Trafalgar Law had absolutely NO IDEA what he was getting into when he asked Mugiwara to ally with him. Just. None whatsoever. He had been trying to find someone trustworthy enough to help him without having to constantly watch his back, and had ended up strapping himself to the back of a warship and keelhauled into a fucking hurricane.

Monkey D Luffy was an unstoppable force of nature. He didn't listen to reason, or other people's opinions or... Being asked to hold still for two fucking seconds. He plowed through life full speed without looking and everything always worked out for him anyway. It was honestly frustrating to be a part of.

And Law WAS a part of it. Because Luffy had decided they were FRIENDS, and NOTHING LAW SAID MATTERED. Nothing Law said to him EVER mattered. But hell, at least nothing ANYONE said to him did, so it's not like Law was getting treated worse than anyone else Luffy was "friends" with.

But still, it made being trapped on a tiny boat with the guy and eight crew members so brow-beaten by Luffy's insanity they agree to his every whim a little... Exhausting was a mild way to put it.

Law tried to keep to himself, for the most part. He found a decent spot on the deck to camp out, and had already been given free reign of the library, which he took regular advantage of, partly due to its consistent quietness. Right now, though, he was there to take advantage of Dr. Tony Tony's generosity, reading a medical textbook he'd not previously encountered. He didn't know how much longer he'd be on the Sunny before he reunited with his own crew, and it only made sense to use the time well.

Another thing he liked about the library was the fact that it was one of the few rooms aboard the ship that her captain had no interest in whatsoever. While Law could admit Luffy had certain charms, he generally found it wisest to spend little time with him. Luffy was simply... overwhelming.

"Ah, there you are, Torao! I've been looking for you!" Which was of course, the Strawhat's cue. Law closed his book with a sigh as Luffy launched himself into his lap with enough force to knock Law's hat off his head, nearly toppling them both over in the chair.

This was no longer a surprise. Over the course of this trip, the doctor had seen Luffy sprawled across or perched in any number of his crewmate's bodies, and had since been here long enough to have stopped attempting the impossible task of dislodging the other captain. Apparently, this was something Luffy just sort of DID to people he liked.

"Any particular reason you were looking for me?" Law asked, attempting to at least sit up with Luffy wrapped around him.

"I was bored," Luffy stated simply. "And when I didn't see you on the deck I figured you were off by yourself somewhere like a loser, and figured I'd keep you company!" He finished with a laugh, settling more comfortably into Law's lap. With a sigh, Law knocked Luffy's straw hat off onto the floor so that he could see his book around the Strawhat's head.

"So, what are you reading?" Luffy asked, round eyes staring up at him. Law preferred not to look at them. Looking Luffy in the eye had dangerous consequences, like actually starting to listen to him.

"'Tropical Diseases of the South Blue,'" Law recited.

Luffy made a vaguely impressed-sounding noise. "That sounds pretty dull."

"On the contrary, it's quite fascinating," Law said easily. "And more importantly, it's on a subject I'm weak on. It would be remiss of me as a doctor not to brush up while I have the chance."

Luffy beamed at him. "Torao's a really great guy," he snickered.

Law frowned. "I'm really not."

"Sure you are! You've never been anything but awesome since we met, you know!" the other captain argued sunnily. "You've saved my life, and plenty of other lives along the way. And even right now, you're learning how to save even more lives!"

Trafalgar barely resisted the urge to sigh. "Only because I'd be a failure as a doctor if one of my crew members caught one of these diseases and I couldn't treat them."

Luffy couldn't be daunted. "Well, sure, but if you were on an island and you ran into to someone sick, you'd treat them wouldn't you?"

"If I ran into them, but I'm not going to go out of my way to save anybody," Law said in attempt to dismiss him.

Luffy only shrugged this off. "Well, duh, we're still pirates. Even I've never gone out of my way to help a stranger."

Law just stared at him, one eyebrow raised challengingly.

"Well, I've never done anything I didn't WANT to, anyway," the small captain amended.

"That I can believe," Law agreed, giving up and closing his book to look at Luffy. Luffy grinned in response, a bright and irritatingly cute expression that made Law want to pinch his cheek. Instead, he just flicked at his forehead and leaned back in the comfortable chair.

"You're one of those people that got their devil fruit powers on accident because they had no idea what you were eating, aren't you?" Law observed casually.

"Sure am!" the rubber boy confirmed, and Trafalgar swore he could see pride in that fact.

"Of course you are. I can't imagine anyone choosing the Gum-Gum fruit intentionally, much less making it as far as you have with such a bizarre power. When I heard about it seemed like one of the most useless powers imaginable, but here you are tearing through the New World with it," Law observed, genuine amusement in his voice.

"Well yeah," Luffy said, like the whole thing was obvious. "I could have been born in the body of a gerbil and I'd still become King of the Pirates," he stated plainly.

And Law couldn't help it. He had all ready burst into laughter before he knew what was happening. "Of course you would!" he said through his chuckles, and when he opened his eyes again the expression on Luffy's face made his heart stop for just a moment.

He had a dangerous looks on his face, the kind Law tried not to see too much of because they DID things to him. His eyes were wide and shining, and there was a red splash blush spreading from one ear to the other, and his mouth was opened just a little bit like he had been about to say something before he'd seen something amazing and the words were lost. It was the kind of look that made Law want to do things, like... Slap himself.

And then Luffy broke into a smile, huge and radiant and terrifying, and said "Uwaaai, Torao's so handsome! I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that!" He leaned back away from Law so suddenly that the doctor had to brace a steadying hand on Luffy's side to keep him from falling off of his lap and toppling to the floor. The gesture only made Luffy grin harder, his face still flushed a charming bright pink. "That's it! I've decided!"

Law's eyebrows drew together. "Decided what?"

"Decided on you," he declared decisively. "I'm definitely keeping you!"

The surgeon groaned, swiping a frustrated hand down his own face. "Oh for fuck's sake - you can't KEEP me, Luffy, I have my own crew."

"That's fine, you can go back to your own ship," Luffy dismissed easily. "But later on, when I become Pirate King, we're getting married!" The declaration held the kind of absolute finality that only Luffy could be capable of, and Law felt his jaw drop.

"I - what do - I can't even - what?"

The Strawhat only laughed. "Don't worry," he assured. "You'll see it my way eventually," he promised easily, shooting forward to plant a quick kiss on Law's cheek, leaping up off of his lap and grabbing his hat from the floor. His face was still red, but with the smile taking up half his face and bizarrely demure hunch of his shoulders, he just looked... like he was glowing.

Law didn't even notice he had stopped breathing until Luffy was out the door with a promise of "I'll see you at dinner, Torao! Don't hide in here too long!" when the air returned to his body.

And Law just sat there, slumped in his chair, dumbly thinking that Luffy was always, always right.

What the FUCK had he gotten himself into?