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Nico Robin hadn't thought about what Trafalgar Law would be like as a partner. When he stood before her not more than a week ago--hand at the back of his head, flushed face and yellow irises that are looking everywhere except her eyes, asking her if she'd like to be his , she smiled and agreed as she secretly put her hair down to hide her flushed ears in it.
Their relationship had always been casual up until that moment, never really anything serious. But every time they were together, she felt a sort of connection with him. One that she had never felt before despite having been in several other relationships prior. So she really enjoyed the idea of him being the person she would like to settle with, and was very thrilled that he asked. It happened during Luffy's celebratory party on yet another victory and unfortunately for them, the crew's gossip queen witnessed the whole moment go down.
The news of them becoming a pair spread like wildfire among the two crews. Some were shocked, some were not, and some were very pleased to say the least. Particularly a certain captain of the crew.
"That means we're all family now right?" Luffy laughed. He had been so excited since he heard the news.
"No, we're not! Don't talk like we are already married!"
However, it seemed like most of the other members were serious about the fact that their crewmate is now officially dating another crew's captain. Within the next few minutes, almost all of them gave him a one-on-one interrogation which they called an “interview”. Law swears none of that past few hours sounded like an interview at all. Who gets threatened with castration in harmless interviews?
The Heart Pirates, on the other hand, were delighted . Robin notes that she had never seen Bepo this happy before. Ikkaku was so excited to make another female friend, given that her crew was essentially a sausage party.
However, what took Robin by surprise in this relationship is with how Law treats her.
---Beginning.
It had only been a week since. Robin occasionally spends her night over at the Polar Tang as the two crews are travelling together at the moment. During all the times they were together, Law was rather different, as she notes. He was so much more physically affectionate than she'd imagine him to be. He'd give her back hugs so often and plant his nose into her hair. It always feels so good.
Robin herself, on the other hand, always comes off as a very experienced person in relationships. Yet with Law, she feels like she's at a loss very often. Perhaps it was the fact that her previous relationships did not involve love , she entered them for the benefits. Benefits that helped out her survival. Every time Law touches her, or even just put a strand of her hair behind her ears, she feels her heart rate increase. Her face flushing. She feels like a teenager in love, which she never got to experience in her teenage years.
She felt safe and comfortable with him and at the same time, Law felt the same too. He had never found himself interested in getting a partner for his whole life. It had been a mess since his childhood with revenge against Doflamingo being his only priority and goal for the past 12 years of his life. All he had before were casual hook-ups and that was about it.
But Robin? The moment they met on Punk Hazard, he felt a connection. Her smile affects him in ways . He felt at peace when they'd read together in the Sunny's library.
He, who rarely enjoys the company of another person, would rather have her be there than not.
Nico Robin just had a comforting presence like this.
...
And when they slept together for the first time way before they became official, it was pure bliss. She was so soft, so gentle, he could hold her all day. It came as a shock to him when she initiated the encounter, and he just could not hide how happy he felt. Maybe that was when he truly smiled for the first time in ages. Since then, they've kept their relationship a secret, even though he was sure some of them caught on. Specifically the skeleton friend that Robin is always seen with.
Curled up in Law's bed in his private quarters and a book in each of their hands, Robin thought of how happy she feels right now. This was entirely new to her, when he called and asked her if she'd like to come over just to hang out. It didn't strike her that he would initiate time together at all.
He had a hand around her waist and they were snuggled up together, no words, just a book each. Robin was even struggling to focus because of how new this whole feeling is to her. Her face flushed every time he moved the hand on her waist a little to adjust his position. She, who thought she had so much experience in relationships, wondered what it is about him that kept making her feel like this.
Another thing she found out was that most of the time, Law prepares the Heart Pirate's meals. She didn't know he could cook too, and when she joined the Heart Pirates for breakfast one day (to Sanji's dismay), she realised that not only could he cook, but he was pretty good at it. He even packed them both a bento each when she wanted to head out to explore an island they stopped by for a bit. The whole time they were on that island, he hiked closely behind her and caught her every time she slightly loses her balance when stepping on uneven ground.
"I told you not to wear heels, what were you thinking..." She laughed at his remark. She just didn't feel like heading back up to her room in the Sunny to retrieve her shoes. "I trust you will catch me if I fall."
Then, one of her heels decided to give in mid exploration. She lost her balance, but Law caught her in time. And for the rest of the trip, he piggybacked her while groaning. His words and actions never matched up, and Robin finds it so cute.
---Protection.
Trafalgar Law had never felt the compelling urge to protect someone that was not part of his very own crew. But when Nico Robin came into his life, he just felt the need to ensure her safety and happiness no matter what. For his whole life, he never thought of himself as the overprotective type until he was in the presence of Nico Robin.
He knew as well as everyone else that she was more than capable of protecting herself--yet he still wants to put himself before her. Not a single scratch on her soft skin on his watch.
Especially since the events of Dressrosa. Since she put her own life before his.
He pretended to not know about that moment when she was ready to risk it all for his life. Even when his consciousness was constantly fading in and out, he felt her softness pressed against him. He also knew that she was badly injured on her back as well. She still had the scars from then.
That was almost new to him. Someone outside of his own crew, ready to throw away her own life for him. She had no reason to put so much on the line for him.
And then on that same island, he was told to never try to find a reason for somebody's love.
He knew that if there ever was another occasion that called for something like this to happen again, she would do it again in a heartbeat. She's kind, gentle and selfless just like that, a much better version of himself. That is why he will not allow her to get harmed for him.
"Law?"
Robin called out. She was watering her flowers on the Sunny in her light pink blouse with her sleeves rolled up, paired with a pair of long white pants and a white sun hat. "You were in a daze."
He snapped out of his thoughts. How long was he in it? His mind had almost fully been occupied with thoughts about her since their first encounter.
"I was talking about the other day, when the shelves decided to collapse and you took the damage for me." She sat down her watering can and crossed her arms. "You shouldn't do that again, it would be hard to clean up my books if the shelf crushes you and your blood gets all over them."
Law held back his smile. Morbid as always. "Small accidents like that can't hurt me and you know it," he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Rather, if any of those books fell on you and hit your head hard, you might just suddenly forget about me. Not my style of risk to take."
Robin giggled and thought for a while. "Then I wonder if I will fall for someone different if I lose my memories one day"
Law grunted and pulled her closer to him, holding her tighter, but still gently. "I will not allow that, you know it. I will beat them to a pulp. And feed them to the sharks. I will make sure the sea stains red with their blood." He jokingly stated.
She laughed heartily and gave him a peck on his nose. God, he loves her laugh so much. It was pure music to his ears.
Then they heard a groan from the other side of the deck. It was Usopp, tending to his plants.
"Oh my, Usopp. Were you here this whole time?"
"And here I thought Robin was hard to deal with already! I can't believe you're like this too, Trafalgar...!" He sighed. "You guys are adorable and all but, can you please keep those horribly morbid thoughts out of your mouths. They're starting to give me nightmares."
Robin laughs. The truth is, she knew Usopp was there all along. She just liked to mess with him a little more than most of her other crewmates. Perhaps except Brook.
---Care.
Being a woman unfortunately means Robin also has to deal with that time of the month. It was never a pleasant experience, although she rarely shows any quick changes in her mood. She is good at controlling her emotions like this.
"I think my period just came." She stopped on her tracks and tugged at Law's sleeves. Bad timing. They dropped by an island to replenish supplies, and the two of them decided to go out to buy some clothes. She didn't bring anything with her, just her wallet. She thought it would be a quick trip.
Law sighed. "This is why you should be prepared."
"I'm heading to the nearest washroom," She said and was about to start walking away when Law stopped her and pulled out a pad from his bag. Robin stared at him, wide eyed and completely speechless. How prepared is this guy? How did he know it was com-
"I have two with me at all times since we started dating. Now go."
She takes it from him and heads to the washroom, trying to hide her smile behind her hand.
...
Normally, she was used to dealing with it. The physical effects however, were inconsistent and decides to get to her every few months. It wasn't like she couldn't move at all--she had high pain tolerance. She'd just rather be in bed for the whole day, but there are often things she has to get out of her bed for. And today was one of those days the physical effects decided to give her a harder time than usual.
"Stay there. I'll head to the library to find the book for you."
There she is, curled up in Law's bed (her crew was overly rowdy for the day, so she found an escape by making herself comfortable in his bed) with a cup of hot chocolate that he prepared immediately when she walked into his room. He never talked much, but his actions often spoke for him.
He returned quickly with the book in question, a heat pack and some painkillers. Without a word, he handed her the book and set the rest of the items down on his nightstand, and made himself comfortable beside her.
"Let me know if your cramps are getting worse."
Robin nodded and smiled to herself. She had never been taken care of like this. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. They'd spend the whole afternoon in bed together and he'd bring her whatever she needed. She felt so spoiled by him. Who would have known the cold and grumpy Trafalgar Law would be such a sweetheart around the person he loves? One thing Nico Robin was sure about -- she is the happiest girl alive at that moment.
---Secrets.
He'd tell her about Flevance on a random night. She had always been a great listener, so she sat beside him, hugging her knees in silence as he opened up about his childhood. She had one of his tattooed hands in her free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze every time she felt his mood fluctuate a little as he spoke.
Things about his family, his little sister, and Cora-san.
He kept on a straight face the whole time, but Robin could tell that recounting those memories was not easy. After all, she herself had a similar experience that she had not shared with him yet, but she figured he knew the gist of it.
She moved her hand up to brush his hand aside and gave his cheek a gentle rub. Never try to find a reason for someone's love , he mentioned that he was told this sentence once and it stayed with him. She could tell that the sentence affected him a lot. Perhaps it was his first step into freeing himself from the shackles of his past.
Law had always appreciated that they didn't need words to understand each other. He'd open up to her about his past and his true name, and he knew she will not pry into it until he is comfortable enough to share more.
They both were survivors, and they had each other.
...
When Robin opened up about her past, it wasn't as smooth as when Law did.
It was also at the dead of the night. She was stirring a lot in bed that night. Law was a light sleeper and felt it after a while, and could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead when he turned on the lamp on his nightstand. She was clearly in a lot of distress and was having a bad nightmare.
He gave her a few shakes but she did not show any signs of waking up. He felt her shaking, fists clenched and violently grabbing onto his bedsheets. And when he saw the glistening of her tears falling off her face and her unconsciously biting her bottom lip in her sleep, he held her with a little more force and tried to sit her up, but she was stiff and trembling. So he gave her a huge, warm hug and whispered into her ear that everything is alright.
In between his soft whispers, she must have finally realised that it was just a nightmare and he felt her stiff shoulders relax. Her face was buried in his neck, hands grabbing onto his shirt, and her breathing was unstable. He slowly stroked her back and stayed silent for what felt like eternity until she showed signs of calming down.
"I was just like you, you know," Robin softly said. "My hometown was destroyed. I was the only survivor."
Law nodded. He was aware of the tragedy of Ohara, even if not in detail.
"They took everything from me, and they still wanted my life." Her face was still buried in his neck. He didn't need to see her expression, he felt it from her body language. "I had been on the run since I was 8."
She told him about everything. Professor Clover and the archeologists, her mother, Jaguar D. Saul. How she was left in the care of her abusive relatives for years and hated by the children at her own age back then. How she could not stay mad at them despite the treatment she was given in her own hometown.
"They all died, I can't just keep resenting the dead." Robin tightens her grip on his shirt. "But it still hurts sometimes. I craved love so hard, it was almost pathetic."
Her voice got softer as she spoke. "I love my crew. And I believe they are all strong enough to protect me, I have no reason to doubt that." She continued. "But a deep part of me believes that there is always an off chance that something might happen, and it comes to haunt me in my dreams occasionally."
"I just don't want to lose anybody ever again."
He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up to face him. Her eyes were swollen, hair in a mess, and she had that habit of biting her lower lip to hold back her sobs which she is doing right now.
Law cupped her face with his hands, wiped off some stray tears with his thumb and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. This was all they needed to understand that they will always be here for each other.
---Signs.
Law was very good at reading even the slightest change in her habits and emotions. Ever since the encounter that night, it got easier for him to read her. He notices the slightest twitch or jump she makes. Especially when they were at a summer festival together, he noticed her lack of enthusiasm for watching the fireworks.
Given her history with explosions, it would make sense that she didn't like them. She was just good at hiding her weaknesses.
Dressed in their traditional Wano-styled yukata robes, they sat at an open field, supposedly for "fireworks viewing" as Nami called it. She pretended to be excited about it, but Law could tell at every small flinch she made when a new set goes off in the dark night sky.
"Here."
He ushered her to hold out her hand and placed a pair of earplugs on her palm. She looks at him in surprise.
"I bring them along everywhere we go. Your crew gets way too loud sometimes. They give me a throbbing headache."
Robin puts them on and flashed her ever-so-gorgeous smile to him. "You surprise me all the time."
And when she looked up at the fireworks, her eyes widened with a pleasant kind of surprise. She never really let herself enjoy them due to her trauma with loud noises--and this was the first time she could look at them without flinching.
Law leans back and stares at her from the side. She is just beautiful like this. Her smile could make his whole day, but of course he would never admit it.
"You can't just keep staring at me like that, you know. The fireworks will end," She said, a little too loudly as her ears were plugged. Law smirked. "Then I will make sure the both of us will not look at it until it ends."
Robin turned to look at him blankly and put a hand to her ear. "What did you just say?"
Typical Straw Hat behaviour. She really belonged there. He wanted to laugh at her adorable reaction, but he remembered he said that sentence with full acknowledgement that she would not be able to hear him, just so she would turn around.
And then he would grab her chin and softly place his lips on hers.
It was a kiss that felt like an eternity.
---Future.
"Would you want to settle down eventually? Perhaps after we both attain our individual goals." Robin asked. They were both under a huge tree's shade, Robin was in the process of knitting an orange beanie for Bepo to match Chopper's pink one, while Law drifted in and out of sleep on her lap. "I would love to live in a small town and document the missing history of the world."
Law nodded. He had been travelling everywhere for the past 16 years of his life, settling down sounds like a plan he'd love to try. Especially with her.
The idea sounded peaceful and quiet. Waking up without a constant fear of getting chased by the government--or even the fear of losing one another. It was the stability he wished for in his life, and what he had before Flevance ceased to exist. The things he would do to feel that happiness again.
He reached his hand out to caress her cheek, which she responded by holding the tattooed hand on her cheek and gently shut her eyes.
They stayed like this for a while, before hearing Luffy impatiently yelling at them to head back to the ship for lunch.
...
In the present, Robin rests her arms on the Sunny's handrails as she quietly keeps watch for the crew as they slept. The Straw Hats and the Heart Pirates had went their separate ways, but Law and her hearts will always be connected.
She smiled and reached her left hand out. Under the moonlight, the silver promise ring that Law put on her ring finger gleamed with hope. It was a reminder that they had their own goals to fulfil for the sake of themselves and their future--carved with each other's names on the inner side.
She holds it to her chest and wishes for nothing but his safety. And she knows they will see each other again in the near future.
They have to.
----
