~

Law was lounging on the living room couch, his reading glasses on and a medical journal in front of him, he hadn’t been sleeping well so he was irritated most of the time because ever since he stepped foot in Goa, alarm bells had been ringing nonstop in the surgeon’s head, it was so loud in his brain that Law didn’t have the clarity to figure out where the danger would be coming from, and that was slowly pushing him to the edge. Law tried his best not taking it out on Luffy, who always seemed to be around, like right now. The younger was casually walking around the living room, slowed down to a tortoise’s pace when he passed behind Law’s sofa. Law closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“What?” Law asked putting his journal down, he could hear the gears turning inside his boyfriend’s head, probably figuring out how to talk about something.

“I was just thinking-“ Luffy started.

“Oh god.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“Sit down.” Law put the journal aside altogether and patted the space next to him. Luffy jumped over the couch and sat beside the older. “Why’re you asking?”

“Because I wanna know, I asked Peng and the guys but they said they ‘didn’t want to step on that landmine.’ So, when is it?”

“October sixth. It’s passed this year.”

“But that- Torao why didn’t you tell me?” Luffy got off the sofa and stood in front of Law with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face.

“I don’t like celebrating, that’s why.” Law then decided to expand on the topic so he could bury it at the same time. “I don’t like the attention and the fuss, I never celebrated even as a child when everyone was alive, I don’t feel good or particularly joyous on that day too, so, it would be wise, to not celebrate my birthday, ever.”

“But that’s so… lonely.” Luffy looked down at his feet, saddened by the thought.

“We are all different people. You like celebrating so I will celebrate yours with you, but since I don’t like celebrating mine, I expect you to respect me enough to let the day pass by normally.”

“I can’t even give you a present?” Luffy looked so sad that Law was contemplating changing his lifestyle and hatred for birthdays just so the younger wouldn’t be sad.

“You have an entire year for that, why fixate on one particular day?” Law furrowed his brows, he never understood the illogical idiocy that anniversaries and birthdays and other nonsense days were the only designated time to shower someone with love and affection and material things.

“So I can celebrate your birthday every day?” Luffy grinned.

“That’s not what I said.” Law corrected quickly before the thought made its home in Luffy’s head. “Look, just, I don’t like special days. I don’t care much for them either, I’d appreciate it if you start thinking along the same lines.”

“You said you don’t like celebrating, so what if we keep it lowkey?” Luffy proudly suggested.

“Oh Luffy.” Law sighed with a low chuckle. “You couldn’t be lowkey even if your life’s depended on it.”

“I can try, Torao.”

“Well if it’s just the two of us and there’s nothing flashy, loud and overwhelming, I guess its fine then.”

“I’m not Buggy.” Luffy rolled his eyes and sat back down beside the older. “What do the guys back home do?”

“Crowd my doorway with poorly wrapped presents and leave me alone for the day. Sometimes all of us gather for a group dinner, not every year though.”

“Then let me take you to dinner too.”

“I’m not really in the mood to go out.”

“Then tomorrow?” Luffy pushed.

“If I can sleep today.”

“Then I’m staying.”

“Ok.”

“Movies and dinner tomorrow then.”

~

“Luffy, be honest, did Law kick you out?” Nami asked pulling Luffy to a stop with the arm that was looped in the younger’s. Luffy, Nami and Zoro were out for a walk in the evening at Luffy’s request.

“No, he takes forever cutting and filing his nails, so I told him I’d be back later for our date.” Luffy answered.

“Oh, where are you guys going?”

“Movies, and dinner later.”

Nami shared a look with Zoro and they had a silent conversation before Zoro relented with a sigh and faced the youngest.

“Who’s… idea was this?” Zoro asked.

“Mine.”

The green haired man sighed again and decided to just be straightforward about the situation. “Look Luffy, if its movies and dinner, and Law asks you to come home with him, he might be indicating at sex. So be prepared for that.”

“He won’t.” Luffy answered but shuddered at the thought, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been thinking about sex, quite the opposite actually. Ever since that accidental meet up at the bar with Eustass Kidd, Luffy had been thinking about all sorts of things and he was aware that some of it was leaking in the air around him.

“Have you thought that Law might just be being considerate of you? You’ve always said you’re not interested.” Nami pointed.

“Weren’t you underage to him just a month ago too? So maybe since you’re not now…” Zoro trailed off and shrugged to get the meaning across. That put Luffy really in thought that what if.

“You guys are confusing me now.”  Luffy pouted.

“Just…” Nami started. “Read the situation, ok? And you know you can always say no if you want to, right? There is no harm in that. I’m sure Law won’t force anything- Oh I’m sorry, I’m just worried for you."

“But if he does force you into anything, you know where to kick.” Zoro laughed as Nami rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I won’t! Torao kicks people in the jewels all the time too! That hurts just by looking at it! What is wrong with him?” Luffy asked, exasperated.

“Same thing as Robin, I guess.” Nami answered and saw a chill go up both the men’s spines at the recollection of Robin pulling at Franky’s balls to get him to join them.

“They’re both scary.”

Luffy bid his friends a ‘see ya later’ after a few blocks and went to Law’s to pick him up for the date. The younger used his key to enter the house and found his boyfriend in his bedroom, pulling on a jacket. Just before the older spotted Luffy, he checked his phone and Luffy saw him roll his eyes and throw his phone away.

“Ready?” Law asked with his back turned, he knew Luffy was there, he existed too loud.

“Yapp.” Luffy answered and when Law turned around to go, Luffy pushed the lone rose in the older’s line of vision. “For you.”

“Thanks… I guess.” Law said, feeling all awkward about being handed a rose, the clichéd romantic flower, from Luffy of all people.

“Great, let’s go.”

The two took a cab to the cinema and decided on watching Mission Impossible 3, there was a marathon of the entire series in expectation of a new release. While the boys were waiting for their cinema to open for their selected screening, Law munched on the flower he had in his hand.

“What’re you doing?” Luffy looked from the rose to his boyfriend, sure he was hungry too but eating a flower?

“Roses are edible and I like the weird taste.” Law justified. “Want to try?”

“Ok.” Luffy took a petal from Law’s hands and chewed on it, making faces at the fact that no matter how much he worked his teeth, the petal was not going away. Ultimately Luffy cringed and just swallowed the entire thing. “It’s yuck!”

“Or you’re a baby.” Law joked and ate the rest of the flower.

“You’re weird Torao.”

“That coming from you?”

“Screen D is now open!” The staff announced and the conversation the boyfriends were having was left unfinished.

After the movie, the two went for food at a nearby restaurant, not wanting to work their brains and think where else they could go. Luffy ordered as much as he could and made sure Law tried at least some of everything before calling it a day.

“Weather’s nice.” Law commented feeling good as the night breeze hit his skin. “Want to walk back home?” 

The words Nami and Zoro had said earlier in the day rang in Luffy’s head and the younger knew he was red in the face. “Sure.” Luffy agreed and quickly clarified his red face before Law could use his brain and come to the right conclusion. “I just ate, this happens.”

Law shrugged and the two started their walk back to the older’s house. The mood was good and the tension the boyfriends had been feeling earlier was all but gone. Then there was a sudden short isolated shower and Law was back to his irritated self.

“Bath. Now.” Law said firmly when the two reached the house and immediately took off to turn on the gas heater for warm water.

“It barely rained Toroa.” Luffy whined, the younger didn’t want to take a shower.

“Isolated spells are not good for health- they’re polluted.” The doctor called from the bathroom running a hand under the shower water to see if it was the right temperature yet. Law rolled his eyes when he heard Luffy whine and decided to play his card. “I’m not sleeping with you if you don’t take a shower.”

“Torao that’s mean.”

“I know which buttons to push.”

While Law was blow-drying his hair after the shower and Luffy was still in the warm water, not wanting to get out, it was then that it clicked in the younger’s brain that maybe Nami and Zoro’s intuition was spot on. Luffy recalled the entire night and then his brain got stuck on the words that the older had used for getting Luffy into the bath that he wouldn’t ‘sleep with him.’

Maybe Torao wants me clean for sex… well he is weird about cleanliness so maybe… The thought went through Luffy’s head and he could feel blood rush to his face again.

“The water’s already gotten cool, you need to come out before it gets cold.” Law called after putting his hairdryer away and patting the clothes he had set aside for his boyfriend, but Luffy wasn’t listening. “Are you feverish?”

“I’m fine! I told you my face gets red after I eat a lot of barbeque meat.” The younger justified shaking his head and making Law put his hands up in surrender, eventually backing out of the bathroom.

Luffy got out of the tub, he liked soaking in the warm water after a shower, and patted himself as dry as he had the patience to, he put on the shorts and shirt Law had put on the cabinet earlier and realized those were the older’s own clothes, a bit big on him. Luffy wondered if he had run out of his own night clothes but dismissed the thought and put the towel on his head and exited the bathroom as well.

"Dry your hair properly or you'll get sick." Law said from the bed, getting up and taking the towel from Luffy's head. Law sat his boyfriend down on the bed and rubbed the towel on his hair as gently as he could, sure Law was a surgeon but other than treating wounds and performing surgeries, his hands were rough.

When the towel was once again in front of Luffy's eyes, Luffy made up his mind that it was the perfect opportunity to find out if Torao wanted sex or not so in a quick movement, the younger pulled the towel away and kissed Law. It started slow and Luffy waited till the suddenness of the situation had passed. It only took Law a few seconds to sigh on the younger’s lips and kiss him back, it was nice, until Luffy moved his lips away to Law’s ears, his jaw, his neck and lingered a bit on the collarbone. It would have been nice if that was the end of it but it wasn’t and Law knew as much as he was liking the closeness, he couldn’t take it any further. Unfortunately, Law’s brain was on hold when Luffy’s confident hands started wandering, inch by inch, caressing Law’s shoulders, moving to rub his sides and coming to rest on his thighs, but only for a few seconds, before moving inwards again. That was when Law knew he had to stop this.

"Stop." Law’s voice came out in a whisper, it wasn’t enough to get the message across and Law knew that.

"You want this." Luffy mumbled, his lips still pressing in the older's neck and slowly pushing Law back on the bed, moving his knee between his legs, lightly brushing it against Law's inner thigh.

"Luffy, I'm not kidding..." 

"I want this." The younger bit down on his boyfriend’s neck, his friends’ words going through his head again and making him angry at the thought that it was really possible that all this time Law was being considerate of Luffy and probably waiting for him to give the older a hint, and that was what Luffy was doing so what Torao’s problem was, Luffy couldn’t understand.

"No you don't." Law said, a bit louder this time, trying to get Luffy to listen. 

It wasn't that Law didn't want to take a step forward with Luffy, he got the feeling that Luffy was forcing himself. Law was afraid that all the trauma from those years back that Luffy never talked much about would just pop up and scar him again. Law was actually really sure of it because that's what happened to him when he got really close with Kidd.

"Stop being selfish Torao, I want this, so give it to me." Luffy biting really hard on the skin of Law’s neck was the last straw. The older felt the insistence with which the younger was trying was not something that he could have come up with himself, somebody must have said something to his boyfriend – Luffy was never desperate like that. Law understood that words were not going to stop his moron so he switched to actions.

One second Luffy was pushing Law back, and another, Law had taken the younger by his shoulders and pushed him down on the bed with his face in his pillow, holding his ass up closer to himself and put a hard hand on the waist of the shorts Luffy was wearing, making it seem like he was going to pull them down.

Law didn’t need to say anything or do anything further, he knew what the few calculated movements would soon do to the younger, and in a few seconds, they did. Luffy couldn’t see with his head pressed against the pillow, it was all too sudden for him, the feeling of a hand on his back was what put the three things together and sent him back to that dark and horrid place where his will was taken away from him, day after day, night after night, and once the images started, Luffy forgot that he was safe and there was nobody who would hurt him. But Luffy was back on Swallow Island in that moment and his actions mirrored that time too.

Luffy brought his foot up and kicked back, not caring where he hit as long as he hit his captor. Once the hand on his back disappeared, Luffy quickly got up and moved to get away but the furthest he could go was the headpost, so to protect himself and keep something between himself and the other person, the younger grabbed a pillow and clutched it in his arms, his vision was blurry, his breathing was labored and his heart was loud. Luffy felt like he was nine again.

Law rubbed his nose and looked at his hand to see if Luffy’s kick had broken something, he was safe, there was no blood. The older knew what he was doing but Luffy looked like a cornered anime, scared and cautious, and that made Law regret his actions. He had sent his boyfriend back in a bad place but it wasn’t like he had a choice, this was somehow, in a fucked up way, better than Law himself losing his shit and doing something worse.

"I am not going to apologize for this." Law started and moved towards the younger who inched back on reflex but relaxed when he slowly started getting his senses back and realized that the monster in front of him was actually, just Law. "I know from experience that this happens when you try to force yourself, which was why I was stopping you, but you are too damn stubborn, aren't you?"

Luffy breathed out and slowly let go of the pillow. Law took that as a sign and moved a bit closer, grabbing Luffy's wrist, slowly pulling at his arm to pull him in a hug while leaving him the option of rejecting it too. But Luffy chose the former.

"I'm sorry." Luffy said in a thick voice and Law sighed. Luffy was trying not to cry. "I’m sorry Torao."

"I knew this would happen, not sure to you or to me, or both." When Luffy just hummed in response, Law continued. "If your libido is bothering you, there are a few medicines-"

"No!" Luffy cut, flustered but looked at the older properly now. "It was just...when I told Zoro and Nami...they sorta warned me that you might ask me to spend the night and if that happened, it might lead to...y'know..."

Law couldn’t keep his laughter inside but to respect his boyfriend, he toned it down to light chuckles. "Is that why you were so quiet and flustered all the way back?" 

Luffy hid his face in Law's chest. "Shut upppppp." 

Law patted the younger’s back and sighed. "On a serious note, I want you to talk to me about these kind of things. And really talk because we have both suffered trauma and this kind of thing is actually ruined for us so it's better to talk about it first."

"Yeah..." Luffy agreed but mostly stayed silent, enjoying the back and forth rocking of the hug. Then something clicked. "Torao...you never talk about what happened to you...you always just say that something happened but never what."

"It's because I can't. It's stupid, even after so many years, I can't even talk about it."

"It’s not stupid. You can tell me if or when you want to."

"Thank you."

There was quiet for a while, then Luffy decided to take a risk, he had already created one problem for the two of them today, he could risk another. “So you’ve never done it willingly?”

Law knew by it Luffy meant sex and by willingly he was asking about his past partners. The older had an inkling that ever since Kidd opened his big mouth, Law’s arrangements and deeds with the redhead had been bothering Luffy and that the unspoken was creating a little discomfort between them. Law didn’t want that to continue, so even if it felt like Law was cutting his chest open to show Luffy his heart and making himself vulnerable in the process, the older realized it was necessary.

“When I joined that underworld gang when I was ten, I was kind of the Boss’ favourite because I hated everything and everyone and I was ruthless- but even I made mistakes. They had punishments for mistakes but mine were always dealt by the boss himself.” Law took a breath and laid down, keeping Luffy close to his chest so the younger couldn’t see his face. “He used to rape me, he used to choke me underwater, most of those I didn’t remember because I was too sick with Amber Lead in its last stages and I thought it happened to everybody but then he started showing his love outside of punishments and those, I cannot forget.”

Law took another breath and continued. “Cora-san got me out but the trauma stayed. Eustass-ya was just there when I was in a really bad place from all my bad choices and he was willing to take shit from me, fighting and stuff, but over a few years of that, like he said, when it came to sex, I ran away, I did. It reminded me of that bad time- I felt small and scared so I ran. I wouldn’t ever tell him that of course- but I’m telling you, I haven’t had the guts to involve myself with anyone, you’re the first person since that awful time who I’ve been vulnerable with to this extent.”

Luffy felt worse after hearing that, hadn’t he basically just forced Law too… He needed to apologize. “I’m sorry Torao- I promise I wasn’t thinking of-“

“I know your intentions weren’t bad but don’t just listen to anyone- I’m going to have a word with Zoro-ya and Nami to butt out.”

“Yeah, we can do things at our pace.”

Law hummed in agreement but he knew that day would never come because of his plans that he was starting to set into motion. But it was good now, the air was calm between them, lulling Law into a sense of false security that the alarms that had been going off in his head were for this situation and since it had come to pass, he was now safe, and there had been moments when Law’s intuition about culmination of bad scenarios had been right, but this was not such an instance.

~