Short as heck chapter again, I am sorry. I spent a good part of my day at the DMV and it has sucked out my soul basically, all for a stupid replacement license. But yeah, this is my day off and will be my only day off for about a week and a half, so I wanted to upload this despite being short.
Fingertips linger over the corner, trailing rough and calloused along the edge of a sketchbook—an old, faded memoir that was tucked underneath Law's coffee table. Coffee beans stretch throughout the air, while windows are cracked, so nicotine and rain mix in the atmosphere. Luffy sucks in a deep breathe through his nose; he can smell the trees, smell wet grass and soppy dirt, and he can also smell the slow burning cherry of Law's cigarette. One of his hands leaf through Law's old sketchbook, filled to the brim with abstract and realism, while the other hand is buried in Bepo's thick mane of fur. The dog took immediately to Luffy, wagging his tail at sixty miles per hour and panting out his enthusiastic greeting before settling down and snuggling up to Luffy on the couch as he and Law decided on a movie to watch.
Luffy curls his fingers, scratching behind Bepo's ear—Law sets two mugs of coffee down and they're hot enough to be steaming. Another page is turned, and Luffy blurts, "You're really good." And he's not lying. There are demons on these pages, flutters between the never-ending clouds, and cracks into other dimensions. Monochrome, but still a world filled with color.
A smile curls at Law's lips, tiny and beautiful. Mutters a small, "Thank you," that makes Luffy's heart clench. "I had a hard time deciding whether or not I wanted to study medicine or apprentice at a tattoo shop, but studying and drawing in my free time suffices well enough."
"Why not both?" Luffy leans forward, jostling Bepo from his nap, and absentmindedly notices that Law's couch is a dark brown (one of his favorite colors), muddled with white hairs. The mug is warm against his palm and his nose wrinkles up from the bitter taste, stinging in his throat and numbing his tongue.
There's a small twinkle of amusement in Law's eyes. The light from the television, where credits are rolling by, is cast off those eyes. "Maybe one day." Luffy takes another sip of his coffee, haphazardly burning his tongue again, while Law lets his cool. "After we finish, I should take you home. You still have homework, right?"
Luffy groans. Law should take him home, he really should, but Luffy really doesn't want to actually go home. He doesn't want this to end, he wants to stay with Law, and he certainly doesn't want to do his homework. "…Yeah," he relents.
The older man coughs to hide a chuckle, spine lax and slung forward to grab his cup. There's still a grin on his lips. "You should go to the library after you get out," he says. "I'll be there."
"Sure—but you have to help me with my homework!" It isn't anything new, but Luffy thinks this is the first time that Law has asked.
Their knees bump together. Law actually lets his laugh out—quiet and contained, but a laugh nonetheless—and gives a nod of consent. He has taken his beanie off after getting home, but the locks are still messy. "I was going to help you anyways," he repeats, steals Luffy's words.
The clock ticks slowly, second by second, and Luffy's eyes are glued to the incremental movement of its arms. The tip of his pencil is being tapped against his desk in time with every second past—he's already so antsy and it's only second period. Not that it's anything new; Luffy's ADHD keeps him from sitting still, always has. He squirms in his seat for the sixth time this hour, bringing his legs up to cross them, one knee tucked up with the edge of his desk jamming into his shin.
Usopp sneaks a look up from his paper—or well, from the doodle of an alien in the margins of his schoolwork. There's a band aide on his cheek, clashing with his dark complexion; he's clumsy, so there's almost always a bandage somewhere on his body. A curl is sprung from the rest of his hair contained with a ponytail and a single eyebrow cocked.
Luffy wonders how his friend can be so utterly unfocused and still maintain straight A's.
His voice is hushed underneath the bubble of silence, "What's up? You're squirming more than usual."
"Am I?" Luffy doesn't bother to quiet his voice into a whisper. It's just a study period—but who actually studies? Not Luffy. He hums, sole pattering in his chair. "'Dunno. Just want school to be out."
There's a snort dragged from Usopp's larynx and he begins to stencil a third eye smack-dab in the middle of his alien's forehead. Paired with the fangs and tentacles, it makes for a pretty terrifying extraterrestrial. "So, the same as every other school day?"
A small noise of agreement and a nod, maybe along with a discreet chortle. Luffy just isn't meant to be cooped up. No, he'd much rather be spending time with Law.
"I think I like someone," he says, conversationally. Casually, like he definitely doesn't think, but knows. Luffy likes someone. This is the first time he's said it out loud and his ears pulse and his mind reels because, wow, he likes someone.
Usopp chokes, maybe. Coughs around his spit. "You—- What?"
"I like someone." It's a little softer this time. The breath that was trapped in his throat is let out as a sigh. Wispy, and dancing as a tickle around his lips.
For some reason, he's happy but he also feels like he's been punched in the gut.