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It was late. Well, at this point it had probably tipped into early. It wasn't uncommon for Law to be up at this hour, hunched over the dining table and leaning heavily on his elbows with fingers pressed to his temples. What was uncommon were the footsteps he heard down the hall. He tensed they approached. The footfalls were unfamiliar, indicating that they probably belonged to member of Strawhat-ya’s crew. He looked up just in time to see Robin enter the small kitchen.
“My my, what have we here?” she chuckled to herself quietly, smiling the secretive smile she so often wore. Law wondered if she knew any other ways of smiling. “A captain up late night? Shouldn't you be sleeping? We're landing tomorrow after all,” she asked, filling up the tea kettle with water and setting it to boil.
“Cut the bullshit Nico-ya. You knew I was here, what do you want?” Law ground out. He wasn't in the mood for whatever games the Devil Child wanted to play. Tomorrow was going to be a hell of a day, if the past was any indication.
“No need to be so rude Torao-kun. I just want talk. Harder for you to avoid me when we're traveling underwater, isn't it?” Robin was still smiling that smile. It was a bit infuriating.
There was a long silence, during which the kettle began to whistle. With grace and expert speed, the archeologist poured a cup for each of them and sat down across the table from Law. He elected to ignore his cup, as tea wasn't at the top of his list of drinks.
Instead, he harshly asked, “If we're going to do this now, can we just get it over with?”
“If you're going to be like that, fine. I'll ask again: what do you plan on doing from here?”
He glared at her. “We're going to Wano and we're going to take down Kaido, like we've been planning for weeks. Beyond that, why would you even care?”
Robin hummed, looking thoughtful. A facade, he was sure. She'd probably planned this whole conversation out. “We're more similar than you might think, Torao-kun. That worries me.”
Law definitely did not have the energy for this conversation. He fought back the urge to groan.
“I'll tell you want I think.” Robin continued, “I think you've been living for one reason only up until now: to get your revenge on Doflamingo. I think, having achieved that goal, you feel a lack of purpose and drive. I think that you don't have anything to live for.”
He couldn't deny it, not to Robin who seemed to know everything about everyone. She must have sensed his urge to defend himself, though, because she started talking again before he could interject.
“I've been there. You may not believe it now, but there was a time when I willingly walked towards my own death, thinking I wasn't worth the effort of protecting. I hadn't even completed my goal, and I was willing to die. If it wasn't for Luffy-kun's steadfast determination… suffice to say I wouldn't be here right now.”
Maybe it should have been surprising, but Law could kind of see it. Still, where was she going with this? “So what? Is Strawhat-ya supposed to save me too?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I'm hoping he won't need to. Perhaps you can save yourself. I'll give you something to think about, Torao-kun. There are people relying on you. If you care for them half as much as they care for you, you had better consider your next moves carefully. Don't get reckless after coming so far. You need to find your drive again, something that will make you happy instead of leaving you empty. It might take a while, but you'll be better for it, believe me.”
And damn if this wasn't exactly what Law had been trying to avoid. He sighed, “I don't need to hear this from you, Nico-ya. I already know. If you'll recall, I have a well-functioning brain of my own. I can show it to you if you don't believe me.”
That earned him a chuckle. “I doubt that will be necessary. Organ showcases aside, knowing and acting on that knowledge are two different things. Don't try to put it off, it's important.” Robin made an aborted movement towards rising from her seat, then seemed to come to some sort of decision. “One last tip: I've never told anyone this, but… when I was very young, I met someone who taught me a trick to get through tough times. You just need to laugh.” She smiled fondly at the memory. Holy shit, she did know how to smile other ways. “He had a such strange laugh, too.”
Well, now he was kind of interested, dammit. “Oh yeah?”
“Indeed,” She affirmed. “I still do it sometimes, when things are difficult.” And then, softly: “Dereshishishi.”
That was… not a sound Law had ever expected to hear coming from Robin's mouth. The incongruity of it forced the corners of his mouth up against his will. She smiled, too, catching his eye for a moment.
“See, it helps, doesn't it?”
Law immediately frowned, feeling like he'd lost somehow.
“Give it some thought.” Robin said, finally rising from her seat. The infuriating secret-smile was back in place. She left the room without another word, depositing her teacup in the sink as she exited.
She's right, of course. He got the feeling that she was always right. With another sigh, he too rose from his seat. Law glanced down at his untouched cup of tea, now cooled significantly. On a whim, he took a sip. Hm, better than he expected. He quickly finished the small cup and set it in the sink next to Robin's. Turning off the light, he stepped out of the kitchen. Maybe he would end up getting some sleep tonight.