Log; On-going

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

When; Dec 27
Rating; G/PG/something
Characters; Naoto [naoto_two] & Nico Robin [blackhibiscus]
Summary; Because of the rather strained tensions between two parties and the worry it has caused, Naoto and Robin sit down at Café Juliet to sort it all out.
Log;

Naoto had gotten used to the snow by now. She wasn't too fond of it, though; it was cold and wet and the glare on a sunny day was painful. At least the streets were relatively clean from constant use, the woman mused as she made her way to the City's most popular café.

She welcomed the warmth that greeted her upon stepping through the door. She scanned the crowds in search of her friend, and upon not finding her, claimed a seat at a table in the corner. It was private and provided a decent vantage point where she could see the passersby through the window and watch the main door at the same time. Naoto took off her gloves and waited. Robin should be arriving any minute now.

Comments

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin quickly made her way through the icy, biting wind that had been torturing the City for a few days now; she didn't mind the weather that much. It reminded her of those winds on the Grand Line that suddenly appeared without having given any indication of doing so. It reminded her of her world. Home.

She quickly stepped inside the noisy café and brushed the snow off her jacket, glancing at the laughing and talking groups of friends before noticing Naoto sitting in a corner. She waved briefly and headed to where her friend was seated; she sat down on the chair opposite of Naoto while taking her jacket off.

"So, here we are, then. How are you?"

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto smiled upon seeing her friend's arrival, waving back cheerily. She enjoyed Robin's company the most out of all of her friends. Here was a woman Naoto felt she could put her whole trust into, despite what was going on with Robin and Jyabura, and with herself and Lucci.

"I'm doing well," the swordswoman answered. "What about you?"

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad to hear that." Robin smiled while she rubbed her hands together, trying to warm herself up after facing the cold weather outside.

She ignored Naoto's question for a moment, thinking of a possible answer to such a mundane question. She didn't even know the answer to that question herself; she'd been in a roller-coaster of events the past few weeks, so answering honestly would be hard.

"I'm fine." she said with a slight hesitation.

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto had been browsing the menu and considering a mug of hot cocoa when Robin answered, and she'd caught the hesitation in the other woman's voice. The assassin glanced up, curious and concerned.

"Are you sure?" God, she hoped so. While she liked and trusted Jyabura, she knew that his organization wanted to kill Robin. If he'd hurt her...

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin quickly smiled and nodded, not wanting to worry her friend. "Yes, yes, I'm sure..."

Actually, she wasn't so sure at all. But right now, her top priority was finding out if Naoto was in fact doing fine, not her own well-being. She stared at the table for a brief second and then looked up with a more serious face and said what had been bothering her for a while now.

"I'm worried."

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

For a moment, Naoto only sat and stared at the menu in her hands. Then, very slowly, she folded it and set it on the table, but she didn't raise her eyes. She knew that insisting she was fine wouldn't work, not with Robin. She had to explain her situation as best as she could.

"I don't mean to worry you."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin frowned and repressed the urge to chuckle at such a basic remark; of course Naoto didn't mean to worry her. But she did. Robin thought of her every day, wondering if she would be okay or not-- which was pretty silly in her own opinion. But then again, she had every reason to be worried, she decided.

"It's just that I don't understand."

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto sighed. She knew the conversation was going to turn this way. She couldn't avoid it.

"What part?" She figured it would be easier than starting from the beginning. If Robin specified which parts confused her, Naoto would have to explain just that bit.

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

"Everything. Why you don't listen to our warnings. Why you're still alive after dealing with him for such a long time." Robin said, trying to sound casual but horribly failing; she wasn't very good at this.

"Why you love him." she added quietly.

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

"Everything?"

The swordswoman turned her gaze to the window to watch the passersby, trying to word her answers in the best possible way. She couldn't possibly explain everything, but... she would try. For Robin's sake, she would try.

"I know who he is, what he is," Naoto began. "I know he's... an efficient killer. Callous, determined, hardhearted. I won't say that he's any different now than he was before, but as long as you persist, you can break walls." She turned her eyes back towards Robin. "His walls still stand. He will not let them topple. But I have been persistent, and I have chipped out a hole."

Smiling slightly, sadly, Naoto picked up her menu once more. "I'm sure whatever reason I give you, you won't believe."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin had expected this, and it didn't satisfy her at all. It was a too easy answer for such an important thing like this. At least, Robin thought it was important.

"But why? Why do you love him?" she whispered almost sadly; she still didn't understand her friend after all this time.

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto paused for only an instant. "He has been kind to me."

She knew Robin wouldn't believe. She'd warned her friend, after all, but Robin had insisted, and Naoto wouldn't deny the woman a truthful answer. Even if it was too hard to believe.

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

"But Luffy has been kind to you too, the same goes for Cook-san. What difference does it make?" Robin said, looking away and sighing. This was harder than she had expected it to be.

She thought it was practically impossible for Lucci to be kind to anyone, but then, she was biased. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto's impatience was running short. What more did her friend want her to say?

"Robin," the swordswoman said quietly, "when someone makes you feel comfortable and safe... you can't help but feel something for them, right? And besides," she added, "I'm not the only one in a relationship with a CP9 assassin."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin turned her head towards her friend and frowned, knowing what that statement meant; but she denied its meaning and asked anyway.

"What are you implying?"

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

"You and Jyabura. He told me." Naoto knew that Robin was pretending she didn't know. "So you can't deny it. I'm worried about you because they want to kill you. I won't let them do that."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

As far as Robin knew, they had decided that they would keep their relationship secret, but he probably wanted to tell at least someone. But why Naoto, out of all people? She made a mental note of asking him when all this was over.

"Them? I think you mean the man you love, not anyone else." she said in a colder tone than she had expected from herself.

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

It stung, that chill in Robin's words. Naoto closed her eyes for a moment, trying to pick the right words to say without angering her friend further.

"If Jyabura won't harm you, then yes, I would only have to worry about Lucci," she conceded at last. "If he were to attack you, I would defend you -- and succeed every time."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

"And why is that?" Robin asked curiously, wondering if Naoto had grown stronger during her stay in the City. She had completely ruled out the possibility that Lucci didn't want to attack anyone because he cared about them, it simply seemed too unreal, even in Naoto's case.

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto did not hesitate in her answer. She knew that though Robin wouldn't believe her, it was the truth. She would only speak the truth around her friend.

"Because he would not hurt me."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin raised her eyebrows and resisted a smile; it'd only do harm in this situation. If Naoto would've been someone else, she would've already burst out laughing. But she knew that her friend was serious, even though Robin thought she was having some very large delusions about her relationship.

"Right."

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Though she'd expected such a reply, that stung too.

Sighing, Naoto turned back to the window. "I know you won't believe me. Perhaps you never will."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Of course Robin would never believe her. They were talking about the man who had done horrible things, after all. Such a sudden change of heart seemed too random for Robin to ever believe.

"You should know that I am trying to believe you, but it seems so ridiculous to me that I simply can't. Forgive me for that."

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

"...I understand."

She supposed that there was no way to convince Robin no matter what she said, no matter how hard she tried. There would only be skepticism and disbelief, until the day came when Naoto would have to face against Lucci in order to protect her friend. She hoped that day would never come.

"You are half right, you know," Naoto said after a moment's thought. "He hasn't changed at all. He's done horrible things, will do horrible things. But people do change, even if it's just a little bit. And that change, while small, could still be significant."

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

At least she finally starts to talk rationally, Robin thought. She smiled sadly and looked at Naoto, suddenly feeling very guilty. Wasn't she the one who was constantly bugging her about her situation? Still, she'd rather have an angry friend than a dead friend.

"To you maybe, because you will only be the one who will see that change. Me and my nakama on the other hand..."

[naoto-two.livejournal.com]

Naoto knew this. She'd known it the entire time, and even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to convince herself otherwise. That would be lying.

"I don't expect anyone else to see that change. But it's enough, I think, to secure your protection." She looked right at Robin, into her eyes. She was deathly serious. "And I will protect you."