A/N: So we're still alive (kinda!) And still working on the prompts we got… *checks* 4 months ago :D ehehehe. I did say we'd be slow at this!
This one comes from colliershoot: "I saw that other table being assholes and I wish more than anything I could make it better but I'm really awkward so instead I'll tip 100% AU" with LawLu, please? it's my otp :D
And can I just say this one got a little out of hand, but awkward Law is adorable.
Ripples in the Sea
100% (Lawlu)
Law leaned back in his seat with a look of contentment, the nearly empty plate in front of them a visual guide to the source of his satisfaction. "This," he said, nodding to the dishes on the table in front of them, "was an excellent idea. I'm glad you suggested it."
His sister smiled in response, eyes sparkling, though she couldn't answer because she was too busy working through her own food. Her agreement was clear, however, and Law returned her smile with one of his own. It had been nearly two weeks since his last night off, and when he'd suddenly found himself with a free evening after working three straight night shifts and a double before that, Lami had practically grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and insisted that they go out somewhere to eat. Since it had been nearly that long since his last trip to the store - which he desperately needed to do as one could only survive off of convenience store bento for so long - he'd readily agreed, and had suggested that she pick their destination.
He wasn't surprised when she chose the Baratie - although Law had never been there himself, finding it too out of the way from the hospital where he spent the majority of his days and nights, Lami had been raving about it ever since her boyfriend had taken her there. And here they were now, an hour and a half later, finishing off what had to be one of the most savory meals that Law had had in a long time. He had every intention of sampling the dessert menu as well, but he'd wait a bit before making that commitment. He'd watched one of those desserts go by on its way to another table, and knew he'd need a few minutes.
Fortunately it wasn't as if the Baratie needed their table any time soon. As popular as the restaurant had become since its opening earlier that year, it was late Thursday night, and the dining room was only half empty, and the patrons at the other tables were taking their time much like Lami and Law themselves were doing. It was a good atmosphere, Law thought, and he couldn't help wishing the place was closer so that he could walk there on his lunch and dinner breaks. He made a mental note to find out if they delivered before leaving.
"We really should do this more often," Lami suggested once she'd finished the last bite on her plate. "I wish our free time overlapped a little better. Which reminds me - Cora-san needs another copy of your schedule. He said he'd take us to that new amusement park I've been wanting to go to once my exams are over." She grinned at Law, knowing full well that the only reason he or Rocinante would go to an amusement park was for her sake - but that they'd genuinely enjoy themselves once they got there. "You know, like when we were kids."
Some people might have thought it was strange for a young surgeon and a med student to have a chaperone, but Rocinante had been like family to them for so long, it was nostalgic. Besides which, they didn't get nearly as many chances to spend time with him anymore.
Law chuckled and reached for his wine glass. "I'll make sure I get it to him," he replied, taking a sip. Normally he didn't drink, not even wine, but as he also had the next two days off pending an emergency - a reward for the nonstop chaos that had been the past two weeks. He could afford a glass of wine while sharing a meal with his sister. "I keep meaning to call him, anyway, but I haven't had the time."
"I had lunch with them the other day. They both wanted to know how we've been handling things. Oh, and Dad called again," Lami recalled, ticking the list of people checking on Law off on one hand. "Mom apologized for how much he's been checking up on you, but I told her you didn't mind. And I agreed with him that you work a little too much, but that your internship is going well, and no, you don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend yet."
Law smiled with wry affection. It had been always been a constant source of amusement for the siblings that their father had turned out to be the overprotective one. "I'll call them later, too," he decided, making a mental note of it. "Hopefully Dad wasn't too disappointed with your answer?"
As a teenager and then later an adult, Law had never had much of a penchant for dating - one steady in high school that hadn't lasted through prom, a few flings during college and med school, but nothing that had ever promised permanence. Their father seemed constantly concerned that Law was literally marrying himself to his job, putting all of his focus in his career and not enough into his personal life, and made a point of inquiring about it every time they spoke. He meant well - but it had nothing to do with Law's choice in career, and everything to do with the fact that he just...hadn't met someone who'd caught his attention that way in a long time. He wasn't picky - he just wasn't in a rush.
"He just wants you to be happy - and I told him that you are. Then I changed the topic to my relationship," Lami promised with a light blush. "Mom and Dad already want to meet him. I made no promises." She reached across the table and placed a hand on Law's wrist, smiling. "You could always tell them you're marrying Bepo. I mean, he'd definitely go to family gatherings and pretend to be your boyfriend if you asked," she teased.
Law laughed and shook his head. "I couldn't do that," he joked. "It wouldn't be fair to Mom and Dad, I think they'd love to have Bepo as a potential son-in-law."
He would have said more, but found himself momentarily distracted by a commotion at the table a few feet away. There were two other tables between them but both were empty - the staff was deliberately not seating anyone too close to each other, since they had the space to spread out. Despite the reasonable distance, however, Law could hear the comments of the group sitting there clearly - the irritating, too-loud comments about how long it was taking for the waitress to come back for their order after being seated. Law hadn't been paying much attention to them until that moment, but he was pretty sure they'd only been sitting there for five, maybe ten minutes at most. They were acting like they'd been there over half an hour.
Lami glanced over her shoulder, then looked at Law, shaking her head with a sigh. "I'm embarrassed when people act like that," she murmured. Their waitress had been a lovely young woman named Cosette - and while she wasn't the type to complain about slow service, the passive-aggressive comments from the other table made her realize it had been a while since anyone had been by.
Before she could voice her thoughts, an energetic boy with the restaurant's uniform - though slightly disheveled - and a smile bright enough to light up the room came bouncing over, stopping at the table in question. His nametag, which read "Luffy", seemed to be handwritten instead of printed like the usual ones, and Lami was sure she'd never seen him there before.
The arrival of the new waiter did not go unnoticed by Law - it was impossible to miss an entrance like that. Luffy hadn't done anything particularly special, but it was the combination of brilliant smile and energetic movement that had Law's attention lingering on the other table likely more than it needed to be. It was as if Luffy had his own personal spotlight shining on him, and Law couldn't tear his gaze away.
Despite how warm and inviting Luffy's smile was, the group of four - two men and two women - immediately began speaking to him in a condescending manner, treating him like it was his privilege to be able to take their drink orders. Luffy either didn't realize how rude they were being or he didn't care - he simply wrinkled his nose on a few of the orders, commenting about how alcohol didn't taste very good. When they ordered their appetizers, Luffy couldn't seem to resist putting his opinions in about what tasted best and how his friend Sanji had cooked it.
This briefly baffled the patrons, who didn't seem to know how to respond to Luffy's cheerful attitude. Like they were used to apologies and uncomfortable service industry workers squirming when berated or mocked. By the time Luffy had taken their orders, Lami was trying her hardest not to laugh. There was something about him that just drew her in - and from the way Law was openly staring, she had a feeling it was even stronger for him.
Before he returned to the kitchen, Luffy hurried over to their table with a wide grin. "Sorry, Cosette had to go home early, so I'm taking over her tables. I'm Luffy! I have to go give this order to Sanji, but then I'll be right back to um - I have to fill the drinks, and then if you wanted more food, I'll write that down," he promised.
"It's alright, take your time," Lami assured him, smiling. " We're going to order dessert for sure, but we're still looking at the moment."
"That's a good idea!" Luffy agreed, nodding happily. "Everything here tastes so good!"
"My compliments to the cook," Law said, and though he didn't smile at Luffy, per se, there was something warmer in his tone than he addressed most people with. It had been clear from the conversation he couldn't have helped but overhear that Luffy knew the cook in question. And not only knew him, but knew him well. He knew what it was like to get unexpected hostility while working, and as far as Law could tell the young waiter hadn't deserved it.
"I'll tell him!" Luffy promised. He gave a cheerful wave and hurried off, bumping a few chairs on the way to give the other table's order to the kitchen.
"I don't think I've seen him here before," Lami commented, tilting her head to the side after he'd gone. "He's not one of the usual waiters."
"I don't think he's a waiter at all," Law replied, his gaze following Luffy as he disappeared through the kitchen doors. "He doesn't have a name tag, for starters. I suspect he may have been called in after finding themselves unexpectedly shorthanded."
"Makes sense if he's friends with the cook," Lami commented. "Sanji really is one of the best. I've met him a couple of times. He's very friendly to me."
Law raised an eyebrow at Lami. "How old is he?" he asked dryly. Not that he thought Lami would intentionally flirt when she already had a boyfriend - she was incredibly loyal - but he was used to men constantly attempting to flirt with his little sister. They usually stopped when he showed up.
"Don't worry, he doesn't seriously hit on me," Lami informed him. "And I think he's younger than me. Besides, real creeps are the ones who keep flirting after I say I'm not interested - Sanji never made me uncomfortable at all."
She glanced up again when Luffy entered the room carrying a tray of drinks. Rather than set each drink in front of the person who ordered, he set the whole tray on the table.
"I don't remember who wanted what, but here are all the drinks," Luffy explained. "Who wanted the-"
"You don't remember?" One of the women interrupted with a haughty sniff. "How long have you worked here? They really will hire anyone in a dump like this."
"I don't really work here," Luffy answered with a bright smile. "But this place isn't a dump. The food here is amazing! Now, um… this side is the regular cola," Luffy motioned to the darker glasses. "And then this glass is sparkling water with a lemon wedge-"
"That's mine," the woman spoke again, sounding exasperated. "Just leave the drinks, I suppose we'll have to do it ourselves. Dealing with someone as stupid as you would just take longer and then we'd be irritated by the time our food got here."
"Okay," Luffy stepped back from the table, hesitant, but he kept smiling at them. "Let me know if you need anything else!"
"Well don't leave the tray," one of the men complained, taking his drink. "You really are stupid, aren't you?"
"Sorry," Luffy apologized, waiting for the last drink to be taken before he picked the tray up.
Lami narrowed her eyes at the exchange, looking like she wanted to get up and say something - the exact kind of thing Luffy was clearly trying to avoid for the sake of the restaurant by allowing them to speak to him that way.
Law caught Lami's eye and shook his head, though his own jaw was clenched tight. Although it was clear that Luffy was a little out of his depth with what he was doing, he was just as obviously trying his best, and the condescending, entitled attitude of the other table was completely uncalled for. It was also painfully clear that Luffy was trying to avoid any form of confrontation that might cause trouble for the restaurant - and the end result was that he had no choice but to stand there and take the abuse.
Luffy made his way back to Law and Lami's table, smiling cheerfully at them. "Sorry for the wait," he apologized. "You said you wanted desserts? The vanilla bean cheesecake is really good, and so is the molten lava cake, and - ah, sorry, I forgot, I'm supposed to let you pick. I shouldn't talk about what I like," he corrected.
"Actually, that sounds good," Lami told him with a reassuring smile. "I haven't tried the molten lava cake. I'll have one of those."
The logical thing to do would have been to share a dessert with Lami, judging by the size of them - but some strange urge seized Law, and instead he found himself looking at Luffy and going, "And I'll take a slice of the vanilla bean cheesecake."
"Oh, those are both the ones I mentioned!" Luffy grinned. "Sanji's not gonna believe that's what you really ordered. He'll just think I want it, but I promise not to eat any of it."
Lami stifled a small giggle with her hand. "Thank you, Luffy."
With another smile that seemed impossibly bright and happy, Luffy turned and dashed back to the kitchen.
Law watched him go again, and only once Luffy was out of sight did he realize what he'd just done. "... Did I just order an entire slice of cheesecake, after a full meal?" Normally he went light on desserts in general - even if the desserts weren't so large already, he still wouldn't have ordered a full slice of cheesecake.
"Seems like it," Lami teased. "But he looked so happy when we got his suggestions. Besides, you can always take it to go."
Law nodded, though the gesture was almost absent minded as he glanced back at the other table. They'd only just placed their order, and Luffy would have to deal with them through the meal and then dessert, which Law half expected they were going to order just to try and torment their waiter more. All of the other tables were just getting their checks and finishing up, but that table was only getting started. The idea of leaving Luffy to deal with that on his own didn't sit well with Law - which was strange in and of itself. It wasn't as if he knew him.
When Luffy came back out with the desserts a few moments later, the other table stopped him to ask how long they'd have to wait on appetizers. Luffy apologized for the wait, but explained that Sanji was cooking and it would take time. Before they could make anymore demands, he hurried over to Law and Lami's table, pausing with the desserts and pursing his lips. He looked back and forth between them, then placed the plates in front of them. "Here you go!"
"Thank you," Lami flashed him a smile even though he'd given her the wrong dessert.
For a brief moment Law considered pointing out the mix-up, if only to make Luffy more cautious when serving the other table, but one look at Luffy's face and he found he couldn't do it. Luffy looked so bright and hopeful when he gave them their food, and it was the correct food - he'd just mixed up who to give it to. That wasn't a big deal, particularly since he and Lami were probably just going to share in the first place.
"These look good," Law said with a nod, both because Luffy had recommended them, and because it was true.
"They taste really good, too!" Luffy assured Law. He left before Law could say anything else, heading off to collect some checks to finishing ringing customers out, and Lami shot her brother an inquisitive look.
Without speaking, she cut the desserts in half and split them on the plates - she'd intended to sample his anyway - then stole the raspberry from on top of his cheesecake and popped it into her mouth. "You were staring at him."
"What?" Law snapped his attention away from Luffy's retreating form and looked at her, startled by her statement. "I wasn't! I was just," he paused, grasping for what he felt was an adequate description, "watching him walk away." Painfully aware of the way that sounded, he snatched up a fork and stabbed it into the cheesecake, shoving the bite into his mouth.
"Don't take it out on the cheesecake," Lami scolded with a small giggle. "Neither it, nor I, are judging you."
Law scowled and took another bite of the cheesecake. Then his expression softened a little, because the cheesecake really was good, and while he'd taken Luffy's recommendation on a whim, he was glad for it.
After a moment, though, he found himself glancing again towards the kitchen door that Luffy had disappeared through. The other table was starting to get obnoxious again, their snide comments escalating in volume. Apparently they were dissatisfied with how long it was taking Luffy to return with the next part of their order, despite barely enough time going by for the food to have been cooked.
"Just ignore them," Lami advised, expression sympathetic. "People like that rarely come back. I even saw one guy get kicked out a week ago. Literally kicked out. If they push it, I'm sure someone will take care of it, and Luffy doesn't seem bothered."
"That doesn't mean they have the right to act like that in the first place," Law muttered, and stabbed his fork into the lava cake next. The cheesecake had taken enough abuse.
Even as he had the thought, though, another part of him wondered what, exactly, he thought he could do about it. And why he was getting so irritated over it when it didn't really have anything to do with him. It wasn't like he was making an attempt at getting up and telling the other table off. At the same time, though, he just couldn't stop himself from getting indignant on Luffy's behalf.
"Well no, they're jerks - but that's how a lot of people behave, and unless they cross a line, we risk getting Luffy in trouble by antagonizing them further," Lami reminded him. She took a bite of her own lava cake, sighing happily. "This tastes heavenly. We have to leave a good tip."
Law nodded in agreement, and spent the next few minutes just switching between the two desserts, small bites from each so that he didn't overdo it. Every so often he glanced back towards the door, or over at the other table - it still wasn't particularly busy, but he wasn't sure when Luffy would be back. Presumably soon, with the other table's food. And then to give them their check, because they'd already ordered dessert and there wasn't much reason to linger past that point.
When Luffy eventually returned, he was carrying a large tray of food, just barely managing not to spill it. He wasn't very graceful at all as he set it on the table with a dull thud and enough force to nearly knock over some of the drinks.
"Sorry, sorry," Luffy apologized cheerfully. "Go ahead and take your plates and I'll move the tray!"
"Take our plates?" one of the women scoffed. "How rude."
"Now, now, he's clearly not smart enough to remember who ordered what. We may as well save ourselves the time and stress of getting the wrong dishes and just pick them up ourselves, just like we did with the drinks. Boy," one of the men snapped his fingers at Luffy. "Tell us what each dish is."
Luffy frowned at the snapping, then looked at the guy. "I don't know what it's all called. Sanji never tells me what it is - he just gives me the food."
"Oh. My. God." The other woman sighed as loudly as she could manage, then waved her hand impatiently at Luffy. "Just… shoo. We'll get our own food and you can come collect the tray when we're done. Maybe the other table wants you to bother them. What a terrible restaurant. This is terrible service."
Luffy looked at her for a long moment, then gave them all a brilliant smile. "Alright, just yell when you want me to come get the tray!" He turned away, still smiling, and for a brief moment - so quick it was gone before anyone who wasn't already watching him wouldn't notice - he looked deeply upset and tense, like their words were hurting him.
Law's expression darkened, his eyes flashing angrily both at the words of the people at the table and at that look he'd seen on Luffy's face for that brief moment. If he hadn't been watching the entire scene intently he would have missed - but he didn't, and it made his chest tight to see.
Before he fully realized what he was doing he held up his hand, signalling to Luffy to come over to their table before he went back to the kitchen.
Luffy's head snapped up. He nearly tripped over himself in his haste to get to their table. "Did you need something? I promise, this restaurant is the best. I'll get it right away."
Lami bit her lip - she'd heard what they'd been saying as well, and it was clear Luffy didn't want them to think badly of the establishment. She turned her gaze to Law, inquisitive and wondering what he'd do. They'd finished their desserts despite joking about needing to take them to go…
For a split second Law realized he'd called Luffy over without thinking, and now he was there, and looking so hopeful, that there was only one thing that he could do. He gestured to the empty plates. "These recommendations were really good," he said. "I was wondering if you had any others?"
Wait what? What was he doing? He couldn't eat more dessert. What was he doing?
Luffy's entire face lit up. "Yeah! Sanji makes the best apple crumble, and um, something called a cream brully, and really good mud pie - but that's not a real mud pie, it's just called that - but then again, everything Sanji makes is good. I don't know the names of the other stuff, but I remember those!"
"I'll take one of each," Law said, because that made sense, right? He'd just asked for more recommendations, which meant he had to get all of them so he could figure out what he liked best. Right? … Right?
Fuck.
"Okay!" Luffy's smile widened. "I'll let Sanji know!"
He turned to hurry to the kitchen, only to pause as the other table motioned him over and rudely gave him back the tray, demanding he tell management to give them a discount for the terrible service. Luffy nodded and headed back into the kitchen.
"Um…" Lami twiddled her thumbs. "You do know how much these desserts cost, right? And there's the part where you can't eat all of that - you know that… right?"
"I can cover it," Law replied, trying not to think about the fact that this was probably going to be a good chunk out of his paycheck and definitely not thinking about the impact on his stomach. "And I'll take whatever I don't finish to go."
"You barely finished the last bite," Lami reminded him. "You just ordered an apple crumble, a creme brulee, and a mud pie. The portions are huge!"
"Maybe they won't be so large because I ordered all three," Law speculated.
Lami gave him a look. "You're smarter than this."
Law shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "...I thought it might make him feel better if I asked for another recommendation," he mumbled, well aware of how much that did not sound like a good reason.
"Are you at least going to get his number before we leave?" Lami asked with a sigh of resignation. She knew logic wasn't going to impact Law's decisions at this point - he was always like that.
Law had reached for a glass of water, and now he practically choked on it as he drank. "What?" he asked, staring at her with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.
"I'm not oblivious," Lami reminded him. "And you wouldn't be going to all this effort if you weren't interested. If you're going to order every dessert on the menu, at least make an effort to get his number, too. Or you could write yours on the check when it comes, but I don't know if he'd notice it."
Law fidgeted in his seat - he might have preoccupied himself with cheesecake, except he'd eaten every bite on his plate. "What makes you think he'd want my number?" he asked, his gaze starting back towards the kitchen door, now suddenly concerned Luffy would appear right then and hear them.
"I don't know," Lami shrugged. "But not giving him your number isn't going to help your situation, either."
Law tapped his fingers against the top of the table - he'd thought he'd at least managed to hide his interest in Luffy, though he shouldn't have been surprised that Lami had picked up on it. She usually knew things about him that even he didn't know. "What do you mean, my situation?" he asked, looking at her with uncertainty.
"Are you really going to sit there and tell me you ordered three more desserts because you want to relieve a random waiter's stress?" Lami asked, quirking an eyebrow. "And not because you've been staring at him every time he smiles? You ordered those desserts so he'd smile again."
Law flushed brilliantly at that, the red blush creeping up his neck and over his cheeks. "... Shit," was the only thing he could think of to say. All right, apparently he hadn't been as covert as he'd thought. At least with Lami. He hadn't actually realized what the motivation for it was himself until she oh-so-blatantly laid it out for him like that.
"It's good to see you showing interest in someone again, and I like him a lot better than the last guy you were dating," Lami continued, pushing right past his embarrassment. "You should give it a try."
A try? Law frowned slightly, wishing again that he had something to sink his fork into - there was a bit of whipped cream still on one of the plates, and he occupied himself with trying to gather it up into something resembling a bite. It had been a long time since his last relationship, which hadn't lasted long enough for him to be sure whether or not to really classify it as a relationship at all. And Luffy was nothing like any of the men he'd dated in the past. He was younger, for starters, and seemed to possess an inherent natural joy and optimism not found in most people.
Could he try dating him? It was hard to picture what that would be like, but he couldn't deny that he was attracted - Lami had made him realize that, at least. But would Luffy want to date him?
"I think it's worth a shot," Lami encouraged, reading his dilemma easily. They'd always been incredibly close, confiding in each other and keeping each other's secrets. Lami was the one Law went to when he needed advice with his relationships, and Lami would have done the same if she'd had any in the past. "So do me a favor and at least try to exchange numbers somehow before we leave. Especially if I'm sitting here while you try to eat three more desserts."
At that, Law looked sheepish. "Well, when you put it that way... " His stomach hurt just thinking about the prospect of those three desserts, but when he thought about the way Luffy had smiled when he'd asked for the new recommendations, he couldn't help but smile as well. Still… "You wouldn't want to share them, would you?"
"Oh, no, you're not dragging me down with you," Lami teased. "Not even a little!"
Before he could make another plea for his case, Luffy came back out of the kitchens with the desserts. He was almost to their table when one of the men from the other table stopped him to complain, without any consideration for the fact that Luffy was struggling to balance one of the dishes on his forearm, and the way he'd been grabbed had nearly caused him to drop everything.
As soon as the man let go, Luffy was carefully walking over to the table, eyes on the apple crumble that teetered precariously from being jostled off balance.
As had been the case all evening Law's attention had immediately gone to Luffy when he'd emerged, and when the man had grabbed Luffy's arm, Law had found himself half-rising from his chair, bristling in clear irritation. Only the fact that nothing more than an obnoxious complaint had happened had kept him in his seat, but he watched Luffy like a hawk, poised to react if any one of his dishes did decide to tumble. Not that he knew, exactly, what he would do if it did - but he couldn't ignore it, either.
Luffy made it to their table without dropping anything, a cocky smirk on his lips as he set the first dish down, then took the apple crumble off the crook of his arm and settled it on the table. The creme brulee was last, and then he was looking up and giving Law a brilliant, proud smile. "I brought your desserts!" His eyes flickered to the mud pie. "They're really good. I'm gonna ask Sanji to make me some later if I do a good job…" his eyes flickered back to Law. "But I really hope you like them, too!"
Law's heart actually flipped in his chest. "Do you want to have some of the mud pie?" he found himself asking, having noticed the way that Luffy glanced over at the pie with longing. He was obviously trying to hold himself back, but it was just as obvious that he desperately wanting to try it. And, well… Law had way too much to eat…
Luffy's jaw dropped. "Can I?! Oh- wait, no, Sanji said the food is for people, not for Luffy," Luffy recited, looking serious. "I shouldn't eat anyone's food." With a stern nod, he started to back away, but Lami's laughter made him pause.
"That's only if you don't have permission," Lami informed him. "I'm Trafalgar Lami, and that's my big brother, Trafalgar Law. You've been doing such a good job taking care of our table, it's the least we can do."
Luffy opened his mouth, but he was starting to drool and he quickly had to close his mouth to hide it, eyes flickering first to Law's face and then to the mud pie.
Law reached out and pushed the plate with the mud pie on it firmly towards Luffy. "Go on," he said with a nod. If Luffy's gaze had lingered on him longer he might have made eye contact and tried to hold it, but Luffy had quickly returned his attention to the food. Which, Law had to admit, was endearing in and of itself.
"Okay, one bite. Thanks, Torao!" Luffy cried, somehow managing to get half of the mud pie in one spoonful and eating it without spilling a single drop. The ice cream was soft enough that he was able to finish it quickly, sighing happily. "Sanji really is the best!" he mused, looking back at Law with a big smile and a dab of chocolate sauce and whipped cream on his cheek. "You'll definitely enjoy the rest!"
Law's eyes widened at the unexpected nickname, and he found himself struck speechless in response. He also found himself unnervingly distracted by the chocolate sauce and whipped cream on Luffy's cheek, his imagination supplying him with several different ways he could clean it off for him - none of which were even remotely appropriate for their current setting.
Luffy hurried off again, ignoring the remarks about his appearance from the other table as he headed into the kitchen.
"It is good," Lami relented, taking small bites of the mud pie with her own spoon. "I'll have to suggest this to Haruta next time we come here."
Law's attention remained on Luffy until he went back into the kitchen, and then he turned back to his sister. "Let me try a bit," he said, taking his fork to take a bite. He knew he wasn't going to be able to eat all of the dessert, but if he took it home it would last for the rest of the week. Or, he thought suddenly, he could give the leftovers to Luffy to take home. He wondered what kind of expression the young waiter would have if he did that.
"This is the only one you have to finish," Lami told him, as if sensing his intentions. "I'm pretty sure the others can be taken home, but this one will melt."
She jumped at the sound of something banging around in the kitchen, only to grin sheepishly at the sudden, loud whining of a very familiar waiter.
"But Torao said I could!"
"I guess we have to leave a really good tip since we got him in trouble with the chef," Lami teased, looking up at Law.
"I'll cover it," Law said without hesitation. If he couldn't leave the food for Luffy, then a tip would work, right? He could write his number on the receipt then, too... Except Lami had a point about Luffy probably not noticing it. Or he'd notice it, and not realize what it was for.
"So after we finish this, let's get the check and slip him your number," Lami said matter-of-factly. "I could try to get his if you want."
"You'd do that?" Law looked at his sister in surprise - and then wondered why he was surprised. Of course she'd do that. She was his sister.
"Sure," Lami flashed him a grin. "I don't mind asking for you."
Law felt his cheeks start to heat up, and he reached up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks," he said. Most people might be ashamed at having to get help from their little sister in this regard, but there was just… something about Luffy that made it difficult to figure out how to approach him. Or whether he should approach him at all. He wasn't the first person Law had ever been interested in - but he was different.
Lami opened her mouth to answer, then shut it at the sound of Luffy's return, glancing over as he tried to refill drinks for the other table.
He didn't remember who had ordered what specifically - instead bringing all of the drink pitchers on a tray and asking them to tell them what they wanted so he could refill them - and of course, they loudly voiced their opinions about his incompetence and the hassle of having to basically re-order their drinks on the spot. Luffy continued to work with a cheerful smile, apologizing for his bad memory, and by the time he finished with their drinks and turned, he seemed exhausted.
Like the last time, his expression fell as he struggled to keep his happy look in place, and then he was smiling and bringing the tray over to Law and Lami's table. "Did you guys want drinks? Lamby? Torao?"
Lami's eyebrow went up - he'd picked Torao as Law's name based on their last name, but he'd gone with her first name… and it was honestly a little endearing how he'd gotten them wrong. It was almost like a nickname. "I don't need anything." She looked back to Law, nodding at him to ask for the check and to-go boxes - and pausing when she saw the look on Law's face.
She should have known he wouldn't be able to just sit by while the other table blatantly disrespected and mocked Luffy, especially not now that he'd admitted his interest - and she suddenly had to wonder if he was going to order more just to have an excuse to stay longer so he could keep an eye on the situation. Even though they'd only barely finished the mud pie and the other two desserts hadn't even been touched.
"I'll take a refill," Law said, tapping his empty glass for emphasis and giving Luffy a slight smile. "We may be here for awhile, if you don't mind - I'd like to take my time." The other two desserts were clearly untouched, but Law's words made it clear he intended to eat them eventually.
"You can stay as long as you want!" Luffy encouraged. "What drink did you have?" He shot the glass a dubious look, as if trying to guess based on the color.
A refill on water, and a glass of cola if you have it," Law replied. He'd started off with wine, but knew better than to drink more of it when he didn't know how much longer he was going to be there. The other table hadn't even gotten their main course yet.
Luffy filled the water to the top, then filled a new glass with cola and handed it over. His hand brushed Law's as he did so, and he pulled back quick enough that it almost spilled the cola. "Just let me know if you need anything! else!"
He was gone before Law could answer.
Law sat there, hand remaining still and in the same position as when Luffy had brushed against it. He could still feel the warmth of Luffy's hand, and even though he knew it wasn't possible, he could have sworn he'd felt a spark when their hands had brushed together. But that kind of thing didn't actually happen - did it?
"Dr. Trafalgar? Paging, Dr. Trafalgar?" Lami teased, seeing the look on his face.
Law's cheeks burned, and he moved his hand to pick up his glass. "I'm here," he mumbled, taking a drink to try and hide his embarrassment. Good lord, he was acting like a teeanger!
"I'll text Haruta and let him know my plans are delayed," Lami joked. After all, she was the one driving since Law had been drinking, even if it wasn't much. "At the rate we're going I'll just have to see him tomorrow."
Law immediately looked chagrined. "You had plans with him for tonight?" he asked. He tried to remember if she'd mentioned that - she probably had, but he was so thoroughly distracted that he couldn't recall much from earlier that day.
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," Lami promised. "But since I'm sacrificing precious time that could have been spent making out," she teased, knowing he'd make a face at the reminder that she was not his baby sister anymore, "you'd better make sure you exchange numbers with Luffy."
Law did make the required face, and then gave a slight, if a little awkward, chuckle. "Oh, is that how it's going to be?" he teased back. "Well, all right then. I'll see what I can do."
"Good. But I swear if you actually finish both of those desserts, I'm going to throw up," Lami warned him, shaking her head. "I can barely move."
"I think I can manage a bite every once in awhile," Law said, eyeing the desserts in question with his own trepidation. "Just enough so that he won't think we don't like them."
"Why don't you just ask him if he wants some when he comes back?" Lami asked. 'That way he gets to have some and you don't curl up on the couch with a stomachache for the next five hours."
Law paused with his fork in mid-air, and then motioned to Lami with it. "That," he said, "is a great idea." And it just might lift Luffy's spirits as well, after dealing with the other table.
"Of course it's a great idea," Lami teased. "I thought of it." She slipped her phone out of her pocket to send a quick message to Haruta, then put it away again. "We're lucky it's a slow night here."
Law nodded. Business hadn't picked up - the few people who had come in recently had done so damp, which explained the decrease in walk-ins, and even those customers had only been picking up to-go orders. A slow night wasn't necessarily bad for a restaurant as popular as the Baratie, and in this case, it meant no one was waiting for their table, and they could stay for as long as they liked.
He cast a look over at the other table, then shook his head. "If they're that displeased with service, why are they even still here?" he muttered under his breath.
Lami shot him a pointed look. They'd both dealt with those kinds of people before - the kind who would complain even when nothing was wrong, try to score a free or comped meal, and leave with a sense of superiority when all they'd done was make the workers miserable. It was disgusting, but not surprising anymore.
Law met Lami's gaze and then shook his head in disgust. At least they could do something to try and make it a little easier on Luffy, by giving him a table that wasn't out to drive him crazy that night. It wasn't much - he felt like he should have been able to do more - but it was the best that he could manage given the circumstances.
Luffy came back within five minutes of having left the last time, and this time he was carrying a large tray filled with entrees. When he showed up at the table - the same table who had complained about having to wait for their food - they immediately berated him for bringing so much food when they still had their appetizers and demanded he stand there holding it until they were ready despite the fact that the tray was clearly heavy.
Law clenched his jaw, keeping an eye on Luffy and watching him hold the tray steady while he waited for them to finish their appetizers. Appetizers, Law noted, that they seemed to deliberately be taking their time eating. He half expected one of them to push away a half-finished plate and declare that it was disgusting or inedible.
While the table seemed amused and waiting for Luffy to complain or falter, or maybe even spill something, Luffy didn't seem bothered. He stood, holding the tray steadily with a bored expression. Honestly, the most difficult part for him seemed to be looking at the array of delicious food in his hands and knowing he wasn't allowed to actually eat it.
Law's eyes had gone slightly wide as he realized that Luffy wasn't even slightly strained by holding the tray steady for so long - it was as if the tray weighed half of what it must have to him, which told Law one clear thing: that underneath that waiter's uniform, Luffy had to have an incredible amount of muscle. Contrary to what some people thought, you didn't need to have a bodybuilder's physique to be strong. You could be as lean and slender as someone like Luffy and still have the same amount of strength, if you took the time to hone your body and keep in shape.
Lami, having reached the same conclusion as Law, swiftly kicked him under the table, but not hard enough to hurt him. "Stop drooling," she advised in a sweet, playful voice.
Law did his best to school his reaction to Lami so that it didn't show - and he wasn't drooling. He was just… impressed. Luffy didn't look like the sort of guy who would take the kind of time and dedication that it required to maintain strength like that, but Law didn't actually need to see his body to know that he did.
Okay.
Maybe he was drooling. A little.
The other patrons eventually gave up - with one of the women pushing her plate away as expected to claim it hadn't tasted good. Since the plate was almost empty, it was clear she was only saying it to complain.
"I think there might be something wrong with your tastebuds," Luffy explained, setting the plates down. "All of Sanji's food is delicious. You might want to see a doctor."
"How dare you speak to the customer like that!" The woman immediately complained.
"I'm worried," Luffy explained earnestly, looking to her. "If you didn't think Sanji's food was delicious, something might be wrong!"
She twitched at the realization that he meant it - that he wasn't trying to talk back to her - and sighed, loudly. "Just forget it."
"Okay," Luffy agreed, setting the plates down and loading the tray back up with the finished plates as they shuffled around to give the food to the correct recipients.
Law didn't bother trying to hide his grin. Luffy had sounded so earnest, so sincere, that not even the woman had been able to continue on her tirade. It was thoroughly entertaining - but also a little worrisome. It was all too likely that either she or her companions would make a stronger attempt at harassment when Luffy returned to help them next.
Luffy hurried off with the tray, then came rushing back to check on Law and Lami's table next. His eyes found the two desserts that had barely even been touched and his expression fell a little. "Is something wrong with your tastebuds too?" he asked, looking at Law with concern in his eyes.
Law chuckled. "No, we're just taking our time," he assured him. "And actually," here he paused briefly, hoping he didn't seem as awkward as he felt, "we were wondering if you wanted one of them for yourself."
Luffy's mouth opened, and he almost started drooling. He quickly shut it, biting his lip and straightening. "Sanji's gonna yell at me if I eat your food…"
"Will you tell him it was my idea, and I think he's wonderful?" Lami asked, smiling up at Luffy. "Then he won't be mad."
Luffy contemplated this. "Well, you are a lady, and Sanji doesn't get mad at ladies," he agreed." His eyes flickered to the creme brulee, then to Law. "Are you sure? It's your food…"
Law reached out and firmly pushed the plate in Luffy's direction. "I'm sure," he said in a tone that was impossible to argue with. "Go on. Consider it a thank you for good service."
Luffy beamed at Law, accepting the plate and staring at him for a moment, eyes shining. "Thank you, Torao! Thank you, Lamby! You're both really nice! You're my friends now."
Law immediately felt his cheeks start to heat up, which he quickly sought to hide by turning his attention to the other dessert and pulling it to him. "You're, uh, welcome," he stammered.
"I'm glad to hear that, Luffy," Lami said with a bright smile. "We should hang out sometime when you're not working."
"Okay!" Luffy agreed, hastily devouring the creme brulee. He glanced at Law again as he finished, absently licking his lips to get the last of the custard.
Something tightened within Law as he desperately tried not to stare at the sight of Luffy licking his lips. He busied himself with taking a bite of the crumble, because maybe if he distracted his body with food he knew he shouldn't be eating, it wouldn't become fixated on other things.
"Thanks again, Torao! Did you need anything else before I go?" Luffy asked.
Law cast a look around the table in case there was anything else he could use as an excuse, but there was nothing. Even their glasses were still mostly full. "No, we're good for now," he said, relieved that Luffy hadn't picked up on his reaction. "Thanks."
Lami watched Luffy dash off again, then shook her head at Law. "You dropped crumble on your shirt, you know," she pointed out, doubting he'd noticed that a good chunk - whipped cream and all - had fallen while he'd been staring at Luffy.
Law glanced down, and then immediately grabbed a napkin and began cleaning his shirt off. "How did that happen?" he muttered. He'd been incredibly focused on the crumble - he couldn't believe he'd gotten it on his shirt without realizing it.
"This is equal parts hilarious and sad - and mostly sweet," Lami teased him. "You have to get him to go on a date with you. You just have to."
Law let out a groan, pushing the crumble to the side and then dropping his head into his arms. "What if he's not interested?" he asked, his voice muffled by his arms. He could easily not be interested in Law - or even not interested in dating, period. Luffy hadn't actually said or done anything that might seem like he would be. Was he setting himself up for failure before even getting a chance?
"Won't know unless you try," Lami commented with a shrug. She smiled ruefully. "You'll regret it if you don't at least put yourself out there."
Law sighed, lifting his head just enough to look at her. "I'd argue with you about that," he said, "but you'd still win in the end." He sat up again, trying to ignore the nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Really, at his age he ought to be beyond this sort of nervousness.
Lami reached across the table and put a hand on his arm. "But seriously. If I see you take one more bite of food, I'm gonna be sick."
Unfortunately, they couldn't very well sit there and keep pretending to eat the same crumble. It was with great reluctance that Law requested a to-go box, bristling from yet another round of the other table treating Luffy like dirt. To make up for not speaking up on Luffy's behalf or doing something - anything - to show his support, Law wound up tipping the entire price of the bill. Lami could barely watch it happen, cringing at the amount of money he'd awkwardly set under one of the glasses on the table. She made sure he wrote his phone number on the receipt as well, assuring him she'd ask Luffy for his before they left.
As Luffy arrived to collect the money - seemingly oblivious to the amount Law had tipped - Lami pleasantly asked if he had a cell phone number. He'd replied that his cell phone was broken, which had been the last of Law's nerve and resolve. Since Luffy had clearly scanned the receipt and seen the number without commenting, Law had grabbed Lami's arm and quickly headed for the exit.
"Oniichan," Lami complained softly once they were outside. "You didn't even say goodnight to him."
"That's okay," Law said hurriedly. "That's… fine. That's good." He took a deep breath, trying not to feel like he was about to pass out. He swallowed hard, and maybe it was the wine, but the words just tumbled free from his lips. "He barely even looked at it, but he must have seen the number. He must have."
"You heard him," Lami argued softly. "His phone's broken. Maybe he's saving the number until his phone works again."
"But a cell phone can't be the only number he can be reached at," Law said miserably. "He didn't offer an alternative. If he was actually interested, he could have come up with something."
"Maybe," Lami reached up to hug onto his arm rather than have him keep tugging her along. "But he still might call you. Maybe he was maintaining his… er… professionalism," Lami suggested, even though she highly doubted Luffy would have worried about such a thing with them after the way he'd spoke with them and eaten some of their food.
The look on Law's face made it clear what he thought about that possibility, but instead of saying anything out loud, he just let out a sigh and hung his head. He couldn't help replaying it all in his head, wondering if there was anything he could have done different. Been more direct, less awkward - or would none of that have made a difference? Maybe he was too old. Maybe Luffy just wasn't into men. Or into anyone at all.
Lami sighed softly, leaning against him as they walked. "I'm sorry, Oniichan."
Law looked at her then, and his expression softened. "It's all right, Lami," he said softly. "You put up with a lot more tonight than you should have had to. Thanks."
Sanji leaned back in his chair, tilting the front legs off the ground and propping his feet up on the table. He lit a cigarette and brought it to his mouth - the break room was one of the few places he was allowed to smoke in the restaurant, and even then only once he was finished with his shift. They'd closed the kitchen for the night, however - now they just had to wait for the last customers to finish their meals so that they could close up the dining area.
Luffy came into the room shortly after, a perplexed look on his face. He seemed happy - pleased with himself - but there was clearly something bothering him.
Sanji raised an eyebrow at the clearly contradicting expressions on Luffy's face. "What's up, Luffy?" he asked. He was used to seeing his friend happy, but it was the other expression that concerned him. Why was Luffy looking troubled?
"Oh. I have Cosette's tips from the last table," Luffy said, looking up and grinning. "It was a lot! I don't think the other table is gonna leave any tips, but Cosette will be happy with this, right?" He asked, digging in his apron and producing both the cash - much more cash than one would logically expect from a single table - and the receipt.
Sanji stared at the amount of money that Luffy was holding. "...What the actual fuck?" he asked. "Let me see that receipt. Is this the table that kept ordering all of those desserts?" He mentally counted how much the bill had been for that table, then what the tip should have been - and it was nowhere near the amount that Luffy had in his hands.
"Yeah, Torao and Lamby," Luffy answered, handing it over. "I really liked them. Torao's the one that let me have two - er, one - of his desserts."
Sanji took the receipt and scanned it - everything appeared to be rung up correctly. It was seriously just that for whatever reason, someone had decided to tip the full amount of the bill. He was about to comment on the correction of the number of desserts when he suddenly noticed the number printed neatly at the bottom. "... Is this a phone number?" he asked, both eyebrows going way up.
Luffy blinked in confusion. "I didn't tell them my phone number. I don't know what it is until I fix it." He sighed softly. "I hope they come back so we can hang out. They were really cheering me up when everyone at the other table kept being rude. I wish they'd stayed longer."
Sanji nearly passed over the mention of the other table, because honestly, Luffy thought people eating food he wanted to eat could be considered rude - except that there was something in the way Luffy said it, and in the way he'd stated he needed to be cheered up, that made Sanji pause. He looked up from the receipt and narrowed his eyes. "Explain to me - in detail - what you mean about the other table being rude."
"There's something wrong with them. They kept saying they didn't like the food, so their taste buds are broken," Luffy declared. "And they kept saying I was stupid and slow because I couldn't remember who wanted what. I thought they'd all want some of it! It's really good!" Luffy sighed again. "But I couldn't kick their asses because they're your customers and I have to be nice to customers," he recited the last part as he'd been told by Sanji and Cosette. "But I definitely don't want to see them again, not like Lamby and Torao."
Sanji narrowed his eyes, feeling a rush of anger at the description of what Luffy had been dealing with that evening. First things first, though. He held up the receipt. "All right," he said. "Luffy, look at this." He pointed to the phone number at the bottom. "That guy was giving you his phone number. Then he asked you for your phone number. I'm going to make a wild guess here and say that he probably left as soon as you told him your phone was broken?"
"Yeah, he left in a hurry," Luffy recalled, frowning at the number on the receipt. "That's not for me, though. Everything's Cosette's, remember? And your old man keeps the receipts, doesn't he?"
"Oh, my god, Luffy…" Sanji shook his head in exasperation. "He was writing the number on the receipt so that you would have it. He was hitting on you! Giving you those desserts, that tip, now this - it means he's interested in you!"
Luffy blinked. He looked at the receipt, then at Sanji. Then at the receipt. His eyes widened. "Wait, Torao was…!" The blush crept up from the back of his neck to his ears. "How do I hit back?!" His question may have been worded poorly, but his earnest, almost frantic tone suggested he was highly receptive to the idea of getting involved with Law.
Sanji grinned broadly as Luffy's reaction gave him the answer that he needed to know. "Go after him," Sanji said with a chuckle. "Because who the hell knows when your phone is going to be fixed. Don't worry about your last table - I'll handle cashing them out."
"Okay," Luffy grinned sheepishly, then jumped on Sanji in a hug. "You're the best, Sanji! Thanks!"
Sanji laughed and returned the hug, then released Luffy and gave him a nudge. "Go on, then," he said. "Before they reach their car and take off."
Luffy nodded, hastily yanking his apron off and grabbing his beloved straw hat from the back of a chair. He hadn't been able to wear it while waiting tables, but he'd trusted Sanji to make sure nothing happened to it. As soon as it was in place, he dashed back out of the restaurant, ignoring the indignant comments about his loud actions or 'rustic' appearance from the group that had been trying to tear him down all night.
Sanji watched Luffy dash off with affection, chuckling softly to himself. Luffy, running of to go hit on a guy. Not the outcome he'd been expecting for the night, but hey, as long as Luffy was happy, right?
And now… Sanji's grin turned into a smirk, an evil glint appearing in his eye. Now he had a table to see to.
"Torao!"
The shout made Lami jump, missing the handle on the car and hissing in pain as it snapped back. She looked up to see Luffy running down the sidewalk towards them, one hand holding a worn straw hat to his head and the other waving. He was no longer wearing the apron or the nametag, and his entire focus was on Law.
Law's head snapped up, his hand on his own door handle, and he stared at Luffy in disbelief. That could not possibly be Luffy running towards him. It just… couldn't be. His eyes had to be playing tricks on him - he'd either had more wine than he'd realized, or too much dessert was affecting him in unexpected ways. Either way, that couldn't be Luffy
Luffy ran straight up to Law, stopping in front of him and grinning. "Torao, I'm hitting back!" He announced.
Law's eyes widened, and he stared down at him. "You're… what?" he asked, still stunned by this unexpected turn of events.
Luffy grinned brighter. "Hitting back! Sanji said you were writing your phone number on the receipt for me, so you were hitting on me. I'm hitting back!" he repeated with an eager expression.
Lami choked, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as she realized exactly what Luffy was trying to say.
Law's jaw dropped, and he found himself almost blinded by the brilliance that was Luffy. "You… you mean it?" he asked, still not quite daring to believe it. He'd had himself almost completely convinced that he'd been thoroughly shot down and rejected. He hadn't expected Luffy to chase him down like this. "Really?"
"Yeah!" Luffy reached out and grabbed Law's hand. "I don't have a phone right now, though, so we have to decide on a date right now. That way we can find each other." He cocked his head to the side. "Your face is a little red. Are you okay?"
Law let out a sudden cough, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he became weirdly fixated on Luffy holding his hand. "I'm fine," he hastened to assure him. He knew he had to be blushing furiously - how could he not? "So, okay. A date, then. When's a, ah, good time for you?" He could feel the heat in his cheeks getting worse as he stumbled over his words.
"I dunno," Luffy admitted. "But I want to date you, so we need to make a date. I'm hanging out with my brothers this weekend, but we can meet at the Baratie sometime after?"
"Sure," Law decided without hesitation. Then he paused and quickly went through his schedule in his head. "I have work Saturday night, but I'll be free by Sunday afternoon."
"Sunday," Luffy agreed. He gave a crooked grin. "It's a promise. You better be there, Torao."
"He will be," Lami chuckled. "I'll make sure of it. You didn't get in trouble for leaving to come ask him out, did you?"
"Nah, Sanji said he was gonna take care of that asshole table," Luffy answered cheerfully. He still had yet to let go of Law's hand.
"Good," Law said, unable to resist giving Luffy's hand a squeeze and a slight smile. All he knew about Sanji was that he was one of the Baratie cooks, but that table deserved whatever they got and he had a feeling, from the way Luffy spoke, that they were going to get more than they bargained for. "They didn't have the right to treat you like that."
"No, they didn't," Luffy acknowledged. "But they were Sanji's customers, so I had to be nice to them. That's also how I'm supposed to get tips, and Cosette really needed tips so I made sure to earn as much as I could for her."
"You aren't keeping any of the tips you got…?" Lami questioned.
"Nah! They go to all the people who did the real work," Luffy answered. "I was just helping out because Sanji and the others are all my friends."
Law stared at Luffy - and then he couldn't help it, he just laughed. The absurdity of the entire situation was just… it was absurd. He'd given Luffy his number and it hadn't registered to him; he'd tipped one hundred percent, but that money was going to their original waitress. He was probably going to crash from the sugar high he was currently feeling from all of the desserts he'd consumed. And somehow - somehow - he was still going on a date with Luffy. What had even happened?
Luffy grinned again at the sound of Law's laughter. He gave Law's hand a squeeze, then slowly let go and pulled back. "I'll see you for our date, then? I should get back and make sure Sanji doesn't need anything else."
Law nodded, pulling his own hand back with some reluctance. He'd liked how warm Luffy's hand had felt. "Sunday," he said firmly, making the word into a clear promise.
Luffy laughed, looking almost sheepish at the confirmation of their date again, before waving. "See you then, Torao. See you later, Lamby!"
"I'm sure I will," Lami said with a small laugh of her own. "Goodnight!"
Luffy turned and dashed back the way he'd come, far more energetic than they'd seen him in the restaurant. Lami couldn't help but shoot Law a knowing, smug look.
Law watched Luffy go, a slight grin on his face - which immediately vanished when he saw the look Lami was sending his way. "What?" he asked, trying to pretend like he hadn't just been starting after Luffy looking like a lovestruck teenager. "Come on, let's get home. I need to give Cora-san a call, remember?"
"Uh-huh. You're welcome, by the way," Lami teased, climbing into the car.
Law paused as he was getting in, feeling his face heat up. "... Thanks," he murmured, before getting into the car the rest of the way. He was going to be repaying her for this for a very long time.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading! We will continue working on these as we can, especially once we move out of the busiest time of year at work.
Much love to all of the people leaving kudos/reviews/comments/sending us prompts. We love you!