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Law glances over the top of his comic book every time his sister talks to her toys, both curious and irritated at her for interrupting his alone time.
Their parents were both out having dinner with another couple from their church, and Law had been begrudgingly put in charge of watching over Lami for the night. He understands that it technically means she should be within his sight, but he really wanted to read his story without the running commentary of what Mrs. Squigglemuff wanted to buy at the jewellery store.
“Lami, please,” he sighs like he has a mortgage to pay. “I can’t concentrate on Sora’s strategy when all I can here is you babbling about which outfit goes best with your toy’s hair.”
Lami pokes her tongue out at him, unaffected by Law’s grievances. Law pokes his tongue back, slumping back with a huff as he tries to block out her sing-song voice.
“Ignore him, Mrs. Squigglemuff, Law’s just a dumb boy who can’t appreciate your beauty,” she says, stage-whispering the last part to make a point.
Law rolls his eyes behind the safety of his comic, trying to shift his focus back to the top panel of the page, but finds himself having to re-read it as Lami continues acting out the entire life story of her doll and breaking his concentration.
“Doesn’t Mrs. Squigglemuff have more important things to worry about?” Law asks after Lami begins to count out her doll’s grocery list. “Does she have a job at all? Any hobbies besides girly stuff?”
Lami gives him a death glare before crossing her arms. “Of course! But jobs aren’t the most important thing in the world, you know!”
“Oh?” Law says, comic book falling forgotten by his side. “What’s more important than doing your part for society? Surely not what to cook for dinner.”
“You’re so mean,” Lami fake sniffs. “You’re such a boy sometimes. All you all ever think about is work, work, work. What about other stuff like love and family?”
Law pulls a face, knowing she had made a point there. But it doesn’t stop him from poking at her further. “Of course, we love mum and dad. But compared to work finding love just doesn’t seem all that important.”
Lami shakes her head, holding up two of her dolls to illustrate. “Without love we wouldn’t be here, Law, remember?”
Of course he knows this, he’s not at the top of his class for nothing.
“So?”
“So,” she huffs at him, “Love is important, too. Don’t you want to have your own family someday? If you do then that means you have to fall in love and get married.”
“Marriage doesn’t guarantee anything. It’s just a piece of paper. Mum and dad would be just as happy if they weren’t married,” Law rebuttals.
“You could be right,” Lami says, looking down at her dolls. Law thinks he’s maybe won the argument when she falls quiet for a bit, but then she gives him a smile, warm and kind.
“But I want you to be happy, Law,” she says, and Law feels a small hiccup climb up his throat. “Having a special person in your life can only make you happy, right?”
Law isn’t sure what to say to that. He’s never stopped to think about it, never bothered to picture himself spending a life with someone, even when girls in his school approach him to ask if they want to share lunches. But if it’s something that Lami wants for him, then he’ll try to be more open about it.
He hops off the couch to join his sister on the floor, plucking a doll out of her hand to begin animating its limbs about.
“My name is Sora and I’ve come to save you!” he says and tries to lower his voice an octave to mimic the best superhero impression he can. “Maybe once I’ve defeated this bad guy, I can take you on a date to the Grand Line!”
Lami blinks at him owlishly before giggling in delight.
“Oh, Sora, you’re ever so brave! I love you!”
*
There’s the sound of chaos from the moment Law wakes up.
He groans in his bunk, a headache already forming from the loud raucous of Luffy bouncing around in the kitchen above deck. He can see Usopp give him a sympathetic look from the other side of the sleeping quarters.
“You get used to it,” he grumbles, already resigning himself to getting no more sleep and heading off to join the rest of his crew.
Law doesn’t get up as quickly, taking a moment to silently thank the heavens for giving him a crew with normal human behaviours. He can’t imagine living on a ship with Luffy, his energy boundless and something that should really be studied at great lengths in a lab, far, far way. But at least the Straw Hat captain seemed to have found a crew that matches his enthusiasm, all of them displaying similar levels of crazy that constantly has Law reeling.
But the knowledge that he would be rejoining his crew again today is enough to bring a smile to his lips – this past month had been the longest Law had been away from them in years, not since Zou.
With newfound anticipation Law makes his way up to join them all for breakfast, planning to savour the last delicious meal that he would get from Sanji. Luffy got lucky finding the cook, that Law will admit.
“Good morning, Tora-o,” Robin greets him with a smile behind her coffee.
“Traffy!” Luffy barrels into Law when Sanji kicks the captain away from his stove. Law grunts and Luffy bounces away before he has the chance to shove him off. The hours couldn’t tick down fast enough.
“You must be excited to see your crew again, huh?” Nami laughs, batting Luffy’s creeping hand away when he tries to swipe her bacon.
“Yes,” Law says, pouring himself a coffee. “They should be coming in from the south-west.”
Nami nods. “I’ll make sure we’re on course.”
“Oi, Zoro!” Luffy calls up to the lookout, voice much too loud for this early in the morning. “Breakfast!”
“Alright!”
Law takes a seat next to Robin, much preferring her quiet energy to counteract the rest of the Straw Hats boisterous antics. Sanji declares everything is ready and the race to eat before Luffy got to it began. He spoke with Chopper as they ate, swapping all the new remedies they had discovered during the past month that they could use for their respective crewmates.
“Traffy, what’s that?” Luffy says suddenly, in a tone serious enough to pull the attention of the other Straw Hats. Law turns to him and sees Luffy’s eyes are caught on his chest.
It was hot today, so Law hadn’t bothered buttoning up his shirt, and in doing so he’s realised that the chain he wears now is on full display, and hanging proudly at the bottom of it is a plain, gold ring.
“A wedding ring,” he says simply, going back to his food and completely missing the shocked faces of the other pirates.
“You’re married, my guy?” Franky says with an air of celebration. “Oh man, I can only dream. Love really is a beautiful thing, huh?”
“Congratulations,” Robin says, but something tells Law that she already knew.
“You’re married?” Luffy garbled around a mouthful of eggs. “Since when?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Law says, hoping his tone will convey he’s ready to move on from this topic. They seem to pick up on it, going back to their meals in relative nonchalance. Luffy squints at him but says nothing more.
Finally, when the sun is at the correct point in the sky, Law stands on the deck of the Sunny, looking out at the horizon in wait. There’s a thrum pulsing under his ribcage, elation carrying him through those final moments until he spots the familiar colour of the Polar Tang as it breaches the surface, and not another second passes before the hatch opens as if on cue.
Law sends out his Room at the same time Cora lets a piece of parchment fall from his hand, and Law is switched onto the deck of the Tang in an instant.
“Law!”
Law lets himself be picked up and spun around, not caring about onlookers as he wraps his arms around Cora in a hug that borders on desperate. Cora laughs next to his ear, his happiness clear as the sky above them, his strong arms grounding Law better than any land ever could.
“I missed you,” Cora whispers, his face pressed into the skin of Law’s neck.
“Me too,” Law says back, savouring the feeling until he can hear shouts drifting over from the Sunny, effectively cutting the moment as Cora places him back down.
“Take care of Traffy, Corao!” Luffy shouts, completely unfazed. Law tries not to let the embarrassment show on his face. “We’ll see you guys soon!”
“No, you won’t,” Law mutters only half-heartedly, hand still wrapped tight around Cora’s wrist. Cora waves back to the Straw Hats, thanking them for taking care of Law and bidding them farewell.
What the Straw Hats don’t get to see is Law dragging Cora away from prying eyes, moving down to his quarters and closing the latch behind them, climbing onto Cora’s lap to bring their lips together in a kiss deep enough to make up for all the days lost.
Cora smiles into his mouth, his heart beating sound and strong under Law’s wandering touch. His hands come up to cup Law’s head gently, fingers threading through his hair in an act so familiar and comforting it sends a shiver up Law’s spine.
And sitting on his left finger, glinting under the lights of the Tang, is a gold ring to match Law’s own.