Soaked Like Noodles In Soup Of Love
Dr Trafalgar Law absolutely hated partying with anyone, correction except one person— his life's greatest achievement— his hunk husband. He was currently nursing his glass of whiskey in the middle of a crowded restaurant with colleagues against his wishes. His only solace was the sturdy arm around his waist and high as a kite face grinning at him.
"So, Doctor Law, how did you two meet?" One of the new interns, who had been most vocal about getting a dinner party out of Law after finding the bouquet of roses on his desk, asked.
In no time, the rest of the critters of interns joined in, asking questions too personal that Law would never answer.
"Who kissed first?"
"Who first held hands?"
"How long did you date?"
Law refused to answer a single question and only looked at his husband, who was drunk. He had agreed to the party only for one sole reason— his husband loved partying. Though a terrible lightweight, he still loved having fun. Since his colleagues and interns had decided they would intrude on their personal time, Law would rather bring the reason for this celebration.
"Eleven years is a long time, no?" The doctor's sharp ears heard his critters discuss among themselves as they passed around the bottles of beer.
Everything was fine, but thanks to the roses, his peaceful life was not peaceful right now! The roses had arrived at his desk before Law had reached the hospital. It was not a gigantic bouquet, eleven tangerine-sized blood-red velvety roses with thick stems and large leaves wrapped in brown paper. Romantic but not over the top, just the way Law liked them.
Hence, when he walked into the office, to find his interns circling the roses like a bunch of startled monkeys, Law had no desire to explain. They just couldn't believe that their supervisor could receive romantic love. Law was happily ignoring them, had it not been for his colleagues Marco, Crocus, and Kureha reminding him how lucky it was to have such a caring husband.
Law knew his blessings, he knew it best— he married him! Eleven years back, he didn't need a third-party to remind him of his luck.
"Is Dr Trafalgar married?" In unison, the question had been raised.
Once their curiosity had been satiated, the demand for a party buzzed into his eardrums all day. He only caved in after his husband agreed to join.
Law regretted it, the moment the door had opened, the short hunk he adored, had captivated everyone's heart. Dressed in a red shirt, two buttons undone enough to show how sculpted his chest was, sleeves rolled up to his strong veiny elbows. Law didn't want to think about fitting trousers hugging the broad hips and thighs. Then there was the tousled salt-pepper hair and an unkempt five o'clock beard! And the cherry on the cake, his smile.
That was Law's gorgeous husband, who was walking towards him with open arms. Like always, he hugged him and Law could hear his interns whispering— "DILF!"
"Darling!" Law's cheeks were kissed, and his body was hugged with the warmest embrace, Law inhaled his husband's smell of wet earth and moss. "Happy anniversary! Did you drink already?"
Eleven years later, Law was still not used to being on the receiving end of affection. So like an awkward meerkat he looked at his colleagues and interns, being surprised by the public display of affection. With great difficulty, Law shook his head at the question of drinks.
Seeing the situation turn embarrassingly awkward, Law's husband broke the hug and faced everyone, "Hi, I am Monkey D Luffy. Dr Law's husband. I see starters have arrived!"
Receiving no reply, the husband couldn't stop himself from laughing, "You guys don't have to feel that awkward around me. Let's see what's on the main course. Darling come sit." Saying this, Law found himself seated beside his hunk. Luffy's one hand was sedimented on Law's waist, and his other hand casually held the menu. "A glass of whiskey neat for you, right?" Law nodded.
"Where are Marco, Kureha and Crocus?"
"Bothering the bartender." Law pointed at the three colleagues of his, already sloshed on the bar counter.
"Then let me order the main course! Let them join after they are buzzed enough." Luffy wasted no time, and called for a server, "You all don't feel shy, we will pay for all of you so eat and drink whatever you want." Luffy grinned at Law, who relaxed at last. Then Luffy nuzzled his nose behind Law's ears and took a sniff of him and sat beside him comfortably.
"Ah, apricot shampoo," Luffy mumbled to no one, but the interns heard it fine, and they curiously looked at him when he pulled his face away.
"You have questions."
"What do you do, sir?" An intern with blue hair asked. "Are you a doctor too?"
"I have a doctorate, but our branches are entirely different." Luffy winked.
"Are you a professor?"
"No." Luffy was playing along. He knew how to play with people's curiosity.
"Are you a scientist?"
"Sort of!" Luffy squeezed Law's waist and pulled him further into his embrace and rubbed their knees together, "Have these babes," with his free hand he fed Law pieces of fried fish and the cardiologist blushed hard, but he was enjoying watching his husband toy with his students and him at the same time. "The fish is good, right?" Luffy munched on a few pieces using the same fork.
No one ever guessed his husband's profession on the first try ever.
"Microbiologist?"
"Nope."
"Robotics?"
"Noooo!"
"Astrophysicist?"
"Nah."
"Organic chemistry?"
"Shishishi no!"
"Ahhhh, is it Liberal Arts?"
"No."
"He is an entomologist." Law revealed the grand secret not because he was irritated, but rather because he was jealous of Luffy's attention being on these kids. He knew better than anyone that he shouldn't be jealous of children.
"Ahhh, you already ended it!" Luffy fake cried and pouted, but his hand didn't stop kneading Law's waist.
"They never guess it right, Luffy!" Law smirked, Luffy was looking at him. His jolly dark eyes were focused on him— if he could, he would turn over Law, pull his trousers down and have his way with him.
"But you did," Luffy whispered back. "You guessed it without even trying."
"Because I am smart," Law whispered back and Luffy nodded, there was no denying how smart the cardiologist was. Luffy was smart too, differently, hence more than often people didn't think he would belong to the world of research. "And I was paying attention to you!"
"Torao was eyeing me like a tiger!" Luffy informed.
"So, what is the point of your branch?" The question was shot from the other side, immediately breaking the little bubble Law and Luffy had created. After scanning for a few seconds, Law pinpointed the inquisitive creature. It was not his interns, but one of the new residents. "You study insects, but what purpose does it serve?" Law was about to retort back to this arrogant twat, but the fingers on his waist gently tapped him from jumping at the resident.
"And you are?" Luffy asked, offering the softest smile.
"Dr Muret."
Luffy stared into the redhead's eyes and offered an answer, "Dr Muret, it doesn't serve anything. I studied insects because I find them fascinating." Law knew better than anyone that his husband never liked talking about his research, not because it was top secret, it was because humanity didn't give a shit about bugs. "Yes, if you want to learn about my research, you can find them on my website— all my papers are in the public domain."
Muret was not going to give up, "so you studied insects just for fun?"
"Yes!"
"Doesn't make sense?"
"Muret cut it out!" The interns yelled and joined one after another, they wanted to party not interrogate their supervisor's spouse. "Just because you are a doctor doesn't mean other subjects have no value."
"No! No, it's okay. Let me simplify it for you, I study the population growth and fall in insects." The entomologist didn't want his husband's students to have a fight.
"So you census the insect kingdom?" One of the interns asked.
"Rather, study their impact on the environment."
"Do they affect the environment that much?" A small guy, who barely looked older than 16 asked, he was timidly looking at Luffy, who turned to his husband for an introduction.
"That's Tony Tony Chopper, our boy genius." Law informed, "he wants to specialize in medicine."
"Ah! You are Chopper! Law is always talking about you! You are younger than I thought."
Hearing the words of appreciation, Chopper blushed hard. "Thanks."
"Did you know insects are important to our food chain?" He threw the question so casually that none noticed initially how Luffy's voice had lost the fun all of a sudden.
One of the interns with a pink head replied, "I know bees are important."
"Because you saw the Bee Movie?" Luffy smirked.
"Yeah."
"Not just bees, butterflies, maggots, ants, beetles."
"All of them? Even mosquitos?"
Luffy nodded, "Even them— ah food!." Luffy opened his arms and took the plates and helped them pass around.
"Do you mean? Do insects exist to serve us humans?" Muret again joined in.
"Humans? Us?" The entomologist scoffed, as if he had no love for humans. "Absolutely not! They serve nature."
"Then why should we care?"
"Indeed, why should we care?" Picking up a giant piece of lamb chop, Luffy looked at the bunch of students, waiting for him to reply. "Darling, have this, Sanji told me the lambs are best here!" He didn't care to explain and cut the juicy piece of the lamb into bite-sized chunks for his husband.
"Did Sanji recommend this restaurant?" Law's mouth was stuffed faster than the question he uttered.
"Yeah! Is the lamb good? I bet you will like the whiskey I booked for you. Shishishi!"
"You did what?"
"Babes!" With puppy eyes, Luffy offered another chunk of meat and Law gobbled it but didn't stop grumbling.
"Monkey D Luffy! You don't even like drinks, you bought another expensive whiskey for me?"
"It's a tradition."
"LUFFY!"
The potential bickering was cut short when the server arrived with a bottle of whiskey, in his gloved hands he held delicately the slim bottle like it was a precious gem, "Sir, we have prepared the Mont Blanc Noland 790."
No one could resist the charm of an old whiskey bottle. "How old is this?" The cardiologist asked.
"Exactly 11 years."
"Shishsishishi, Sanji helped me find this one, it was sealed on our wedding day!"
"You romantic idiot! This is exorbitant!"
"My darling deserves it!"
Years back, when Law had proposed after years of dating, Luffy had startled Law by suggesting a courthouse wedding. Law knew his then-boyfriend loved parties and celebrations. So having found out, Luffy didn't want to book a castle and invite a million people, had indeed taken him by surprise.
Luffy had shrugged it off, he wanted to make Law feel comfortable and had decided they would celebrate their marriage by having an elaborate seven course dinner with his family and friends after the courthouse signing.
They had married in the afternoon with their families as witnesses, and immediately hit their mutual friend Sanji's restaurant, where the rest of the extended family and friends awaited them. Sanji had gladly offered to create the wedding menu, hence there was no bread and even the wedding cake was made of semolina*** as Law was allergic to flour! The whole night they partied! During the euphoria of getting married and intense making out session in one corner of the restaurant, Luffy had promised to buy Law whiskey bottles each anniversary, bottles with whole distillation and sealing dates that matched their wedding date.
But the older a bottle got the costlier it became, Law tried to cut down on this tradition— Luffy refused. So in the morning, when he found the roses and no bottle, Law was a bit relieved and sad that his husband had come to his senses.
It seems he was mistaken!
"Shishishi! Please open it!"
For years Law had tired battling the puppy eyes of his husband, mentally Law laughed why was he even trying, he was a lost cause the moment he had seen his husband. Twenty one summers back when they had met, it was the hottest day of the season and Law drove his family grudgingly because his sister Lamy wanted to play on the beach.
To this day, Lamy loves bragging that her stubbornness had led Law into the arms of her future husband, who was doing his summer job as a lifeguard.
Young Luffy was gorgeous like the morning sun, he was running around in hip-hugger red shorts and his exposed chiseled chest and torso were shining under the droplets of sweat and water. The broad thighs and strong arms were unreal to the budding cardiologist— the face was so adorable, but Law was plagued with how could someone be such a baby to look at but carried a body that screamed daddy! Law saw him and wanted him.
And there was only one way to gain his attention, Law decided to pretend that he can't swim.
Law took Lamy aside and bent down to whisper into her ears his plan, after heated negotiation they settled on an unlimited supply of cupcakes and fifteen berries a week, the sister had agreed to help execute his plan.
"Darling drink it!" Luffy offered the glass, and the dark golden liquid swirled in front of his face. He took the glass and inhaled the smokey, nutty flavour. The entomologist had no interest in fine wines or whiskey, he just loved watching Law have a good time with his drink. "How is the taste?" Law was immediately asked as he rolled the first sip in his mouth.
"Tangy and nutty? Does it make sense?"
"No. Do you like it?"
"Of course!" Law nodded enthusiastically. "Want to taste some?"
"Will you feed me?"
"If you want." Law offered his glass to the husband, who took a sip and made a tortured face.
"Don't like it?" Luffy shook his head, he was known as the lightweight and didn't enjoy the bitterness or the heat of alcohol ever, the only time he indulged in drinks was when Law offered him a sip or insisted on sharing a glass with him.
As the couple continued their flirting, the students observed a different persona of their supervisor. The grumpy satan of the cardiology department was blushing, touching his husband freely. He was letting his husband flirt with him, and most importantly, Law was smiling and responding to each and every gesture of Luffy!
Watching them being lovey-dovey became super awkward, so the interns decided to interfere.
"Who kissed first?"
Luffy tore his eyes away from Law and wanted to answer because he was romantic fool, but Law glared at him, so the entomologist didn't dare answer.
"Who first held hands?"
Law continued nursing his whiskey and refused even to register the questions that these critters were asking. It was not the most flattering story, it was embarrassing, and it was wet! "Do I tell them?" Luffy whispered again.
Law poured another glass, and slid to Luffy, "No, drink with me." Luffy didn't refuse, he took his glass. "Cheers!" Law gently bumped their glasses.
Luffy smiled, "Happy eleven years!" and gulped down the drink in one gulp.
"Lu! Not that fast!"
"Shishishi! This is not bad, give me another."
"Are you sure?"
"I will not wash it down."
"Promise?" Law asked as he poured the tempting liquid. "Nurse it."
"Have I ever broken a promise?"
Shaking his head, Law replied, "Never, you cocky man."
"Come on, professor, tell us, who asked who?"
"I am not answering!" Law refused and continued watching Luffy sip a little of his drink and munch on his meat. Law loved watching Luffy eat well. It was his greatest pleasure, to see Luffy happy and his cheeks full of food. "Careful there, such a messy eater!" Law instinctively wiped the sauce from Luffy's chin and licked it. And his students looked at him horrified. The generally scowling eyebrows were relaxed and the frowning lips were smiling softly that it was making the interns and young residents drink more alcohol as coping mechanism.
"Professor Law is hella romantic!"
"I am not!"
"How did you meet?"
"Tell us!"
As they had planned, Lamy and Law had edged towards the hot lifeguard—Luffy, while they had sent their parents to get ice-cream from the furthest shop. Though the goal was simple, Law would pretend to be a noob in the water, and Lamy would call for Luffy's attention. After Luffy saved him, Law would ask for his number on the pretext of buying him dinner as a gesture of gratitude.
Nothing in life you want goes as planned, there was a big wave, which Law had failed to notice because was trying to figure out the best direction to plan his fake fall and fake drowning after having splashed water with Lamy.
Busy rolling his trousers up and checking the spot and deaf to the whoosh-whoosh of the waves thanks to the crowd, he didn't realize when the water had risen above him and engulfed both the Trafalgar siblings.
Against their wishes, they were tossed high up and then brought back down—on a loop, until Law realized, Lamy was not able to handle it. The elder brother tried to catch his sister, but the force of the waves flung them apart, as Law's plan was to fake drown, his feet were bound in his leather boots making him unable to swim fast and hold Lamy.
He struggled, for a while, but he could feel being pulled down and the panic was not helping. Frantically kicking the water like a drowning frog and moving his arms like a windmill was insufficient. Yet he tried, he tried until his arms ached and pain shot up his calves, and just when his hope was about to die, he saw him, swim fast and grab his little sister and then swim towards him and hold him by the waist.
By the time the Law had composed himself, he was hugging Lamy and kissing her forehead. His sister was not scared, apparently, she was enjoying the tossing because she was confident her brother would save her! Law wanted to yell at her, but his parents had done the deed and turned their worried eyes to him, he was lectured hard on his poor choice of footwear for a beach day. Though the tossing and turning felt like hours in the water, it had all happened in fraction of a few minutes!
When the commotion died, Law finally noticed, the reason for his misery, sitting opposite him, tanned, wet and sexy. "Yo! Your sister says you want to go on a date with me?" Law, who was still crying, glared at Lamy. Before he could even register what was happening, his very trembling hands were in the hands of the sexy lifeguard.
"I am Monkey D Luffy, want to go on an ice-cream date with me?"
"How long did you date?"
"We met when we were 18," Luffy replied. "We married around 30 no?" Law didn't want to talk about his love-life.
"You dated for that long?"
"Did we?" Luffy shrugged, "We were in love, so time shrunk."
"Give that glass, you lightweight." Law scolded and took the glass away. "No whiskey for you." Hearing this, Luffy pouted.
"How did you meet?"
"It was summer, I saw him, and he saw me and our legs turned into noodles!"
"What nonsense? No one turned in noodles, he saved my sister and me from drowning."
"You have a sister."
"He is the best elder brother! He almost drowned saving little Lamy! She was like a pea when I met her." Luffy showed his hands to show how tiny his sister-in-law was! "Now she is all grown up and travelling! I am so proud of my little baby."
"I think, my husband is too drunk! We will leave." Law stood up and picked Luffy up who happily slumped over the cardiologist.
"But he drank one glass," Muret replied.
Law didn't like explaining, "So? He is lightweight." It was really difficult for anyone to believe that such a hunk couldn't handle a glass of whiskey.
Muret was not giving up,"I wanted to know what he does exactly."
"He studies insects and their population."
"But why?"
"Muret stop it! Professor Law, please leave, we will be fine." Chopper smiled.
"Yeah Muret! STOP"
"Wait…." Luffy patted Law. "Darling, let me explain!"
"Lu—" Law tried to stop, but his husband's eyes changed from jolly to serious, his brain— drunk yes, irrational absolutely not. Luffy walked over to Muret and bent down and looked into her eyes.
"More than 40% of insect species are declining, and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century.
The planet is at the start of a sixth mass extinction in its history, with huge losses already reported in larger animals that are easier to study. But insects are by far the most varied and abundant animals, outweighing humanity by 17 times. They are "essential" for the proper functioning of all ecosystems, the researchers say, as food for other creatures, pollinators and recyclers of nutrients.
If I was you. I would be scared. VERY VERY VERY SCARED!
Without insects, our food chain will collapse - the effects of this are already starting to be seen."
Luffy smiled and looked at Law, closing his eyes, he pleaded, "I want to go home Torao!" Law wasted no time and hugged his husband.
"Let's go, you drunk oaf!"
Once outside, Law hailed a taxi and the couple stumbled inside.
"Lu, stop pretending!" Law patted his husband's cheeks.
"I am not!"
"Yeah right, twenty-one years together, and I have never seen you get drunk on two glasses, let alone one and quarter glass!"
"Our whiskey bottle?" Luffy questioned.
"They will hold on to it, I will ask dad to collect it tomorrow on his way. Now sit up!"
Luffy sat up with messy hair and grinned at his husband, "Was my acting good?"
"Very convincing, but thank you, I could no longer spend another hour with those critters!"
"They seem good kids!"
"Doesn't mean I want to see them on my wedding anniversary!" Law huffed. "And why did you send the roses to my office?"
"Because I didn't want them to wilt!"
"Idiot!"
"No, I am a man who turned into soggy noddles!"
"Ssssh Lu!"
"I am a man soaked like noodles in the soup of love!"
"NOOOOOO!" Law giggled.
"I love you! I love your face! I love your salt-pepper hair! I love your wrinkles. I love your lips. I love your sexy back!"
"Dear lord! Don't—
Luffy didn't let Law complete the sentence, he kissed his husband hungrily, he was waiting for this opportunity the entire night.
Luffy loved parties, but he would rather party with Law in the sheets than with people where he had to restrain his desires and affection.
Monkey D Luffy was a selfish man, a selfish man of noddles simmering in soup of love for twenty one years.
THE END
Notes:
Luffy's lecture on insects is from the Guardian article titled: 'Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'.
Even the wedding cake was made of semolina***: Semolina is known as Rava/Suji in India. You can make cake out of it by adding yogurt.
Muret: Doctor of Bellamy's crew.
It was first published on ao3 on 14th july on occasion of me turning 30!
Meassge from original day: I turned 30 today! Hehehehe! Sadly, my life has not been so well, past two weeks, I am about to my lose my job because my employers are about to shut down their business! So From August I will most probably be unemployed! And on top of it, last week I was supposed to go to a camping trip, but flood and landslide cancelled it, so my entire leaves were spent sleeping and eating junk, and today our oven gave out, the cake my mom was baking burned out, so she had to make differently.
So yeah, I had a bad time.
So on occasion of turning 30, I prepared this little domestic old married couple fic!