''He's in the dungeons right now'' Penguin says, and Law waits for him to continue albeit his eyes flash angrily, and his posture goes rigid in matter of seconds, ready to launch himself at Penguin, a warning to his friend that he better be careful of what he says next.
The other male must be aware of that, obviously at a loss for words of how to word his thoughts without directing the Duke's anger on himself. ''He… betrayed you'' he starts, not very tactfully.
''He wouldn't-''
Penguin interrupts him, which in itself is worthy of being punished, but the words that leave his lips make Law's entire being go into shock. It outweighs the disrespect. ''He set Portgas D. Ace free and attempted to escape with him… Portgas is dead but Luffy is unharmed..'' he pauses to think it over, and then continues, ''physically, at least. I'm not one to say anything about the mental damage, though even I can tell he's not okay"
His mouth opens and closes automatically, any sound that he wants to force out stuck in his throat, forming a lump there that barely lets him breathe. He wants to yell, to cry, to hit someone, but most of all, he wants to see Luffy, wants him to deny it all, to give him a good reason for doing this to him, something reasonable to justify what he has done.
He needs those answers and he's determined to get them, consequences be damned.
His hands tremble from sheer anger by the time he's standing in front of Luffy's cell, his knuckles are white and even the sight of Luffy's shaking, curled up form isn't enough to calm him down, though it does make him feel a bit of pity. He slides the key into the keyhole and turns it, the clicking sound catching Luffy's attention.
He looks up then, and the sight feels like a punch in the gut for Law. He looks dead, eyes hollow, face emotionless. He looks like he aged decades in mere days and his posture is but a helpless sight – he looks pitiful, like he lost the pride he used to carry so deep within him, like his will, his readiness to fight was taken away from him. It's just the empty shell that remained of the boy Law has come to love.
''Law…'' he whimpers, his broken tone efficiently clawing deep gashes onto Law's heart and bringing forth seemingly distant memories of when he would call him 'Torao' and when he would argue with Luffy over that ridiculous nickname he had given him, thinking about how it was less than two weeks ago and he realizes that you really don't fucking recognize happiness when you're living right in the middle of it, only after reality comes down on you is when you begin to long for what you've taken for granted until that point.
''Stand up'' he orders, nothing else coming out of his mouth. He can't even decide what he thinks or how he feels, let alone form it into words. There's a story to be told and thought over first.
Luffy takes the first step towards Law, wobbling on his legs, and Law catches a glimpse of fresh tears in his eyes. The boy moves to hug him but he swats his hands away, the action killing something inside of him – that touch is something he craved the minute he stepped out of the walls of the castle, but he can still taste the bitter betrayal and the underlying anger that won't disappear just from a tear-soaked face, even if the heartbroken expression belongs to his dearest.
The sheds of broken trust are bedded in his heart as an ugly reminder of how he's been betrayed, the ache is enough to maintain his anger.
He turns his back to Luffy as the teen lets out hideous, heart-wrenching but most of all honest sobs, motioning for him to follow. He doesn't need to look back to know that the boy is following him, listening to his sniffles and whines is all he needs to be able to tell.
Once inside of his chamber, away from prying eyes and eavesdropping, he immediately pushes Luffy against a wall. His control is crumbling, like a dam about to be overflowing with water.
''Why did you do this?'' he asks, demands. It isn't just Luffy's; his hands are trembling too, his precision long lost.
''I-'' he begins, stopped by the big stream of tears rolling down on his cheeks.
He shakes the boy, probably gripping his arms painfully tight but at that moment he's too caught up in anger and everything else he's feeling to bother with that. ''Answer me, Luffy''
'' I just- Ace was – he's – "
His raging emotions come to a dangerously sudden halt when the name sinks in. It feels like having cold water poured on him, like all those unbearably intense emotions finally tear down the dam and are flowing freely now, the flood destroying everything in its path.
Portgas D. Ace. Who was he to Luffy? How would they know each other?
Then it clicks. They're both from Bateriella.
Luffy's way too upset for them to be just acquaintances.
Could it be?
Were they something more?
Lovers perhaps?
The thought itself is enough to have his expression darken. ''Luffy'' he says, impatiently, ready to rip off even his head. ''Who was he to you?''
The boy whimpers, pathetically, snot mixing with his tears. ''He's- Ace's- dead'' he takes a rattling breath that's painful to hear, ''he's- gone… he left- left me''
Something snaps inside him after that, betrayal and growing jealousy bringing him to do something he regrets the very moment he does it. His hand rises automatically and comes down on Luffy's wet cheek. For a moment, everything is silent, Luffy's crying comes to a stop from shock, the only sound heard is the loud slap as his hand makes contact with Luffy's cheek.
His head turns to the side on its own, jaw slack whether from trying to breathe through his mouth or from the shock Law cannot tell. Luffy looks at him then with wide eyes, tears once again falling from them, and he stares back with equally wide eyes, panting, exhausted as the typhoon of emotions is starting to calm down, leaving shame behind.
He just hit Luffy. He wants to cut down his filthy arm that he has laid on his beloved.
He cups Luffy's face, suddenly fearing losing his lover. He's gone too far. He brushes his thumbs over the wet, round cheeks carefully, like he is touching the most delicate porcelain, wordlessly apologizing. ''Do you even understand what you have done? Why did you do that? Why did you betray me?'' he asks, begs to know what he's done to deserve this. His voice is soft and higher than usual.
Their foreheads are almost touching now, Law can feel Luffy's breath on his face. ''My brother..I tried to help him…he's dead, Ace's dead-'' Luffy hiccups, threatening to hyperventilate again.
''Your brother? Portgas D. Ace is your brother?'' he asks, letting go of Luffy, his rational part taking over. There wasn't any information on Portgas having a little brother.
Luffy nods weakly, looking a bit calmer. His lips still quiver though as he tries to fight back another round of excruciating sobbing.
Law makes sure he looks Luffy dead in the eye during his next question, forcing himself not to be affected by the blinding pain there. ''Who are you?''
The teen instantly stiffens, hesitates to answer him. His eyes dart from side to side as if he was looking for an escape route, and when Law thinks he's going to sprint to the window and jump out from the third floor, Luffy relaxes and holds his gaze with a determined, defiant look that finally reminds him of his Luffy; the one he has fallen in love with. ''Monkey D. Luffy''
His eyes widen; he knows the name Monkey, knows it all too well, though he still clings to the slight hope that it isn't true in the end. This would only make things even more complicated. ''As in…?'
''Son of Archduke Monkey D. Dragon, prince of Goa'' Luffy replies automatically like he's spent his entire life repeating this sentence over and over. Albeit his tone could be called bored even, Law doesn't miss the way Luffy plays with his fingers as an outlet for his nervousness.
''That explains a lot, doesn't it?'' he notes, keeping it ironically nonchalant.
It's just turned out that that he's been keeping his lover's brother captive for months. That very brother, a very important prisoner of war, just died. It also turns out that his lover just happens to be the son of the man who started the whole war and whom he has sworn to kill for the sake of his country.
He's way too shocked to react properly, if there's any way at all to have a decent answer to this situation other than 'well shit' or any high vocabulary phrase like that. He supposes he's doing a rather good job at handling it, not counting the headache that will without doubt tackle him soon. This won't be pretty, he can already tell that much.
''Still'' he begins when a thought occurs to him, ''There aren't any papers of you or Portgas having siblings. Nothing indicates you two are related. You even have different names.''
''Blood doesn't matter!'' Luffy almost yells, vehemently. Must be a sensitive topic, Law thinks.
''It doesn't'' he agrees easily, but he actually means it.
It's silent after that, save for the occasional sniffs of Luffy. Law notices that he still looks like he could burst into tears at any given moment, which is completely understandable. He shouldn't hold it back, it doesn't do any good for him; it isn't healthy.
''I-I didn't mean to..betray you..it's just-'' Luffy hiccups, not being able to fight down the urge to cry any longer ''After I heard that..he's down there.. I just couldn't…leave him there…I needed to..needed to do something..''
Law really has to concentrate hard to make out anything the sobbing, distorted mess is saying. He would tell him that it doesn't matter, that he doesn't have to force himself to say anything but he's aware that it's better out of his system now than be bottled up and carried around like a heavy border in his heart and explode weeks, months, years later.
Regardless of that, he still feels a thorn inside of him, nagging and stinging persistently with the turn of events. It wouldn't be fair under any circumstances to make Luffy choose between Law and his family, but after this had happened, Law feels bitter that he lost.
He knows it's the last things he should be concerned about, and definitely the last to bring up as Luffy's hurting enough, he's well aware of that. But it's not that he can help feeling this way.
''B-but.. I- I wanted to stay..with you.. and I was just gonna- let him out..and come back- I didn't mean to betray-''
''What do you call it then?'' he snarls, getting seriously angry now, again. Luffy planned to make a fool out of him. He does not particularly like to be fooled.
Luffy leaps forward and grabs his mantle, clutching the material desperately. ''I.. wanted to'' hiccup, ''to stay..together..because I.. I love you..''
And there's the magic word that lost its power before it was used even once, going stale after a long time of storing – love. He wants to believe in the sweet lie as he would have done before he left for that fucking parliamentary sitting, but he finds himself unable to. The words feel empty now.
He doesn't answer, doesn't manage to say anything, yet he has so much he wants to say. He doesn't take Luffy in his arms either.
The teen looks at him with wide, hurt eyes, and he takes in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before his temper gets the better of him and he does something he will surely regret later.
''Law…you have to…please…''
Law grabs his wrists, one in each hand. ''I have to what? Believe you? After this? After you-''
'' You don't-'' the teen presses, looking pathetic. Watching him Law doesn't see the man that he has fallen for, he doesn't even know who this person in front of him is. Luffy feels like a complete stranger at the moment. He's more disappointed and sad than angry now.
Luffy's head hurts, his eyes are burning and there's a persistent ache in his heart, his body wants to direct his hands there from Law's clothing but he's afraid to let go, as if the touch is the last thing still connecting them. He has never been good with words, maybe if he was things would look better now. If he could properly express himself and get his message, his feelings across maybe Law could forgive him.
''I love you..'' he whispers, a bit disheartened after the look of disbelief on Law's face when he first told him that. His voice is thin but nothing truer has ever left his lips before, and being the terrible liar he is he hardly tells lies.
''Do you?'' Law asks in a dangerously low tone, squeezing his wrists a little.
Luffy tears his hands out of his painful hold, though instead of lowering them he cups Law's face firmly and pulls him down, standing on his tiptoes to reach his lips. He's desperate and Law's rough, the position is uncomfortable as he's leaning on his toes too heavily even through the fabric of boots, but Law keeps him in place with a hand on the back of his head gripping his hair.
It isn't really painful, it's just a reminder of what Law could do if he wanted to, it's a bit like a warning on Law's part perhaps, at least that's what Luffy thinks. He doesn't really get what Law wants from him, but judging by their fierce kiss he'll take a guess.
Surprisingly, it's Law who pulls away first, and Luffy just leans on his broad chest and hugs him after he is able to stand steadily again, sighing a little when Law's arms wrap around him. His voice gets stuck in his throat as his hands slide down to his ass and Law grabs his cheeks teasingly. His body arches into the touch slightly, his mouth opens for an almost soundless gasp and he can feel heat crawling under his skin.
Law hands wander further until they rest on the back of Luffy's thighs, letting Luffy know that he wants to pick him up with a squeeze. He easily does so, Luffy coiling his legs around his waist as the older man seals their mouth together again. He barely notices being carried to the bed, what pulls him out of the trance is his next sober thought when his back hits the mattress; they shouldn't be doing this.
It brings a pang of guilt as company. Ace is still in the back of his mind, the memory too fresh to leave him even for a moment but his body enjoys the attention Law's giving him, craves for his touches. He's ashamed of himself, feels filthy for wanting this, he could be going at it next to his brother's corpse and he would get the same results. His eyes are tearing up at the thought.
A small moan leaves his mouth and even he can't tell if it's from guilt or from the heavenly feeling of Law sucking on a spot just behind his ear, and he just rakes his fingers through Law's hair. He really likes it, Law's hair, it's black with a tint of blue that's only seen when the strands move a bit and the sun rays hit them from just the right angle. It's soft, unlike his own coarse mess of hair.
Law's hands sneak under his shirt, moving up his side teasingly, brushing the area around his nipple with his thumbs, and then rubbing the skin on his hipbones. He tugs at Law's coat, frustrated with the heavy layers of clothes his body's hidden under, without breaking their heated kiss.
Law sits back on his heels to get out of his clothes, starting with the mantle. He buttons down his long coat next, and Luffy's left alone lying on the bed for long enough to wonder if this is really a good idea. Even he knows it isn't, but every thought of backing out flies out the window when Law's shirtless body appears in front of him as if reading his mind. He can't help staring, fascinated with the contrast of the curves of black ink against his pale skin – his grandfather would surely say it mars his body, in Luffy's opinion though, it's only adorning.
Minutes later they're both stark naked, but it couldn't be soon enough. The skin on skin contact feels good, warm and exciting; it summons the foreign feeling of want in Luffy that only gets more apparent as his cock stiffens. Law kisses his way down from his collarbone to his abdomen, sucking on the skin just below his navel, above where the trail of hair begins.
Law leans back only to grab Luffy's legs on the back of knees, one in each hand, forcing him to spread his legs wide enough for him to fit in between. Not that Luffy needed much forcing to do that, and that only adds to the embarrassment to being exposed like that. It's weird to him, this whole embarrassment thing, he never has been self-conscious about his body but the way Law's looking at him at the moment, he can feel his face burning from it.
Luffy's squirming a bit as Law's hot mouth kisses his inner thigh, slowly drawing nearer to his crotch, his goatee tickling his skin. He thinks for a moment, hopes, that Law might take him into his mouth, but the man sticks to teasing him, the feathering touches of his fingers and his mouth effectively driving Luffy insane. He whines; he's hard now, painfully so.
''Please, Law'' he urges and he thanks the heavens when Law grabs him by his hips and turns him around so that he's lying on his stomach.
He hides his face in a pillow as Law slides his fingers between his cheeks, running them over his entrance, adding a little pressure, as if testing him. He doesn't breach him, it isn't unpleasant but not entirely comfortable either – it's too dry for that. Still, the feeling sends his mind reeling, thoughts and lewd images of what is going to happen filling him, replacing every coherent thought he had.
He misses the probing digits the moment they're gone, even more so when he can feel his cheeks being pulled apart. If he was embarrassed lying naked with his legs spread, he lacks the vocabulary to what he feels when he's lying in front of Law naked, with his hole exposed for the world to see.
There's Law's hot breath against his entrance and he can't stop a high pitched whine from escaping his lips when he feels something dripping on him. One finger enters him then, and Luffy doesn't have a better word to describe it than 'new'. Albeit it feels just exactly like a finger shoved up his ass, surprisingly, it doesn't hurt. It's only one knuckle deep inside, or so Luffy thinks, and Law moves it around in circles to get him used to the feeling.
He adds a second finger, stretching him further. He doesn't go deep this time either, stimulating the initial ring of muscle until Luffy stops tensing up every time he pushes into him. When Law deems Luffy prepared, he replaces his middle and index finger with his thumbs, only breaching until the nail, once again doing that dirty, embarrassing thing and Luffy can't help but moan, wanting more of the fingers that are barely teasing his sensitive flesh now.
Despite his obvious, raw want there's shame pooling in his gut, he feels like Law can see through him. It makes him a bit uncomfortable. Then Law spits inside of him, warm saliva moisturizing him and Luffy's really turned on, wiggling his hips, wanting something to finally happen. ''Law'' he cries, muffled by the pillow he's burying his face in.
''I'm putting it in'' Law says, pressing a kiss to the small of Luffy's back, his husky tone and lips pressed on the small of Luffy's back sending shivers down on his spine.
Luffy's heart is beating fast, frantically, ominous anticipation twisting in his gut as Law shuffles behind him. He gasps as he feels the tip of Law's cock against his entrance, nudging him slightly. He needs to remind himself to breathe, because air is a necessity even though he has more urgent things to worry about, like Law's cock that slid inside of him in one shift movement.
A moan gets stuck in his throat, a barely audible whine is the only sound leaving him. He can't move, not even from the source of pain - and he's thankful that Law isn't moving either-, he's just lying and panting. Once his muscles relax he realizes that it isn't really painful, only the intrusion was sudden. It's a strange feeling, being filled up like that, but it most definitely isn't that bad although he can't call it pleasant either.
Law pulls back a little, pushing back a moment later a little deeper than he did at the beginning. Luffy groans, apparently not being as stretched as he originally thought, trying his hardest not to clench his muscles again, what little friction his cock gets from Law's thrust pushing him into the mattress barely keeping him distracted, only enough for him not to lose his erection.
The thrusts are slowly forming an even rhythm, nothing too fast or hard but Luffy notices that Law's subtly going deeper with each in and out movement. The slide is easier now that his insides remembers the shape of Law's cock, and he's getting used to the feeling of being filled up like that. Law's hands are on his hips, pulling him up, and while Luffy has a feeling that they're meaning to urge him to raise his ass higher he ignores them.
''On your knees'' Law orders him, more impatient now.
''No'' he says back, finding that pose too embarrassing, too dirty. He doesn't know what he wants though; he doesn't want to be on all fours but he doesn't want Law to see his face either. He's doing just fine at the moment, or more like Law is doing him just fine at the moment.
''Luffy'' Law warns, clearly not amused, letting Luffy know with a particularly deep thrust. Luffy moans, his voice high and wrecked, and holy shit, whatever Law did is really fucking amazing.
''Law'' he says back, tone completely different, one that clearly shows that the owner has his head in the clouds. It's not even far from what he feels, he thinks he would be willing to do anything Law asks him to do. He wiggles his hips a little, trusting his body language to communicate what he wants, not finding it in himself to beg to be fucked harder.
''Is that so?'' Law chuckles, dark and breathless. ''Turn around, then''
The older man leans back, not leaving any space for arguments as he pulls out of him and Luffy makes a noise of displeasure, obviously not happy with the sudden empty feeling. He gasps as Law grabs his hips again, manhandling him until he's lying on his back. Law has each of his legs in one hand again, holding them by the back of knee so that his heels are hanging in the air, and he's spread open and ready to be fucked.
Much to his delight, Law doesn't waste any time with putting his cock where it should be, right inside his ass. He's resting a little too much of his weight on Luffy's legs, almost completely leaning on him – Luffy's thighs and knees are touching his chest now.
The new pose is a bit uncomfortable, for his legs at least; it doesn't take a lot of time for them to feel heavy and tired, but Law's doing him just good so he won't complain. He doubts that any sensible word could squeeze itself through his loud pants and moans anyway.
He feels Law's lips on his, and his tongue in his mouth. The kiss is rough and messy with teeth crashing together, and Luffy has a feeling that Law's still angry. When they break apart, he looks Law in the eye, a little timid of what he's going to find there. It might have been one of the reasons he wanted to stay lying on his stomach where they can't see each other's expression.
Beads of sweat glisten on his forehead, or roll down his temple, his mouth is opening and closing as he grunts breathlessly. The sight alone is a big turn on even if he seems a bit crazy like that, except for his eyes. He looks tormented; Law's amber orbs are darkened, lust and lingering anger creating a dangerous mix of emotions.
He hurt Law, he knows that all too well. He never intended to but he still managed to fuck things up and royally at that. All of sudden, it's hard to breathe, not from the heavy use his body at the moment, but from the suffocating wave of guilt.
He hurt Law and let down Ace, yet Law's here and he didn't… didn't leave him. He may not have forgiven him just yet, but he's willing to try at least and that's the only thought Luffy can cling onto. His eyes are burning.
He doesn't have the slightest clue what he would do if he lost Law too.
''Luffy.'' he hears and he cracks his eyes open, blurrily seeing Law above him. He didn't notice that he closed them in the first place. His legs are lowered down and Law's hands come up to cup his face, Law leaning down to press his lips against Luffy's cheek. ''You want to stop?'' he asks, slowing down his rhythm.
''No'' he says, wrapping his arms around Law' neck. He bucks his hips up a little, his body still longing for Law's touch despite the mental state he's in.
''You sure?'' Law murmurs into his ear, nibbling on his earlobe. He pulls back to look at Luffy's face to watch his response, making Luffy loosen his hold on him.
''It's good, c'mon, move'' he whines, raising his hands in front of his eyes. The tears are flowing uncontrollably, and he's fucking tired of it. He shouldn't even be able to cry after all the time he spent crying during the past day – days if his sense of time is still functioning well.
''Touch yourself'' Law whispers as he resumes his previous pace. He forces Luffy's arms away from his face, watching Luffy with a concerned expression. Then he kisses him, trying to convey his caring with that one gesture and Luffy can't help the small smile that finds its way to his lips.
He takes Luffy's hand into his and leads it down in between their bodies until they reach Luffy's cock. ''It'll be better'' he says, moving their hands up and down on the shaft, and Luffy moans at how incredible the cock pounding into his ass and the stroking hand on his cock feel. He barely notices when Law pulls his hand back to lean on it, leaving Luffy to do the work himself.
Pressure that has steadily built up in him slowly becomes too much, and it's nothing like when he's jerking off alone, there's Law's body on his, skin on skin and it's all alive. He wants more of it, even though Law's already going at a fairly fast pace.
His hand leaves his cock, albeit it's hard to do so when it felt so good, and circles his arms around Law's shoulders. He runs his hands down on his back -digging his nails into Law's skin a bit while doing so- until they rest on Law's ass. ''Harder'' he asks, and much to the older man's surprise he jerks his hands towards himself, pulling Law closer so that he's leaning on his lower arm.
A long, drawn-out moan leaves his lips as Law accidentally goes too deep inside of him. He welcomes the pain because he's fucked just the right way, the way his body craves it. Thankfully Law gets the hint and starts to go harder, deeper. It hurts, the thrusts that are only slicked by Law's long since dried spit, but it still feels amazing, better than anything he has ever done.
Law's movements are slowly becoming more and more uncoordinated, though he still tries to aim and Luffy's aware that he should appreciate it, but at the moment he's far too gone to form any coherent thought. He just wants to, needs to cum.
His body stills as the tension becomes too much and he's coming, back arching, heels digging into the mattress and head thrown back into the pillow, his mouth open for a silent scream but no sound escapes him. When he comes back to his senses only then does he notice that Law has already pulled out of him and there's something warm still inside of him, something that isn't solid but more liquid like.
His face is burning again, or is still burning from sex – he hasn't regained his breath just yet either. He really needs to clean himself up but his body feels too heavy and his eyelids have to be forced open for him to stay conscious. He can't sleep though, not when there's something, someone missing.
Law's already getting up and Luffy really doesn't want that. He manages to grab his tattooed hands before he had a chance to stand up. ''Stay with me…'' he asks, voice a little raspy. He must have been pretty loud, he thinks.
''I need some air'' Law says quickly and Luffy doesn't like it a bit. He's not a whore or to be treated like one.
There must be something on his face that gives away his thoughts, because Law concedes. ''I'll stay till you fall asleep.''
His hands tangle in Luffy's coarse, slightly damp hair, absently massaging his scalp even though the boy is already asleep. He's tired, his muscles are sore from sheer exhaustion and the warm body on his side looks very promising, the soft covers are inviting and yet sleep avoids him, his mind is still reeling.
Luffy lost his trust and has yet to gain it back, but he has forgiven him. He's willing to give him one more chance and he'll tell Luffy so too. He doesn't want their relationship to end, thus they need to sit down and have a nice, long chat - it should have been done in Bateriella at the very beginning, he sees that now.
The revelation of Luffy's family came as a huge shock and he still isn't over it – he already knows it will bring so much trouble, would possibly put his head on the line even. He's basically hiding the heir of Goa, the strongest area of East, he realizes. If words spread he would have both the revolutionary army and the imperials after him and the Northern Kingdom.
His hands shake a bit as he gets out of bed and rakes them through his hair to keep them occupied. He dresses quickly, hosen, boots and cyclas without a shirt under it, the material hanging loose as no belt keeps it tight around his waist. He leaves the chamber without a sound, not that Luffy was an easy person to wake up but he won't take any chances.
He wants some space to think, be alone with nothing that could distract him from his thoughts, and despite that he finds himself at the lounge room near Penguin's chambers where they often spend their time talking. He isn't disappointed as his friend is sitting on one of the red velvet sofas, the only sound heard is the cracking of fire coming from the fireplace.
They don't talk at first, Penguin waiting for Law to approach the matter on his own and Law trying to figure out how to voice his thoughts, how to break the news. He knows that his friend will be freaked out about Luffy and would try to convince him to get rid of him as soon as possible.
He sits down opposite to Penguin, looking around as if he's in the room for the first time. His fingers tap against the armrest absently, a bad habit he doesn't like when other people do but he's too agitated to really register doing it.
''I don't think I've ever seen you this slovenly'' Penguin notes, signaling that he's been observed in his own world for too long. Law doesn't have anything to say to that, he doesn't think he can be blamed for not looking neat after the painfully long day he has managed to get through.
''Luffy's the prince of Goa'' he says as nonchalantly as he can, his false smirk in place as he talks. The look of astonishment and disbelief all he needs to continue. ''You heard it right – he's Dragon's son. Portgas was his adopted brother.''
Silence. Suffocating, long silence. The pattern of the ornament wallpaper seems to move a bit as the chandelier casts light on it, and it's actually reflecting his own wavering emotions pretty well – the springing shadows are like the nagging, little voice in his head – the one that tells him not to trust Luffy.
They both are just his mind playing tricks on him, or so he hopes.
'' So what.. are you going to do? Send him to Marijoes?'' Penguin asks after the shock has worn out enough to have his brain working again.
He frowns, his every fiber protesting against giving Luffy into the hands of the capital's louses. '' I got a better idea.''
Something must have given him away as Penguin looks wary, not of him but whatever is going to leave his lips. A shit eating grin plays on his lips as he leans forward so that he rests his elbows on the table and says, ''I'll stop the war with Luffy's help''
''What are you planning?'' Penguin asks, leaning forward too, obviously intrigued yet a little scared. His breath has picked up some, Law can tell.
''He'll play the hostage and we'll see how important his son is to Dragon'' he says and Penguin groans, but doesn't object.
Things between him and Luffy are a bit weird now, for a lack of better term – their first time wasn't exactly supposed to be like this, but he doesn't regret it and he doesn't think Luffy regrets it either. Luffy clings to him almost desperately, but maybe it's understandable that he wants comfort, losing a sibling after all is not an easy thing to go through, he knows that.
Perhaps it's just him who feels weird, it might be just the uneasiness from what he's about to lay on Luffy. Law brings the matter up to Luffy a few days later, after they got ready for the day and had breakfast.
He honestly hasn't expected Luffy to agree immediately but surely hasn't expected such vehement refusal either.
''You will play it for me, won't you?'' Law begins, leaning in for a kiss. Much to Luffy's frustration, Law stops before his lips reach their destination, grazing Luffy's as he mumbles. ''To stop this pointless war''
''It isn't-'' he starts, indignant, but doesn't get further because Law cuts him off with slipping his tongue inside his mouth that has been opened to protest. He melts into it, always does, weak when it comes to the Duke's kisses and Law uses that for his advantage.
''Think about it'' Law whispers after he pulled back slightly, caressing Luffy's cheeks. One would think that with the way he's talking about politics his mind is focused on a similar topic but the way Law's eyes are fixed on his lips tells otherwise. Luffy looks like he can barely fight off a smug grin at that. He doesn't care though, as long as he can get Luffy to yield consent.
''No'' Luffy answers firmly, face hardening as they're back on the topic. ''We will-''
''Why shed more blood for a lost war?'' he cuts in, dropping his hand. They're standing in front of each other and Law has to look down to Luffy, courtesy of their height difference – it might be beneficial with anyone else, but Luffy isn't the kind of person who would be intimidated by something as mundane as that.
''It is not lost!'' Luffy says, raising his voice and crossing his arms, his face flushed by anger. ''More and more people are joining – we'll take down the Celestials and be free!''
''You don't have enough men or equipment-''
''We will have! Capone, for instance, is interested and-''
''That was before you lost the South!'' Luffy looks like he wants to object, but Law continues, ''Goa and Bateriella were the main forces you had – with Bateriella out of the picture there's nothing left. This war is nothing more than an agrarian riot now! You're mistaken if you think anyone would help you now!''
Luffy's taken aback, and Law can see a hairline crack in his determination. He just has to rip it further now. ''East isn't the only one enslaved, I'm sure people will-''
''People will not do anything until you show them accomplishment! Everybody wants the Celestials out of the way, yet they're still in power and have been for the last nine hundred years! Do you want to know why?'' he asks, not really expecting an answer or waiting for one for that matter.
The boy just looks at him with wide eyes, his previously crossed arms now dropped and fist balled. He's angry, if the anger is directed at him or the empire's forces is beyond him. He ignores it though, caught up with the argument.
''It's because no one is foolish enough to directly cross them! They've carefully built up their tyranny on blood and fear! No one will join you if you don't give them proof that you'll win – the consequences are too dire to risk it!'' he finishes, a bit out of breath. He didn't think he would be so carried away that he'll have his own monologue.
''Are you saying this was all in vain? The blood, the sacrifices, the massacre, everything?'' Luffy asks, his voice not above a whisper and Law wonders if he should have voiced it less harshly. Silent anger is the worst anger, like the calm before storm – it never means any good.
He cups Luffy's face, hesitates while doing so, and fortunately Luffy lets him touch him. ''Not yet'' he says softly. He kisses Luffy in a silent apology. ''The uprising caused quite the trouble, but it was doomed the moment Bateriella has fallen. You should stop now, while you have a chance to get out of this relatively well'' His hands wrap around Luffy's waist while he tells him that.
''What about the people? About my people.. they're starving, this is why the war was started in the first place, because they can't pay those taxes, I can't just..''
"I'm not saying it is rightful'' Law soothes him, rubbing circles on his back. ''You're just approaching it the wrong way. Violence is inevitable but you can't reach everything with sheer power, you mustn't jump into everything head-first. Think first. Negotiate. Everything is not lost just yet, you can still gain from it - that little act will solve everything.''
''I don't want to deceive them'' Luffy mutters, all too familiar obstinacy making room for itself. Where had he seen it before? Was it Garp maybe?
Garp. Monkey D. Garp. Previous Archduke of Goa. Father of Monkey D. Dragon. Luffy's grandfather. It all makes sense now.
A morbid picture of an old Luffy that shows a gruesome resemblance to Garp pops up in his head and he needs all of his willpower not to physically recoil, and that's when he forces his thoughts back before it could wander further into that direction.
He suppresses a sigh at the expressed stubbornness, reminding himself to be patient and persistent.
''It's for their own good'' he whispers, pressing a kiss to the crown of Luffy's head and his hold on him tightens a bit to reassure him. The boy whines a little and nuzzles his nose into the crook of his neck. It tickles.
''I love you'' Law says, and while he really does love him it doesn't mean he can't use these feelings to achieve his goal and make Luffy see things in his way.
Luffy makes a noise of surprise and pushes himself away from Law's chest to look him properly in the face. ''Do you..?''
''I do'' he replies, sporting a soft, loving smile only Luffy has the privilege to see. It feels foreign on his face but in a way it feels like it belongs right there, when Luffy is with him, that is.
The boy's expression turns into one of absolute happiness, for a moment the lingering shadows of agony are gone, giving back his pure light. Law suddenly feels like he's looking directly into the sun, but that still doesn't explain the tingling feeling in his chest.
They kiss again, who closed the last inches between their lips unknown, and it's sweet and long, just the way it feels right. He looks deep into Luffy's dark eyes, happy to find his own feelings reciprocated there.
''Think about it'' he repeats himself from earlier, letting go of Luffy only to take his smaller hands into his, playing with his fingers.
Luffy takes a deep breath. ''Alright'' he says and pulls his hands out of Law's hold to place his right fist into his left palm. ''Let's do it.''
He sends a herald to Mariejois the same day and gives out the order to prepare the East wing's tower and to make it livable. It's been used as a storage room for the past few years, thus it's quite dusty and the air is confined but it's nothing that the opening of the windows and a thoroughly cleaning wouldn't solve, or so he thinks as he's never stood in the need of doing either of these.
It's about a week later that a carriage from Mariejois is reported from the frontier guards. As it seems they underestimated the North and got stuck in the snow - serves the fools' right, Law thinks with a sardonic snort.
It's very tempting to pretend not to have heard about them and gauge how capable they are of surviving and setting an example with their death, just to get the message through that the North isn't to be crossed ways with. He's aware though, that this is no time for petty power-plays; later on, he's sure an even better opportunity is to come.
He sends a few stronger men and the dogs to help them in case things really get out of control, albeit he's reluctant to jeopardize the lives of his own men for a few fools he can't stand anyway. It might not sound pretty, and first of all he would like to point out that he does care about his men and values life, but the dark, brooding thoughts disappear the same moments Luffy's weight appears on his lap, leaving only a comfortable, warm feeling.
They're seated on a velvet chair in his study, Luffy faces him and straddles Law's legs, his calves pressed flush against the armrest. ''Time to get into the act'' he says, rubbing circles into Luffy's hips with his thumbs.
''Don't wanna'' Luffy pouts. Under the adorable surface though, he's nervous, the restless jolting of his legs against Law's legs is a dead giveaway.
He cranes his neck so that their lips can meet and he kisses the boy to get him to calm down a bit. ''It'll be alright, you hear me?''
He doesn't look too convinced of that and Law rubs their noses together, at last earning a smile. Now that's something that fits together with his sunny personality, and over the course of the last few weeks it's become close to a scarcity, to see that honest, lively grin on his boyish face without any clouds tainting it.
Luffy lays his head on his shoulder and Law rubs his back, neither of them breaking the silence, only quietly enjoying the intimacy they won't get to have in the near future for a few minutes. He sighs as he realizes that they really don't have time for this, when the delegate could arrive at any given moment.
He nudges Luffy off of him and says ''Go now, Jean Bart and another guard must already be waiting for you upstairs''
To say that Luffy likes his new, temporary chamber would be a lie – the whole tower-room ordeal sounds a lot better than it is in reality. It's neat, clean and the air is fresh, the beige color that dominates the room shouldn't be depressing but Luffy finds it as such. It's really lonely there, and while he understands that it's kind of the point of detaining someone there, it doesn't make it any easier to bear. He isn't good with sitting in one place for long.
He drapes one fur duvet over his shoulder, absently stroking the soft fur where the end of it hangs off from his shoulder to his chest. Albeit he can't really tell what kind of animal it had been once, he knows Law well enough to claim that it's a good piece.
He's heard about the value fur possesses in this area – some rumors even said slaves are cheaper than quality fur, so he's going to appreciate that Law has given him three of them, not counting the three wool duvet.
First he thought that it was a little too much, that he overdid himself with the worrying - after all, the room seemed to have a bearable temperature at that point when he only spent a few minutes in there. Now though, he thinks that it's a pity that it's physically impossible to put all those duvets on him – he's cold. This part of the castle isn't connected to either of the chimneys and it had been thoroughly ventilated not too long ago, and the temperature is only a little above freezing point.
He's fine at the moment, being dressed up warmly and covered with thick duvets, but whenever he makes a movement and the material moves it's cold where the air hits him, even the covers feel unpleasant where they hadn't been warmed up. He would rather dip in a hotspring and that says a lot.
His suffering doesn't end here, sadly - he's still assigned to make an appearance at dinner, and that's when he meets the noble from the capital. He has a defined, square jaw with an X-shaped scar on top of it and he's called X-Drake if Luffy remembers correctly. His first reaction, or more like question is that if the man would be called Y-Drake if his scar was Y-shaped instead of X, but even he has enough manners not to blurt it out.
Though the stern look Law gives him when he giggles may have a part in that.
''Shut up'' Law mouths from next to the man he's making fun of at the moment, and it only makes him want to laugh more while the brown haired, bulky noble looks confused by his behavior, looking at Law to see if he's missed something.
Law just keeps a straight face and X-Drake coughs a bit, catching his attention and finally getting the seriousness of the situation across.
The few minutes they talk are enough to remind Luffy of why he hates meeting with fellow nobles, he's a straightforward person and all the fake niceties, dry jokes and polite chitchats frankly drive him insane. He isn't and has never been one to care about decorum and decencies though, much to his family's dismay.
Meals are normally things he looks forward to – he considers them the highlight of the day- but even they can lost their charms under all the responsibilities the ranks lay on him. Spoons and forks and knives – who has the time to use these? He's starving, he needs food and he needs that food now, and not only the utensils are overrated, they're just in the way.
Law's sitting at the head of the table as excepted and Luffy sits on the chair closest to him, probably being closer than they should have, though Law doesn't do anything that indicates that he should sit further from him. They probably feel the same way about that.
He can't help sneaking his right hand under the table and touching Law's calloused hand. Their fingers intertwine and they both allow one look at each other along with cheesy smile. A brief squeeze from Law is what it takes him to acknowledge that they can't stay like that the whole night, and that's when he pulls his hands back begrudgingly, getting back into character.
He's glad no one has noticed them, or so it seems. He thinks people would look at them weird if they were obvious, and everybody seems to mind their own business – food.
He is still unsure about what he does, this whole hostage-act, if it's a good idea to pull a stunt like that, but he trusts Law to know what he's doing and won't sweat over it. It'll work out in the end if Law says so.
He's escorted by his 'guards' when dinner's over, and he can feel eyes on him. It's not just a curious glance or an innocent check-out, it's a long, unnerving stare that bores holes into his nape. It would be for the best to ignore it, he knows that, but something inside him tells him not to do that, that he should turn around.
That little voice is an old friend of him, one that saved his ass on more than one occasion, so he listens to it and does turn around.
It isn't hard to spot the guard, given that he still hasn't turned away from him. There's something off about the man. While his face is mostly hidden under a helmet, Luffy notices small golden strands an all too familiar burn scar peeking out from underneath. His eyes widen as he stops in his track.
It's Sabo.
Their eyes stay locked and he takes a step forward, not believing his eyes, needing solid proof that it isn't just a trick his mind plays on him. Sabo shakes his head a bit, giving a warning look for him not to go any closer, and though his brain registers it – albeit barely – he doesn't care. He's seconds away from leaping into his direction, to touch, that see that he's real and that he isn't alone, that he still has Sabo with him.
A large, firm hand on his forearm that belongs to Jean Bart stops him from carrying out his plan. He looks at him, meeting with a worried gaze.
''This way, Your Grace'' he says, leading him away gently. He's not used to being called by his title here – Luffy is more than sufficient and he would prefer to be addressed as such. Still, at the moment, it isn't one of his main concerns.
Grudgingly, he complies, but he's unable to stop himself from looking back again. Sabo's still watching him.
''What was that?'' Jean Bart asks him when they're out of earshot.
He doesn't answer, his hands shake and his palms sweat even though the halls are cold, his voice lost and he scarcely hears him anyway over the buzzing in his ears. Sabo's here, what is he doing here, why is he wearing that uniform, where has he been all this time, why hasn't he contacted them, and thousand more question plays in his head, all waiting for answers.
''Your Grace''
He feels dread then. What if Sabo hates him now that he let down Ace, let him die. He wouldn't be dead if only he had left him alone, he would be still suffering in the jail but he would be alive and there would be hope for a happy ending. It's his fault, his alone and he would never be able to properly atone for the fact that he's responsible for his brother's death.
''Luffy'' he hears and looks at Jean Bart. It's uncharacteristic of him, to forget about the formalities, although it's a welcomed change. '' What's wrong?''
''I..'' he begins, his voice too weak to be above a whisper. ''I know…I know him..'', he forces out finally.
''Who?'' Jean Bart asks back, obviously confused. '' Who do you know?''
''He's there..Sabo..''
''Who's Sabo?'' the man presses, wondrously still able to maintain his patience.
''Sabo. My brother'' he replies, fully prepared for the loads of questions to come.
''Your brother? Are you sure?'' he asks with disbelief. ''Here? In Flevance?''
''That's what I'm telling you! He's the guard I was looking at! Sabo is here!'' he emphasizes the last word with a stomp to get his point across.
Jean Bart looks flabbergasted for a moment, but quickly composes himself. ''Law has know about this'' he speaks, guiding Luffy up with a hand on his upper back, silently urging him to go faster.
