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Between all the chaos and climbing bounties and enemy pirates they encounter in the New World, there weren’t many opportunities for a night off, especially not one where they happened to be docked in a new town. The brief moments they had to replenish their supplies was typically a rushed affair, as Law liked to keep a low profile if he could help it.
On this specific night, however, after their plans to head to Bakura Town was delayed from Bepo’s unfortunate run-in with some poisonous marine life, Law decided there was no reason to rush their departure. He had stayed back on the Tang to oversee Bepo’s recovery and figured his crew should spend the night enjoying the small island town and whatever drinking establishment it had to offer.
“You sure you don’t want to join us?” Cora asks him, leaning against the door of the infirmary.
Law looks over at Bepo, still flushed and whimpering through the pain. He shakes his head. “I’m fine. You go along with them, Cora-san. I need someone to make sure the crew don’t do anything stupid, anyway.”
Cora walks over to him, dropping a warm hand to his shoulder and squeezing gently. “We won’t be back late, I promise.”
The phantom weight of Cora’s hand lingers long after he’s gone.
Law may have had too much faith in his crew to not get absolutely shit-faced. As a captain, he has rules about curfews and to not draw unwanted attention. But he has every reason to believe Cora wouldn’t let them get too rowdy. He’s about ninety percent positive. Maybe eighty. But his previous scan of the island hadn’t indicated any threats, so he puts any worries to rest as he finally lays down to sleep some hours later.
He can’t say for sure how much time has passed when he hears the familiar return of his crew, all stumbling throughout the Tang and hissing and gawking as they try to sneak their way back in undetected.
Law sighs and rolls over in bed, glad at least that everyone is back safe, albeit clearly intoxicated.
What Law had not been prepared for is a small knock at his door, followed by a loud ‘thump’ as said person seems to have fallen onto the ships floor.
Curious, but with a strong hunch, Law walks over to the door to open the latch, peering through bleary eyes at seeing Cora flat on his ass and giving Law a sheepish look.
“Cora?” Law says, crouching and checking him over to make sure he’s not seriously hurt somehow. “What are you doing?”
“Law,” Cora says, voice drawing the name out slowly. With Law close he seems to be taking the opportunity to start running his hands over the captain, pulling Law back down every time Law tries to help him up. “I screwed up.”
“What? How?” Law says, suddenly more awake from Cora’s wondering touch. The older man seems unaware to Law’s struggle, and it’s not hard to miss the stench of whiskey on the man’s boiler suit.
“I was s’pose to make sure they din’ drink too much,” Cora whispers, like it’s a secret. “But instead I was the one to get drunk.”
Law sighs, thankful at least that Cora hadn’t injured himself somehow or lost his clothes in one of Penguin’s impromptu strip poker games. Drunk Cora seems relatively harmless, if you exclude all the touching that’s currently doing funny things to Law’s heart.
“It’s fine, Cora,” Law tries to assure him, finally managing to get the older man to stand up. He’s not prepared for Cora to put almost all his weight on him, head tucked over Law’s shoulder as he continues to ramble against his own will, it seems.
“You trusted me, though,” Cora mumbles into Law’s sleep shirt. His hands are still wandering, large and hot over Law’s back, and Law absolutely does not jump when one of them slip under the hem of his shirt. “I failed you, captain.”
“You didn’t” Law grunts, trying to guide Cora out of the hall and away from prying eyes. It takes more effort than he expects to get him under the threshold of the door.
“Law, Law, Law,” Cora continues to blubber, and Law can feel his patience wearing. He’s not sure what’s gotten into Cora and he’s not sure how much more his body can take, having the larger man pressed against him like this. “Why’re you so good? So good to me, all the time, you are. I don’t deserve you...”
Oh, so they were gonna do this right now, huh? By some miracle he manages to get Cora to sit on the edge of his bed, but apparently can’t get far from the almost vice-like grip Cora has on his arms.
“Cora, we’ve been over this,” Law sighs, trying to assure the man as best he can with the limited movements of his captured hands. “I’m only even here right now, able to be a pirate captain because of you. You gave me my life, remember?”
“I…” he starts, and to Law’s abject horror, Cora starts crying. Oh, no. No, that will not do.
Law takes back his arms and quickly uses them to cup Cora’s head in his hands, trying to angle the man’s face to find his gaze. Even sitting down, Cora’s head is almost level with his.
“Cora, stop being stupid,” Law says with all the fondness he can manage despite the insult. “Seriously. Do I need to remind you again just how much I cherish you? Should I add another tattoo to my body as proof? Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”
Cora sniffles, and it’s honestly adorable if you disregard the circumstances. Law strokes his thumbs over Cora’s cheeks, not caring about the make-up he’ll have to wash off later.
“You don’t…” another sniffle, “You don’t have to do that.”
“But do you believe me?” Law pushes, not registering right away when Cora’s hands start gripping his waist. “We’re not going to sleep until you say you believe that you deserve me. That we deserve each other, after all we’ve been through.”
There are a few moments of silence, the rest of the Tang now quiet and absent of drunken Heart pirates. He focuses on Cora’s steady breathing, subconsciously stepping closer until he’s standing right between Cora’s long legs. The words seem to finally settle in Cora’s dizzying head, and he nods slowly in the hold Law still has on him.
“O-okay,” he says, breath warm as he exhales. And then Law almost jumps again when Cora turns his head to plant a soft kiss into the palm of his hand. A terrible flush creeps all over Law’s skin, the protest caught in his throat.
Cora looks up at him with a tentative smile. “I love you, Law.”
Law feels frozen under the pure expression of love Cora is currently giving him. “M-me too.” He doesn’t say it often; the knowledge is obvious, dammit – why is Cora set on embarrassing him right now?
“My sweet Law,” Cora says, always immune to Law’s hissy fits. At least he’s smiling again, Law tells himself. “My captain, my saviour.” Law stumbles when Cora chooses then to use his strength, pulling Law closer until they’re almost chest-to-chest.
“C-Cora!” Law positively does not squawk. He pushes against Cora’s shoulders but to no avail. “What’re you-”
Cora plants a kiss on Law’s neck, loud and without shame. Law can feel his stomach actually flip at the contact. His palms are sweating and his dick twitches in obvious interest, his brain not computing what’s happening.
“So handsome,” Cora murmurs, pressing another kiss further up to the underside of Law’s jaw. Law forgets how to breathe.
“Cora, you’re drunk,” Law chokes, telling himself it’s just the alcohol, it’s just the alcohol – Cora has no idea what he’s doing, surely?
“Mm,” Cora rumbles into his skin, clearly unperturbed to the sheer panic attack he’s inflicting on Law’s heart right now. He follows this up with two more kisses to Law’s cheeks, his hands rubbing soothing circles into Law’s sides that are doing anything but soothing Law’s palpitations. “The prettiest captain. Has anyone ever told you, Law? They should, all the time.”
At this point Law is pretty sure he’s died somehow. Maybe he hadn’t survived Dressrosa after all and this is his heaven. Or some hell Doflamingo has cooked up to torture him forever, dangling his every desire until he ultimately wakes up and has to go through it all again.
“It’s time to go to bed, I think,” Law says, planning to either fling himself into the sea or furiously jerk off after he hopefully gets Cora to lie down.
“Such a smart captain,” Cora says, looking Law dead in the eye as he starts to lean forward, gaze flicking down to Law’s lips as he does.
Law almost shits himself before managing to dodge Cora’s attempts, needing the man to go to sleep now before he slices him up with his Room. But when he pushes Cora back onto the bed he fails to remember the hold he still has on Law and goes tumbling after him, landing flat on his stomach. He struggles but Cora seems to hold him tighter.
“I don’t want them to touch you, though,” Cora’s drunken rambles don’t stop, pressing a final kiss to Law’s forehead. “They can look, but no touch. Can’t have what’s mine.”
Law releases a trembling breath, trying not to take Cora’s words to heart. He’ll forget everything in the morning, this isn’t real, he tells himself, with a final I’m going to kill Penguin.
“Law, my Law…” and it’s the last thing Cora appears to string together before it’s followed by soft snores, that and the muted metal ‘pings’ of the Tang the only thing to be heard in the quiet of his quarters.
Tucked up in Cora’s surprisingly strong sleep-hold, heart beating wildly like a jungle, Law takes a very, very long time to fall back to sleep.
*
Law wakes up with a mouthful of something that isn’t his pillow, and his brain helpfully supplies everything that had happened last night down to the excruciatingly torturous second.
Cora doesn’t appear to have moved at all, save for his arms that have finally fallen lax at his side. Law soon becomes aware of his morning wood and winces, still pressed mostly into Cora’s side, and it’s during his inner turmoil on whether he should wait it out or try to extract himself carefully that Cora stirs next to him, voice a low rumble as his eyes flutter open.
“Law?” he says gravelly, clearing fighting a headache and blinking against the now lit-up lights within the room. “What’re you… where…”
Law prays to every God he’s ever known for the floor to swallow him up.
And then Cora’s hands are on him. “Are you injured?” Cora asks suddenly, panic seeping into his tone. After observing the red all over Law’s face he can feel Cora freeze. “Is that…?”
“Your lipstick,” Law says, trying to sit up. Cora lets him go, still staring in horror, the gears turning in his head. “You got pretty affectionate last night.”
“I… Oh God,” Cora whines pathetically into his own hands, clearly embarrassed. "I'm so sorry, Law." Law considers teasing him further, not quite willing to let this all go just yet. But pity ultimately wins him over.
“It’s okay,” he says, trying to angle his body well enough to conceal his attraction, shifting in his pants.
“It’s okay?” Cora parrots back, finally looking at Law. Law can see he’s scared, figures the regret would eventually reveal itself. I was right, he thinks with an air of dejection. He doesn’t remember anything. It was obviously just the alcohol talking.
“You’re a tactile guy, Cora-san. I guess you were just in a good mood after leaving the tavern,” Law chooses to leave out the part where Cora had cried over him.
Cora drops a hand over his mouth, gaze caught on something on the bed. Law knows he should get up to check on Bepo, knows his crew must be waiting for him to emerge and give them all their duties for today before setting sail tomorrow. Cora still isn’t saying anything, and Law feels confident enough to finally stand up.
“Drinking affects us all differently,” he continues, trying to convince himself or Cora, he doesn’t know. “You can rest longer, if you want to. I’ll tell the others to leave you be.”
He doesn’t feel brave enough to change in front of Cora, not right now. He slips his boots on and plans to go and face his crew, but then Cora finally speaks.
“Law-” he says, eyes dancing over Law’s face. “The lipstick… you might want to…”
The memories of all of Cora’s kisses is enough to have Law flushing furiously, and without meaning to he reaches up to touch one of them, the one he had placed on his neck.
“Right,” Law says shakily, removing one of his earrings on autopilot and sending out his Room, using Shambles to transfer an antiseptic wipe into his hand to begin scrubbing the evidence away. He doesn’t want to, he realises, wishes he could wear them proudly for anyone to see.
Cora watches him, and the tension in the room is thick enough not even Law could hope to cut it in half. When he thinks they’re all gone, wiped away like last night never happened, like it’s something to be ashamed of, Law can feel his heart pang painfully in his chest. He stares down at the red-smudged cloth, hand clenching, and he doesn’t even notice Cora stand up to join him in the middle of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Cora whispers, looking so small despite his towering height.
“Stop apologising, I liked-” Law stops and chokes on his words, not meaning to have said that at all.
He can feel Cora’s attention shift and Law becomes unable to move, keeping his gaze locked on the large chest in front of him. You could hear a pin drop in the room, both of them holding their breaths in anticipation of Law’s admission. The lump in Law’s throat refuses to leave, eating away at him and not letting him escape.
“You liked it?” came Cora’s shy voice, and Law doesn’t realise he’s shaking until Cora wraps a warm hand around his neck. “You…”
“Fuck,” Law spits, hating himself, finally meeting Cora’s eyes and is entirely unprepared for what he sees.
Cora is looking at him like he’s just found out the meaning of life, like he’s just been offered divine fulfillment of the highest level. Law can’t believe that’s the case, can’t imagine why Cora could ever look at him in such a way.
“Law,” Cora says, his voice perfectly reflecting his emotions, completely in awe. Law wants to hide, wants to crawl back in bed with Cora and let the man paint him in red kisses all over again until not an inch of skin is left un-marked.
“I…” Law swallows, dizzy from all the emotions currently churning like a tornado in his chest. Fuck it, he thinks. “I liked it. When you kissed me.”
“Yeah?” Cora asks, breathless, a second hand joining the first as he holds Law like he’s something precious. “Why aren’t you hitting me? Why are you not mad?”
“Why do you think?” Law asks irritably, because damn you Cora for making me say it first.
“I just need to be sure,” Cora explains, like Law is being the frenetic one right now. “I need to hear it, Law. I did something very stupid last night but now I need you to give me the green light before I can’t stop myself from kissing you again.”
Law experiences a full-body shudder and can’t believe this is how this morning is playing out. Is still having trouble believing it, regardless of Cora’s words. Law painfully inhales and says:
“Kiss me-” and points to his lips. “Here this time.”
Cora, despite his abject panic of not even five minutes ago, apparently has no trouble obeying Law’s request as he bends down to capture Law’s lips in a world-altering kiss. Law will take the whimper he emits all the way to his grave, circling his arms around Cora’s neck to deepen it impossibly further. In his excitement Cora lifts Law off the ground and on pure instinct Law wraps his legs around Cora’s waist, guiding Cora’s lips as they move against his in a way that feels unbearably good. When he feels Cora’s moan vibrate into his mouth Law knows his earlier desire is going to shoot back up like a rocket if they don’t stop soon.
He pulls back with a soft ‘pop’, making a face. “Ugh, you need a breath mint, no offence.”
“Brat,” Cora says and pinches his sides. But then he’s laughing, seeping pure happiness as he continues to hold Law up like the bird that got the worm.
Law can’t help but laugh with him, mind still not trusting that this is all really happening. But he’s always believed in Cora, never doubted the man’s place by his side for even a second, and it’s enough to settle his mind into a haze of pure bliss.
“What else did I do last night?” Cora asks him suddenly and Law bites his lip, wanting to hold every detail of his impromptu visit over him for a while longer.
“Oh, you told me that I’m the most handsome captain that ever lived,” he drawls, playing with the hair on the back of Cora’s neck.
“Oh yeah?” Cora grins, nuzzling Law’s temple and sending a pleasant tingle down Law’s spine. “Perhaps I need to drink more often, if this is my reward.”
“You got lucky,” Law grumbles, but can’t help but agree. Perhaps he won’t need to kill Penguin, after all.
And if after the next time Cora gets him alone, taking his time to kiss all over Law’s body like he’s personally staking his claim on him, leaving marks of proof as he goes, it’s with a devilish grin that Law walks out of the room proudly, lipstick trails on full display for anyone to see.