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Marineford had come to an end. Shanks had put an end to the war. Coming in at the nick of time to stop any more bloodshed. Trafalgar Law was quick at work. He didn’t have much time. Three patients and all of them critically injured in their own ways. Monkey D. Luffy. Jinbei. Portgas D. Ace . They were his patients. He was on his way to Amazon Lily after getting word from Boa Hancock to do so. It was the safest place he could take the three.
At least, for now.
With their injuries, he wouldn’t be surprised if the world thought the three had fallen in the war. They were barely clinging to life. Ace had it the worst. Law had barely managed to intervene in time to get him out, but it wasn’t without injury.
All he needed now was for these surgeries to be successful. He was not about to let these three die on his table. Despite being a pirate, he was a Doctor . They became his patients the second he told that one clown guy to throw them to him. Why was he doing this? He had no idea.
Law had kept working, keeping his focus, and doing everything in his power to save his patients. Nothing else mattered at the moment; he was going to save them.
He had done it. Law had saved them. Now, it was time for their recovery. Ace was the most touch-and-go. He was the one that Law really had to pull all the stops out for. Somehow, he did it.
Ace was now comatose. Jinbei and Luffy were working on their recovery. Law was doing everything that he could to make sure that Ace didn’t fall back over that line. That he didn’t end up dying even after the surgery.
It felt like nothing short of a miracle that he had managed to do it. Ace’s internal organs had been obliterated. There was no way that he should have survived. Though, D.’s managed to always surprise him.
Now, it was just waiting for him to wake up.
Everything was a blur whenever he started to come too. Ace cracked his eyes open. His body hurt . The last thing he remembered was–“Luffy!” Ace shot up, grimacing and letting out a cry of pain as he placed a hand over his bandaged torso. Ace panted as he looked around. Where was he?
“Calm down or you’re going to reopen your wounds.” Ace lifted his gaze at the new voice and looked over. Standing before him was a tall, slender male wearing a yellow hoodie and holding a long sword against his shoulder. He was leaning back against the wall, giving him a stoic look. “That is a lot of work I did.”
It clicked for Ace. He knew who this was. The Surgeon of Death… Trafalgar Law. What was he doing here? When ? “What happened? Where’s Luffy?”
“Your brother is okay.” Law replied as he stepped forward to look at him. “I did surgery on you. You’re on my ship.”
“I’m…” Ace murmured as he reached down and touched the bandages on him. “I’m alive ?”
“Took a lot of work, but… yes.” Law stated as he surveyed him. Ace picked at the bandages. The memories kept racing back. He was so certain that he was dead. Ace’s heart was pounding against his chest. It caused him to place his hand right over that location and he could feel just how hard it was thumping. “He was in pretty severe condition too. You were the one I was the most worried about.”
“I thought… I thought I was dead .” Ace murmured. He was stunned. He had no idea what to say or how to gather the words to express what he was feeling. He was so confused.
“It would seem that something was keeping you here.” Law drawled as he walked by him and started looking at the machines that Ace was currently hooked up to. “I was surprised too, but you were alive and I’m never afraid of a challenge. It’ll take time, but I’m certain you are going to make a full recovery.”
Ace exhaled sharply as he lowered his hand from his chest and looked back over at Law. “Where’s Luffy?”
“Currently on Amazon Lily.” Law replied.
“I need to see him.” Ace stated with no hesitation.
“Alright.”
X
Two Years Later
After all this time, Ace still didn’t understand how he was alive. Ace had reunited with Luffy at Amazon Lily. They had made a promise to each other that day. They would get stronger and reunite in the New World. Ace was still recovering. Every single night, he had dreams of Marineford. All the blood. All the death. Everything . It was like it had all plagued his dreams. He felt so guilty for all of it. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel so happy and relieved. It was a mix of emotions that he couldn’t get to go away.
The world believed he was dead. He didn’t know if his nakama even knew that he was still alive. For his own safety until he could travel on his own, he stayed with the Hearts Pirates.
Law .
Ace was getting stronger every single day. His body was getting better. He stood on the deck of the Polar Tang as they stayed on the surface for a while. He was soaking in the sun as he kept his eyes closed. “Everything okay, Freckles-ya?”
Law had really taken to calling him that. Ace turned his attention to the Captain as he started to approach. Law leaned up against the rail, looking out at the ocean as Ace nodded. “Yeah.” He whispered, “It’s been so long.”
“You should be able to go back to your crew soon enough.” Law stated, “You’re finally healed up enough that I don’t think you’ll need any more surgeries.”
They fell in silence for a moment as Ace shifted on his feet. Ace looked back to Law, whispering, “I have no idea how to thank you for all of this.”
Law looked back to him, smirking a bit as he shot back, “You can thank me by living.”
“I want to live.”
His own words came to mind as Ace found a soft smile on his face and he nodded. “I will.” Ace had a fluttering feeling in his stomach as he looked back down. He had been noticing that more and more. It seemed any time that Law was near him, he would get that same feeling. Law didn’t even know him, and he had risked everything to save him. Even let him stay on the Polar Tang and continued to care for him. For two years . Ace would even say that they were friends. “It took me a long time to realize why I was alive.”
“We all have something, Freckles-ya.” Law murmured, “The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.”
“Yeah,” Ace whispered as he found himself looking at Law’s face. There was an emotion swimming in his eyes. They would talk into the late hours of the night. Law was a really good guy underneath that exterior he put up. Ace looked back out at the ocean for a second as he whispered, “I guess it’s not too bad.”
Law laughed and it made Ace’s stomach flutter again as he found himself just laughing with him. Ace wondered what would happen from here. How the world would be in the future. He really didn’t know. It had taken him a long time for him to realize why he was alive, if it was good that he was born, and to come to terms with what happened. Ace didn’t think he would ever forget. Honestly, he didn’t think that he wanted to.
Was it bad that he was okay with what happened because it brought him here ?
“I, for one, think it’s a good thing you’re alive.” Law stated, and Ace turned his gaze to him. Law’s golden eyes were locked to the ocean momentarily before moving back to him. He smiled. “I kind of like having you around, Portgas D. Ace.”
Both of them smiled for a second before it felt like time had slowed down. Ace moved his gaze over Law’s face. Eyeing his lips for a moment before he found himself leaning in. His lips brushed over Law’s as he noticed that Law hadn’t pulled back. Slowly, Ace smiled and closed the distance as he pressed his lips into the older man’s.
The kiss was as soft and brief as Ace pulled back and let out a shaky breath. Ace laughed a bit, reaching up and tucking some of his hair behind his ear, “I think I kind of like being here, Trafalgar Law.”
“You could always stay,” Law stated.
Ace hummed, “What if I come to visit?”
Law made a noise before saying, “I could live with that.”