"Can't you at least try to straighten up a little and quit slouching?"
"Don't tell me what to do."
Looking at the man beside her as he slid his hands into his denim pockets in defiance, making every effort to look even more casual now than before, she gave up and pressed the doorbell with a huff of annoyance.
Crossing her arms she waited patiently for the foreboding footsteps that she knew would approach the front door from the other side any second now.
"Don't look so anxious, it'll be fine. It's nothing I can't handle."
Glancing back at him as he curled a hand around her waist and rubbed it reassuringly, her frown eased a little at his small, humoured smile.
"I told you, my parents are kinda strict…and a little weird." She murmured as he pulled her closer to his side, eyeing her lips suggestively. "You need to take this more seriousl-"
Shoving him away abruptly she neatened out the hem of her top as she heard the characteristically heavy footfall she knew all too well nearing the door.
Watching it yank open forcefully she wore her sweetest smile, ignoring Law's glare as he rebalanced himself on the edge of the doorstep she'd nearly pushed him clean off of.
"Daddy!"
"Heeey, my little boo-boo-bear!" The large man exclaimed, his stern expression melting at the sight of her as he embraced her in a tight hug.
Returning his warm welcome, she glanced at Law as his eyebrows rose and he looked at her in amusement, answering his smirk with a very clear 'don't you even think about ever repeating that pet name' on her face.
Wiping that expression off as her father pulled away she smiled cheerfully up at him again before he turned his gaze to look at Law.
"So this is him, huh?" His voice void of every saccharine tone that had just been in it when addressing his little girl.
"Yeah. Dad, I'd like you to meet Law. Law, dad." She introduced brightly, motioning between the two men in turn with her hand.
There was a moment of silent pause as her father openly looked at the man on his doorstep top-to-toe. From his laid back stance, to his boots, to his spotted denim, to the shirt he wore – the top buttons undone and his chest tattoos as obvious as the ones on his forearms and hands, to the facial hair, to the lazy smirk, to the piercings in both his ears and to the ridiculous-looking, unseasonable hat atop his head.
Clearing his throat, Law decided, for his girlfriend's sake, to try to be amicable with the man and extended his hand politely. "You must be Mr-"
Watching as the man tugged his daughter over the threshold by her arm, he blinked in surprise as the door was promptly slammed shut in his face.
"Daddy!"
"No way."
"What did you do that for? Poor Law!"
"'Poor Law' my ass, what is wrong with you?!"
"Me?! You're the one-!"
Narrowing his eyes at the white paint of the wood as he heard the muffled arguing continue behind it, Law shoved his hands back into his pockets with a frown, watching as the door was wrenched back open.
"-covered in tattoos. Did you bring home a gangster or what?" The man's loud grouching rang crystal clear through the open doorway from behind her as she reappeared.
"Daddy!"
"Or is he just a street thug?" Her father pressed on, unashamed to voice his opinion in front of the man in question as he locked eyes with him, causing Law's frown to deepen.
"That's so rude! Stop it! I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She apologised, drawing Law's gaze back to her from the heated glaring contest he was having with her father as she pulled one of his hands out of his pocket with both of hers and ignored the snort her father gave at the way she addressed him.
"Yeah, he looks like a real 'sweetheart.'" The man muttered past the thick bristle of his moustache, leaning his elbow against the doorframe and easily returning the glower Law raised his eyes back up to give him.
"Well appearances can be deceiving. Weren't you the one that taught me not to judge a book by its cover?" She reproached, tugging Law in with her.
"…Do it just this once." Her father mumbled, stepping aside grudgingly as he heard the hurried footsteps of his wife getting louder from behind him.
"Dad!" She scolded, pulling Law in past him and tutting as both men stared each other down in obvious disdain.
"What's all the commotion about?"
Looking up the stairs she gratefully spotted her mother coming down them rapidly and sighed in relief. "Nothing mom, just dad-"
"Being your dad?" Her mother finished, coming to a stop on the stairs and resting her hands to her hips as she narrowed her eyes at her husband.
"Yeah." She confirmed, joining her mother in her accusatory stare at him, causing him to sigh in defeat as he shoved the door shut with a harsh slam, clearly unhappy.
Making her way down the rest of the stairs with a shake of her head, her mother walked over to them. "Don't be rude to our guests, especially not on the doorstep where everyone can hear you! What will the neighbours think of us? And how many times do we have to-…Oh my."
Coming to stop, she glanced up at Law as he peeled his piercing gaze off of the man staring at him from the doorway and turned to look at her. "So this is Law, is it?"
"Yeah. Mom, Law. Law, mom." She introduced.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Law. Our daughter's told us so much about you." Her mother politely greeted, holding her hand out and smiling up at him as his expression softened and he took it. "…Including how handsome you are…though I thought she was exaggerating…"
Brow rising as their handshake came to an end and the woman still held onto him, Law slid his gaze over to his girlfriend unsurely as her mother continued to stare up at him somewhat dreamily.
"Mom..." She watched in annoyance as her mother's gaze seemed to trace over the bare, tattooed muscle of his exposed upper chest. "Mom!"
"Oh! Oh my." Clearing her throat in embarrassment the woman released Law's hand and took a step back, avoiding her husband's gaze altogether. "A-Anyway, I've made us all a lovely brisket to enjoy tonight so I do hope you like roast beef, Law. I'll go get the last of dinner finished so please, do make yourself at home in the meantime. Right this way." She motioned to the open archway of the living room in gesture.
"Yeah…thanks." He replied levelly, watching the woman scurry off down the hallway to what he assumed was the kitchen.
Feeling a push to his shoulder, he turned to glare at the woman's husband as he roughly shoved past with a displeased tut and walked into the living room ahead of them.
Frowning at the man's back as he watched him disappear, Law's attention was brought back to his girlfriend as he saw her cross her arms expectantly beside him, looking up at him with a displeased expression of her own.
"What?" He asked quietly in annoyance, only getting more irritated when she gave him a 'you know what you did' look before making her way towards the living room as well. "What?!" He asked more loudly.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't flirt with my mother right in front of me in future, Law."
"Wha-?! I-! Oi! She held onto me!" He hissed after her in aggravation, watching as she glowered at him silently over her shoulder before disappearing into the room after her father.
Sighing in frustration, he tilted his head back, ran a hand over his face and closed his eyes. "…This is going to be a long night." He muttered to himself and the uncaring ceiling.
Author's Note: Idea vaguely inspired by the conversation in chapter 58 of my other story; "A Brush With Death," made me start to wonder what it might really be like to bring home a guy like Law.