Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun was setting, but the city streets were not quiet in the evening bustle. The air was filled with exhaust fumes and the unpleasant smell of city sewage. Cars were crowded at intersections, drivers were frustrated by endless delays and traffic lights that changed too quickly.

Robin looked down at the wide street she lived on. The large windows let in a lot of light into the living room, giving her a sense of isolation from the hustle and bustle of the city. The view stretched to the distant horizon, with forests and a lake gleaming in the distance. Robin looked longingly at the summer greenery that was at least an hour's drive away. She didn't like the city. Living here was a compromise she had agreed to so that her marriage would have a chance to survive.

The sound of an incoming call rang out loudly from another room, startling Robin from her deep thoughts. She quickly walked towards it, the sound of her feet hitting the floor echoing throughout the apartment.

"Robin, hey!", Nami greeted her with a cheerful voice, "I'll be there in about 20 minutes, are you ready?"

"Of course, I can't wait," she laughed a little too loudly into the phone, although if Nami was standing next to her now, she would see a completely different emotion in Robin's eyes. Today, the dark-haired woman wasn't in the mood to socialize, in fact, she rarely was, preferring the privacy of her own home where nothing would disturb her peace. Tonight, however, Nami was celebrating her engagement to her fiancée Vivi, so this was an occasion Robin couldn't pass up, even if she really didn't want to leave the house.

"Great! Put on some comfortable shoes, because my dear, we're going to dance the night away! Kisses! See you soon!" Nami hung up, leaving Robin in complete silence. The woman sighed, then patted her cheeks to dispel her pessimistic mood and opened the door to the wide wardrobe standing opposite the king-size bed.

The dark purple dress with narrow straps perfectly matched the white feather earrings and macramé bracelet with an elegant watch, which she wore to complete her outfit. The dark color was safe for her. It protected her from prying eyes and unnecessary teasing. Thanks to it, she could remain invisible.

As she left the empty apartment, she turned for a moment to look with regret in her eyes at the place where she had spent the last years of her life. It was beautiful. Decorated with valuable accessories, of a high standard, but at the same time empty and worthless. Photographs from their wedding day, in which she and her husband smiled broadly, gathered dust on the shelves, reminding them of what they once had and what had disappeared forever.

She closed the door with a loud bang. She decided that tonight her private problems would not come to the surface, that she would put on a good face, smile, as if her life, piece by piece, was not falling apart before her eyes every day.

The taxi made its way through the congested city quite efficiently. Nami chattered excitedly, and Robin nodded her head every now and then, interjecting a few words of her own. She smiled gently, but her fingers nervously twisted the white bracelet on her wrist that had been a gift from her husband. She hoped silently that her friend wouldn't notice, or even if she did, she'd let it slide without comment.

At Merry Rounds, the pub where Nami had made reservations for that evening, which belonged to their mutual friend Usopp, it was bustling, even though the night hadn't really started yet. A few tables were still empty, music was pumping from the speakers, and a few people were sitting at the bar.

"Vivi my most beautiful treasure! My desert diamond!" Nami called out happily quickly walking towards the reserved booth. Her blue-haired fiancée was sitting there, dressed in a white dress with puffy sleeves, on her hands she had gold bracelets that jingled loudly every time she moved her hands, "Have you been waiting long?" Nami asked, high-fiving Luffy and Zoro who were sitting closest to her. She hugged Perona, Koala, Sabo and a few other people who had already made themselves comfortable at the table and were exchanging lively opinions on the musical trends of today's youth.

"Where are the others?" Nami added, raising her eyebrows in question.

"Sanji said he'd be late because he had to close the restaurant, and they had some birthday party today, it is a mess, he said," Vivi replied, "but he assured me he'd come. Chopper, I don't know..." she looked suggestively at Robin, to which she just shrugged in ignorance, "...and Usopp, you know, is with us, but he also works."

"And Law?" Luffy interrupted, looking up from his phone.

Robin immediately felt her shoulders tense up, but she quickly put on a good face for her bad game.

"Yesterday he said that he would come, but today during the break he called and said that he was on duty. Chopper is probably with him." she replied, trying not to sound gloomy. She lowered her gaze, involuntarily touching the bracelet on her wrist. Its rough texture brought some relief under Robin's fingers, allowing the tension growing inside to calm down faster. Luffy shrugged, accepting such an answer.

"They will show up when they show up," Nami quickly added, not at all concerned about the absence of several people, "and if they don't it's their loss, because today we're partying till we drop," she ordered, "Zoro, come with me to the bar, we'll bring the first round."

The green-haired man stood up obediently.

"I'll go with you," Robin interrupted, "I don't know what I want, I'll choose something at the bar."

The Merry Rounds was starting to get crowded. The jumble of sounds made it hard to think coherently, and the smell of alcohol, sugary drinks, and perfumed guests mixed into a heavy cloud of fumes. Robin took a seat at the bar, tilting her head up to study the list of available drinks and cocktails in concentration.

"Nami, perfect timing!" came the voice of his friend and owner of Merry Rounds, Usopp from behind the bar. He high-fived all three of them with a big smile, "I have a present for you to start the evening," said the man, pulling out two trays of colorful drinks from behind the bar and a third one with a tiered cake with a picture of Nami and Vivi printed on it, "Today is your day, first round on the house! Take these two trays of drinks and I'll call Franky right away and ask him to bring the cake to your table and some free snacks!" Usopp winked mischievously.

Nami squealed with joy – Usopp, you're the best! Cake? Vivi will go crazy with joy!"

"Hehehehe," Usopp cackled, "your future wife is more cunning than you! She planned everything and none of us spilled the surprise!"his face beamed with pride, Nami leaned over the bar and gave him a friendly nudge on the shoulder.

"And is Franky working today too?"she added, clearly delighted, "perfect! If we start dozing off after midnight, send him after us and he'll definitely get the party started. This man has endless energy!"

Robin looked up from her menu, startled by Nami's booming voice. Franky? That must have been someone new, because she hadn't heard that name before, "What did I miss? Who's Franky?" she asked, tilting her head questioningly.

"From the carpentry workshop, woman, get a grip" Usopp quickly interjected.

"Okay, okay, chill," Nami waved her hand, "from the woodworking workshop. I'm sure you'll like him, Robin, he's big, loud, and I think he never goes to sleep. He's a strange guy, he fits our group perfectly," she laughed heartily, then ordered Zoro to take two trays of drinks and take them to the booth.

"What about you, Robin?" Usopp asked as Nami and Zoro walked away with trays full of colorful cocktails, "What are you in the mood for today?"

"I don't know,"the woman rested her chin on her hand, tapping her cheek with fingers. Her head was tilted, "something pink? To brighten up the darkness of the heart."

Usopp laughed, taking it as his friend's typical dark humor, and she joined in, not wanting her true emotions to come out. "Think about it some more and I’ll come to you in a moment" ​​he gave both thumbs up and then moved to the other side of the counter to serve the other customers, leaving Robin alone with her inner emptiness.

She glanced at the watch on her wrist, absentmindedly picking at the white bracelet. The chances of her husband showing up were getting smaller and smaller. She pushed away the pessimistic thoughts, still having a tiny spark of hope that Law would keep his promise and show up at the meeting, even for a moment. Vivi and Nami were also his friends, this whole group Law knew and liked more or less.

An unexpected and unfamiliar voice tore her from her thoughts.

"What would you like to drink, beautiful?"

She looked up from her watch and her eyes caught sight of a man she had never seen before behind the Merry Rounds bar. He was very tall, strongly built, with hair styled high up. He looked like a statue set in the surroundings of a toy bar. He was wearing a colorful shirt with palm leaves, several buttons undone, a gold chain glistening around his neck, "the night is too short to think about one drink for so long. Do you want to go home and not have a headache tomorrow, or wake up in the morning and not remember the party?" a wide smile appeared on his face as he spread both hands in anticipation.

Robin tensed up a bit at such an inelegant urging, but before she could answer, Usopp materialized next to the man.

"Franky, take this cake and take it to the booth where Nami and the rest of the team are sitting. You remember them, right? They're sitting there," he pointed to the booth by the wall where quite a few people were already crowded. The tall man leaned out a bit, squinting as if he didn't quite understand where he was supposed to go.

"There in the corner, that red head, Nami, remember?" Usopp checked again, and Franky finally nodded, deftly grabbing the tray and heading towards the crowd.

"Who is this jerk, Usopp? Is that this whole Franky guy?" Robin grumbled, frowning deeply.

Usopp laughed loudly, "Yes, that's Franky. The rest of the team met him a while ago, but you weren't at those meetings," he added, preparing a drink, "here's a pink flamingo, take it easy, Robin!" he put a pink cocktail with a palm in front of her - have fun, enjoy the evening, don't let the absent Law spoil your mood.

Robin nodded her thanks for the drink and headed to the booth. The cake was already in the center of the table, and Nami and Vivi shared a knife, ready to cut it into small portions.

To Nami and Vivi's happiness, Luffy boomed loudly, raising his glass of colorful drink in a toast, even though everyone knew he was after the biggest piece of cake anyway. The group joined in, and even strangers who happened to be near their booth clapped and whistled loudly, shouting their own "best wishes!"

Robin sat down next to Zoro, who had already downed several mugs of beer and was starting to look very dull in the early hours.

"Robin! You look beautiful!" Perona peeked out from behind Zoro, dressed as always in a lovely, gothic dress, with strong, dark make-up, "purple is definitely your color, I've told you that before! And those feather earrings? Fabulous!" she chirped, and Robin smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, you're also in style, always at the highest level," Robin replied, and Perona waved her hand in mock embarrassment, accepting the compliment. She knew she looked impeccable. She always did.

The celebration was in full swing, snacks and drinks were constantly being brought to the table. After a few hours, Sanji appeared, dressed in an elegant shirt, holding two boxes filled with sweet pastries. He had a big smile on his face, but it was obvious that he was exhausted after a long day of work.

"I love you girls," he began, wrapping his arms around Nami and Vivi, - but Viv, honey, if I didn't know you, I'd be devastated that you're taking my beautiful Nami away from me. Take care of her, because if she ever cries because of you, I'll find you even in the middle of the desert!" he joked with theatrical passion, and everyone around laughed with emotion, "Nami, my muse, maybe I can still buy you out of Vivi's hands, hm? What's the price for your heart?"

Nami laughed loudly, pushing away the courting Sanji, "eat the cake, have a drink, and accept that my heart is already bought" she stuck out her tongue at him, and the man only hugged both women tighter, theatrically wiping away his tears of emotion.

Robin watched the group from the sidelines. She smiled, but her heart was breaking with regret and jealousy. Jealousy for something she no longer had. For feelings that had long since left her relationship. For the ease and warmth that Nam and Vivi had with each other. She wanted that kind of life so badly, but she knew she had lost her chance.

Around two in the morning, the group started to disperse a bit. Some people were dancing on the dance floor, others had said goodbye and gone home. A few people from the closest group were sitting in the booth. A tired Sanji was dozing, an empty glass in his hand, covered with Vivi's jacket. The last few weeks at work had been killing him. He was constantly working overtime to save up money to open his own little restaurant. Luffy seemed to have endless energy, because he was dancing energetically on the dance floor, spinning Nami around like a puppet. Vivi was talking to Perona. They were showing each other photos on their phones, discussed ideas for Vivi's wedding dress. Zoro was sitting next to Robin, the drunkest of the group, but still able to start a conversation.

"So where is your doctor, Robin?" he asked bluntly, "to busy looking into the microscope?"

"Law doesn't look into a microscope, Zoro" the woman smiled sadly, "he is a surgeon."

"Looking into people's guts is definitely more interesting than spending time with your own wife," he shrugged, although his tone was contemptuous. Out of the group, Zoro was the most honest, but not in a funny way like Luffy, but in a very blunt, sharp, andevaluative way. Despite the straightforwardness of his thoughts, Zoro always knew when Robin was hiding her true emotions. They knew each other inside and out, for years.

"I could have proposed to you in high school, you wouldn't have to be ashamed now that your husband prefers the guts of dead people to your company," he said sarcastically.

"But I would be ashamed that my husband has knocked down the entire beer supply and doesn't even know his own name anymore," she quickly retorted, nudging Zoro in the shoulder. He laughed loudly, not taking the sarcastic yet accurate comment seriously.

"True." he agreed, laughing loudly.

Indeed, many years ago, Robin and Zoro were a school couple. They went for walks together, spent time after classes, but it quickly turned out that they got along better as friends than as a couple. The age difference also did not help their communication. Robin was too serious for her age, and Zoro, who was younger than her, was too young to understand what her emotional needs were. They broke up by mutual consent and without any complaints. They remained friends, although Robin secretly believed that Zoro had changed little and still had no idea about the emotional needs of women.

"Law is an idiot for not respecting a woman like you, Robin. You know you can always..." Zoro began, slightly slurring his words.

"Don't start." Robin interrupted him, standing up briskly from the table and heading towards the bar.

The semblance of good mood had completely abandoned her. Zoro's drunken babbling only deepened her mental darkness. He always babbled the same things when drunk, and he just as uninhibitedly stuck his nose in her business, judging her life, relationship, and choices.

"I knew you needed a stronger drink than that green juice Usopp made for you," she looked up, meeting Franky's confident gaze behind the bar.

"The drink was pink," she corrected, raising an eyebrow.

Franky fell silent for a moment, as if calculating something in his head, "Yeah? That's my bad then," he added quickly, although Robin didn't miss the look of embarrassment that crossed the man's face for a second, "now you'll get a blue one. On the house. Usopp said to treat you guys more kindly today anyway." he laughed loudly, adding a straw and a paper umbrella to Robin's drink, "whoever wasted your evening doesn't deserve even a fraction of your attention." He winked, putting a colorful cocktail in front of her, changing into three different shades of blue, very similar to the color of his hair.

Franky, like most people at this hour, looked exhausted. His wide smile didn't reach his tired eyes, and it was obvious that the man had long since exceeded his limits of being on his feet. Despite this, he spoke loudly, laughed loudly, and was fantastic at pretending to feel fine. Maybe he mixed up the colors of her previous drink out of exhaustion, Robin thought to herself.

"I don't remember us meeting," the woman said after a moment, "though all my friends seem to know who you are."

"Franky" he replied shortly, stopping wiping glasses and extending his massive hand towards her. The woman shook his hand a little uncertainly, without trust. His grip was solid and strong, the hand was cold and hard; she noticed a tattoo of a small hammer right next to his thumb, "Robin, nice to meet you," she replied, forcing an insincere smile on her lips, "Usopp said that you know each other from...?" she cut off the question, wanting to check if both men's versions matched.

Franky frowned, staring at the ceiling somewhere, "hmmm....", his face, once again, for a split second, grimaced in embarrassment. Robin raised a surprised eyebrow. He was that tired or that arrogant that he didn't have space in his mind for memories related to people close to him.

"Usopp, how do we know each other?" he asked a man passing by, "I can't recall."

"From the carpentry workshop, you hammerhead," Usopp laughed, as if not at all surprised by the strange question, "you made this counter for me, remember?" Usopp ran his hand over the smooth countertop of the bar, pointing to a small hammer carved near the edge. The same as the tattoo on Franky's thumb. "You need to do more Sudoku or one day you'll forget where you left your own head." His friend patted him on the shoulder, and Franky waved it off.

"From the carpentry workshop" he repeated jokingly, now turning towards Robin. The woman nodded with a forced smile, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What a strange man,” she thought, although the rest of her friends were a bunch of weirdos too, so he didn’t really stand out that much.

When she got home, the clock showed five in the morning. The apartment was shrouded in darkness and such deep silence that she thought she could hear her own heart beating. Before her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she knew she wasn't alone in the apartment. She spotted Law, wrapped in a blanket, asleep on the couch in the living room. Robin sighed loudly. Law always slept on the couch when he knew he had messed up, hadn't fulfilled a promise or expectations. He punished himself for his shortcomings, wanting to give Robin space and permission to deepen her resentment for him.

She walked past him without even looking at him. On the table was a phone, face down, and on it, unbeknownst to Robin, was a message that had never been sent:

"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make it today."

A feeling of bitterness and regret gripped her throat. They had long since stopped talking freely to each other. The happiest years of their relationship had passed irrevocably, and Robin choked back tears of sadness and resentment at the mere thought of the happiness they once had. Now, they were only connected by formalities, routine and habit, and perhaps also by the fear of loneliness. Both were wronged, punished by fate for their very existence, and neither of them could help the other. For several years, both had felt that they were irrevocably drifting apart, affectionate gestures disappeared, kind words remained unspoken. They had attempted mediation, they had been in couples therapy, but the effects were short-lived. For a week, two, sometimes a month, everything returned to a happy order, but when work and duties came crushing down, their entire relationship crumbled into dust again. They passed each other in the hallway, sometimes seeing each other once every few days, when their work schedules did not match at all. All that remained was regret and objects that carried memories of the past.

In the bathroom, Robin took off her earrings and the white macramé bracelet and watch she had been nervously picking at all evening. Each of these items had been a gift from her husband. She looked in the mirror, not recognizing the person looking back at her in the reflection. A tired woman with dark circles under her eyes, her mouth pressed into a thin line, turned down in obvious desperation.

When she went to bed, the scent of Law's favorite shampoo was still lingering in the fabric of the pillow. That was the worst part for her - even when he wasn't there, he surrounded her from every side. Tears burned her cheeks like the alcohol she had drunk that night. Her loud sobs didn't matter. Nothing could change the pathetic script of life she had written for herself.

Chapter Text

Sunday morning came sooner than Robin would have liked. Sunlight filtered through the loosely drawn heavy bottle green curtains, cut perfectly to avoid bunching up on the floor. The home improvement store catalog said the color green had a soothing and stress-relieving effect. Robin remembered how she and Law had laughed about the bedroom being a stress-free zone. Now, that same room reminded her of lonely nights, tears, and words that cut like daggers. The soothing properties of the green curtains were gone.

She rolled over to her other side to try and close her eyes for a few more minutes and prolong the bliss of sleep.

For the first time in a long time, Robin had a free Sunday and she really wanted to use it to catch up on sleep. She glanced at the clock from behind the blanket covering her head. Seeing the hands pointing to seven o'clock, she sighed heavily into the pillow. It was too early to not sleep anymore. Her typical mornings usually started before the sun rose. She got up early to calmly reach the university building where she worked as a lecturer in history and archaeology. When she didn't have enough hours in her schedule and when the academic year was coming to an end for the summer, she also took on a job at the public library. However, she had no plans to leave the house that day. She wanted to be free from duties, work, worries and everyday life for at least one day.

She spent the next few minutes trying to force herself back to sleep. It was only then that she noticed the sound of water coming from the en-suite bathroom. Law was home. She felt a huge knot of stress knot up in her stomach, and her pulse sped up significantly. She turned her back to the door, squeezing her eyes shut until her nose crinkled.

The bathroom door opened quietly, and the steam slowly dissipated, enveloping the room in a rich, citrus scent. Law walked over to the closet, his back to the bed, towel tied around his hips. Robin opened her eyes, trying not to make any other movement that would indicate that she was no longer asleep. She silently watched the man as he very slowly looked through the contents of the wardrobe, pulling individual pieces of clothing out of the drawers. She had spent many years with him, she knew every inch of his body, every sensitive spot, but despite this, it seemed to her that she was looking at a stranger. With her gaze, she followed the contours of his back, the outlined muscles, she drew circles on the tattoo between his shoulder blades, on the smaller ones on his arms. She knew all of his scars, which reminded him of sleepless nights, when the marks of the past burned him with the fire of bitterness and self-pity. In all the knowledge she had about him, she could not remember when she last saw him with a sincere smile on his face.

“Did I wake you?” Law’s voice came from the reflection of the mirror as he noticed the gaze following him, “it’s still early, go back to sleep.”

Robin raised herself on her elbows without answering him. She stared into his face. He was clearly overworked, his complexion sallow, his eyes red and puffy, avoidant. The golden irises Robin had once adored no longer had their former sparkle. They were now dull, shallow, clouded with mist. This was not her Law. She lost him a long time ago.

“Where were you yesterday?” she asked roughly, her fingers gripping the sheets, “I waited for you until morning. We all did.”

“At work,” he cut in without even looking in her direction, “I couldn’t leave earlier.”

She narrowed her eyes in disbelief, running a slightly shaking hand through her hair, tucking a few strands behind her ear, "Law, this has been planned for weeks. Vivi was really sad."

When she said those words, she knew she was hitting his most sensitive spot. The feeling of disappointment, of a promise not being fulfilled, of words being thrown in the wind.

Law remained silent for a moment. He slowly put on his trousers, shirt, buttoned his sleeves with slightly trembling fingers, ignoring the pins Robin was hammering in. The sound of material being pulled over his skin was the only thing that broke the silence in the bedroom at the moment, though Robin thought her heart was beating so hard that even Law could hear it.

"I'm tired of making excuses and covering up for you," she continued.

"Then stop." he cut insensitively, and the dam in Robin's heart burst.

"Everyone asked where you were, when you were coming, and all I could say was that I didn't know, because my own husband didn't even have time to let me know he had changed his plans."

Law froze, his hands clenched into fists like a statue fighting with all its will not to fall apart. Robin glared at him, her inner dam holding her emotions tightly together bursting, and the venom she had been holding in for months spilled out in a stream of daggers.

“What was so urgent in a hospital full of other doctors that you couldn’t leave at a normal hour this one time, like you promised?” she said, her voice rising, holding back tears welling up in her eyes.

"I don't know, Robin," Law replied after a moment through gritted teeth, "maybe the young girl who was brought in after an accident before midnight with her hand hanging on by the last fiber and her skull mangled?"

Robin covered her mouth with her hand. Tears welled in her eyes, and memory brought back the cruel memories she had tried hard to hide in her own heart.

"Is that a good enough excuse to skip a happy bar party? Saving someone's life? Hmm? Tell me, Robin!" he almost shouted, and Robin buried her face in her hands. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, completely obscuring her figure. She sobbed loudly, tears running down her hands, soaking the leg of her pants.

“Law…” she said quietly, “…you can’t save everyone.”

The man slammed his hand into the mirror of the wardrobe, creating a long, thick crack all the way to the floor. Without saying anything else, he left the bedroom, slamming the door hard.

The conversation was over. Robin sobbed, left alone with emotions she couldn't handle. The bottle green curtains that were supposed to soothe only darkened the room as Robin drowned in her tears - alone in a marriage that had become just another thing to survive.

The next day, a gray haze of heavy clouds hung over the city. It was hot and muggy, and there was a sense of a gathering storm in the air.

Robin sat at her desk in the library, filling out paperwork on her computer. The clock ticked loudly as the time moved particularly slowly. It was almost twelve o'clock, but she had felt awful since the morning. Clouds hung over her head too, encircling her thoughts like thorns. They hadn't said a word since the argument with Law the previous day, they had avoided each other all Sunday, and the man had left the house in the evening, probably for another night shift.

Hey Robin, do you want to go out for coffee with me and Vivi after work today? They opened a new coffee shop around the corner, apparently it serves heavenly lattes.

She read the message from Nami on her phone screen. She sighed heavily. She stared at the screen for a long moment, unsure of how to respond. She was aware that isolating herself from her friends was the worst option, but she also knew that Nami would immediately notice that something was wrong. Dark circles under her eyes, a tired look; the last thing she needed was a lecture.

Thanks for the invite, but I'm out today. I slept horribly and I don't have the energy today. Let me know later if the latte was that good!

She replied, then slipped her phone into her trousers' pocket and stood up from her desk. She still had a lot of work to do that day. The comic book shelf needed sorting, and all the returned books needed to be put back in their proper places.

The soft clatter of heels on the wooden floor broke the silence in the library as Robin slowly walked down the aisles, sorting books into alphabetical order. In the main hall, a few people sat at desks in the middle of all the aisles. Everyone was silently leafing through the pages of thick volumes. The sound of paper being turned and pens leaving notes in paper notebooks was soothing. Robin liked working in the library. The smell of books and the silence here soothed her torn emotions and wounded heart. Here, she didn't have to explain herself to anyone, she didn't have to pretend. She could just simply be.

As she entered one of the alleys, she noticed a familiar figure. A tall man, slightly slouched, with his head bent over one of the shelves. Someone she hadn't expected to meet in a place full of books. He was dressed in loose, short, black shorts that went below his knees and a short-sleeved avocado-colored shirt. Several buttons were undone, and a gold chain rested around his neck.

Franky didn't notice her right away. He was too focused on reading the spines of the books lined up under the letter"B."

"B...B....Basics of machine design.....Basically the Welder's handbook....", he whispered under his breath, tilting his head to the side, scratching behind his ear with his hand, tapping with the finger of his left hand on each spine of the book he passed by, "...Building Bridges...Bright Future: Alternative Fuels, that sounds interesting...", he continued.

Robin looked at him for a moment before she began in a rather quiet, somewhat uncertain voice:

“Hey, unexpected meeting,” she said, pulling the first few books off the cart to put them on the shelf, trying to look as natural as possible.

The man turned around quickly, as if torn from his deep thoughts by her words, and wrinkled his nose, narrowing his eyes. Robin again, for a brief moment, saw uncertainty in his expression, like that time in Merry Rounds, when he couldn't remember how he and Usopp knew each other. She felt a blush of shame creep up her cheeks. He didn't remember her.

“Robin?” she added, raising her eyebrows in disbelief, “Merry Rounds? We literally met at a bar the other day.”

Franky, for a longer moment, remained in a strange state of suspension, his eyes fixed on Robin, his brow furrowed in concentration, the fingers of his left hand gently rubbing the small tattoo on his right thumb. His gray eyes darted from Robin's face, to her hair, to the hand holding the book, to her whole figure, as if searching for a catch that would help him connect the name with the person.

"Ah yes!" he slaped his open palm as the memories of Saturday finally formed a coherent whole in his mind, "Robin! Green drink! Of course!" his booming voice echoed through the shelves. Someone from the main hall caught his attention with a quick "shhhhhhhh" and Franky quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

"What a meeting! Nice to see you, Robin," he added, a little quieter, smiling sincerely, "are you also looking for something to read on this totally cloudy day?"

Robin shook her head. She decided not to correct him about the colors of the drinks she had had on Saturday, since it seemed pointless. She still didn't know if this strange addition to her group of regular friends was simply absent-minded or if he was lacking a few brain cells. She decided to stop by Merry Rounds when she had a free moment and question Usopp thoroughly about everything he knew about Franky.

“No,” she replied shortly, rearranging the books on the shelf with the letter “F,” “I work here.”

Franky's mouth formed a neat circle, silently emitting a long "aaahaaaaaa"

“Sounds super, you have peace and quiet, you can read as much as you want,” he added, with no irony in his voice.

“I’m not complaining,” the woman replied, to which Franky nodded in appreciation. The conversation wasn’t particularly engaging, and they could both sense it. Franky quickly went back to browsing the titles on the shelf, and Robin quietly continued putting books away. She tried not to focus on the feeling of awkwardness that flooded her body like a great wave. She thought to herself that she should leave the house more often. She had become slightly socially awkward, withdrawn into the shadows, stopped having interesting conversations, stopped being interested in other people’s views. Before the wedding, she had loved learning the points of view of people, asking difficult questions, and seeking the truth. Debating was her favorite pastime, but it was clear that her daily life, filled with sadness, had completely killed the spark of curiosity about life that she had once so carefully cultivated.

She stole a glance at Franky as she was forced to crouch by the lowest shelves. His tall frame towered over her and the shelves, casting a large, irregular shadow around him. She noticed that his blue sneakers were dusty, something that looked like sawdust sticking out between the laces. One of his calves was tattooed with colorful designs. Robin didn’t look at them closely.

"Are you looking for anything specific?" she finally broke the silence as Franky almost stepped on books spread out on the floor ready to be put on the shelves, "I can help."

"Could you?", the man's face suddenly lit up, "that would be great of you! I'm looking for the Basics of Engine Construction and I don't know if I'm missing something or if this book is simply not here."

Robin rose from her knees, standing next to Franky. He immediately made room for her, moving to the side with a small step. The woman mentally noted the difference in their heights. She barely reached Franky's shoulders, and looking at the "B" shelf, to which he had to bend down, was a challenge for her and required her to stand slightly on her toes. Franky was the tallest person she knew. Not even Zoro or Law towered over her in height to such a drastic degree.

“Hmmmm,” she muttered under her breath, “it should be here,” she pointed, “I’ll check the computer.”

Without adding anything else, she headed for the exit of the alleyway, and Franky followed without question, swaying from side to side as if he needed to get his whole body into a swing first. His sneakers squeaked against the wooden floor with each step, echoing throughout the room. Robin could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. The large man didn't fit into the quiet, subtle world of the library. He brought loud chaos to her peaceful routine, which stressed her out internally.

When they reached the computer desk, Robin put on her glasses and began to type away at the keyboard with a deft movement of her fingers. Franky shifted from foot to foot, tapping a rhythm with his fingers on the edge of the desk. Robin clenched her teeth, held her breath.

“Unfortunately, Basics of Engine Construction is currently out of stock,” she said after staring at the monitor for a moment. “I can suggest another book on a similar subject, although it does not offer simple descriptive language and is more intended for people who already have the basics down.”

"Hmmm...", Franky mumbled, his gaze fixed on an unknown point outside the window. Dark blue clouds were gathering in the sky, announcing an approaching downpour, "I'll wait until they return it", he added after a moment, "thanks for your help, Robin. Is there a coffee machine around here somewhere?", he suddenly changed the subject, and Robin pointed to the direction behind the main door.

“One floor up, on the left.”

Franky gave a thumbs up in thanks and, with a squeaky sound, left the room.

Robin returned to her duties. Surrounded by the desired silence, she continued to put books back on the shelves, completely lost in her thoughts. Every now and then she heard the now familiar squeaking of shoes and Franky's heavy footsteps, who moved around the library, apparently still looking for other titles. The loud scraping of a chair on the floor, the thud of books placed indelicately on the table. His presence contrasted with the quiet surroundings of the library, and Robin couldn't help but think that this strange man was disturbing her peace.

She had passed him several times in the main room, sitting by the table, his eyes fixed on the book in front of him. He hadn’t noticed her, and she had pretended not to notice his hunched back either, his hair combed unkempt, his fingers turning the pages indelicately. She had watched him furtively, waiting for an incoherent behavior, a sign of insincerity, a reason to convince the rest of the group that Franky couldn’t be trusted.

The investigative mission was not helped by a cup of coffee from the vending machine, that appeared on her desk when she returned to it for a moment to check the database. She wrapped her fingers around it, staring into the black depths of the now cold drink with a surprised look. The small gesture of kindness lulled her guard.

"I'd like to borrow these two books," Franky said, standing in front of the desk, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Thanks for the coffee,” Robin replied, taking the books from him and efficiently scanning their codes, “you didn’t have to.”

"This is for your help," he smiled broadly, "without you I'd probably still be standing by the "b" shelf. Thanks again and see you later. Take care!" he waved goodbye and left the room.

Robin turned her gaze to the monitor, where the library's digital customer card was displayed.

“Cutty Flam?” she said under her breath.

Two new titles have appeared in the "borrowed books" tab, joining "Basics of Engine Construction".

Chapter Text

For the next few days, Robin lived her daily life, trying to cultivate routine and peace. She patiently performed her household and professional duties, did not enter into confrontation with Law, lived on the sidelines, in the shadows, unnoticed. All the while, however, thoughts of Franky, or maybe Cutty Flam, were rattling in the back of her mind. Her inner curiosity turned into irritation, and this in turn grew gradually, turning into a need to get to the bottom of this mystery of a hidden identity.

Merry Rounds was usually closed on Thursdays. Usopp used these days to mentally and physically prepare for the busy weekend. Robin knew the main entrance would be closed, so she immediately headed to the back, where the staff entrance was ajar. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as she saw clouds of dust rising from behind the door, and loud sounds of machinery and radio music emanating from inside. She stepped through the doorway, her nose immediately hit by a strong mix of dust, paint, and fried food.

"Hello, Usopp?" she said, loud enough to get attention and not scare her friend working in the back, "What's going on here? What's all that noise?"

"Aaaah, Robin!" Usopp stood in her way, his face half-covered by a red bandana with a colorful fruit print. His hair had a white layer of dust on it, giving the impression that it had completely changed color. In one hand he held a brush, from which a thick drop of wood stain was slowly rolling.

"Hey! What a surprise! You didn't mention you wanted to come visit," he added quickly, placing his brush on the foil on the floor, gesturing for Robin to enter the main room.

"If I knew we would have sorted this out a bit, but we didn't, look at this mess! Chaos!" Robin looked at him questioningly. We? She asked herself. Who else was at Merry Rounds right now? Usopp seemed worked up and absent-minded, like he'd had too much coffee. He was nervous and tripping over his own feet. Robin knew him well enough to know that this was his typical reaction to stress.

She cleared her throat slightly, trying to get his attention.

"Usopp, I've come with a very specific matter," she began, following her friend towards the main hall, "I promise I won't take up much of your time, I see you've got a lot to do, but I wanted to ask you about Fr..."

"Hey, Franky!" Usopp shouted, waving his hand vigorously towards the man leaning over one of the tables, "We have a new pair of hands to work with, hehehe, Robin's here!" he joked, immediately turning to Robin with a gesture pointing to the chairs at the bar. Franky straightened up slowly and turned towards them, waving his hand dressed in thick glove vigorously.

Franky? Here? Robin felt her entire shoulders tense, her brows drawing together in unexplained irritation. She sat down at the bar without a word, her fingers squeezing the edge of her purse. Her plan to question Usopp had to be moved to another date.

"I'm announcing a short break from work, Robin, do you want some coffee?" Usopp asked, ignoring the woman's grimace and her fingers gripping the edge of her bag.

"Sorry for the chaos, but we've taken on a very ambitious project with a very limited time frame." Usopp laughed nervously. He was one of those people who worried about everything. He spent his days analyzing different scenarios, thinking about projects, convincing himself to take the necessary steps. According to Robin, Usopp needed a therapist and probably calming meds, but she knew it wasn't her place to suggest solutions outside his comfort zone. Long phone calls and occasional group interventions were all Usopp allowed his friends to do.

“I’ll have cola,” she heard Franky say from behind her, and a moment later she saw him leaning against the bar counter with one hand, pulling his dusty work glasses off his face with the other.

"Hey Robin, always nice to see you. How are you?"

His smile was wide and at first glance seemed genuine. A grid of fine lines surrounded his eyes. He had a very relaxed air about him, completely unhurried, unlike Usopp, who was currently trying to do everything at once behind the bar. Talking, putting on water, preparing cups. His hands were shaking a little, and his eyes were darting from one task to another.

“Oh, sir, maybe you’ve had enough coffee,” Franky said directly, “it’ll only make you more agitated and you’ll end up with flying tools.”

"That's because we won't make it in time!" Usopp replied as he struggled to unscrew the cap from the coke bottle.

"We'll make it, don't worry," Franky went behind the bar and, patting Usopp on both shoulders, firmly moved him towards the exit from behind the counter, "sit down, take a breath, we have time. You'll soon get some tea with a spark to loosen your coils."

Usopp spun on his heel, dusted off his shirt, and obediently sat down in the chair. His leg moved reflexively up and down, setting off a spiral of nervousness, his hands turned the cork coaster.

"What are you working on?" Robin asked, internally disappointed that Usopp's interview about a certain Cutty Flam would have to be pushed back to a different day. She was grateful that he apparently hadn't heard her initial statement and wasn't referring to the reason she had shown up at Merry Rounds unannounced.

"We're making a VIP lounge with a romantic ship theme," Usopp perked up a bit when asked about the creative design, "Franky's got all the carpentry covered, he just brought the finished components today and now we just have to assemble it, put it together and add the decorations."

“Sounds like a solid plan,” Robin replied with a genuine smile, “What are you so stressed about? Sounds like you have everything under control!”

"I tell him the same thing, haha!" Franky echoed her with a loud laugh, placing a mug of steaming coffee and a sugar bowl in front of Robin, "I didn't ask if you added sugar last time, so I'll leave it in your hands now." He winked at her, then turned to Usopp, placing a mug of tea in front of him, "and some tea for the boss, so he doesn't get stressed out."

Robin stared at the mug of steaming coffee, wrapping it delicately in the fingers of one hand. She hadn't expected such directness, and she certainly wasn't used to such behavior. She quickly moved the mug closer, pouring a spoonful of sugar into it and stirring vigorously.

“Thank you.” she mumbled quietly, clearly embarrassed.

"Hey, does my tea have a spark or is it just a placebo?" Usopp asked, sniffing the steam over his cup, "you were stingy, give me that bottle, I'll make my own proportions for work."

The atmosphere relaxed considerably as Usopp calmed his shaking hands and returned with Franky to the corner of the room to continue building the romantic lodge. Robin watched them from a distance, calmly taking small sips of coffee from her mug. She ran her eyes over the tools, the boards set against the wall, and the decorations lying on the floor. Thick rope, strings of LED lights, artificial flowers. The construction that was emerging, which at a comfortable distance separated the lodge from the rest of the room, was starting to look like an authentic deck railing.

She came closer, watching with growing interest the two men meticulously installing a fake porthole in the middle of the wall they had already covered with boards. She pulled up a chair so she could keep a closer eye on the work in progress but not get in the way of Usopp and Franky.

“Usopp, we have an audience, come on,” Franky joked, elbowing Usopp in the ribs, “stand tall, tense up, we need to present the company from the best side.”

At those words, Usopp, who had already completely forgotten about his earlier bout of stress, turned to Robin and puffed out his chest proudly, resting one hand on his hip and holding a screwdriver in the other.

“The best carpentry services in your area,” he began in a joking tone, “we design, prepare, build, accompany, talk, total professionalism. Use the code FranSopp to get a discount on all services offered!”

"Hey, hey, Mr. Usopp," Franky interrupted, putting a hand on his shoulder, "not all the services, let's respect ourselves."

Usopp blinked vigorously, "Right! Alcohol and pickles not included."

Robin laughed unexpectedly, covering her mouth with her hand, and at the sight of it, Usopp and Franky's faces lit up instantly. They managed to make Robin laugh, who had previously entered Merry Rounds surrounded by a ball of negative energy.

"And did you know," she began, as Usopp and Franky began to unfold the ladder to begin assembling the decorative arch over the railing, "that the first portholes were plugged with a cork? In the Middle Ages, they were simply holes in the side of the ship that would fill with water during bad weather, and it was only later that they invented glass portholes." She said, looking over the plan for the lounge's design, drawn on paper, "such an interesting fact that fits the theme of your project."

Franky and Usopp looked at each other, clearly delighted with Robin's active participation.

"Robin, your brain is a bomb!" Usopp spoke first, slowly climbing the ladder. Franky looked at Robin in silence for a moment longer, who was now completely focused on looking through the lodge designs, sitting in a chair with her head bowed and a gentle smile on her lips. She seemed completely immersed in thoughts, which were clearly pleasant, because her whole figure gave a sense of relaxation, and her face took on softer features.

"Franky, help, catch me!" Usopp's scream tore Franky and Robin from their thoughts. The man has lost his balance and fell off the ladder along with a screwdriver and part of the metal rail on which the arch structure was to be hung.

The loud bang of a ladder tipping over, tools falling to the floor, and two bodies falling onto a wooden platform echoed throughout the Merry Rounds room, bringing Robin to her feet. A metal rail bounced off the floor with a clatter, landing under a nearby table.

"Ouch," Usopp whined, "I think I broke my leg. Or both. My career is over, take care of Merry."

"Usopp, get off me!" Franky growled, everything that Usopp was holding in his hands fell on his body, including Usopp himself, "if anyone broke anything it was me, you fell on me as if I was a safety cushion!"

Robin quickly jumped over to the men, helping Usopp to his feet.

“Franky!” she covered her mouth with her hand, “your hand! We have to call an ambulance!”

All eyes turned to Franky's left forearm, where a screwdriver was embedded quite deeply and vertically.

"Franky, you're dying!" Usopp shouted, jumping to his feet, dusting himself off, "Oh my god, where's the first aid kit!" Grabbing his head, he ran towards the back in complete panic, tripping over scattered metal rails and tools on the way, forgetting that a moment ago he had sworn that he had broken his own legs.

Franky blinked in surprise, staring at his own hand.

“No, no,” he said, rising slowly, with obvious difficulty, “I'm fine.”

"Don't take it out of your arm," Robin ordered, quickly turning to the counter where she had left her purse and phone earlier, "I'll call an ambulance, have them dress the wound, and check the condition of your arm."

When she returned with the phone to her ear, she saw that Franky was already standing freely on his own feet, and the screwdriver she had told him to leave in the wound was in his other hand. His attention was focused entirely on his left forearm, where a large hole was visible. There was not a drop of blood, however.

“How…?” Robin whispered, staring at Franky from a distance. “How is that possible? Are you okay?”

Usopp ran into the room holding a small, square box, red in color with a white cross on the front above his head, "I have a first aid kit! Franky, please don't die!"

"I'm telling you, I'm fine," Franky replied, showing off his fully functional hand, "just one wire is broken, I can't bend my middle finger! Especially for you, Usopp, for scaring us like that!" he laughed loudly, sticking his middle finger out at the other man. Seeing that Robin and Usopp didn't react with laughter at all.

Franky thought for a moment, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, "Oh yeah!" he punched his open palm, "I forgot to tell you that this hand is a prosthesis. Surprise!" he smiled, waving his hand vigorously in front of his companions' eyes. This time his smile was neither wide nor sincere. It seemed to mask the momentary feeling of awkwardness from which there was no way to escape.

Robin and Usopp looked at each other, then at Franky, then at his holey forearm, completely stunned by this unexpected fact.

Robin regained her sense of clarity a little quicker than Usopp. Now that she knew Franky's left arm wasn't...real, she was starting to notice details she hadn't noticed before. The slightly different texture of the skin, the palm that now seemed to be a slightly different shape than the right, as if more delicate and less damaged by work.

Franky didn't waste time explaining, "Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime, but right now let's get back to work." He cut the subject short, starting to clean up the mess left by Usopp's fall and reassembling the components needed to mount the arch over the railing.

"Usopp, you're not going up the ladder anymore." He ordered in a more serious voice, not giving any room for protest. Usopp snapped out of his shock and quickly jumped to Franky, ready to follow any command, "pass me this....well...that metal thing and the marker" Franky pointed to the items scattered on the floor, but his voice sounded different, louder, as if he wanted to drown out the tension hanging in the air.

Robin watched as Usopp, with exaggerated behaviour, handed out the indicated tools and circled the ladder as if looking for an excuse to stop. His eyes kept darting toward Franky, who was deliberately turning sideways to cover his injured arm.

“We’re drilling here,” Franky pointed to the ceiling with a marker, “we’ll add two more reinforcements on the sides and it’ll be bolted down for good.” His movements were precise but stiff—tension still playing in his shoulders.

As he reached out to Usopp to take the drill from him, he felt Robin's gaze on him. Their gazes met for a long moment, and Franky's eyes held similar emotions as when he couldn't remember the color of Robin's drink drink or her name. A mixture of shame and uncertainty, but quickly hidden under a seemingly unbothered facade.

“Usopp, insure the place against falling screwdrivers and yourself against conflicts with ladders,” he risked a joke, his gaze once again turning soft and unconcerned, “because the only thing that should be falling in this lounge when we’re done is the panties of people in love!”

Usopp burst out laughing, perhaps a little too loud, but genuine, and even Robin allowed herself a small smile.

"And do you know," she began after a moment, "that love ships are not just a legend? It happened that couples would secretly escape on schooners to get married at sea, and the captain had the right to marry them. I think your lounge is ideal for that!"

Slowly, in time with the work of the tools, their conversations became more casual and the lounge took shape, though unspoken questions still hung over their heads.

Chapter Text

Night shifts at the clinic rarely passed slowly, and even more rarely did they feel long and boring. The entire staff was always busy, and the phone was always ringing. As the clock ticked down to six in the morning, Law could breathe a sigh of relief. The stress and strain of the entire shift slowly melted away from his tired body, though it would never fully leave, and his jaw rarely relaxed.

He tried to enter the house quietly, without making noise. He knew that Robin usually slept quite lightly, and it was never his intention to disturb her sleep. Both of them had unhealthy and irregular sleeping schedules, neither of them making any effort to change it. They remained in the comfortable, unbalanced mechanism of their daily lives, not bitter enough to take a bold step, but frustrated enough to know that their relationship had long ceased to function on healthy terms.

“It’s only when something breaks that people start looking for help and then they expect miracles.”

That's what Law used to say when he and Robin talked about various life issues and exchanged views on their experiences at daily work stories. Now they were no longer talking. Now they both knew that something had long since broken down, but they did not seek help. They did not wait for a miracle. Every day they sank deeper into this miserable emotional limbo, and any glimmer of hope disappeared from before their eyes.

The living room was bathed in morning light. The sun was rising over the horizon, waking the city from its night silence. Law stared into the distance, at the green horizon stretching far beyond the city. At the surface of the water shimmering gently in the distance. Every day he longed for something, but he couldn't define the object of this longing. For a long time he dreamed of the life he had now. He had spent many years preparing for his profession, but now that he had fulfilled that dream and achieved his goal, something was still missing.

The steam rising from the cup of coffee settled on the window, the smell spreading throughout the room. Law watched the world behind the glass motionlessly. He followed the cars moving on the streets, the small figures of people hurrying forward. Nature was just waking up to life, and the world of people had been awake for a long time. Law was awake.

Suddenly, a car at a nearby intersection braked suddenly. There was the sound of tires screeching on asphalt and horns piercing the silence, but Law could no longer see the place. He saw shattered lamps, deformed metal, blood spilling under him and around him, a limp body that he couldn't bring back to life. A scream, noise, the pounding of his own heart, and a noise in his head that spread a thick layer over his mind, tearing him away from reality. For a moment, the spilled coffee looked like blood running down his hand. Reality mixed with the past.

"Law!" Robin's scream tore him from his nightmare vision. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?!" she ran to him, grabbing his hand, which stung unnaturally, covered with hot sensation. He looked down at the coffee mug laying broken at his feet, and drops of hot coffee, which he had unwittingly spilled, dripped from his left hand. His skin, scalded by the boiling water, quickly turned red.

“Quickly, you have to put your hand under the water!” Robin suggested firmly, pulling Law toward the kitchen.

“Don’t touch me!” the man yanked his hand out of her grip with a flourish, “leave me alone!”

His voice was cruel, like a knife cutting the last threads of the bond between them.

Robin let go of his hand obediently. She knew this pattern very well. It wasn't the first time, when Law was drowning in past trauma that completely cut him off from reality. It wasn't the first time he reacted with aggression to attempts at help and pushed away empathy shown towards him.

"It's my fault..." he whispered, looking up, but Robin saw nothing in his eyes but a deep emptiness. The person staring at her wasn't her husband. He was just a ghost of the man Law had once been, a few years ago, before an unfortunate accident had ruined their lives.

Every argument with Law left Robin in ruins. She often couldn't recover for days, although with the frequency of her conflicts with Law she was becoming immune to their influence. At first she tried to help, to find a solution, to support, to talk, to show physical support even when she was pushed away every time. Finally something inside her snapped. She used the resources of empathy and care that were not recognized or appreciated in any way. Her reactions or lack of them did not change the course of those tense moments in any way. Law did not want her help, and she had long since stopped offering it.

When she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the library's main hall, it was almost five o'clock. She had less than fifteen minutes of work left, but the thought of going home made her stomach twist with stress. She didn't want to go back to the dark apartment, to the silence so intense she could hear the pulse in her own veins. She didn't want to go back to Law.

She looked out the window. Gray clouds had once again covered the entire sky, the wind was aggressively swaying the treetops, and pedestrians were quickly sneaking toward the nearest shelter.

“A storm is brewing,” she said to herself, feeling a kind of relief. She wondered if she could stay in the library longer. Close the door, choose her favorite book, and immerse herself in undisturbed daydreaming. Without having to return to the cold house where no one was waiting for her anyway.

She turned as the sound of heavy, uneven footsteps echoed behind her and the sudden thud of books being placed on the desk.

“Franky?” she said in a surprised tone, as if her mind had not yet fully registered the person standing before her.

"In person!" his cheerful, yet clearly tired voice replied, "I'd like to return the books and choose a few more. I need a better explanation, the other ones were for some giga brain people."

Robin blinked in surprise, not yet fully feeling her mind return to its proper place. Franky's presence surprised her every time. He entered her routine suddenly, without warning. He didn't give her time to analyze, to react calmly. He opened the door without asking, without being asked, with a smile on his face and an ease that Robin couldn't understand.

She twisted her lips slightly and frowned, seeing that Franky, without waiting for an answer, took a heavy step towards the shelves. He left her with the books and disappeared, and when she threw a short, "Could you wait a moment?" after him, he only answered her with a loud, "Relax, I'll be right back!" from somewhere in the distance of the library.

His loud voice echoed through the library like an unnatural explosion in the middle of the quiet night. It was like a stone thrown into the calm surface of a lake.

"Good thing there's no one else here.", Robin muttered under her breath, "I'll tell him to be quiet, this is a library, not some car repair shop."

The first book she picked up was Basics of engine construction.They had looked for it together on the shelf a while back, and Franky didn't seem to remember that he had checked it out long ago. There was even a small overdue charge on the digital customer card. She wondered if she should bring up Frankie's memory, or if it was still too shaky ground.

She sighed loudly, pushing the other books closer to her and sat down at her desk. Cutty Flam was still on the reader's tab and her curiosity was beginning to twitch again. She tried to convince herself that it was professional curiosity, because the name in the system did not match the name given by the person who had borrowed the books. She stared at the monitor for a long time, thinking, somehow preparing herself for different scenarios of answers to the question:

"Who's Cutty Flam? I thought your name was Franky," she blurted out bluntly, surprised by her sudden directness when Franky reappeared at the desk with two thick books.

Franky froze, his shoulders tensing visibly. He shifted his weight onto his opposite leg, the finger of his right hand scratching the edge of one of the books. The lightness he usually exuded momentarily disappeared, filling the space between them with something like a mixture of irritation and discomfort.

“You sure act fast! You could ask me out for coffee first,” he joked, though Robin could tell his laugh was forced. She narrowed her eyes, refusing to let go.

“Don’t change the subject,” she braced herself against the counter with her hands and rose from the chair, never taking her eyes off him, “it’s just procedure.”

“Procedures are probably your specialty,” the man replied, to which Robin raised an eyebrow in question.

"Is Franky your nickname?" she cut in dryly, not letting go, "are you some kind of criminal? Are you on the run from someone?" she probed.

Franky placed his books on the desk in front of Robin. His expression became serious, his brow furrowed.slightly. He lifted his left forearm; the same one Robin had seen a while ago with a screwdriver deeply embedded in it. The one that wasn't real. He moved his fingers, demonstrating an uneven snap of joints, with a range of flexion much shorter than in a healthy hand. Robin heard the scrape of metal parts rubbing against each other. The fingers didn't move naturally, she could only see that now.

"No," he replied curtly, his gaze returning to his prosthetic, "Cutty Flam is gone. He's left on the tracks, where my arm and leg are," he cast a quick glance at his left, tattooed calf. "It's better that he stays there, because there's no point in digging into the past when there's nothing left to find," he replied, looking at Robin with an intensity that for a moment looked like a warning, "Franky suits me better."

Robin felt a stab of shame – hot and intense, as if she had swallowed a hot coal. It was obvious, she thought, not a fraud, not a criminal, but a departure from a painful past. She bit her lower lip, lowered her gaze, staring at the books in front of her. She felt her hands, resting on the desk, grow hot, sweaty. She didn't notice when her breathing became shallow. The look fixated on the cover of the book about engines didn't register the letters anymore. Why couldn't she calm down? After all, they were just words, and they didn't concern her life.

Yet.

Her life was simple. Shrouded in the fog of the past and unresolved traumas, but predictable nonetheless. Both she and Law were stuck in the same vicious cycle of silence and reproach, not even trying to break away. In Robin's mind, there was no room for the future. In her life, the road led to darkness, and when she looked ahead, she saw no glimmer of hope for a better tomorrow.

Was it really possible to leave the pain behind and move forward freely without feeling the claws of the past digging between your ribs?

“Is the detective satisfied with that answer?” she heard Franky’s voice, a little less dry, but still distrustful, which helped her thoughts settle. She looked up from her books with a startled look, her breathing still a little uneven.

Franky was still standing in front of the desk, leaning against the countertop slightly toward her, his head tilted to the side, as if he was trying to find her and pull her out of the fog of suddenly overwhelming thoughts, but not by force. Subtly. Slowly. With patience.

"People often assume the worst," he added, their gazes still unbroken, "and that's just my way of surviving. The present can be really super," he straightened, noticing Robin relax a little, her gaze regaining awareness, "but you have to make room for it."

He didn't panic. He didn't judge her. He didn't leave in anger, slamming the door openly. He waited patiently. He was a stranger who, in that brief moment, perhaps unconsciously, showed her more understanding and patience than her own husband had shown her in the past few years.

“I’m sorry..”, Robin said after a long moment, “that was tactless of me.”

Franky didn’t answer right away. He ran his fingers along the edge of the desk, as if weighing his thoughts, then finally waved his hand—his real hand.

“I know what it looks like,” he said, his tone lighter, “some stranger with a couple of prosthetic limbs and a secret identity, I’d probably be wary of that too.”

Robin looked at him uncertainly, unable to believe that the tension of the situation had actually been resolved. She was not used to such peaceful turns of events.

At that same moment, a loud thunderstorm sounded outside the window. The wind suddenly picked up, aggressively swaying the treetops.

Franky grabbed the books in front of him.

“I hope I can find my car before it starts raining…” He glanced uncertainly toward the window, as if trying to remember where he had parked his car in the first place.

"I've got to run! See you later!" He waved his hand and walked briskly towards the door.

“Wait!” Robin interrupted him suddenly. It seemed she wanted to say something more, that the subject was not over for her.

Franky turned and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You can't check out these books until you pay off the overdue balance of the previous one..." she said quietly, a hint of embarrassment in her head, "the system won't let any new titles through."

The man blinked in disbelief, then laughed loudly, breaking the awkward silence, "so I am a criminal with debts after all!" he added, pulling his wallet out of his pocket.

The cloud outside the window suddenly broke and a wall of rain crashed down on the world with a loud roar, ruining Franky's plan to find the car before the downpour.

Chapter Text

The small bell hanging above the entrance door rang loudly, announcing the arrival of a new customer. None of the people currently in the café looked up from their business, except for the young woman behind the counter, who smiled politely in greeting.

The café was cozy, with large windows adorned with a cracked-glass effect film, which allowed the sunlight streaming in to scatter in a spectacular rainbow effect, covering the walls and floor with shimmering colors. Pastel mint walls and powder pink accents gave the entire interior a frosted-like feel, a feeling enhanced by the scent of baked pastries and coffee wafting through the room.

Robin loved this place for its decor, its delicious baked goods, and the peaceful atmosphere that always reigned. She had a secret weakness for all things charming, and the powder-blue velvet couch in the corner, surrounded by the green leaves of various potted plants, was her favorite spot.

"I'm here," Robin said, pulling Nami's attention from her phone, "Sorry I'm late, I couldn't get myself out of the piles of books today."

Nami stood up briskly, hugging Robin tightly in greeting.

“Don’t pretend, I know you love it!” They both laughed at this comment, “I already ordered our usual, it should be here soon.”

"Where's Vivi?" Robin asked, sitting down in her favorite spot, surrounded by velvet, colorful pillows and plants around the sofa,"I thought she would come too."

Nami sat comfortably in the armchair opposite, smoothed the leg of the blue trousers she was wearing today, and smiled.

“She said she couldn’t because she was planning something super special for my birthday!” the girl beamed, her face clearly happy, “I don’t know what she’s planning, but you have to forgive her for being absent, my birthdays only happen once a year.”

Nami radiated genuine joy as she spoke adoringly about her fiancée. She gestured energetically, weaving in additional anecdotes about the recent struggles with work and bureaucracy she and Vivi had been going through. Robin nodded, asking additional questions every few sentences, probing for details of Nami's story, genuinely interested and intrigued. A gentle smile played across her lips,though she felt a pinprick of jealousy in her heart, stabbing her steadily and deeper as she became more aware of the enormous gulf between their lives.

Nami's tales were briefly interrupted when the waitress brought the coffee and colorful slices of cake to the table. A sweet and fruity aroma filled the space around them. The pastries looked heavenly, and the whipped cream decorating the tall glasses of coffee tilted precariously to the side.

"And you, Robin? How are you?" Nami began after a moment, spooning a tower of whipped cream from her drink. "We haven't seen each other in a while. Last time, I think, was at Merry Rounds, but when was that? About a month ago!"

Robin shrugged slightly, moving the plate with the cherry chocolate cake closer, "I live, I work, I arrange books," she replied with a gentle smile on her lips that did not reach her eyes, "a stable everyday life."

Nami frowned, regarding her friend silently. She leaned back in her chair, clearly expecting more. In contrast, Robin seemed subdued, her energy muted, lulled into inexplicable anticipation.

"I can tell something's wrong," Nami added, trying to get Robin's attention with her gaze, "you know you can talk to me honestly."

Robin nodded, shifting her gaze out the window. She picked up one of the gray-purple pillows lying next to her and hugged it tightly. She bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions under control, though she felt her resolve to maintain her false facade weakened that day. Her entire being pulsed weakly, drowning in a swamp of dark thoughts.

"I know," she replied, taking a deep breath. The sun streaming through the window danced across her cheeks, illuminating her skin with rainbow hues. She wanted to stay in this place, in this feeling of warmth, cut off from emotions, feeling only the faintest physical stimuli from the outside world.

"This is about Law, right?"

The question, aimed at the heart of the problem, hit Robin with a powerful force, though she might have expected it. Her hand, now holding a small fork over the chocolate cake, froze.

"What did that idiot do now?" Nami continued in an irritated voice, taking a long sip of her coffee. A white whipped cream mustache briefly graced her upper lip. Her brows were furrowed in anger, her lips twisted in a displeased grimace, as if she knew perfectly well what was causing Robin's problems.

“That’s the thing,” the dark-haired woman replied quietly, “is that he does absolutely nothing.”

Her mind flashed back to a week ago, when, after another argument and quiet days filled with tension, Robin decided to prepare dinner to give them a chance to calmly talk and come to an understanding. She spent several hours preparing, ensuring they would reconcile that evening and once again be able to live out the next few weeks in relative peace. That day, however, Law returned home very late; the previously hot food had already cooled, and the lit candles decorating the table had melted to the very bottom. Law sat silently at the table, his gaze fixed on the space between Robin and the wall. Physically, he was beside her, but emotionally, he was detached. They didn't look at each other. He uttered a curt, "I'm sorry, I had a long day at work," but nothing followed. There was no action behind those words, no desire for reconciliation.

A few days later, Robin learned from Chopper that Law had spent several hours in his office that day. Chopper found him there, with the lights off, curled up in a chair, staring at the open medical records of Ace, Kid, and Luffy.

"From the outside, everything seems normal. Our house is always clean and tidy, we lack nothing. Law does all his chores, but..." she paused to gather the strength to say the next sentence aloud, "...he can't cope with the accident,"she said, "he won't let me in. He's completely cut off..." she took a deep breath, after a moment she stuck the fork into the cake, "...and I don't have the strength to try to rebuild this relationship anymore."

The sun briefly hid behind the clouds, and the rainbow shimmer of colors filtering through the window film disappeared, replaced by gray. The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It gave Nami time to consider her next words and gestures, so as not to exacerbate Robin's already visibly shaken state with a sudden, emotionally charged response.

Nami's warm hand touched Robin's, encouraging her to look up from the cake she had cut in half. Nami's gaze was no longer irritated. It was filled with compassion. She felt Robin's cold skin beneath her fingers. Her hand was shaking slightly, tightly gripping the fork.

"Luffy and Kid don't hold a grudge against him..." Nami said quietly, treading carefully through the emotional minefield, "Did something happen between them?"

Robin's fingers relaxed around the fork, dropping it onto the cake plate. She shrugged silently, withdrew her hand, breaking Nami's grip, and moved away, leaning back against the couch's support. Her arms tightened once more around the gray-purple cushion.

"I don't know," she replied curtly, her shoulders slumping inward. The seated figure hunched slightly, legs crossed. She was building a wall, making it clear she didn't want the conversation to go in that direction, and Nami felt she'd made a mistake by not paying attention to Robin's suffering. She was used to her friend's indestructibility, her determination, her unwavering strength, and this suffering person sitting before her was like a scattered puzzle without a manual.

“I see how much you’re suffering,” Nami began after a moment, picking up a glass of warm coffee, “…and I wish I could help you somehow.” She took a sip of coffee, weighing her next words in her mind, “what are you going to do?”

For a long moment, Robin stared at the people passing by outside the window. The sheer variety of life scenarios at that moment overwhelmed her. It seemed to her that everyone "had it better," but she suffered from a sense of helplessness. A laughing young couple passed by the café window, holding hands. Lightness and joy radiated from them into the distance as they simultaneously laughed at something the boy was saying. The sparks of love in their eyes lit up their faces.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds again, streaming through the café window, creating a rainbow mosaic of shimmering colors all around. Robin turned her gaze back to Nami. She had been sitting across from her in silence, sipping her coffee. The concern clearly etched on her face brought tears to Robin's eyes. The wall of emotions that had been built was gradually melting away.

"I don't want to suffer anymore," Robin began slowly, uncertainly, her voice catching in her throat. "And I really tried everything—talking, supportive gestures, giving space, even therapy together. Nothing helped for more than a week, maybe two." She added sadly, lowering her voice, her fingers nibbling the edge of the pillow. Seeing this, Nami sat down beside her wordlessly, feeling tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, and pulled her friend into an embrace.

"You can't help someone who doesn't want help," Nami said quietly, resting her chin on the top of Robin's head, gently stroking her back. "Remember, you should put yourself first."

Robin returned the embrace, relaxing. She buried her face in her friend's shoulder and let silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew she'd exhausted her options and that she had only two choices: to give it another chance and hope that this time something would change, or to put everything on the line—her or sinking into despair. Her mind and heart whispered contradictory phrases, one excluding the other. She wasn't fully ready to take a decisive step, but a new sense of courage was beginning to sprout in her heart from the moment she learned that it was possible to live in happiness despite a tragic past.

Tears slowly dried on her cheeks, leaving only damp streaks on her skin. When Nami's phone buzzed in her pocket, Robin flinched, startled out of her reverie.

Nami hesitated. "Sorry, it's Zoro..." she muttered, opening the group chat. After a brief moment of hesitation, she held the screen up to Robin's face, hoping the message would make her friend laugh a little. "Look at this idiot."

The short video that played on the screen was a looping boomerang of a seagull chasing Luffy along the beach, pecking him on the buttocks. Luffy ran away from the bird with a large portion of fries in his hands, some scattered on the sand. Zoro's loud laughter and a comment about breaking the beach sprint record could be heard in the background.

It took Robin a moment to understand what she was looking at. Her eyes were blurry with tears and not quite sharp yet. Her mind, roused from her reverie, took a few moments to adjust to the sudden reality. When she realized what she was looking at, she covered her mouth with her hand, laughing quietly. She could always count on Luffy and his incredible adventures, which resulted from a lack of deeper reflection.

“That peck must have stung him,” she commented, still giggling.

By the time the waitress brought the bill, the atmosphere had already lightened and calmed. The issue hadn't been resolved, but Robin knew that the responsibility for improving her situation rested solely with her. She didn't want to burden Nami with her grief any longer, and in fact, she felt a sense of relief after their conversation.

They emerged from the café. Robin inhaled the hot June air, feeling her worries melt away even further. Suddenly, Nami grabbed her hand and pointed her toward a clothing store window, where a bright yellow kimono decorated with parrots and monstera leaves hung.

“Guess who would wear this with pride!” she laughed slyly, but seeing that Robin couldn’t name anyone who would wear such a print, she added energetically, “Franky!”

“Franky?” Robin asked, raising an eyebrow in question. She hadn’t expected to hear that name.

"That man doesn't seem to have a single shirt without a print," Nami laughed, "at least I've never seen him in dull colors. I imagine he has a separate section of his wardrobe for Hawaiian shirts!" she continued laughing.

Robin gasped as she remembered the awkward moment between her and Franky in the library. She hadn't seen him since that day, but the thought of her accusatory interview and lack of sensitivity still sent a wave of shame through her.

She glanced at Nami, feeling a ball of unexplained stress forming in her throat. "Nami, what do you think of him? About...Franky?" she asked quietly. Her friend blinked in surprise, "Franky? I like him!" she replied without hesitation, "he is funny and he recently fixed Vivi's bike. The chain fell off or something rusted, I don't know exactly, but the guy has a knack for tinkering. He and Usopp are like twins rediscovered after years. Have you seen that VIP lounge they built together in Merry Rounds? They're like a DIY dynamic duo!" she laughed. "I think he fits in well with our group, and it's worth going shopping with him because he always parks near the entrance."

Robin's eyebrow shot up questioningly,“What do you mean?” she asked, though as soon as the words left her mouth she already knew the answer.

"Well, the disability group, right? You didn't hear this from me, but he had an accident once and lost a few body parts," she whispered, leaning towards Robin. "Other than that, he's a normal guy. At first glance, you wouldn't notice he has any challenges. Overall I give thumbs up. What about you? What do you think of him?"

Robin turned her head, staring at the parrot kimono hanging in the shop window. She felt her ears heat up. The shame of accusing Franky of being a criminal stabbed her in the gut. She had no intention of admitting to Nami that she'd made such a blunder.

“You all have had a little more time to get to know him, I don’t have an opinion yet,” she added, trying to keep her tone casual and seemingly indifferent, “I need more time.”

Chapter Text

The summer sun streamed through the library window, warming Robin's back as she sat at her desk. Mornings at work were the most pleasant part of the day for her, when the heat from behind her felt pleasant and the library was empty for at least the first hour after opening. During this time, she could enjoy her first cup of coffee in peace and organize the paperwork left by the staff the previous day. Sometimes, when she was in a better mood and had a little more energy, she would wander the shelves with a pack of wet wipes and dust the most forgotten corners of the library, but today was not one of those days. Thoughts swirled in her mind like storm clouds in the sky heralding bad weather. However, the library effectively distracted her from her personal problems, allowing for a smooth transition between personal and professional matters.

Summer vacation was a quiet time for the book industry; the library was visited by students preparing for their resit exams in August, but less frequently by readers searching for new books to pass the time. Dust settled on the books during the holidays, covering most sections of the library, only to be brushed off again in the fall. When the school year began, Robin would return to her job at the university, and the library ceased to be her safe haven. It usually took her a few days to adjust to the new routine, though she enjoyed lecturing as much as spending time surrounded by books.

She sat with her head bowed over her list of tasks to complete that day. Her thoughts flitted between work and her personal life; she idly twirled a lock of hair around her index finger.

She pondered her newly acquired spark of courage, which had been smoldering in her heart for some time. The prospect of radical change and a fresh start seemed to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, inviting and tempting, yet logical thoughts counterattacked that spark relentlessly. She knew she wasn't yet strong enough or determined enough to take any concrete steps, but she mentally flirted with the vaguest vision of a better life, one where she could exist without sorrow and with ease.

She looked up from her papers as the sound of the front door being flung open shattered the silence of the library. The familiar squeak of shoe soles on the wooden floor and heavy, uneven footsteps approached her desk.

"Good morning, Robin!" Franky called out loudly, then covered his mouth with his hand, remembering he was in a place that required relative silence. "Good morning," he repeated much more quietly, smiling with mock embarrassment. Fortunately, the library was still empty, so the sudden noise didn't disturb anyone but Robin.

Franky's unexpected appearance was like a bucket of cold water, quickly jolting her out of her morning calm. She straightened in her chair, feeling her shoulders tense, her grip on the papers tighten. She stopped twirling a strand of hair around her finger, letting it fall unconsciously along her cheek. Her whole body stiffened, her expression taking on a serious expression, as if embarrassed to be caught relaxing during work hours.

"Good morning, Franky," she replied uncertainly, blinking a few times, struggling to maintain eye contact. She still felt awkward from their last meeting in the library, when she'd accused him of being a fugitive. Even though the atmosphere between them had cleared and relaxed that day when Franky had left the library, Robin couldn't shake the feeling of shame that had settled in her mind and haunted her. She cleared her throat quietly, preparing to speak, but the man was faster.

"Listen, Robin," she heard, closer now, as Franky leaned against the desk and leaned slightly toward her. She couldn't avoid his gaze, as it would be too suspicious, so she tried to look at him casually, though she had a feeling that to an observer she looked like a frightened deer. She felt her heart speed up, struck by a sudden wave of stress and embarrassment, sending a noticeable ripple through her chest. "I wanted..." he paused, lowering his gaze to the desk. His fingers tapped a rhythm on the wooden surface, and Robin felt her face turn purple from the breath she was holding. If Franky didn't finish the sentence sooner, she feared she'd run out of breath. It seemed as if he was battling his own thoughts, unsure whether the topic that was burning inside his mind was appropriate to be said out loud in this right moment, "...I wanted to ask you to help me find some books," he finished quickly, and Robin exhaled through her nose. Their eyes met for a moment, still clearly uncertain, though neither of them said anything more.

"Of course," Robin replied quickly in a professional voice, rising from behind her desk and trying to sound as natural as possible. She mentally scolded herself for reacting too quickly. "What titles are you looking for?"

They headed together toward the shelves of books on engines, machines, robotics, and electronics. Franky explained roughly what she needed, checking a crumpled piece of paper that was a handwritten list of book titles, while Robin repeatedly checked the library's computer system for the current stock and any possible replacements for books the library did not have in possession right now. They maintained a safe distance from each other at all times, neither encroaching on the other's space.

In the moments of silence, as they browsed the titles on the shelves, Robin wondered if Franky was even thinking about the events of their last meeting. If he was holding a grudge, if he was pondering Robin's tactlessness, if he thought of her as the rude, surly woman at the library who didn't fit in with the rest of the cheerful and easygoing Merry Rounds group. Her mind whirled around guilt, refusing to let her breathe, and Franky, humming to himself, casually pulled books from the shelves and piled them on the floor. The deeper she delved into her thoughts, the more irritation and discomfort she felt. This was unfamiliar territory for her—this kind of tension. She was used to dynamic conflicts with Law, poisonous stabs and great discomfort that would usually linger between them afterwards. With Franky, the feeling on hurt seemed to be only hers, as he did not give any sign of feeling ill towards her. She knew that the longer she left this topic unresolved, the more pressure she would feel.

She glanced at him as he walked towards the back of the bookshelf. She noticed he was wearing a purple shirt with colorful beetles print, and understood what Nami meant when she said Franky would proudly wear a kimono decorated with parrots and monstera leaves. For the first time, she noticed and registered the sheer number of colors the man wore. Against the brown, almost earthy palette of the library, his bright clothes and blue hair stood out like colorful graffiti on an old, decayed wall somewhere in a deserted, forgotten alley. She had previously thought he didn't belong here at all, that he disrupted the harmony of the place and brought too much noise, but today she looked at him more gently, and the thought played in her mind: Franky was like a new book added to a shelf filled with old, familiar volumes.

When Franky stood beside her with an armful of books, a smile on his lips and a determined expression on his face, she looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She began shuffling random books on the bookshelf, trying to keep her hands occupied.

“Is that all?” she asked, “is there anything else you need help with?”

The man nodded and thanked her, then, clearly excited, found a seat at the large table in the center of the room, spreading out all the volumes he had collected. From a backpack Robin hadn't noticed before, he pulled out a notebook, a pen, several colored markers, and drawing utensils. He then put on his headphones and began reading.

The next few hours passed slowly, but the library remained empty. A few people appeared briefly to return and borrow books, but no one except Franky sat at the large table. The man, intently, leafed through the volumes piled on the table, jotting notes in a notebook on loose sheets of paper, and whispered under his breath, trying to organize the chaos of information he was gathering. For the fifth time, Robin was arranging and wiping books in a nearby aisle, which offered a clear view of the center of the room.

She watched him with suspicious eyes, trying to analyze his behavior, but nothing Franky did made her feel threatened. She felt a certain fascination at the chaotic nature of his attempts to acquire knowledge. He opened several books at once, shuffled notes, scribbled furiously, then crossed everything out and crumpled the paper in his hands. He hummed to himself, his eyes narrowed as he scanned his notebook. Robin began to wonder if her own professional habits of a lecturer weren't starting to get the better of her. She found it hard to watch his lack of organization, and knew her expertise would streamline the entire process in a few quick steps. She didn't know, however, why Franky sought this particular knowledge, or if her suggestions would be of any value to him.

In her observations, she tried to find the right moment to initiate a conversation and apologize to him for her tactless behavior during their last meeting and as Robin moved to an aisle that gave her a clear view of the center of the room, their eyes met. Franky leaned back in his chair, stretching vigorously. He heard the snapping of bones and the grinding of the synthetic parts of his prosthetics as, after so long, he felt the need to shift position. He waved at Robin when he spotted her between the shelves, raising a questioning eyebrow noticing her piercing eyes on himself. Robin smiled faintly, averting her gaze, then scurried away into the depths of the aisles, a flush of shame washing over her face.

For the next hour, she stayed away from the center of the room and the large table. She didn't want to risk further humiliation, though Franky didn't seem to pay her any attention. He rose from his notes several times, pacing around the table, his shoes squeaking against the wooden library floor. Over time, he began to fidget more and more as the jumble of notes seemed to make no sense, and his mind had long since stopped processing new information.

The clock on the wall read 6:00 PM, so Robin was ready to call it a day. She carefully approached Franky, standing on the opposite side of the table to maintain a comfortable distance. He was wearing blue, wireless earphones, and she noticed his eyes were closed. She tapped her fingers on the tabletop, making him jump slightly and look up questioningly.

“It's already six o'clock, I have to close the library,” she said, “you'll have to come back another time if you want to continue studying here.”

Franky turned his head toward the clock, as if unable to believe that time had slipped through his fingers. He quickly began to gather his things from the table, his hands tangling as if still in a state of lethargy.

"I completely lost track of time," he replied, zipping up his backpack. Robin noticed his expression was a bit moody, and his movements, though quick, were full of errors. Pens fell from his grip, and papers scattered unruly on the table. He sighed loudly as the marker rolled across the tabletop for the second time and fell to the floor. He bent down, somewhat heavily, to pick it up, and Robin noticed again the chaos in the papers filled with notes. They looked as if the person who took them was completely ignorant to the concept of learning and absorbing information.

"Thanks for helping me with the books," Franky said, after he had gathered all his things and thrown them loosely into his backpack. "See you later." Without further ado, he headed for the exit. For a moment, Robin wanted to stop him, apologize for her behavior, offer to help her organize her notes, but before she could say anything, Franky left the room, the sound of his shoes squeaking on the wooden floor fading away. The front door slammed shut with a loud bang, like thunder splitting the sky, and Robin was left alone, in the utter silence she usually enjoyed, which now seemed to bite her fiercely.

As she walked toward her desk, she noticed a cordless earpiece and a piece of paper crumpled into a rough ball lying on the floor. She picked them up, raising her eyebrows questioningly, even though she knew they both belonged to Franky. For a moment, she wondered if she should try to catch up with him and return the earpiece, but she froze, unable to move.

She decided to confront him and apologize when he returned to pick up the earphone next time. This decision gave her time to prepare herself and mentally play out all the possible scenarios.

Chapter Text

The warm water streamed down her long hair and slender arms, helping to relax her muscles and clear thoughts. Robin's mind was spinning furiously, powered by new visions and worries, though she tried not to succumb to the anxiety. She hadn't slept well the previous night, pondering possible scenarios for her future interaction with Franky. These thoughts had driven her on a wild analytical journey into the depths of her own mind. She decided that the next time they meet, she would return the items he had left in the library and finally put her tactless behavior to rest. She kept his earphone and the little paper ball, figuring that leaving them in the library desk drawer risked being thrown in the trash by the staff on other shifts.

As she emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in the pleasant, warm steam, her wet hair loosely spread across her back, she noticed Law, still asleep in bed. His back was turned to the door, the white sheets halfway down his back, his tattooed shoulders rising steadily. Robin left the bedroom, heading for the kitchen. The weight of two clashing thoughts filled her mind with a heavy fog she couldn't shake.

Should she unfold the paper ball and check what notes it contained, or was that too unprofessional and plain nosy?

She stared with incredible intensity at the two objects arranged side by side on the kitchen counter. The blue earphone was less intriguing; obvious and concealing no secrets. It did look quite worn, scratched throughout, and in places the blue paint had worn away completely, revealing plain white plastic. The type of music that usually played from this earpiece was less interesting to Robin than the ball of paper, crumpled and tightly packed, lying across from her.

Professionalism and respect for other people's privacy did not allow her to open the paper and check her notes, but curiosity slowly began to take over.

"It's probably just notes about engines," she muttered, trying to justify herself, "maybe nothing important? Maybe it's just an ordinary, blank sheet of paper with nothing on it?"

Curiosity got the better of her. Robin took a deep breath.

Slowly and carefully, she unwrapped the paper ball, making sure it remained intact so as not to reveal her secret investigation when she returned it to its rightful owner. A colorful, scribbled chaos met her eyes. A long list of book titles stretched from the top of the paper to the middle, divided into two crooked columns. Some titles had a small orange dot next to them, others a blue star, some were crossed out in red, and others were left untouched. Below them was a list of several points, with small squares for checking off completed tasks.

Yokozuna, vet meds,with a blue star next to it.

Usopp, tools, written in shorthand with a small hammer symbol drawn next to it. Robin recognized the symbol. There was also a blue star next to it.

Fuel and engines, IMPORTANT, with orange question marks and a few colored dots around.

Chimney, train station, 15:00, IMPORTANT, with a small hammer symbol next to it.

Robin, with a small hammer symbol and an orange dot.

At the sight of her name, she felt her blood rushing in her ears. Her thoughts, usually analytical and organized, became blurry and scattered like startled birds suddenly flying from tree branches. She didn't know the direction of these thoughts, didn't know where they led. Why had Franky written her name in his notes?

“What is this?” Law’s voice suddenly sounded, bringing her back to senses like a bucket of ice water, “it doesn’t look like your handwriting.”

Her shoulders stiffened, her fingers tightening around the paper in her hands. She was so absorbed in the small, crumpled ball of paper that she didn't even hear Law leave the bedroom. She didn't feel his presence as he looked over her shoulder for a moment, standing close behind her back.

“Library notes,” she replied quietly, her voice sounding unnatural. She felt a ball of stress clinging to her throat, preventing her from uttering any louder words.

Law slowly moved to stand at her side. He placed one hand on the counter, the other on his hip. He didn't break his gaze, waiting, with an invisible tension building in the air between them.

“Yes?” he asked, disbelief laced in his voice, “when did you change your interests from chisels and shovels to engines and machinery?”

Golden eyes followed her every move beneath thick, dark lashes. She couldn't hide the truth from him. They knew each other too well, and had spent too much time watching their relationship crumble, for obvious lies to slip under the radar.

"They're not mine," she replied, crumpling the paper into a small ball again. Her mouth was dry, yet her palms were sweating. The paper rustled softly in her hands as she kept crumpling it stubbornly, and Law remained motionless, silently observing her movements. The pressure building in this nothingness of words was pushing Robin to the limit of her endurance. Internal barricades crushed her mind, preventing free speech and thought. Stress was a cruel advisor, and often it was better to remain silent than to embroider the fabric of a conversation with threads of lies.

“A new student,” she swallowed as the words burned her throat with a hot ember, “left a few things behind that I’m keeping until our next meeting.”

She shot him a quick glance, checking if the twisted truth had slipped under the radar.

Law shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He pushed himself away from the counter and slowly walked to the other side of the kitchen, faking interest in the kettle of boiling water. He slowly took two mugs from the overhead cabinet and, in a silence that seemed to weigh a ton, made two cups of coffee.

Drinking coffee together used to be their ritual, back when mornings passed peacefully and without rush. They sat together at the table, creating verbal maps of their shared plans for the future, weaving stories of happiness and a fulfilled relationship. Law knew by heart her favorite ratio of coffee, milk, and sugar, and she cherished and remembered his preferences. They used to be happy, and even the seemingly worst days tasted sweet.

Now every day was bitter.

Law placed one of the coffees in front of Robin. The gesture no longer held any of the care and love that had once accompanied their daily routine. The tension and resentment seeping from Law about this entire conversation were obvious and transparent. His silence forced the flow of information upon her, and she wasn't yet fully committed to living life on her own terms, ready to resist this manipulation.

“It’s nothing,” she finally said, trying to dispel the wave of stress that was flooding her mind and robbing her of clear thinking, “just some notes and a forgotten earphone.”

"Nothing until drawn hearts start appearing around your name," Law replied in a sarcastic tone, "and it wouldn't be the first time," he added, and Robin felt her cheeks flush.

Indeed, in the past, several times, she had found her name decorated with hearts on the margin of a written assignment. .

The best professor Robin.

Robin's mind flashed to a memory of coming home one day, shaken and stressed after finding one of the hearts in a paper on ancient Egypt. Law had sat her down on the living room couch, kissed her shaking hands until they relaxed, stroked her hair, assuring her there was nothing to worry about as long as the person in love adored their favorite professor in silence. He had talked to her for hours, hugged her, made her laugh, and kept her safe.

But on this day, Law's comment was cold, cutting straight to the heart, covering the warm memories of their time together with a thick layer of ice.

“I heard from Chopper that you had one of your episodes again,” Robin replied after a moment when her thoughts returned and mind calmed a bit.

“I was tired,” Law replied, too quickly for it to sound natural. He was hiding the truth, Robin thought.

"Chopper found you in your office, a complete mess. He said you were looking through Kid, Ace's and Luffy's files again, and..."

“So what?” Law interrupted her with a loud thud, setting the mug down on the counter. Robin flinched, not expecting such a sudden reaction. “Stop hovering over me.”

His entire body tensed visibly. His eyes narrowed menacingly, his eyebrows arched in anger. "Everyone," he hissed almost inaudibly, "...should leave me alone."

The words were sharp, cutting, and his fingers gripped the cup tightly. Robin thought of a caged, wild creature, ready to attack when approached.

And she?

She was in a cage next to him, equally terrified, ready to flee at any moment. They were in this together, yet separated by dfferent bars. They had lost the freedom of communication and the will to save their sinking relationship.

The silence between them thickened. Law's absent gaze pierced the mug in his hand. His face no longer expressed any emotion, though the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, as if he was trying to speak. The irritation that had been so clear a moment ago vanished, replaced by absence and indifference. With the fingers of his right hand, he traced circles around the tattoo on his left palm, digging harder into the skin with each circle.

“Why are we even doing this…” Law said almost silently, leaving the kitchen and closing the bedroom door behind him.

When Robin heard the bathroom door close and the shower water run, she took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding, hands still shaking slightly, but she slowly unwrapped the paper ball and stared at her name, with an orange dot and a small hammer written next to it.

She didn't know what they meant yet, but for the first time in a long time, despair and resignation mingled with curiosity.

Chapter Text

Robin's patience withered with each hour spent in the library, as she tensely awaited the familiar sound of shoes squeaking on the wooden floor. She nervously glanced at the clock, which ticked steadily, neither speeding up nor slowing down. The blue earphone and the crumpled ball of paper laid on the desk in front of her like precious artifacts, yet their owner seemed in no hurry to get them back. Robin began to consider various scenarios for Franky's absence, and each one plunged her deeper into a spiral of dissatisfaction.

Maybe Franky forgot.

Maybe he didn't even notice that his headphones were mismatched and his note was missing.

Maybe he didn't want to see Robin because he knew that having her name written on a piece of paper would add awkwardness to the already strange atmosphere between them.

Maybe he held a grudge against her for the criminal accusations.

Maybe he just didn't care.

Maybe he really disliked her.

She scratched her head vigorously, covering her face with both hands. A frustrated gasp was muffled by the hot skin of her hands as she let out a strangely unnatural sound of frustration.

“Enough of this,” she finally said, slamming her hands loudly on the table and rising from her chair, “get a grip, woman, what are you doing?”

She scolded herself like a naughty child and, taking advantage of the fact that the library was currently empty, walked confidently out the door, up the next floor, towards the coffee machine.

Returning to her workstation, a cup of hot coffee in her hands, she decided that she would no longer indulge in such wild behavior and that from now on, she would keep her emotions in check. When she sees Franky next, whether in the library or elsewhere, she would discuss the situation weighing on her mind, apologize once more, and finally say goodbye to the thoughts flooding her mind.

Robin considered herself a calm and very decisive person, perhaps a bit passive at times, but never when it came to matters that were high on her list of priorities. This plan was simple, and in theory, it seemed quite achievable. However, she had forgotten that plans have a way of falling apart the moment they first encounter reality.

And reality was standing at her desk, wearing a yellow hawaiian shirt, with blue hair combed high up and a bottle of cola in hand.

At the sight of her, Franky's face broke into a wide smile, and although Robin didn't think the smile was reserved solely for her, she felt her hands holding the coffee sweating and the words getting stuck in her throat.

“G..Good morning,” she began timidly, but quickly shook off the feeling of helplessness and repeated in a more confident voice, “Good morning, Franky.”

She walked quickly back to her desk, setting her coffee down a little too vigorously, and then looked up at the man standing before her.

Franky blinked slowly, surprise clearly written on his face, though his lips remained curved.with a smile.

"Hi, Robin," he replied, looking at her cautiously, "are you okay? You look..." he thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully, "...tense?"

At these words, Robin felt her shoulders rise slightly and her brows furrow in displeasure. Slowly, she reached for the paper ball in front of her, gripping it between her fingers.

Now or never, she thought.

"Franky, I want to talk to you..."

"...because I want to ask you about something, but maybe this is a bad time..."

They said simultaneously. Their eyes met as they both froze. Silence hung between them, and the only sound in the library was the steady ticking of the clock. Franky cleared his throat and gestured with his hand, giving Robin space to finish her thought first.

Robin felt her mouth go dry, her hands trembling as they clenched the paper ball.

"I..." she began hesitantly, looking away. She could feel Franky's gaze burning a hole through her with anticipation. "...I wanted to apologize," she finished, quickly stealing a glance at the man's face, hoping to read a clue in his expression, something that would help her better match her words to the situation.

However, his expression was one of surprise, which, after a brief moment, turned to uncertainty. His brow furrowed, and he brought his left hand to his chin, scratching it slowly.

Robin's cheeks felt hot. She hoped it wasn't noticeable in the dim light of the library.

"I accused you of having bad intentions and I can't help but think about the lack of manners I displayed by doing so," she continued, her words getting a bit faster, "I had no right to interrogate you as if you were a criminal, so I wanted to apologize again," she moved the hand clutching the piece of paper across the desk towards Franky, "...and I also looked at your private notes."

Franky blinked in surprise, taking the paper ball in his hands and slowly unrolling it. He kept his gaze on Robin for a moment, as if afraid that if he looked away, she would throw another surprise at him that he wouldn't be ready for.

The tension in Robin's shoulders and face reached its peak as the man slowly scanned the notes. The moment seemed to last an eternity, and when their eyes finally met again, Franky smiled gently, a delicate web of wrinkles framing his eyes. "Oh my god, Robin!" he said loudly, waving the wrinkled paper in the air, fanning his face with it, "for a moment I thought someone was dead! You gave me quite a scare!"

"I..." she began uncertainly, looking away and nervously scratching her forearm, "...ummm." The words were lost in her head, and the meaning of her thoughts vanished. For a brief moment, she didn't know what to say. She felt heat in her cheeks and her heart pounding in her chest.

“I appreciate the apology, but you didn’t have to,” Frankie’s booming voice called her attention, “you didn’t have to worry about it.”

She looked up at him. He stood straight, his weight shifted onto his good leg. He held a bottle of cola in his right hand, an unrolled piece of paper in his left, and his face was neutral. There was no trace of nerves, anger, or awkwardness.

Had she really blown the whole thing out of proportion and been carried away by paranoia these past few days, she wondered.

"But I accused you..."

“Let’s not go back to this,” he waved his hand, his gaze returning to the notes scribbled on the crumpled piece of paper he held in his left hand.

"You wrote my name down," Robin continued, "with a hammer symbol next to it? This might sound a bit silly, but it's not because you want...revenge, is it?" she blurted out with an unsure look on her face, knowing for sure that the hammer symbol wasn't a code for criminals, but something in her head told her that this comment might help diffuse the awkwardness of the situation.

A spark of amusement flashed across Franky's gaze, which turned into a loud laugh. The cola bottle he had set down with a quick clatter, and the note in his hand rustled as he waved it vigorously.

“Crazy woman,” he continued laughing, “of course not!”

Robin felt a wave of hot shame wash over her face. She deserved this, she thought. She took half a step back, stepping slightly away from the desk, wanting to sink into the ground.

“I use the hammer symbol to mark important things I can’t forget,” Franky continued, “and that’s what I also wanted to tak to you about today.”

Robin looked up embarrassed, "Talk to me about...what?" she asked.

"Usopp told me you were a lecturer at the university," he began, gesturing enthusiastically with his hands, "I was wondering if you had any tips on how to properly drill a new theory into your brain. You've seen my notes," he pointed to the crumpled piece of paper that now laid flat on the desk, "I have no clue what I'm doing."

Robin blinked in surprise. Her brain was still processing the dynamic absurdity of the entire situation between them. All her tension and stress over guilt had been unnecessary? She couldn't believe it. A momentary conflict hadn't dragged on forever, but had been resolved instantly? She no longer remembered that situations could be handled like this.

She sank heavily into her office chair, allowing herself a deep sigh and a moment for gathering her thoughts.

"It's okay if you don't feel like it or have no time," Franky added, a little more cautiously, noticing Robin's resigned demeanor, "...think about it and let me know? But no pressure, I just thought..."

"I'll help you." Robin interrupted him in a firm tone, placing her hands on either side of the armrests. She didn't know if it was a decision made out of nerves, shame, or remorse, but ultimately she felt it was the least she could do to redeem herself for the embarrassing behavior she had demonstrated so far.

Franky's face lit up and a wide smile spread across his lips, revealing a row of even teeth.

“Super!” he almost shouted, “you are a life saviour, Robin!”

She watched him go as he walked toward the center of the room with heavy, though clearly more energetic, steps. Robin needed a moment to gather her thoughts and calm her nerves, so she asked Franky to wait for her at the table, prepare his notes, and the topic he most needed help with.

She looked down at her hands, clutching the now lukewarm coffee mug. She was in a new situation. Nothing had gone according to her plans or analyses. Interactions with Franky were unpredictable, and Robin wasn't sure if this was stressing her out or sparking a interest. She took a few deep breaths, watching her hands slowly stop trembling. With a sip of coffee still in her mouth, she rose from her desk and walked toward the center of the room, straightening the sleeves of her shirt over her arms.

Franky leaned back in his chair like a misbehaving student in the back row, awaiting her arrival. Robin didn't say anything immediately, merely glancing at the notes, books, and pens scattered across the table. Her eyes saw the very definition of chaos materialized in the physical world. The notebook pages were carelessly scribbled, many lines of text were crossed out, and the margins were filled with additional notes in various colors. Between them were technical drawings and diagrams, which looked somewhat better, but surrounded by chaotic notes, these too looked mysterious.

Robin's face twisted in obvious shock, and a hint of distaste twisted her lips slightly into a grimace. Her soul yearned for an academic critique, and her fingers twitched, ready to grab a red pen and sort out this chaos.

“I have an important question,” Robin began after a moment, swallowing loudly.

Franky raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Why do you care about this topic? Are you learning for yourself, out of pure passion?" She knew her future actions depended on his answer. Organizing information was pure pleasure for her, but she needed to understand the specific purpose of this organization to optimize it effectively.

"I love machines!" Franky replied eagerly, sitting up straighter in his chair, his eyes sparkling with excitement, "...and I've decided to get into mechanics school. I have my final exam in a month and just as the practical part went well, the theory part..." he thought for a moment,"Let's just say that theory is not my strong suit."

The man laughed loudly, a wave of laughter spreading across his chest and shoulders, even reaching his upswept bangs, which waved steadily. He braced one hand on the tabletop and the other gathered his notes into a ragged pile.

"I also have... hmmm....", he thought, searching for the right phrase in his mind, placing his right hand on his synthetic forearm and scratching it gently, "...slight memory problems",he added curtly. Apparently, it had something to do with the accident, but it was clear he didn't want to discuss it.

Robin looked at him, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her eyes studied him intently, and he remained unyielding under the pressure. A gentle smile still played on his lips, and his eyes slowly flickered between the lines of scribbled notes. Robin briefly wondered how another human could be such an open and ubothered book of emotions.

Franky moved the chair next to him and gestured for Robin to sit down.

"Depending on the origins of your memory problems," Robin began carefully, settling into a chair and pulling some loose papers closer to her, "there are different ways to organize your notes and absorb information. For memory and focus problems, I would suggest methods based on multi-sensory engagement, repetition, and better structuring of information."

Franky's mouth hung open in shock and delight. Bingo, he thought, colored markers and a major restructuring. Maybe there was a chance for academic success for him.

“Do you have something specific in mind?” he asked, once he regained consciousness and the initial shock had passed. He rested his temple on his prosthetic arm and watched Robin intently, waiting for her next words, and she crumbled slightly under the intensity of his gaze.

She was now sitting twenty centimeters from the man whom, not so long ago, she had suspected of a criminal past and evil intentions. She felt the fingers holding the papers grow hot, slightly sweaty, so she quickly set them down on the table to hide any sign of stress. She picked up a fresh piece of paper and a pen.

"It's quite simple," she began, drawing a circle in the center of the paper. "For example, you can create an information map where you can place the most important keywords, highlighted in one color, and the definitions in another. You can also add photos if your memory is more photographic."

She bent over the first page of his notes, which contained many crossed-out lines, a few words underlined in color, and small drawings of a hammer on the margin. Robin had already learned the symbol and its meaning. She spent a long moment deciphering the letters on the paper, muttering something under her breath as she placed the tip of the pen against her chin. Franky stared at her patiently and curiously, his eyes darting from Robin's face to the paper and back again, eagerly awaiting a plan of action.

“For example, here,” Robin pointed out, “you could use the absurd association technique.”

Franky moved a few centimeters closer, peering curiously at the fragment of text Robin had pointed out. She felt warmth radiating from him, as if a small stove smelling of wood and citrus had moved closer to her, warming the air around. "Absurd associations about the differences between a petrol engine and a diesel engine?" He looked up at her, unsure of his next step. "Like, for example, a diesel is some frugal old man, and a petrolhead is some lavish student partying on his parents' dime? Is that what you mean?"

Robin smiled, a glint of amusement flickering briefly in her eyes. Franky immediately grasped the absurdity of this memorization technique. She admitted to herself that she wasn't even surprised. One might expect a man so colorful on the outside to have a chaotic imagination. The scent of citrus, wood, and resin that wafted around him suited him too, she thought.

"Yes," she agreed, shifting in her chair and looking at her notes again, "exactly. Or here, this part about..." she squinted slightly as she read the text, "...the four-stroke cycle of a gasoline engine? You've got intake, compression, power, exhaust listed here. For each of these stages, you can add something absurd, even a short story that will help you encode this information in your memory."

Franky nodded several times to show he understood. His mind raced in several different directions, searching for connections to the engine's operating pattern.

"If I'm such an engine and cola is what fuels me..." he scratched his chin, his eyes darting high to the ceiling as if searching for inspiration. Robin watched him intently, not even blinking, silently hoping that her suggestions would actually yield some results, "...then the first step would be to suck the cola out of the bottle, compress all the bubbles in my stomach, forcefully pump the gastric juices, and finally, the loudest burp in the world—the exhale?"

They looked at each other, deep thought clearly etched on their faces, for a moment unsure if this association could actually yield the desired academic results, and then they burst out laughing simultaneously. Franky leaned back in his chair, his mouth open in a wide smile, Robin a little less expressively, her hand covering her mouth and head tilted slightly downward. She didn't understand why this amused her so much. She wasn't usually a fan of this kind of humor.

“Yes,” she nodded after a moment, the smile still etched on her lips, “exactly!”

The brief moment of shared laughter felt like a surprise gift suddenly bestowed upon Robin. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so heartily, without prior analysis or calculation. It felt as if some old piece of weight in her soul had unglued itself and momentarily fallen away from the rigid structure of her being, reminding her that beneath the layers of analysis and carefully considered actions lay a forgotten joy and spontaneity.

"This might work," Franky leaned over his notes again, reviewing them carefully. "I also have a list of topics required for the exam. I'll try to work through the first few using your suggestions, and we'll see what happens."

Robin nodded, and before she could say anything, she heard a group of three people stumble into the library. She almost jumped in her chair, startled slightly, then stood up quickly, nervously fixing her bangs.

“Try it,” she said as she left, “I’ll come back later to see what you’ve come up with.”

Franky nodded approvingly and then began reading his notes. Robin moved toward the newly arrived group, once again assuming the facade of an analytical and focused librarian.

The ticking of the clock echoed through the library as everyone dove into their books. This time, however, it didn't sound threatening. The counting minutes no longer plunged Robin's mind into a spiral of stress, but instead pricked her gently, carefully awakening a spark of excitement and hope within her.

Chapter Text

The car driven by Sanji sped smoothly along the road sheltered on two sides by a forest; the hot July sun shone through the tree branches, casting strong shadows on the asphalt.

Robin stared out the window, her gaze sweeping across the blurry roadside, her chin resting on her hand. Soft music played from the speakers, accompanied by Zoro snoring in the backseat. In that moment she felt relaxed and at peace, quietly submerged in the thoughts.

"I can't remember the last time we had the opportunity to all get together as a whole and just hang out in a relaxed atmosphere," Sanji began with a smile, "plus our star, Nami, is celebrating her birthday!"

Sanji's voice caught Robin's attention and she glanced at him, nodding gently.

"That's true. The weather is beautiful, maybe we'll even be able to use the pool," she added, and Sanji's ears instantly turned red. Everyone knew he had a weakness for summer and bikini season.

Robin also knew Sanji was right. He himself had skipped group meetings more than once to work overtime. He had bravely and systematically built a financial cushion to open his own restaurant by next year. Usopp usually worked from noon until late at night, so it was difficult to get him to spend time with others. He was rather cautious about hiring new staff, as he'd caught people stealing alcohol and snacks in the past. Chopper spent a lot of time interning at the hospital alongside Law, so chances of getting away from work were slim. Sometimes, Chopper would show up for meetings, but he'd be the first one to go home. Law had stopped participating in their group after the accident. Robin wasn't sure if her husband would show up for Nami's birthday today, so she didn't want to risk missing such an important day, so she decided to take a ride with Sanji and Zoro.

When they arrived at the Nefertari family's summer house, they noticed the driveway was already packed with cars. A beaming Vivi, with Kaya at her side, greeted them in front of the beautiful brick mansion. They were helping Usopp unload several packages from the trunk.

“It’s wonderful to see you!” Vivi greeted them with a cheerful voice. She was wearing a flowy blue dress, her hair tied in a loose bun. Kaya looked equally lovely in a white pleated skirt and a powder pink top. Usopp looked up from the car trunk, waving one hand to greet the new arrivals.

Robin apologized for being late, but Vivi assured her that the party had no official start time and that the time listed on the invitation was only a rough estimate. She gestured for everyone to come inside.

The house wasn't decorated on the outside, but the inside was ready for a birthday party. A few balloons and colorful garlands led along the walls to the garden where the party was planned to take place. On the way outside, Robin passed the kitchen, where she greeted Chopper and Luffy, who were rummaging through the fridge.

"Chopper, protect the food from Luffy's appetite," she joked, hugging them both in greeting. Chopper nodded solemnly, and Luffy laughed loudly, popping a small piece of appetizer from one of the plates into his mouth. Sanji entered the kitchen with an armful of packages, right behind him Zoro, also loaded with even more small boxes.

"Put these two packages here and take the rest to where the other gifts for Nami are," Sanji ordered, to which Zoro only huffed and muttered something unintelligible under his breath before leaving the kitchen, "and you two shoo from the kitchen, Chopper, Luffy, you'll still have time to eat."

Robin smiled as she silently observed the constant dynamic between her friends. She loved watching Sanji in his natural element, when he went from sleepy and bored to a passionate culinary presence, transforming himself beyond recognition in the kitchen. Humming to himself, he unpacked smaller boxes one by one, carefully removing small appetizers and snacks, arranging them on plates.

“Robin, dear, I know you want to help me, but you really don’t have to,” he said suddenly, “go, rest, relax by the pool, I’ll bring you something to drink in a moment.”

Without protesting, Robin thanked him and left the kitchen towards the garden. It looked magnificent: several round tables adorned with mint tablecloths, colorful flowers in vases, a barbecue area, and a small stage for a DJ. Several inflatable mattresses and a pink flamingo floating in the pool. Perona was relaxing on one of the garden beds under an umbrella, hidden in the shade and covered in the most powerful sunscreen available. Under the roof by the patio doors, a round table was set up, where guests were gathering birthday gifts for Nami. There was also a gazebo decorated with flowers, and behind it, a swing hung from the branch of one of the old oak trees.

Two people were leaning over the brick grill. Robin immediately recognized Kid, dressed all in black, his bright red hair stylized in a modern mohawk, and Franky in a colorful shirt and light pants, with his blue hair styled up, as per usual. They stood by the grill and they seemed engaged in a completely unrelated to the birthday party conversation. Kid was waving his prosthetic arm explaining something vigorously and Franky stood in front of him, one elbow resting on the chimney part of the grill, face relaxed with a small smile lingering on his lips. Before Robin could even say hello, she was grabbed into a tight embrace by Nami.

"Robin, how great that you're here!" the girl hugged her friend and looked at her from her shoes to the top of her hair,"You look beautiful! I remember that bracelet, we bought it together at the seaside a few years ago!"

Robin blushed slightly, looking down at the ground and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't think she looked any different from her usual self. She wore a simple dark purple V-neck top and black linen trousers that added a flowing, slender touch to her figure. A few gold accessories, no big deal, she thought.

They chatted for a while about clothes and hairstyles, Robin complimented Nami's lovely dress and her delicate makeup and wished her a happy birthday, but Nami suddenly became serious, her eyes narrowing inquisitively.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, and Robin recognized her friend’s tone and the hint she was throwing out. Nami had a built-in radar for noticing when things were not going great or for when Robin had even a slight worry on her mind. This time, however, it made perfect sense. It's been a few years since the whole crew gathered in Vivi's summer house and the last time they have all been here was when Law, Luffy, Kid, Robin and Ace experienced a tragic accident in which one of their friends, Ace, had died. The accident was still somehow a difficult topic but most of the people involved had moved on and worked through the trauma. Most of them, but not all.

Robin no longer felt uncomfortable in the house, focusing more on remembering the good moments rather than the tragic accident. Besides, it had occurred far off the property; the house wasn't to blame.

"Yes, eveything's okay," Robin began but paused for a moment, wondering if she should add another sentence, "but I don't know if Law is going to show up."

A sadness played in her eyes, though not as poignant as usual. She seemed to have shed a great deal of expectations towards her husband's social interactions. She no longer hoped for him to show up or take a part in group meetings. Recently she gave up on that and it seemed to be serving her right. "...but even if he doesn't come, I plan to have a good time. It's your birthday, after all, and it shall be celebrated," she added with a smile on her face.

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of a gentle finger tapping on a microphone. Everyone gathered in the garden turned toward a small stage decorated with flowers, with a colorful "Happy Birthday, Nami!" banner hanging between the trees on either side in the back.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a subtle voice rang out, “today we are celebrating Miss Nami’s birthday, so I will start setting the tone for this gathering, starting with something calm that won’t distract from the greetings, but will set you up for a good time.”

The soothing music flowed through the garden like a magic spell, bringing smiles to the lips of everyone gathered. Brook, a tall, slender man with a broad smile and a perfectly round hair, had been the musician Vivi's family had hired for many years for most of their celebrations. It was safe to say he had become a close friend to the family, as he witnessed their most personal emotions and experienced them together with the family. He often cried, was moved, and laughed heartily while playing beautiful melodies.

As the sun moved across the sky, the party also gathered momentum; guests flocked around Nami, congratulating her, hugging her tightly, and presenting her with gifts. The others engaged in their own interactions by the pool, at the tables, and in the gazebo. Sanji and Perona became self-appointed stewards of catering supplies, circulating among the guests, making sure everyone had something to drink and knew where the snack table was. A few more people Robin didn't know very well joined the group, including Bepo, with whom Nami worked on climate research, who arrived late and relayed the news that their good friend Jinbei wouldn't be making it to the party because he was stuck working the night shift.

Robin and Kaya sat at one of the tables, discussing everyday topics, teasing out the more interesting bits from work to give the conversation a little more energy. Robin didn't know Kaya very well. She knew she was Usopp's partner and had inherited a company from her parents, but she liked her calm nature, which always seemed to cast a calming spell on the perpetually stressed Usopp.

The conversation was calm and Robin found her gaze involuntarily gravitating more and more towards the grill where Kid and Franky were still having an energetic conversation, now with chairs drawn up and cold drinks in hand. It looked like they had become the stewards of the grill with ocassional Sanji checking in on their job. The coals were getting red-hot, lazily pushed by the poker Kid held in his healthy hand, and Robin felt as if her face was on the grill, too. Waves of strange emotions washed over her. She wanted to interrupt her conversation with Kaya and approach the men, but after a moment, her enthusiasm would fade and a wave of stress would wash over her. She didn't understand these emotions, but she tried hard to hide them, not letting Kaya know she wasn't fully focused on the story of the stolen bottle of century-old wine from the home's liquor store.

Glancing towards the grill, she nonchalantly traced the rim of her drink glass, nodding to Kaya's stories, and every now and then adding something of her own. She wondered what they guys had been talking about so heatedly for so long, and if Franky had followed her advice, and if he was now learning more efficiently. She desperately wanted to believe that in the week since their last meeting, his notes had been properly organized, and now any beginner would be able to understand the workings of an internal combustion engine. It was purely a professional curiosity, she thought to herself, she only wanted to check in on her new, unofficial pupil.

When Robin decided to steal another glance at the grill, to her surprise, her eyes met Franky's. Her surprised face went slightly pale and then red; she did not expect to be cought in the act of looking around. The man, however, send a wide smile in her way and raised his soda bottle in greeting, causing Kid to quickly turn around, nodding at Robin as well, and waving the poker in the air.

"Robin, are you feeling okay?" Kaya's question suddenly hit her, "Your face is very red, maybe you should go inside for a moment and cool off a bit?"

"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Robin replied without further hesitation and rose from the seat. At that moment, Sanji, Perona, and Usopp entered the garden, handing out glasses of champagne to everyone, followed closely by Vivi with a small table on wheels and a three-tiered cake with sparklers popping from the center.

Brook changed the tune to a more energetic "happy birthday" and the rest of the guests joined in the singing, gathering around the cake, cheering and raising their glasses in a toast. The crowd gathered tightly around Nami, who was now beaming with happiness, swaying to the music, one by one accepting wishes and hugs from her friends.

Zoro stood next to Robin and yawned lazily. He must have just woken up from his afternoon nap, because there was a rim of the pillowcase still imprinted on his cheek. Sanji clapped his hands happily, Usopp and Bepo became the waiters of the cake plates, making sure everyone got a slice. Luffy was dripping wet, shaking in excitement and ready to jump back into the pool.

"Thank you for coming," said Nami as the birthday song ended with a round of applause and loud whistles from Kid, "thank you to my dear Vivi for organizing this party and gathering you all here! Today we celebrate, have fun, and avoid drama! Cheers!" Glasses were raised in a toast, and a loud "Happy Birthday Nami!" echoed through the birthday garden once again.

Luffy, Chopper, and Bepo wasted no time; they quickly devoured their slices of cake and then jumped into the pool with a running start, splashing water everywhere. Chopper took over the pink flamingo, while Luffy and Bepo organized a strongest splash contest. Zoro went back to his nap, sprawled on a garden bed like a cat, his shirt pulled up over his eyes, Perona, Kaya, and Usopp were chatting energetically at one of the tables, and Nami and Vivi and a couple of ther people were sitting near the gift corner, peering into some of the packages with a curious glint in their eyes.

Robin sat down next to them with a smile on her face and a delicate, fruity drink in her hand, which had already softened her tense shoulders a bit.

"This one is from me and Zoro," she said, pointing at a colorful bag with a large bow. "Zoro was really brave," she laughed, "he persistently went shopping with me, and you know how much he avoids places like that."

Nami and Vivi laughed, "I'm surprised you didn't lose him somewhere!" Nami said, looking curiously into the gift bag.

“Oh, but I did,” Robin replied quickly, taking a sip of her drink, “he disappeared from my sight at the very end, when we were looking for gift bags in a supermarket.”

"Haha! Remember that time Zoro got lost in the DIY store and Usopp reported it to the staff?" Vivi looked incredibly amused.

“And the employee thought Zoro was a child and announced that his dad was waiting for him at the information desk at the entrance,” Nami finished the story and all three of them laughed loudly and brightly.

"This time, it turned out to be Usopp who found Zoro," Robin added. "It turned out they happened to be there with Franky..." She hesitated slightly, as if saying his name so casually wasn't something she was comfortable with. She and Franky only met some time ago, they didn't know each other well and their interactions so far hadn't been the smoothest. The girls, however, didn't notice the hesitation, too absorbed in the anecdote about Zoro, "...in the same store, and they ran into Zoro in the alcohol and party food section. He was standing mesmerized in front of the clearance racks of sake."

“Typical Zoro!” Vivi chimed in, peering over Nami’s shoulder into the gift bag.

Robin chatted with the girls for a while, sipping the colorful drink, relaxing in the pleasant atmosphere, but when the glass was empty and the heat of the slowly setting sun was getting to her, she got up and excused herself from the group.

As she walked down the corridor she noticed lively voices of people gathered in the kitchen. Robin paused for a split second, taking in more air. When she entered the room, Kid and Franky were leaning over aluminum cans, demonstrating the capabilities of their prosthetics. The aroma of sweet pastries and fruit juices enveloped the kitchen, giving it a cozy aroma, and the slowly setting sun bathed everything in a warm, orange glow.

“Why do the fingers bend so much?” Kid asked, watching Franky clench his synthetic hand around one of the cans, “it can’t be a factory range.”

"I tightened a few screws here and there..." Franky replied with amusement in his voice, "in the first weeks after the prosthethics were fitted I was afraid to move them at all, scared they fall off or fall apart, but now I have more chill about them," he crushed the can in one swift movement, "if something falls off, I attach it back and move on."

Kid nodded appreciatively as he opened another can of beer.

"After the accident, I couldn't do anything at all and fe..." Kid began, but stopped mid-sentence when Sanji cleared his throat loudly, turning his attention towards the doorway where Robin, unnoticed by them earlier, stood. Kid didn't finish the sentence, but took a long swig from the can of beer he was holding.

"Gentlemen, show some class," Sanji scolded them, trying to divert attention from the earlier topic of the accident. "You're acting like two monkeys who accidentally wandered out of the jungle into civilization, and a lady joined us. Robin, dear, anything for you?"

Robin shifted from one foot to another, biting her lip. She quickly recognized the topic that she interrupted and couldn't stop but feel a little bit uncomfortable.

"Can I have the same as before, thank you," she said, slowly approaching the kitchen island where the two men were standing. "Sanji, it's your day off too, you should be resting. Why did you take responsibility for the kitchen?" she asked, her glance avoiding Kid and Franky. She felt her hand sweating on the glass she held.

Sanji brushed his hair away from his forehead in one swift movement, "you know how it is, Robin dear, I want Nami to have the most delicious birthday! It's a pure pleasure to prepare food and see the smile on her face!" he chirped, "and on your crooked mugs too, so appreciate it." He added with a theatrical sarcasm directed at Kid and Franky who both shrugged unbothered.

Humming a soft "happy birthday" under his breath, Sanji turned toward the counter, and Robin's attention had to shift to Kid and Franky. It took a lot of mental effort for her to look at them, and she didn't understand why.

“What are you two up to? You've been scheming over the grill for a good hour,” she asked after a short while, clenching her fingers a little tighter around the empty glass and taking a very cautious step forward. She knew she sounded confident, but her guts were in knots, „and now you are scheming in the kitchen.”

Kid finished his beer in one long gulp, then crushed the can at Robin's eye level, "We're comparing the parameters of robo hands and this cyborg man," he pointed his thumb to Franky, „is winning.”

Franky was silent for a moment, carefully observing the entire interaction that had taken place in that brief moment. He understood the situation, or at least he thought he did; the topic of Kid's accident must have been related to Robin, since Sanji had interrupted their conversation the moment Robin appeared in the kitchen. He didn't know Kid's history, but he felt in his bones, both real and synthetic, that the topic was less uncomfortable for him than it was for Robin.

"We're also comparing nail colors," Franky added hastily, raising his hand in front of him, displaying his colorful nails. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but Kid has a better sense of style, classic black, while my nail tech got carried away, each nail in a different shade of green," he smiled, and everyone involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief. This change of topic dispelled the cloud of tension gathering in the kitchen, replacing it with a lightheartedness.

"Sometimes you look decent, and sometimes you look like you fell into a snowdrift of clothes and came out wearing random things," Sanji hissed with a playful sneer, handing Robin a colorful drink, "for you, angel, especially with extra syrup."

"Life is better in a colorful world, and I am definitely a true winter, what can I say," Franky replied, not at all bothered by the malicious comment, "and my niece painted my nails, I am going to tell her that you despised her art," he laughed, and Sanji just hissed under his breath.

Robin and Franky's eyes met. Despite her shoulders still tense and the flush on her cheek, she smiled appreciatively, grateful for the change of subject, which had eased the tension. She stepped a little closer and glanced at both hands, flattened on the table.

"Kid does indeed stick to the classic palette," she nodded with mock seriousness and sincere appreciation, "but for you..." she hesitated again before saying his name, but this time for a shorter time, only for a split second, "...Franky, these colors suit you. Tell the artist she did a great job."

Robin couldn't understand why saying his name made her nervous. She wondered if she acted this way with everyone she met, but it had been so long since she'd met anyone new that she couldn't say for sure.

The kitchen chaos was interrupted by a dripping wet Luffy, who burst into the room, splashing water everywhere. He caused instant chaos, and all eyes turned to him. He shouted something about a pool fight, wet noodles, and missing warriors while stuffing his mouth with food. He circled the kitchen island several times, leaving a trail of wet stains behind him, mumbling something incomprehensible and waving his hand.in an attempt to call everyone together to action, and then left, leaving the group gathered in the kitchen in severe shock.

"Looks like some kids in the pool are begging to get their asses handed to them," Kid said after a moment, pushing himself away from the counter. He waved his hand in dismissal and left the kitchen.

"No comment, honestly," Sanji said, placing several glasses of colorful drinks on a tray, "although I must admit I'm curious to see who will win," he added and also left the kitchen.

As quickly as the kitchen filled with conversation and chatter, it emptied, leaving Franky and Robin alone. The man stood relaxed, his chin still resting on his good hand, his other hand swirling an empty glass. The orange glow of the setting sun bathed the entire kitchen in a pleasant, almost cinematic softness.

Robin stood a little stiffly, her shoulders still slightly tense. She couldn't fully relax around Franky, and although she no longer felt the mental burden and guilt after their last conversation, her body still felt as if she had something on her conscience. Her legs felt like thick pillars anchored to the ground.

Franky yawned widely, pulling the high bar stool a little closer. His gray eyes glanced at Robin with curiosity, giving her space to speak when she wanted. However, the silence was slowly beginning to cross the line of comfort and getting into the territory of awkwardness. Franky tilted his drink, taking a long sip.

"Finally, a moment of peace," he said, rubbing his eyes with the thumb of his good hand. "This week has been hell, I can barely stand." He sighed loudly, scratching the back of his neck. The gold chain tucked beneath his unbuttoned red shirt with green palm trees caught a ray of sunlight and gleamed softly, drawing Robin's attention.

Gaining some courage, she moved close enough to the kitchen island counter to rest her hands on its edge. Now, only a meter-long, stone workspace, littered with empty glasses and plates of food, separated them.

"Hard time at work?" she asked, realizing she didn't even know what Franky actually did, what job he held, or how he preferred to spend his free time. She wasn't about to ask, but at the same time, she kind of wanted to learn more about him.

Franky's gaze drifted between the crumbs and paper straws scattered on the table. He clumsily played with the small, decorative umbrella that had been in his drink, gently pricking the small hammer tattoo on the thumb of his good hand with the pointed tip. He seemed to be searching his mind for memories and the exact words to describe what had happened to him.

”A new client placed an order for stairs with railings, wanting it done as soon as possible, possibly yesterday," he gasped, disconsolately, "so all week, every day, he called, asking if I had the materials, how long it would take, and if I'd started the work. The stairs he requested will take about two months, so I'm considering two options..." he paused, looking Robin straight in the eye, "...the first is to leave the country..."

"...and the second is to feed that customer to the piranhas," Robin added with a gravely serious expression. Franky's face froze mid-word, suspended in time with surprise etched from his eyebrows to chin.

“Nico Robin,” he said in a serious voice, tapping his finger on the countertop warningly as his senses returned to full function, “I like how you think!” he laughed loudly, slapping his hand on the countertop, “the piranhas can be organized, I know a guy!”

Robin blushed slightly, surprised by the positive reception of her dark humor. Her fingers on the counter grabbed one of the snacks on the plate, a colorful cookie with fruit cream and a mint leaf on top.

“Are you a carpenter?” she asked. Her shoulders were a little looser again, slowly her whole posture becoming more relaxed, though she felt a slight excitement as she awaited the answer.

"I used to be, but after the accident, I took up joinery," he replied, also helping himself to one of the small snacks lying in front of him. "No matter how hard I try, there are certain physical aspects I can't change, but I have the option of going back if I want.”

„Makes sense how you and Usopp met then,” Robin replied connecting the dots in her mind.

„Yeah, he signed up for the workshops my bro organized,” Franky nodded, „Usopp is a natural, I just hope he will get over the panic of holding big power tools,” he laughed showing all his even teeth, face crinckled adorably in this sincere reaction, „the table saw got him all shaky. I love this guy.”

Robin's face felt warm again, hearing the word love said with such ease and no awkwardness. It kind of made he stomach turn inside out. Franky looked like such a tough guy but from all he presented so far, he seemed to be in tune with his inner world and hardly ever felt uncomfortable. How could someone, who clearly has gone through a lot, be so optimistic and easy going, she wondered.

”And you, Robin, do you ever get any difficult students? Any hell spawn brats that make your hair go gray?"

"Hmm..." she mused, "...library work is rather peaceful, rarely anything more interesting happens than a book placed out of alphabetical order. But during lectures..." she began, her fingers instinctively going to her chin in a gesture of deep thought. The intensity of Franky's gaze, waiting for an answer, made her thoughts wander. She felt like a student being questioned at the blackboard in front of the entire class.

"...hmm...nothing happens during lectures either," Robin covered her face with her hands, feeling her cheeks get red. Did she really not have any funny stories up her sleeve? Was there nothing interesting happening in her life worth mentioning as a party anecdote? Student's during exams, funny spelling mistakes? Her memory was blank. Not a single amusing thought came to mind.

Franky smiled, a net of fine lines surrounding his eyes. "You seem like a strict teacher. I'd be screwed in your class."

“What? Not at all!” she defended herself, too quickly and loudly to sound natural, “I’m not boring!”

Franky's eyes widened and he raised his hands defensively, "I didn't say you were boring! Just strict, thorough, and serious about your work—those are good qualities!"

Their eyes met again, their minds revolving around this weird exchange, neither wanting to delve any deeper. Franky glanced quickly at the empty glass in front of Robin and wordlessly stood up, pushing himself slowly and somewhat hesitantly from the counter to prepare her something new to drink. Robin bit her lip, analyzing her next move. She didn't want the situation to be awkward, but she didn't think she was boring either. She wanted to defend her honor, but she didn't know how to. She decided to start paying more attention to events at the university, so the next time she was asked, she'd be ready with a whole set of fascinating stories to tell.

She was pulled from her spiraling thoughts when a simple glass filled with a new drink was pushed under her arm, a colorful paper umbrella tucked inside. The scent of alcohol and sweet fruit mingled with cologne and a hint of citrus; Franky stood beside her, his expression warm and understanding.

“Do you at least like what you do?” he asked, the intensity of his gaze forcing Robin to lower her eyes. It had been a long time since she'd heard such a question. Few people were interested in her likes and dislikes. Franky cleverly and smoothly changed the subject; he clearly realized that the previous conversation had gone awry and needed to quickly move on.

”Yes,” she replied after a moment's thought, taking a long sip of the colorful drink, „I do, very much. Ancient history is something that really interests me and I get to talk about it every day and everyone has to listen,” she noded proudly, „it's perfect.”

"I can tell you are really good at your job!”, Franky added with excitement in his voice, „your advice really helped! The theory from books is coming through a little easier for me, and some of it even sticks in my head."

Robin looked up, feeling a spark of pride ignite for a split second in her chest. That positive flame flickered in her heart, tickling it pleasantly, reminding her of an emotion she hadn't felt in a long time.

"So the suction, compression, work, and exhalation of the cola engine in your stomach are cemented into your memory?" Robin smiled, feeling relieved. Just a moment ago, she had felt as if she were frozen, unable to move, and now she felt her muscles relax, her fingers on the countertop no longer sweaty. She also noticed the quick emotion that ran through Franky's face when she spoke about machines. Something new has passed over, something she hadn't noticed in him before.

She looked at him for a moment longer, smiling gently. They were standing quite close together, but she didn't feel the awkwardness from earlier. Franky leaned against the counter with his left hand, hunched over, his height making him look out of place in most settings, like an elephant in a china shop. Robin's blue eyes shifted to the kitchen entrance, where she noticed the silhouette of a new guest appearing.

Her heart sank and her breath caught in her chest as Law stepped into the orange softness of the kitchen. He held a small box with a colorful bow in his hand, dressed in elegant gray slacks and a black shirt.

His tired golden eyes lingered on Franky for a moment, who, noticing Robin's reaction, turned toward the door to see who had joined their kitchen gathering. Law quickly scanned the stranger from head to toe, finally offering him his hand in greeting.

“I don’t think we know each other,” he began, “Law.”

"Franky," the man returned the handshake. The heavy atmosphere Law had brought with him was immediately felt in the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, Franky saw Robin's face pale, her eyes serious, and her shoulders tense. When Law placed a hand on her shoulder and planted a very quick, stiff kiss on her cheek, Robin looked as if she had stopped breathing. She stared at her hands, which were clutching the glass of a colorful drink.

Law said nothing more. He silently left the kitchen and headed toward the garden, while Robin and Franky stood in complete silence for a long moment.

"Excuse me, I have to go," she said hurriedly, and then went out into the garden, leaving Franky confused and completely alone in the kitchen filled with soft, orange light and the smell of fruit drinks.