Idk where this story came from, how it happened, or if it even is a story. Does imagination count as stories? I don't know. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. Ughhh okay, frustration, stress, and tiredness…AWAYY. *heavy breathing* This A/N is so random, excuse me. Um what was I doing….RIGHT, right, this story. One shot probably. I've never written a one shot before so…hope you like!
Law frowned as he looked the date on his phone. "Of all days…" he muttered, replacing the cell in his pocket. He looks into the sky, shivering slightly in the fall wind.
He sat on the left swing on the left side of the playground, the same place where Corazon used to take him as a child. The man closes his eyes against the wave of memories. His startled laugh as the older would swing him high into the air. His cries when the blonde's power sent the swing circling up, over the bar, causing the kids around them to scream, terrified. The painted smile and joyful laugh as Law would yell at him, trying and failing to keep the frightened tears in his eyes. The head pat that would come next, followed by a sharp kick, in the direction of an interesting structure at the playground, which changed daily.
But that left seat was theirs.
And theirs only.
When the older had passed away, due to sickness, the date's timing was impeccable. The so called "celebration" annually reserved was cancelled, only to be replaced with a funeral, a new gravestone, and freshly picked flowers to be replaced each year.
On that day which Law hated so much.
Today.
The man holds the chains of the swing for dear life, just barely hanging on to his emotions. To his memories. The sad ones. The painful ones.
"Cora-san…" comes the broken whisper, his hair falling over his eyes as he leans forward slightly.
A hurried gait from his left startled his thoughts, and the tanned older didn't have to look to see who the person was.
"Law!" shouts the black haired teen, beaming from behind him. "There you are!"
Law simply shakes his head, and keeps his shoulders from heaving. He was in the deepest, most heart wrenching memories yet, and the teen came too fast, too soon, and he couldn't quite get back to the surface…
Luffy notices the air around the man immediately, and the smile drops from his face. Law could tell, even though his eyes weren't him.
Because the air was suddenly cold.
"What's wrong?" Luffy asks with wide eyes, rounding the man to get a glimpse at his face. Law doesn't respond, shrinking further into himself. There was no way he was going to let the teen see him like this. Pouting at the lack of response, he squats, tilting his head left and right, hoping to get a better glance at Law's eyes. "Law?"
There. It was the way Luffy said his name, the way he's so playful, his actions, everything reminded Law of Corazon. Their personalities were almost perfectly in sync.
The similarity sends him over the edge.
Doubling over on the swing seat, the man lets out a strangled cry, clinging to his heart and scrunching up his face, wretched sounds escaping his lips. The man struggles, clutching at his heart, the occasional "Cora-san" gracing his hoarse voice.
The reaction shocked the younger, a sad frown forming on his face. Realization hits him, and the teen takes out his phone and looks at the date. With wide eyes, he rushes over to the suffering man, placing a gentle palm on his quivering back, rubbing up and down comfortingly. "There, there," Luffy mutters, "It's gonna be alright."
Law simply shakes his head. "But I miss him," he whispers quietly between gut-twisting cries.
The younger is quiet as Law replaces into his tears again, his face still shadowed, unwilling to let Luffy see his vulnerable side. With sympathy etched onto his face, Luffy curls his arms around the man, his hands rubbing the order's cold forearms.
"Law, cheer up," the teen begins quietly, "I hate seeing you like this. Especially on a day like today."
"Fuck today," Law seethes through clenched teeth, hastily wiping his face. "God, I hate it."
"But-"
"No!" Law yells then, fresh tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "I just don't care about today anymore! What, am I supposed to be happy? Am I supposed to celebrate? Throw a party? No, to hell with all that."
Luffy closes his eyes. Musters courage.
Frowning, the older bursts, "All of that happiness died with Corazon! Every year, I'll just be reminded of him, even more than usual! Every moment of that fateful day, relived in my brain every single fucking year, it drives me insane! I just-"
His rants are cut off by Luffy, young lips on his own. Confusion lines Law's face, parallel to the streaks of wetness on his cheeks. Luffy tilts his head for a better angle, eyes glued shut. Smiling softly, Law returns the kiss, reaching up tentatively to trace a line on Luffy's jaw, eliciting a wide smile from the teen.
The kiss, short and sweet, was broken by Luffy, who looks deep into Law's teary eyes knowingly. "I finally get to see that face," Luffy notes, wiping away a stray tear. Embarrassed, the man squirms under his gaze. "What was that for?" he asks.
Reaching behind Law, Luffy reveals a plain yellow cube, about a foot tall and wide, with a golden lid atop it. A sparkly yellow ribbon adorned the cover, styled in a cute girlish bow. Law furrows his eyebrows at the object. "What is that?"
"Hey," Luffy begins slowly, holding the present out towards Law, "for once…"
The wind blows furiously, throwing hair, clothing, and nature alike to the left, orange, yellow, and green leaves decorating the air and sky, where birds have taken flight. The sun shines brightly in the autumn day, and the rays reach the couple by the left swing set in the left side of the park, where the teen offers a gift to the older.
Titling his head to the side and grinning, Luffy looks into Law's eyes.
"…actually enjoy your birthday."
Speech ceased to be for several moments.
Open mouthed, Law stared at the present. Was this for…him?
"It's not my birthday anymore," Law says sadly. "It's the day that Corazon died, nothing less, nothing more. A horrible, disgusting day. So there's nothing to celebr-"
"Shut up and get your present," Luffy sighs, gesturing to the gift. Gulping audibly, Law finally accepts the present, staring at the cube as if it was a foreign alien. Tattooed hands somehow found the sides of the box, right under the lid, and lifted it, discarding the gold on the woodchips below them. White wrapping paper, hastily wrinkled and thrown in the box, greeted Law's eyes. He carefully removed this paper, joining it with the lid on the ground. Taking a deep breath, Law gently lifted the unique hat out of the box.
"What…is this?" Law asks, eyeing the peculiar accessory.
Luffy, a bit red faced crosses his arms as he thinks. "Well, I was passing by a store a few days ago, and found that hat and I was like, 'Oh! Law's birthday is in a few days, he might like it, he might hate it-'".
"I love it," Law cuts immediately, the present already covering his dark hair. It fit perfectly. The furry whiteness of the hat gave its shape a bit more bulk. Dark spots, each a different version of a circle, decorated the edge of the cap. The bill of the hat was also furry, and shaded his face from pesky stares- just how he liked it.
But maybe there was one person he wouldn't mind staring…
"Thanks you," he says quietly. The last time he was given a gift was when Corazon was alive, and the excitement, the wonder, and the happiness were emotions he hadn't felt for a solid thirteen years.
…It felt good.
"Huuuh?" Luffy drawls, a hand cupped near his ear. "I can't hear you!"
"Thank you," Law repeats louder.
"Whaaat?"
Now more annoyed than sad or surprised, the man stands from his seat. "Dammit, Luffy-"
Laughing heartily, the teen turns towards Law holding his stomach, oblivious to Law's small frown. "Shishishishi! I heard you the first time, just tryin' to milk it out."
Law sighs. Even after he completely broke down in front of the teen, drowning in his past, only Luffy could bring him back up for air again. He loved that about the teen.
"But honestly," Luffy begins, hugging the older, "Have a happy 26th birthday."
Law hums against the ticklish dark hair, hiding his smile. He looks down at the boy, and sees Corazon. The blonde weirdo smiles at the same time Luffy does.
Law's lips twitched upward into a smile.
"Thank you."
SooooOOoOOOoo how was that? I hope you liked it, because it was really fun to write :) Thanks for reading! Drop me a review, please, maybe? Thanks to all of you lovely people for reading!