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“Captain?” Penguin said, tentatively, the rest of Law’s crew cowering behind him as if their captain had suddenly become contaminated with some mysterious disease.
“What is it?” Law asked without looking up from his book.
“Ah, well,” the poor spokesman scratched the back of his head. “We were wondering, um,” he swallowed and glanced back for moral support. Law raised an eyebrow. “Why did you kiss the Strawhat’s captain?”
Law blinked, lowering his tome and turning to his friend, who took a nervous step back.
Oh. Right. He didn’t tell them, did he?
~*~*~*~*~
Two Months Ago
~*~*~*~*~
Law knew Luffy was approaching even before he heard the cabin door creak open or the crunch of foliage beneath his ally's feet. He chose not to turn to greet him or acknowledge his presence, even as the Straw Hat captain sat down beside Law and slumped against him, using the older man's shoulder as a pillow as his breathing evened out.
Law ignored him in favor of gazing up at the glimmering stars above the newly-freed Dressrosa. They were going to have to leave soon. The marines weren't going to turn a blind eye forever. It was a miracle no one outside of the Doflamingo family had been arrested yet. Law couldn't help but think, stealing a quick glance at his companion, that the bringer of this miracle was Luffy, whether he knew it or not.
A gust of wind whistled around them, rustling the flowers and causing Law to shiver and Luffy to shift a little closer.
Luffy was a strange man. He was loud and stupid and he surrounded himself with even louder and stupider people, if that were possible. Around him, having a personal bubble was impossible. He could fall asleep anywhere. His appetite could rival a giant's. His personal care left much to be desired. He never listened. He acted like being asked to 'leave me alone' was a sin.
Luffy was everything that got on Law's nerves, rolled up in a chaotic, government-overthrowing package.
And yet, Law couldn't bring himself to get annoyed that the man had dragged himself out of bed and stumbled after the insomniac who had left only a few minutes prior for some fresh air.
Of course, there were good things about him, too. He had a good heart and wasn't afraid to pick fights with those who preyed on the weak, no matter how strong they were. He made friends with powerful people like a kid on a playground. His loyalty to those he considers his friends was astounding. The way he smiled even after all he'd been through. His eyes that shone with wonder at the most mundane things. That look he'd get when he knew he had to kick someone's ass. The look he had when he kicked Doflamingo's.
Luffy shifted again and sighed. "Torao."
"Hmm?" Law responded, just then realizing he'd turned his head to stare at his ally. Luffy turned to look at him, blinking open dark eyes.
"Wanna get married?"
It was Law's turn to blink. Obvious answers flew through his mind. Logic told him what to do. What to say.
But Law just let the ghost of a smile take residence on his face as he listened to the organ beating in his chest that he had named his crew after.
"Sure. Why not?"
Luffy smiled sleepily up at him, eyes closed, already drifting off again. Law huffed fondly. Turning his attention back to the sky, he thought about what was to come now that his plans had been torn apart. They'd have to take on Kaido themselves since Luffy took down Doflamingo, which would be a pain, but they didn't have much of a choice in the matter after the Birdcage went up. Although, since Law hadn't died like he'd thought he would, maybe taking on an emperor wasn't as impossible as it seemed.
Law sighed, softly, and turned his gaze to his ally. The miracle worker. The chaotic enigma. He who inspires others to follow him just by being himself. Would he survive what was to come? Would anyone?
"Hey," Law nudged the sleeping man with his elbow. "Come on. Get up."
Luffy grumbled and blinked open his eyes again before giving Law a look that was both annoyed and confused. Law chuckled. He stood up and held out his hand to help Luffy, who looked at it suspiciously.
"Do you want to get married or not?" Law asked. "If we don't do it now, we won't get another opportunity for a while."
Luffy's confusion switched to a grin as he took the offered hand and rose to his feet. Then they were on their way, down from the Flower Field and through the disheveled streets of Dressrosa.
Law didn't know much about marriage. It had never interested him. Hell, he wasn't sure why he'd agreed to it just now, or why he was the one pulling Luffy towards a church he'd seen during the confrontation a few days prior. It was just what his heart was telling him to do.
"We need a witness," Law said, glancing back at the younger man and returning the grin he received. "Otherwise it won't be real."
"Really?" Luffy asked, apparently just as clueless on the subject, if not more so. Law nodded and started scanning the streets for anyone who looked sober enough for the job. For the first couple of days after Doflamingo was overthrown, people were too injured to celebrate, so now that they were feeling better, the bars were overcrowded with cheerful drunks.
"Isn't there anyone here who isn't inebriated?" Law wondered aloud as they got closer to the church. Maybe they didn't need a third party, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.
"They're just happy, Torao," Luffy responded. "And besides- Ooh! Torao! Cabbage!" He cut himself off and started tugging Law off course.
"I'll get you something to eat later!" Law said, refusing to be distracted.
"No! Cabbage!" Luffy dug his feet in and jerked Law back, grabbing his face and forcing him to look down a side street where-
"Cavendish!"
The named startled as Law and Luffy suddenly grabbed him.
"Wha-? Unhand me!"
"Sorry, Cavendish," Law said, not sounding sorry at all. "But we need a witness."
"Whatever for!?"
"Me and Torao are getting married!" Luffy explained excitedly.
"You-!" Cavendish stopped struggling and leaned closer to Law. "You're getting married?" Law nodded. "To him?" He nodded again. "Oh, I have to see this."
And that was how two captains from the worst generation got a witness for their wedding. Actually, Cavendish seemed to know exactly how to get to the church (why he knew where it was, Law didn't ask) and they arrived a few minutes later.
It was late, but when they forced open the door, they were greeted by an elderly man in simple clothes, who raised a quizzical eyebrow at their appearance. Having a certain way with words, Cavendish was quickly able to persuade him to marry Law and Luffy.
"A lot of folk have been rushin' ta marry the past few days," the man muttered as he lead them to another room. "Mind you, most have been citizens of Dressrosa. Not all, o' course. We had a pirate couple just yesterday. But I can't help but wonder if they're all bein' a bit too hasty." He finished by giving them all a look that said 'is this a spur of the moment thing?'
Law set his jaw. He wasn't going to let some old guy tell him not to follow his heart. "We're getting married," he said.
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded beside him. "Torao's not gonna stay with me, even if I ask him to. He's gotta go back to his own crew. So the only way for us to stay together is this." He paused and squeezed Law's hand. "I want Torao to be with me always."
For a moment, Law could only stare at his ally.Then he turned to the old man. "I feel the same way."
With a heavy sigh, the man pulled a small book out of his pocket. "Very well. Do you have the rings?" He asked Cavendish. The blond raised an eyebrow and shook his head. The man turned to the other two. "Do either of you have rings? Or anything you can exchange?"
"Do we need them?"
"They represent giving a part of yourself to the other. You came all the way over here in the middle of the night, I figured you wanted to do this right."
Law pursed his lips, gaze returning to Luffy. What could he give him? It didn't have to be special. Just something symbolic.
Suddenly, Law had an idea. Hoping his (what were they now? In this in-between state of associates and the joining of the rest of their lives? Could he call Luffy his fiance if they'd only been engaged for less than thirty minutes?) almost husband would go along with it, he raised his hand and placed it on his own head. Gripping the spotted hat he'd had since he was a child, Law took it off and presented it to Luffy, who stared at it with an unreadable expression.
Law held his breath.
Then Luffy reached over his shoulder and produced his famous straw hat.
"I suppose this works," The old man said before guiding them through their vows. Law didn't take his eyes off of Luffy as they repeated what they were told to. And when it came time to exchange the hats, Law took a step forward and gently placed his hat upon the other's head, and Luffy did the same.
"You may now kiss the-" there was a pause. "-each other."
Their first kiss was just a quick peck, lips meeting for barely a moment. Then there was some paperwork to sign (Cavendish was needed after all) and they exited the church just as the sky was starting to lighten.
Cavendish parted from them, muttering his shock that they'd actually done it, shaking his head as he walked away. The newlyweds, meanwhile, quickly returned to the Flower Field, hand in hand.
"Torao," Luffy said as they approached the cabin. "I want my hat back."
"Asking for a divorce already?" Law teased, coming to a stop and turning to his husband (gods, he was never going to get used to that).
Luffy glared at him. "No. But I promised Shanks I'd give it back, so-"
Law reached for the back of Luffy's head and pulled him in for a second kiss, slotting their lips together so they fit perfectly. While doing so, he reached for the straw hat on his own head and swapped it with his own spotted one on Luffy’s.
"Better?" He asked as he pulled away. Luffy beamed.
"Yup!"
~~~
They told no one of their nighttime escapade. They weren't trying to hide it, per se. It just . . . never came up. The morning after was a mad dash for the ships while the blind Admiral pursued them and the whole time they were on Bartolomeo's ship, and even while they were on Zou, their marriage remained a secret from everyone else simply because it was never relevant to their plans.
The only time it might have come up was when Luffy said he had to get his cook back and Law became visibly upset, but everyone thought he was angry about another one of his plans getting ripped to shreds because of the Straw Hat Captain. No one suspected he could be worried about the well-being of his spouse.
Being separated from Luffy was harder than Law thought it would be and he found himself staring at his husband's vivre card while he waited in the ruins of Oden Castle.
~~~
Taking down Kaido went differently than he thought it would. And not just because Luffy ruined his plans again. Actually, without the rubber man, Kaido wouldn't have gone down at all. Luffy was the only person who was able to harm him.
There'd been a terrifying minute when Kaido had descended into the skull-like caves of Onigashima, declaring that Straw Hat Luffy had died. Something in Law broke when he heard that and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. Ice flooded his veins along with the fear that he'd never see the other man's smile again.
And when, moments later, a giant hand smashed through the ceiling to pull the emperor back up, the only thing Law could do was mutter in relieved awe, "That's my husband."
Law had lost too many people; his parents, Lami, everyone he knew growing up, Cora. He couldn't lose anybody else. He refused to lose anybody else.
After the battle, Law distracted himself by treating the injured. Everyone who joined the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai alliance, as well as Kaido's defectors, needed a lot of care. There were so many wounded and Law didn't rest until they'd all been seen to. It was only after he'd done all he could that he allowed Bepo to take him to a secluded room to rest.
After that, Law would occasionally check in on Luffy, who hadn't woken up since his victory over Kaido, but most of his time was spent with his crew.
When Luffy finally did wake up, the new Shogun threw a party to celebrate the end of Kurozumi Orochi's reign.
Under normal circumstances, Law would consider himself a patient man. But waiting for an opportunity to speak to his husband alone was nearly impossible. Kid threw a fit over being passed over for one of the replacement Emperors, the samurai had a fight with a Marine Admiral, who just happened to show up, and a powerful haki user unleashed their conqueror's haki for a few moments.
But at last, as things were dying down, Law found Luffy heading to bed and pulled him into an empty room in the Shogun's palace.
"Everything okay, Torao?" Luffy asked and stifled a yawn. Law pursed his lips.
"I ca-" He breathed and tried again. "I . . . hurt when Kaido told us you died," Law clutched his chest at the memory, gaze fixed on the floor. "My chest- Luffy-ya, I've lost so many," his voice was wavering, but he forced himself to press on. "I can't- anymore-" realizing he was close to not making sense, Law took a second to breathe and reign in his emotions. When he was done, he looked his husband in the eye. "Luffy-ya," he said. "I don't want to feel like that again. I don't ever want to- to wonder whether or not you-" he took another breath and took a step toward the other. "I want . . ."
Slowly reaching out to Luffy, almost afraid he'd disappear if he touched him, Law pressed the palm of his hand against the top-right corner of the x-shaped scar. Luffy's heart beat slow and steady. Law raised his head to meet his husband's dark eyes.
"Can I have this?"
For a moment, Luffy didn't respond. Then he blinked. His eyes shifted to the hand on his chest and covered it with his own. Their eyes met again and Law's breath caught in his throat.
"Can I have yours?"
In lieu of an answer, Law summoned a room and pulled his hand away from Luffy's chest to place over his own heart. He winced in pain as he removed his most precious organ. He stared at it for a bit, watched it pulse rhythmically. He never once thought he'd ever give this away. But, then again, he thought as he held his heart out to Luffy, it's already yours.
Luffy took the gift with uncharacteristic gentleness, holding it like it was something precious. He held it close to his face and appeared to inspect it. "Torao's heart," he muttered under his breath. Then, lowering Law's heart, he grabbed Law's hand and brought it to his chest. Law stared into Luffy's eyes as he took his heart, pulling a stuttered breath from the younger man.
Now it was Law's turn to examine the other's heart. It looked no different than the many others he'd seen before it, but Law couldn't help but think it was the most beautiful. Then he carefully inserted the heart in his own chest. He'd done this previously with other hearts (most recently, Caesar’s), but never before had any heart, aside from his own, that had felt right in his chest. He opened his eyes, not knowing when he closed them, to find Luffy, red-faced, staring at him.
"Torao," he whispered. "Can you . . ."
Law took his heart back, put it in the correct position, and locked eyes with Luffy again as he slotted it into place. Luffy's breath came out in short bursts, mouth falling open, and Law felt his body surge forward, capturing Luffy’s mouth and swallowing any sounds the other might have made. Luffy responded with fervor, grasping at Law and pulling with desperation, as if he were trying to merge with him.
Law sighed happily into his husband’s mouth before deepening the kiss.
They'd been married for nearly two months, but that was the first night they spent together.
~~~
When it came time to depart Wano, Law made Luffy take a different course than him so the world would know their alliance had ended.
As he was heading to his submarine, Law saw Luffy, with his back to him, talking excitedly with two of his crew mates, and an idea popped into mind.
"Oi, Mugiwara-ya!" Law called out to his husband as he was about to pass by him.
"Huh?" The instant Luffy turned toward him, Law grabbed the back of his head and captured his lips with his own. Ignoring the shouts of surprise from both their crews, Law whispered to Luffy as he pulled away,
"I'm going to find the One Piece first."
Luffy stared at him, shocked. Then indignation took over his face.
"Torao!" He yelled at Law's retreating back. "I'm gonna find the One Piece first! And then I'll be King of the Pirates!"
Law laughed as he headed over to the Polar Tang, already looking forward to the next time he and his husband would cross paths.
~*~*~*~*~
The Confrontation
~*~*~*~*~
“What the hell!?” Nami was shocked by her captain’s indifferent attitude towards the (from her perspective) unconsented to kiss their now ex-ally had stolen from him.
“What’s wrong, Nami?” Luffy asked, who was getting incredulous stares from all those who had witnessed the interaction.
“Torao kissed you! Without asking! That’s assault!”
Luffy’s eyebrows scrunched together in a frown and he tilted his head. “But aren’t married people supposed to kiss each other?”
Admittedly, it took a moment for his words to register, but when they did, Nami’s jaw dropped open. She had no idea how to respond to that.
“You two aren’t married, though,” Sanji asserted, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag.
“Yeah, we are.”
“Since when?” Zoro asked, looking way less concerned than Nami thought he should be.
“DRESSROSA!?” Law winced as his crew mates all collectively found their voices.
“Yep,” he affirmed with a nod as he placed the book on his desk to give them his full attention. Most of them looked at him with gobsmacked expressions, a few were impressed, and Bepo was close to tears. “It wasn’t planned,” he added for the mink’s benefit. “It just kind of . . . happened.”
“How does a wedding just ‘happen’?” Shachi asked, folding his arms accusatorily.
“You asked him!?” Nami was used to Luffy being insane, but she didn’t know if she could take much more of this. She didn't even know he had . . . those kinds of feelings
“And he said yes!?” Usopp added, equally as astounded. At least someone else was reacting with the appropriate level of astonishment.
“Yeah." Luffy nodded as if they'd asked him if he wanted food. "Why are you guys acting like it’s a big deal?”
“It is a big deal!”
“Wait,” Zoro spoke, a frown evident in his voice. “Does this mean the Heart Pirates are still our allies?”
“No,” Law’s voice was even and firm. “The Strawhat’s are our rivals. We will be the ones to find the One Piece. My marriage to Mugiwara-ya will not change that.”
“You know, if the world government catches wind of this, our two crews are going to be lumped together, whether we want to be or not,” Robin, who had been listening idly from her seat against the mast, chimed in. Luffy nodded solemnly.
“Yeah. Which means no one is allowed to talk about it,” he said, his tone serious. “Torao said he was going to find the One Piece first, so he’s our enemy until I become King of the Pirates.”
“You married an Emperor of the Sea and we’re not allowed to brag about it,” Shachi mumbled as he slumped against the door frame and slid to the floor. Law rolled his eyes, picking his book back up.
“He wasn’t an emperor when I married him,” he felt the need to point out, earning himself a glare from several of his crew members. “And besides, I married him because I love him, not so we can throw his name around anytime someone wants to pick a fight with us.”
“Hey, Luffy?” Chopper suddenly asked, wringing his hooves. “If you’re married, why weren’t you two wearing rings?”
“Oh, we didn’t have rings, so we swapped hats instead,” Luffy explained, bringing more confusion as his precious straw hat rested against his back. “But after that party since beating Kaido’s ass, he suggested we trade our hearts instead.” As he finished speaking, Luffy pulled away the fabric of his open shirt to reveal a chunk of discolored flesh with black ink that stuck out against the red color of his scar.
“WHAT!?” The Strawhat and Heart Pirates cried out in unison.