Summer's apartment was a flurry of motion to try getting ready in time for her appointment with a client. At the same time, Law was trying to work around her furious whirlwind of rushing around to freshen up before he went to the bar for his shift that night. He was towel-drying his hair when she stepped into the bathroom and nudged him aside to brush her teeth.
He shot her an amused smile in the mirror before setting the damp towel on the rack and wandering off to the bedroom to get some clean clothes. He stooped and started rummaging through the basket of clothes on the ground, trying to find something that looked good enough.
Toothbrush still in her mouth, she hummed several syllables and shook her head, pointing at the basket. He didn't understand a word she'd tried to say and raised a brow. Rolling her eyes, she took the toothbrush out of her mouth and angled her face up so the paste wouldn't drip down her chin. "Those're dirty." She managed in a half-gurgle, quickly going back to her task.
Law chuckled and resorted to the closet instead. He opened his half and looked at the clean clothes available. This closet was a lot smaller then his old apartment had been, but there wasn't much they could do about that until Summer's lease was up and they could look at a bigger place.
His extended absence and lack of rent payment had caused his landlord to lock the place up and evict him, technically leaving him with nowhere to live. Corazon had offered to have him sleep at his place until he got a new apartment arranged, but Summer had been kind enough to suggest just moving in with her since they didn't want to be too far away from each other after everything had happened, to which he'd happily agreed. The space was small for two people-and a nearly full-sized cat now that Max was over a year old-but they managed.
He grabbed the nearest shirt from the rack and threw it on. It wasn't anything special, since today wasn't a particularly special day. Summer was done brushing her teeth by the time he'd put on some clean pants, and he could hear the spray of her perfume as she finished getting ready.
"How far away is this appointment?" He asked, coming up from behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"It's in Wheaton, so I shouldn't be gone long." She smiled up at him in the mirror, putting in some earrings. He returned the gesture and lowered his lips to her neck with a hum.
"That's an hour drive." He mumbled, contradicting her statement. She giggled when his goatee tickled her skin, his lips kissing a gentle trail up to her other ear.
"I'll still be back in time to see you on your shift." She gasped, involuntarily pressing herself a bit further back into him as his teeth scraped the shell of her ear. Then she seemed to collect herself and started half-heartedly pushing back. "You're gonna make me late!"
"So?" He mumbled, smiling against her hair as she squirmed in his grip.
"'So?' They're paying me to be there and take their pictures." Came her chuckled reply. "If I was late for all my appointments, no one would hire me!"
He hummed against her head, finally relenting his grip on her. "Alright, fine."
Law allowed her to finish the last touches of her getting ready before doing the same. She was ready just in time to leave, and he pulled her in for a lingering kiss by the door. Summer let him keep her there a moment, but pushed against his chest with her hands, smiling. "I have to go!"
He raised a brow but stood straight again, opening the door for her. "Be safe."
"Always." She replied, giving him a wave before tromping out the door and down the stairs.
Law was thankful that Luffy had organized the glasses before his shift, because he certainly didn't have time to do it now. The bar was packed with people.
His attention was being pulled in all directions, patrons asking for refills and new drinks being ordered as new customers filtered into the packed space. The room was alive with talking and laughing and quiet conversation. Vivi flitted through the walkways between tables bringing out food and waiting on tables, striking up friendly conversations to hopefully increase her tips for the night.
Though most of the conversations at the bar were personal and had nothing to do with him, he did still catch the occasional remark on the interior of the establishment itself. He smiled to himself when it happened. It certainly had turned out beautiful.
The remaining 'just-in-case' fund he'd saved up over the years had gone to Corazon's bar, kickstarting the remodel of the interior to give it a fresh look. Gone was the old and worn carpet with hidden stains that refused to come out no matter how many times they'd deep cleaned it. Gone were the dusty bowl lights on the ceiling, replaced with modern ones that had adjustable light settings. The end result was something classy and a perfect middle ground between the past and the present.
He'd been most grateful for the new bar itself, the old wood knocked out and replaced with a sleek, darker wood with water resistant resin applied to the top. Circular shot glass stains were a thing of the past. Which was good, because with the increase in bar patronage, he didn't have time to be wiping down alcohol rings all day.
Law watched Corazon step out from the back in the corner of his eye, watching the busy room with pride. The worry that had filled the owner's eyes every other time he'd done that exact thing was gone, along with the old interior. Their sales were up. Their seats were regularly filled. It had been an uphill battle, a long and arduous process, and a mountain of stressful decisions, but ultimately, they'd finally come to a point where Corazon didn't have to worry about losing his dream.
It also helped that he had a leg to stand on when the businessmen came asking to purchase the property. All he had to do was gesture to the uptick in patronage and shake his head. They usually left quickly after that, realizing that he would never sell it, especially now.
He stepped back down the hallway to his office, leaving Law to his job. Several patrons required a refill of their glasses, and so he was quick to comply with their requests. He'd need pants with bigger pockets, because he wasn't sure if they would fit all the tip money.
Later that evening, Franky and his female companion, Robin, sat towards the end of the bar, looking around at the new interior with appreciation. A small lull in the crowd allowed him to actually strike up a conversation with them after taking their orders.
"Quite a boost in business, I see." Franky said with a laugh upon Law's approach with their drinks. The bartender nodded.
"Long overdue. We somehow made it into the tourist brochure for 'City's Best Bar.'" He explained shortly. Well, not somehow. That was all thanks to a certain blonde.
Summer had taken new pictures of the interior after the remodel as promised, and had secretly sent them to the city's tourism department, which in turn prompted a prompt visit from a secret shopper guest and soon after that, a spot in the catalog alongside the other best restaurants and shops in the city. The hike in travelers and tourists had ultimately drawn more attention from locals as well, resulting in a great bolster to their regular customers. She'd surprised Corazon with the news on his birthday that year.
Robin smiled. "It's great to see a place we enjoy so much is getting the appropriate recognition. We'd hate to see this place closed down." She took a delicate sip from her glass.
"Well, there's no worry of that anytime soon." Law reassured, eyes catching on a glittering piece of jewelry on her finger. That was certainly a new development. He smirked, looking pointedly at her hand. "And congratulations on the engagement."
Robin's cheeks blushed and she nodded gracefully. "Thank you."
Franky laughed and placed his hand on hers, intertwining their fingers together. "It took me longer than I'd care to admit to work up the nerve to ask. Somehow, there was always this little voice of doubt telling me she'd turn me down for sure."
"I never would have refused." Robin said jovially, turning to her fiancé with an amused smile. "You just overthink things."
"That I do." He blatantly agreed, and they leaned in for a kiss.
Law was happy to see that, in the end, things had turned out well for the couple. Since the day Franky had come into the bar the first time, he'd been rooting for his success with the elusive woman he'd come across one afternoon. It wasn't often you got to witness the beginning of a blooming relationship all the way to a happy engagement from afar.
Seeing Robin's ring made him reach down to his pants pocket, but he quickly stopped himself. It was too embarrassing to ask Franky how he'd known it was the right time, and he didn't want anyone else to catch on to his intentions before he actually got around to it. Best to just let his own instincts lead him.
Well...Corazon knew, but he'd had a hard time explaining why he'd needed to come in later for work one Wednesday and why a jewelry store receipt had fallen out of his pocket. The blonde man usually knew when Law was lying anyway, so there wasn't much point in hiding it. He'd made the bar owner promise not to give anything away, because if there was one person between the two of them who couldn't keep a secret, it was Corazon.
Law was unfortunately called away to help other people get drunk for the evening, and couldn't justify ignoring them any longer to chat with Franky or his bride-to-be further.
For some time, the bartender became caught up in his work, making drinks and pocketing tips on autopilot. Despite his several month absence, picking the trade back up had come naturally and hastily, and the night shift had once again been given back to him after his return. It had been a huge relief to take over his position again. He hadn't expected it to feel so good, but the return to normal, routine life was a welcome thing.
Luffy still worked the day shift, or covered for Law when he was needed, but he was now a permanent fixture to The Heart Seat. Their night shift had always been much more populated and profitable than day shift, but now, with Luffy's highly energetic personality and incredible ability to make friends out of complete strangers, they were now nearly evenly matched in sales. The younger man liked to brag when his numbers were higher, and Law's own competitive nature sometimes kicked in, prompting bets and small competitions to see who could rack in more tips.
Zoro was seated in his usual corner, overseeing the patrons with a careful and determined eye. The spike in business had, of course, brought along an uptick in trouble. They'd had several recent incidents of brawls between drunk companions, or the occasional attempt to slip a drink with illicit substances to an unsuspecting date. Thanks to his diligence, they never escalated far, and usually resulted in a civil conclusion.
Law noted that he'd been more alert and less likely to doze off in his chair than he used to be. He attributed that to a stable home life and loving partner, now that he was living with Hitomi and her young brother, though Zoro himself would probably never admit it. He was just as if not more stubborn than Law could be about admitting feelings.
Hitomi also came around the bar more, mainly to see her boyfriend or meet up with Summer if she was around. She smiled regularly and seemed more at ease, less tense or stressed than the way she'd been while helping with his court case. He supposed she'd had a lot on her shoulders at the time, not only securing his freedom but also ensuring that Vergo never had it again. She'd successfully accomplished both, making her one of the most sought after lawyers in the state. He still wasn't sure how he could pay her back for everything she'd done for him. He supposed he never could, debt was too large to truly pay back.
While handing out drinks, in his zone and making orders on auto pilot, Law couldn't stop his mind from wandering. He had a lot of people to thank for where he was now. Some he'd never get the opportunity to thank. His little rebellion against Doflamingo hadn't come without casualties. As he'd found out after, before Newgate took back control of the underground, some of those who'd helped him had been...eliminated by those still around to dish out revenge on those targeting them. Bonney. Alvida. Boa. All killed because of him.
Some he could thank, but he didn't even know where in the hell to start. Penguin and Shachi had put their own lives aside to protect the one he loved most. They'd nearly lost their lives doing so. It had scared him to death, how close he'd come to losing them as well.
Hitomi had pulled his ass out of the fire with her skill in the courtroom. Corazon, he always had Law's back, no matter what. He could never have asked for a better surrogate father after his biological parents were killed. Law didn't even want to think about where he'd be without coming across him all those years ago. Best not to dwell on something that had never even happened, he supposed.
A particular blonde head captured his attention, nudging her way into a seat in the middle of the bar when enough space opened up. She sat and waited for him to notice her, beaming a large smile at him when she finally caught his eye.
"Hi there." She said coyly, wiggling her fingers in a hello as she leaned her chin on her head, elbow on the bar itself. Her body leaned forward, clearly indicated her interest."I couldn't help but notice all those tattoos on your arms. They make you look so...mysterious."
Sometimes they liked to play pretend. Their first encounter, all over again, but with a remarkably more romantic undertone that they'd missed out the first time around. It was fun, to act out a scenario in which they could have saved themselves a few years of their lives before getting together.
Sometimes Summer played the exhausted college student looking for a drink to take away her troubles. Others, it was the curious and energetic photographer asking if he'd model for her. And when she was feeling extra mischievous, she'd pull out her sultriest bedroom eyes and try to seduce him from across the counter.
He liked all of her personas, but this was his favorite.
Law smirked, eyes lowering to the glass he pulled out to make her a drink. "Well, well...What brings a woman like you to a bar like this?" He asked, partaking in her little game. His eyes returned to her face, filled with amusement. "I hope you don't mind me saying but, you look a little out of place."
"Oh, really? How so?" She wondered, watching his hands as he expertly put together her favorite drink. She needn't tell him what she wanted anymore. He always knew.
"I'm sure a lady as beautiful as you has better places to be than a run-down old bar." He smiled, turning his back for just a moment to grab the alcohol for her drink. "Not even a companion to keep you company."
Her smiled widened. "And what if I told you I came here explicitly to look for company?"
Law handed her the drink, leaning in close as her fingers wrapped around the stem, incidentally brushing over his own fingers in the process. He had a feeling it was intentional. His eyes pierced hers, communicating exactly what sort of company he'd like to extend to her.
"I'd say you came to the right place, then."
For a moment, they couldn't look away, forgetting the busy bar around them, admiring the way the gray and violet irises observed them. The moment was broken when a loud and irritated drunk slapped the counter a few seats away, demanding another shot.
Law nearly jumped, and Summer's eyes naturally flitted away to see what the noise was. He leaned away, flashing her an apologetic half-smile, before stepping away to attend to his customer.
Summer smiled, not too sad about the intrusion. They had every other night to do it again, and she looked forward to the next time she decided to put on her little act with him. It pleased her that he always played along.
Part of her sometimes wished for the way things used to be, back before she'd submitted the pictures to the tourist magazine. The Heart Seat was so busy, Law never had time for more than a few minutes with her on his shifts nowadays. He couldn't chat with her like he used to, before she'd ever dreamed of being with him romantically.
She watched him work for several minutes, sipping casually at the drink he'd made her, admiring the way he worked his customers with ease. Tip after tip disappeared into his pockets, and she wondered if he'd have enough space to fit all of the bills. Since the day she'd met him, Summer had always loved watching him work. It wasn't something she'd yet admitted to him, and some shy part of her wanted to keep that little fact to herself.
Corazon stepped out from the back hallway and approached Law, speaking a few words to him before taking his place and grabbing some drink glasses from under the counter. Looks like he was being relieved for one of his breaks. The bartender caught her eye and jerked his head towards the hallway, obviously inviting her to join him while he was off duty.
She hopped down from her seat, leaving her empty glass on the counter, and hurried towards his side. They walked down towards the door to the alleyway outside, one of the only places they could go to get some relative peace and quiet.
The outside air was cool and crisp, the cusp of Autumn just around the corner. Summer stuffed her hands in her jacket pocket, keeping close to his side to leech whatever warmth she could from him. He didn't mind it, leading them to the brick wall so they could lean against it.
He placed his back to the wall, but Summer wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his chest, pulling him close. A sigh left his body, and he gently wrapped his arms around her, eyes cast towards the starry sky.
They stood there for several minutes, just enjoying one another's company in the quiet. Sometimes it seemed they took for granted the calm moments like this. But this one they would cherish.
"You're so warm." Summer said, muffled against his shirt. He smiled down at her, squeezing her a little.
"No, you're just always cold."
"It's not my fault I'm so small with poor circulation to my extremities." She mused with a chuckle, head tilted up to look at him.
"You've been reading my medical books, haven't you?" He guessed, a hand gliding to stroke her hair. He'd caught her peeking at them a few times, but it seemed she'd actually picked up a few things. Her smile widened, and she tilted her head.
"Maybe...?" The sight of her in front of him like this was just took much. She was too much. "Beautiful and smart. I got the full package." He muttered, leaning in to kiss her. She eagerly responded, fisting his shirt with her hands to drag him closer, and he moved them so she was pressed against the brick wall. Holding her there with just enough pressure to enclose, but not crush.
His hand behind her head allowed him to angle her just as he liked, kissing her deeply, yet slowly, to not ruin the quiet moment. He wanted to burn this memory into the back of his head so he'd remember it, but it seemed Summer had other ideas.
Her hands took a firmer hold of his shirt, and she danced then in a circle, until she pressed him against the brick with force. He grunted at the impact, their teeth clicking together, but she didn't bother to stop their kiss. It wasn't often she took control like this, but he enjoyed the occasions nonetheless.
"Summer-" He started in a low, husky voice, but was cut off when she dragged his bottom lip through her teeth slowly, finally pulling back far enough to look him in the eyes.
"I missed you." She said quietly, the innocence and sincerity of her words in stark contrast to the lust in her eyes. Law found that his throat was caught, and he couldn't seem to get a word out. Instead, his gaze returned to her lips, and they met together again in a searing kiss.
She let out a feminine sigh, just loud enough for him to hear, and he nearly hands released his shirt and began to wander the contours of his shoulders, then lower to his chest, sliding over his shirt insistently. His pulled her closer by the belt loops on her jeans, eagerly wanting to feel the friction against his pants.
Law's tongue invaded her mouth, tangling with hers as she brushed her fingers towards the top hem of his pants. He was disappointed when they drifted past his crotch and down the length of his thighs, teasing him coyly, as if he wouldn't notice.
She chuckled against his mouth and began her journey back up, but he was too caught up in their lip lock to notice her pause on a small bulge in his pocket. It was square but with smooth edges. Curious, she frowned a little and went to reach for it.
Too late, Law realized what she'd found, and a sudden spike of panic flashed through him as he broke their kiss. "No, wait-" He reached for the box, but it was already in her hand, and all he'd managed to do was catch her wrist in his.
Face flushed from their make-out session, and now due to embarrassment that she'd found the box, Law swallowed as he waited for Summer's reaction. He honestly wasn't sure how she'd handle seeing the little box. She wasn't stupid. She'd know it's meaning. She'd know his intention.
Wide-eyed and panting from their previous kiss, she stared at the little box, finally reaching up and opening it with her free hand.
A small, beautiful silver-banded diamond ring lay nestled in the silk. Simple in design without having an outrageously large carat jewel, Law had picked it because it fit her personality to a T. Small, simple, and elegant without the need to be flashy and gaudy. He'd felt confident that when he'd eventually give it to her, she'd feel the same.
Now, though, with it's accidental discover, he suddenly didn't feel so confident anymore.
"This is..." She trailed off, eyes taking in the ring. "You were going to propose?" She finished in a small voice, violet eyes flicking to look into his gray ones. He couldn't read the emotions behind them.
"I was." He said, then shook his head at how that had come out. "I-I mean...I am. I just...wanted to wait for the right time." He scrambled to correct himself. The more than came out of his mouth, the more he felt like punching himself.
"How long have you had this?" She asked, tears welling up behind her eyes. They were glassy and somehow even more violet than usual, which he hadn't thought possible.
"A few months." He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do now. "I didn't want to do it so soon, in case you needed time to get comfortable with...us, I guess." This wasn't how he'd been rehearsing this to go. They were supposed to have been on the beach at sunset surrounded by their closest friends or something, not in a cold, dark alley behind the bar on his 15 minute break.
She chuckled, shaking her head ruefully as she grabbed his hand. The blonde placed the little box in his hand again. "I've been waiting forever for you to ask me."
"...you have?" He asked in surprise, watching as a few tears leaked down her cheeks. she wiped them away quickly, sniffing.
"Of course." She smiled. "For awhile, I started to wonder if you even wanted to."
"I did!" He hastily tried to defend, then once again realized how that could come across wrong. "I...still do. Yes."
God, he sounded like such an idiot.
Summer took a step back and straightened herself, gesturing to the box. "Ask me, then."
It felt like his brain had short circuited for a moment, because a full two seconds passed before he seemed to understand the meaning behind her words. In a backwards sort of way, he came to the conclusion that somehow, Summer had managed to propose to him by asking him to propose to her.
Yeah, none of this was going according to plan, but...nothing in their relationship up to this point had, he supposed.
Swallowing back the nerves buzzing in his stomach, he lowered himself to one knee, ignoring the cold of the concrete and held the little box between them. He cleared his throat, which made her smile. A smile that had captured him the first time he'd seen it.
Law couldn't put a number to the amount of times he'd thought about this moment. Many of those times had been before they'd dated, and before Doflamingo's return. And he'd had to shove them aside as quickly as they'd come because no part of him could reasonably see it ever being possible.
But he was here. And she was here. And he was suddenly at a loss for words.
Somewhere, stuffed in his secret box in their closet, was a draft of the words he'd wanted to say when this moment eventually came around. He'd stared at it and worked on it so long, he'd had it memorized forwards and backwards. But not, not a single damn word of it came to mind.
Though, when it all came down to it, he supposed only two words really mattered right now.
"Marry me." He simply said, and Summer's eyes leaked a few more tears as she nodded.
"Yes."
He embraced her when she threw her arms around his neck, and he swung her around, smiling into the crook of her neck. She laughed in happiness, a beautiful sound he hoped to hear for the rest of his life.
He slipped the ring on her finger, and she admired it for a moment, loving the way it fit on her hand. They stood there, peppering each other's lips with kisses and smiling at one another until Summer realized where exactly they were.
"I think your break is up, Law." She said with humor, and he sighed.
"Probably."
"Should we go rescue Corazon from the bar?" She took his hand with the one that now sported her ring, smiling in amusement. He took another moment to just look at his bride-to-be, before nodding reluctantly. They stepped inside together, and all Summer could think about was the amazing future ahead of them.
Law, however, mused to himself that Corazon would kick his ass for not letting him be there for the proposal. But that was something he could worry about later. For now, he had to figure out a way to get through the rest of his shift without smiling like a damned fool. A task that would prove impossible.
"The past has been there all along, reminding us: This time-maybe, hopefully, against all odds, we will get it right." -Unknown
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