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“You’re a good singer, Torao.”
Law looked up from his seat against the wall in the back of the pub he had made his home. He still smiled broadly, chuckling at the playful shove Shachi had just given him as he got up from his spot beside him and wandered into the crowd.
“Hi Luffy-ya,” he greeted, an ease in his voice Luffy wasn’t sure he’d heard before. “I like singing.” Law laughed as though he’d just told a very funny joke. The other captain joined in as he plopped himself down beside him.
“I don’t think I’ve heard you admit to liking things before,” Luffy chuckled. “Guess we gotta get together for karaoke more often!”
Law hummed in agreement, the smile still lighting up his face. He was clearly intoxicated, with what Luffy didn’t know. He hadn’t spotted a drink in Law’s hand all night but he had seen the surgeon go outside with Shachi and Penguin earlier. “You look so happy,” Luffy cooed.
The taller man giggled — giggled — and the warmth it spread in Luffy’s chest made it impossible not to join in. “When I was a kid —“ Law was struggling to speak through the laughter as he leaned into the other captain. Tattooed fingers squeezed a rubbery bicep as he touched his forehead against Luffy’s shoulder. “I—“ he swallowed and found a bit of composure. “I took music lessons. I play the piano too, but there’s not one here.” He almost pouted at the realization. It took an amount of willpower uncharacteristic of him for Luffy not to speed off to find a piano for him to play immediately.
Before he could reply, Bepo whirled by and whisked Law to his feet. “C’mon!” the polar bear encouraged.
“Oh, see you later Lu-ya!” Law gave an excited wave as he was pulled to the front of the bar, and Luffy finally understood what people meant when they told him his smile was blinding. Now it was his turn to pout, he’d been enjoying his time with this Torao. His shoulder was warm where he’d rested his head and he silently cursed himself for letting Law get taken from him so easily. He sprung to his feet, prepared to hurry after the pair, when a chord rang out across the pub.
“Don’t patronize! I realize! I’m losing and this is my real life!” There at the front, confident and energetic, bounced a Law Luffy could only describe as free. Bepo and Shachi swayed around him, the three of them jumping in time with the music. They bumped into each other playfully, Bepo and Shachi letting Law take the lead while they echoed backup. It was unrehearsed and yet clearly familiar. The usually serious captain leaned into the microphone, squeezing his eyes shut and projecting loudly when the music took him, always with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. In the midst of the performance he even shoved into the crowd to find Penguin, stealing whatever smoke his crewmate had so he could take a long drag during an instrumental break.
Luffy watched, eyes wide and smile wider. He pushed through the pub to get closer, joining the crowd as they danced to the upbeat music. It was repetitive and he felt it in his bones, the joy in the lead vocals pulling him forward, closer and closer to the performers. As he went he sporadically found his friends. Sanji gave him a spin as he passed. Usopp clearly knew the song, and he jumped enthusiastically as he screamed some of the lyrics to his captain as though he expected him to know them too. Nami moved gracefully, trying to show Luffy how to have a little control over his body. That didn’t appeal to him though, if there was anything in this world he would let direct him it was music like this — the beat demanding he move in whatever way felt right. As he bumbled his way through the crowd he spun past more of the Heart Pirates, none of whom seemed taken aback by their captain’s performance. It warmed Luffy’s heart to know that Law let himself indulge like this at least often enough that it felt commonplace to his crew.
Then the music steadied, Bepo and Shachi stood back, and Law leaned into the microphone with purpose. Luffy stopped in his tracks, frozen under the golden eyes that locked with his.
“Please just follow me, I thought you wanted me. Cause I want you all to myself.” Luffy had no choice but to hear every word, Law annunciating as though the two of them were having a conversation. “I can try and suck it up, I just can’t suck it up. Make me feel like someone else.” As the music swelled he reached a hand out and, whether it was meant for him or not, Luffy stretched to take it and launched himself into the throws of the performance.
The lyrics were repetitive, and while Luffy had a tendency to forget names and important details, he was quick to remember anything that would lead to a good time. Law threw his head back with laughter as Luffy swung around him, looking more carefree than the smaller captain could ever remember seeing him. It wasn’t uncommon for Luffy to hang off of Law, wrap his limbs around him multiple times over and squeeze him tight. What was unusual was the way his touch was reciprocated now, a gentle hand resting on his chest. The two held the microphone between them, the difference between trained vocals and eccentric ones stark.
The lyrics switched up on Luffy, so he stumbled as Law confidently sang out, “Cause I can’t stay with someone else.” The shift in tone of Bepo and Shachi’s giggles was lost on Luffy, who was trying his best to keep up but was acutely aware that Law was talking to him. Bepo and Shachi had given the two a wide berth now, but they were going crazy whooping and cheering. They weren’t alone as some of the other Straw Hats and Hearts had pulled their attention away from dancing with each other to watching the energetic performance their captains had decided to put on.
“I’ll try and suck it up, I just keep fucking up,” Law told him, the hand he’d had on his chest sliding up to rest in the crook of Luffy’s neck before leaning in close to proclaim, “I want you all to myself.”
Just as Luffy felt the need to close what little distance there was left between them, Law spun away with a hard hit of the music. He walked backwards away from the other man, his free hand outstretched. “Did you say ‘please just follow me’? I thought you wanted me?” he asked with a smirk, gesturing down his body.
Luffy grinned devilishly at the challenge, surging towards him to steal away the mic and reply, “I want you all to myself.”
Law choked on a laugh, stumbling over the next few words. He did a little turn, stomping one foot to the beat, before letting his hand find a home on Luffy’s waist and pulling him close to request, “Make me feel like someone else.”
The music bounced around them but the final chords fell on two sets of deaf ears as Luffy was able to push the mic from between them and pull Law into a kiss that, he would say later once he’d sobered up, was far too much of a display for the amount of onlookers there had been.