A/N: I think I was in lawlu hell when I wrote this.

Tags: Drama, Angst, Light Violence

Law Wants to Talk

"Why are you here again?"

Law's golden eyes burn into his own with such raw emotion that it nearly takes Luffy's breath away. Law has a tendency to do that. "You know why I'm here, Luffy."

"Bullshit," the teen seethes, crossing his arms. He's had enough of Mr. Trafalgar fucking Law. He could turn his pretty ass one eighty and walk right back down the hall for all he cared. "Leave me the hell alone, or I'm calling my brothers."

Something in the man's stance changes, from nonchalant to tense. "You know me and them, we don't get along."

"I'm aware."

Law makes a desperate sound in the back of his throat, looking positively hurt, and Luffy has to wrestle with every muscle in his body to not stare hard at the ground. "Then don't call them and just talk to me."

Absolutely not. Law would just guilt trip him into whatever sweet talk he has lined up for Luffy to hear. His endless drivel was what got him into this mess in the first place. Him and his smooth deep voice, his soft smiles, his touches-

Fuck.

Luffy runs tired hands up and down his face. Having Law here was not a good idea. He needed to leave now, before he ended up doing something he would inevitably regret.

"Luffy!" he hears Ace call from upstairs. "Who's at the door?"

Law meets his eyes then, wide and concerned, and he starts stepping back. Luffy swallows thickly and tries to ignore the hammering of his heart.

"Don't-" Law begins, but Luffy cuts him off.

"J- Just a friend," Luffy stutters loudly, turning his head slightly but not taking his gaze off the man before him. There's a slight pause from behind him.

"Don't take too long, Sabo needs your help with the dryer. It's acting up again, and it's all his fault."

"Damn it, Ace, it is not!"

There's a crash and several colorful curses after that, and Luffy grins despite himself. His brothers were his happiness, and even with Law here, they always put a smile on his face. When Luffy faces the door again, he sees a tender smile start to pull at Law's lips watching him, but it quickly evaporates. Luffy ignores the butterflies that shouldn't exist.

"This shit," Luffy says quietly, motioning between the two of them with a flimsy hand, "is over. Stop coming to this apartment, Law."

Law's expression falls. He opens his mouth and shuts it, then makes no further indication of responding. Luffy swears the guy is playing with him, blatantly ignoring his words like this.

"D'you hear me?" He tries again, glaring up at the man with all he has and then some. Law watches him steadily, that stupid expression of indifference of his face, full lips straightening, amber eyes seeming to congeal as he took his anger in, skin-

"What do we have here?" The sound of cracking knuckles sound just over his left shoulder.

"A fucker who thinks he's clever, I guess." There's a blur of sun kissed skin, and then Law is whirling backwards, holding his bloodied, broken nose.

Sabo and Ace stand behind him, no doubt glaring daggers into the man on the floor of the hallway. Law scowls over Luffy's shoulder. "Oh, it's you two." Despite sporting a fresh injury, his voice was steely cold.

The older brothers move Luffy out of the way, to the background, their large frames now taking up the entirety of the doorway. Something in Luffy's stomach hurls at the sight of it all, watching his ex and brothers about to...what exactly, he didn't know, but them being in each other's presence was never a good thing. He bites his bottom lip worryingly, wanting to reach out to his brothers and ask to let him handle Law, but he know they won't. He stamps down the urge and sighs. God, Law here was just adding gasoline to the fire he should've fucking put out long ago. He should've turned him away. He should've told him to fucking book it before his brothers came down. But...isn't that exactly what he did? It came to this because Law was just being his usual stubborn self.

He was always a little stubborn when it came to him.

Law wipes the blood from his nose and coughs wetly. He inhales deeply. "I'm-"

"Save it," Ace hisses, striking the doorframe with a fist. He narrows his eyes at Law. "Get your ass out of my sight."

Law seems to hesitate, looking past them to find Luffy, but Sabo steps in the way of his wandering gaze. "You come back here again, you're not getting away with just a bloody nose. Leave."

Law freezes at the cold threat, face slightly paling. He looked like a dejected puppy, Luffy thinks, with his dark hair hanging low in front of his eyes, shoulders hunched, blood drips on his white tee. Then he suddenly snaps up and finds his gaze, and Luffy's breath hitches against his will. "I'm sorry, Luffy."

Ace's expression crumples in disgust. "A little too late for that." His voice is dark and has that dangerous edge to it that suggested Law was about to get his shit rocked if he didn't get a move on.

"I swear to fuck I'll call the fucking police for trespassing if you don't get your sorry ass outta here," Sabo's all business and no bullshit, and Luffy knows that the threat is serious. Ace had a more explosive personality, and Sabo had a more collected one. They each were a force to be reckoned with on their own merit, but together, they were impenetrable.

And if their personalities switched, as it did now, then you might as well start counting your last seconds.

Silence eats at the four of them. Luffy is frozen to his spot a little ways into the apartment, walled away by his brothers from Law. The man on the other side indulges in the silence for a moment longer before he sighs, picks himself up along with what was left of his dignity, and leaves without another word. Sabo watches as he turns down the hall that led to the elevators, and when he steps back into the apartment, Ace slams the door shut.

"Fuck, Luffy, why didn't you tell us it was him who showed up?" Ace questions, hands on his hips. He didn't look mad, more so concerned. It etched itself deep into his eyes and made all of his limbs rigid with it.

Luffy doesn't have an answer to that. He isn't sure why he entertained Law at the door for more than half a second, either.

Something in his heart whispers otherwise, but he quickly tosses the possibility out of the window.

He did not have feelings. Not anymore, not ever again. He couldn't deal with it anymore, and his brothers were here to make sure of that.

But that didn't stop a minuscule tendril of annoyance to curl up his sides at the fact they they interrupted them. Just a small, almost unnoticeable shiver. Nothing else.

Sabo notices it. "Luffy…" he warns, coming close and holding his brother's face in his hands. "What are you thinking right now? You thinking of something, aren't you?"

Luffy can't deny it. His emotions always splayed easily on his face, and his brothers could always read him like a picture book. Sabo especially, the man could practically see into his mind at times. It was scary.

"I'm not," Luffy grabs the softs palms on his cheek with gentle hands and pulls downward. "I was just overwhelmed to see him standing there. I could've handled him myself."

Ace snorts but doesn't respond to that. Sabo searches his eyes for something, and Luffy felt as though he was getting dissected and looking under a microscope within his gaze. "What?"

"I believe you bro, but…" Sabo glances back to Ace, who's mouth is pulled into a tell-tale frown. "Remember, you got us if you need to deal with Law. You don't have to face him alone anymore."

Luffy steps away and gives his family a strained smile. "I know."

Sabo physically relaxes, but his face remained worried. Ace is the opposite- his expression clears, but his body still remained on edge.

"I'm glad," is all Ace murmurs, heading into the kitchen. "Come on, it's my turn to make dinner tonight. What do you all want?"

"Meat!" Luffy calls after him happily. "With three extra sides of meat!"

The air from before is gone, replaced by the lightheartedness that always circulated the three brothers. Luffy welcomed the change of pace with open arms- he'd stop thinking of Law and what he meant to accomplish by showing up there. Instead, he'd move onto more important endeavors, like what to eat for dinner.

Sabo shakes his head, chucking as he follows the two into the kitchen. "Luffy, that kid. He never changes. Why did Ace even bother to ask?"