.
The Straw Hats were dancing and singing on the deck, ever the merry bunch.
The remains of the Heart Pirates joined the rival crew, drinking away any feelings that tried to creep up on them. Law’s guts twisted at the notion of forgetting.
Thanks to his unimpaired status he was able to pick up on a presence rapidly approaching from behind before he could even hear the sound of sandals slapping against the rough terrain.
“Tra—”
“The hell do you want?!” Law barked, cutting the younger man off before his ally could fully get out the nickname. Luffy seemed unbothered, not faltering as he walked up and placed a glass within arm's reach. Amber liquid splashed down, filling it to the rim.
“I’m not interested in getting drunk,” the doctor grumbled.
“Neither am I. It’s juice. Sanji said since it’s hot out you need to drink something even if you’re not eating with us.”
Law brought the glass up to his face, taking a tentative sniff of the beverage. It smelled like a mix of tropical fruits, no hints of alcohol present. He sighed and brought it close to his lips before he heard the sound of a second glass being poured. His brain rushed to fill in the blanks for how Luffy would naturally bring a bottle of juice and two glasses up the makeshift trail, sticky fingers gripping the insides of the glass walls. A shiver ran up the doctor’s spine.
“Did you wash your hands…” Law’s words came out in a dark hiss. Luffy laughed in response, waggling his fingers in front of the older man’s eyes.
“Sanji always makes me, says it’d ruin the food if I didn’t!”
Law smacked away the other captain’s hand and took a small sip. It was as sweet as the scent advertised but it went down smooth, sugar abstaining from sticking to his throat. A weight settled against his back as he looked out over the horizon. Could he even count himself as a fellow captain anymore with less than five men at his beck and call?
“What are you doing out here?” Luffy asked. Law took a deep breath. He knew he couldn’t get away with lying.
"Mourning.”
“Your crew?”
Who else? His mind supplied, though on further consideration he supposed there was always something more to it. “...Everyone I suppose,” he said instead. The young man sitting behind him hummed in response.
Luffy ran hot enough to make the space almost unbearable when added to the already humid air surrounding them. The scent of tobacco likely stemming from his cook clung to his clothes. The knot in Law’s stomach tightened. This was what protected him back in Dressrossa. This barely-grown man seven years his junior.
“You’re small and annoying.” He didn’t know where the insult came from but it was all he could think to say to vent his frustration.
“You’re uptight and boring.” Luffy’s own equally childish quip came out with more bite than usual. A thread of understanding wound itself between the two. Law gulped down the rest of his drink and rested his head against his knees. He almost wished he had brought alcohol up to his moping perch. “So you get it?”
“Feels wrong to even think of comparing them.”
A guardian set on saving his ward. An older brother that sparks hope in a younger mind. A loudmouthed kid with a savior complex. A macabre doctor that works miracles. If Law was a religious man he might think the comparison was sacrilegious and run to the nearest place of worship to repent.
“I know.” Loud scraping sounds came from Luffy scuffing his sandals against the rocks. “Pisses me off.”
“We don’t get along most of the time.”
“Family doesn’t usually.” The young captain’s words sank into Law’s heart like a knife. How many arguments had Law missed in those empty years? How much pain and misery had he managed to avoid even in the cloying loneliness?
“So it’s not even worth it?”
Luffy laughed into his drink, the sound reverberating and warping along the glass.
“Most of the time.” He picked up the bottle lying at their side to refill. “But sometimes it pays off.”
The “future king” shook his bottle of juice in Law’s direction. Its label said something about mango cider. It seemed the chef had repurposed an old bottle to hold something new but still related. The older captain accepted his offer. Some time passed between the two before Luffy spoke again.
“The offer to join my crew is still up if you want.” Law jammed his elbow into the other man’s back. The younger made a show of wincing and whining even though there was zero haki infused with the blow.
“I’ll be dead before I let us join under your sorry excuse for a flag.” Luffy cracked the back of his head against Law’s in retaliation, the attack far more effective coming from the opposite direction. “Son of a—” His attention was drawn away from the pain as Luffy turned to face him properly. He held his drink up.
“How about cousins? Cause I’m not looking for more brothers.”
Law huffed out a sound of disbelief but gently clinked his glass in a toast.
“Sure. Cousins. Whatever gets you to leave me alone.”
The ceremony was even more haphazard than the one meant to keep Ace, Sabo, and Luffy together all those years ago. There was no sake, no witness, and they didn’t even drink from the right type of glass.
It didn’t matter.
A promise was a promise.