A/N: This will be an ongoing series to practice writing other characters as inspiration hits me. But of course I will start with my favorite men.
If you’d like to make a character suggestion—I am open!
Chapter 1: Trafalgar Law
Reader x Law
The room had one bed.
You stood in the doorway, still damp from the rain, still tired from two days of moving through back alleys, false names, and the particular misery of pretending not to know Trafalgar Law while he stood three feet away from you in public.
Law stopped behind you.
There was a pause.
Both of you looked at the single bed pushed against the wall.
“I’ll take the chair,” he said.
You turned your head.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I’ve slept in worse places.”
“That’s not the comforting argument you think it is.”
Law’s eyes shifted to you. Tired, flat, unimpressed.
You were starting to recognize that look. It meant he had expected his answer to be final and was now irritated to find you still participating in the conversation.
“It’s one night,” he said.
“Exactly.”
You stepped fully into the room and set your bag down beside the wall. “We are adults.”
“That’s debatable.”
“Fine. I’m an adult. You’re a miserable sea cryptid with a medical license.”
His mouth twitched.
Barely.
If you had blinked, you would have missed it.
Then he looked away, which was worse somehow.
He looked exhausted.
You hated that he looked exhausted.
You hated more that he was prepared to fold himself into that awful chair and pretend it was nothing.
“Law,” you said, softer this time.
His gaze came back to you.
“Take the bed.”
“No.”
“Then share it.”
The silence that followed was immediate.
Law stared at you.
You lifted both brows. “Don’t look at me like I suggested we commit treason.”
“You’re not thinking this through.”
“I am. The conclusion I reached is that sleeping in a chair after getting hurt last week is stupid.”
“I’m fine.”
“You always say that.”
“Because it’s usually true.”
“Law.”
His eyes shifted to yours.
“You were hurt. Take the bed.”
He exhaled through his nose and looked toward the bed again.
You crossed your arms. “We can put a pillow between us if your delicate sense of propriety needs medical support.”
“My delicate sense of propriety is fine.”
“Then get in the bed.”
His eyes narrowed.
You held his stare.
For a moment, neither of you moved. Then Law clicked his tongue under his breath and turned away.
“Fine,” he said. “But if you kick me, I’m moving to the chair.”
“If you move to the chair, I’m kicking you on purpose.”
“Annoying woman.”
“Dramatic doctor.”
That earned you another almost-smile.
You pretended not to see it, because with Law, noticing was dangerous. Noticing made him withdraw. Noticing made his walls come back sharper.
When you finally climbed into bed, you took the side closest to the wall.
Law noticed.
“You don’t have to trap yourself.”
“I’m not trapped.”
“You’re against the wall.”
“And you’re between me and the door. That seems practical.”
His eyes flicked to you.
There it was again.
That small, unreadable shift in his face.
Then he looked away and got in beside you.
Carefully.
So carefully it almost made you laugh, except you didn’t think either of you would survive the sound.
The mattress dipped under his weight. The blanket shifted. His body was a line of warmth beside yours, separated by a painfully deliberate stretch of space.
Neither of you touched.
The pillow between you sat like a diplomatic treaty.
For several minutes, the only sounds were the rain and Law’s breathing.
Even that felt too intimate.
You lay on your back, staring at the dark ceiling, hyperaware of every inch between you. His hand rested above the blanket near his chest.
You looked away.
Then looked back.
He was quiet for a moment. Then, low and dry, “Go to sleep.”
You smiled before you could stop yourself.
The room settled again.
Eventually your body began to relax. Law’s breathing evened out beside you, slower now, though you could tell he wasn’t asleep yet.
Neither were you.
“Law?” you whispered.
A pause.
“What.”
“Are you actually comfortable?”
“No.”
You turned your face toward him in the dark.
He did not turn toward you, but you could see the outline of his profile.
“Then why are you lying like that?”
“Because you complained about the chair.”
“I wanted you to not wake up unable to move your neck.”
“Why do you care?”
The question came too quietly.
You stared at him.
He still wasn’t looking at you.
You could have made a joke. It would have been easier. Safer. You could have told him someone had to keep the surgeon alive or the mission would get inconvenient.
Instead, exhaustion made you honest. “Because I do.”
Law said nothing.
Then he shifted onto his side, facing away from you. “Go to sleep,” he said again.
But his voice had changed.
At some point, you must have drifted off, because the room disappeared.
Sleep did what neither of you would.
It ruined everything.
You woke slowly.
Warm.
That was the first thing you noticed.
Solid, steady warmth pressed against you from behind.
Your eyes opened.
For one confused second, your mind could not arrange the facts into anything useful.
There was an arm around your waist.
A hand rested against your stomach, fingers relaxed, tattoos visible even in the dim light.
Your legs were tangled with someone else’s.
Law’s breath moved softly against the back of your neck.
You went completely still.
Behind you, Law was still asleep.
Not lightly, either. Not the tense half-rest you had seen him take in corners and against walls.
This was real sleep.
His face was close to your shoulder. His chest rose and fell against your back. One of his knees had slipped between yours during the night. The pillow that had once separated you had been shoved somewhere near the foot of the bed.
Your heart started beating much too hard.
You tried to move.
Law’s arm tightened.
He made a low sound in his sleep, rough and quiet, and tucked himself closer.
Like his body knew something the rest of him refused to admit.
You stared at the wall, burning alive in silence.
This was bad.
This was very bad.
This was soft, and warm, and natural in a way that made it worse. There was nothing careful about it.
You should have woken him.
You didn’t.
For another minute, maybe two, you let yourself stay.
His hand was broad against you. His thumb rested just beneath your ribs. His breathing brushed your skin. You could feel the steady beat of him behind you, the weight of him, the rare quiet of a man who spent most of his life braced for impact.
Then Law woke.
You knew the exact second it happened.
His entire body went still.
Not relaxed-still.
Horrified-still.
His breath stopped against your neck.
You closed your eyes.
Neither of you moved.
Then Law removed his arm from your waist.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was disarming an explosive.
You rolled onto your back at the same time he shifted away, and both of you ended up staring at the ceiling with far too much space between you now.
The pillow lay on the floor.
Neither of you looked at it.
“Morning,” you said. Your voice was too calm.
Law cleared his throat. “Morning.”
Another silence.
His hair was a disaster.
There was a crease from the pillow on his cheek. His shirt had ridden up slightly at the hem. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, and when he glanced toward you, something unreadable passed through them before he shut it down.
You wondered if you looked any better.
You doubted it.
Law sat up first.
“I’ll check the street,” he said.
“Yes. Good. Street.”
He paused at the edge of the bed.
For one dangerous second, you thought he might say something.
You wanted him to.
You did not want him to.
His hand flexed once against the blanket.
Then he stood.
You sat up and reached for your bag.
The room became busy with avoidance.
Boots. Belts. Weapons. Buttons.
Law checked the window. You fixed your sleeves. He adjusted his sword. You packed the map. Neither of you mentioned the bed. Neither of you mentioned his arm around you, your legs tangled together, the way his hand had tightened before he woke.
At one point, you both reached for the same glove on the chair.
Your fingers brushed.
Law froze.
So did you.
It was nothing.
Barely a touch.
But after waking up wrapped around each other, it felt obscene.
You pulled your hand back first.
“Yours,” you said.
Law picked up the glove. “Thanks.”
His voice was level.
Too level.
You turned away before he could see your face.
By the time you were both ready, the room looked untouched except for the unmade bed and the pillow abandoned on the floor.
Law opened the door.
You stepped past him into the hall.
Outside, the rain had stopped. The mission waited. The world had continued.
Law walked beside you in silence.
After half a block, he said, “You snore.”
You looked at him.
He kept his eyes forward.
“I do not.”
“You do.”
“You were asleep.”
“I woke up.”
“You woke up and your first thought was to judge my breathing?”
“My first thought was not that.”
The words landed before he seemed to realize what he had said.
You both stopped walking.
Law’s expression did not change, but his ears went faintly red.
trafalgar d. water law/reader - friends to enemies to lovers, angst, hurt/comfort, manipulation (not by law)
ao3 link | masterlist | ask away
Trafalgar D. Water Law is a surgeon centuries ahead of his time and is set to be put to death for alleged witchcraft and dark magic, although there’s little evidence besides the fact that his patients all seem to survive, and the pale white splotches that dapple his skin, marking his face with the pattern of a skull. You’re a former childhood friend, now bittered with age and arguments, simply trying to make your living as an apothecary, wanting nothing to do with the man you had once been joined at the hip with. What happens when his closest friend manages to convince you to save his life by invoking a little-used law, saved only for cases where the justice system has failed?
You marry the man you utterly detest, that’s what happens.
part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 7
tags: zou/wci and wano spoilers, not 100% canon about wano, angst to fluff, childhood friends, slow burn
a/n: sorry for the wait (again), I finishes writing all of this fic so that you don't have to wait for me to get ideas!
word count: 3.6k
law m.list || anime m.list|| ao3 || ko-fi
Sometimes the first thing you look for after surviving isn’t victory.
Darkness fades slowly for Law.
It comes back in pieces: the dull ache in his chest, the weight of his own body refusing to move, the distant murmur of voices layered over one another. The smell of medicine.
And then memory hits… the fight, Big Mom, the last attack… and you.
His eyes snap open “Where is she?”
The Heart Pirates freeze.
“Captain, you need to—” Bepo starts, gently trying to press him back down.
Law pushes himself up anyway, ignoring the way his body protests, the way pain shoots through him like lightning.
“Where is y/n?” he repeats, louder this time, voice edged with something dangerously close to panic.
The room shifts.
Shachi and Penguin exchange a glance. Ikkaku pauses mid-motion.
No one answers immediately, so Law’s chest tightens.
His mind moves faster than his body can keep up. His grip tightens on the edge of the bed.
“…What happened?” his voice drops, lower now, more dangerous “Where is she?”
“Captain…” Penguin starts again, stepping forward this time.
“She’s fine.” Bepo adds quickly, trying to steady the situation before it goes too further.
A quiet understanding passes through the crew and without a word, they begin to move, opening a narrow path through the room.
And then he sees you in the far corner, half-hidden by shadow and dim light, there’s a small, worn armchair.
You’re curled into it, head tilted slightly to the side, breathing slow and deep. Asleep.
Bandages wrap around your arms, your shoulder, your side.
Alive.
Law’s entire body stills and then exhales slowly and shaky.
“She fell asleep a few minutes ago.” Shachi says, a little too loudly, trying to fill the silence “Refused treatment at first, of course. Stubborn as hell.”
Your eyes snap open and you jolt upright in the chair, disoriented for half a second before your gaze locks onto him “Law?!”
Your voice is sharp with worry, immediate, like nothing else matters.
The room pauses… because the reaction is… exactly the same Law had earlier.
You stare at him like you’ve been holding your breath waiting for him to wake up.
He stares at you like he thought he’d lost you.
Even after everything… you’re still each other’s first thought.
Penguin presses his lips together, shoulders shaking slightly. Shachi looks like he’s about to say something, then thinks better of it. Even Bepo’s ears twitch as he tries very hard to stay serious.
No one dares laugh out loud but it’s close.
Law is the first to recover.
His expression smooths out, the panic gone, but his eyes linger on you a second longer than they should.
“You’re injured.” he says simply.
You blink at him, still half asleep “…you're the one to talk?”
The room breathes again, tension loosening just a little but it grows quieter by the minute and one by one, the others take the hint.
Shachi stretches, muttering something about checking supplies. Penguin lingers for half a second longer than necessary, glancing between you and Law before Bepo gently nudges him toward the door. Ikkaku is the last to leave, her eyes sharp, observant, but even she says nothing as she steps out and closes the door behind her.
And now it’s just the two of you.
You’re still sitting in that old armchair, bandages tugging at your skin, your body aching in ways you haven’t even processed yet.
He’s across the room, barely held together by stitches and stubbornness.
You stare at him, taking in every detail… the rise and fall of his chest, the tension still lingering in his shoulders, the way his eyes haven’t left you since you woke up.
For a moment, something soft flickers in your expression again.
Then you swallow it down and stand, slowly and carefully, ignoring the pull of your wounds.
And you turn away, towards the door.
“…Well,” you say quietly, “now I know you’re alive…”
It sounds final, like you’re about to leave again.
“Y/N.”
His voice stops you, soft… asking.
You freeze “…Please stay.”
It’s not a demand, nor a request.
It's something vulnerable.
Your fingers curl slightly at your sides and for a second, you think about walking away anyway… about keeping things the way they’ve been… distant, controlled, safe.
But you’re so tired… of holding everything in, of pretending it doesn’t hurt, of running in circles.
So you stop and stay.
When you turn back to him, your expression is different.
“When I saw you again…” you start, voice quieter now, less steady than before, “after all those years…”
You let out a small, humorless breath “I told myself I had to shut it down. Whatever I felt. Whatever we used to be.”
Your eyes lift to his “Because, after so many years, you naturally weren’t the same.”
The words aren’t cruel, just honest “You felt like a stranger. Colder. Further away. Like everything that mattered before didn’t exist anymore. And everything was just a childhood memory.”
Law doesn’t interrupt but his gaze tightens.
“I tried to convince myself it was over.” you continue, your voice gaining strength now that it’s finally out “That whatever we had was just… something from when we were kids. Something that didn’t survive.”
You laugh softly, bitter… “But then Dressrosa happened.”
Your throat tightens “Doflamingo. Everything you went through. Everything you lost… And I saw you again. Not the you stranger. Not Captain Law. Just… you.”
A pause.
Your hands tremble slightly, but you don’t stop “And then the letters.”
You swallow “And you said that you didn’t… feel that way anymore.”
The words hurt, even now “And I believed you.”
Silence.
“So every time you got close after that,” you continue, your voice cracking slightly, “everytime you touched me, even by accident… I kept thinking ‘Don’t be stupid. Don’t want something that already let you go’.”
Your arms wrap around yourself unconsciously.
“And then Zoro… and Penguin…”
You shake your head, frustrated at the thought “They were just there. That’s it. They didn’t want anything from me. They didn’t expect anything. They just… stayed. And you turned that into something else. You said things about them—about us—like it meant something. You implied and said things I didn't like. They’re my friends. That’s all. And you made it feel like I did something wrong just for not pushing them away.”
Your breathing grows uneven but you keep going, because if you stop now, you won’t start again.
“That fight we had…”
You let out a shaky breath.
“I didn’t even realize you were jealous. I just thought you were being cruel. So I left. And I kept leaving.”
Your gaze drops for a moment “…Because it was easier than staying and hearing something worse.”
Another pause, a bit longer this time.
He still hasn’t spoken.
“And during the war… I kept avoiding you. Not because I didn’t want to talk to you… But because I was scared that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop or to leave you. And I didn't want that to be our goodbye.”
You finally look at him again “And when I saw you fighting…”
Your voice breaks.
“…and I couldn’t do anything… I was just standing there. Watching. Useless. I couldn’t help. I couldn’t reach you. I couldn’t—”
You stop, swallowing hard.
“I thought I was going to lose you again. And I couldn’t even be there when it happened.”
You stand there, breathing unevenly, eyes glassy.
“And I don’t know what you want from me anymore,” you finish, quieter now “but I can’t keep pretending none of this matters to me.”
And finally you stop talking, because for the first time in a long time, there’s nothing left to hide.
He doesn’t answer.
Your words still hang in the air between you, heavy and raw and impossible to take back.
His gaze is fixed on you… shaken. Like something you said didn’t just reach him, it hit.
The silence stays too loud and that’s what breaks you.
You know that look of his. You’ve seen it before, when things get too much, when words aren’t enough, when he chooses distance over damage.
When he walks away.
Your chest tightens.
You don’t think and you don’t wait.
You turn and walk out fast. The door closes behind you harder than you meant it to.
Tears blur your vision, hot and sudden, slipping past everything you tried to hold in.
You wipe at your face angrily, but it doesn’t help.
Nothing helps.
“Y/N!”... his voice behind you.
You don’t stop, because if you do, you’ll turn around and if you turn around you know you won’t be able to leave.
You push forward, out into the open street.
The noise hits you all at once, voices, footsteps, the distant clatter of rebuilding, the aftermath of war still echoing through the island.
And then it quiets a bit when people around notice you. The Heart Pirates. A few Straw Hats. People scattered nearby.
No one says anything at first but the concern is immediate, visible in the way they shift, the way Bepo takes a step forward, the way Penguin’s expression tightens with worry while he asks softly “Hey—what happened?”
You shake your head quickly, trying to move past them, trying to disappear before anyone can ask anything you don’t have the strength to answer.
And then a familiar blur sphere expands instantly, swallowing the space around you.
Gasps ripple through the crowd.
And then — he’s there right in front of you.
Law stands between you and the path ahead, slightly bent, one hand pressed tightly against his side where his wound still hasn’t fully closed. His breathing is uneven… he shouldn’t even be standing, let alone using his ability.
Your steps halt automatically.
“Are you—” your voice breaks, frustration and worry colliding instantly “Are you serious right now? You shouldn’t be—”
“I know.” hiswords come out rough.
He straightens just slightly, enough to face you properly, even if it clearly costs him.
Around you, the crowd stays back watching, worried in silence.
Finally, he speaks “I thought… I wasn’t going to survive long enough for any of it to matter.”
His gaze flickers for a second.
“I thought cutting it off back then would make it easier. For you.”
A pause.
“It didn’t… I was wrong.”
He shifts slightly, hand pressing harder against his side, but he doesn’t stop.
“I said things… about Zoro… about Penguin.”
His jaw tightens faintly.
“They didn’t deserve that. You didn’t deserve that. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was… frustrated.”
A beat.
“…Jealous.”
Law’s gaze stays on you, steady now despite everything.
“I saw you with them. How easily you were around them. And I realized I don’t get that from you anymore.”
A pause.
“I told myself it didn’t matter… but it did.”
Silence presses in around you both.
“And the fight…” he continues, quieter now, “what I said… I meant it as something else. But it came out wrong. And I’ve been doing that a lot with you.”
Your chest tightens again.
“When you avoided me… I thought you were done with me.”
The words are quiet.
“But I didn’t stop you. And that’s on me.”
His hand drops slightly from his wound, though his posture still betrays the strain.
“And during the fight…”
His gaze sharpens just a little.
“I saw you.”
A pause.
“You weren’t useless. Don't say that… because… you were the reason I didn’t stop.”
Your breath falters.
“I pushed past my limit and won because you were there.”
He holds your gaze.
“Because you were watching.”
Silence again.
Then, quieter “I’m still here because of you.”
Law exhales slowly, like he’s reached the end of something, like he’s finally said everything he didn’t know how to before.
“I handled all of this wrong. I hurt you. Repeatedly. And I didn’t fix it when I had the chance.”
His voice softens slightly “I’m not asking you to forget that. But I’m not… done.”
His eyes don’t leave yours “Not with you.”
Around you, no one moves or speaks.
“I’m not done…” he says after a long silence.
Exhaustion written all over his face, his trembling hand still half-pressed against his side. You know he’s forcing himself upright.
You know that look… Law dragging himself forward long after his body should have given up. The only difference is that this time, it isn’t for a fight… it's for you.
His knees buckle first.
“Law—” the word leaves your lips just as his body finally gives out beneath him.
He tries to resist it.
His shoulders tense, jaw clenched, pushing himself again. But he’s exhausted.
You move before anyone else can.
Your arms catch him just before he hits the ground fully, one hand gripping tightly at his coat while the other steadies his weight against you.
“Captain!”
The Heart Pirates rush forward immediately, panic breaking through the careful distance they’d been keeping. Bepo is the first to reach him, followed by Penguin and Shachi, voices overlapping in frantic concern.
“Captain, you shouldn’t even be standing!”
“Move, give him space.”
“He reopened the wound, didn’t he?!”
You instinctively step back the moment they reach him, leaving him in their hands.
This is his family, his crew… the people who belong at his side.
All you can think again is that you’re not needed here and you’ll only get in the way.
So you let go and you start to pull away.
Then something catches your wrist weakly but firmly enough to stop you completely.
You look down and see Law’s hand wrapped around your arm, trembling slightly from the effort of even lifting it. His head is lowered, breathing rough, dark hair falling messily over his tired eyes.
“…Don’t leave this time.”
His voice is barely above a whisper… exhausted and honest in a way that almost hurts to hear.
Bepo blinks rapidly, ears twitching. Penguin looks away immediately, suddenly very interested in absolutely anything else. Even Shachi freezes mid-motion, like he’s afraid breathing too loudly might interrupt something important.
Nearby, the Straw Hats pretend not to stare.
Slowly, carefully, your fingers curl around his wrist.
“…Okay.” you whisper.
And this time you stay.
The days that follow are strange. It's all quiet and heavy between you two, but tender in the way neither of you knows how to address it.
Law spends most of his time recovering, confined to bed under the ruthless supervision of his crew, who refuse to let him move more than absolutely necessary.
And somehow, without ever discussing it directly, you become part of the routine.
You stay beside him during treatments. You help change bandages when the others are busy and he wants to do it all alone.
You sit nearby during strategy talks and as they plan for their next move after he gets better. You stay quiet and thoughtful while he pretends not to glance toward you every few minutes.
And at night, when the room grows calmer and the others drift off to sleep one by one, you remain there too.
Not always speaking… but staying.
The Heart Pirates notice the way Law’s eyes soften almost imperceptibly whenever he realizes you’re still there after waking up.
The Straw Hats notice the way you spend more time with him than with them… they all know what's coming.
No one says anything.
Mostly because no one knows what to say.
It’s awkward sometimes.
One evening, while Chopper is aggressively lecturing Law about recovery for the third time that day, Luffy wanders into the room eating meat loudly.
He looks between you and Law and grins “So? You guys finally stopped being weird?”
The room immediately falls silent.
For the first time in a long time, the tension cracks slightly.
Wano celebrates loudly.
Music echoes through the Flower Capital long into the night, shamisen melodies blending with drunken laughter, stomping feet, clinking cups, and voices raised loudly.
Lanterns glow warmly above crowded streets while people dance without fear for the first time in years.
You should be happy too…and you are.
Watching Luffy stuff his face while Usopp screams at him for stealing food off everyone else’s plates. Watching Chopper being passed around and praised until he nearly faints from embarrassment. Watching Sanji cry over every woman complimenting his cooking while Brook somehow makes everything worse.
Your crew feels alive in a way that almost hurts to look at.
And nearby, the Heart Pirates are just as chaotic in their own strange way. Penguin and Shachi are already drunk enough to start loudly recounting exaggerated versions of the raid while Bepo desperately tries to stop them from embarrassing the crew further.
Even Law looks… lighter.
Every now and then, when the others aren’t looking, he glances at you, and every single time you catch him, your heart betrays you.
All this should feel perfect.
So why does your chest feel so tight?
Eventually, the noise becomes too much… or maybe your thoughts do.
You slip away quietly while everyone’s distracted, weaving through lantern-lit streets until the celebration fades into something softer in the distance.
The cool night air helps a little.
You find Zoro sitting alone near the edge of a wooden house, one arm resting lazily on his knee while a sake bottle hangs loosely from his hand.
He’s drinking alone.
You almost smile at the sight.
Before you can say anything, he speaks first “You done thinking so loud?”
You blink and then snort softly despite yourself “If it’s that loud, then you know what I’m thinking about?”
Zoro nods once, takes another drink, and answers immediately “‘How do I tell them goodbye to go follow the broody doctor and his weird crew?’”
You stare at him for half a second before laughing “You’re the one talking about broody men and weird crews?”
“Hm.” he shrugs lazily “Takes one to know one.”
The laughter fades slowly after that and the quiet that settles this time feels gentler than before. Safe enough to finally let the thoughts spill out.
“What if they don’t want me there?” you ask suddenly, your voice quieter now.
Zoro drinks and listens.
“What if… he doesn’t?”
Your hands tighten slightly in your lap.
“We never talked about it again after… all that.”
Everything changed after it… and somehow, nothing did.
You exhale shakily “What if I misunderstood everything?”
Zoro says nothing so you keep going.
“And even if I didn’t…” your throat tightens slightly “How am I supposed to leave this crew?”
Your eyes drift toward the distant lights of the festival where everyone is celebrating.
“You’re my family. How do I just say goodbye to you? To Luffy? To everyone?”
A humorless laugh escapes you.
“I don’t even know how Luffy would react. He’ll probably just stare at me for ten minutes before screaming something ridiculous.”
That finally earns a small snort from Zoro.
“I didn't even stay that much with you guys but you were there for my hardest times… and helped me with no hesitation.”
After a long moment, Zoro lowers the bottle slightly “We all knew about you and Torao the moment we saw you meet again.”
You blink at him in surprise “What?”
“Yeah.” another shrug “You looked miserable.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He takes another slow drink before continuing “Luffy’s an idiot. But he notices things when it matters.”
His gaze shifts somewhere towards the celebration “…And now look at him.”
You follow his line of sight automatically and across the street, where the noise and celebration is… you find Law already looking at you.
He’s still seated with his crew, though “with” might be generous considering how little attention he’s paying to whatever Penguin is dramatically acting out in front of him.
And still, his eyes keep drifting back to you.
Your chest softens before you can stop it and a small smile slips onto your face naturally this time.
And from across the distance, Law’s expression changes too, subtle.
Beside you, Zoro hums lowly “You two just need to make it official.”
You laugh weakly under your breath “As if it’s that easy.”
“The rest of the stuff you’re worried about?” he lifts the bottle lazily “That comes naturally, after.”
You stare ahead quietly after that, thinking about his words.
About your crew, about Law, about every terrifying possibility waiting ahead of you, and somehow for the first time, it doesn’t feel impossible… still terrifying, but not impossible.
Your eyes sting unexpectedly “…Thank you, Zoro.”
Before he can react, you lean forward and hug him tightly.
Zoro goes completely stiff “Oi—”
He clearly has no idea what to do with physical affection.
His arms remain firmly at his sides, expression frozen in mild horror and annoyance at the sudden contact.
But he doesn’t push you away, he just lets you stay there for a moment.
Then, suddenly embarrassed by your own emotions, you pull away too fast “I’m never doing that again.”
“Good.”
“You’re awful.”
“Hm.”
A familiar voice calls your name from farther down the street.
You turn to see Nami waving dramatically while Robin smiles softly beside her. Kiku stands nearby with gentle patience while Carrot bounces excitedly trying to get your attention.
“There you are!” Nami shouts “Come on already!”
You laugh again, lighter this time.
Then you glance back once more toward Zoro “…Seriously. Thank you.”
He gives a lazy wave with the sake bottle and then you run back toward the girls.
You don’t see what happens behind you… you don't see Zoro glance toward the opposite side of the festival and don’t see Law still watching him.
For a long moment, the swordsman and the surgeon simply stare at one another across the crowd, then Zoro gives him the smallest nod.
Law’s gaze shifts briefly toward your retreating figure laughing beside Nami and Carrot.
Then back to Zoro.
And though he says nothing, he lets the encouragement stand.
Tag List - sorry for the long wait, idk if you still want to be tagged, but in case you want to be removed you can tell me, just know that there will be only 2 or 3 more parts to finish this series and they're all finished: @eravariety - @wontknowbetter - @riftmage27 - @lalaveys - @chillerkiller - @my-name-is-heartache - @greenbnny - @jordan03400 - @flooofity - @valval08 - @sbagbowlll - @moncherriii103 - @tetra-stark - @lomllaw - @pecorellachan
Do you ever think about your mutuals (even the ones you don’t know) during the day like “the swedish taurus girl had an exam today, I hope it went well”
Law creaked the door to his room open, peeking in to confirm your whereabouts. Sure enough, there was a you-sized lump looking awfully comfortable beneath the blankets bundled around his bed. He could tell from just a glance at the steady rise and fall of your breathing that you’d been in a deep sleep for some time now.
He scoffed, but it held no malice — there was a quiet peace humming in his chest at the sight of you tucked away in his bed, safe and without a care in the world.
In other circumstances, he almost would’ve felt bad for disturbing such a peaceful scene. He anticipated some grumbling, but knew you’d be far more upset if he didn’t wake you given the circumstances.
Treading quietly, he made his way to the bed and took a seat at its edge beside you. His gentle hand pressed to your shoulder and nudged you awake.
“Hey,” he murmured. “Y/N.”
Your body shifted. A weary head lifted, turning over your shoulder to peek up at him with a hazy frown. You squinted at him in the dark room. “Hmm? What’s wrong?”
You were already sitting up, fists balled as you rubbed at your eyes.
He chuckled, taking a piece of your lopsided hair and smoothing it over your part. “Nothing’s wrong, but you might want to come look out the kitchen window.”
You blinked in confusion, but only for a moment. Your eyes went wide and a grin curled across your face. The blanket was thrown off your legs, and you scrambled into your slippers as you looked at him with excitement.
“What is it? A humpback? I’ve been thinking we might spot one in this area — oh my goodness.” You gasped. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Go see for yourself,” he grinned, gesturing toward the door.
He had no idea why you got so excited about passing animals — they were a constant when traveling the open ocean. But there wasn’t one you’d spotted without your face practically smushed against the glass in pure glee. You’d pull the entire crew over to look at even a singular turtle. Law didn’t exactly understand the thrill, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little excited now. Mostly because the fun for him was seeing just how hyped up you’d get.
Law could already picture the stupid smile on your face as he leisurely followed your hurried steps down the hall. You looked like a kid on Christmas morning, making a beeline for the kitchen with huffed breaths of anticipation.
As you rounded the corner, your squeal echoed down the metal halls of the Tang. It made him shake his head in amusement as you bolted into the kitchen to shove your way through your giggling crewmates.
“Oi, Y/N, look! They think Shachi is one of them!”
It wasn’t just one, but an entire pod of orcas who seemed just as enamored with the wide-eyed Heart Pirates ogling them through the glass.
Their clicks could be heard from inside the Tang, everyone erupting into cheers and laughter as the few who swam close to investigate spun in curiosity, particularly fixated on the hat atop Shachi’s head.
When Law finally made it around the corner, he leaned against the doorframe with crossed arms, watching the familiar chaos unfold.
He couldn’t see your expression, but he didn’t need to. From your excited bounces in front of the glass and honeyed laughter, he could picture your rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes as clearly as if he were standing beside you — he’d memorized that look simply by loving you.
Shachi moved his head around dramatically, causing the whole lot of you to burst into laughter and coo at the thousand-pound beasts like they were babies.
“Room,” Law called out.
Everyone froze in confusion. The blue aura filled the room, and with a flick of his hand, Shachi’s hat popped onto your head.
“Shambles.”
Your hands flew to the plush cap with a laugh. The rest of the crew cheered, watching with even more excitement as the whales directed their attention toward you.
“Look, they noticed!” Penguin hollered. “They’re pretty smart. We should keep one. We can teach it to tip over enemy ships. They do that, you know.”
“How the hell could you idiots keep a damn whale?” Law muttered, walking over to pour himself a cup of coffee.
Shachi jerked a thumb toward Bepo. “We keep a bear just fine.”
“Oh yeah, very funny!” Bepo whined.
“Come on, wouldn’t it be sick to have a killer whale trailing the Tang?” Penguin asked.
Your eyes never left the window, but you laughed at the ridiculous thought.
“Well, we’d have to train all of them, not just one. They’re family animals. They stick together.”
Law glanced over at your words. The coffee in his hands was warm, and the smell of cinnamon, his favorite, drifted through the steam. He thought they’d ran out, but you must have gotten your hands on some more for him at the last Island they visited. He looked at your soft smile, at the rowdy cluster of morons who were now nothing more than noise pollution with their ridiculous theories on how to convince the entire pod to stick around.
Family.
He didn’t remember his own well, but it was little mornings like these that made him feel as though he wasn’t missing out on much.
He took another sip of coffee, eyes peaking beneath his fur hat at the lot of you with quiet contentment. Maybe he could wait a bit longer before returning to his study.
Knowledge is a weapon, and the witches have that knowledge in the palm of their hand. Witches rest in between the shadows of the known and the unknown. You, however, were different.
At the same time as the cries of Trafalgar Law filled the room of the hospital his mother birthed him, your cries filled the universe, and the moon and the stars bounded your souls together. You, a witch, him a human. That curse falls on a witch every one hundred years and for that, The Five Nobles wished to eradicate it. Having witches around was one thing but being soul-tied to a human being was another.
A human knowing the truth about the barrier between life and death would be a crisis. So, The Five Nobels for 800 years made a deal with the witches at the request of Imu who made the deal: kill the bond between human and witch, and eradicate the disease of their future affection.
Fate had other plans.
You were tossed outside the barrier between life and death before the soul cutter blade could rip your soul from Trafalgar's, and through the air you fell, and into the arms of Monkey D. Dragon who stared at the sky in utter disbelief. He knew he had to keep you safe and so he did.
He raised you as though you were one of his own, taught you how to defend yourself, and even gave you the choice to go down your own path of life. It was only after the death of Portgas D. Ace did you finally come to a decision.
"I want to set out to sea." You say, eyes determined, voice stone cold. Magic flickered between your fingertips.
"Then I'll make preparations."
Now here you were, two years later, on the battlefield of Dressrosa, processing the aftermath of the fall of Donquixote Doflamingo. You kneel before his shattered body and pick up the broken pieces of his glasses.
"A failure." You say to his unconscious body. "All you Celestial Dragon's are."
Sabo found you at a nearby Island and forced you to tag along with him to Dressrosa to meet his brother, Monkey D. Luffy. You never expected this to be the place of the heavenly demon. You had no connection to him, just a dislike for the Celestial Dragon's, and with a frown you get up and using your magic, you fly out of there before the Marine's could find you.
You've made a name for yourself, and your bounty entered the billions when The Five Elders understood who you were. There was one rule among them: do not unite you with your destined one.
Fate, once again, had other plans.
"Oh, you know Sabo?"
You ignore Luffy's question and eye the unconscious body on the ground. "Who's he?"
"Tra-guy."
Your head tilts to the side. What a funny name. You look away from him and look at the son of your mentor. All he was doing was stuffing his face in. You didn't have a problem with that, but with the green-haired swordsman who glared at you like you were a disease.
"What?" You snap.
"Sabo told us to look after you, but we don't know you. Why should we?"
"I don't know and I don't care. Once I get to my ship, I''ll set sail. Alone."
"Huh? What are you talking about? If Sabo says bring you along, I'm going to bring you along." Luffy let out a burp.
"Sabo says a lot of things, that doesn't mean we should listen to him."
Conversations filled the air, meals and cups of sake were shared, but you kept to yourself. Even when this 'Tra-guy' was finally conscious, you sit alone and ponder on a few things. You let your magic dance between your fingertips, the flame your favourite colour, and snap your fingers.
"What is it?" Your voice was unusually soft when you spoke to Trafalgar Law.
He was staring at you. His brows pull together. "Who are you?"
You ignore his question. "That's the mark of Donquixote Rosinante, correct?"
He sat up at the mention of his father figure. You force back a smile. So it is.
"He has something that belongs to me. Where can I find him?"
"He's dead." He said coldly.
You drag out a sigh. "Shame." And look out the window. You get up.
"Where are you going?" He asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.
You ignore his question and walk out of there and using your magic, you fly in the air to the location of the Donquixote mansion and search the rooms without being seen by anyone. You manage to find what it is you were looking for and with your treasures in hand, you set out to sea, the bag hauled over your shoulder.
Along the way, a few Marine's identified you as the woman with the ONLY ALIVE poster and shots were fired. You dodge the bullets without even looking, and feel a hum inside your soul, and your heart tingles. You let out a quiet, sarcastic laugh, and your back arches into itself, your magic wrapping around you like a protective shield.
"Time warp."
The world around you turns into static and the buildings around you crumble. The soldiers turn to dust and return to their place in time. Patterns wove around your entire body, your eyes golden and mixed with the colour of your magic.
"Speed."
You snap your fingers and time does its thing. The hats of the soldiers who escaped from your magic fly off their heads. Fujitora, noticing your presence, wished to attack you but with the debris in the air, he couldn't. He let out a huff of impatience. You land on Bartolomeo's ship, your static body returning to normal.
"It's you." Trafalgar spat, at the same time Luffy's eyes lit up in awe.
Slowly, your hair falls down, and your eyes return to their normal shade. You look at the sky and with a 'tsk' you sit down away from the prying eyes. Your bracelets clang together, and your shoes thud to the ground when you take them off.
"I'm not thanking you for the free ride." You say, pointing a finger at Luffy who laughed.
"You're more than welcome here!"
"Hmm." You look down at the notebook you stole from the Donquixote residence and rest your fist against your face.
All hell broke loose.
"Y/N-senpai!" Bartolomeo cried, his eyes turning to stars as he made his way towards you. "That was so cool! Do it again!"
"Tsk, I can do better than that." Cavendish huffs, throwing his hair behind his shoulders.
"Then why don't you, Cabbage?" You say, completely bored.
"Is that a devil fruit power?" Zoro asked you.
"No, I was born with it."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "I've never met a witch before!"
You weren't uncomfortable by the attention, but you silently wish that they move on. Thankfully, they do, and once the banquet began, that's when Tra-guy made his way towards you.
"That's Corazon's." He said, his tone accusatory.
"Technically it's mine if it mentions my people." You say, reading the words before you. "Knowledge is a weapon, and this knowledge will one day get me killed if I'm not careful, Tra-guy. Unique name by the way."
"Tsk, it's a nickname."
"Oh?"
"Trafalgar Law."
Your lips quirk. "I like it."
He sits beside you, his shoulder pressed to yours, his breathing sloppy and uneven. For some reason, you didn't like that and without even thinking about it, you place the palm of your hand over his chest and the glow of your favourite colour filled your hand and gently hummed against his chest.
Flowers bloomed and wrapped around his wounds like a protective shield. He wasn't healed but the pain was gone.
"Don't ask." You huff, looking at the notebook.
"Tsk, wasn't going to." The tips of his ears were red. For some reason, you liked that.
"Do I make you nervous, Trafalgar?"
He ignored your question by asking you a question. Nico Robin was nearby listening. You never noticed her presence. You knew her from the Revolutionary army, but you never became friends with her, just acquaintances.
"What's the contents?"
"Nosy are we?" You muse. "The 100 year Void before the real 100 year void. I guess you could say there was History before the History of the Poneglyphs. Does that make sense?"
"No."
You chuckle. That's when Robin spoke. "100 years before the 100 year void, there was the genocide against the witches, both in the barrier, and outside of the barrier. Is that the account of one of the witches who fell victim to the genocide?"
"Nico Robin." You say, surprised to see her, then you scowl. "What's it to you?"
"Still the grumpy one." She laughed.
"Who's grumpy?" You huff.
"Can I see it?"
"No, it's personal."
Robin smiled. "And if Law asked?"
You went quiet. What the hell?
"I see. That's why the Government placed a high bounty on you." Robin was fascinated.
Trafalgar looked at you but you don't meet his eye. You didn't want this to be true but your attitude towards him was incredibly different from how you usually treat people. You weren't rude, but you weren't friendly either.
"The pain of the witch who cursed those that eradicated her people born once in a century. She bound her soul to the soul of her dying husband and in the end, they both lost their lives, but the soul-tie lives on."
"You can stop talking now." You mumble.
"You're the 9th soul tie."
You drag out a sigh. "Ohara and their smart one."
"A compliment from you? I'm honoured." Robin gets up. "Let's put history to rest for a few hours and enjoy the banquet. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Law was quiet the entire time. He wasn't dumb, but he wasn't willing to make a comment either.
"Don't worry." You say to him. "I'm only here to learn, not to chain you down."
"Nothing can chain me down."
Your lip quirks at that. "When I want what's mine, I take it. I don't apply that mindset to humans."
Law was quiet. "If you want me, you can have me."
"I never pinned you as the needy type, Trafalgar."
Law tsks. "It's not about being needy, it's about common sense. It'll kill you, right?" He tapped a passage in your notebook and your eyes narrowed. "What? It was open!"
"I don't need your sympathy."
"It's not about sympathy. Plus, you have work to do the same way I do. I'm not going to let this interfere with it. Then, after all this is done, we can go our separate ways and never contact each other."
"You foolish man." You let out a laugh. "My soul is singing at the sight of you. It's not as simple as leaving, I'll have to carve my own soul out to stop thinking about you."
"What a pain." He let out a tsk. "You can join my Crew then."
"I'm my own Captain."
"Have any other ideas?" You were quiet. "Exactly."
Your eye twitched. He smirked in satisfaction.
This was going to be a long journey.
authors note: umineko when they cry was incredibly complex, I still can't believe it took me five days to figure out wtf I should do with this request lol so I went with my own flow! I'm sorry if this wasn't what you wanted anon! ALSO I WAS TOO LAZY TO PROOFREAD I'LL DO IT SOME OTHER TIME SORRY.
I love you more when it snows. restless nights. reminisce. I love you. cold hands. why do you kiss my hands? there's only one bed. so pretty, I can't breathe. part one, separated. part two, reunion kiss. hand massage. back to him. first date. I hate you. seeing you dance for the first time. your childhood friend returns. heaven takes you home. needy for him. evenings with him.
captain kidd, eustass kid.
black lipstick. who are you texting? his biggest headache. short king. phantom limb pain. I hate you. I really love this woman. your childhood friend returns. needy for him. jealous of sanji. nights with him. mood swings. stress.
heavenly demon, donquixote doflamingo.
sheet mask. reassuring his queen. who are you texting? a silly little nightmare. panicked. posting another man on your feed. there's only one bed. short king. hand massage. jealousy vs jealousy. I hate you. seeing you dance for the first time. you get attacked.
akagami no shanks, shanks.
misunderstanding. she's all mine. doesn't want you fighting. I hate you. seeing you dance for the first time.
pirate hunter, roronoa zoro.
part one, arguments. part two, reconcile. bracelets. short king.