Warnings: Like usual, OoC.
Notes: Fill for the sixth day of the LawLu week.
Disclaimer: One Piece is Oda's creation, not mine, yadda yadda.
Enjoy! :D
-H is for Heart Stealer
Day 6
Being called the Surgeon of Death wasn't just because of his fruit but also because his medical skills were well known. Since Law was a child he always wanted to become a doctor. Maybe if that incident in Flevance hadn't occurred he could have a license, but on the other hand if that tragedy hadn't happened he would've never met Doflamingo and so, Cora-san either. In other words, he would have died long ago.
Though he didn't want to give some credit to that bastard, Law was grateful for having met the Donquixote family if only for the chance he had with Corazón. Those months were the best he's ever had since the loss of his own family.
But most of all, he was entirely thankful with Cora-san for making swallow the Ope Ope fruit. Not only was his life spared, he acquired the ultimate devil fruit any doctor could wish for. So his shattered dream was something he could still make true despite the shitty situation he was left in.
Learning how to use and master the power of his fruit was something else, but by the time he started his pirate life he was already well versed in the techniques he had developed. Being called a rookie of the worst generation was a title he really didn't care about but who was he to not take advantage of it? So that was how he could earn the Warlord of the Sea title. If it weren't for his goal of taking down Doflamingo he would never thought of getting near the Marine or, even worst, associate himself with them. But alas he was there, with one hundred pirates' hearts.
A little too much? Of course not. He was in the mood for taking some beating hearts and when he took the first one he couldn't stop until they were at least fifty. The owners didn't expect such outcome from their meetings with Law, some of them thought maybe the Heart Pirates' Captain wanted to make an alliance or recruit them. Ha! Fools. But then fifty weren't enough so that he took fifty more and decided to go to the Marine HQ.
Non before examining each one of them.
Meticulously.
Vein by vein, tissue by tissue.
Maybe it was a bit extravagant but he really was enticed to them. At the beginning he had only seen a heart of a dead person while studying more to get more knowledge and experience for his abilities. Law didn't really wanted to cut open someone just for fun. But things happen and one day he was just admiring a beating and very much alive heart. That day marked a beginning and an end to Trafalgar Law. It was like something new had been lighted up right in front of him. The sensation of the beats, the throbbing of the veins, and the pulse of the whole thing in his hand was something else.
From then on he was always taking the heart of someone just to feel that bizarre feeling. The heart was the most astounding and best arranged organ the human body had. How it was the epitome of life by keeping a person breathing in the right or wrong way depending of its care and healthy state was something every being should be thankful for. And above all, mammals' hearts were the most complex and beautiful to watch. It was true that Law hadn't met all living beings in the whole world (what'd he give for the chance to see a merman heart or even better, a giant one), but so far the human heart was his favorite topic.
So. Presenting himself with a bunch of human heart before the Marine was how Law made himself known as the Surgeon of Death. But it was more the Marine itself giving a nickname just to match his looks and powers.
When the unexpected visit of the Straw Hat pirates on Punk Hazard was known by him and Smoker he feared for a moment that his heart would start beating like crazy and so it was going to be known that he was alarmed to the person that was currently in charge of it. Fortunately he remained calm and tried not give himself away. He has been doing it for the past two years, now wasn't the time to doubt himself.
But then that fucking idiot called him very happily, thanking Law for saving him and whatnot. Law just wanted to keep the distance from the Straw Hat-ya but when the younger called for him there was something very curious happening.
Huh, interesting. This person doesn't stop to amaze me.
Then Law made a very interesting discovery. Every time Luffy talked to him the same thing happened. You see, when Law made the surgery to this idiotic human being he not only saved his life, Law made sure that Straw Hat-ya's heart would remain safe.
Seriously, he didn't think things would become that way but when he removed Luffy's heart with his MES he nearly stopped the surgery. The reason he removed the heart was to have a better view of the inside of the rib cage, how much damage had reached through the chest and how much was shallow. But the view of that heart was really distracting. For a moment he lost himself in his own thoughts and if it weren't for his crew maybe Luffy would've being in more danger.
When the surgery was done and Jinbe was also being examined he ordered his crew to leave the operating theater. Law needed an alone time with his patients to make sure their vitals were good, or so he said. The truth was that Straw Hat-ya's heart had left a big impression on him. What he needed was to have that heart in his hands.
So he did it.
Luffy barely made a noise when his heart was removed.
Law's eyes kept fixed on his target.
Why was this heart making him feel anxious? It had something that made it very different to the ones he had seen before. In essence it was like any other but there was something that made it unique. Maybe it was the slow beating that looked like it was in a state of calm but full of sorrow. Could a heart give the effect of showing the owner's feeling? Either way he was very enticed to it.
The size, the shape, the way it throbbed in his hand. It was magnificent. Such a beauty couldn't be allowed to exist. But it did. And Law couldn't avert his gaze from it. The aorta was of a very deeply red, bright in its own way and the contrast the left and right pulmonary arteries made was marvelous. He could identify every part of the heart. The atriums, the veins, the arteries, even the less visible parts like the valves that connected one part to another.
Unconsciously his thumb started to caress the veins that were visible, every beat pulsating on it with the contact.
It was a shame that such gorgeous and wonderful heart had to return to his rightful owner…
Unless…
A thought crossed Law's mind and a smile started to form on his face.
Yeah. No one would notice it. He only needed to be quick and then continue his life as if nothing had happened.
Two years had happened since that incident. Two years training his mind to remain calm even in the most dangerous situations he'd encountered. So far he had mastered the task. Until he met Straw Hat-ya again.
Luffy's presence was very distracting and even if Law knew that with the other D. he needed to wait for anything, that didn't prepare him for such confrontation on the way to Dressrosa. Certainly on Punk Hazard their meetings were brief, excluding the captivity on the cage and the party at the end, so the surgeon didn't have the need to think carefully about how his own heart would beat once the plan of capturing Caesar had begun. Who would have thought that a little slip would bring his best kept secret to light. Like focusing on trying to kill Vergo while pretending to be in pain.
So, when the feast finished and Law and all the Straw Hat crew boarded the ship he was nearly sure that he could get away with his little mischief for another day. Or so he thought until the younger captain approached him on the night when he was keeping an eye to the scientist.
"Hey, Torao! Could we talk for a bit?"
"Something wrong, Straw Hat-ya?" asked Law averting his eyes from his nodachi. He had the habit for cleaning Kikoku after every fight he used it. Luffy's eyes went from Law to Caesar and the surgeon quickly knew that the talk was kind of private. He thought of asking him to wait until the morning because he didn't want to leave the scientist alone but in that moment the cook left the kitchen.
"Ah! Sanji!"
"If you say that you want more food I'm gonna kick you," greeted the blond lighting a cigar.
"Shishishi! I just wanted to ask you to watch over Caesar, I need to discuss something with Torao." The smile that was on his face showed none of the nervousness Law had seen moments ago. Strange. The cook thought it for a moment watching from his captain to Law to Caesar and again to Luffy but nodded either way. Then Law was dragged inside the ship to finally arrive at the aquarium.
In there they sat close enough to almost touch their knees but far away to not make Law uncomfortable for having his personal space broken. Whatever the straw hatter was thinking it was obvious to be kind of serious, his face didn't showed his usual smile but there was a little blush on it. After what seemed minutes Luffy took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on Law's. There was a determination that was more of his usual self.
"Say, Torao," started Luffy, sounding a bit unsure. "Is it possible to live apart from something that is… essentially for you?"
If Law had been drinking something in that moment he for sure would've choke himself in it. But he wasn't so instead his throat suddenly felt dry. The look on Luffy's eyes spoke for nothing but the truth. The surgeon took a moment to regain himself. At this point it was unnecessary to hide it anymore.
"Since when do you know?" Asked Law, bringing his hand to his face, massaging the arch of his nose.
"At first I didn't notice it. The two years I spent training I was more focused on getting stronger but there were times when I was left confused of the serenity of my heart. No matter how much I ran or got kicked or breathless, my heart would remain calm. I thought it had to be because of that incident but then…" at this point Straw Hat-ya's cheeks were crimson red. "Then I saw you after two years and I really wanted to thank you for what you did back then and I just knew that my heart was beating like crazy because, uh, just because, but the heart in my chest was calm even when I could feel the blood inside me rush up and it was there, in that very moment when our eyes met that I knew."
Law was stunned.
The Straw Hat captain wasn't as idiotic as people say he , Luffy was more brawn than brain but it was clear that his instincts were his way to compensate the lack of a higher knowledge. So this was what having the Will of D meant, thought Law. Letting the person achieve his dreams, understanding things on their own way, allowing them to surpass their limits. Always a storm letting its very unique mark.
"I knew it had to be with you because in that moment the heart in my chest skipped a beat. I didn't knew how or why but then we were captured and from then on thing started to make sense." Continued Luffy, this time seeing his feet as if they were the most interesting sight.
Law took a deep breath and put his right hand on his chest.
"MES." He said and then the heart inside of him was in his hand. At the contact with his fingers it started to beat fast and loud. Law stared at Luffy just to catch an even more red on his face. "I'm very sorry for taking it from you."
"Ah, no, I just… I'm very glad you keep it safe?"
"Are you asking me if I did or thanking me?"
"Uhm. Well, you see… You fought that Vergo guy, right? So I thought if my theory was right, how was it that him taking "your" heart didn't impact on me?"
Those eyes were going to be the death of Trafalgar Law. Seriously. There was an innocent and thrust that nowadays was rather extinct and hard to find together in the same person.
"Since the first time I saw your heart I was left speechless. Throughout my life I've seen countless hearts and became kind of obsessed with them. When the war happened I offered to help you on a whim but when I had you on the operating table and pulled your heart out I couldn't help but being drawn to it. It was the first time a heart left me in such amazed state that I wanted to keep it for myself at all cost." The intensity of his speech was so evident that even Luffy was left stunned by it. The words in which Law expressed how he felt were full of emotions the younger man couldn't explain. "So I thought that no one would notice it, that this would be the only thing I would never share with anyone. This heart became my most precious treasure since the first time I put my eyes on it and I wanted to have it so badly that I didn't think it through. I just did it. Switch our hearts, I mean."
Now it was Luffy who was speechless. The look in Torao's eyes was so piercing that for a moment he thought it would perforate his heart. But the care in which Law treated the organ in his hands said otherwise.
"Sometimes, after that, I would pull it out just to see it beat when in calm, or when it was racing I would caress it and admire it, seeing how fast it'd beat and how many beats per minute it would give. You just really were overworking it. The first time it exceeded the limit I established after observing it for a while it nearly gave me a heart attack. What were you doing, by the way?" Asked the surgeon showing something like concern and annoyance but continued talking. "Never mind, knowing you it had to be with something dangerous for a normal person but adventurous and funny for you."
"Shishishi! It seems you know me very well!" Was the only response Law got.
"You don't need to be a genius to know that. You're just… you."
Another laugh from Luffy filled the aquarium and Law smiled a bit. The cheerfulness of his ally was contagious. But he wouldn't admit it if asked.
"Anyway. When I arrived on Punk Hazard I already had a spare heart with me. I knew in what I was getting into so I made some preparations. I wouldn't risk the most precious thing for me, least of all allowing someone else have it. Tricking Caesar and Monet was easy. Vergo not so much but I did it somehow."
The silence that flooded after that last minutes but didn't felt uncomfortable. Law kept staring at the heart in his hand while Luffy looked at Law. When the silences started to prolong itself Torao sighed with something a kind of sorrow. Then extended his hand and put the heart on Luffy's left one.
"I guess it's time to give it back. Sorry if it freaked you out or made uncomfortable."
Law's words and attitude was so out of character that Luffy almost didn't react at all. He didn't know the man that much but for the little he did, Luffy was sure that this situation never crossed the surgeon's mind. It was like Torao never thought of…
"Ah!" A smile spread itself on Luffy's face and then his hand put the heart back on Torao's.
"Straw Hat-ya?"
"I'm giving you my heart, Torao! So take well care of it, I know you will."
If Law needed to describe the smile on Luffy with one word it'd be blinding. Seriously, it was brighter than the sun itself. He wouldn't be surprised if that smile had been used as a weapon either; certainly it could disarm and melt the toughest man or creature alive.
"Are you sure? Why?"
"Well, I don't understand it well myself but I like the peacefulness of your heart in my chest. It's… soothing."
A light blush appeared on Law's face along with a smile. In Luffy's eyes, that sight was the most beautiful he had seen in a long time. It suited Torao.
"Thanks, Straw Hat-ya."
"Shishishi! You're welcome, I guess." Said Luffy watching how his heart was put in Torao's chest. Then he took the surgeon's left hand in his knowing that for the next action the older would use his right one, so that Luffy could keep his hand intertwined with Law's. "Can I see your heart?"
-FIN-
Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! :D If there's any mistake I'm very sorry, my english isn't that good yet (at least not writing it). Comments would be appreciated! :D