Law's entire focus was set on completing orders from partiers while also teaching the new bartender in the process. It was a bit more difficult than he'd thought it would be. Surprisingly not on Luffy's part. The crowd seemed to be getting rowdier as the alcohol flowed, though the quality of drinks lessened after some time. Once you were drunk enough, whatever was in your cup was enough for you, regardless what it was. But their patience seems to shorten considerably.
"Gin and tonics are pretty much self-explanatory as far as the ingredients go. The only trick is getting the ratios correct to the customer's taste." Law instructed, showing Luffy how to make the trickier drinks that his customers usually ordered.
The boy looked on in fascination, watching Law pour the gin into the tonic water freehand, long ago having memorized how much was the perfect amount. Setting aside the alcohol, he placed a sliced lemon wedge on the rim, placing a small little umbrella on the top before sliding it over to the woman in question who'd ordered it. She giggled in that drunken way people do, grabbed her drink and waltzed off to dance in the middle of the floor with her friends.
"Is it really that easy?" Luffy questioned, scratching his head as if trying to figure out the trick. Law gave a chuckle, putting away the mixes he'd used for the next person.
"Easy isn't exactly the right word for it. It's mostly instinct. After serving drinks for years you tend to remember every little tip and trick to it. You'll get it eventually." He encouraged with an amused grin. He'd previously forgotten the little event involving Summer. As much as his jealousy had wanted to take over, Law wasn't that petty a man.
He wasn't the only male allowed in her life, let alone the only one she could be friends with. He wouldn't interfere, as much as he wanted to ensure nothing happened between Luffy and the blonde. Shaking his head, he turned to see said blonde approaching the bar with a smile. Her cheeks were tinged red, though he couldn't quite tell whether it was the alcohol's influence or her own embarrassment.
"Enjoying the party?" He questioned as she reached the bar and took an empty seat. With a nod, she leaned her elbow on the counter, giving him a small smile.
"Yeah, it's great! I haven't seen Corazon though. Where is he?" Her eyes swept past the bartender and into the hallway situated to the right, as if he the owner would be hidden back there.
"Some broker called him about an hour ago, said he had important business to discuss." Law replied with a shrug, organizing the mugs under the counter. "He's been in his office ever since."
"Hmm, well I hope he comes out soon. I didn't get to say hello earlier today." That small little pout she did made him grin. Luffy returned to the back to do some other job of his, leaving Law and Summer alone in a sea of strangers. He made to speak, but the insistent tapping of another patron interrupted him.
Rolling his eyes in her direction, making her laugh, he quickly took their order and returned to stand in front of Summer again, all the while making the requested drink. "I'm sure he'll finish up soon." He promised, knowing how much his boss hated talking to people like that. No doubt he was looking for any way to end the call as soon as possible.
"Hey, when you have the time, could I have a Pina Colada? I haven't had one in ages." Summer laughed, content to just watch him work.
"You got it." He said, that casual smirk ever in place. The blonde took a mental picture of that smile, wanting to commit it to memory. He seemed to notice her staring, and cocked a questioning brow. "What?"
"Nothing." She shook her head with a chuckle, and without saying anything more, he went back to his job. The other patron's drink was made and passed off, the tip money tucked into Law's pocket.
"How do you even have enough room for all that money in your pockets?" She asked, trying to prop herself higher up on the counter to see his slacks. "It's not fair how guys clothes have bigger pockets than women. It's an outrage."
"Perhaps you should make a petition." He suggested with a chuckle. "Bring attention to you pants pocket inequality."
"Maybe I will." She defended, cocking her head in a sassy way. Then, remembering something from before, she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I saw Zoro and Hitomi come over here. Did you hear anything?"
"Sorry, eavesdropping on his love life's not really my main priority." He admitted ruefully, mixing her Pina Colada for her. "Though, he did look a little flustered if you'd like to know."
"Ugh, I wanted all the juicy details." Summer bemoaned dramatically, disappointed that she couldn't get any dirt about her friend's pursuits of love.
Law interrupted her little pout by placing her drink in front of her. "Your Pina Colada."
"Oh, thank you." She said, eagerly reaching for the alcoholic beverage. The first few sips were gone in an instant, sucked down in a thirst Summer didn't know she felt. "God, this is so good." She blurted out as another few sips disappeared down her throat, and Law laughed.
"Slow down there." He warned, shaking his head. "Drink too much at once and you'll pass out."
"I'm not gonna pass out, fancy pants." She chuckled at her own weird nickname for him, that light tingling in her fingers and toes indicating that the Island Breeze from earlier was taking affect in tandem with her new drink. Everything felt light and airy. "That's just a myth."
"Alcohol poisoning is not a myth, Summer." Law added reasonably.
"Hmm, well I won't get it." Her stubbornness was just as strong as before, it seemed.
"You know, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen you drunk." Law mentioned, watching her with interest. In all the years she'd visited the bar, the most she'd ever had was one drink, just enough to get her slightly buzzed but that was it. Now that the opportunity presented itself, he wondered what type of drunk she was.
"Really? Huh, I guess that's true." The blonde tapped her chin, thinking over that thought. "Well, looks like you will now! I don't usually drink that much anyways, hehe!"
"I can tell." He mused, noting the goofy smile stuck in place. She kept looking around as if she were seeing everything for the first time. A spark of recognition crossed her face, and she spotted a book set on the counter in the back hallway.
"Is that one of my old textbooks?" She asked, pointing to the object in question. Law turned to where she was looking, spotting the book sitting in the dark. He went to retrieve in, placing on the counter between them.
"I think you left it here last year, and we kept forgetting to give it back to you. Hope you didn't need it." He said, pushing it closer to her. She flicked through a few pages before laughing.
"Oh, this was my Conceptual Theories textbook. I dropped out of that class, so no I didn't need it." Closing the cover, she traced her finger over the top, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I want to burn it."
"You what?" Law questioned, sure he hadn't heard that right.
"I want to burn the book." She held it up, as if it hadn't been more obvious what she was referring to. A giggle followed her words then, punctuating that she was indeed, drunk or at the very least extremely tipsy. "Let's go burn it!"
"And where would we do such a thing?" He humored her, wondering where on earth she'd come up with this idea. Temporarily, it seemed her plan was halted, seeing as how they couldn't just set fire to a book in the middle of the bar. Frowning comically, Summer paused, thinking hard on that question.
A moment later, her consternation cleared. "The alley! No one will be back there and nothing can catch on fire!"
"Except the book." Law said, and she rolled her eyes.
"Well, duh. The point is to burn it. It'll be like a final goodbye to college forever!" She called triumphantly, pleased with her idea. Law shook his head slowly.
"What am I going to do with you?" He muttered to himself more than anything. Thankfully the blonde hadn't heard or didn't notice, because she didn't question as to what he meant.
Bouncing up and down in her seat, Summer picked up the book. "Come on! You're gonna help me do it, right?" Helplessly, he held up his hands, indicating the whole bar.
"I'm on the clock. Sorry-"
"There's the graduate!" Came a voice from the back, with Corazon making his way around the bar to give Summer a hug.
"Corazon! I was wondering where you were. I was afraid I wouldn't see you before the party ended." She returned with warm embrace with an uncoordinated one of her own, trying to wrap her hands all the way around the tall man's chest. Chuckling, he pulled away and leaned on the counter beside her.
"Are you drunk?" He sniffed the air when she breathed, and her giggled pretty much gave the answer away.
"Maybe just a little…" Summer admitted mischievously. "Thanks so much for letting me have my graduation party here!"
"Anytime, Summer. I'm just glad you decided to take me up on my offer." He ruefully scanned the large number of people dancing inside, all of them a drunken mess. "Let's just hope some of them decide to return on a regular basis. I could use the business."
A sudden thought crossed the blonde's mind, and she cocked her head. "How am I gonna pay for all of these drinks?" The look of horror crossed her face, turning to gaze across the many people who had probably already had a good 3 or 4 drinks by that point.
Law and Corazon both laughed at her fearful realization, but the older man patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Anyone not directly related or affiliated with the grads tonight have to pay for their own drinks, but you, Nami's family and your friends at that table are all on the house."
"If you're sure…" She muttered, not all the way convinced, and a grin split the blonde man's mouth.
"Of course I am." He concluded, ending the topic there. Summer's intoxicated mind quickly latched onto her earlier conversation with Law and she brightened up considerably.
"Oh! Is it alright if I burn my old textbook out in the alleyway out back?" She pleaded, holding up the book innocently. "It'll be like my own personal college sendoff."
Corazon shrugged with a grin. "Sure, why not? Just don't set my building on fire."
"Could Law take a break from work to help me do it?" Her wide-eyed puppy look she sent his way wasn't quite as effective while she was drunk, but he chuckled nonetheless.
"You've been working hard, why not take a break, Law?" He turned to his bartender, who glanced around the room.
"It's too busy to leave the bar without a tender." He reasoned, displeased with the fact but knowing better than to deny he should really be working with this large a crowd.
"Let Luffy have a go. It's about time we started letting him tend by himself anyways. I'll be here to help if things go wrong anyways." Corazon replied, pulling out a cigarette from the box in his pocket and lighting up right in the middle of the bar. It no longer even phased Summer and Law. "Go have some fun for awhile, just don't get too drunk that you can't serve."
"Yes!" Summer cried in victory, dropping down from her chair and running around to Law's side of the bar. "Let's go!"
He felt her grab his hand and pull him towards the exit to the alley at the back of the hallway. "Hey, slow down!" But his demand was lost in the noise of the partiers, and she raced out the door to the concrete alleyway beyond with him in tow.
"Alright, I got it." Law said, returning from inside the bar. He held up and waggled the lighter he'd borrowed from Corazon, stepping up beside the blonde who shifted from foot to foot in excitement.
She dropped the book to the concrete with a loud slap, a cloud of dust rising from where it had landed.
"Ok, can I do it?"
"Sure, just don't burn yourself." He handed her the lighter and she stepped forwards, crouching down beside the book that was set on the ground. Opening the cover, she flicked the lighter a few times until the flame caught, lowering it down to the first few pages of the textbook. The little flame grew as it ate away at the corner of the paper, and Summer gently lowered the cover back to it's place, the fire slowly consuming more and more of the paper.
"No more assignments or projects or deadlines!" She cried into the air gleefully. Summer backed up beside Law, who stood at a distance and watched it burn. The light emitted from the fire grew, illuminating the alleyway, casting shadows around them that danced with the flames.
For several minutes, they simply stood in content silence, watching as the flames grew higher, crackling as the heat intensified and blackened it's pages. Law stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, a sense of peace and tranquility washing over him as the two of them stood staring down at the burning book.
It was otherwise silent, save for the occasional passing car and the faint shouts of joy from those inside the bar. Law couldn't help but feel happy, simply by standing by her side in this moment of unbridled joy. Sneaking a glance down at the blonde beside him, he saw a relaxed expression of happiness, of something innately human and vulnerable. The light caught in the violet of her eyes, dancing across in flickers. In that moment he couldn't for the life of him look away.
All those times of her talking and laughing away at his bar, all the conversations and jokes, the teasing, comforting, and support of each other. It had all led him to this moment, in the darkened alleyway, standing with her beside a burning book. How impossible it seemed. She'd been just another patron at the bar, albeit a much more entertaining and interesting one.
He still remembered their first meeting. It had been a usual night, serving the regulars like every other time. And then she'd walked in. It was pretty clear right away that she was a student, what with her bag of books slung over her was never supposed to have seeped her way into his heart like this. And yet he wouldn't want it any other way. How stupid had he been, pushing her away for so long, refusing to let her get close.
He glanced away, thoughts of what was and what could be if he wasn't careful tainting his pleasant thoughts. The threat would always loom behind him in the shadows, he was sure. Corazon wasn't so convinced, but Law knew better. Didn't he? Were things as dire as he'd always suspected them to be? Had all this checking behind his shoulder for all those years been entirely for nothing?
…Had he really put his life on hold running from threats and dangers that never were?
Summer pursed her lips, staring into the orange and yellow flames, but her mind was miles elsewhere. How could just standing by his side feel so right? He'd always kept himself at a distance, but now, she hoped he'd never leave her side, as cliched and cheesy as it sounded. But he was so calm and mature, something she felt she ultimately lacked. His confidence never wavered, and no matter what, he'd always been her rock, that steady stone that would never falter, always supporting her from the shadows.
In truth, she was too afraid to look up at him and see his face. A part of her was afraid this was simply a dream, and that if she wasn't careful she'd wake up back home in her bed with an awful hangover and no recollection of the night. This had to be real, right? Something this good couldn't be simply a part of her imagination.
Daring a glance to her side, she saw his hands stuffed in his pockets, out of reach. Suddenly he seemed far too distant, despite standing right beside her. Without really thinking, she sidestepped closer, linking her arm around his, leaning in and resting her head on his shoulder with a small sigh.
Like with every other time she'd initiated contact of any kind, he tensed, but only for a moment. His breathing stilled, and she feared he'd tell her to stop, or simply push her away. Were they that far into whatever this relationship was? She winced, the fears piling up one after another, distracting from her surroundings. Too preoccupied with her growing worries, she failed to notice Law pull his hand from his pocket, guiding her hand into his, lacing their fingers together.
One moment, then another, went by without her noticing the new position. Whatever she was thinking had certainly distracted her well and truly. Law let loose a tiny chuckle, which seemed to draw her mind out of her thoughts finally.
Her gaze drifted over their intertwined hands. With a tiny gasp, almost too quiet for him to pick up, she squeezed her fingers, as if testing to make sure that it wasn't some illusion. Law's grin returned. Those violet eyes flicked up to meet his gray ones, wide with curiosity and elation. The light of the fire flickered back and forth on her face, and he followed the movements with his eyes.
She, in turn, admired the way the flames illuminated one half of his face, the other enveloped in shadow. It was a strangely ominous, yet enticing image. As mysterious as the man he was, she thought to herself with a tiny smile. Always, though, her gaze returned to those uncolored eyes, piercing through the dark and reflecting in the light as they stared back, unrelenting.
Taking his other hand out of his jacket pocket, Law slowly reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear without a word, his hand lingering just a second more than necessary to feel the softness of her locks. The tips of his fingers traced her jawline, ghosting over her skin with the most delicate touch.
"Summer…" He started, voice trailing off into the air between them. The words escaped him, lost in the fog of something far more intimate than he'd care to admit, and that ever-present restrained longing that had settled within his chest since she'd shown up in his life. For some reason it was so much stronger than before, now that she was so close. He could smell the flowery scent of her shampoo, and he winced from the sweetness coupled with his desire to inhale that scent some more, to fill his very being with the aroma that was Summer.
Waiting patiently, she blinked at her name. It had been several seconds and still, nothing followed after that first word. "Y-yes?" She prompted, wondering what it was he wanted to say.
There were so many emotions going through his eyes at once, she could barely discern one from another. Judging by the minute indication of pain in his expression, there was some kind of internal struggle within his mind, let on only by the slight furrow of his brow, and the flickering eyes.
Law's hand never strayed from her chin, gently stroking the contours of her face with a hesitant touch, like he wasn't sure what to do. Summer tilted her head to the side, causing him to cradle the side of her face with his hand. Still, nothing was said. No words. And yet by some unspoken cue, she found that the both of them leaned closer simultaneously, akin to that of two magnets connecting.
The distance between them closed, and Summer's hand rested itself on his chest, holding the front of his vest with a loose grip. Lips slowly and lovingly exploring each other, their hands untwined. Law's found it's way into her blonde strands, lazily running his fingers through the soft mess which sent a chill up her spine. Summer could do nothing more than slide her hands up his chest to rest on his shoulders, before finally settling behind the back of his neck, gently pulling him down closer to her. She was a little shorter than him and had to crane her neck up to reach, even standing on her tiptoes.
They separated a moment to breathe, foreheads resting together. The pounding of his heart thudded against his chest, making it difficult to regulate his breathing. He let out a strangled breath before Law leaned down again and captured her lips with his. Hands trailed down her side to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to deepen this moment.
This kiss was not like before, where everything had been playful and lighthearted, the atmosphere never heavy or tense with unspoken desires. He'd kissed her a few times before, but it was altogether so different. It was laden with years of wanting to do exactly this. To feel her soft skin, or feel just how plump and perfect her lips were. To leave her breathless by his touch, where she would never want for anything except him. It was exactly as he'd imagined, but so so much more. Far beyond what he could have ever envisioned.
"Law…" Summer breathed out, breaking the kiss for a moment. He simply leaned down and kissed her again, suddenly unable to get enough of the taste of her. That was all he wanted in that moment, was to kiss her. It was the air to his lungs, right then and there.
Giggling, Summer broke away. "Law, wait."
"I've waited long enough." Was his breathless response, leaning down for yet another kiss, but she chuckled again, bringing her hands up to cup his face, and he opened his eyes finally, half-lidded from the desire to continue.
"Law, there's something I want to say." She managed to get out in between her panting breaths. Then, feeling his desire to kiss her again still as strong as before, she brought their lips together in a quick kiss. The drunken buzz she'd felt before was long gone, replaced instead by the tingling of excitement and nervousness all wrapped into one.
"What?" He muttered, pulling her closer to pepper feather kisses at the corners of her mouth, slowly going lower to the edge of her jaw, his hands rubbing at her back comfortably.
Summer closed her eyes to the feeling of his lips at her throat, gently sucking at the skin and following it with a lick to lessen the pressure. She gasped at the sensation, almost forgetting what she wanted to say entirely. Attempting to get her breathing under control as she gripped the front of his shirt, she let out a shaky breath.
"Law…mmm…I…I want you in…in my life." She managed to say between halted breaths. It would have been so much easier to simply give into the moment and talk later, but she had to get her message across, to say them and be sure he knew. Upon hearing her words, Law eased up on her neck, slowly moving upwards to return to her mouth, before finally resting his forehead on hers.
Their heaving breaths mixed between them, heating each other's skin. Before he could say anything else, she cradled his face in her hands once more, demanding his attention. "I've never been happier than when I'm with you, and I don't want that to disappear." Summer leaned up for a quick kiss, as if calming her nerves by his presence. "It sounds childish saying it aloud…but I want us to be official. I want us to be together."
Law chuckled low in his throat, swooping in for a few quick kisses. "I thought we already were."
"I wanted to make sure." She explained, stroking the sides of his face with her fingers. "I wasn't sure how you felt about things."
"Do you know how I feel now?" He questioned with a smirk, slowly coming down off the high that was Summer, and everything about her. It didn't surprise him that she'd wanted to talk things through. In all honesty, he wouldn't have been the one to start that particular conversation.
Summer chuckled, nodding slowly. "I'd like to think so, hehe."
"Good." He replied with a grin, leaning down to close the gap between their mouths once again, swallowing the amused and elated giggle that escaped her at the sudden kiss.
Corazon meandered his way down the back hallway, hearing the noise of people laughing and shouting slowly fading the further he got from the main bar area. He shook his head with a rueful smile. By God, could these people party. While Summer's small group of people were relatively well-behaved and quiet, though the redheaded man could be quite rowdy when prompted, Nami's friends and relatives were as drunk as drunk could get. How on earth they'd all make it home in one piece was beyond him.
And so he retreated down the darkened hallway, escaping the noise for just a moment to take a breather and light up a cigarette in relative peace. He approached the door, but paused when he heard a feminine laugh from the other side. Moving slowly so as not to create a ruckus, Corazon peered through the glass window set in the door, peering out into the alleyway which was illuminated by a faint light from the ground.
What once was a textbook was now mostly a blackened pile of ashes and remnants of paper, the edges of which were still flaming. The low light danced around the brick walls of the buildings, burning just bright enough to illuminate two figures holding each other close in the near-darkness.
Summer laughed again, followed by Law's own low chuckle, and the older man smiled, turning away as silently as he could so as not to disturb the two people outside. The last thing he wanted to do was interrupt. Stuffing the cigarette box back in his pocket, he decided that his office was probably a better place to retreat for a moment of peace.
ns 15.158.61.21da2
