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“I’m going to step out for a moment”
Law's quiet voice was nearly drowned out in the chatter of the crowded tavern where the Hearts were currently partying. Something about celebrating Law’s victory against Big Mom and Kiado, ignoring his protests.
“Estusass-ya helped defeat Big Mom and Mugiwara-ya was the one who took down Kaido” and “Didn’t we just celebrate back at Wano”?
His crew didn’t want to hear it.
“Yeah, but those weren’t about how much our amazing captain helped” they all cheered, nodding along in agreement. Law sighed, trying to ignore the creeping embarrassment at his friend's unending praise. Law took a drink, ducking his head to avoid meeting their eyes.
The hours passed by in a blur of drinks, chatter, and the occasional song that burst to life in the lively tavern. Law’s mind pleasantly fuzzed over as time passed where he sat at the bar, Shachi and Penguin on either side of him, chatting animatedly above his head.
They paused as Law stood up from his stool.
“Going back to the Tang Captain”? Shachi asked
Law hummed absently
“Not a bad idea, I’m sure Bepo would appreciate the company” Penguin laughed
Right, the poor mink had retreated to the submarine hours ago as the humidity on the summer island they had docked on had become unbearable for him.
Law hummed again. His thoughts, too muddled to voice at the moment. He reached out a hand patting his friends on the head, first Shachi, then Penguin. The two had removed their hats earlier so he took a moment, ruffling their hair gently before turning and exiting the bar.
Shachi and Penguin sat in stunned silence as they watched their captain leave.
—
The fresh air felt nice as the light breeze ruffled his hair, having left his signature hat back at the bar. Law's feet carried him through the port town where they had docked. The island was not far from Wano, just a quick supply stop before continuing on into the New World. His mind wandered, not particularly caring where his feet took him as he walked the narrow streets. At the moment he couldn’t recall how much he had drunk. Certainly more than he usually would as drinks seemed to keep materializing in front of him throughout the night. Law didn’t like to drink, sure he enjoyed the flavor of the alcohol for the most part but the feeling that accompanied it tended to be more trouble than it was worth. He was, unfortunately, a lightweight. Barely one drink in and he was tipsy, give him a couple more and there was a high chance he would wake up with a killer hangover and almost no recollection of the night previous. Not that his drunk brain seemed to care about that at the moment.
He wasn’t sure how long he walked but soon enough the sun had fully set. Law frowned, his feet beginning to ache. He should rest. It was late and the more he walked the more his thoughts became fuzzy. He couldn’t stay outside, even drunk he knew that much. Now then… where did he usually stay? On a ship, right? Law nodded to himself as he headed in the direction of a nearby dock. That's right, he always had trouble sleeping, but the fainting rocking of the waves helped to lull his tired body to sleep. Even on the days where his mind didn’t want to let him rest.
Law let his feet carry him across the deck of a ship. It was large, maybe even a bit bigger than the Thousand Sunny where Law spent a considerable time during his alliance with Mugiwara-ya. Although the layout was a lot less confusing and within only a few moments he found himself in a large bedroom.
Law toed off his boots, swaying slightly as he stumbled onto the bed. A small part of his brain reminded him to get changed. Law groaned as he sat up, fumbling with the buttons as he stripped off his shirt and pants, tossing them haphazardly onto the floor. He swayed slightly as he stood, looking around the room for a change of clothes. His eyes caught on a white linen shirt that was tossed over a chair in the corner of the room. Law shrugged it on, the shirt far too big, reaching down to his thighs. He paused as one of his arms wouldn’t go through the sleeve, frowning as he realized it was tied in a knot. That's stupid. With fumbling hands Law untied the sleeve. He hummed in approval as he succeeded, staring down at where the long sleeves draped over his hands, nearly covering his tattoos. He turned and flopped back onto the bed curling up on his side, his fluffy blue coat draped over him like a blanket, fingers gripping into the feathers as lost consciousness.
—
Shanks stumbled down the hall of the Red Force. It was well past 3 in the morning by the time most of the Red-Haired pirates made it back to where they had docked their ship earlier that evening. Shanks smiled, absently humming some shanty under his breath as he opened the door to his quarters, a half drunk bottle of booze still hung loosely in his hand. The room was dark but Shanks didn’t bother to turn on a light as he stepped inside. The large amounts of alcohol that he drank earlier buzzed pleasantly in his system. He took one last swing from the bottle before setting it on the cluttered table, a light breeze blowing in through the cracked open window.
Shanks sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his sandals and tossing his black cloak haphazardly to the side for future him (or Benn) to put away. He stretched, sighing contently as he flopped onto the bed. His hand bumped into something as he shifted the covers.
There was someone in his bed.
Shanks squinted in the darkness. A man lay in his bed, curled up under a fluffy coat and sleeping peacefully. The man looked a bit younger than him with fluffy black hair and what looked like tattoos on his knuckles though Shanks couldn’t make out the word from where his hand was buried in the feathers of a large coat.
Shanks frowned. He pulled the blankets out from under the man before lifting him up gently, removing the coat and shifting him enough that Shanks could maneuver them both under the covers. The man grumbled quietly in his sleep curling up closer to Shanks as he pulled the blankets over them.
Shanks sighed contently as he lay down, his arm resting loosely over the warm body next to him as he dozed off.
—
The first thing Law noticed when he woke up was the piercing pain in his skull. He groaned quietly, trying to shift to burrow his head further into the pillow. The sunlight that shone through the open window only served to amplify the blinding pain.
The second thing he noticed was that he couldn’t move. Law opened his eyes and came face to face with another man. Red hair framed the man's face on the pillow, his chest slowly rising and falling as he slept. His right arm- his only arm was wrapped around Law’s waist, holding him against his chest.
How did this happen?!
Law squeezed his eyes shut, racking his brain for any memory of what had happened last night. But his mind came up blank. He didn’t know where he was or how he had gotten here. He didn’t know who this person was… no, that wasn’t right. Law opened his eyes once more, gazing at the stranger's face. Red hair, three scars over his eye, strong features that seemed so soft as he slept.
Red-haired Shanks
Law had gotten drunk and ended up in bed with an emperor of the sea. Well not like that. He didn't think so at least. Law felt his face heat up with embarrassment. He pressed a hand against Shanks chest, attempting to gently push out of his grip. Shanks grumbled, tightening his hold and pulling Law even closer. Law’s face felt like it was on fire as they now lay mere inches apart, he could feel the emperor’s breath against his parted lips.
What was he supposed to do?
Everytime Law tried to pull away Shanks pulled him closer, essentially using the surgeon as an overgrown teddy bear. He could wait for the red haired man to wake up on his own but he had no way of knowing how long that would take, it could be hours and he needed to get back to his crew.
No, he needed to get out of here, preferably before the emperor woke up and realized who he was holding. He could use his devil fruit, swapping with something off of the ship and making a run back to where the Tang was docked. He didn’t know how much time had passed or how far he had gotten from his ship and crew but as long as he acted fast he should be able to avoid unwanted conflict.
Law closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself to use his ability. He opened his eyes, flinching back when they made contact with a pair of fierce red eyes. Law starred, unsure what to do for a moment before his mind snapped back into gear. He pulled his hand back from where it rested against Shanks chest, ready to summon a room. The grip on his waist tightened, pulling Law flush against the other pirate's chest.
“Don’t do that”
The emperor’s voice cut through the silence. Barely above a whisper and gravely from sleep but it felt so loud in the quiet room. The commanding tone tinged with haki had Law freezing. He wondered if the emperor even comprehended the situation as he blinked lazily at Law through long lashes.
Shanks hummed contently when it seemed Law no longer intended to use his devil fruit. He yawned, closing his eyes once more as the quiet sound of the waves rocking against the ship and the warm body next to him threatened to lull him back to sleep.
“What's your name” Shanks asked, not opening his eyes
“Trafalgar Law”
Shanks hummed. Bright red eyes opened to stare at him. Law couldn’t help but blush under the emperor's intense gaze.
Shanks smiled, a soft chuckle escaping at the younger man's obvious embarrassment.
“Ah, no one told me Luffy had such a cute ally”
Law was sure his entire face was bright red. He averted his eyes, trying once more in vain to extract himself from the other man's grasp.
“Shut up”!
Shanks just laughed. His arm left Law’s waist, traveling up his back to rest on the back of his neck. He tugged gently, pulling Law till his head rested against Shanks’ chest. Law starred with wide eyes, hearing the thump of Shanks heartbeat, completely steady despite the odd and embarrassing situation.
Shanks hand carded gently through the short hair at the base of his neck. The soothing motion had him melting into his arms. His mind screamed at him to leave, to not be involved with another emperor in any way but the voices were lost over the gentle rocking of the ship and the steady beat of Shanks heart. Law closed his eyes, the pain in his skull fading at the lack of light. His mind still felt heavy, pushing logic aside in favor of the temporary comfort of laying with the emperor.
Shanks hummed contently above him, the notes slowly shifting into a song that Law was sure he had heard before though he couldn’t remember where. The memory was hazy, a light in the darkness as he lost consciousness.
—
The rest of the Red-haired crew walked around the deck, getting ready to depart following their captain’s order. Yasopp yawned as he set down a barrel, walking over to where Benn stood, overseeing the work. He glared past Yasopp to the doorway of the ship where he had been waiting to see their captain emerge for the better part of an hour.
“He’s sleeping later than usual,” Yasopp commented, leaning back against the railing.
Benn just grunted in response
“We need to be leaving if we want to keep ahead of Anchor”
Yasopp smirked
“Yeah yeah, you don’t need to ask I’ll go wake him” he pushed off the railing, heading down into the ship to find their hungover captain. It wouldn’t be the first time Yasopp was sent to wake Shanks after a long night of drinking and so far he held the record for quickest wake up.
Yasopp grinned as he reached the door to the captain's quarters. He kicked open the door which banged loudly against the wall. The lump of blankets on the bed groaned.
“Rise and Shine captain”!
“Yasopp it's too early” Shanks muttered from the bed. The lump rustled more and a hand emerged.
A tattooed hand which gave him the finger
“Fuck off” a gravely voice growled, the hand quickly retreating back into the blankets.
Yasopps smile dropped as he stared at the bed. There was someone else there, in their captain's bed. A man with death tattooed on his knuckles.
“Oh my god”
Yasopp started to back up, cursing loudly as he whacked into the doorframe. The stranger shifted in the bed, pushing up to rest on his elbows. The pirate was easily recognizable from his 3,000,000,000 beli bounty. Trafalgar Law glared at him with narrow golden eyes, his hair messy and devoid of his usual spotted hat. The shirt he was wearing was big, far too big on his slim frame. Yasopp almost blushed when he realized it was Shanks shirt, the one he liked to wear when the weather got warmer.
Shanks grumbled something incomprehensible under his breath as his arm snaked around Law's waist, pulling him back down onto the blankets.
“I’ll be up soon don’t worry” he muttered, though Yasopp really doubted it with the way he was cuddling the doctor.
Yasopp grinned, a laugh bubbling up in his chest as he turned to leave.
“Yeah yeah, Have fun you two~” He said, tossing the pair a suggestive wink as he left, making a beeline for the upper deck.
—
Law fell with a thump back onto Shanks chest. He could hear the crewmate, who looked a lot like god-ya, laugh loudly before leaving the room. Law sighed, trying to sit back up but Shanks held him down with a gentle hand on the back of his neck.
“Akagami-ya let go”
Shanks hummed beneath him
“I’m being serious Akagami-ya, we need to get up before your crew gets the wrong idea”
Shanks loosened his grip so Law could push up onto his elbows, hovering over the emperor. Shanks opened his eyes, a smile on his face as he gazed up at Law. His hand still resting on the back of his neck, absently playing with his hair. Law glared at the man under him. His eyes creased as the soft smile on his face shifted to something resembling a smirk. The sunlight that crept in through the open window hitting the bright red hair almost took Law's breath away as he met the emperor's eyes.
The hand on his neck tugged him down, their faces mere inches apart.
“And what would that be”? His voice barely above a whisper as he spoke against Law's lips.
Law swallowed hard
“That something happened between us”
“And nothing did”?
Law furrowed his brow
“...no”
Shanks' eyes softened as he put the faintest bit of pressure on Law's neck. Not demanding, just gently coaxing him to meet Shanks halfway in a soft kiss. Law startled at the feeling, Shanks lips were slightly chapped and he was sure he could taste the alcohol on his tongue. But it was so gentle that after a moment of stunned silence Law found himself melting into the kiss. Shanks kissed him like he was something precious, like he was a lifelong lover and not some random man who had woken up in his bed. Law was tired, hungover, and a little lonely so maybe that was why he didn’t protest, why he kissed Shanks back, opening his mouth when Shanks wandering tongue gently requested access. After what felt like hours but was surely only a few minutes Shanks pulled back, letting Law suck in the air he didn’t realize he was lacking.
“What about now”? Shanks asked, tilting his head to the side. A soft blush tinting his cheeks.
Law blinked at him dumbly before his brain caught back up. Their conversation from earlier... His ears burned with embarrassment as he realized what Shanks had just done. He was toying with him. Law glared at the captain, huffing out a breath as he pulled away, rolling onto his side and away from the other. He stood, stretching his arms above his head. Shanks propped himself up, intently watching the way the shirt shifted when Law stretched.
“Come on, your crew needs you and I should be leaving”
Shanks frowned
“So soon”?
Law grabbed his pants from where they had been tossed on the floor the night before.
“Yes, I ended up here by accident and there no reason to hang around any longer” Law pulled on his pants, grabbing his coat and tossing it over his shoulders “We both have responsibilities as captains and its best we see to those instead of slacking off”
“Fine fine”
Shanks sat up, yawning. Fortunately, he was still fully dressed from the night before so he just grabbed his black coat before opening the door.
“After you”
Law scowled
The pair made their way up onto the deck. The stares from the crew were hard to ignore, but no one said anything. He knew what they thought happened and they weren’t as wrong as he wanted them to be. Law turned away from the crew's stares, making a beeline for the dock.
“Law wait”!
Law stopped, turning his head slightly
“Here, before you go…” Shanks grabbed Law's hand, placing a small piece of paper in his palm. He closed it into a fist before the paper could move.
“A vivre card” Law muttered, looking up
“Wh-” His question was cut off as Shanks lips met his, his hand gently cupping Law's cheek.
“So we can meet again”- Shanks smiled- “Don’t be a stranger”
Law nodded before he turned and quickly fled the ship, not turning back even as he heard a loud cacophony of voices erupted behind him.
Apparently, he had managed to walk to the next town over while drunk. The moment he stepped foot in town Shachi and Ikkaku caught sight of him.
“Captain! There you are we were so worried something happened”! Shachi said as he ran up to Law
Ikkaku looked him up and down before smirking
“Oh I wouldn’t be so sure Shachi, from the looks of it something definitely happened”
“What do you mean- oh. OH” Shachi stared at him, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times with no other sound coming out.
Ikkaku just snickered next to him
“Looks like those rumors were true, huh”
Law glared at her
“What”? He snapped, a sharp frown hopefully distracting from the faint blush that still sat on his cheeks.
Ikkaku said nothing, just pointed at his chest.
Law’s brows furrowed. He glanced down at his shirt, only to realize that it wasn’t his.
He hadn’t taken off Shanks’ shirt he realized with dawning horror. His face burned with embarrassment. He scowled, pushing past his crew to head to where the Polar Tang was docked.
Law slammed the door behind him once he made it to his quarters. He tossed aside the coat, glaring at his reflection in the full length mirror. His hat sat on the bedside table, Shachi and Penguin most likely brought it back for him once they realized he had left it. He picked it up, running his hands along the soft fabric before tucking the piece of paper into the small pocket sewn into the inside. His mind wandered to the feeling of Shanks’ hand in his hair, around his waist. The soft feeling of his lips against Laws. Law smiled softly before he placed the hat on his head.
Maybe seeing the emperor again wouldn't be so bad.