Chapter Text
Although she always takes precautions regarding her intimate relationships, Robin had the unpleasant surprise of taking a pregnancy test in her room and discovering that it was positive. She does not even really understand how this could have happened when she makes sure to protect herself every time she has sex, in addition to taking a pill every day. She had always thought she was careful enough to avoid this kind of situation and therefore finds herself completely overwhelmed when she discovers that she is pregnant. The worst, however, remains the reaction of her boyfriend at the time, who simply decides to break up with her upon learning the news, since he absolutely does not want children while Robin, on the other hand, wants to keep the baby.
Feeling very bad about everything that is happening to her, Robin wonders for some time why this has to happen to her. She had imagined her life differently and had never planned to have to become a mother under these circumstances, especially with someone who decides to leave as soon as he learns about the pregnancy. Despite everything, she refuses to let herself be completely defeated and quickly begins thinking about what she needs to do for the future. She then prepares a sheet so that she can properly organize her future life with her child, writing down what she will have to plan for and the different things she will have to think about before the birth.
Fortunately, Robin can count on her friends, who are all particularly happy at the idea of becoming future uncles and aunts. None of them considers her child to be a problem, and several are already beginning to offer her their help for the first few years. The one who is nevertheless the most present is Luffy. He also absolutely does not understand why Robin insists so much on the fact that this child will not be his, since in his eyes, simply being his mother's friend is enough to have a place in his life.
Robin finds this attitude rather strange, but she cannot say that she dislikes it. Luffy regularly comes to check on her, asks her if she needs anything and even begins to take an interest in everything she is preparing for the baby. He does not do this only when he is in front of the others and never seems to expect anything in return. Robin therefore begins to appreciate his presence, even though she still does not understand why Luffy seems to want to get so involved in a situation that does not directly concern him.
She tries several times to ask him why he acts as if he is going to become the father of her child, but Luffy systematically avoids giving her a clear answer. At first, Robin simply lets it go, telling herself that he is probably like this with the people he cares about. Yet, the more the weeks pass, the more she notices that he is particularly attentive with her. He does not try to take the place of her former partner and never asks her to give him any particular importance, but he is always there when she needs someone.
This presence eventually becomes important enough for Robin to start asking herself questions as well. She realizes that she sometimes waits for his messages, that she particularly enjoys it when he comes to see her and that she feels reassured when he promises her that he will be there after the birth. However, she does not immediately confuse this affection with love. After what she has just been through, Robin especially does not want to start a new relationship simply because she is afraid of being alone with her child. She therefore prefers to understand what she truly feels before making the slightest decision.
In the end, she is the one who insists on having a real conversation with Luffy. She directly asks him why he has been acting this way since he found out she was pregnant and refuses this time to let him change the subject. Luffy eventually confesses to her that he has been in love with her for a while, but that he never dared to tell her. He explains that he preferred to convince himself that her future child would also be a little bit his, because it allowed him to have a place beside her without taking the risk of confessing his feelings to her and being rejected.
This revelation deeply surprises Robin. She did not expect his behavior to have such a personal reason and, above all, she does not immediately know what to say to him. She explains to him that she is not in love with him and that she does not want to lie to him simply because she greatly appreciates his presence. Luffy tells her that he knows and that he is not asking her to immediately feel something for him. He only wants her to be able to consider the idea that they could eventually become more than friends.
Robin then genuinely begins to consider this possibility. She thinks back to their last few weeks together and realizes that Luffy has already become someone important to her. She appreciates his presence, feels safe when he is there and knows that he has never abandoned her since she learned about her pregnancy. She also wonders whether a relationship could work between them, not because she is desperately looking for a father for her child, but because she is beginning to see Luffy as someone with whom she could potentially build something.
Nevertheless, she decides not to give him an immediate answer. Robin explains to him that she does not want to start a relationship in which Luffy will wait every day for her to fall in love with him. She first wants to get to know him in a different way than as her best friend and see whether their bond can genuinely evolve. Luffy accepts without any problem, understanding that it is better to give her time rather than put the slightest pressure on her. They therefore begin spending more time alone together, without every moment necessarily being connected to the pregnancy.
As the weeks go by, Robin discovers that she genuinely likes this new closeness. She begins to enjoy their moments together, to seek out his contact more often and to surprise herself when she imagines her daily life with him after the birth. She still does not feel a love comparable to the one Luffy describes to her, but she no longer feels the desire to keep their relationship strictly friendly either. For the first time, she tells herself that she could genuinely try, provided that Luffy understands that her feelings may take much longer to appear.
Robin therefore finally agrees to be his girlfriend, but imposes one very clear condition on him: if he wants to take on a father's place with her child, he will really have to take on that role. She does not want him to simply be enthusiastic during the pregnancy before losing interest in everything once the baby is born. She explains to him that she is not asking him to be perfect, but that she wants him to be present, to learn and to accept the responsibilities that come with this place in their lives.
Luffy is so happy that he immediately takes her in his arms, promising her that he will do his best to be the best father possible. He honestly admits that he may not know what to do at first, since he has never been a father and will probably have to learn an enormous number of things. But he promises her that he will not run away as soon as things become difficult and that he will do everything he can to become someone Robin and their child can rely on. For him, this is now a responsibility that he willingly accepts, because he loves Robin and genuinely wants to build this family with her.
Robin nevertheless remains cautious regarding her own feelings. She knows that she already appreciates Luffy, but she refuses to pretend that she is in love simply to make their relationship more reassuring. She prefers to give him time to understand that her feelings can develop gradually, especially since she herself has just gone through a particularly painful breakup. She tells herself that they have plenty of time to discover what their relationship can become and that it is better to move forward little by little rather than make promises that are impossible to keep.
So, although she still does not know whether she has truly made the right decision by agreeing to form a couple with Luffy, Robin does not want to spend her time wondering whether she should have said no. For now, she is happy with him, she knows that he wants to be present and she appreciates no longer feeling as though she has to face her future motherhood alone. Time will be the only real way to know whether their relationship can work, so she prefers to simply let their relationship evolve naturally.
Above all, she hopes that with the months and years, the affection she already feels for Luffy will eventually become something deeper. She does not necessarily imagine spending her whole life with someone for whom she would never feel love, even though she accepts starting a relationship today without being in love. For Robin, this is therefore not a promise to fall in love, but a genuine chance that she decides to give him. If Luffy manages to remain by her side and build this family with her, perhaps one day she will realize that the man she had agreed to let into her life has ultimately become the one she could no longer do without.