I've been sick for a solid week and yeah. I feel dead inside but here I am still updating this story.

...Chapter 37

...Groggy

Luffy shakes himself awake, groggy eyes barely making out Law in the sunlight. "Where's Boa?" He questions, squinting about the emerging crew.

Sanji, saddened by the fact that his object of affections had disappeared, mopes around the deck as he makes his way towards the kitchen. "My love, Hancock," he murmurs softly, sighing as he flicks on a light for his cig. The orange haired navigator narrows her eyes into slits as she glares at him, possibly out of jealousy; though she has sworn up and down she has none. Robin was currently engaged in lighthearted conversation with Zoro, enjoying her newly found voice, whilst Chopper was learning from the influence of Usopp. Franky was currently MIA, mostly due to the fact he was working on yet another project for the sake of the crew in his place below he deck. No one dared to bother him, therefore bothered he was not.

The sun was high that day, spraying vivid yellow rays of sunshine on their backs. Luffy sat shirtless on the near glowing deck, its fluorescent yellow brightening the warm day even further. The others soon followed suit as the day went on, changing into more skin-revealing clothing in order to cool down some.

Law slipped on some cool lemonade Sanji had offered after being kicked into it by the fiery Nami, who was fed up with his moods. It seared his throat with its sugar, yet was beautifully crafted nevertheless. He applauded the chef. "Dunno," the man responds after a bit of the pause, letting the fresh blue waves below spray up to wash them with a light spray of water. "Guess she went back."

Of course he was not going to tell the man what actually happened. That small interaction between Boa and him was heartfelt enough for him to keep it to himself, at least for now.

Luffy grunted in understanding, slipping his drink thoughtfully. "I wonder why she left?"

The tilted intonation at the end of the words transformed the small inquiry into a question aimed at Law. The man in turn turned to Luffy, who was looking at him with eyebrows raised under his trademark straw hat. The surgeon shrugged. "I'm sure she has her reasons, Luffy," responds Law with a ghost of a smile. It lit up his whole face despite its simplicity.

Luffy continues to stare at Law thoughtfully, a grin picking up the sides of his lips. "I guess."

He yawns then, gangly limbs reaching up to the sky in a stretch. "I'm still tired," he mutters, gasping for breath as the sun's hot rays hit his skin.

"Go get some rest, then," Chopper says, "I'm sure you're still groggy from all that happened in the last week or so."

Luffy nods, suddenly overcome with sleepiness. "Alright, night night," he says, a slight smile lighting his features, and he leans over and makes himself comfortable...

...on Law's lap.

A heavy blush paints itself thickly across his features as the captain twists and turns on the shaking legs of the older, trying to find the most comfortable position for his body to rest in. Law stares down wordlessly, subconsciously avoiding the stares of the other straw hats. This boy cannot possibly be doing this in front of the others, especially when he knows that Law would never live it down, right?

"Luffy?" Law begins a little too loudly. "What do you think you're doing?"

Nami lightly blushes, smiles, and walks away towards Sanji, who only raises an eyebrow at the situation. Robin chuckles softly, looking upon the couple with wise, open eyes.

Luffy lays perpendicular to Law's body. The smaller captain shifts and brings up his arm to rest his head upon, and in the process grazes a very sensitive spot, causing Law to shudder involuntarily.

The green haired swordsman, who couldn't miss the action, laughs heartily. "Control yourself, Law. Isn't that what a swordsman is supposed to do?"

"Shut up," Law snaps, narrowing his eyes. "You and Robin seem to get along quite well these days, huh? Yet I haven't said a word about that."

Zoro pauses. "Why are you suddenly getting so defensive, Law?"

Law fills with embarrassment. It was not like him to suddenly speak out against someone like that, let alone snap so quickly. And of course it was suspicious, for he basically insinuated that he and Luffy were a thing. A couple. A something to defend. Certainly they were, or something of the sort, but to have Zoro expose so much of it flustered Law.

Ignoring his fellow swordsman, Law turns back to Luffy, hoping to get his mind off the subject of couples. "Luffy, what the hell? I'm not your pillow."

The captain mumbles and turns, so he now faces Law's midsection. His face was dangerously close to his zipper and, though his mind was running a million miles an hour, he tried to keep a steady voice when he reiterates his point. "Luffy I swear I'm gonna push you off."

"But Law," Luffy says just loud enough for the entire crew to hear, "you didn't care last night."

The crew all turns to Law, as if he could offer an explanation for those words. As if he decode and analyze those choice words of Luffy's but he can't. And even if he can, he didn't want to.

The nature of the relationship between Luffy and him was not something he wanted to keep under wraps, but because it was so new, so fresh, he wanted to keep it to himself.

But the first "What?" came from Zoro, opposite thoughts conjugated in bulk, and Law found myself unable to think of a logical response.

Hello! Thanks for dealing with these long updates and short chapters. This story is slowly drawing to a close as I slowly continue to work on my new work. I hope you all stay tuned for what's to come. But in the meantime, thanks for reading, and see you chapter 35!