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starfried · 2 months

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Through and Through (Part 2)

ACK FINALLY. i wrote this, stared at it, and immediately HATED IT so i deleted it all and rewrote it!! reader and law get to hang out for a little bit. still takes place when law is 13, i don't have a set age for the reader but i'm imagining 11/12. next part will be longer and you'll get to see them actually be friends!

hopefully next part is out on thursday xP

slowburn, childhood friends to lovers, multipart, gn reader, no use of (y/n)/(name).

wc: 2.2k. part 1

After watching Wolf drive away, you anxiously pace around your empty living room. There's still time to prepare for school, but you're too unsettled from last night's events. The seriousness of the situation is beginning to bear down on you. Without the aid of that peculiar group of boys (and a polar bear), you're certain you would be dead and frozen by now.

You sigh, flopping onto your flimsy couch. You hadn't appreciated their efforts enough at the time. You wish you had anything of value to give them as thanks. You could dig through the cabinets and boxes in your home to find something, but you're sure you'd only find trinkets and old clothes. Maybe you could use your grocery budget for the week to buy them something in town. Ooh, there was a bakery that opened up recently! You haven't tried it yourself, but you remember your classmates raving about how good it was.

With a new goal in mind, you put your boots and jacket back on and head towards the door. Despite the ache in your ankle, you don't let it deter you. Remembering Law's reprimand from yesterday, you decide to also grab your scarf. However, as your hand hovers over it, you can't help but hesitate. Is this really a good idea? The boys you're seeking out were quite intense. You have no idea how they will react to you showing up with treats. Despite your doubts, you shake your head and recall your mother's advice about repaying kindness. With the oversized, frayed scarf now wrapped around your neck, you head out with a sense of nervous anticipation.

~~~~~

You sat on a bench outside the clinic, knowing that the boys worked in different places: a restaurant, a salon, a factory, and a clinic. In this city, there was only one clinic, making it the obvious choice. As you fiddled with the end of your scarf, you tried to decide what to say. He was the easiest to find, yet he was also the most intimidating.

"So you do have a scarf."

You snap your head in the direction of Law's voice and immediately find yourself at a complete loss for words. His intense gaze makes you shift uncomfortably.

“…Did you need to see the doctor?”

“No! Well, kinda?”

He raises his eyebrow in response.

“Um. I was waiting for you.”

He seems just as confused by this.

“Why?” He asks. “If you needed medical attention, you should've-”

“I brought this for you. Uh. Thanks for yesterday.” You interrupt him, awkwardly holding the basket out. “Well, it's for all of you guys, but you were the easiest to find.”

His brows furrow together as he looks between you and the basket.

“…I'm good.” He simply says, leaving you confused.

“Huh?”

“I said I'm good.” With that, he continues his trek back to the outskirts of town.

“You didn't even look inside the basket!” You protest, limping after him.

“I don't need to!” He practically hisses out, “I don't want your thanks! I didn't help you out expecting payment! What kind of doctor would I be if I just left you there to die?”

You watch him go, face twisted in frustration. Guess you'll have to find one of the other boys after all.

~~~~~

That evening, Law sat sprawled on their couch, flipping through a newspaper. The rhythmic sound of Shachi chopping vegetables was almost enough to lull him to sleep.

"Is Bepo still not here?" Penguin asks as he strides down the stairs. Law glances up at the clock. Huh. It's pretty late late already.

As if on cue, Bepo comes bursting through the door.

“Guys! I brought snacks!" He chirped. Penguin practically leapt over the bannister to get a better look at the basket of goods. Shachi wasn't far behind him, completely abandoning his cooking.

“Oh, is this from that bakery by the restaurant I work at?" Penguin asks, immediately shoving his hand into the basket.

"I dunno. I didn't buy any of it. It was actually a gift! I ran into that kid from yesterday."

Law practically slams his newspaper down at this.

"That dumbass that fell asleep in the snow?” Law asks through gritted teeth.

"Yeah! They said they had way more than they could eat, and I could take some home for us. Hey, don't take all the croissants!" He directs that last part towards Shachi, who was trying to hoard as many pastries as he could.

Law can't let this stand. He has to return the favor. Not out of compassion or appreciation, but due to his inherent pride. He saw how worn your boots were, how your jacket didn't fit quite right, how your scarf seemed as old as you were. He doesn’t have to get to know you to know you couldn't afford those treats without some kind of sacrifice.

"Weird. There's so much. More for us, though!” Law let out a sigh, leaning his head back against the couch. Of course you had to run into Bepo. He was the easiest to convince out of all of them.

“You guys have off tomorrow too, right?” He asks his friends. “Do you guys want to go fishing?”

~~~~~

The four boys admire each other's haul on the edge of the river.

“Damn. Maybe we should go pro and be fishermen.” Penguin suggests, a smug grin on his face.

“You caught way less than the rest of us!” Shachi chides.

“But I'm the one with the biggest catch!”

Law ignores their bickering, choosing instead to focus on gutting and cleaning the fish in his pile.

“You guys go ahead and head back. I need to run an errand in town.” He suddenly announces.

“I can take your fish back for you!” Bepo offers.

“It's fine. I'll be back by dinner.” The three other boys watch him leave. They're confused, but they shrug it off. Law is just like that.

Meanwhile, you sat in your home, sprawled out on the floor. In front of you were various school assignments, each in varying stages of completion. Maybe skipping school yesterday wasn't the best idea…

As you're nodding off on top of your math homework, the sound of someone harshly knocking on your door suddenly jolts you back to reality.

You wonder who that could be. When was the last time someone knocked on your door? Maybe it was one of your classmates? You trudge towards the door, cautiously cracking the door open.

Despite being the one who knocked, Law seems just as surprised to see you as you are to see him. He shrugs it off, the scowl you know so well returning to his face.

“I don't appreciate you going behind my back like that.”

“…How do you know where I live?” Is all you can think to say.

He rolls his eyes, “I asked around. Anyways, here.” He unceremoniously shoves a bucket towards you, avoiding the contact.

It's full of… fish?

“I figured you wasted what few berries you had on those pastries. Which was dumb, by the way.” He wasn't wrong; you *were* broke for the week.

“Were they good?”

You don't care about the fish. Like Law, you weren't expecting to be repaid. You just thought it was the right thing to do. You just hope they enjoyed it.

Law stares you down, the bucket still in his hand. “I didn't eat any. I hate baked sweet things.”

“Oh…” You try your best to hide your disappointment, but it's obvious by the way your face falls. There was no way you could've known he didn't like pastries. Law’s jaw tightens at your crestfallen look.

“…Everyone else liked them, though,” He admits gruffly. Despite his rough exterior, Law still has a heart. He's far from happy with the situation, but his goal today wasn't to tear you down. His words do bring you some comfort, but you're still torn. You had wanted to show your appreciate to him especially.

A moment of silence washes over the two of you. Tentatively, you open your door all the way, allowing Law a look into your home.

“Would you want to come in?"

“Wh-what?”

“I can cook for us! It’s only fair that you get to eat some too, since you went through the effort of catching these.”

Law lets out a sigh. The whole reason why he did this was because he stubbornly refused to accept your ‘thanks’.

“No, I just-”

“If you stay, I'll consider us even. Then we won't have to keep going back and forth like this anymore.”

He seriously considers your offer. His plan was to just drop the fish off and leave. Part of him feels guilty; he's nothing to you, why are you so determined to do something nice for him? Another part of him is skeptical. Are you just trying to get something out of him?

Ultimately, he chooses to swallow his feelings. He knows if he refuses, you'll be chasing after him trying to give him more gifts. He'd rather go along with your little plan than constantly have to ward off your advances.

“Okay.”

You beam at him. You weren't expecting to actually say yes! You step to the side, letting him enter. He hesitates, glancing inside your home. It didn't look or sound like anyone else was there.

“You can leave your shoes on, it's pretty drafty in here.”

He reluctantly follows you inside, carefully taking in his surroundings.

You shoot him an apologetic look. “Sorry about the dust, there's a lot of empty space in here. Oh, and the papers. I was doing my homework when you knocked.”

“On the ground?”

“Yup!” You take the bucket from him, and practically skip into the kitchen. It's been so long since you've had someone over!

Law awkwardly situates himself at the dining table as you rummage around the kitchen.

“Besides the fish, I only have rice. Is that okay?”

“That's… fine.” Seems his hunch was right; if it weren't for the fish he brought, you wouldn't have anything else to eat. “Do your parents not buy food?”

“Um… my parents aren't around anymore.”

“Oh.” He didn't know what else to say to that. He knows more than anyone how shitty that feels. Still, he didn't feel it was his place to offer sympathies to you. Instead, the two of you sit in silence as you continue cooking in the kitchen.

Finally, you bring two bowls into the dining room. It's a simple meal, just rice and seasoned fish, but it smells good enough. While Law pokes at his portion, you waste no time digging in.

“I never see you at school.” You say suddenly, mouth still full of rice. He decides not to comment on your lack of manners.

“I don't go to school.”

“Really?! I couldn't imagine not going to school.” At one point in his life, neither could he. When he doesn't say anything, you move on to your next topic.

“How old are you?”

“Thirteen.”

“Really?”

“Why the hell would I lie about that?”

You shrug, earning an eye roll from him.

“What about your friends?”

“Is this an interrogation?”

You grin. You push aside your empty bowl and lean onto the table, propping your head up with your hand.

“I'm just curious. I thought you guys were these weird feral kids that lived in the woods, but you guys are actually pretty nice!”

“I'm not nice.”

You raise your eyebrow, but choose not to argue. “Bepo's really nice.”

“I can't believe you tracked him down after I walked away from you.” He would never admit it, but he was a little impressed with your determination.

You chuckle. Of course you weren't going to take no for an answer!

Somehow, you both manage to maintain a steady conversation. You talk about his work, your school, and what you each do for fun. He even tells you a little about his friends!

Eventually, Law is the one to glance up at the clock in the doorway. He has to do a double take when he sees the time.

“Is your clock right?”

“It should be?”

“Shit! I have to go. I should've been back over an hour ago.” He quickly stands up, heading towards the door. You stumble out your chair to follow him.

“Wait! At least let me say thank you for the fish!”

He hesitates at the door. “Y-yeah. Make sure you don't let it go to waste. Oh, and, uh. The food you made wasn't too bad.” That was the closest to a compliment you would be getting from him.

“Maybe I'll see you around?”

“...Maybe.” And with that, he was out the door. You peer out the window and watch him hastily wipe snow off his bike before pedaling off.

Shutting the door, you step over your long-forgotten homework and flop back onto the couch. Today was a good day, you think. Law wasn't nearly as scary as he looked and acted.

You hope you get to see him again soon

#law x reader #trafalgar law x reader #x reader #op x reader #one piece x reader #law x yn #law x you #maybe ill work on some other stuff too so i don't get burnt out on this

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starfried · 3 months

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Through and Through

first fic i've written in a VERY long time hehe. this part is a lil silly and mostly just a prologue, next part will focus more on reader and law's relationship! this part and the next part take place during law's novel, before he sets off to sea. criticism welcomed & encouraged!

slowburn, childhood friends to lovers, multipart, not proofread (im on mobile xP, will comb through it later), no use of (y/n)/(name), gn reader (they/them pronouns, no gendered nicknames)

wc: 3.2k

You regularly found yourself lamenting the fact that you were born on a winter island. No matter how many layers you wore, or how thick your boots were, you were always freezing. Sure, the snow was beautiful when you watched it fall through a window in a warm house. But here you find yourself, lost in the woods, cursing every single snowflake that dares to cover up your previous footprints.

You kick a thick tree root in frustration, only to tumble over when your foot gets caught in it.

Great. Lovely. Whatever. You're cold, hungry and tired. If this is how you die, then oh well.

...

"I think they're dead."

I'd rather be dead than here. You think to yourself.

Something sharp jabs into your ribs.

"OW!"

"They're not dead!"

"Are you stupid, Penguin?! That's not how you check if someone's alive!"

You lift your head to scowl at them, but are quickly thrown off. Three boys and a...polar bear?

"And you-" the boy in the spotted hat says, pointing at you, "-are YOU stupid?"

"Huh?" You don't even have time to question the bear.

"Did you seriously just fall asleep in the middle of the woods?! No shelter, no fire, not even any food?"

"N-No! I...fell. I fell and haven't gotten up yet."

He narrows his eyes at you.

"You're covered in a layer of snow. If it takes you that long to get up after falling, you really need to exercise more."

Oh. You really are covered in a layer of snow. You push yourself up from the ground, only to stumble over again as soon as you put weight on your foot. Luckily for you, the polar bear was able to catch you before you faceplant into the snow.

"I gotcha!" The polar bear says.

"A talking bear?!" You shout in surprise, pushing yourself away. Ultimately, you end up face first in the snow again.

"Oh...I'm sorry...you'd rather let yourself fall than be near me. I get it. I'm pretty gross after all..."

"Huh?! No, I'm just...surprised?" You reply, completely dumbfounded.

The boy in the spotted hat pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Just...ugh. Bepo, carry them back to the cabin with us."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" You exclaim. "What cabin? You're taking me to a cabin in the middle of the woods? Can't you just...take me back to town?"

"That's over an hour walk," Spotted-Hat replies, "I doubt you can walk that far. And even if you could, the sun's almost down. I'm not going to drag you through the woods when we can barely even see."

"But...I just think that's really suspicious, y'know? Dragging me off to your cabin at night. That...sounds dangerous."

"Don't worry!" The boy with the hat covering his face chirps. "If we were gonna kill you, we would've done it already!"

"O-oh..."

"Stop whining!" Spotted-Hat barks, "What kind of doctor would I be if i just left you out here to die? You're just gonna have to trust us. Maybe this'll teach you not to wander aimlessly around the woods."

Reluctantly, you end up learning a bit about the four boys. Their names are Law, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi. They're all relatively new to Swallow Island and happen to work small jobs in the city. Law, with his medical knowledge, wraps up your sprained ankle and chastises you for frost nipped ears and nose.

"Seriously, don't you have a scarf? You've lived here your whole life and you still can't understand how serious frostbite is?"

You even get to meet the great inventor Wolf, who's actually pretty well-known in the city. Though he grumbles about having to tend to 'yet another brat', he drives you back into town the next day with little complaints.

It wouldn't be the last they saw of you, though. Far from it in fact. In an attempt to repay them for helping you, you would slowly worm your way into their daily lives.

Especially Law's.

#trafalgar law x reader #law x reader #op x reader #one piece x reader #x reader #help my first version of this was 3x as long #law x yn #law x you #trafalgar law x y/n #i love trafalgar law!!#i feel like penguin is one of those kids you can't trust with sticks

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