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Luffy loved a lot of things about his Torao, like his eyes, his voice, his tattoos, Torao's devil fruit powers, Torao's rare smiles, Torao's bear, Torao's interactions with Luffy's nakama. Luffy loved Torao.
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It was a very calm and uneventful day. The skies and seas were behaving, no enemy ship or Marine ship in sights, such was the perfect opportunity for the Strawhat and Hearts crew to unwind and relax after a daring heist on a Marine facility. The loot was worth it and it was fun, so win-win.
"Oi Luffy! Try this!" Usopp handed a crown to the rubber captain which ensued Nami's wrath on them both for playing before the treasure was distributed.
All the other Strawhats were busy with their own things. Zoro was napping in a corner, Sanji was in the kitchen, Chopper was running about, playing with Usopp and Luffy, Robin was reading a book under the shade on the upper deck, Franky was fixing a contraption, Brook was playing a slow, soothing melody and Jinbei had his eyes trained on the horizon ahead. The Hearts were most also on the Thousand Sunny, with a few staying behind on the Tang to keep it steady beside the Sunny.
Law himself was quietly sitting in a corner on the grassy deck, back against the railing, his favourite medical book sprawled in front of his crossed ankles. He had read that book a total of fifty-six times but still couldn't put it down for good. This particular book was his last connection to Flevance, his home. He had found it in a pawn shop in North Blue and recognized his parents' annotations, buying it immediately. It was no secret to anyone how attached Law was to that book.
Anyone but the sea king that decided to make it's unfortunate appearance rather flashily, flying water all over the deck, soaking everything, including Law's favourite book. It wouldn't have had been a problem otherwise but the book was already very battered and the sea water destroyed whatever was left. The pages disconnected from the binding and got torn into pieces from the heavy impact.
For a moment, Law couldn't see or understand anything, he just looked at the last memento of his parents, his home, perishing before him, a thought that brought back ugly memories. Little spots of red danced before his eyes and he could hear a distant 'gomu gomu nooooo' and Nami's shouts for Jinbei to keep the ship stable or the treasure would drown. Law didn't care much about any of that when he unsheathed Kikoku and opened a ROOM big enough to envelop the entire sea king. Before Luffy's fist connected with the monster, Law had cut it into thousand little pieces, raining them over everyone.
"Torao! I was going to hit it!" Luffy whined bringing his arm back. Law paid him no attention and picked the remnants of the book, just a singular piece of binding, nothing else remained. All the muscles he had worked to relax became tense again from anger, just cutting the beast didn't satisfy him. The damage was bigger than that.
Law silently opened a ROOM and replaced himself with a small rock in his quarters, something he kept especially for shambles. After making sure the door was locked, Law reverently placed the binding on his table and decided the day was a waste to endure now. He kicked off his shoes, threw his hat somewhere and buried himself under the covers. It was then that the actual weight of the situation fell on him. He had nothing of Flevance now, of his parents, nothing to remind him of their vast knowledge and kindness. It was like losing everything all over again, only this time it was slightly worse because he had stupidly made attachments to an inanimate object.
On the deck of the Sunny, everyone was quiet and that was saying something considering they were Strawhats. They were all pretending to ignore or avoid talking about what had happened. Usopp was shaking in his boots, Chopper was clinging to Usopp and Nami was quiet. They had never seen Law act out like that, that feral look on his face right before he sliced the sea king and switched himself away.
"What's the big deal?" Luffy asked when he dumped the small sea king pieces in a pile for Sanji to cook later. Nami sighed.
"To be honest, even I don't know why that happened."
"The water from that sea king's appearance destroyed Torao-kun's favourite book." Robin provided helpfully.
"Oh boi." Penguin and Shachi said in unison.
"Captain will not take this well." Bepo added.
"We can sorta see that from the sea king sashimi." Usopp put in.
"It was just a book, what's the big deal?" Luffy crossed his arms and tried thinking why everyone was so fussy about this.
"Why don't you go and ask captain?" Shachi offered.
"Oi what are you doing sending Mugiwara to his death?!" Penguin nudged his friend.
"Torao won't kill me, he loves me." Luffy said simply.
"You surely haven't had the misfortune of being around our captain when he's like this."
"I'll go ask him!"
"Don't push him if he doesn't want to talk!" Shachi shouted behind Luffy. "He's gonna die."
~
"Torao, open the door." Luffy knocked on the door of the captain's quarters and waited. Waiting was hard but he remembered Law's crewmates telling him to not push Law so Luffy was doing just that. "Toraoooooooo~"
Still no answer, maybe he's asleep.
Luffy retraced his steps and went back to the Sunny and told everyone that Law was sleeping and that he would go again when it's time for food. Time for food came about much quicker than Luffy anticipated. Luffy quickly snacked on some sea king meat on sticks, grabbed a few then went back to talk to Law.
"Torao! It's food time!" Luffy heard a weak 'go away' and frowned. He didn't like it when Law sounded weak or vulnerable. Luffy thought of what to do while munching on the meat, being careful to leave enough for Law. He didn't want to break the door down because then Law would get even angrier so what should-
"You're thinking too goddamn loud." Law opened the door and cut Luffy's thought process short, pulling the other captain in his room by yanking at his vest. Luffy made himself comfortable on Law's bed while the older bolted the door again. When Law turned around, Luffy held a meat stick for Law to take. "No."
"Why?"
"I don't want to."
"Why not?"
"Don't push my buttons today Luffy-ya, I'm too angry and don't want to take it out on you." Law warned falling on the bed beside Luffy.
"Why are you so angry, it was just a book."
"How would you like it if I tore your strawhat apart until it was just threads scattered in the sea?" Law bit back. Luffy was quiet for a while, then a small 'oh' escaped him. "Exactly."
"Tell me about the book." Luffy offered turning to sit facing Law properly. Law just stared at Luffy to gauge him and sighed when he found that it was Luffy's 'I-am-not-budging-so-tell-me' mood.
"Fine." Law grabbed a meat stick from Luffy's hands and sat up to tell the tale.
~
Telling Luffy the story behind the book should have produced cathartic effects but Law found himself angrier than before, so much so that he confined himself in his chambers, refusing to go out of the Tang even for some much needed sunlight. Luffy had, in a very Luffy way, told Law that not all of Flevance was lost since Law was alive and while that was true, Law countered it by saying that he was mourning the loss and to let him be. Luffy brought him food and talked with Law but the elder didn't have much to say and his reactions to everything were limited to nods and shaking of head.
Needless to say, Luffy did not like this. Everyone else was still walking on eggshells around Law, unable to tell if he would decapitate them with his ROOM or without it. Luffy missed Law. Although Law only ever smirked or grinned cynically, this ordeal took even that away, so Luffy made up his mind, he would make Law smile. He was aiming for laughter but even Luffy knew that was not possible under these circumstances.
Attempt number one was when Law had appeared on the Tang's deck for a little sunlight. Luffy launched himself at the other captain from the Sunny. Law, who knew something like this would happen, opened a ROOM and suspended Luffy in front of him. Without saying a word or waiting for Luffy to say anything, Law sent Luffy flying and stuck him to Sunny's mast.
Attempt number two involved Luffy making funny faces to try to get a reaction from Law during dinner, Law made it to the dinner at Sunny that day. Luffy did get a reaction but not the one he wanted when Law scowled and left the premises. "Way to go idiot," Sanji scolded making a mental note to send a bentou to Law later.
The surprise marine appearance made Luffy improvise attempt number three by thinking that fighting would at least blow off some steam but the marines were small in number and were easily defeated by a single slash attack by Zoro. Law was about to leave for his quarters again when Luffy acted on his plan again and threw a punch Law's way but the Hearts captain was quicker and teleported himself away.
This was it.
Luffy stomped his foot and marched to Law's quarters. He was going to make Law smile, one way or another. It's been days! Luffy missed Law's tiny smug smirks and grins and his secret smiles Law thought Luffy didn't notice. It was time to change that. He would not take a no for an answer today and will not take it lightly if Law shambles-ed him elsewhere too.
Luffy marched with purpose and knocked on the door, expecting it to be locked but it wasn't and gave way easily. The rubber boy thought it suspicious that Law would leave his door unlocked and open to boost so he stepped in carefully, eyes moving from one corner to another when he found Law near his closet, putting on a new shirt.
"Torao!" Luffy exclaimed and made to run for the man before he escaped.
"Careful-" Law started but the damage had been done. Luffy slipped on the rag Law had placed on the floor to soak up the huge amount of water he had accidentally spilled on himself and the metal floor of his room. Luffy's rubber face met the cold metal with a loud 'boing' and on his way down, the boy had crashed his arm on the study table, bringing down a few thick books on his head, denting his rubber skull where they made contact. "It's slippery..." Law ended and sighed.
"You could have warned me before!" Luffy screeched pushing the books off his head and observing the dent, fixing Law a teary glare. Law only stared back until he burst out laughing, not the psychopathic laugh people normally got to hear, but an actual, genuine laugh and Luffy was awestruck at the intensity of it.
"I am so sorry but," Law continued laughing, "your face! And the sound your head made!"
It took Luffy a few more seconds to realise that Law was actually laughing, it didn't matter that Luffy himself was the object of that, but Law was laughing. And that made Luffy laugh.
"Ok that's enough, come here let me see the damage." Law wiped a happy tear from his eye and helped Luffy up, a smile staying on his face all the while. "What did you come here for though?" Law inquired poking and prodding Luffy's skull for any damages but all was ok.
"To make you smile. I missed you these days." Luffy pouted.
"Job well done then." Law kissed the hurting site and let Luffy envelope him in a hug. "Thank you."
~
Luffy loved a lot of things about his Torao, like his eyes, his voice, his tattoos, Torao's devil fruit powers, Torao's rare smiles, Torao's bear, Torao's interactions with Luffy's nakama. But what Luffy loved the best about Torao at the moment, was his laughter.
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Itachi_Warrior desu~! ^/_\^