Chapter Text
Throughout the week, Law kept visiting Zoro during his lunch breaks. Most of the time, however, he found himself talking with Robin because Zoro was usually asleep. Zoro being the sleepyhead he knew him to be. Law had always known this about him, as Zoro would even nap or fall asleep in the noisy cafeteria back in university. Out of the seven days he visited, Zoro had only been awake once, which made Law question if it was even worth spending his lunch break to visit him.
With Zoro sleeping through most of his visits, Law had more time to talk with Robin. Every day, they discussed different topics, and Law has noticed that he slowly learned things about her. He had discovered Robin’s love of collecting vintage postcards. The stories behind each postcard fascinated her, she had even read some to him that she liked the most and Law shared his own love of collecting coins. He even brought some of his collection to the hospital and showed it to her, explaining the commemorative value and history behind each coin. He was grateful Zoro wasn’t awake that day, as he would have definitely mocked him for being a nerd and complained about the coins taking up too much space in their dorm back at university.
Robin also revealed that she enjoyed watching horror movies—an interest that didn’t surprise Law much. She explained that when a movie truly scared her, it made her feel alive, which was why she loved the genre. However, she was picky about horror films and expressed disappointment when they relied too much on nonsensical jump scares. She also complained that Zoro refused to watch horror movies with her, because he thought it’s too dumb when Law knew too well that Zoro often dreams badly after watching horror films. While horror wasn’t Law’s favorite genre, he thought he wouldn’t mind watching one with her.
Law had been talking with Robin almost every day, and he realized instead of his feelings for her diminishing, they had only grown stronger. Everything she shared with him was fascinating, and she always listened carefully to his stories. Though his heart no longer raced uncontrollably or left his mind in a fog, it still fluttered whenever she laughed or smiled, and he often found himself staring at her a bit too long when she spoke passionately about something. He had tried countless ways to not fall for her, but nothing seemed to work. He was officially out of plans. If there were a pill that could shut off his feelings, he would take it in an instant.
Now, he stood in Zoro’s room once again. This time, finally, the one he was supposed to visit was actually awake. Zoro sat up in bed, eating lunch with his left hand, struggling slightly with his non-usual hand. His mouth was full, and he was muttering something unintelligible. Law suspected the only reason Zoro was awake was that he had arrived early enough to catch him in the middle of eating.
"Finally, the pig is awake. I thought you were dead this whole time." Law said, rolling his eyes at Zoro.
"You’re the pig." Zoro replied bluntly, not even looking up as he continued eating his meat.
"I don’t even know why I bother visiting you when all you ever do is eat or sleep." Law sighed.
“Because you came during lunch time, dumbass.” Zoro remarked. “and you seem to be enjoying yourself here."
Law tilted his head slightly. What was he referring to? Was Zoro aware he’d been talking to Robin? Hadn’t he been asleep the whole time? Did he care that he was chatting with Robin?
"What?" Law asked, now serious.
Robin nudged Zoro's injured hand with her elbow, and a sharp pain shot through his body, startling him. The pain snapped him back into focus, and he muttered, "Nothing. You’re talking to a patient here. I thought a doctor would know that sleep and eating are important for recovery."
“With the amount of sleep and food you’ve had, shouldn’t you be discharged by now?” Law snorted.
Zoro glared at him. In truth, he was recovering faster than expected. His organs were thankfully fine despite the broken ribs, and his bones had begun healing slowly. He probably needed to stay another week just in case any of his wounds worsened, but after that, he could rest at home.
That also meant he wouldn’t see Robin as often anymore. The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he quickly shook it off, trying to distract himself.
He glanced at Robin, who seemed busier than usual. Papers and books were scattered across the table, her hair seemed slightly messier than before, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. She was also wearing glasses—something Law had never seen before. Her laptop was open, reminding him of the conversation they'd had a few days ago about her upcoming presentation.
Robin had spent four years on a dig in Alabasta, where her team discovered poneglyph—a massive stone block inscribed with ancient, unknown text. When she returned from Alabasta, she and her team spent another year and a half deciphering the text, analyzing its origins, the era it was created, and its purpose. This Saturday, they would finally reveal their findings to the public.
When her team learned about Zoro’s accident, they gave her a few days off to take care of him and to rest before the press conference.
“Are you working on your speech?” Law asked.
“Yes, my team mentioned there were some amendments needed for the translated text, so I’m double-checking and fixing the speech.” Robin replied, her voice sounding more tired than usual.
Law had always found her work fascinating. He’d never been exposed to archaeology before, but when Robin explained what she had been doing in Alabasta, her passion for uncovering the truth, the culture, and the traditions behind each civilization. Law felt, deep down, that he wanted to learn it with her.
“Oh right, isn’t the press release on this Saturday?” Zoro’s voice snapped Law out of his thoughts.
“Yes. And obviously, you won’t be able to attend now.” Robin said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Zoro shook his head, then suddenly seemed to think of something, he turned to Law. “Chopper told me you’re free on Saturday,” he asked Law. “Could you go to the conference for me?”
“What?” Law and Robin both said in unison, surprised.
Zoro turned to Robin.“What? You just told me you don’t have a ride and would need to take a taxi,” then turned to Law, said. “And you probably don’t have anything planned for your day off, right? Plus, you’re into this nerdy stuff.” Zoro seemed quite satisfied with their reactions.
Law stared at Zoro, trying to figure out his intentions. Zoro, offering no further explanation, simply nudged his head toward Robin, his gaze intense. Law had no idea what was going on in that half-empty head of his. Maybe Zoro just wanted to make sure someone accompanied Robin, ensuring she’d be safe and he, as one of Zoro’s best friends, seemed like the perfect "nerdy" candidate.
Law sighed internally. Maybe he should be honest with Zoro. Maybe he should tell him that he was starting to have unwanted feelings for Robin, so he wouldn’t make him go. Would Zoro understand his feelings? As Law wrestled with his thoughts, Robin spoke.
“I’m sorry, Law. He’s an idiot. You don’t have to go if you have plans on your day off.” Robin said, sounding a bit exasperated.
Zoro’s gaze intensified, and Law had the sense that he was genuinely asking for his help. With another sigh in his thought, Law relented.
“It’s fine. The pig’s right. I’m indeed free anyway,” Law replied. “Just send me the time and details later.”
After continuing chatting with Zoro and Robin for a while, Law finished his lunch break and left the room. Robin glared at Zoro right after he left.
“You need to tell Sanji he doesn’t need to go with me anymore.” Robin said, as though issuing a command.
“It’s okay. I’ll ask Nami to help me.” Zoro said, unable to hide his smirk.
Law adjusted his outfit once more as he stood in front of Robin's apartment. He was wearing a white button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up and with light blue jeans. As he glanced at his reflection in the glass door, it hit him that he was spending an hour picking out this outfit last night. As he didn’t want to appear too casual, but he also didn’t want to look bad in front of Robin, especially since he was attending an event that was important to her.
He looked at the apartment once more and he recognized that it was the exact same one where Zoro lived. The last time he visited here was already two years ago. Zoro and his friends have been hanging out at Law’s place ever since. He wasn’t surprised to learn that Robin and Zoro lived together. Law knew Zoro trusted him a great deal. But it made him wonder, did Zoro trust him a little too much, letting him attend an event with his girlfriend? Law checked his reflection again, questioning, D o I really look that nerdy around girls?
As he stared at the glass, he noticed Robin emerging from the elevator. His mood started to become a bit uneasy. She wore a beige jacket over a skirt that hit just above her knee, paired with a white plain shirt underneath. Law was momentarily stunned. Robin usually dressed casually in the hospital, which he already found beautiful, but today she had put on a little makeup and curled her hair. She looked more mature and somehow different.
Robin struggled a bit with the stack of documents in her arms but still managed to smile and wave at Law when she saw him.
"Hi, Law. Thank you so much for picking me up." she said, fumbling to fix the papers. Once she had everything sorted, she glanced up at him, she showed an expression that Law rarely seen before and her eyes lingering on him a little longer than usual.
"No worries. I didn’t have any plans today anyway." Law replied, not thinking too much about her subtle change in expression.
He stepped forward and took the documents from her hands. "Let me hold these. You can get in the car."
Law didn’t notice Robin's face flushed as she smiled. "Thanks. It's nice seeing you without the big white coat for a change."
Law looked down at his shirt and chuckled. "At least I don't look like a ghost today."
Robin laughed and opened the car door. "Definitely. You look much better today. Less like a murderer."
Her playful comment caught Law off guard for a second. He quickly shook it off, placing the documents in the back seat before hopping into the driver’s side. After setting up the GPS, he began driving towards the convention center.
On the way, Law noticed that Robin was quieter than usual. She seemed to be muttering under her breath, likely going over her speech. Aside from her remark about his outfit, she looked noticeably tense, and he could tell she was nervous.
Trying to lighten the mood, Law initiated a conversation. "Do you know how to count your heartbeat?"
Robin, unsure of where this was going, shook her head. "I only know how to find my pulse."
"Alright, so once you find your pulse, count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 and you can get your bpm." Law explained.
Curious, Robin placed her index and middle fingers on her wrist, just below the base of her thumb, and began counting in her head.
"Uhm... it's around 100?" Robin said after a moment.
"Good, if it were over 150, we might need to head to the hospital instead." Law replied.
Robin laughed. "Are you really that eager to go to the hospital, even on your day off?"
"No way. I'd just drop you off at the front," Law said in a deadpan tone. "Besides, I'm worried you're so nervous your heart might explode literally in my car."
"Of course you don't want my heart to explode. You'd lose the chance to dissect it." Robin teased, narrowing her eyes.
Both chuckled, and Law felt relieved that the tension in the car had eased. He knew how nerves and tension could affect performance, and he was doing his best to help Robin relax before her press release.
"Thank you for coming with me. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, I’m not interrupting your day off too much," Robin said, her expression suddenly shy. "If you get bored and want the rest of your day back, just let me know. I can always grab a taxi home."
"You didn’t interrupt my plan for today, which was to do nothing and just lie in bed," Law replied. "Might as well come out and learn something about those giant blocks. Maybe one of them was written by a time traveler from the future who left a treasure map on one of those ancient rocks. I wouldn’t want to miss that."
Robin chuckled. "I think you’ve been reading too much manga lately. There’s no way I’d share a treasure map with the whole world just like some idiot manga character would do."
"And you don’t think I’m here to steal what you translate?" Law raised an eyebrow.
"A murderer and a thief? Your reputation is in ruins, Doctor." Robin teased.
"Now you know who I truly am." Law smirked.
As their playful banter came to an end, Law turned his car into the parking lot of the conference center.
After Robin and Law arrived at the venue, Robin quickly bid him farewell and went to join her team. Since they were quite early, to let Robin have sufficient time to prepare, Law wandered around, checking out the exhibits that had already been set up. A girl with short orange hair and a dark red hat approached him.
"Hi, are you Robin’s friend?" the girl asked, likely noticing them arrive together.
"Yes." Law replied, a bit awkwardly, wondering to himself—was he really Robin’s friend?
"Oh, this is the first time Robin has brought someone other than Zoro. You’re not going to fall asleep like him, right?" the girl said cheerfully before adding, "I’m Koala, a member of Robin’s team."
Koala's response made Law think about how strange it was that Zoro had asked him to accompany Robin to such an important event. He was interested in the artifacts, sure, but couldn’t Zoro have asked someone closer to Robin to come instead? Law couldn’t help but feel confused as he pondered the situation.
Taking his hand out of his pocket, he shook hands with Koala and said, "I’m Law. I’m just here in Zoro’s place. He’s injured, so he couldn’t come, but I won’t be falling asleep like that idiot."
Koala chuckled. "We heard about that, so the team decided to give Robin a week off. It’s actually been good for her, though…she really needed a break. Robin’s been so busy these past few years that she hasn’t had any time to rest. A girl perfect like her, and she still hasn’t found..." Koala trailed off, but before she could finish, a blonde guy tugged at her ear.
"Koala, don’t you have work to do? Why are you over here happily chatting about Robin?" the blonde man said, his tone sounding a bit like a lecturing, but Law figured this guy was probably jealous that the girl came out all the way to talk to him.
"Sabo! I was just saying hi to Robin’s friend." Koala pouted in response.
"You think I don’t know you’re trying to gossip?" Sabo said quietly close to Koala, though Law still heard him and couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“Hi, I’m Sabo. I’m also a member of the team.” Sabo extended his hand to give Law a hand shake.
“I’m Law. I’m Robin and Zoro’s friend.” Law awkwardly said.
"Sorry, we’ve got things to take care of. We need to head back," Sabo said as he slightly bowed to him, pulled Koala by the arm and dragged her away. “Nice to meet you, Law.”
After the small commotion with Koala and Sabo, Law wandered a bit longer, noticing that the venue was gradually filling with an audience there to attend the press conference. People who are interested in the release, archaeologists from all around the world and reporters were constantly taking photos of the artifacts. Law found an inconspicuous spot to sit down, then snapped a picture and sent it to Zoro. A few minutes later, Zoro responded, saying that just looking at all of it was making him sleepy.
Law rolled his eyes in exasperation, put away his phone, and settled in to wait for the event to begin. About five minutes later, Robin and Sabo took the stage. After the audience applauded, they began presenting their archaeological findings. Law’s eyes were fixed on Robin as she passionately spoke about something she loved. He realized she seemed even more dazzling on the stage. She explained how their team had discovered two massive stone blocks called poneglyph in Alabasta, which were too large and delicate to transport, so they remained there under the care of a stationed team. The presentation slides showed various angles of the stone blocks, along with images of the murals and inscriptions on the walls of the room where the blocks were placed.
After showing the images, Robin shared that after a year and a half of effort, their team had successfully translated the inscriptions on the blocks, confirming that the artifacts were from 900 years ago, during the Void Century. Her explosive conclusion caused an uproar among the archaeologists in the audience, with some even interrupting her, loudly claiming that it couldn’t be true. Robin, however, remained composed, calmly reminding everyone that they could ask questions during the Q&A session at the end of the presentation, where they would answer everything.
Robin continued her explanation, detailing the inscriptions on the stone blocks, which spoke of events that took place during the Void Century. According to the text, there was an ancient civilization that was destroyed by another powerful civilization. Before its demise, this ancient civilization created the poneglyphs as a way for future generations to understand the war that occurred during the Void Century and the reasons behind their destruction.
Robin mentioned that many more of these poneglyphs remained undiscovered across the world, making this an unprecedented archaeological breakthrough. It was the first time in recent years that artifacts related to the Void Century had been unearthed, marking a significant discovery in the field of archaeology.
As Law watched this confident, unshaken version of Robin on stage, he found himself completely captivated by her. Her passion and composure stirred something in him, making him realize a truth he could no longer ignore—a truth he needed to confront Zoro about. He — Trafalgar Law had fallen in love with his best friend's girlfriend.
After the press conference ended, Robin and her team celebrated the event's success at the venue. Despite the mixed reactions from the archaeologists in attendance, some of whom questioned the accuracy of the findings, with a few even accusing Robin's team of fabricating the artifacts, Law saw through their critiques. He felt that many of these scholars were simply jealous, unwilling to be surpassed by younger academics. Robin and her team had provided ample evidence to counter these criticisms, though the heated debates lingered.
Even with the controversy, her team wasn't letting it affect their mood. They enjoyed the food and drinks provided, celebrating with lively energy. However, Law noticed that Robin didn't seem as cheerful as the others. She was mostly going along with the flow, responding politely but with little enthusiasm. After some time, Robin excused herself, telling her team that she needed some fresh air, and she stepped out onto the venue's balcony.
Law, suspecting that the criticisms might have gotten to her, followed her outside.
"You’re not letting those fossilized archaeologists scare you off, are you?" Law asked, approaching her with an unserious tone.
Robin turned to him, smiled softly, and said, "Of course not."
"Are you sure? I thought their bald heads might’ve freaked you out," Law teased.
"I have full confidence in my hair," Robin replied, running her hand through her hair. Then, more seriously, she added, "Thank you for listening to the whole presentation. At least you didn’t fall asleep like Zoro."
"Don’t compare me to that pig. Besides, I found your presentation fascinating."
"Really?" Robin raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Yeah. Your findings are revolutionary. We always assumed the Void Century left no trace, but your team discovered relics from that period. It’s captivating. It makes me wonder why they went to such lengths to carve those messages into stone in a language no one could understand. What happened back then that was so important to preserve?" Law mused. "If I get the chance, I’d love to see those two poneglyphs for myself. Alabasta sounds like a fascinating place."
Robin stared at him for a moment, lost in thought. Law wondered if she was simply tired from the long day of work.
After a brief pause, Robin finally spoke. "If you ever come to Alabasta, I’d be happy to show you around. I lived there when I was younger, and of course I’ve also spent the last few years working on the archaeology site there."
Law considered the possibility that this might be one of the last times he'd see her, especially if he confessed his feelings to Zoro. After that happened, he might never have the chance to even see her. He chose not to respond to her invitation directly. Instead, he shifted the conversation.
"Why are you out here all alone?" Law asked. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with your team?"
Robin stayed silent for a moment, then quietly spoke. "My mother was an archaeologist too. She passed away when I was very young. But in my memories, she was never really there for me—she was always busy with her work. I thought that by following in her footsteps, I’d understand her better. Understand why she abandoned me, why archaeology was so important to her. But now that I’ve taken the same path and am doing the same work, I still can’t understand. I still don’t know why she left me behind."
Law hadn’t expected Robin to open up about something so heavy. As he saw tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, he realized how deeply this hurt her. He had never imagined that Robin, who always seemed so composed and confident, carried such a painful past. Gently, he nodded and said, "You can't understand because you're not her. I don’t know what kind of person your mother was, but from what little I know about you, I can tell you’re someone who genuinely cares about others and thinks of them. That alone makes you different from her. And I’m certain that, unlike her, there are people in your life who are willing to sacrifice their time and effort to truly value and treasure you."
Robin’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him and said, "Thank you. Now that I think about it, I do have a lot of people who care about me."
"I believe that those people who care about you wouldn't want to see you cry on such an important day." Without much thinking, Law gently wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with his thumb. Robin was startled a bit by his action, but she didn’t avoid it, instead her gaze fixed at him, giving him a soft smile.
Law gazed back into Robin’s eyes, his hand still resting gently on her cheek. The warmth of her tears seemed to seep into his heart, and in that moment, he longed to tell her that he, too, was one of those who wanted to cherish her. He wanted to hold her close, to make sure she never felt abandoned again. He wanted to kiss her, to show her that there were people in the world who would love and protect her.
He wished he could be selfish, just for this moment. He didn’t look away from her, he wanted to engrave her face into his memory, knowing that she might be the wrong one, but perhaps even the last one that could make his heart flutter. She is the rare one he has encountered.
As he was about to lower his hand, Robin gently held onto it, her touch surprising him. Her gaze deepened, and the space between them seemed to shrink. She took a step closer, and Law's heart raced and stunned by her action. But with all the strength of his reason, Law gently pulled his hand away and stepped back, turning around to break the moment.
"We should go back. They’re probably looking for you." Law said calmly, his voice steady despite the storm inside him.
Robin, still processing what had just happened, took a moment before nodding quietly.
Without another word, Law walked quickly away from the balcony, his steps heavy with everything unsaid.
Law stood in the corner of the room, sipping what would be his first and last beer of the night. His mind was swirling with confusion, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He couldn’t deny it—Robin seemed to like him too. The way she had held his hand confirmed it. In that fleeting moment, he had wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he knew he couldn’t. He absolutely couldn’t betray his friend. Now, he was left wondering how he could ever repair the trust Zoro had placed in him and how to avoid destroying their friendship. Was he about to lose Zoro as a friend?
Lost in his spiraling thoughts, Law didn’t notice Koala approaching. She glanced around, as if making sure someone wasn’t nearby, and tapped him on the shoulder. Startled, Law turned to find Koala grinning at him.
“Hello again! Did you enjoy the press conference?” she asked.
Law patted his chest, calming himself before answering. “Yeah, of course. Your team’s discovery was ground-breaking. Congratulations.”
Koala smiled knowingly and asked directly. “You’re really here because of Robin, aren’t you?”
Law was taken aback by her question. He was here for Robin, but not in the way Koala was implying.
“You like Robin, don’t you? I saw you two on the balcony just now…” Koala teased.
Law felt his face heat up, his embarrassment mounting. Was he that obvious? If Koala had noticed, surely Zoro could sense something too?
“No, no, it’s not like that. I know that she has a boyfriend…” Law stammered, trying to make her not misunderstand the situation.
“Boyfriend? Robin never mentioned having a boyfriend,” Koala said, looking genuinely surprised. “She told us she broke up with her ex-boyfriend before she left Alabasta, and she has never been in a relationship since…”
What? Law’s mind froze for a moment. Robin didn’t have a boyfriend? Then what was the relationship between her and Zoro? If Zoro wasn’t her boyfriend, why would they live together? Why would they go out with Chopper together? Wait.. did that mean Robin truly liked him? Had his actions on the balcony been a rejection of Robin’s feelings? His thoughts raced, and he ruffled his hair in frustration, feeling the weight of his confusion and regret.
Just as Law was about to ask Koala more, Sabo appeared behind her, his expression dark and unamused. Koala stuck her tongue out playfully at Law, offering a quiet apology before Sabo, still silent, pulled her away. Law couldn’t help but wonder why Sabo seemed so hostile towards him.
Law took out his phone, thinking he would text Robin, ask her to meet him to clarify everything, only to find that she had already messaged him. Robin had told him not to wait for her, her team was heading to another restaurant for a celebration, and one of her colleagues would take her home.
Law thought about his actions on the balcony and immediately regretted them. Robin must have misunderstood, thinking he didn't like her, which is why she told him to leave first. For the first time in his life, Law felt that perhaps he had been too rational.
Reluctantly, Law wandered around the venue one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but she was nowhere to be found. As the crowd thinned out, he realized it was pointless to continue looking. He didn't want to intrude on Robin and her team's celebrations, so he decided to leave the conversation for another time—tomorrow at work, when he could talk to Zoro, he need to clarify everything.
Law's thoughts swirled chaotically since yesterday. Did Robin really like him? What was her relationship with Zoro? Had he misunderstood everything? He replayed their interactions, questioning every gesture, every word. He had indeed assumed Robin and Zoro were a couple, but now, it seemed like he might have been wrong all along. Still, how could he ignore all the signs? The way they lived together, their casual intimacy, everything pointed to them being more than just friends.
If Robin wasn’t Zoro’s girlfriend, then his actions on the balcony last night could have given her the wrong impression. He needed to clear things up, and the only way to do that was by talking to Zoro. Even though the idea made him uneasy, he headed toward Zoro’s room, trying to figure out how to ask without making things awkward.
As Law approached Zoro’s room, he hesitated at the door, wanting to be sure that Robin wasn’t inside before entering. He cautiously cracked open the door to peek inside, and what he saw made his stomach lurch.
Robin was leaning closely into Zoro, her hands were holding Zoro’s shoulder and her body draped against his in an intimate manner. Her head was so near to his that it looked like she was about to kiss him. Law didn’t stay long enough to see more; he quickly shut the door and hurried away, his heart pounding.
He clutched his chest as he rushed down the hallway, feeling the ache spread through his body through his blood. His heart was still beating, but it hurt in a way that felt like it was being squeezed from the inside. He should’ve known better. From the start, he had no business falling for Robin. He had made the gravest mistake of all. At this moment, he no longer cared about her relationship with Zoro. Whether they were a couple or not, the scene he had just witnessed was something he could no longer misunderstand.
Nami walked out of Zoro’s hospital room bathroom, muttering to herself, “Did someone just come in?” As she stepped further into the room, her face contorted into disbelief at the scene before her.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Nami asked, exasperation dripping from her voice.
Robin was using all her strength to keep Zoro from getting out of bed.
“Nami, help me! Robin’s trying to kill me!” Zoro shouted dramatically.
“You’re the one trying to kill yourself!” Robin snapped back. “You just had a car accident and now you want to go to a fencing competition?”
“That idiot Killer is provoking me! He’s saying I’m using the accident to avoid the match.”
“And what do you plan to do in your condition? Collapse on the floor? Stay in bed and rest!”
Ignoring their bickering, Nami picked up a manga book from the table and whacked it hard against Zoro’s head. With a dull thud, he went quiet, instantly knocked out.
Robin blinked at Nami, who calmly put the book down. “Problem solved.” Nami said watching Zoro finally stay still.