@lawluevents - Day 9: Reunion/Trust
@onepiece-bingo: Sword
Alternate summary: "I trust you with my life but do NOT touch that knife or so help me..."
Insert obligatory "I don't have a single word for tomorrow so if you don't hear from me by 4am my time tomorrow, you know why"
[ Read on AO3 | series ]
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The moment he heard Straw Hat had arrived in the Land of Wano, Law knew he had to act fast. They didn’t spend weeks planning, preparing, carefully protecting their covers, and secretly gathering information and allies for it all to be destroyed by one unsupervised idiot.
He knew that if he didn’t grab Straw Hat by the neck the moment he stepped in, it was only a matter of minutes before he went and shouted he was going to kick Kaido’s ass and become the Pirate King from the roof of some building in Bakura Town. Foolishly, Law had thought that with Roronoa there, they wouldn’t straight up pick a fight with the Beast Pirates at the very least. Foolishly… he forgot that an unsupervised Roronoa was just as bad as an unsupervised Straw Hat.
Never mind the two of them being left unsupervised together.
As Law watched the people of the Okobore Town cry and celebrate at the sight of the crashed, stolen in broad daylight Treasure Ship, he sighed deeply. He really should have ignored Hawkins and just gone to drag these two idiots away.
But, what was done was done and now Law had to deal with the consequences—the Beast Pirates knowing they were there, Holdem about to run crying to Jack, and a bunch of Gifters stomping their feet and yelling about robbery just metres away.
And yet, the worst thing to happen to their plan wasn’t even there yet.
Law barely managed to finish the thought when a giant basin crashed to the ground and right on top of the aforementioned Gifters.
“Here we go! Fresh water!!”
And there it was. The greatest disaster to ever befall the Land of Wano and Law’s entire life.
Law wanted to chew him out but seeing how he grinned and told all the people of Okobore Town to blame him… Law couldn’t do anything but sigh deeply. Leave it to Straw Hat to be so selfless in the most selfish way humanly possible.
How was Law supposed to yell at him now without making himself be the asshole?
“Oh! Torao!!” Straw Hat called when he finally noticed him, his face lighting up and splitting into a grin so wide that it felt like his mouth was going to tear—an expression that made Law’s heart skip a beat at the knowledge that he was the one to put it there simply by being next to him.
Law hated how the corners of his mouth twitched in return. He was trying to be mad here, goddamn it. Not fall in love all over again just because he didn’t see that smile for a few weeks….
“Straw Hat-ya,” Law said, keeping his voice carefully measured. “You do realise this is a rebellion, right?”
“I’m just repaying a favour!” Straw Hat defended himself. “It’s not like I punched Kaido in the face. Yet.”
Law groaned. “You’re impossible.”
When Straw Hat only laughed, Law couldn’t say he was surprised. But then warm arms wrapped around his waist and a whole human body pressed against him and he blinked.
“What are you doing?” Law asked, his eyes dropping to look at Straw Hat’s face which was tilted back further than should be possible, his rubbery neck twisted back into an unnatural angle where he was resting his chin against Law’s chest.
“I missed you,” Straw Hat said happily, the grin plastered on his face widening even more.
The sight was making Law’s heart do weird things, things Law understood but refused to acknowledge. But even so… it was impossible to fight anymore.
Before he could stop himself, one of his hands cupped Luffy’s face and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to Luffy’s lips. It was a simple kiss, one they’ve shared so many times before they had split up in Zou, and yet, it felt like the first time. It hadn’t even been that long since they had last seen each other. Maybe three, four weeks? How stupid.
If it was like this after so little time apart, what the hell were they going to do when the alliance fulfilled its purpose?
Law felt almost embarrassed being worried about something like that. He wasn’t a horny, pining teenager after all—never was one in the first place—so what the hell was his problem?
He should probably think about all that after they actually beat Kaido. Right now, Straw Hat was in his arms and hopefully not going anywhere unsupervised for a while. He had punched a bit too many holes into their carefully laid out plan already for Law to let him go anywhere without someone with an ounce of sense in their head. Not that that had ever stopped Luffy from ruining everything but there was this thing called damage control which Roronoa had spectacularly failed at just earlier.
Idiots, the both of them.
Law hated how that thought made him smile into the kiss, making Luffy giggle. Law huffed to himself before he finally pulled away.
“I trusted you’d come back,” he muttered quietly, his thumb tracing the scar underneath Luffy’s left eye gently.
Luffy snickered. “Of course! Got Sanji back and all!”
“Good job.” Law chuckled quietly, pressing one last peck to Luffy’s mouth.
When he tried to pull away, however, Luffy stopped him; his hand grabbed onto Law’s yukata, pulling him down and refusing to let go. And somehow… Law didn’t have the willpower to fight him.
His lips curling into a smirk, Law let Luffy lead the kiss this time, his clumsy movements making warmth spread in Law’s chest. God, he missed this idiot so much…
“Get a fucking room.”
Law clicked his tongue in annoyance at the same time as Luffy groaned as the two of them finally let go of each other. But even when Law took a step back, their hands still found each other and Law laced their fingers together, squeezing Luffy’s hand gently.
“Sorry, Zoro,” Luffy said, but it wasn’t very convincing with the happy smile that was still plastered on his face.
“Yeah, sorry Black Leg-ya’s not here,” Law added.
“Fuck off, Torao,” Zoro hissed, shooting Law a glare.
“It’s not my fault your precious soulmate ran off to get married, don’t take it out on me,” Law shrugged, a smirk pulling on his lips.
“Now, look here—” Zoro growled but before he could say any more, Luffy interrupted him.
“Zoro, you should see your face!” He laughed loudly as he pointed at his first mate.
At that, Zoro's expression twisted in annoyance even more before he snapped, "You shut up, Luffy! Also let me see that katana already."
“No,” Luffy replied immediately while sticking his tongue out to stress his point.
Law blinked. Did he hear that right? Straw Hat and… a katana?
Turning his gaze down to Luffy’s waist, Law did a double take at the sight of the purple hilt, gold, cross-shaped handguard, and dark and light purple striped scabbard. There really was a fucking katana tucked away into Straw Hat’s obi. And judging by the aura it was giving off… it wasn’t just any random, rusty katana he found lying around somewhere either.
“Are you seriously carrying around a Meito?” Law asked, the dread he felt at the very notion almost tangible in his voice.
“What kind of samurai would I be without one?” Straw Hat asked, sounding almost offended.
“I told you you’re not even using it, Luffy,” Zoro grumbled.
“Give me that thing before something happens,” Law said as he held out his hand expectantly.
At that, Straw Hat jumped away from Law and out of reach, his hands flying to hold the katana protectively. “No way! Why does everyone keep trying to take it?”
“I just want to look at it,” Zoro snapped.
Ignoring Roronoa’s frustration, Law closed his eyes momentarily, praying for patience before he looked back at Luffy. “Because you’re going to fucking trip and stab your eye out. Give it.” Law stressed his final words by gesturing with his hand once more.
Luffy gasped dramatically while his face morphed into the most upset, unhappy expression Law had ever seen. “I thought you trusted me!” he cried, pointing an accusing finger at Law who only met his glare head on, thoroughly unimpressed.
“Not when there’s a sharp object involved,” Law stated matter-of-factly.
Immediately, Zoro burst out laughing. He clutched at his stomach, doubling over in his fit as he watched the way Luffy’s mouth fell open, an almost comedic shock painted on his face, and despite himself, despite trying to be as stern as possible, Law felt laughter trying to force its way out of his own chest as well at the sight.
With a huff, Straw Hat crossed his arms over his chest, shooting another glare at Law, then the still laughing Zoro, and finally Law again. “You’re a jerk. You’re both jerks. I hate you!” he announced before turning around decisively—
—and gasping again when his eyes fell on the Treasure Ship that was now swarmed by the people of Okobore Town, all the food being carefully unloaded and divided between everyone. Immediately forgetting about either Law, Zoro, or the katana, Straw Hat ran forward, shouting at the townspeople, “Hey, the meat’s mine!! Don’t just take it all!!”
Law shook his head in disbelief. Unable to fight it anymore, a chuckle slipped past his lips as he watched Luffy jump around, stuffing his face and laughing with people he didn’t even know. Bringing smiles to everyone’s faces without even trying, just like he always did.
“And here I got made fun of because Ero-cook ran off,” Zoro muttered pointedly, amusement clear in his voice.
“Shut the fuck up, Roronoa-ya,” Law groaned.
Zoro snorted, his voice light when he replied, “You’re hopeless, Torao.”
“Says the guy who did nothing but stress-train the entire way here.”
“Touche,” Zoro laughed.
They were silent for a moment, simply watching as Luffy talked to Tama about something with a serious, determined look in his eyes. It felt like he was a completely different person now than he was a mere minute ago… but he was still Luffy even so.
And Law loved both versions of him—the bubbly, stupid one and the deadly serious, charismatic one—equally.
Oh god, how embarrassing.
Law took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “Let’s never talk about this again.”
