Robin entered the house just after Nami, with Franky not very far from her. She had decided when she was still dressing up at the Thousand Sunny that tonight was the night the cyborg and her were going to define exactly what was going on with their relationship.

Although everyone seemed to think they were together, that was no longer true. They had been, once, before the two years the crew spent apart. But after they reunited things weren’t the same anymore; and Robin would say that happened mainly because of Franky. Indeed she had been a little cold with him the moment they first laid out on each other, but she was only playing around, especially because he had changed so little personally, in contrast with how much his outside was different. She tried to reach out to him several times after that first day, but each time he gave her a different excuse.

She just couldn’t really understand why. The chemistry between them had been undeniable since the very first second they met. He was by her side the whole time in those crappy events that took place in Enies Lobby. He saved her life a couple times there too. Then she forced him into the crew by torturing him via his genitalia. She would never admit it to anyone – not even him –, but she got rather impressed by him right there. After that, they stuck together through the entire Thriller Bark incident. They had sex for the first time there, and Robin could easily say it was the best she ever had – the first time she engaged on it out of feelings, and that was an experience simply unforgettable. They shared a few more very nice moments in the Shaboady Archipelago, and that was when he told her he didn’t need anyone else as long as he had her. Robin thought that meant they were together, but apparently that was not the case, considering he pretty much ignored her ever since.

She tried to give him space, waiting for when he would finally explain things to her. If he had found someone else, she would be crushed, but would understand, as long as he solved things like an adult, and not by simply pushing her away. And above all, they were nakama, and they owned full commitment to their crew and their captain. Therefore, after the island of the Fishmen, Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, she was finally done with waiting.

Before he could deny her, she grabbed him and forced him to dance with her.

“Oy, what are you doing, Robin?”

“Just dancing. Indulge me for a minute, okay?”

He looked ready to protest, but saw in her eyes she wouldn’t take no for an answer. They went from one side to the other slowly, his massive size clearly interfering in the activity. As they supposedly danced, Robin saw Nami talking to Law in a corner, smiling brightly. Robin was happy to see the orange haired girl managed to achieve what she had gone there to do. She had been so nervous while getting ready for the party that Robin understood everything immediately. Not far from where those two stood, Luffy proceeded to devour every piece of meat in the cater. He was soon get into trouble for that, but for now there was nothing to worry about.

“Robin, can we stop now? This kind of dance super isn’t my style.”

Robin looked up to him, looking as serious as he had ever seen her.

“We can. But one way or the other, we are going to have a nice long talk.”

Franky opened his mouth several times, trying to say something, anything that would be reason enough for him to manage to escape that. However, he couldn’t think of anything. At that party there was no engine to be fixed, or room to be repaired.

“Franky, I’ll be really straight about that. We are either having this conversation today or we are never going to have any other conversation again. Did I make myself clear enough?”

He only nodded. He knew he had already gotten away with it for too long, but just the thought of everything he would be forced to admit was painful enough. Robin took him by the hand, or rather, by a finger, used her ability to grab a bottle of bourbon from the tray of one of the waiters and pushed him out of the building, into the nice and huge maze garden which surrounded the house.

She only stopped walking at the core of the maze, where a stone bench seemed to be waiting for them. Letting go of his hand, she sat and looked at him. Slowly, Franky walked to her and sat cross-legged on the floor, so that his eyes were level with hers.

Robin opened the bottle and gave one long gulp, handing it to him afterwards. Franky, however, declined.

“I can only drink cola, otherwise I become someone else.”

The sad smile she opened told him she already thought him to be someone else, and he couldn’t blame her, could he? The way he was acting around her lately… it wasn’t how he used to be.

“Just explain me why and I’ll never bother you again, Franky.”

Those words cut through him like a knife. He had simulated that conversation several times in his head, and every time he failed to provide a satisfactory answer to her, because the truth was that he was a coward. He didn’t want to lose her altogether, so he just kept pulling her further and further away, enough so he could still have the tiniest piece of her.

Robin waited for him to say something, but he just looked at his own hands, opening and closing his mouth several times. That just wasn’t him. Franky was loud and usually completely annoying, but that was something she loved about him, since it was so different from her own personality. It was part of what made them work, part of that wonderful chemistry that belonged solely to them.

“Look at me Franky.” She demanded authoritatively. He obeyed immediately. “Now tell me whatever it is that is wrong. I can’t bear waiting for you to be ready to tell me anymore. I waited enough. If you found someone else, or whatever it is that happened when we were apart, just tell me already, so we can at least be proper friends again.”

He was shocked for a minute. She actually thought he could have fallen for other person?

“Just say something, Franky!” there were tears glistening on the corners of her eyes.

“I… I just… Please, Robin, don’t cry.”

He reached his hands to her, but immediately withdrew. The size of his hands, next to the size of her face… It just wasn’t right.

“Of course there’s no else, I don’t know even how could you think of this.”

“Maybe it was because you’ve been avoiding me for months.”

“I’m super sorry about that, Robin, but truth is I’m a coward. I saw the look in your eyes when we met again in Shaboady and you were right to look at me like that. I’m basically a robot now.”

“You just took me by surprise, Franky. I should have known you would do this to yourself, but you were just so different… But it didn’t matter. It never mattered. You were still you.”

“But I’m not, am I? Robin, there’s no way I can touch you anymore. My hands are not human hands, they don’t feel anything. And look at the size of them. I can hurt you even if I don’t mean to.”

It took Robin a few moments to swallow it all down. So, he was afraid he could hurt her because of the new size of his body? She had to admit she didn’t expect him to be so different, so… less human. However, it took her no time at all to realize inside he was still the same.

“Why couldn’t you tell me this from the start?”

“I didn’t want to lose you completely, so I kept delaying this conversation. I was sure you wouldn’t want me anymore, anyways. I still am actually.”

She chuckled bitterly.

“Yeah. The cold hearted Nico Robin wouldn’t want her boyfriend back after two years, of course.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean that.”

“But that’s just my fame, isn’t it? I’m heartless, everyone knows that.”

“Just stop it. What I mean is that no woman in her right mind would want me after the monster I became.”

“Then, I’m not in my right mind, am I? Stupid. I could care less about how you look. If your body is different now we just have to start all over again, find out what works and what does not.”

“But I could hurt you.”

“I’m the Ohara demon, Franky. Not even a Buster Call could hurt me.”

He wanted so badly to touch her right now, but his hands were just so big he would have to use the smaller set he installed inside the big ones, which would probably ruin any mood, and more than that, even if he did use his smaller hands to touch her, he wouldn’t feel a thing. It was all very frustrating.

Sighing, Robin put her hands around his neck and kissed him. He responded immediately, not even stopping to think. She let all her frustration and love pour in that kiss, hoping he would understand what she felt.

“I love you, Franky.”

Franky didn’t know if he was supposed to cry or smile, so he did both.

“I love you too, Robin.”

“We’ll take it slow, rediscover what works. Together.”

Franky nodded.

“Our chemistry was always the best.”

She chuckled.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

They spent the rest of the evening there, talking mainly about the two years they spent apart, about the explosion that forced him to modify his entire body, and not just some parts of it. Robin told him about the bridge and the revolutionary army, how she became friends with Koala, and everything she learned at their hideout.

Everything would be fine. It would take some time, but they would figure it all out eventually. And that was more than Franky, or even Robin, had expected.