~

Law was going through the basket of weird things Luffy had collected over his adventures, Luffy was explaining everything to him but Law's mind was elsewhere. Luffy had shown him pictures before this, of his friends, his brothers, of when he was young, before he went through what he did and Law's mind was stuck there. They were both in Luffy's room after the siblings had enough of embarrassing Law and teasing him and called it a night.

"Luffy, why did you leave?" Law found himself asking, interrupting the story he was being told about the cracked scorpion pincers. The older's brain kept showing him that particular picture of Luffy with his brothers, all happy, as if nothing was ever wrong in their world. Law wanted to know, not for knowledge but for understanding.

Law looked up at his boyfriend, they were sitting on the rug by the bed, Luffy's belongings sprawled in front of them. The boy in question gave Law a blank stare then looked at his fingers, playing with his toes.

"Ace and I had a fight. It was stupid, I wanted to prove I could live on my own so I got on the first boat I saw." Luffy bit his lip. "I was angry."

"How did you end up that far north then?"

Luffy scratched his cheek then picked on the loose strands of the rug. "The boat guy kicked me off on the nearest island when he found me. I asked around to find which boat would go back but they didn't want to board a kid without papers and get stuck with the authorities. That's when..."

"You don't have to force yourself." Law didn't want Luffy to say something he didn't want to and get nightmares later.

"No, let me. I haven't said it out loud or told anyone ever since it happened." Contrary to the brave statement, the boy brought his knees to his chest, wanting to hide, feeling small and vulnerable. Law scooted towards Luffy and circled his long legs around his boyfriend, putting his own hands on Luffy's smaller ones resting on his knees. "Somebody must have spread the news or something, or I might have caught their attention running around town all alone. A big guy offered me food and the next thing I know... I was in that place." Luffy shook his head, eyes closed. "No wait, I was somewhere else before that, but I don't remember much from that time, except there was pain and something or someone pink with a weird laugh."

It took everything Law had to not get up and go to Dressrosa to off a bastard. Law knew what that 'somewhere else' was and that 'pain and something or someone pink with a weird laugh,' Law knew all of it. He was subjected to it too. But he couldn't say that. So all the fear, pain, compassion, that was coursing through the doctor, he tried conveying it by hugging Luffy.

"I'm sorry," Law said instead. The reasons for the apology went unspoken.

"Huh? What're you sorry for? You saved me." Luffy wasn't dwelling on the heaviness that Law felt from the conversation so the older decided to dismiss that too, for a later time, when he would be alone.

"About that, how much do you remember?" Law asked breaking the hug but rested his chin on both his and Luffy's hands on the latter's knees to maintain the closeness.

Luffy hummed in thought, thinking about the question for a while. "I remember running, then gunshots, I ruined your plan-"

"As is your nature."

"-then I was following you, then I woke up, I don't remember much from that time until you told me we were in Flevance."

Law didn't know what to think of this, be thankful or not that Luffy didn't remember that Law had practically told him that he was a direct rebellion against Doflamingo. If Luffy somehow regained those memories, and he was definitely smart enough to put two and two together, he would surely arrive at the correct conclusion about Law's plans.

"Why're you asking though?" Luffy tilted his head.

"Research." Law said quickly, then relented when Luffy continued to give him another blank stare as if calling Law out on lying. "You... you looked very happy in the pictures and even today, your bond with your siblings is... very solid, so I was wondering what actually happened."

"I was just stupid." Luffy shrugged. "But I got to meet you, so 'sokay."

Law headbutted Luffy from his place and frowned. "It's not ok, don't trivialize your suffering."

"That's not what I meant, it was a bad experience but I don't let it take over." Luffy grinned.

Law sighed and closed his eyes. "I believe you."

.

"Ace, dammit, time your attacks." Sabo groaned when he caught Ace, yet again, as the older fell asleep while walking. He momentarily put the tray of chocolate milk and milk tea aside to better support his falling brother.

"Oh shit, it happened again?" Ace asked when the attack subsided and Sabo let him stand on his own. "I swear the meds are not working at all."

"What are you boys up to?" Both the men jumped in their places at the question and turned to see Uta. "I hope you're not going to eavesdrop on Luffy." She narrowed her eyes.

"No- I saw the light from under the door so thought I'd get them snacks." Sabo was quick to answer.

"I will take this." Uta offered, hands moving for the tray but Sabo snatched it before she could.

"I'm going, it's no big deal."

"Why's Ace with you then? How many men does it take to carry a tray?"

"Sabo's hands are full, I was going to open the door for him." Ace answered looking away from the intense scrutinizing gaze of his sister.

"Hmm." Uta wondered then grinned. "I wanna hear what they're talking about too, you guys can't have all the fun without including me, that's just rude!"

"We weren't going to-" Sabo started.

"You can't fool me boys. Go get another glass of milk for me too."

"Yes ma'am."

Once Sabo got back with not one, but three glasses of milk and cookies to boost, the mischievous trio was on their way to Luffy's room. Sure enough the lights were on.

"Toraoooooo! I wanna kisss youuuuuu!" The three heard Luffy say and Sabo nearly dropped the tray he was carrying. Uta rolled her eyes, her blond brother was so weak.

"Stop it, we have a deal." The three closed in on the door at Law's answer. They didn't believe what they were hearing.

"I wanna see what the hype is-" Luffy whined.

"Not until you are eighteen and a half." Law said, resolute.

"But that's sooo faaaaaaar."

"Learn to be patient."

"You and your stupid rules." The siblings chuckled silently at the very audible pout from Luffy.

"You and your childish whining." Uta smiled at the affection she could hear.

"I'm an adult!"

"Middle ground Luffy, middle ground."

"Hell, this is the other way around." Sabo was the first to say. "Law is not the predator I was thinking he was."

"Never would have believed it if I wasn't hearing this for myself." Ace breathed.

"You're both idiots. How can you even doubt Law when he gets embarrassed so easily?" Uta shook her head. "Men, I swear."

"Wait, what does he mean by middle ground?" Ace asked looking from Uta to Sabo, wondering if anyone knew.

Sabo stepped a little away from the door, to avoid getting heard. "Well from the current context, Goa has set the adult age at seventeen right, and then Law's from Flevance and that has adult age at twenty so, middle ground would be, eighteen and a half... I think."

"Wait wait wait." Uta rubbed her chin. "But current Flevance doesn't have an adult age. Their labour laws are all over the place."

"Sabo?" Ace waved his hand in front of the brother, worried why his face had suddenly gone so pale.

"Law is from the old Flevance." Sabo said, realization striking him. "Gods, I thought he picked that family name just because it was easy and popular."

"What are you on about man?"

"The old Flevance, Ace. The White City that was exterminated, no survivors. That's Law's Flevance, not the new one."

"If it was exterminated..." Uta started, "how is he here?"

"I'm so stupid. He's an actual Trafalgar. The eyes are a dead giveaway! I have got to tell Dragon-san-"

"What are you going to tell Dragon-san?" The three had been so preoccupied in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the silence on the other side of the door, until Law himself had opened it.

Sabo looked at Law. The light from inside the room and the dark hallway made Law look bigger than he was. His features were all darkened except his eyes, they shone dangerously. It was then that Sabo realized that Law was not only older than all four of the siblings, but also wiser and lonelier and shaped more from suffering and harsh truths than anybody Sabo had known.

"Choccy milk!" It was Luffy's voice that broke the spell. Law stepped aside to let the storm of a boy through. "What're you guys standing here for, come in, we can party!"

Uta and Ace followed Luffy inside but Law stayed behind to shake his head at Sabo, silently telling him to let the matter go and when Sabo was looking at Law following Luffy inside the room too, he realized another thing, Law was kind.

"Holy tats man!" Sabo heard Ace whistle and finally joined his siblings. He saw Law's hand holding Luffy's away from obvious sight, he realized Luffy was there with them because of Law and in that moment, Sabo remembered something that suited Trafalgar Law very well.

"All that pain, that misery, that loneliness, and it just made him kind."

~

Luffy groaned and pulled his boyfriend closer in his sleep, Law was restless. The older opened his eyes with a frustrated sigh, he couldn't sleep and Luffy's comparatively smaller room was making it hard to breathe, Law felt like the walls were closing in on him, would consume him if he didn't get up and open a window or two to let some air in.

So Law got up and moved to the only window Luffy's room had and unlocked the hatch, pushing the frame outward. It budged only a little, hitting something. Law opened his eyes properly to look at what was causing the obstruction and found metal fucking bars outside the window, not even an inch of space between them and the window frame. Before Law could curse more or figure out why there were bars outside Luffy's window, a very familiar laughter rang in his ears, followed by a silhouette appearing in the window opposite Luffy's house.

"Fufufufu~ Law~"

Law didn't have to have superhuman sight to know who that person was in the other window but the knowledge that he was out there made Law panic and despite his highly developed brain, Law could only think to smash the window and somehow dislodge the bars to get out and run. He needed to get out.

He needed to breathe.

He needed to get far away.

He needed to run.

He needed...

He...

Law woke up.

Law woke up with a start and quickly got on his feet to look around outside the window. He sighed in relief when he didn't find any bars and no silhouettes in windows of other houses. Law shook his head, annoyed with himself over the nightmare. He schooled his breathing to avoid a panic attack and sighed again. Luffy was still sleeping, Law was tired and he wanted to crawl back to bed but he was shaken and needed to calm himself down before he ended up waking his boyfriend and worrying him. The doctor grabbed his cigarette and lighter, and went to open the door.

Doflamingo was standing there and his laughter was all Law could hear. Law stepped back, breath caught in his throat, he had to run but there was nowhere to run with the monster blocking the door. Law turned around to try the window but collided with a body. The doctor felt his heart stop at another Doflamingo in front of him.

"Where are you going Law?" The Doflamingo in front of Law asked.

"Stay and let's have some fun, fufufu~" The Doflamingo at the door echoed.

Law knew this was a dream but he didn't know how to wake himself up so as distraught as he was at seeing two Doflamingos, he could only think of crawling under Luffy's table to hide. The plan was not ideal but that was all Law could do.

"Come on love, don't be like that~"

"Come out and play~"

The voices were accompanied with Doflamingo's signature laugh, throwing Law further and further into panic until all he could hear was the beating of his own heart in his ears. His head was aching from all the pulsing vessels.

"Well if you're not coming out to play, then I guess I will shoot everyone here."

Law wondered what that was all about until he remembered that he was in Luffy's room. Before the doctor could catch up to his thoughts, the first gunshot rang, then there was fire enveloping the entire floor all of a sudden and Law could hear more gunshot and screams mixed with his own. He didn't know who was getting shot and where the fire came from but it was all happening so fast. His panic, the smoke from the fire, the gunshots, something in Law's brain burst-

Law fell off the bed.

Law's eyes immediately went to the window, it wasn't barred, the door didn't have any shadows lurking behind it, there was no fire, there were no gunshots, there were no screams. The doctor sighed in relief when his brain caught up with the fact that he was actually awake now, his body though, had yet to believe. Law crawled towards his bag and found his inhaler, he didn't look back even once before getting out of the room and sliding down the wall next to the door. He breathed to calm himself, he didn't want to use his inhaler but following the breathlessness were violent coughs and Law reluctantly brought the inhaler to his mouth, puffing the medicine, breathing to let it work.

Once calm and breathing relatively normally, Law went back in the room. He looked at Luffy, still asleep, alive. Law covered his eyes and sat down on the bed, by his boyfriend, doubting his decision of being in a relationship like this, so openly.

"Nikuu~~" Luffy sang in his sleep and Law looked at the boy to see a dopey grin on his face. Shaking his head, Law tucked his boyfriend in bed properly, adjusted his pillow and covered his shoulders and stomach to prevent any stray cold breeze hurting him. Law was conflicted but he didn't want to think about it, so he grabbed his cigarettes and hoodie and exited the building to sit on the steps and clear his head with a smoke.

Law was looking dazedly at the sky, the moon was too bright so he was avoiding looking at it because it was making his eyes blurry and watery. The doctor didn't know how long he had been sitting like that with the unlit cigarette to his mouth, but his brain was smooth in those passing minutes and that was welcome.

"Law, are you ok?" Sengoku's voice reached Law's ears but didn't register in his brain fast enough. "Law." Sengoku spoke again, this time putting a hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"Yes-yes I'm fine." Law answered when he understood he was being asked something.

"Your cigarette's in reverse." The old man pointed as he sat down beside Law and looked over the young man's frame with worry. This was the thinnest he had seen Law, not counting the time he was ill. The doctor's posture was all out of whack too and his eyes looked like they were stuck in a particularly bad time.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Law evaded and put his death stick away.

"Garp snores too loud." Sengoku sighed. "Why are you awake?"

"You shouldn't sit on bare concrete like this, the cold is going to make your bones ache." Law said instead of answering.

"My bones aren't that old yet."

"In better condition than mine, I'd say."

"Then you should take your own advice." The old man pointed, no bite to his comments.

"I don't care enough."

"Aren't you a doctor?"

Law scoffed. "What good has that done to anyone..."

Sengoku hummed then laughed. "Well, Mugiwara no Luffy for one, has benefited. He can't repeat it enough times how you saved his life."

"I'm starting to think I made him a target instead." Law brought his knees closer to his chest and rested his head on them. "If Doflamingo ever found out Luffy is associated with me, he's going to have a lovely day-"

"Leave the past behind you Law."

"I can't do that while he's still alive."

"Has Doflamingo targeted you specifically?" Sengoku asked then quickly added when Law was about to answer. "Except for getting back at you for finding out where he was?"

Law thought on it for a while, racked his brain to remember any instance, any at all where he felt like he was being hunted. "He sent someone after me, after I was shot, the guy I had to kill in the alley."

"That wasn't Doflamingo." The words came as a shock to Law.

"No, it was his man."

"Did you see any marks or indication?" Law narrowed his eyes remembering there was no solid proof in his memory. Sengoku continued. "When Smoker got to the body, I had it transported to a secret facility and autopsied. Law there was nothing to connect it to Doflamingo."

Law didn't know if he should be relieved that he was not targeted or anxious that someone else out there was gunning for him and Luffy by the words of the man Law had offed. "Then who...?"

"The tattoo he had was of the Smeeds."

"Wait a fucking second..." Law recalled that gang. "That's the group- their boss gave me the info on Doflamingo's location."

"The same boss whose parts Doflamingo sent to us."

"Wha- did that idiot group really think I had something to do with their boss getting diced?" The doctor groaned. "I fucking saved his spine- wait so, they had been following me from Drum?!" Law's headache was back.

"Seems likely. But they won't trouble you anymore, the gang is behind bars now." Sengoku said and patted Law's back, he was shaking. "So you don't have to make a stupid decision and break it off with Mugiwara."

"It wasn't Doflamingo." Law whispered to himself, repeated until it really registered. "I can continue being with Luffy."

Sengoku was surprised when a laugh bubbled out of the young man beside him. "And perhaps stop smoking and start eating more and sleeping more."

"I can sleep around Luffy but that's it." Law found himself saying. "He makes sure I eat at least three times a day, if not four or six with him."

"Do you still have trouble tracking your meals?" The old man asked knowing Law had always had that problem and sometimes even Rosinante forgot to eat, Bellemere would send a detailed report to him about that, she took over those reminders for them.

"Yes. The guys back in Flevance have set numerous alarms and timers for me but I still end up skipping."

"And your nightmares?"

"Still here." Law breathed. He didn't want to hide anything from his grandfather, Luffy was slowly turning him into being open and honest, especially with family.

Sengoku worded his next question carefully. "If nothing is binding you, have you considered moving in with Mugiwara? I cannot believe I am saying this but since he has a good influence on you, and is sensitive to your well-being, wouldn't it be a wiser choice to stay close?"

"I can't do that." Law shut the thought down immediately.

"You can't or you don't want to?"

"I don't want to answer that."

Sengoku sighed, getting the thought in Law's head was enough for now. "Think about it though."

"Thank you." Law said and exhaled to let out the heaviness that had nestled in his chest. "For coming today."

"Ahahahaha!" Sengoku ruffled Law's hair. "It was a family dinner, and you are family."

.

Luffy woke up to his stomach rumbling. He got out of bed with his eyes closed and navigated to the fridge to find something to eat. There was nothing cooked to eat and he was hungry so he drank as much water as he could to start thinking on what he could do.

All this thinking is making me feel like Torao...

Then Luffy's eyes opened and his thoughts on food came to a staggering halt. Luffy vaguely remembered that Law wasn't in bed when he had gotten out to get food, he wasn't sure if he remembered correctly so Luffy went back to his room to check. Law wasn't there. Nor was he anywhere in the house. Luffy picked his phone and dialed Law's and stomped his foot when his boyfriend's phone's screen lit up in front of him.

Luffy checked the house one more time before deciding to start panicking because he couldn't find Law. The boy was going to check with his brothers if they had secretly bagged Law and dumped him somewhere after all but stopped when he heard Torao's grandfather's laughter. It would have been worrisome if the old man was laughing alone in the dead of night, outside the building, but following the laugh, Luffy found Law. The young man was quick to walk out to the two.

"Speak of the devil." Sengoku commented and laughed once more when he spotted Luffy coming to sit beside Law.

"Torao you should leave a note! I thought Ace and Sabo did something to you!" Luffy pouted hanging onto his boyfriend, whiny tears in his eyes.

"As if they could, even if they tried." Law scoffed.

"What were you guys talking about?" Luffy asked looking from Sengoku to Law, then his eyes narrowed as he fixed the old man with a suspicious stare. "You weren't trying to talk Torao into being a Marine, were you?" Luffy brought his arms around Law and pulled the older closer, away from his grandfather, almost protectively.

"He's too smart for that." Sengoku said and stood up. "Not smart enough for other things though."

"That's rude." Law pouted. "And get a warm blanket and a heat pad, I'm not attending to any complains in the morning."

"Yes sir." The old man mock saluted then left the boyfriends alone.

"What're you doing out here?" Luffy asked when the two were enveloped in silence.

"Couldn't sleep. You?" Law answered and stood up, pulling Luffy up with himself.

"Hungry, then I couldn't find you."

"Want to go get something? Around the block? I don't want to walk much."

"Yeah let's do that." Luffy quickly went back inside the building and got his keys and wallet and slippers since in his haste to get to Law, he had forgotten to wear them. Luffy took Law's hand and swung their arms back and forth as they walked. "So, why couldn't you sleep?"

"Bad dreams."

"About what?"

"I..." Law started then Doflamingo's laughter rang in his head and he closed his eyes and his heart. "I can't talk about it- if I do, it gets stuck in my head, I thought about it only for a few seconds today and look what happened... I can't put it into words." Law felt ashamed of himself. Luffy had been so brave earlier into wording his experience and here Law was, hiding behind everything.

"'Sokay for today." Luffy said shrugging. "But you'd have to deal with it someday."

"Oh I plan on it."

Not many places were open at that time of the night so the boys didn't have an option to be picky with their food. Law made sure the burrito he was consuming was gluten free and Luffy got everything on the menu that was available. The more they ate, the sleepier they became, walking slow and unsteady on their way back.

Law brought his hand up to yawn, he was so tired that he pulled a very familiar muscle in his neck and that initiated a bronchial spasm in his left side, the pain branching to his shoulder and back. Both of the doctor's hands quickly went to his hurting chest and he stopped to sit on the pavement, eyes scrunched in pain and discomfort. "Ungh."

"Torao, what's wrong?" Luffy crouched to Law, worried. Law was bent in half and clutching at his chest, his mouth open but it didn't look like he was breathing. "Do I call an ambulance?" Law just waved his hand for Luffy as a no and the younger put a hand on Law's back, trying to comfort him. He figured that happened often.

When Law let go of his chest, he stood up straight and looked at the sky, straightening his throat and took shallow breaths as if any more would hurt. Maybe it did hurt.

"I-huh- I'm fine." Law said still taking shallow breaths, then started walking.

"What happened?"

"Random spasms. It happens."

"Why? You're a doctor, can't you make it go away?" Luffy asked innocently.

"No I can't."

"Why is it happening though?"

"Maybe it's because I was smoking today, I dunno Luffy." Law shook his head and started breathing through pursed lips to make it easier. The pain was very slowly subsiding. Luffy only hummed in response and Law felt bad for lying again. "I..." Law stopped in his speech to take a look at Luffy, he was listening intently. Maybe Law could tell him. "I was very ill during a certain period of my childhood... it got cured but, the recovery wasn't too well."

"Is that why you don't drink alcohol?" Luffy pointed.

"More like I can't. I can't hold it and get drunk on a full glass and that's never easy on anyone around me. Shachi told me I want to kill people in cold blood when I'm drunk. Then after I am down, my liver starts acting up, one time I got jaundice because I didn't know how bad it actually was."

Luffy hummed. "What does it hurt like, the spasms?"

"Like my entire fucking lung is expanding and my ribs are poking it without mercy."

"That must hurt." Luffy cringed.

"It does and I can't breathe without it hurting too."

"Does it happen often?"

"Yes, at wrong movements of my body."

"Does warming the hurt help? My hands are really warm, everyone says that."

"Let's try that next time." Law smiled and reconnected his hands with Luffy again. "They are warm indeed."

When the two got back at the house, Luffy went to look for a heat pad like Torao had asked and brought it to the older. Law pressed the device to his still aching chest and relaxed when the warmth started providing relief.

"Can we keep the door open?" Law asked when Luffy was about to close the door of his room. Luffy tilted his head and Law knew even if he didn't explain, Luffy would still agree but the older felt like he needed to confide. "I don't like small, closed spaces."

"Ok." Luffy left the door open and went to join Law in bed. "Do you think you can sleep now?"

"I don't know."

Luffy looked around in thought then got up and brought out another sheet. He wrapped himself in one and sat against the headboard, opening his arms. "Come here." Law stared at Luffy, not sure what the younger was up to but obliged nonetheless, it seemed like he wanted to help. Once Law was close enough, Luffy brought his boyfriend closer, adjusting himself so Law could rest his head on Luffy's chest without straining his back in his sleep. Luffy wrapped the blanket and his arms around Law and patted his head with his cheek.

"Might help." Law agreed snuggling further and exhaling deeply, drifting to sleep in the next few minutes.

~

It was a Saturday and Sabo was up earlier than usual. He rubbed his eyes and went to check on everyone in the house, to see if they were awake and in mood for breakfast. So far, everyone was asleep but Sabo knew the youngest would be awake and already salivating a waterfall at the prospect of food.

The blond brother ascended the stairs and frowned when he saw that Luffy's door was open, it wasn't unusual but Sabo had thought with Law around, maybe the door would be closed. The older wondered if Luffy had already left for breakfast. Sabo peeked inside and found both the boys still in there, only, Luffy was awake and very... delicately cradling a sleeping Law, with, either on purpose or accidentally, slumped that it hid Law's face.

Luffy brought a finger to his lips and mouthed a sshh, pointing at Law. Sabo was not blind, he had seen the dark bags under Law's eyes, he knew by that that the doctor had trouble sleeping. Seeing Luffy be so careful, Sabo's heart melted at the precious and warm display. Sabo made a motion with his hands that indicated breakfast but Luffy swatted at the air as if to tell Sabo to go away before he woke Law up, and Sabo sighed, stifling his giggles. He left the two alone, amazed at the affections his brother had for his boyfriend that even breakfast couldn't make him abandon Law.

~