Can I Steal Your Heart? - A LawLu fanfic

(Luffy) Chapter 50 - Together*

It took several minutes for them to let his crew know he was leaving and make their way across the mish-mash network of ropes and planks to where the Tang was anchored. Law held his hand the entire way, his long fingers cool against the warm night.

Finally Luffy asked the question that had been on his mind since morning. "Are we counting this as the third time or the 'fourth'?"

Law squeezed his hand a little tighter. "We can do however much you want or are ready for. But... not tonight. Tonight I just want to hold you and sleep."

"Aren't you looking forward to it?" Shouldn't you be looking forward to it more than I am?

"Of course I am. But I pushed myself — and my crew — hard to get here. I'm pretty exhausted, really. A night of sleeping beside you will make tomorrow better for both of us. Besides, it's not like I only want you for the sex."

Luffy didn't want to wait, even one more night. Hadn't he been waiting long enough? Letting Law take it as slow as he wanted? Patience was not something that came easily for Luffy, yet he'd waited months for Law.

Still, he found himself saying, "Okay." And a few minutes later, they were in Law's bed, slowly falling asleep without more than a chaste good-night kiss.

At least Law fell asleep. Despite being tired and pulled against that lean, tattooed chest that he'd missed so much, Luffy wasn't able to sleep easily. Which made no sense. He'd wanted to just sleep tonight, too, until Law had told him that nothing would happen. At which point he had suddenly wanted more to happen.

He could initiate, he supposed. He knew the basics and Law probably wouldn't turn him down. But he did want to let Law rest, too. Instead he forced himself into sleep, albeit a more fitful version than usually happened with Law beside him.

When he woke again, Law was still sleeping peacefully beside him as the light sifted through the curtain that covered the porthole. He reached for his boyfriend, intending to pull him closer, but... something wasn't right. It took a few seconds to recognize what it was: his right arm, the one that should be closest to Law, was feeling wood instead of the soft cotton sheets. Luffy looked over at where it should be, and screamed despite himself.

"Hah?!" Law was sitting up suddenly, taking in his surroundings as Luffy panicked. "Luffy, calm down. It's alright, I can reattach it right away!"

Luffy looked up at him, breathing heavily, eyes wide with fear. "Wh-why'd you take my arm?!" He glanced around and saw his arm on the desk, clenching and unclenching in time with his other hand.

There was remorse on Law's face even as his Room appeared. "Sorry. You kept hitting me in the night, and... well, I was half-asleep and just wanted to go back to sleep..." True to his word, the arm was back in place in seconds.

Luffy flexed and stretched, making sure there was no damage. He knew Kin'emon had been fine after being cut by Law's technique, but it was a very different thing to experience it for himself. Only once he was assured it was functioning as usual did Luffy calm enough to notice a huge bruise forming across Law's bare chest. Not only hitting, it seemed, but hitting hard. He'd always been a restless sleeper, especially when he slept alone, but the times he'd slid into someone else's bed for comfort, he'd never left a bruise like that. He leaned in and kissed it gently.

"... I'm sorry. I didn't break anything, did I?"

Law pulled his face up to meet his, kissing his lips lovingly. "No, it's just a bruise. I can speed up the healing so it's barely visible, if it bothers you. Though, I find myself very glad we're not enemies, if that's your unconscious strength. I'd be terrified to see what you could do when you're controlling your hits. And I'm sorry I scared you by doing that. I thought I could take care of it without waking you, and put your arm back before you woke up. What's the best way to deal with that in the future?"