#(Shanks and Benn are watching the two kids so that - in Shanks words - Miha can finally get him some of that sweet ass)

[gildedmuse]

Hey hey, you and your amazing writing skills :3

Hope you're doing good?

What do you think about Law and Zoro becoming parents? Adoption, Ivankov... Don't know. But I think Law would be a total mother henn and Zoro also caring but not so strictly as Law.

Keep up your writing, I love these AUs and they beautify my day!

Ahh, you're far too nice.

I've written up/rped/plotted out a few different "ZoLaw but with kids" scenarios (by the way, people that Discord me or DM me will occasionally just get plots thrown at them and sucked into huge ideas or roleplays and that is not my fault.... They talked to me first okay? I am innocent in all of this). Because both of them are these strong, stubborn, serious faced boys who love fluffy things and are actually total geeks (Law for manga and ninjas, Zoro for historical swords). And we've seen how Zoro will act all aloof or grumpy but also allows any child or fluffy thing to immediately attach to him and will then protect said child or fluff ball with his life.

In other words, this au just makes sense.

I Might Love Your Dad

[I didn't plan for this to turn into a goddamn half fic, bit it did, so now it gets a title]

I tend to assume Law is a really busy dad - either he is the head surgeon at a busy hospital or he is working on a revenge plan against an evil, angel killing shichibukai or he has four yonko to defeat, the point is he has somethings on his plate - and maybe he misses a few years of Chopper/Tetsuya growing up, not be sure he doesn't care it's just that Law can get a bit.... Focused.

Zoro tends to be the more day to day caregiver. Sure, when Law sees how relaxed he is about certain things like letting the kids play with swords or the foods they eat he freaks the fuck out because Zoro-ya! They are children! You can't just let them do as they please! But Zoro is also the dad who is there watching over them every night. He's the dad that acts put off about having to do some stupid activity like making Chopper a reindeer costume for his school's Christmas recital but damn if he doesn't slice the pattern out in just a few swings of his sword (then asks Nico Robin for help on actually sewing it together.... Also, great, now Chopper is going to be wearing this thing 24/7. You know how obsessed he is with that stupid Tony The Blue Nosed Reindeer movie.

(Robin does know and she thinks it's adorable. She even paints his nose blue instead of black right before the show. Chopper is so delighted he forgets his lines and calls the audience a bunch of idiots for thinking he is cute.)

Not that Chopper wants to be cute. He's a big boy now and he isn't cute, and also ut doesn't bother him that Otousan didn't show - !!! Otousan! Look, look at the costume Chichi-Ue made him!

And Law, still in his doctor's coat, just glares at all the people who dare to send him dirty looks, either for coming in so late or for his son ruining the whole production. As if their children where acting prodigies whose performances were applause worthy. Please, the pink haired reindeer is shoving a muffin in her face and spitting crumbs all over while reading her lines while that Carrot girl keeps almost getting off the stage to go towards Wanda and Pedro - names Law only knows because the "Christmas Angel" hopped off the stage and is reading her lines from their laps while repeatedly commenting on how much for this is, right Wanda-haha and Pedro-chichi!? - and let's not even talk about the fit Dracule Perona is throwing because everyone is ruining her "cute" moment. As if Chopper is ruining anything just because he forgot a few lines, it's not like their teacher is some brilliant writer whose work is worth respect and study. It's nonsensical tripe for the kids to say on stage, that's all.

Plus, look how his son's eyes light up when he sees Law trying to sneak his way in without interrupting the whole thing. Ha, his little reindeer tail even wags he is so excited! That's worth so much more than this cheap, poorly written waste of a show just meant to give the kids something to do while their teacher recovers for her holiday party hang over. Chopper gets so excited he accidently shouts out, "Otousan!" And all eyes go to Law, and you might think he would be embarrassed or at least contrite, but in truth he loves that moment when Chopper calls for his dad and all eyes go to Law. His son is adorable with his big brown eyes and that puff ball of light brown hair, a face so round that people on the street want to just stop and pinch his cheeks even with Law glowering at them and making sure they don't. He looks absolutely nothing like Law and so everyone assumes they aren't related. At best, he will get someone giving him a look they probably think is very kind and telling him how they are simply in awe of anyone who chooses to adopt.

That may be worse than all the times someone praises him for letting his friends have the night off - parents have it so rough, you know, and it's so great to see a mature single man who understands that - because it reminds him of all the times Corazon use to have to correct and insist and argue and get out papers showing that, yes, he is Law's rather and what does it matter that they look nothing alike! That's to be expected, seeing as they have entirely different genes! That doesn't mean Corazon isn't his father!

It sure as hell doesn't mean that Chopper isn't his son! So Law just soaks in their annoyance and whispered disapproval. Let them talk about how rude Chopper's father is, what a terrible parent he must be to come in so late. They're right. Law should have been here on time - he would have of the damn administrator had shut up for a damn second, and they're also right that Law doesn't give one fuck how impolite they think he is for sneaking in the way he did. Big mostly they're right that he's Chopper's father. His Otousan. That's his boy up there, smiling and rambling and....

Wait? Why is his son's nose painted bright blue? Isn't he supposed to be a reindeer?

Afterwards, once Chopper and Carrot are done being completely overwhelmed by how awesome they both did, Chopper dances around Law (who has mostly been forgiven by the other parents, only thanks to the fact that he had been in such a rush he left coat and the rest of his hospital attire on. You can almost hear the faint 'ah' of understanding as the gossip makes it's rounds. A doctor and he still rushed to see his adopted/step son's performance. What an admiral man. Their approval makes Law want to leave the place in shambles.) He is much more interested in asking about how many people Law cured and what kind of illnesses he saw and did he have to make a lot of medicine? Was doing surgery scary? Chopper bets the people weren't scared though because Otousan is the best doctor EVER.

Not as good as Chopper will be one day.

Shut up, Touchan! You saying that doesn't make Chopper happy! He doesn't even like that you came to see his show! He isn't excited at all!

Then Chopper spends the next ten minutes asking of he can spend an extra day at Otousan's place, so maybe he can take Chopper to work like he did that one time! Wouldn't that be fun, Otousan?!

Law casts a nervous glance at Zoro. For years he's been sure to take weekends off so that he can spend time with Chopper, bit there had been that one incident, two years ago now, where there hadn't been any other surgeon available who could do the work needed, what with the man's sliced nearly in half across the chest. And of course Law had rushed to surgery, throwing Chopper and Bepo - their Great Pyrenees - in the back seat and hitting an irresponsible speed getting to the hospital.

As though he was about to trust any of those other surgeons with his Zoro-ya.

(No, not HIS Zoro-ya. They haven't been together since college, Zoro had only even reached out to Law because his statues as a doctor looked good on the adoption paperwork. Originally, the coffee had been that Law simply had to play the role for the damn social worker, but after that he wouldn't have to have any part in raising the kid. It was stupid, but Zoro had been going around to hospitals doing these kendo demonstrations for kids and he met this one that just.... Well, he knows it's been a few years but it's not like they broke up on bad terms. They're still friends, or allies at least, so he thought he might as well ask Law. He could go to Hawkeye, of course, but he thought the agency might think it was question how him and Mihawk-)

(Law had agreed almost immediately. Like before he had even had time to think about it. He's usually so careful about thinking things through and making plans, but just like when they were together, all his forethought and preparation got smashed to pieces the moment Zoro enters the room. The worst part is how Law doesn't even mind. He grumbles about it, he makes a few snarky comments under his breath, and then he would precede to let oro slice his way through whatever arrangements Law had so meticulously set up.)

It would turn out that whatever this mysterious power of Zoro's is that sends every one of Law's methodical, diligently laid plans into dissary, Chopper appears to have inherited the same ability. Because the moment Law held the then two and a half year old in his arms all that talk about how, very well, Zoro-ya, he's willing to play along for the sake of appearances just so long as Zoro-ya truly doesn't have any expectations of Law joining him in this insane little experiment -- Oh, he smiled. He hadn't been doing when the social worker picked him up, but placed in Law's arms he smiled and... Look, look Zoro-ya, it's almost like he's trying to listen to Law's heartbeat, holding out his hand like a play stethoscope. Isn't that the cutest -- err, not that he knows what he's doing, obviously. He's just making some random gestures the way children do. Obviously. Of course.

Law had been very fortunate that Zoro is the type of guy who is so easy going, who often goes out of his way for his friends whole shrugging it off as though it was nothing. Once everything was signed and they were sure their ruse worked and Chopper was there to stay, he had been more than happy to offer Law weekend custody as well as open visitation. Law had almost been an idiot and tried to talk Zoro-ya into driving a harder deal. Chopper is his son after all, he shouldn't be so casual about sharing his time!

"What's the big deal, Torao? I mean, it's not like I'm going to go e him away to just anyone. He's my family and nothing will change that. Why's it so bad if he's your family, too? That's what you want, isn't it?

Which is how Law ended up spending his earlier years as a surgeon also learning how to be a father on the weekends. He read about it plenty and out together lists and planners. And then he ended up calling Corazon who took mercy and came over to help (he would claim it was to help Law, but Law is absolutely sure that if he let him, Corazon would run off with Chopper and keep the boy all to himself. Probably spoil him rotten, too. It's not like Law can't see the sweet practically spilling out of his father's pockets, or is mystified by how every time he visits Chopper ends up with sticky hand and the puffed out cheeks of a squirrel hiding it's treasures.) Eventually, he got competent enough that he didn't call Corazon in a panic less than three hours into his Saturday. Not that it stopped Corazon from randomly stopping by every now and then.

Of course, he'd been nowhere to find that one particular weekend, so into the car and down to the hospital Law went, taking him unthinkingly into the room to see Zoro which, fuck, if he knew the state the man had been in he definitely would have left Chopper sitting out in the hall, he just wanted to see Zoro-ya for himself and also didn't know what to do but keep holding onto Chopper with all his strength.

"Torao, stop being so nervous. You look worse than me, and I just had my chest sliced open."

"Zoro-ya, try to take this seriously!"

"Otouchan? Otouchan, don't be sad. Chichi-Ue's gonna be okay. You're the bestest doctor ever and you came just to make him better! Chichi-Ue knows you'll make him all better again."

"Hee, smart kid. He must get that from me, eh, Torao?"

Law had been annoyed and touched and furious and worried, which is not a good state for someone to be in before doing surgery. So while they got Zoro ready he sat with Chopper and they went through his Kid Veterinarian Facts book while he laid back against Bepo, stroking the dog's thick white fur, which somehow always calmed Law down. So by the time he is called to get ready he feels steady and balanced.

While Zoro recovered in the hospital - something that practically involved his friend Franky coming over and sitting on him to get him to stay, Law had Chopper. So he brought him along to the hospital, thinking he could keep Zoro company. He had been much more excited about the prospective of dressing up in his little doctor's costume and following Law from room to room. Even when Law had taken him to see Zoro-ya, Chopper insisted on playing doctor and "taking Chichi-Ue's vibals", scribbling random numbers onto a piece of paper.

Law is still rather sure it had all been terrible parenting on his part, and he's pretty certain that sooner or later Zoro-ya will realize that he only found it so endearing because of the major blood loss, and take Law to task for allowing their son to wonder around a hospital watching as Law explained simple amputation procedures and look at graphic images of people's kidneys.

"You know I'll see you this weekend, Cho-ya," Law ensures his son instead, hoping to avoid a straight up rejection.

"Actually, it would be great if you'd take him tonight." Law can't help but feel this is a trap. Not that Zoro hasn't been very understanding in the past, when Law finds himself with a day off and wants to have an extra day with Chopper, bit something about the offer feels.... Off. "It's Franky and Robin's anniversary, and Nami charges by the second. I can't afford the two months rent just to send him there for a night."

That all makes sense, Zoro-ya needs a babysitter and, well, it isn't like Law would - Wait. "Didn't the season end two weeks ago?" Zoro is still recovering from nearly being chopped in half, but still insisted on competing. He had done pretty well, too, although not nearly as good as he had wanted. He'd only placed fourth international, and in his mind seeing as it's been nearly two years since he was sliced up (and two months since he lost the eye) this was a total failure.

Law had been rather impressed, though. Impressed and annoyed because, really, Zoro-ya, it's like he wants to stress his body out instead of allowing it time to heal.

"Oh, yeah, I just have a date," Zoro tells him like it's no big deal. Which it isn't. They haven't been together since college and that small period they faked being in a relationship so the adoption agency would approve their application. It's really not a big deal. Law has dated plenty and Zoro probably has, too, just Robin has always been available so there hadn't been a reason to-

"I have a shift tonight," Law bluets out, ignoring the happy dance Chipper does be side he might get to play doctor with his Otousan. "Its in the ER. High stress, very.... Gory. I don't think they'd even allow me to take him."

The staff would fucking love if he showed up with his adorable, excited son who wanted to be just like his genius doctor daddy, but the words just spill out before Law can stop them. What is he even thinking!?

"I'm sorry... If I had known..... I hate that you have to cancel your date."

Okay, that's what he was thinking.