Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. This is a fan-made fiction.

Summary: This is the last place where he should be but he needed to be here. Trafalgar Law, a young surgeon, thinks about her before he ties the knot.

Warning: Contains Fem!Luffy & LawLu, set in AU. Hints of other pairings. You have been warned.

In Her Room

Fingers clad with arrays of tattoo held a white object that seems out of place on the hardened hands. He held it over the coffee table, making it walk merrily over a made up meadow, like a child playing, as if in a trance. Its soft cottony fur, almost like snow, should have contrasted strongly against the dark mahogany but instead it grayed, as it swept off dust from the surface.

Faint light entered the unlit room. It was only four in the afternoon but it seemed like dusk was approaching soon. The window, like the coffee table, was adorned with dusts along with everything else in the room. It's been months, even years, since someone stepped into that room. The stagnated air was suffocating but he didn't care. His mind was occupied with thoughts that made the poor lighting, the dust, and the stagnated air somehow comforting.

"I know you'd like it, shishishi… "

Law looked at the object on his hand. It was something a first grader would and could buy. A little worn out but still held out quite well, evidently cared for and mended. He's been holding unto it for the whole afternoon now, as if it has become a ludicrous addition to his digits. White with hints of gray in the edges, a white polar bear toy nonetheless.

Childish

He smirked. But his eyes didn't show the playful glint which usually accompanied that expression.

"But… I know you'd like it… "

"You never change, Mugiwara-ya"

Words he aired a long time ago met with another breeze of laughter. He heard it a lot of times, more than he could ever count, not that he wanted to. That fleeting carefree sound. He didn't want to count. He wanted it to go on and on, so much that it would be impossible to count the times he'd hear that laugh. He'd even want to hear it on his deathbed. A somber thought.

But then again, as a surgeon, such thoughts are nothing compared to the morbid scenes he's used to. And he has learned and accepted that one of nature's law is that all things tend toward degradation. Pictures fade. Plants decay. People die. Everything passes by and changes. All these, time etched on his brain yet his eyes blurred and a drop of rain found its way on his made up meadow.

"Damn"

Trafalgar Law was taking a breather from his hectic schedule when he met her. All week long, his colleagues pestered him, calling him their captain, as if they were in a ship – with him leading the newly formed surgical team then. He was sitting on a public bench, trying to relax, slightly thankful for the nice breeze the wind was giving. Two old gardeners argued nearby, throwing the blame back and forth for the ruined patch of sunflowers by the pathway. Not that it mattered for him, but he was bored and worn out to the point that the bickering had become mildly interesting.

Then all of a sudden, something flew by near his feet.

'A straw hat?'

He was about to pick it up, when a girl, some years younger than him perhaps, out of breath, appeared before him. She mumbled something about some treasure and held out her hand for the hat. She looked partly flushed, plenty worried and a little bit mad.

'Cute'

The moment he gave her the hat, Law's eyes were unable to avert its gaze on her face – that smile.

It was the most beautiful smile he has ever seen that for some inexplicable reason, it took all of his fatigue. It was a mystery how one smile mirrored everything he was not but wished to be, relaxed and contented. As he was transfixed on her smile, the wind blew again ever so gently, making her long black hair flutter along its waves.

She beamed a thanks and how she was grateful for what not, and left. Still at some state of haze, he failed to response. He kept coming back to the park for the remainder of the week but he never saw her again.

"Miss Straw hat, you're not supposed to be here."

"Shishishi, I got lost"

"Well… "

"You seem familiar… hmm"

"We met at… "

"It's you! You saved my hat!"

"Maa… don't tell me the wind brought your hat here?"

"I'm on an adventure!"

"An adventure, huh?"

Unexpectedly, he saw the familiar straw hat again at the hospital. It wasn't a good time or place to meet but a part of Law was simply glad he saw her again. She was visiting her brother, the man admitted yesterday for getting hit by a car. She got lost in the hospital, she said, and ended up where the disposable medical supplies were kept. How she got there and how she managed not to get caught, it baffled him. She was having an adventure, he remembers her saying. It was unbelievable but it made her more interesting to him.

He also learned that her name is Monkey D. Luffy. But he preferred to call her by her trademark straw hat, partly teasing her, partly his way of endearment. He remembered telling her his name twice but she never did call him by his name properly. Usually, he doesn't let anyone off with that but he could make an exception, he thought back then.

She continued to fascinate him since. How she liked to eat a lot and never seem to run out of appetite in any situation. How she thought of the talking tree in the mall as cool and how she got into unlikely troubles. He learned that she has quite a variety of friends, though some of them worried Law, like that tall musician with the big afro or that pervert with the Hawaiian shirt.

Most of all, he worried about her friends that seemed to like Luffy more than friends. The cook she occasionally hangs out with, despite being a big flirt, was more like a mother to her. But that kendo instructor - he was different. He's the type to take things seriously, quite loyal and dependable too. Luffy says he's been her friend since high school, known him for a long time. And there was that red-haired mechanic, always taking Luffy's attention from him with his old school magnet tricks.

'Taking away Luffy's attention… wait, why would I care about that?'

Law thought a long time ago. He lost track when fascination turned into affection. He loved seeing her smile, hearing her laughter, and every little thing she does – but he won't get caught admitting it. But there are times that even the most careful slips, like that time in the amusement park.

"How's Chopper?"

"He's eating well now. Got really worried when he got sick. Thanks for helping with his in flamingo nation."

"It is inflammation, Mugiwara-ya. Don't mention it."

Law said almost with a chuckle, earning a pout from Luffy. A smirk graced his face once again. Her eyes wandered around briefly and ran towards a claw machine.

"Mugiwara-ya?"

"Wait there, Torao!"

Like a child, he waited for what she's about to do. After two coins and some adjustments in the knob, she went back to him, holding a white polar bear plushie.

"This is thanks for Chopper… and thanks for helping Ace-nii. And for boshii!"

"That's a lot of thanks. Some are a long time ago, you know."

Law said with a smirk but his eyes softened at Luffy and he smiled. If anyone who knew him saw Law right now, they'd say he's possessed. Never does he smile so genuinely like this, surprising even Luffy.

"Childish" he said as he took the plushie from her hand, still smiling.

"But… I know you'd like it, shishishi…"

"You never change, Mugiwara-ya"

The vibrations coming from the pocket of his pants broke his reverie. This time, he decided to finally fish out his neglected phone. It buzzed a couple of times throughout the day but he chose to ignore it. Out of respect and to save his numbing thigh, he checked his phone.

'Another call from Robin'

He must have been there for almost the whole day. Rising from the seat, he took a brief stroll around the room. Frame after frame hung over the wall. Of paintings, there was only one. It was a rough sketch of a pirate ship with a sun figurehead, or is it a lion? It confused Law as well. Most of the frames housed pictures of that smile in the face of the girl he met at the park that fateful day.

There were a lot of pictures of Luffy with her friends but most of which was of her "crew" which she fondly call her closest friends since she was in high school. Nami and Robin must have forced Luffy to wear the frilly dress on one of the photos. Her long-nosed friend looked in pain though. He must have gotten punched because he probably teased her for dressing up. Law mused.

He also found some frames of him and her. His eyes lingered to that picture of Luffy with him when they went to pick Chopper from the veterinarian. He vividly remembers how happy she was when she held her pet that was well again. Law smiled at the thought.

And there were pictures of her with that kendo instructor. Another vibration alerted him to another call. He decided to pick it up, aware of the previous missed calls.

"Robin?"

"No, it's Shachi. But Robin…"

"I know"

"Where are you, senchou? Everyone's looking for you! Don't tell me…"

"Yes"

"Senchou…"

"Just needed to do this."

"But senchou, you're…"

"I know"

"It's already been three years since…"

"I… know that"

"Come back soon, Law-senchou"

In that room was the last place where he should be. He shouldn't have any reason to be there. He should be busy making preparations now. He is, after all, getting married. But he had to be there. He had to move on. It took years to get over her death, much more with the fact that he wasn't able to tell her the feelings he had for her. He buried it deep into his chest as he watched her smile, seemingly at bliss, with that man.

The call ended with silence in both ends. He briefly glanced at the coffee table where he left the white polar bear toy. A familiar smile caught his eye. As if his eyes were playing games on him, he saw her, sitting where he was just at a while ago, smiling at him. And then more fleeting than their first encounter, she was gone.

A/N: My first fic done. Funny thing was well... I was listening to the song So Sick and I was literally sick (just a little fever) while typing this. I apologize in advance for errors. Hope you enjoyed! (^-^)/

Update: Tweaked a few phrases, is all. Thank you so much for those who read and liked this story. I'm glad you enjoyed this. Again, thanks! Awesome day, I wish to you all. (^.^)b