#on their own garp and all might in particular have very different personalities obviously

[petrichorium]

The all might/deku to garp/koby comparison makes me annoyed not be it’s a Bad comparison but bc it’s a good comparison and only highlights how one pair of chars is like. Infinitely more interesting and dynamic than the other pair and it’s Not the one that involves a whole ass main character 😭😭😭 and on the one hand I recognize that I’m biased bc I fundamentally disagree w Horikoshi/BNHA’s worldview regarding policing and more align w Oda/One Piece’s, but I think it’s also just like. Koby and Garp r better written characters too. Which is again infuriating bc they get all of a handful of scenes over the course of nearly twelve hundred episodes meanwhile Deku is literally the mc like that’s crazy.

I have such a hyperspecific meta/gripe that I keep wanting to yap about but I must admit it’s kinda mean-spirited n would be a more effective discussion if I weren’t bitter abt certain things LOL

[petite-neko]

Boyhood Blues - 13

Fanfiction: Boyhood Blues Story Summary: Actions, and inactions, have their repercussions. It may not be immediate but somewhere down the line, the effect will be seen. Chapter Characters: Law, Luffy, Garp Pairing: LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, Universe Alteration, angst, A/N: Finally! Again, my apologies for the long hiatus. Thank you all for your patience and get wells.

In case any of you were wondering: Well, after my arm went out on me, and with my girlfriend visiting and lawlu week occurring, well, I fractured my leg a week later. It kind of killed my inspiration, on top of being doped up on painkillers and exhaustion. And I also couldn't really sit for prolonged periods of time. My life pretty much was: Wake up, go to work, get home and go back to sleep.

I'm back now -- although my posts might still be hit and miss because I'm still having trouble with inspiration. I'll try to get back to weekly updates however!

.xxx. > Time/scene skip

.+++. > PoV change

Check the source for Ao3 Link!

Chapter 12 || Chapter 13: Determination|| Chapter 14

“Torao!”

Law started up at the stars that lit up the night sky as Luffy’s voice reverberated in his mind.

“Torao!”

Ever since the little discussion they had, Luffy hadn’t left his side. Like it had been on Amazon Lily. Pestering him. Laughing. Smiling. Calling his name and once attempted to drag him away until Law tore his hand away. (Although he still followed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be shown things, but he hated the physical touch. And, no, that damned pout on Luffy’s face had no influence on the matter.)

“Torao!”

The guy was such a clingy bastard – even if he finally seemed to understand that he couldn’t physically be clingy. (Well… most of the time.) In fact, Luffy had given him the grande tour of the ship. From the observatory to the workshop. Although, there was one room that he hadn’t been shown. (Law had noticed that they had skipped over it at first. And apparently Luffy had noticed that he had noticed before babbling some nonsense about Nami. From that, Law was able to understand that that was probably their treasure room. Although… there definitely had been something Luffy was being elusive about. His transparency hadn’t changed in the last two years – although should he have expected it to? It hadn’t changed in twelve years either.) Law didn’t pry however. In fact, he only really allowed the tour itself because Luffy had been so insistent on it, and that it was a way to pass the time.

And, eventually, the sun had set. But not without yet another insistence from his new ally.

“We have an extra bunk for you to sleep on!”

Law declined the invite of joining the crew in the men’s quarters however. The aspect of sleeping around so many other strangers was daunting in of itself. Certainly, yes, Luffy didn’t fit into that category, but the others? Most definitely.

Probably, he could trust Luffy’s crew, considering that his crew seemed well mannered and respectful of their captain’s wishes and happiness. (Which, going against him would certainly negate those two things.) But the fact remained: he didn’t know them. And sleeping in such close quarters with people he didn’t know unnerved him.

Not to mention he was far too accustomed to sleeping in only his own company. Back on the Polar Tang he had his own room. Punk Hazard, too, was a private room, even if it was more than likely recorded by the security cameras.

(And, hell, if it weren’t for the obvious connotations and if Luffy had his own quarters, Law wouldn’t have been too opposed to sleeping in the same room as the other captain, trust wasn’t an issue at all here. But, he’d still rather have his own area, or in this case, an area open enough that his personal space wasn’t invaded. Not to mention, Luffy would have probably done something stupid or ridiculous – like wrap his entire fucking body around ‘Torao’. Already, the younger man was pressing in on his space far too much for comfort. Who knew what the idiot would do while he was unconscious of all things?)

So yes, while he trust Luffy and knew Luffy well enough, Trafalgar Law would much rather sleep on the bench under the tree.

…Although, just how well did he know Luffy, truly?

(His mind rewound to when that idiot tackled him back on Punk Hazard.)

Certainly, he hadn’t been expecting that. It was new. Or, at the very least different. Because back on Sabaody when they had reunited, Luffy hadn’t been that exuberant. (Well… he was pretty excited but, obviously not enough to tackle him in the Auction House. Just enough to blab on and try to take his hand.) Maybe an excited wave, some laughter, and some attempt at a hand shake. Not to be tackled while he was battling Marines.

That in of itself was baffling.

And so while yes, yes they had history with one another, yes Luffy told him about his adventures as a pirate, and yes it was he who saved Luffy and his brother’s lives when they would have otherwise, it was not as if he really knew the other captain. As children, he didn’t bother to really interact much with the child Luffy had been. (The child he had simply been stuck with.) And even though they had been together for awhile on Amazon Lilly, it was Luffy who did most of the talking and story telling. It wasn’t he who said things, while Luffy reacted. No, he had just nodded and hummed in response. Not to mention that while, sure, he had taken an interest in this particular pirate’s career, it wasn’t as if he exactly studied it.

If anything was to be reassuring however, was that there wasn’t much to Mugiwara no Luffy. He was transparent, and, aside from the few things here and there (which, in all probability, was miniscule in nature) he kept no secrets. Nothing about Luffy spoke of major secrets or plans or schemes. That if he wanted to do something, he would just do it. And if he didn’t? Well, he refused to do it.

“You’re a guy who will do anything to get what you want, aren’t you Torao?”

Law resisted rolling his eyes as he remembered Luffy stating that. It wasn’t as if he had influenced Luffy’s behaviours. No, that was something that Law had begun to realise all those years ago about Luffy. That was just who Luffy had been his entire life. In fact, imaging a Luffy who wasn’t like that was…

“I don’t want to!”

The young child was seemingly hiding behind Garp’s legs, sticking his tongue out defiantly. And while the action was, well, immature the child – Luffy – seemed to be unmoving. A determination shining in his eyes.

“Luffy,” Garp sighed and placed his hand behind Luffy’s head, ushering him forward, “this will be good for you.”

And Luffy was fighting him, clinging to his legs as he was being pushed forward. There was something… off about it but Law was quickly distracted by the expression Garp was wearing.

It was torn. Sad even. There was a pain behind his eyes as he looked down at Luffy. “Luffy, you need to start interacting with other kids again…”

Law’s gaze switched back to the kid. While, at first, he had just been trying to look as if he was paying attention, the ever-changing expressions on Luffy’s face had indeed caught his attention. And now? Now that defiant, proud expression had faded. Those shoulders had fallen and his head had faced the ground.

“…Okay Gramps…”

The way that the boy had just easily gave in unsettled his stomach in a way he didn’t quite understand, but Law pushed that away and knelt a bit, deciding to just finish this up.

“I’m Trafalgar Law.”

Law closed his eyes and shook his head.

…Okay, maybe he knew Luffy – or at the very least, a side of Luffy – in ways not very many people did. But that wasn’t the entire story. That wasn’t the whole of who Luffy was. It wasn’t the smiling, bubbly, spontaneous side of the captain that he had only begun to realise two years ago. And, sure, okay, Law had a general understanding of who that was. Of how unpredictable and crazy he was. Of how Luffy and plans mixed as well as oil and water did. But there were still those few peculiar things, those things that Law still had yet to learn about his ally. For one, he didn’t know how affectionate Luffy could be. Or clingy. (And, in his opinion: it was annoying as hell.) And then there was that whole idolisation thing that Ace had shocked him with. (Even now, it was still baffling.)

At the very least, they still seemed to get along, and Luffy still seemed to enjoy his company…

And him? Well, Law was glad to have somebody he could trust. Could have that somebody help him achieve his goal. (Even though he wasn’t exactly willing to tell him that this was his goal. The one he fought for. The one he lived for.) It was nice to have somebody from his past not triggering horrendous memory after memory. It was refreshing to have somebody treat him as an equal. Not look down or up at him enough to put them on different levels. Especially when he was about dive deep into the pile of shit that had, quite literally, shaped his life.

(The Marines. Cora-san. Doflamingo. His disease. Flevance…)

And, sure, yeah, he didn’t tell Luffy the entire truth, and was misleading him as to the objectives of what they were going to do, but as he said before: Luffy and plans did not mix. Nor did Luffy and secrets. (And the last thing he needed was for Doflamingo to figure out just what he was up to.) And he didn’t exactly trust Luffy fully. He couldn’t. (It wasn’t a fault of Luffy’s – no. It was one of his. He had been fed lies and betrayal his entire life.) So while Luffy was so obviously trying to help him and be friends with him, Law couldn’t dive in head first as the other did. And hence the guise of bringing down Kaido. Luffy desired to be the Pirate King after all.

As he thought back to their discussion about their alliance, Law found himself almost chuckling. It had gone in a strange direction due to Luffy’s outburst. He hadn’t intended on making Luffy appear responsible for the apparent loss of his title, because he, quite frankly, couldn’t care less. (Because he was just using the Government. Fighting fire with fire. Just like he had with the Marines.) In fact, retrospectively speaking, it was actually quite hilarious that Luffy was impacted in some way for both events involving the Government or the Marines. (Although being the cause for the latter and an effect for the former.)

Law sighed and looked up at the stars again, not realising that his gaze had wandered over towards the door leading into the men’s quarters.

A lot had changed in two years, hadn’t it? And yet, many things still seemed to stay the same. Back then, it was Law who was Luffy’s saviour, and now – he supposed that in a sense it was Luffy who was helping him, even if he didn’t truly realise to what extent. Their roles reversed, although he truly didn’t mind. Even despite what had happened during the War of the Great, Law did not view Luffy as weak or helpless. (In fact, it was the complete opposite. Not anybody would go to challenge the world alone like that and come out alive – even if severely injured in the process.)

(And, of course, there was the situation with Sabo – but Sabo was a different story. They were still very much green behind the ears, not even knowing about the New World until days before the war, while Sabo was far more experienced and accomplished than they. A man who had survived in the chaos that was the New World, a man who had access to abilities they had only just begun to grasp at the concept of…)

Along with the tentative trust Law held for Luffy, respect was beside it. A healthy dosage that told him: Luffy as an enemy would be a very, very, bad idea. But Luffy as an ally? Well, that was an interesting prospect indeed.

(One which, given his personality, could go very wrong, very fast. But Law was willing to take that risk.)

And now, now Luffy was his ally.

“…So, why did you ally yourself with me?”

As he remembered the expression on Luffy’s face and his tone, he found himself staring at the hand that the other captain had clung to. Why? Even now, he couldn’t quite understand just what was going through Luffy’s head at that moment. (Yet another thing he did not know.) Why had he looked that way?

…Whatever, it wasn’t something he should be concerning himself with anyway. Because, despite the respect he held for Luffy, his own goals still came first.

He was a selfish bastard after all.