A/N: Doflamingo is ooc and this chapter is more family like than romance so if it's not your cup of tea, it might bore you to tears..
Traces of kisses in his skin are leaving a wild fire in their wake. To be this close and to be touching like this is both bewildering and hot, yet it feels like it's the most natural thing in the world. The desire to be closer, the hunger to be more intimate is driving them both.
Every kiss and every touch is like a promise of more to come. It was a mark, a mark of their possession of each other, both physically and emotionally. Branding their lips, their neck and bare skin in the most intimate way possible. Branding each other as if to say…
'He's mine..'
Nobody would interrupt them. They were both so lost in each other in this place, in this dimension, in this time plane, that only the two of them existed. Today, tomorrow and to the next eternity, they would stay like this beside each other..
There is nothing to worry about, they have all the time in the world, to get to know each other, to love each other and be happy together. There is nothing that could interrupt this sweet time together that is only meant for them, after all this is their own world.
He would sleep beside him comfortably snuggling and sharing his blanket. They would share the warmth, the comfort and they would know each other skin to skin and breathe by breathe, they couldn't be any more familiar with each other's heartbeat.
He would lean closer and kiss the sleeping figure beside him and he would put his ear to his partner's chest to count the heartbeat, strong and healthy that would inevitably lulled him into a comfortable sleep knowing the comfort that he was beside 'him'.
This strong and healthy heartbeat that would signify that he was well, that he was alive and that he was beside him. There is nothing more he could ever wish for than hear this heartbeat going on and on in a monotonous regularity..
This heartbeat that would signify that Luffy is alive and beside him…
3:21am, Trafalgar Law woke up with a start and started grasping his bedside looking for the nonexistent warmth and comfort that accompanied him on his dream world. He grasped and grasped and found nothing but his bunched up blanket and pillow. His bedside was cold, there's nobody beside him.
It slowly occurred to him that Luffy is not beside him and had never been from the start, in the first place. He pinched the bridge of his nose and started gathering his thoughts. At the very least, he managed to take four hours of sleep. People in the hospital, nurses and doctors alike, all worry that he won't be able to work normally anymore.
He realized that there are worse than bad dreams and nightmares that plagued him every night before. To dream of Luffy in their happy days, to dream of his warmth, to dream of his presence, to dream of his smiles and the radiance it bring on his life, is a thousand times more worse than waking up from a bad dream where you would find indefinite relief that all of it had been a dream. The bad things are not real and it won't hurt him for real.
But to dream of Luffy, knowing that he can no longer feel his warmth, taste his lips, hear him laugh and see him smile is more excruciating. Waking up brought forth more pain than relief and that dream would haunt him down the whole day.
It was more than just excruciatingly painful to face another day knowing he couldn't see Luffy's smile and in exchange, tend to the sleeping Luffy, unmoving, immobile and unresponsive. Somehow, this is worse than being sentence to be tortured to death physically, because he couldn't stand seeing Luffy like this, but he had to be strong.
He got up and get dressed. Yesterday was Cora-san's death anniversary and since he couldn't leave Luffy's side, he didn't visit the grave. But now there is nothing more comforting than be beside that grave that he used to visit often whenever he was more depress than usual.
Instead of bringing flowers, he bought Corazon's favorite brand of wine and pack of cigarettes. It was almost dawn when he reached the cemetery. He was surprised to find the exact same thing that he brought on the grave. The wine and the cigarettes. He had the vague suspicion that it might be his father.
He waved the thought aside, for Law couldn't imagine that his plutomania of a father would actually found some time to visit a grave let alone, remember it. But then, when he was a kid, he remembered Corazon comforting him when he cried because his father didn't come for his Kindergarten graduation and Cora-san came instead.
When he was young, Corazon used to say that Doflamingo actually love him but do not know how to express it. He used to believe it, the same way that he used to believe in Santa, when he was young. Then Corazon would often tell him stories about when he and his father were young.
In Corazon's story, Doflamingo is nice brother and a hard worker and that they were close. When Law was in his teens, he dismissed all those stories as crap and made up. He had never seen much of his father to know if those stories were true.
When Corazon was first diagnosed with a heart disease and that it became apparent that he can no longer be a marine, Law cried. But Doflamingo dismissed it as 'Well, isn't that good? You can now stay at home and live a normal life without dodging bullets or stepping on a landmine, being a Marine is stupid anyway.' Then he walked out waving his hand.
Law was about to retort and shout at his father but Corazon hold his hand firmly and said.. He said…
"Please, don't hate your father because I understand.."
Law never truly understood those words bur dismissed them as Corazon being way too nice like he always do. He sat next to the grave, looking comfort to the cold stone, but there was none, Corazon was gone and now he was alone. He close his eyes and recall the things that happened..
9 DAYS AGO
As soon as Luffy started coughing blood and collapsed, he immediately administered treatment and call for a nurse. They immediately rushed Luffy in the E.R while his two brothers are pale with shock, unable to move from the spot. They only looked helplessly.
Dr. Trafalgar Law did his best and detached his emotion and treat Luffy like any other patient. Being too emotionally involved would be bad and might lead to mistakes. The time seemed to stretch for eternity as Luffy's heart stopped momentarily.
They managed to revive him, but Luffy's heart can no longer beat on its own. He had to be hooked in the latest machinery that not many hospital's possessed. Fortunately, Luffy's grandfather knew what he was doing when he picked this hospital in particular, or Luffy would die.
When he got out of E.R, Ace and Sabo immediately jumped up to ask him..
"How is he? How's my brother?" Ace ask..
"He'll be okay right?!" Sabo asked urgently.
He tried his best to explain that Luffy's heart failure is not really unexpected. It's a gradual process that he himself monitored every single day. He also told them that they need a heart donor as soon as possible because mere machinery can only do so much, the deterioration process wouldn't stop, Luffy would only get worse from here on.
"Can't you do anything?! You're a doctor right?! And you love Lu, don't you?" Ace grabbed his collar and shook him.
"Ace, calm down." Sabo, the calmer one, tried to pry Ace away, but to no avail.
"I'm only a doctor, I couldn't perform a miracle.." I avoid looking at his eyes.
Ace motioned to punch him but Dr. Kuzan suddenly came and intervened. "Hey, no violence in the hospital. Just to let you know, Dr. Trafalgar Law is the best heart surgeon in this hospital. His skill was even recognized overseas, If you're not satisfied, you could move the patient to other hospital and find other doctors, I don't recommend that though.." he said calmly.
Ace gripped on his collar slacked gradually. He slowly sank on the floor and impatiently run his finger through his head. "I'm sorry about Ace and thank you for everything that you've done, doctor" Sabo said and walk towards Ace.
"We really came too late..! Fucking Gramps, he never told us that Luffy's condition is this bad..! I would've deserted the battlefield and be dismissed un-honorably just to ran to Luffy's side. I'm gonna fucking kill that Gramps..!" Ace said, clearly mad. Now the mystery is solved to Law. Apparently Luffy's grandfather didn't tell the brothers that's why no blood relatives came, until now.
"That was heartless of Gramps to say that Luffy is getting better..! I understand how you feel, but he probably knew that we would both desert the battlefield and it will tarnish the family name." Sabo calmly assessed their Grandfather's motives..
"I don't fucking care about our long line family of Marines. I only care about Luffy..! We're family and yet when was the last time we had been here for him? When he was 14?!" Ace is losing it and so is Sabo. Law doesn't want to hear any more of their family issues.
He doesn't want to find out that despite Luffy's cheerful exterior, he also had lots of issues regarding his family. After some coaxing, Ace finally went with Sabo, walking away and ignoring him. They moved Luffy in a room equipped with machineries with a big fixed window. No visitors are allowed.
Makino and Shanks, rushed immediately in the hospital when they received the call. Makino, the nice homely woman that Law came to know burst in tears and was comforted by Shanks. The first day when Luffy's regular visitors came, Sanji, Nami, Zoro, Robin and Usopp, came, they only stare at the glass window in shock. Luffy didn't tell them that his condition is that bad.
They couldn't quite bring themselves to believe that the cheerful, always smiling and full of energy Luffy is bedridden. Heavily sedated and unable to greet anyone.
"How could he not even say a single word about this..! We all thought he was only being monitored..!" The orange haired girl named Nami, cried. The raven haired girl named Robin, wrapped her hands comfortingly on her friend, she had always been the quiet one as Law observed, but noticed that she also wiped her eyes.
"That brat..! He could've at least said anything..! He only knows how to ask for more food variety but he never said anything about his condition.." Sanji said frustratingly. He was borderline mad but sad.
"Let it go, we all know what Luffy's like. He probably don't want us to worry.." The green haired guy named Zoro said. How well Zoro put it, Law thought. Because that's exactly what Luffy told him before. He cared about his friends more than himself.
The next few hours became hectic. When the news of Luffy's condition circulates among his friends, the hospital is suddenly filled by visitors. All ages, gender and occupation. From morning till night. At the end of the day, Law suspected that half of the city's population must've paid a visit.
At that, he smiled a bit, knowing that Luffy had never been truly alone. Even now..
Four days later, Luffy fell into a comma…
It's been a few days since then He already let all of his patients go, except Luffy. Strangely enough, nobody in the hospital questioned his decision. Even Dr. Sakazuki nodded with approval, and Law belatedly realized that on some level maybe the head doctor care for Luffy because he was the grandson of a friend.
The days became a monotonous blur. If he wasn't beside Luffy, he was making phone calls. Ace and Sabo also did the same and help him out, though Ace still hardly talk to him. He didn't cry since day one. But now in front of Corazon's grave, he cried like a child.
Luffy need him to be strong that's why he didn't cry. Now that he was with Corazon (in a manner of speaking) he was comforted, the way he was comforted when he was a child. He could only truly be himself in front of Corazon and Luffy. Luffy is not yet giving up, so he wouldn't give up either.
After lingering in the cemetery for almost an hour, Trafalgar Law decided that it's about time to go to the hospital. Even if Luffy is asleep, unable to respond or smile like he always did, he still took some comfort by being near him. Luffy might be unconscious, but his radiance will never fizzled out, it would always linger inside him and to the other people he had came into contact with.
Almost 9AM when he reached the hospital. As usual, human traffic became pretty much common in the hallways of Luffy's room. The visitors at least cooperated that they couldn't linger for more than 10 minutes, they understood. It's not like they could enter the room anyway or Luffy could respond to them.
But everybody is positive that Luffy knew that they're here. All of Luffy's friends also believed that without a doubt, Luffy would pull through and he would wake up eventually. There is something about those people that Law find kinship with. They know Luffy, and they understand. Without a doubt they all believe that he would wake up and grace them with a smile once again.
Today though, there seemed to be quite a commotion when Law walk through the hallway. Luffy's regular visitors like Nami, Robin, Sanji and Zoro started piling away. He frowned, and found himself in front of the room within the presence of a big and imposing old man with a head of white hair, wearing Marine uniform.
He already suspected who it might be, but what confirmed his suspicion is Ace and Sabo. They were both raving mad and spitting a long string of profanity to their Grandfather. Especially, the hot headed Ace, who lunged at the said old man as Law walked closer. Nurses and attendants alike already started gathering because of the commotion.
"Why you fucking old man..! Take back what you say..!" Ace said while Sabo tugged at his back. Clearly Sabo had the sense that they shouldn't make this kind of commotion in the hospital especially in front of their younger brother's room.
As a doctor, it's Law's duty to intervene because the nurses and the attendants are too scared to say anything because of these three imposing people. "Excuse me. You shouldn't make a commotion like this in the hospital. You are bothering the other patients. If you must, you can continue your discussions outside." He said calmly, but they pay him no heed and Sabo only gazed at him apologetically.
"I said it before and I'll say it again, if he's that weak as to die just like that, then he's no grandson of mine..! I don't know why the two of you are getting so worked up about your wayward youngest brother who wouldn't even want to become a proper Marine and choose to stay here alone.." Garp said angrily. At that, Law froze on his tracks and he almost followed Ace example and start spitting profanity in this old man's face.
"Ace.. Just let it go.. You know the geezer, let's just go outside.." Sabo finally managed to coax Ace and half dragged him in the hallway.
"I gathered you are Dr. Trafalgar Law." Garp suddenly said, and that's when Law finally brought himself to really look at the old man with the hint of Luffy's features. The resemblance in undeniable, you could tell right away.
"You know me." It was a statement, not a question.
Garp snorted. "Of course. I've heard a lot about you from Sakazuki. You are the one in charge of my grandson, how could I not know at least that much?" He said as a matter of fact.
At that, Law frowned. "I thought you don't really care about Luffy, that's why Ace is fuming.." Law said bluntly. He knows that he is being downright rude and breaching the etiquette of a doctor and patient relationship.
"Oh, I should've figured you would be offended too. But those two, Ace and Sabo, are grown ups, they ought to know that in war, we are saving lives. I don't give a crap about family reputation or whatnot like they had always believed, I just don't want them being branded as deserters. Something that they would regret for the rest of their lives, those two had always wanted to be Marines. Besides, what's the use of running here and fussing about Luffy's condition? Probably half the city population is already concerned enough about Luffy." The old man laughed out loud.
"But then, you said…."
Garp cut him off. "I only said what I have to, as their grandfather. And I am just as equally proud of Luffy as I am proud of Ace and Sabo. Luffy is very much like his father who found another path on his life. A pity that he passed away early. Ace is very much like me and Sabo is like their mother. Oh and by the way, I also know about you and Luffy." He smiled knowingly.
"What?!"
"I have connections like you wouldn't believed, I am keeping tabs of Luffy's activity and even the people he hang out with, though that's pretty difficult. If he's happy, then that's that. It's his life and out of all my three grandsons, Luffy is the most stubborn one. I suspected he got that from me. Even if everybody is against it, in the end, it's his decision." Garp held his right hand out for a handshake.
Law reluctantly accepted. "I leave him up to you Dr. Trafalgar Law. Know that I also believe that he would pull through and started bouncing off his feet once again. Because he is my grandson.." Garp walked away and waved goodbye.
That's when Law realized that he had misjudged the old man. As Luffy had said before, his family loves him on their own way. That is something that he so desperately wanted to understand, because he was also desperate to understand his father.
That encounter had left him pondering about many things about his own life and about his own estranged father. Certainly, Law's family is a little different. But looking at Luffy's family, they might qualify as normal. Because it seems like not everything is what it seems at first glance.
He made his way beside Luffy and started the rigorous check up that became a routine. Looking at the pale face and unmoving body, it was hard to associate this person lying in the hospital bed with the Luffy who is always all smiles and endless optimisms.
He held the cold hand and thinner than what he remembered and desperately tried to warm it up with his own. The hands that used to warm his, the smile that used to brighten his mood and the radiance that touched his life and changed him for the better is now lying in this bed unconscious and unable to respond, but he was also sure that Luffy knew he's here.
"I love you.." I whispered almost inaudibly and I might've imagined Luffy's mouth twitched upward for a smile, but I didn't pay it any mind.
I just know that I wouldn't be able to keep on living without you Luffy.I only feel what you wanted me to feel. If you told me to die, I would die and if you told me to live I would live..
3 DAYS LATER
The call came unexpectedly before midnight, when Law was just about ready to go home. He frowned at the screen and read it again. It's definitely his father. Somehow, it felt weird and had no sense of realism to receive a call from his father. But he answered it anyway. He just didn't expect the news.
"The heart is flying across the continent in my private plane along with the latest machinery and other renowned heart surgeons. No offense my son, I just want an insurance that you wouldn't start blaming yourself when something went wrong."
Trafalgar law almost collapsed in relief because of the phone call. It took him about half a minute to gather his thoughts and talk. "I.. don't particularly mind.. Dad?"
"What?"
"Thank.. you.." Two words that Law never thought he would ever say towards his father in his entire life. It never occurred to him that he would ever feel grateful to his father in this lifetime.
"Just that.. Don't forget the condition.."
"Yes dad. I'll talk to you face to face soon." He hang up..
The next 24 hours had been the longest and busiest in Law's life. He called Ace and Sabo to inform him about the good news, but he secretly want them near as a moral support. Law craved their presence, because they know exactly how he feels. And he had to be there and witness the whole thing. He couldn't be any more glad that his dad had the foresight of calling other renowned heart surgeons.
He's not confident that he could feel as detached as he would like to believe when performing the operation. He couldn't just stay emotionless when he opened Luffy's chest and removed his heart. Especially, he wouldn't be able to take the few minutes where Luffy's heart would stop momentarily, creating the illusion of being lifeless.
…
The operation is successful.. But Luffy is still in comma..
1 MONTH LATER
Luffy's condition can only be called stable. No organ rejection occurred, but for good measure, Luffy is still receiving some immunity thinners medications. He's still sleeping in the same room he was confined in during his most critical time, when they were all still waiting for a heart donor.
Visitors that come and go didn't even diminish for a bit, even though they are not allowed to come inside the room, just gazing at him through the fixed window. Strangely enough, all of them possessed the unwavering belief that Luffy would wake up sooner or later and that they do not doubt that even for a second.
Somehow, their optimism is passed on to Law and he doesn't worry as much as before. After all, Luffy is Luffy, the person who's filled with all smiles and positive energy emanating from him and affecting all the people around him.
Ace and Sabo also left to go back to Middle East two weeks ago.. Although their last meeting ended up.. strangely.. to say the least.
"I'll say this now and I'll say it again. I don't like you and I'll never like you in this lifetime.." Ace said in his face seriously. Law only looked at him quizzically as if to say 'of course I know that, and you already made it clear ever since our first meeting and even sealed it with a punch in the gut' is what Law wanted to say, but decided to keep his mouth shut.
"But, I guess I trust you enough to leave little Lu to you. Please take good care of him" Ace briefly bowed his head and walk away before he could find his voice to say anything. He was more than just bewildered to find the hot headed and egoistic Ace to lower his head and entrust Luffy in his care.
Sabo just smiled and shook his hand. "It was nice getting to know you Doctor. I'm sure you care about Lu, as much as we do and we've seen that for ourselves. Just excuse Ace's err.. sharp tongue.. Likewise, I leave little Lu to you, we're going back to Middle East. The battlefield is calling us."
Law shook Sabo's hand firmly. "Thank you.." is all he managed to say. He was strangely comfortable with the two, at first, he thought it was because they all shared the deep love they have for Luffy, only to realized that there is more to it than that. Ace and Sabo's presence very much feel like Corazon's. They emit the same quiet reverence for human lives, the calmness amidst the chaos and silent bravery in their very presence.
He smiled at the memory. Law talked to Luffy every single day, despite the fact that Luffy couldn't respond. He was positive that he could hear him though. He would usually narrate how he spent his day or the unusual things that he saw or even his thoughts. Most of all, he kept telling Luffy over and over that he love him.
Today though, is the day that he would face his father after six long years, as per his father's strange condition. The condition is he had to talk to his father face to face. Something that no matter how much he thought about it, doesn't make much sense, but he's going anyway. He had been putting it off for so long.
"Wish me luck today.. Luffy.." Law leaned in to kiss Luffy's forehead as mentally prepared himself to meet his father.
….
Law fidgeted nervously in his seat while drinking black coffee. Law is meeting Doflamingo in a Café inside a hotel. Only because it's convenient and he wouldn't be too far from the hospital. He seriously suspected that if his father had his way, Doflamingo will probably give him a plane ticket to Mexico just to talk to him, because it was the convenient thing for him.
"It's only me Law. You don't have to be so nervous." Law whipped his head up to look. The familiar voice that he only heard recently on the phone is now walking towards him. Wearing a clothes that Law though he would never caught his father dead wearing it. For as long as his memory serves, Doflamingo is always wearing suit and tie even at home.
Wearing a half opened Hawaiian shirt and pink striped pants, paired with odd shaped sunglasses. Oddly reminds him of the clothes that Corazon used to wear and he frowned. He never pretty much associated the two as brothers. Corazon is the easy going, kind and clumsy man. While Doflamingo is a workaholic plutomania, a perfectionist with no sense of humor whatsoever whom he suspected, also wear suit and tie as pajamas.
Evidently, Law never got the chance to know his father enough. Or maybe something changed during the six years. When Doflamingo noticed his bewildered expression, he pointed at his clothes. "Oh, this? It just became a habit. Corazon had a weird sense of fashion and he always bought me these kinds of clothes, the kind he always wore, claiming it's more comfortable than suit and tie. Well, he couldn't be any more right. I always told him that I'll never wear this kind of crap, but I wore them secretly anyway. Because he bought them.." He smiled fondly when he mentioned Corazon.
Law only listened quietly. He was mildly surprised, it seems like his father is different than what he recalled on his memory. He never shared a good memory with his father, the only good memory he had are Corazon's story about Doflamingo that he only dismissed as made up stories. Evidently enough, it seems like Corazon really do know his brother, because despite everything Law never heard him talk bad about his father.
"I never let Corazon got the wind of me wearing these clothes, but somehow he knew. Because he still kept buying these type of clothes and I kind of gotten used to it. Despite being made cheaply, with no class and being undignified of all things, these clothes are a lot more comfortable than the suffocating suit and tie that Corazon always deemed as monkey suit." Doflamingo smiled at the memory.
Something inside Law's chest ached terribly at the mention of Corazon, especially coming from his father whom he had always thought as a person who never cared enough about his family. But Law remained silent, because all he could remember about his father ever since he was a kid, is the figure of a stranger who is always in a hurry to be away from them. A person who never glance back to see his own son waiting patiently for some attention. But those attention never came and he stopped yearning for it, altogether.
"How's Luffy's condition?" Doflamingo suddenly asked and that snapped Law back from his musings.
"How do you know him?"
Doflamingo sighed. "You seriously think I don't care about you, huh?" He stopped to ponder about something for a moment. "This might annoy you, but I'm actually keeping tabs on you. What you've been up to or where you are at the moment. Well, you're my one and only son. It might annoy you, so I'll just get to the point…" The easy going smile is now gone and replaced with a serious look.
"I'm… Sorry…"
It probably took Law more than half a minute to process those two words. Certainly, Law is more than just mystified when his father helped him out with the condition of meeting him face to face. He doesn't know enough about his own father to know what to expect, but he never expected an apology of all things..
He didn't wait for Law to say anything. "I've been a bad father to you and a bad brother to Corazon. At the time, when you were born, I had the wrong misconception that you would be happy if you don't have to worry financially, that I could give you all the things that you could ever ask for. I worked day and night. When you started drifting away from me, I didn't pay attention because I thought one day you would understand.."
"Then there's Corazon. I never understood him because I never tried, even though he's the person who understood me the most even if I don't say anything. He always knew what's on my mind, what ticks me and most of all he understood the words that I never got the chance to say. I've always thought he was an idiot for becoming a Marine. Always risking his life on the battlefield for a meager amount of money, when he doesn't even need to work, he could've just indulged himself in luxury, then I wouldn't have worry about him suddenly coming home in a box."
"I was just more than relieved when he was honorably dismissed early because of his illness. I thought at the time, I no longer had to worry about my reckless and clumsy young brother, he'll be with you, at home and safe. I never really understood him until it's too late. One day, he died. Just like that. My clumsy and all smiling, all positive and idiotically kind brother just died. It didn't felt real to me. I don't even want to go to the funeral because I couldn't accept the fact that I would go home and find him gone. I never had the courage to even look at his lifeless body in the casket, when I saw him being buried on the ground, it still doesn't feel real to me.."
"It was just so hard to accept that I would no longer see him smiling and buying some flamboyant clothes to give me. It feels like, I would go home someday and just find him waiting for me with a smile. I never get around to accepting his death, that's why I didn't go home for almost a year."
"And you know, it took me that much time to realize you were already long gone from my house and from my life. I didn't even check up on you the whole time and decided to go home after so long, looking forward to seeing you even though Corazon is gone."
He smiled distantly, as if remembering something. "You're nowhere to be found and I waited for you for three days. When I finally asked the servants, they all look at me strangely. They reluctantly informed me that you left to volunteer in Iraq as soon as you got your doctor's license and that was almost a year ago.."
"That's when it finally hit me. I've been away and been uninvolved with you for far too long, that I never realized that you're all grown up and left me. You never touch the allowance in the bank, or use the credit cards in your name, never been seen in any of my countless vacation homes. Corazon is gone and so are you. I was left with nothing and I asked myself, why did I work hard anyway?" Doflamingo laugh at the irony, for the very reason he had work at all had left him because he was working way too hard.
"Money and power doesn't necessarily lead to happiness as I belatedly learned. That's why, this time I made a bet. If you ever come to me for help, I'll do my best and I will finally seize the chance to apologize to you. I had almost given up, because knowing you, you would never ask for anything. I know that the person who received the heart is the most important to person to you. I know I can never hope to ever make up for all the years of neglect. But it's a start. Oh, and I'm sorry for wasting your time, I just want to say what I had always wanted to say for so long. If there's a place you'd rather be, you can go.." he smiled wryly.
Trafalgar Law only nod, somehow, he had come to know his father in these past 15 minutes than he had ever known him for 26 years. Corazon is right about many things, but he couldn't be blamed either because his father never really gave him the chance to prove himself to be the same person as in Corazon's stories.
It just became awkward. But there is something he must tell his father right here right now. Something that he never thought he would ever say to his father before meeting Luffy.
"Dad… I… Forgive you…"
He got up before he could embarrass his father being all too emotional. As he made his way back to Luffy's side, it was as if a big burden had been lifted from him. There is no past or trauma overshadowing him now, and everything becomes possible because Luffy came into his life and changed him for the better.
….
321 DAYS LATER
It's been almost a year since Luffy fell into comma. Everything is the same, he's stable and getting better. He just woke up, yawning and blinking and Law dropped the medical chart he was holding and it clattered noisily on the floor. Unable to believe it himself.
"L-Luffy?"
"Oh, g-good morning Law. Why the funny face?" Luffy's voice is still raspy and a little bit too quiet because he hadn't talked for so long. He couldn't get up either because he had been lying there for almost a year..
It was more like a reflex than anything that Law kissed Luffy's forehead and his tears rolling down his face, choking sobs is evident even though he tried to suppress them. "I love you.."
"I know.. I love you too Law. That's why I came back.." Luffy smiled. His blinding and radiant smile that always mesmerize him and charm other people is back. Luffy is truly back.
1 YEAR LATER
They spend the good part of the year in Luffy's rehabilitation. But now, he's back to normal. As normal as he can be, he's still all smile, positive and simpleton. Though he couldn't do any heavy activity and he's on a regular medication and check-ups, everything is fine.
"I can't believe it's been two years..! But we're finally back, shishishishi.." Luffy said while grinning and playing with the sand. He was barefoot, wearing cargo shorts and a hood. They were back at the seaside vacation home where they first spend Luffy's birthday. They didn't get to spend much time in the beach before because Luffy insist that they on spending the day in the private pool.
"Yes, I couldn't believe it myself. It's good to be back." After everything they had been through, to Law it still feels like a dream that he could be with Luffy like this now. He's no longer shackled by anything, not his father or the memory of the battlefield. Just having Luffy by his side is enough.
He was still plagued by nightmares occasionally, but mostly about Luffy. He would immediately calm down when he woke up and find Luffy sleeping by his side. It was both comforting and heart wrenching. Just the mere thought that he almost lost Luffy made him shudder.
He sat beside Luffy who is currently making a sand castle like a child. When the sun start setting in the horizon, he held Luffy's hand. Their matching rings that was originally wore in a necklace is now clearly visible on their fingers.
It's a promise that they would be together… always…
DISCLAIMERS:
I don't own One Piece. Thank you very much for reading Heart Donor. English is not my native language so sorry for the wrong grammars. Opinions and constructive criticisms are very much welcome. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
So sorry if the last part of Heart Donor might have disappointed you in any way. It's more family than romance, but I just enjoyed twisting Doflamingo's character in that way. I also wanted to write a one shot about Doffy and Corazon. When Doflamingo shot Corazon, I would love to think that he also felt a tinge of regret and when he told Law that Corazon meant nothing to him, I like to think that it's just his pride talking. I mean, he still trusted Corazon plenty enough before right? Corazon is also the all smiling and way too kind brother who seriously think that he could bring salvation to Doffy.. Awww, I love them..!
