Thank you to FactCheck for the beta!

Deserving

After Dressrosa, Law had felt relieved, but he hadn't felt truly content until he'd seen his nakama again. When Bepo had hugged him, nearly knocking them both over, Law had really been hit by just how fucking much he missed his crazy (not as crazy as the Straw Hats, of course) crew. He'd been ready to leave this, leave them, behind. He'd been told for so long that he didn't deserve to live, that he was just a monster, that while he was doing his absolute hardest to prove in the most rebellious way he could that they were wrong, a part of him had still believed them. He'd been living on a clock, and Death was to reap him young. It was something he had to accept if he was to retain any sense of resolve for the goals he had set. That unconscious mindset, that he would have a young, inevitably agonizing death, stuck to him like a second skin. That fact had made it hard to explain Dressrosa to them, explain how he had gone in expecting to die and had died multiple times by Doflamingo's hand. He also told them about his past for the first time, he had to if his motivations and the Donquixote Family's actions toward him were to make any sense. He was surprised when his recount ended in his nakama exchanging serious looks before turning to him determinedly.

Before Law knew it, they had all lined up as if they'd rehearsed this dozens of times, and each of his crew―those stupid, lovable idiots―were all giving him hugs one by one. Some of the little bastards would get back in line for another, and Law had laughed in disbelief at first, but he'd returned the hugs, shakily at first before growing firmer, surer, that they were really all together.

Everyone had something to say to him ("Don't think we're gonna let you go off by yourself again!"; "Still rocking the sleep-deprived panda look, eh?"; "It's okay that you're a furry, you're still a good captain.", "Excuse me?"; "Doflamingo's an unforgivable dickwad of the highest degree and we should totally break into Impel Down to kill him.", "Shachi, no."; "We love you, Captain!"), and Law knew in that moment, with absolute surety, that he didn't deserve them, but he had them, and he would never leave them again.

So, when Law opened his mouth and repeated to them what his late guardian had once said to him, when his voice cracked just as Rosinante's had, right down to the fucking -ze, he meant every single syllable of it. And if his eyes got wet, it didn't compare to the rivers streaming down the faces of his crew, his family, as they swarmed him into a giant dogpile.

Creating your own family was the only notion Law wouldn't despise sharing with Doflamingo.

Shachi was the first to start filling him in on what Law had missed, how they'd missed him, and how they'd had a number of prank wars and done hundreds of dares to keep busy. Once Shachi started, the others also had their own accounts to tell, and everyone was up well into the next morning making sure that Law was fully caught up and soaking in comfortableness that was their crew. They'd always wondered why their captain was so obsessed with hearts, and after finding out, they found that they respected and honored their namesake with a newfound understanding.

When Law proposed introducing them to Luffy, the crew was more than ecstatic. They had so much to say to the Straw Hat captain, because they'd seen how Law talked about him: there was an exasperated fondness that Law usually only reserved for them and them alone that he used for Luffy, something in his words and tone that went deeper than simple tolerance and gratitude, and they had simply known.

Luffy had saved Law.

Luffy was important to Law.

Luffy was nakama.

Shachi and Penguin had halfway dragged Law into the forest, the rest following, before Law pointedly reminded them that only he knew where the Minks had been housing the Straw Hats. Jean Bart had walked over, bending so that he could seat Law on his shoulder, and asked him to lead the way.

Law had been silent for a few moments, surprised, before he relaxed and rested one hand on Jean Bart's shoulder while pointing with the other.

And off they went.

Watching his crew interact with Luffy's, Law knew he hadn't been wrong in his theory that they would all get along exceedingly well by partying into the night. What he hadn't accounted for was Brook coming up to him, quietly asking for a moment alone.

"Lead the way, Bone-ya." Law said, waving Bepo off when it looked like the bear was going to attempt to follow.

Brook nodded, leading them to an area of trees where they could sit on the thick roots, still in view of the party but out of hearing range.

There were a few moments of silence where Brook looked straight ahead at their partying nakama, and Law did the same.

"Recently, I discovered a new facet of my Devil Fruit powers." Brook began, and Law looked over to the musician. "I was so surprised when I did it that my eyes bugged out of my skull!" He paused briefly. "Though, I don't have eyes to bug! Yohohoho!" he chuckled and Law waited, patient. "It appears that one of my abilities is to see those no longer of this world," he continued.

Law's eyes widened, and he tried to process where this was leading, why Brook was even telling him this in the first place, as the skeleton continued.

"When I first met you, Tora-o-san, I didn't think much of the man by your side." Brook said conversationally, and Law's heart stopped beating. "I don't believe it was until later, in the early dawn of the day we expected Doflamingo's reply to your deal, that I was able to speak with him."

"Did he give you his name?" Law asked, voice rougher than he thought it would be.

Brook's eye sockets bunched in what thought Law is a grin. "Yohohoho! He went by a few, but said that the one he treasured the most was Cora."

Law had to blink when his vision started getting blurry, mouth going dry, and he took a moment before replying. "What did…" he swallowed when his voice shook, "What did he say?"

"Then?" Brook said consideringly. "He asked us to excuse your behavior, and that you were better than you came off. He asked us to look after you."

Law breathed in sharply, a disbelieving snort escaping him after, and he nodded.

"The reason for this moment, however, is due to what he has to say to you after all that has occurred." Brook said.

Law froze, and his hands started trembling. Suddenly, he was afraid. He had been content with hoping that Rosinante was satisfied with him, that he was glad to see that his final wish was finally carried out after thirteen years, but now there was the possibility that Law would find out for certain that that was not the truth.

Rosinante could be angry at him. He could hate him.

Rosinante could take back the words he had said to Law all those years ago.

"Is he here?" Law questioned quietly, trying not to let his voice crack. "Right now?"

"Yes," Brook nodded before clearing his throat, looking faintly sheepish, if that was possible. "Please forgive the language I am about to use, Tora-o-san. I am only going to repeat what Rosinante-san asks me to." He informed, and before Law could say anything, Brook began. "'What the hell were you thinking, you stupid brat?! You were supposed to be free! You weren't supposed to spend half your life concocting a revenge scheme that ended in your death! That wasn't what you survived for!'"

Law flinched, and kept his gaze directed at the ground as he listened.

"'Do you have any idea how fucking worried I was?! Ace and I thought you were gonna die every twenty minutes!'" Brook continued.

The part with Ace was intriguing, but Law knew it wasn't the time to bring it up. "I…" he swallowed, "I'm sorry."

"'I'm just glad you're still here,'" Brook said quietly. "'You've done so well, despite the deviations from your plan. Maybe it was because of the deviations. Regardless, I'm proud, Law. Proud and damn fucking relieved that you're back where you belong. You've come a long way for this, and you deserve to live, to be happy. No matter what, I will always be by your side.'" Brook paused, and he looked at the space beside Law. "Are you truly sure you want me to say this?" he questioned, and Law's breath caught.

Rosinante must be sitting next to him, he realized. Rosinante had been by his side this entire time, and when this finally sunk in, Law didn't know how to process it.

Law pulled on the bill of his hat, drawing it over his eyes as he bit his lip.

"'I―'" Brook started.

"Hey, Cora-san," Law interrupted, voice surprisingly steady as he set his hand down on the spot next to him, "I love you, too."

Brook startled, eyes widening. "Yohohoho! I do believe that was the first time I've seen Rosinante-san manage to trip and set himself on fire!"

Law let out a laugh, wet and surprised, but when he started, he found he couldn't stop until the laughter changed into quiet sobs, shoulders shaking.

Something settled over him, a kind of ephemeral warmth, and Law put a hand over his mouth to quiet his hitching breath when he realized that he could feel Rosinante hugging him.

It took a few minutes before Law managed to regain his composure, and despite the fact that he hadn't broken down like this since Rosinante's death (it figured that the man would be the cause of his first break down even thirteen years later), he felt guilty about letting go like that in front of Brook. He owed a lot to the Straw Hat Crew, and this only added to his debts.

"Bone…" Law paused, "Brook-ya," he corrected, "thank you." He tried to instill as much sincerity as he could in the words, because he didn't know if Brook would ever understand just how much this meant to him.

"Yohohoho!" Brook chuckled. "I haven't revealed this part of my power yet, and I hadn't been planning on it, but Rosinante-san is quite convincing. He is a kind man, and I had not the heart to deny him. Not that I have a heart in the first place! Yohohoho!" he continued and Law smiled at that, small and grateful. "What tipped my final decision, however, was when I came to know how much of an honorable man you are, Law-san." Brook continued, purposely using Law's name. "The things you have done for us would not have been possible if you were as cold as you like to come across. This was something that I believe you both needed and deserved to hear."

Law's ears went red, and he tried to find something to say to that. Thank you would seem redundant after it all.

"It appears you've rendered me speechless, Bone-ya." Law sighed after a moment.

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "How about we rejoin the party, then? I believe your nakama might be concerned about you," he pointed out.

Law looked over, seeing the worried looks Penguin and Bepo had been sending their way.

"It seems you're correct," Law agreed. He got up from his seat, looking to his side once more, before breathing in deep and adjusting his nodachi against his shoulder before beginning to walk back to the others with Brook. Before he got too far, however, he paused. "I look forward to the day when we meet again, but until then, I'll make sure to appreciate the freedom you fought for. Try not to set yourself on fire too much, though." He said quietly, smiling at the end.

Law had been free for the last thirteen years, but he was finally going to use that freedom now. For Rosinante, for his nakama, and most importantly, for himself.

Just a note about the part where Law says I love you back to his crew and the -ze. In Japanese, one of the different ways of saying "I love you" is "aishiteru", which is actually a phrase with deep, far-reaching connotations to it. Essentially, "I can't imagine life without you". When Rosinante said "I love you" to Law, he had said "aishiteru-ze" which means "I can't imagine life without you, but I'm going to say it in a cool and manly way so it seems lighter but still genuine". The words just always really struck me, just like Belle-mère's had (she had said "daisuki" which is basically "I truly, deeply love you"). Something about guardians/parents going off to their deaths and their last words to their kids is strangely interesting to me :')

Regardless, thank you all for reading! I hope this was just as cathartic and satisfying to read as it was to write! Please make sure to take care of yourselves! Kudos and comments are always appreciated and each one is treasured deeply ;)

Jaaaaaaaaanaaaaaaaaaa~