~

Luffy stared at Monolith, a pout on his face. There weren't many jobs that day so the young man stayed at home watching TV, until Law's cat, who had grown considerably big in the span of a few months, attacked Luffy on the living room couch.

"Come onnnn, why don't you like meeeee?" Luffy whined, Monolith stayed quiet but hissed when the young man started getting closer. "I won't hurt you, promise." All Luffy got in return were claws in his face followed by Monolith running away. Luffy snapped a picture of his face and opened the Strawhats' group chat.

You

*attached a picture

Monolith still hates me :c

Zoro

Stop picking fights with stupid cats

Chopper

LUFFY! WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING SCRATCHED!!

Robin

It's alright, @Chopper, Monolith is vaccinated

Nami

The more you run after a cat, the more she will avoid you~

Kinda like Law! XD

Usopp

Luffy have you tried bribing her with treats?

You

She hissed at me, scratched my hand, took the treats, then ran away!

MEAN CAT!

JUST LIKE TORAO!

Robin

Speaking of, when does Law-kun get off from work?

I want everyone to be present at Baratie, I have an announcement to make

@Sanji-kun, is it ok to book today?

Sanji

YES! ROBIN-CHAN ANYTHING FOR YOU!!

Zoro

Keep it in your pants, idiot cook

Torao

Or Zoro-ya's ass – oh wait, you guys still haven't moved on from the denial :P

Nami

That's one way to shut them up...

Brook

Yohohoho! Law-san is brutal today!

You

Torao you got time????

Look what Monolith did to me!😭

Torao

I'm sure you were the one who provoked her into attacking you.

Robin-ya, I'm free in a few hours, you guys can go ahead, I'll meet you there?

Robin

That works for me

I will text everyone the time

You

Ok Robin!

Torao

Come to the hospital you stupid monkey so I can clean those scratches

Zoro

Get a room!

Torao

YOU get a room

with Sanji-ya!

GOD KNOWS YOU BOTH NEED IT TOO!

Robin

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

You

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

~

"Yeah I'm heading there now." Law talked to Shachi on his phone, walking to Baratie.

"You ok? You sound tired?" Penguin asked, snatching the phone from his friend.

"Hmm, the research is going to get a breakthrough soon, so I have to overwork a little to make sure things are all on the right track, so yes, I am tired."

"When have you not overworked?" Shachi said and Law could hear him rolling his eyes.

"You must rest too, Captain." Bepo said into the receiver.

"Luffy makes sure of that, don't worry." Law said. "It does get annoying sometimes."

"Acceptance will make things easy my friend." Penguin said.

"Ok, I'm going in there. If I don't update you guys by tomorrow, call a search party." Law joked.

"Want us to send Luffy a heads-up about your tiredness?" Shachi offered.

"I'm sure he would be able to tell by looking at me."

"Awwhhh! That's so cute!" Bepo cooed.

"Ok, I'm hanging up, bye." Law put his phone back in his pocket and went inside the Baratie. The doctor didn't have to look for the group, Luffy's megaphone of a voice gave their location away.

The first thing Law did after taking his seat beside Nami and Luffy, was glare at his boyfriend for not coming to the hospital to get his scratches cleaned. "If those get infected, I'm not responsible."

"They won't! We got Monolith vaccinated!" Luffy answered immediately.

"There was still bleeding, you need a tetanus shot- wait a fucking second, you didn't come to the hospital because you knew of the tetanus shot, didn't you?" Law narrowed his eyes and watched the younger avoid eye contact and start sweating visibly.

"Luffy, it's not safe to ignore a tetanus booster." Chopper added. The reindeer turned to the fishman and nodded, "Jinbei."

"Uh... ok." Jinbei looked around confused then agreed and hauled Luffy on his shoulder to take him outside the restaurant where Franky's truck was. Chopper and Law followed.

"This is treason! Mutiny! Treachery! Betrayal!" Luffy screamed, hitting his nakama with his fists, to free himself.

"I'm surprised you know so many words for the same thing!" Law called and laughed.

"Torao this isn't funny!"

"I'm sorry captain, but shots are necessary." Jinbei apologized and kept Luffy from running away after sitting him down in the truck, the door open.

"I'm doing it, it won't hurt." Law said putting his gloves on and handing the syringe and tetanus shot vial to Chopper for preparation.

"It did last time." Luffy furrowed his eyebrows.

"I wasn't careful of some things last time, but I am now. So trust me, it won't hurt." The doctor made sure to relay the fact in secret that Luffy's trauma from syringes had slipped his mind back then.

"If it does, I'm never getting it again."

"I'll sedate you next time then."

"Fine."

Law cleaned the injection site on Luffy's arm, then felt for the direction of the muscle fibers, once sure, Law put the needle in the younger's arm, in the same direction as the muscle fibers so there would be no fiber tearing, and thus, pain. "Did it hurt?"

"It's over?" Luffy opened his eyes and looked at his arm in wonder. "It didn't hurt at all! You've got magic hands!"

"Of course I do." Law discarded the used equipment in the medical waste disposal box he had every one of the Strawhats carry in their vehicles. "Let's go back inside."

Law and Chopper walked in front and felt bad for Jinbei who had to listen to Luffy complaining about being hauled on the Fishman's shoulder against his will. They could only hear Jinbei responding in confusion and then saying something both the doctors didn't hear, but that calmed Luffy down.

Everyone settled down and food was served, along with expensive alcohol. Law narrowed his eyes at the bottle, at Franky who seemed to be vibrating, then at Robin, who in the next few seconds told everyone to listen to what she had to say. Everyone was quiet, even Luffy. Then Robin spoke.

"Franky proposed. We're getting married."

And there went the quiet, and Law's peace along with it. The doctor covered his ears as everyone cheered and whistled around the couple. Law, frankly, didn't know how to react. He understood it was a happy occasion for the engaged and that it should be for him too as a friend, but all he felt was confusion at everyone else's responses. Sure, he was happy for them, but that was it, all that laughter and pats on the back, the smirks and grins, Law could not understand any of it. So, he just smiled and busied himself in his phone until the chaos settled down.

"It was really Franky who proposed?" Nami asked looking at Robin and Franky.

"Supeerrrrr yes!" Franky answered.

"I'll be collecting soon." Nami told Zoro and Usopp.

"You didn't enter any bets?" Law asked Luffy.

"I won this one, nishishi." The younger laughed.

"Good luck getting that money from the witch." Law sighed and made a face when everyone was distributed the alcohol but he was purposely left out.

Luffy noticed Law pouting at his glass of cola and decided to sneak some of his own alcohol in the older's, only a little so it wouldn't cause actual harm.

"What? Still weak, Law?" Zoro taunted.

"Can't help it." The doctor shrugged. "Though I would like to open you up and see the condition of your liver to see if you're faring any better than I am."

"Don't do it Law, Zoro is somehow immune to alcohol." Chopper put in. Zoro smirked in victory.

"Like how idiots are to cold? Makes sense. He's so dense, his brain doesn't know that excessive alcohol is bad for the body. Makes sense, yes." Law retaliated and grinned when Zoro frowned at the insult.

"So, did you guys pick a date yet?" Usopp asked.

"Haven't yet, we still have to go through a lot of details, but everyone here is coming, that goes without saying." Robin answered.

Everyone answered in a chorus of "yes!"

"Not me." Law's response was short and cut through all the cheerfulness in the air.

"Toraoooo!" Luffy whined.

"I don't do weddings." The doctor answered plainly, then crossed his arms when he caught almost everyone glaring at him for pouring water over Luffy's excitement.

"But there's going to be all this food and music and dancing, we would be able to dance and- and weddings are really cool because there's so much food." Luffy insisted, already salivating at the thought of all the food he would get to eat.

"I'm happy for you both and appreciate that I was included in the invitation, but I won't be going." The doctor reiterated.

Robin eyed Law for a while, then smiled her small smile. "That's alright with me, I won't force you." Robin said. "But don't you think you should do it for Luffy?"

"I don't do anything I don't want to, even if it's for him." Law answered pointing his thumb at Luffy sitting beside him without actually looking at him. Robin accepted the answer and looked apologetically at Luffy who was pouting the whole time.

"That's supeerrrrr OK Law-brrrroo!" Franky showed a thumbs-up which got everyone to stop glaring murder at the doctor.

Usopp gulped when he saw Luffy gloomily eat the rest of the food in front of him, and more, but not once did Luffy talk to Law the entire remainder of the dinner. Looking around the table, Usopp found Nami noticing the same thing and got her attention, pointing to the boyfriends with his eyes. Nami shook her head, as if saying 'I'm not getting involved in this shit.' Usopp also let it be.

Sanji was the last one to leave, so he saw the way Luffy walked a single pace behind Law, looking like a kicked puppy. The blond tsked and lit a cigarette, going back to his kitchen to prepare for tomorrow morning.

Luffy really had to go back to stay the night with his brothers, they had a movie night with Uta joining later too, but he tagged along with Law, to try and convince the older to go to the wedding and to see if there was another reason for him not going.

"Don't. You can't change my mind. Not on this." Law said before Luffy even opened his mouth.

"I wasn't gonna say anything." Luffy matched paces.

"I can sense your disturbance from a mile away."

"Ok fine Spiderman, why don't you wanna go to the wedding?"

"I'm not a party person." Law came to a halt when Luffy stopped in front of him.

"But weddings are great!! There's gonna be so many people, so much food-"

"People. I'm barely ok hanging out with your whole group at once, I can't do a wedding where there will be people wherever the eye will go."

"What? That's bullshit Torao. You have twenty people in your group and we're only ten!"

"And you've never seen me around those twenty at the same time, all the time too now, have you?" Law snapped.

"That...ok that's valid." Luffy scratched his head.

Law took a deep breath and expanded on his reluctance. "And weddings are...sad. They make me very uncomfortable."

"Why do you think they're sad? I think they're happy."

"Because I don't believe in happy endings and happily ever afters and then it's just sad that two people who are standing at the altar so much in love, are going to be at each other's throats in a few years. It's sad that so many marriages end in homicide and divorces and suicides. Luffy marriage is a curse, and I don't want to bear witness to it. I have enough curses of my own thanks very much."

"You don't think we will have a happy ending too?" Luffy cut through the silence of the night, solemn.

Law cursed. Of all the things for Luffy to have picked up on. "Even if we are together till our deaths, one of us dying is hardly going to be a happy moment for the other."

"That's not what you meant by not believing in happy endings." The younger furrowed his eyebrows.

Law sighed. Luffy was exceptionally intelligent at things like these. "I meant even we might break up before long. Nobody knows."

"How long have you been thinking about this?" The younger frowned.

"That's inconsequential." Law just wanted to get out of this situation, because he was speaking without thinking and that was dangerous.

"You want to break up?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then do you want to get married?" Luffy asked.

"God no."

"Why not?"

"I hate the concept of marriage." Law said slowly, in case the speed of his words was what kept Luffy from understanding.

"So you don't want to marry me?"

"I didn't say that either."

"Ever?"

"Look, what we have now is enough for me. So let it stay that way and don't force me to go to a stupid wedding." Law sighed.

"Ok then." Luffy pouted and Law knew what was coming.

"Don't say it." Law warned when Luffy opened his mouth. "Don't-"

"I'm not going either then."

Law stared at Luffy for a while then shrugged. "Whatever. That's your choice and has nothing to do with me." Law started walking.

"Torao! I mean it! I won't go if you won't!" Luffy ran behind him.

"Well, I am not going. You can decide for yourself. But if you try putting your decision on me, remember two can play this game." The older continued walking.

"Fine." Luffy said and fell out of pace with Law. The younger waited for Law to turn around at the silence but he kept walking so Luffy decided that was how their day would end and started his walk to his own house.

Law only noticed that Luffy wasn't following when the quiet got too much. The older sighed and shook his head before continuing on his way home. If Luffy wanted to be a brat about this, it was his choice. There was a reason Law put the condition that they wouldn't force each other to do the stuff they really didn't want to, when they were discussing the terms of being together.

Arriving home, Ace and Sabo cornered Luffy because their youngest looked troubled, although the frown was adorable to them. Uta came to Luffy's rescue and smacked the older brothers away.

.

Law was doom scrolling on his phone, he knew he really should be sleeping because he had work the next day too but he couldn't rest at all, he knew it was to do with parting with his boyfriend on not-so-good- terms.

"You must be really happy Luffy isn't here today, aren't you?" Law asked Monolith, letting the feline chew on his hair, she had a weird habit of doing that. The cat purred close to the doctor's ear and Law sighed. "This isn't working, I'm going out."

Law got out of bed and pulled on a big coat, he was in no mood to change out of his comfortable shirt and pajamas. Upon a loud meow from Monolith, Law found the cat had jumped out of bed and was now standing in front of her cat-bag that the doctor got on Nami's insistence so he could take Monolith outside with him.

"Ok, so you want to tag along."

Then Law stared at his phone, tempted to text Luffy to see if he was up for tea too, but the doctor knew his boyfriend might not respond. Law felt bad for going off like he had, he could have taken a better approach to talk with Luffy and not be so bullheaded. Law berated himself over having responded in such a detached manner, it was bad enough that his refusal was the rain on Luffy's parade, and he had gone and made it worse by being a strict idiot.

So Law picked up his phone and opened his chat with Luffy.

|I am going out for tea. If you're awake, would you like to join me?

Law cringed at the formality of the text but he had already hit send without thinking much and stuffed his phone and wallet in his coat pockets, put Monolith in her cat-bag and left for tea, regardless of Luffy agreeing to join or not.

.

"Fuck, he's still frowning." Ace whispered to Sabo.

"We're watching horror just so he would laugh, but damn it he's still frowning." Sabo mumbled back.

"Luffy, you want more ice cream?" Ace asked over the blond brother's head.

"No." The youngest answered.

"Full already? We still have another hour-" Sabo started.

"I feel sick." Luffy threw away the pillow in his arms and got up. "I'm going to sleep."

"You both stay, I will go talk to him." Uta said before her idiot brothers had the chance to say something and make the situation worse. "I have an idea what this could be about."

"What are you, psychic?" Ace rolled his eyes.

"No, I just use my brains to help, but I wouldn't expect you to understand, it must be difficult to even comprehend the concept of using brains. I feel for you brother, I really do."

"That was uncalled for." Sabo put a hand on Ace's mouth.

"Shut up virgin." Uta threw her own pillow at both the bothers and went to Luffy's room. The door was slightly open so she didn't have to knock. The young woman peeked inside. "Luffy?"

"Go away," came Luffy's small voice from under the pillow he was using to cover his head.

Uta sighed and stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. "No."

"Uta I don't wanna talk."

"Then don't." At that, Luffy raised his head and looked at his sister, trying to understand what she wanted. "I just wanted to see how sick you felt, so I'd know whether to call Chopper or Law-"

"Don't call Torao, he won't answer." Luffy let slip.

Bingo. "Did something happen with Law?" Uta sat beside Luffy on the bed and that made the younger get up to sit too.

"No."

"Lying was never your strong suit. But, it's ok if you don't want to talk about it."

"I'm not sick sick. I just feel sick." Luffy said.

"I get it." Uta put a hand on her brother's back. "Oh and I'm meeting with Robin tomorrow at the Thousand Sunny to start working on the music she wants for her wedding. I suppose you'd already be there? Can we go together?"

"I'm not going to the wedding, so I'm not going to the Sunny tomorrow too."

Oh so that's what's going on. "How come?"

"Don't wanna talk about it." Luffy pouted more, then his phone screen lit up. Both the siblings looked at the phone, saw the notification of a text message from "Torao." Uta watched Luffy put his phone screen-down and raised an eyebrow.

"Law?" Uta asked to confirm. "Ignoring a text from Law? Are you ok?"

"Torao's not talking to me, it must be a butt-dial."

"How... That's mostly for calls."

"Torao wears very tight jeans" Luffy said. "Let's go see the rest of the movie, I feel better now."

Luffy left his phone in his room and rejoined his brothers for the movie, he wanted Uta to stop asking questions so he wouldn't accidentally answer with the truth and make this everyone else's problem too. But Luffy was kind of worried about that text, even if it was a butt-dial, it meant that Torao was awake. The younger felt kind of guilty for the way he left and that it must be because of him that his Torao was having trouble sleeping. Even then, Luffy didn't open the text or answer it, he just pretended to be ok, kind of like how Law would do all the time. Although he looked OK, Luffy didn't like not talking to Law.

~