Chapter Text
Luffy landed at the end of the dock and began to stretch his arms back so he could fling himself at Law.
Luffy launched himself across the banquet hall toward Law, a grin splitting his face.
Luffy’s hand slowly bridged the distance between them, reaching for Law’s face, brown eyes soft.
Luffy stood at the bottom of the slope, looking up at Law through the snow just like he had the first time.
Luffy stood in the doorway of the auction house, brightly lit by the sun as he entered through the door this time.
“Fuck,” Law groaned, dropping his head into his hands as the images played across his mind’s eye.
“Captain?”
“M’fine, Bepo.”
“No offense, Cap, but that’s obviously bullshit.”
Law lifted his head to see Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo standing in his doorway. He gave them an unimpressed look, but his friends were unmoved. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“He’s still following,” Law finally said.
“Yeah, Cap, he is,” Penguin agreed.
“I thought he would have changed his mind by now,” Law muttered. “It’s been weeks.”
Right after Luffy had suggested they get married and the Betrothal Chase had started, Law had been certain this was nothing more than a passing fancy to Luffy and by stringing this along, Luffy would inevitably lose interest like he did with everything else he didn’t truly care about.
But the longer the chase had gone, the less confident Law had become in that assessment. When he pictured Luffy each time the other captain had tracked him down, there had been nothing but warmth and love in his eyes.
“I want to marry you, but only if you want to, too. If you don’t want to—”
“I don’t want better. I want you.”
It seemed like Luffy really did want this.
And that…
That was terrifying to Law.
When he’d reached Dressrosa, he’d intended to wait for Luffy in Kyros’s old cabin—the man lived in the palace these days and have given his blessing for Law to use the cabin when he’d stopped by the palace after arriving—but something had stopped him as he’d crossed the sunflower field. He’d suddenly felt dizzy and overheated. Doflamingo’s laughter and the sound of gunshots had echoed in his ears, and Cora-san’s smiling face had flashed across his mind’s eye.
It wasn’t until Luffy’s voice had pulled him out of his reverie that he’d even realized he’d been crying.
He’d scrubbed his face as best he could, but Luffy had seen the evidence of his tears. Rather than look down on Law, though, he’d simply looked at him with understanding and gentleness.
With love.
And Law, like the coward he was, had fled.
And he’d done it again on Sabaody, from where the Hearts were currently sailing away—only this time, he hadn’t even given Luffy a way to follow him.
Weak, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Doflamingo accused in the back of his mind. Cowardly. Pathetic.
For Law, love had become inextricably linked to loss. When he was little, his parents and Lami had regularly told Law they loved him, and Law had told them the same in return. And then he had lost them. He’d broken in the wake of Flevance, having lost his loved ones and with his own death impending, but then there had been Cora-san and “Hey Law, I love you!” and six gunshots.
He’d never had the chance to say it back.
After that, the idea of losing anyone else that he loved was simply too much; his heart had been broken and clumsily repaired before being shattered a second time. After Cora-san’s death, Law had slowly and painstakingly tried to fit the pieces back together with the help of Bepo, Shachi, Penguin, and Wolf, but the edges were jagged and the seams obvious. It was so fragile that Law did his best to lock it away and raise walls around it.
It had taken years for Law to slowly and painstakingly lower some of those walls for his nakama—the only exceptions to his rule—but then there had been Luffy…
Luffy who had barreled through Law’s walls like they didn’t exist, who currently held the lockbox protecting Law’s heart in his hands and was asking for the key…
The prospect of opening that box and offering his ugly, fragile facsimile of a heart to the literal incarnation of the sun absolutely terrified Law. Not only could Luffy so easily shatter what was left of Law’s heart, but he deserved so much more. So much better than the wretched excuse for a heart Law could ever offer him.
“The crew wants to know what you’re going to do about it,” Penguin said, pulling Law back into the present.
“If you don’t want to go through with it, you need to tell him, Captain,” Shachi added. “Not just run away. He deserves that much, at least.”
Law flinched. They were right. He was no better than Doflamingo with the way he was stringing Luffy along, trying to manipulate him into giving up rather than facing this head-on.
“But if you do want to go through with it,” Bepo added quietly, “that would be okay, too.”
Law looked up at Bepo in surprise. “What?”
Penguin rolled his eyes. “How are you this dense when you’re a freaking surgeon?”
“Penguin,” Law warned.
“We already told you, Cap: we just want you to be happy,” Shachi broke in. “If Straw Hat, for some unimaginable reason, makes you happy, then go for it. Stop looking for excuses to hide from happiness.”
Law blinked, startled at being called out like that. Before he could react, though, he was being enveloped in fuzzy arms, and he automatically melted into Bepo’s embrace, shutting his eyes and pretending, just for the moment, that his world wasn’t shaking beneath his feet.
“We know it’s scary to open yourself up to someone again after everything you’ve been through,” Bepo said, his voice rumbling in his chest against Law’s back. “But since when have you ever played it safe?”
“No risk, no reward,” Shachi agreed.
“This isn’t like gambling with your monthly chores,” Law muttered. “If it goes badly, it’s not a month of laundry duty on the line.”
His friends were quiet for a moment, but Law didn’t bother opening his eyes to see what kind of faces they were making at each other.
Finally, Penguin spoke up. “But what if it doesn’t? Go badly, that is. What if it’s more amazing than you could have expected?” Law slowly opened his eyes at that. “You already took the risk when you asked Straw Hat to be your ally. We know you, Law. You didn’t make that choice lightly.”
Law swallowed. “No. I didn’t.”
“And did Straw Hat let you down? Did he break your trust?” Shachi prodded.
“No.” In fact, Luffy had done the exact opposite, taking on Law’s thirteen-year-old burden as if it were his own and giving his everything for the sake of a man he’d known for less than a week. And after Winner Island, Bepo had trusted no one but the Straw Hats with Law, and that said plenty in itself.
“So, why do you think he’ll let you down now?”
Law sighed. “It’s not just him I’m worried about,” he finally admitted. “It’s me. I don’t do… people well. I’ll fuck it up somehow, and he’ll leave because I’m a fucking mess, and I don’t think I’ll be able to recover.”
“That… is possibly the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Penguin said. “And I heard some of your greatest hits when you were fifteen.”
Law flipped him off.
Penguin snickered. “In case you haven’t noticed, Captain, Straw Hat isn’t exactly ‘normal’ either. You’re both weirdos. In the best way,” he added at Law’s sour look.
“I thought this was supposed to be a pep talk.”
“Well, there’s your mistake,” Shachi replied easily. “This isn’t a pep talk. It’s an intervention.”
Law opened his mouth to retort, but Bepo’s soft voice cut him off. “I’ve seen how he looks at you, Captain. From the first night you showed up on Zou, I could see the way he looked at you.”
“He’s like that with everyone.”
Bepo shook his head. “When you were unconscious after Winner Island… he never left your side, even when Chopper tried to get him to sleep or eat. That’s real.”
“We’ve all seen it,” Shachi said. “Even the other Straw Hats have seen it. Well, most of them,” he added, thoughtfully. “A few of them are even more clueless than you.”
“And we’ve seen how you look at him,” Penguin added, more gently than before.
Face burning, Law hunched his shoulders, wishing he could disappear into Bepo’s fur. But the mink wouldn’t let him get away with that.
“We’ll support you in whatever you decide,” Bepo said. “You’re our captain.”
“But as your friends,” Shachi added, “we’re telling you not to be an idiot.”
Law shut his eyes again and took a deep, steadying breath, Sengoku’s words after Dressrosa coming back to mind unbidden: “Don’t try to find a reason for someone’s love. And you live your life as you like. That’s what he would say.”
Was he living his life the way he wanted? Or was he really running away from happiness?
Law opened his eyes again. He looked between his friends and relented. “Okay. Send the Straw Hats the final clue.”
When the Polar Tang had docked in the harbor on Swallow Island, Law hadn’t been quite sure what type of welcome to expect after more than a decade away; it was true that he, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin had lived and worked among these people for three years and had helped save them from a pirate threat when they were teenagers, but they had also become pirates themselves and made a name for themselves for sailing under a cruel and vindictive captain and as allies of the new Pirate King. The North Blue had been a war-torn sea for longer than Law had been alive, and there was distrust for anyone who sailed under a Jolly Roger—and for good reason.
As it turned out, though, he needn’t have worried.
The town had been more than welcoming of its four wayward sons and the rest of the crew. When they’d gone ashore, Law had been shocked to see the Heart Pirates’ flag flying at the center of town.
“We’re proud that the Heart Pirates were founded here,” the barkeeper, Agnes, had told Law as he sat at the bar, several other members of his crew taking up tables around the room.
Law remembered the woman from when he was younger; she’d once broken her wrist when she’d slipped in a puddle of water while mopping, and Law had set it and put it in a cast for her when he’d worked at the clinic. Her daughter made her way around the room, taking orders from the pirates and bringing drinks from the bar to them. She couldn't have been more than six when Law had left.
Agnes nodded to the far wall of the bar, where Law’s bounty posters hung, starting with his first one from when he was 18 to his most recent one. Shachi’s, Penguin’s, and Bepo’s posters hung below Law’s. “We’ve followed your adventures in the papers.” She chuckled. “There’s a whole collection of newspaper articles about you and your crew in the library.”
“I have to admit, that surprises me, considering the island’s history with pirates,” Law said.
Agnes shrugged. “You’re our boys. I hope you don’t mind we’ve been flying your symbol,” she added when Law turned back to her. “I suppose we sort of declared ourselves your territory without asking. But no pirates have dared mess with us since we hoisted that flag.”
“Good,” Law said, taking a draught of ale before putting the empty mug back down on the bar. “You let me know if anyone ever does. Junk-ya knows how to reach me.”
After Winner Island, Bepo had reached out to Wolf while Law was recovering in the hope of getting his help with rebuilding the Tang. He’d been heartbroken to hear that the submarine had been sunk, but, unsurprisingly, had been working on blueprints for an upgraded ship since giving the original design to four teenagers. He’d sent the plans, and they became the basis for the Polar Tang 2.0.
Agnes smiled softly, and Law pretended not to notice. “Speaking of that old kook,” she said, wiping down a mug with a towel, “you’re going to see him, aren’t you?”
Law nodded. “Of course.” He hesitated. “How is he doing?”
“Oh, he’s the same as ever,” Agnes said with a laugh. “You know how he gets when he’s working on his inventions! He’s always fiddling with something or other.” She put the mug down and looked at Law. “But no one paid closer attention to papers to see what you were up to than that old man did. He might not say it, but he’s proud of you four.”
Law felt a lump in his throat so just nodded. He pulled out his wallet to pay for the drink, but Agnes shook her head. “Put that away. Your money is no good here, kid.”
Law huffed a laugh and rose from the barstool. He waved to his crew, letting them know they were off duty for the time being. He was nearly through the door when he opened a small Room and dropped some berries on the bar, switching them with a peanut.
“Brat!” Agnes yelled as the door shut behind Law.
Law smirked as he pulled his coat a bit more tightly around himself and then headed down the street.
After collecting Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin from where they’d been visiting some old friends, Law led them out of town and down the path through the woods to Wolf’s. As they walked, Law noticed that Swallow Island had changed very little in the years they’d had been away. It was still snowy and rural, though Pleasure Town had grown a bit in the intervening years. There were more restaurants and shops now, and Law had seen more kids running around than he’d remembered from a decade earlier.
“No pirates have dared mess with us since we hoisted that flag,” Agnes had said. Law couldn’t help a small smile at that; it seemed his reputation had been good for something after all.
Once, Swallow Island had been a place for Law to hide from Doflamingo and work through his grief. It had been the place Law had started to become a person again after years of being nothing more than a ticking time bomb—of illness and rage. Law was glad to pay that kindness back, at least a little.
As for now, well, after everything Law had seen since he’d set sail, Swallow Island was quaint. Boring even.
It should be safe.
But Law had chosen it as the place to settle this Betrothal Chase nonsense. There was, he knew, a good chance Luffy wouldn’t even come. After he’d left Luffy on Sabaody without another clue, Law wouldn’t blame Luffy if he decided he was tired of being jerked around. But, if by some miracle, he hadn’t, he would have to solve the clue Law had had his crew send. And to do that, he would have to remember something Law had told him once off-handedly when Luffy had asked about how he’d met his nakama.
Law had no idea if Luffy would remember—and he wasn’t sure if he wanted him to or not.
“Well, this explains what the commotion in town has been about.”
Law felt himself smiling at the familiar voice as he, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin emerged from the woods into a familiar yard. Wolf stood on his back porch, hands on his hips as he looked at the four pirates. His white hair had thinned out beneath his trademark red visor, and there were more lines and age spots on his face, but he was still unmistakably Wolf.
“Junk-ya,” Law greeted as he approached. He’d talked to Wolf a few times over the Den Den Mushi while they’d been building the new Tang, but it wasn’t the same.
“It’s damn good to see you boys in person.” Wolf eyed them up and down and chuckled. “Though I suppose you aren’t boys anymore, are you?” He waved the thought off. “Eh, you’re still boys to me. C’mon then.”
He gestured for them to follow him into the house, and they entered the kitchen through the back door—like old times. Wolf didn’t even have to remind them to take their shoes off while they were shucking their coats and scarves. Wolf immediately set to brewing coffee and sent them into the living room to wait. It hadn’t changed a bit, other than there being more books spilling off the shelves and a new blanket on the back of the couch that Law didn’t recognize. He absently wondered who had knitted it for Wolf.
Wolf walked in a few minutes later with a tray of mugs and a steaming pot of coffee plus sugar and cream. He put it down on the coffee table before he was dogpiled by Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. They all laughed and hugged and even cried a bit, but eventually the embrace ended. Then Law rose to his feet and approached Wolf.
The two eyed each other for a long moment, and then Wolf was pulling Law into a tight hug. “You got tall,” he muttered.
Law let out a surprised laugh. While he’d grown quite a bit over the years he’d lived on Swallow Island without his body using all its resources to fight the Amber Lead in his system anymore, he’d grown several more inches after going to sea. He wasn’t used to towering over Wolf like this. “You got old,” he retorted.
Wolf snorted as they pulled apart. “You might be taller, but you’re still a little shit. Good to see some things never change.”
Once everyone had settled down on the couch and in chairs with their coffee, Wolf asked, “So, what brings big-time pirates from the New World back to the backwaters of the North Blue?”
“Law’s Betrothal Chase!” Shachi said, ignoring Law’s glare.
Wolf raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And who’s the lucky pirate? Doing the chasing or being chased?”
“Wait, you know about Betrothal Chases?” Law demanded.
“My son was a pirate,” Wolf replied with a shrug. “You pick some things up.”
Law groaned and slumped back into the couch as Shachi and Penguin snickered. Why was he the only one who didn’t seem to know about this damn tradition?
“Straw Hat Luffy,” Bepo said. When Wolf gave him a questioning look, Bepo clarified. “Straw Hat Luffy is the one who wants to marry Law.”
“The new Pirate King?”
“The very one,” Penguin confirmed before launching into the story of Luffy’s proposal, Law’s clueless acceptance, and the chase that had gone across the New World and had now found its way to the North Blue.
Wolf whistled as the story came to an end. “That’s quite the story.” He turned to Law. “So, what are you going to do when he shows up? Let him catch you? Become the… what, Pirate King Consort?”
“I don’t know if he’ll even come,” Law said, dodging the question as his cheeks warmed.
“Captain—”
“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, I suppose,” Wolf said, interrupting Penguin. “Now, I’ll bet you boys have some amazing stories from your time at sea. I want to hear them all.”
Law gave Wolf a grateful look, but his minute head shake in response said this wasn’t over.
“Captain!”
Law looked up as Wolf’s back door opened and Shachi and Penguin spilled into the kitchen, practically toppling over one another. Law was lying on the couch in the living room, reading a book he’d picked from Wolf’s bookshelf. He frowned and closed the book before sitting up. He raised an eyebrow at his friends.
“What?”
“He’s here!” Penguin exclaimed as he untangled himself from Shachi. “Straw Hat is here!”
Law’s eyes widened. “He is?”
Shachi nodded as he pulled himself up from the floor. “The Sunny docked about half an hour ago. We came running as soon as we saw them.”
“We took the shortcut through the woods,” Penguin added. “But he should be here soon.”
Law pushed himself to his feet and walked to the windows at the front of the house. He pulled a curtain back and peered outside. Wolf’s house was out in the middle of nowhere, giving him space to run his experiments without fear of disturbing—or killing—a neighbor. There was a dirt road that led from Pleasure Town to the house, which is how Wolf got his equipment and supplies delivered, in addition to the walking path through the woods that the boys had made walking from the house to town for three years. Law assumed Luffy would be coming down the dirt road.
At first, Law didn’t see anyone. But after a few minutes, his Observation Haki sensed someone approaching. It wasn’t long after that that a figure appeared walking down the road. Luffy was wearing a long winter coat and earmuffs, though he also sported his trademark sandals despite the snow.
Law’s breath caught in his throat. Luffy was really here. He’d solved Law’s clue after all.
“So, that’s the Pirate King.”
Law started and glanced over to see Wolf and Bepo peering out another window. He frowned; when had they gotten back? Bepo had taken Wolf down to look at the new Polar Tang that morning. They must have come in through the back like Shachi and Penguin had, but Law was so distracted that he hadn’t even noticed. Embarrassing.
“That’s Straw Hat Luffy,” Bepo confirmed.
“Shorter than I expected.”
Law looked back through the window and watched as Luffy continued his approach. He had that determined look on his face that he always got when faced with an obstacle.
“Well, are you going to go out there?”
Law blinked, dragging his gaze from the window. Wolf was watching him, arms crossed.
“I…”
Wolf narrowed his eyes. “By your own crew’s account, that man followed your ass around the New World and into the North Blue because he wants to marry you. I knew you had a hard head, kid, but I didn’t think you were dumb to boot.”
“Hey—”
“Don’t you dare let a love like that go,” Wolf interrupted, his expression fierce. “You’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Trust me.”
Law’s eyes widened in surprise. Though they’d helped Wolf stop his son from wrecking Pleasure Town a decade earlier, they’d also been self-involved teenagers so had never thought to ask what happened to his mother—Wolf’s wife. There was a distinct lack of family pictures throughout the house, and Law had a sudden sinking sensation as to why.
“Junk-ya...”
“You’ve been through hell in your life, Law,” Wolf went on a bit more gently. “I still remember that sick boy I found in a cave all those years ago who tried to attack me with a scalpel.” Wolf’s lips twitched in a smile, and Law huffed a laugh at the memory. “You are the bravest person I’ve ever known, you know that? So, don’t run away from happiness now that you have a real chance at it.”
Law felt tears threatening at the corner of his eyes. “Stupid old man,” he muttered, glancing out the window once more. Outside, Luffy had come to a stop outside the house.
Law turned back to Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, and his friends nodded at him. They just want you to be happy. Stop running from happiness. Taking a breath, Law nodded.
“Okay.”
With whoops and cheers, Law’s friends were suddenly manhandling him into boots and a coat before shoving him out the door and closing it behind him. Standing on Wolf’s doorstep, he blinked a few times in surprise before absently noticing the curtains twitching in the windows as his friends spied on the scene. Finally, he dared raise his gaze to Luffy’s.
For a long moment, the two captains stared at one another.
“You found me,” Law said dumbly.
Luffy nodded. “I’ll always find Torao.”
And Law knew that he was right. They’d been linked together since that fateful day on Sabaody, though neither of them could have predicted what would become of that bond. His friends were right. Wolf was right. He knew, with a sudden rush of certainty that nearly took his breath away, that Cora-san would have wanted this for him.
“Are you going to run away this time?” Luffy asked hesitantly.
No. It was time to stop running.
Law slowly lifted his hand. Luffy’s expression fell as a Room encompassed the two of them, but when Law twisted his fingers, he wasn’t the one who moved.
Luffy stood on the doorstep in front of Law as the blue dome fell around them. He stumbled, and Law reached out to steady him, arms gripping Luffy’s biceps. He squeezed Luffy’s arms gently. Luffy looked up at Law, eyes wide in surprise.
“Torao?”
“It looks like I’ve caught you, Luffy-ya.” Law smirked. “What do I win?”
Luffy’s grin was blinding as he grabbed fistfuls of Law’s jacket and pulled him down into a kiss. Law was startled and gasped as Luffy’s chapped lips pressed against his. Their mouths didn’t line up right, and their teeth knocked together. But Luffy didn’t let that stop him as he tightened his grip on Law’s coat. Law’s eyes slipped shut, and cupping Luffy’s cheeks with his hands, he pressed back into the kiss. Luffy made a pleased sound, and Law smiled against Luffy’s lips.
It was awkward and the angle was a little bit uncomfortable.
It was perfect.
Finally—too soon—Luffy broke the kiss and pulled back just far enough so he could look Law in the eye. He was smiling so widely that he nearly hurt to look at. “Marry me, Torao.”
This time, Law was prepared with his answer.
“Yes.”
The moon was bright in the night sky as Law stood on the shore, looking out toward the sea. The party celebrating the end of the Betrothal Chase was still going on at Wolf’s house, but after hours of drinking and well wishes from his own crew, the Straw Hats, and seemingly the entire populace of Pleasure Town, Law had needed to get away for a bit.
He’d left the house and walked absently until his feet had brought him to the shoreline. There were lights in the distance from the nearby islands.
“You found me,” Law said when he heard the soft crunch of sand behind him.
“I’ll always find you, Torao,” Luffy replied easily, slipping an arm through Law’s. “Bepo said you needed some quiet.”
Law nodded and Luffy hummed, squeezing Law’s arm once. It constantly amazed Law that, for all of Luffy’s seemingly boundless frenetic energy, he could also be surprisingly quiet and still. He always seemed to recognize when Law needed it and didn’t push. He seemed content just to be there with Law.
It was nice.
Law shut his eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of Luffy’s arm in his, knowing that he would get to have this as much as he wanted in the future.
Because they were getting married.
It still seemed surreal and yet felt completely natural.
“What are those lights?” Luffy asked after a few quiet moments.
Law opened his eyes and looked out over the water. He pointed to one set of lights. “Those are on the island of Rubeck. It’s a small mining community.” He pointed to the other set. “And that is… Minion Island.” He swallowed. “That’s where Cora-san…”
He trailed off, but Luffy made a noise of understanding, which Law appreciated more than he could say.
Law cleared his throat. “After, I made my way from Minion Island here. My memories are kind of hazy from then because I’d just gotten my Devil Fruit and was in the final stages of my illness. All I could think about was that we were going to meet up here and run away together. But when I got here, I had to accept that it wasn’t going to happen. I hid in a cave, where I started trying to use the Ope Ope fruit to remove the Amber Lead from my body. Wolf found me and took me in.”
“I’m glad,” Luffy said.
“Me too.”
They fell back into silence until Luffy shifted to stand in front of Law. “Torao is thinking too much again.”
Law’s lips twitched. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I’m not thinking too much? Maybe you just don’t think enough, Luffy-ya?”
“Mm, nope,” Luffy replied, popping the p with a grin. “But I like it when you say my name.”
Law rolled his eyes. “But you still won’t say mine.”
“Shishishi, Torao is Torao.”
“Whatever.” He glanced over Luffy’s shoulder toward Minion once more and nodded toward the island. “That night, Cora-san told me he loved me. And then he locked me in a treasure chest while he faced Doflamingo. He died before I could tell him that I loved him back.”
“He knew,” Luffy said certainly.
“I hope so.”
“He knew, Torao.” There was something in Luffy’s voice that had Law looking back at him. As he searched the other captain’s face, he realized Luffy was thinking about his brother. He knew. Law’s expression softened.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Torao?”
“Hm?”
“I love you.”
Law’s breath caught in his chest. Luffy was smiling, though it was small and gentle, the moonlight reflecting in his brown eyes. The fear that had once overwhelmed Law at the very thought of those words was… missing.
And suddenly it was the easiest thing in the world for Law to reply, “I love you, too.” He took Luffy’s face in his hands and kissed his future husband.