~
It really shouldn't have come as a surprise to Luffy that after being with Law for a few years, someone would finally ask him the question that they did. It didn't come as a surprise but it did made the younger think and at a very wrong time too because the Strawhat Pirates were supposed to meet the Heart Pirates at a new island for the monthly meet-up and exchange of information.
Both the pirate vessels were docked at the port and the crews were gathered on the beach, already partying, all were accounted for, except the Hearts captain who was battling an especially bad gut feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. Eventually though, Law did manage to leave the Tang and from the deck spotted Luffy, teleporting himself beside his lover.
The moment Law landed beside Luffy, the younger jumped a little, startled, then pulled his strawhat over his eyes and bolted, ran in the direction of the town, away from everyone... and left Law alone.
What... just happened?
Law was questioning the situation but couldn't think with the way his heart had dropped. Law didn't know what was going on but he was not going to stand in the vicinity of his crew and dissect it in public, so he teleported himself away from everyone too, inside the sub, to his quarters and locked the door for good.
Luffy didn't seek Law out the entire day and the older didn't leave his quarters either. The surgeon did get a few knocks on his door but those were from his friends, telling him that there was food in the kitchen if he felt up to it. Law was grateful that nobody pushed him to join the party.
When the sun rose on the second day and the moon came out following it, and Luffy still hadn't explained himself or confronted Law, the older decided to acknowledge the situation for what it was, Luffy was finally done with him. Once that thought registered, it made way for a lot of other thoughts as well. Law knew it would happen eventually, Luffy had lost all attraction for Law and it left the older heartbroken and melancholic. The few days that the crews were together, Law stayed cooped up in his room without participating in anything, not the information and knowledge exchange with Nico Robin or the comparing of medical notes with Chopper.
Law smiled to himself, bitter, but not hateful because he knew this would happen, everyone always left him in the end, one way or another and Luffy, it seemed, was no exception. Law beat himself up for being so stupid to think someone would stick around this time, he was so stupid and Doflamingo was right, Law was a child of tragedy, he couldn't run from it.
.
Luffy groaned and kicked the rock off the edge of the cliff he was sitting on, away from the party and the feast because every time he looked at food, he was reminded of his problem. The rubber captain berated himself for running from Torao like he had, and not talking to him for the few days that followed that incident. Luffy knew Law had problems with controlling his thoughts and so he hated himself all the more for being the reason that the other captain was probably in a mental spiral prison.
Taking a deep breath, Luffy stood up, having made his mind and went to find Law, he needed to tell the other captain and relieve the burden on them both. It wasn't easy for Luffy to have come to this decision and he needed to tell Law as soon as he could, so Law could be released from his mental confines and Luffy could be released from the strange guilt that was consuming him.
Penguin told Luffy that Law was in his quarters on the Tang and Shachi and Bepo warned him that Law didn't seem like he was ok and to approach with caution. Torao's friends were right, their captain's haki was all over the place, disturbed. Luffy bit his lip and knocked on the metal door.
"Torao." Luffy called in a small voice but he knew Law would hear him. It felt like hours but were only mere seconds before the door opened and Law stepped aside to let Luffy in, locking the door behind him again. "I need to tell you something."
Law gave Luffy a once-over. It looked like something was eating Luffy up from the inside and that was probably the something the younger needed to tell Law.
"Go ahead." Law said dryly and crossed his arms, eyes uninterested and dead, heart wrapped in metal chains to keep it from breaking into a million pieces and getting lost again. Law knew what was to come, Luffy would tell him that they were over, that he was breaking up with him and Law couldn't really blame him, the older knew what a big problem he was and seemed like he was still too big a problem for even Monkey D. Luffy. But then Luffy grinned looking at Law and the older thought that the rubber captain was such an asshole for breaking up with him with such a look on his face.
"I've decided. I like Torao more than meat!" Luffy announced and bounced off the bed he had taken the liberty to sit on, to hug Law.
It was one second before Luffy was going to attach himself to Law that the older's brain registered what Luffy had said and instead of rejoicing that all was ok, Law punched his boyfriend in the face, his fist infused with haki. "What the fuck is wrong with you!"
"What is wrong with you?! You punched me!" Luffy held his nose that felt like it was broken and glared at Law but forgot his annoyance the instant he saw the older was crying. "Wha- I'm sorry! I'm sorry for shouting! What's wrong! Torao!"
Law sunk to the metal floor and wiped at his eyes, relief washing over him but he couldn't stop crying. "I thought-" Law took a shaky breath. "I thought you were going to break up with me."
"What? Why would I do that?" Luffy titled his head to the side and sat beside Law to hug him, the older didn't punch him this time and let it happen.
"You really have to ask?" Law bit back, now anger taking over. "You ran away at the sight of me after a whole month and don't explain, what else am I supposed to think?!"
"Oh..." Luffy pursed his lips. "That..." The younger gulped, he knew Law wouldn't like the entire story but he still owed it to him after realizing the agony he had put Law through. "Sanji asked me if I like meat more than you-"
"What?!"
"-it turned into something annoying, Nami told me I wasn't supposed to see you and let my decision get influenced till I decided so that's why I ran..."
Law was shaking with anger, his boyfriend was the stupid one, definitely him. The older freed himself from the rubbery hug and stood up. "And it took you this much time to come to a decision? I think it's better if we do break up."
"Wha- no! Torao I got distracted by the pretty flowers and the chunks of meat- I haven't even had meat since this thing started!" Luffy explained hanging off Law. "I couldn't choose meat over you, meat is meat, but you are you."
"There is nothing special about me, you're making a mistake." Law insisted.
"I can live without meat," Luffy said with much difficulty, "but I can't live without your meat."
It took Law a few seconds to get the intended pun, it was only confirmed that he got the right meaning when he caught Luffy staring down south. "Wrong answer!" Law yelled and kicked Luffy in the family jewels, the kick also haki infused.
While Luffy was writhing on the floor in pain, Law went out of the sub to carry out his revenge against the few Strawhats responsible for this entire mess. Luffy was barred from Law's quarters for the night and when the morning came, there were two very high pitched screams, one from Sanji for finding spiders in his bed and in his kitchen, and from Nami for having pimples on her skin and gold missing.
Luffy followed Law like a lost puppy the entire time the two crews were on the island, the younger tried so many ways to make up for his idiocy but Law played hard to get, he knew he would forgive Luffy eventually, he couldn't keep being angry with the younger for long. Law knew what he was in for when he said yes to the relationship with the other captain but he kept that to himself in the favour of being spoiled by his boyfriend in the name of making up.
~
