counting coins: law x reader
can be read as platonic, very self indulgent (i collect coins and am an unemployed chemist and simply wish law would take me to sea with him) wc 1.3k
While you had heard whispers that the Heart Pirates were spending some time on your island, the last person you expected to see on your trip to the local coin shop was Trafalgar Law. You had seen his bounty poster plenty of times before—his goofy bucket hat and cocky smirk were plastered on just about every public surface in town—but something about the Surgeon of Death seemed far less intimidating in the flesh as he precisely ran his tattooed fingers through the stacks of coins sealed in cardboard holders, occasionally pulling one out to examine it.
Trying not to stare, you started making your way towards the opposite side of the store to parse through coins of your own. However, it soon became clear that if you wanted to hunt through the store’s supply of antique commemorative silver dollars, you would have to breach the tall, tanned man’s personal space.
Quietly slipping into the space between him and the wall, you began searching in vain for your target—a coin from a specific year and mint that was struck erroneously with high relief on the eyes. Turning up empty, you observe the surgeon settling on a coin of his own: a different misprint coin that you already had in your collection that made the figure on the head of the coin look like he had long rabbit-like teeth. Being nosy, you looked at the label on the cardboard casing surround the coin; the grading was iffy enough to justify haggling, and the price was far too high.
“You better not pay that much for that.” you whispered. He tried to hide the fact that he was slightly startled, but you were too close together to miss the shudder in his shoulders.
“Wasn’t planning on it. I’ll find it somewhere else.” he replied, taking the opportunity to look you over, eyes softening slightly once he realizes you’re likely not a threat, and then widening as you slip the coin out from between his fingers.
“Let me handle it.” you whispered, taking it up to the front of the store and flashing a large smile to the older gentlemen behind the counter.
“I’m interested in this coin, but I just wanted to make sure it was labeled correctly! It’s marked AU, but the details in the hair aren’t there to justify it. Even calling it Extra Fine might be a stretch…” you said, pointing at the page in your pocket-sized coin grading book.
Law grits his teeth and prepares to cut his losses and slink out the door as one of the men begins to laugh boisterously, before being taken aback by the man’s next words.
“Are you trying to rip the poor girl off?” he asks his coworker, causing the man you were speaking with originally to flush red with embarrassment. “Sorry about the bad label sweetheart, it’s yours for 500 berries.” You beam and hand over the berries, profusely thanking them in the process while Law tries to keep his jaw from dropping on the floor. He knew damn well that you had to have nitpicked the coin to hell in order to call it Extra Fine, let alone snag it for a third of its usual asking price. Law expects you to smirk at him as you pass by and exit the store, but the smile you give him is innocent and genuine. He waits a few moments after you leave before going after you and is relieved to find you hadn’t run off and were waiting on a bench outside for him. As he approaches you, you make a peace sign at him, catching him slightly off guard.
“Here you go!” you exclaim standing up and, placing the coin in his palm. He reaches in his pocket to attempt to pay you back but you shake your head.
“You don’t have to, the price I paid for that was borderline thievery.” you say.
“I’m impressed.” Law replies, still offering you the berries despite your protests. Your cheeks turn pink as you continue to refuse payment, saying you were simply happy to help him out since you already had one in your collection. Law pauses for a moment, gazing at you intensely, causing a sheepish grin to break out on your face.
“I heard there’s a bookstore with a café inside down the street. Let me buy you a drink and we’ll call it even.”
“I’d love that, I need to pick up something new to read anyways.”
Law smirks as you both begin to walk towards the café and you ramble about a novel you’ve just finished, admiring the dusting of pink on your cheeks.
“You on the hunt for anything in particular?” you ask after ordering your drink, trying to mentally guess what types of books the pirate captain enjoys most before he responds.
“Organic chemistry textbooks. I need to brush up so I can replenish the medicine stock on my submarine.” Something behind your eyes lights up at the mention of the subject.
“Don’t waste your beri, I’ve got a ton at home! I’m more of a spectroscopist myself, but I studied organic synthesis for a few years…” you said, explaining your studies to Law as he listened intently.
“It’s just a bit difficult to find a job around here; there’s no real industry built up, and I can’t afford to sail anywhere else, so I’ve been selling my paintings to scrape by.” you finished, voice taking a slight downturn at the mention of your current career state.
“How much biochemistry experience do you have?” he asks you, sipping on his drink.
“The basics, I need to brush up on some of the more complicated metabolic pathways though.” you reply.
“Experience making bulk quantities of solution?”
“Tons.”
“How are you in small, dark spaces?”
“I seek them out.”
“For weeks at a time?”
“I’d be fine as long as I’m not completely alone.”
Law examines you for a moment, looking for any signs on your face that you were misrepresenting your own abilities, but found none.
“Trust me, you’ll wish you were alone after a few days.” he joked dryly. He loved his crew dearly, but he wanted to make sure you were adequately warned about life on the Polar Tang before asking you the question that lingered on the tip of his tongue. Law gulps down the rest of his coffee before speaking again.
“If you’re interested, I’d like to invite you to join my crew. I need a chemist to help me out and relieve some of my workload. The hours are long, the conditions are abysmal, and the sea is dangerous. The pay is good at some times and horrible at others, but you’ll always have three square meals. You’d spend most of your time either working with me or alone in the lab, but there’s twenty of us in total on the ship; you can meet them first before deciding if that’s what you’d like.”
You were flattered, and a bit taken aback by the offer. Piracy had never been on your radar, but the opportunity to travel the world and learn a ridiculous amount of medicinal chemistry in a hands-on environment was calling to you like a siren’s song.
“I’ll have to buy some water-based oil paints. Traditional ones give off too many fumes to use in a submarine.” you say with a smile, and you notice Law relaxes just the tiniest bit. “I’m very interested, but I would like to meet the crew first, just to be sure.”
Law writes down the name of the bar and tells you to pack your things and meet them that night, and assures you if you were to change your mind there would be no hard feelings. However, he couldn’t hide the relief he felt and the smile that crept across his face later that night when you fit in so well that Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo plead you to come along, leading the rest of the crew in a chant of “Please stay! Please stay! Please stay!”, followed by a cheer when you agree.
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