Work Text:
Love sure is a hurricane.
Law had never imagined himself loving someone as much as how he love medicine. He couldn't imagine himself going through various dates with someone he loves, or go through such lengths and sacrifices to offer someone a piece of determination. Law was never really keen into knowing how he would be getting into his love life either, as he continued to avert his attention to the passion that's slowly burning away, but continued to move forward with the hesitance to do so.
Then came Luffy, a mediocre-looking student whose passion is photography. Law met him during his stay in the park after a long, agonizing shift, opting to taking a few scrolls and a breathe of fresh air before he'd get straight home and dive on his bed as if nearly diving on the deep ocean. Their meeting wasn't exactly ideal, at least for Law, because Luffy was just trespassing his privacy without any consent.
He took a photo, out of anything else, when Law despised being taken a picture without permission the most. He took all the bottled aggravation leave his sanity and scare the poor boy for a second, before his guffaws would resonate inside his ears - Law hated the way he laughed, at first.
The doctor thought he was another happy-go-lucky boy, another reckless idiot who couldn't understand his demeanor, and there was no denial that he was right.
Now that Luffy is sleeping beside him, Law felt extreme rue when he couldn't recall the reason why he fell in love with someone like him - someone that his self knew would obviously be incompatible, and stupid to even bother thinking of. Maybe he was too blinded by the pressure of crashing works, and finance, and time - something that would obviously make his track turn leftwards or downwards, maybe even push him behind until he'd reach the starting point.
Those were dreadful days, and it continued for as long as he is alive. But now that Luffy is beside him, who continued to understand his easily irritated behavior through thick and thin, life has gotten even more better.
Albeit appearing as if it was more like Luffy never really had any choice as he continued to whine and urge Law to go home as fast as he could when he felt like he's been missing him, in which Law couldn't really please the whining male's request. Luffy continued to try and understand him, and Law continued to make time just for him.
"Torao? why are you still awake?" Luffy questioned, followed by another grunt as he stretched after a long idle position of laying on top of Law's chest, his heartbeat that he knew was beating for him served as his lullaby.
It continues to fascinate him how his heartbeat would match with his, and it accelerates not because of the thought of adventures and more scenery to photograph with, but just because of him, of law - of his name and overall demeanor.
Law was startled, at first. Luffy isn't really the type of person to get bothered of his nap without any reason. A heavy sleeper, in which Law had arose problems as to how to wake him up early when they would go somewhere and spend some time with each other on travel. But for now, Luffy is awake, looking at him and patting his head to coddle.
"Mhm, I am. I can't sleep, how about you?" Law inquired, knowing he had more right to know Luffy's sudden action. He expected a laugh, a giggle or at least a grin as a response. However, when silence unfortunately loomed over their warm bodies, Law couldn't help but wonder why Luffy is exactly acting odd today.
Did he do something wrong?
It wasn't particularly odd that he had to get overly startled over the sudden bravado, where he hoped that it was a joke. Law knew, and he was hiding it - for fear that it was the truth, that Luffy isn't acting odd because he was sick or sulking over something he couldn't give just like the usual, but because there was something wrong.
"Hey, Torao, when did I get this one?" Luffy questioned, raising a bracelet that was on his calloused hand, it being left inside the box that were left idle under the bed as they decided to clean the whole room - luffy just rummaging over things and figuring out that he owned something he thought he didn't.
Law didn't know what it was, or who gave it to him. As a matter of fact, that isn't the bracelet he gave to him during their first monthsary - as he could recall, and he wanted to know who gave it to him as well.
"I don't know. Don't you remember who gave it to you?" Law questioned, passing the same questioned that Luffy had longed to look for the answer.
Red Flags.
"This place seems familiar," Luffy remarked, dark orbs wandering around as their hands intertwined, desperate for each other's warmth after a long stroll in winter.
Law is confused once again. They've never been to such place before except when they decided to hang out to this place after a long argument on which destination to take. But then he shrugged, knowing that Luffy probably happened to be in such a place before and he just couldn't remember.
"Torao, my head hurts."
More red flags.
Law gulped in bitter hopes that the lump on his throat would continue to debilitate. It continued, for more days, and weeks, and months - when luffy would complain about something oddly familiar and he would excuse that it was something he just forgot the time before and he shouldn't even bother thinking about it as an excuse. Because he was scared, damn scared, that all of it was never only a product of Luffy's mind.
"I had a dream," Luffy informed, grip tightening at the hem of his shirt as his tightly closed, desperate to forget when he shouldn't even, and Law couldn't do anything. He couldn't do anything except to listen to whatever Luffy is gonna say next, something that he had already expected to utter, words of truth escaping away from his mouth.
He couldn't do anything to comfort him and ask, worsen his situation, ask - desperate, ask, and ask, as to why - why is Luffy hiding something even he, doesn't know?
"Eh? That's weird.. I feel like I'm forgetting something important."
Law's heart skipped a beat.
He was right. Damn it to hell. He was a doctor, for pete's sake! How could he forget something significant that could ruin their relationship just like that. How could he, a person who's known for critical observation on the happenings around him forget something so important? Why does his luck, after all this time, dry out when he had already gotten himself attached to someone who is looking for someone else, and not him?
Law knew there was something wrong from the start. It wasn't because of luck, coming from a person like him who's been prone to almost all of the unfortunate situations from time to time. It wasn't because he shared the abundant luck Luffy has either, it was only because he was blinded. Not because it was intended, or planned - it was because of love that blinded him into rainbows and cupcakes he thought would actually exist.
Luffy is a pain.
Looking back to all the things he had noticed, Luffy would often complain about his head hurting. He would complain about getting uncomfortable at times when he gets reminded from the forgotten past he once lived, probably much more happier than his recent as his heart yearns for another when he's right in front of him.
Nights when he could cuddle him to sleep, not knowing that the time is ticking until the dawn would disperse. Until Luffy's love for him fades, as an alternative and compensation for all the love that's laced around his heart, forgotten but was never gone.
He couldn't remove it, no matter how much he tried - Luffy seems more determined of looking for someone's embrace, and, just never settle for his.
"I thought you were the person in my dream," Luffy continued, breaking away from the cuddle (in which Law wanted to complain not to, but no words would just come out from his parched mouth). "You share the same warmth as him, Torao. You have the same personality but not in regards to preference. He.. I remember him now."
He hated the way Luffy would tell him about a person who's obviously not him.
He hated when Luffy would focus on looking for someone else he had no idea where to find, he hated it with all his being. Why is Luffy so close yet so far to reach? Why is Luffy looking far away when he's close to him?
Why, when Law has had enough courage to take on the journey of life along with him, suddenly gets left behind?
Law's heart was shredded into pieces. That's weird. He had encountered handful cases of heart problems and he could cure them with prescribed medicine. But now that he was the one who's experiencing it, why can't he think of any cure? Why can't he, who pursued medicine ever since he was a child, can't cope up with the pains of a broken heart?
Realizations that medicine still couldn't cure everything yet.
Law had the strength to look outside the window and witness the break of the dawn. He had the strength to alter his focus out of something else to distract him from the agonizing pain of loving someone - but never, did he ever had the strength to raise his arm to reach out to him, and to his heart to beg for another chance, if he could.
He knew that when the sun rises, he couldn't spend the day with him anymore - and for the next days of their lives, he won't stay with him anymore.
He knew that when he managed to force him to stay with him, nothing's gonna stay the same. The controversy would continue to brew, regret and unwillingness chained on both of their wrists instead of the red string of fate. And no matter how much Law would try to force him and convince himself that Luffy loves him, it was all in past tense.
A matter of recovery, and the commence of separation.
He hoped that Luffy never really remembered.
"Roronoa.. Zoro.."
His name isn't Zoro.