I really played with everyone's ages so that they would be more similar for this AU.

Inspirations: the songs "Alternative Plans" by Ellegarden & "Still Into You" by Paramore

Memoir of High School Days

Law groaned as he leaned his plush office chair back to stretch his arms. He tossed his glasses on a pile of medical files and rubbed the bridge of his nose where they had rested. It had been an unbearably long and tiring day for the young surgeon. He was only in his early twenties but somehow he felt like such an old man. The clock on the wall reminded him that it was just after eleven. If he didn't hurry he'd miss the last train and have to take a taxi. It wasn't a really a problem, but he wanted to try for the train. He quickly slipped on his coat, grabbed his bag and clicked off the light. He bounded down the stairs, turned the corner into the waiting room and strode through it toward the door.

"Torao?"

Law stopped mid-step. That was a nickname he hadn't heard in a long time. He turned toward the voice. There stood a short, black-haired man. A scar characteristically underlined his left eye. He still wore his signature straw hat although it was nearly winter. Even without it Law would have recognized him instantly. He was one of the only people that had made Law's teenage years worthwhile.

"Hey, it's Ace and Sabo's brother," Law said, taking in the now young man.

"Don't act so distant," Luffy scolded, grabbing him in a tight hug. "We were lovers once."

"Oh, is that what we were?" Law raised an eyebrow. He wouldn't have used that term. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I was in the emergency room for this. It got itchy, so I cut it off, but…" Luffy trailed off as he waved his left hand which was covered up to his mid-forearm in a cast. "So, uh, you wanna get a drink with me? Just a couple beers maybe?" The question caught Law a little off guard. He remembered that Luffy didn't like alcohol and the last time they'd been together neither of them were old enough to drink legally anyway.

"Yeah, sure." Law nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

An awkward silence fell over them as they made their way out into the cold night. They both felt the need to keep the conversation alive as they walked but neither of them had any idea what to say. Instead Luffy took his uninjured hand out of his pocket and looped his arm in Law's. Law responded by taking Luffy's hand in his own to pull them both into his pocket.

Law never felt so glad that Ace and Sabo had forced friendship on him all those years ago. If not for them, he wouldn't never have met the young man whose touch was making his heart race just like it had when he was a teen.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Law had transferred to a new school during his final year. He hadn't intended to make friends at all but somehow got involved with Ace, Sabo and by extension, Luffy who was two years younger.

"Hey, new kid." Kidd sat on the desk in front of Law and leaned down close to him. "I heard you got kicked out of your last school for landing a kid in the hospital." Where did he get that rumor? Law glared coldly at Kidd hoping the goggle wearing redhead would take a hint and go away. Despite what his appearance would suggest, Law had never been in a fight in his life.

Kidd used his knees to partially conceal the knife he flashed between his legs at Law. "I'll let you join my gang, but if you fuck up, you better watch your back."

"Get the fuck off my desk, Kidd, unless you wanna watch your own back," Ace warned him as he walked up the aisle.

"And leave the new guy alone," Sabo scolded, following after Ace.

"You just better hope you don't run into me outside," Kid threatened, hiding his knife from plain sight and slipping off of the desktop. He slammed his shoulder into Sabo's as he pushed by, causing the blond to fall back into some desks.

Ace's anger flared. He lifted his fist and made a move to punch Kidd, but Sabo motioned for him to stop.

"Go back to your own class," Ace barked at Kidd, jerking his fist back as a threat.

Sabo picked himself up and set the desks straight before addressing Law. "So, you're Law, right? I'm Sabo, and this is Ace," the blond introduced them with a friendly smile before taking the seat next to Law. Law turned back to his book without saying anything. He just wanted to be left alone and get the school year over with, but it wasn't going to be that easy for him.

Ace flopped into the chair in front of Law. He leaned back with his arm on Law's desk. "You finish the homework?" Ace asked Law, watching his face for a reaction which didn't come. "Let me borrow it." He lifted Law's book and took the page lying underneath. Law opened his mouth to protest, but Sabo blocked him with his body.

"Hey, Ace, let me see too."

"I thought you said you finished yours and you weren't gonna share with me."

"I- I did. Just let me check the answers."

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Law reluctantly let Luffy's hand slip from his own, as the younger man reached to open the door of the small neighborhood pub and hold it open for him to follow. They made their way to a small table along the wall and stripped themselves of their coats before ordering some drinks.

Luffy insisted on trying to feed Law pieces of dried squid in between sips of beer. Law resisted, finding it embarrassing but Luffy wouldn't be discouraged. He leaned over the table, pressing the snack to Law's closed lips until he took it in his mouth.

"You still don't like me feeding you," Luffy smiled.

"It's not that," Law protested, "it's just embarrassing in public."

"Yeah, you were so embarrassed the first time!"

"That was the day we met. I hardly even knew you!"

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"Ace~ Sabo~ It's lunchtime!" a petite boy shouted as he burst through the classroom door. He wore a bright smile on his face and exuded entirely too much energy. Law looked up at him. His heart skipped a beat as the boy caught his eye for a second before turning his attention to Sabo.

"Ace is eating on the roof with Thatch and Marco already," Sabo informed him looking up from his anatomy book. He had his desk pushed up against Law's so that he could get some tutoring from him.

"I'll eat with you guys then," Luffy decided, pulling up Ace's chair to opposite them.

"I guess there's no helping it," Sabo sighed, closing his own book as well as Law's. "Luffy, this is Trafalgar Law. Law, this is our little brother, Luffy. He's two years below us." He introduced them quickly.

"Nice to meet ya, Tra- Trafao- Torao!" the youngest brother beamed cheerfully at Law. Nobody had ever gotten his name so wrong, and though he would never have admitted it, in a way, Law found it kind of cute.

Luffy pulled out a lunch box big enough to feed an elephant. "Come on," he urged the older students, let's eat already."

"I'll just have this." Sabo pulled out a pre-packaged slice of roll cake and a can of coffee from the convenience store.

"I'm not really hungry," Law said, opening his anatomy book up.

Luffy looked contemplatively at one then the other. He furrowed his brows as he cocked his head, putting a finger to his temple. It was no fun eating alone, but sharing wasn't really something he wanted to do. "Fine, I'll share," he sighed defeatedly, "But only because I really, really like you guys and you owe me meat later, okay?"

"Okay, but Law is the one we should be most concerned about," Sabo teased. "He's already too thin."

"I'm fine," Law grumbled, trying to focus on his anatomy lesson.

"Ah~" Luffy prompted, opening his own mouth for emphasis while, holding a piece of egg in Law's face. Luffy couldn't be serious. Sure, the guy was cute, but he was being entirely too friendly to Law for the first time they met. Law felt his cheeks growing warm as a rosy pink spread out across his face. Luffy poked the egg onto his lips. Sabo tried to muffle a laugh, but his shaking shoulders gave him away. The blond seemed to be getting endless enjoyment from watching this. Luffy also seemed to be enjoying himself, bouncing the egg on Law's lips.

"Just eat it," Sabo laughed, nudging Law. There was no fighting it. Law gave in and took the egg with his teeth. Before he was even finished chewing it, Law was confronted with rice in his face. Luffy wiggled it in front of Law's mouth, willing him to take it but it fell down onto an illustration in his open book. Luffy quickly scooped up the rice and popped it into his own mouth, but the damage was already done. A sticky residue remained on the page. Luffy looked down at the spot in Law's book, and reached out trying to rub away the residue, but all he did was smudge the ink on the illustration.

"Sorry about your naked man picture," he said all too loudly, causing some students to look over in curiosity. "I'll draw you a new naked man picture for you to study," Luffy offered. Sabo toppled out of his chair, clutching his sides in a fit of laughter.

"It's not a naked man. It's the muscular system," Law mumbled as he crossed his arms over the book and put his head down onto them. He just wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"Everyone thought I was some kind of gay pervert after that," Law complained taking another gulp of beer.

"But you kind of are," Luffy laughed, running his hands up and down on the outside of his mug to gather the condensation, and sticking his wet hands on Law's face.

"You ruined my image," the surgeon complained from between Luffy's hands.

In all honesty, Law wouldn't have changed anything. Meeting Luffy had been the start to some of the best days of his life.