It was just for one night, Nerine told herself. At least, it was supposed to be for one night. There was nothing special or extravagant about it, a statement she continuously told herself. It was a one-time thing, one night only, and it was never going to happen again. At least, she was hoping it would never happen again. Not that anything was wrong with it, but who knew what kind of rumors would spread aboard the Polar Tang if word got out about what she was up to in the early hours of the morning? How would her crewmates feel about it? Would they be upset by her actions? Confused? Angry? Would they ask a hundred and one different questions about what was going on, or will they pretend like nothing happened and just casually move on with their lives?
It was at that moment that Nerine had to stop walking for the umpteenth time since leaving her bedroom, an action that would have given away her indecisiveness to keep venturing forward. She stared straight ahead with an emotionless emerald green eye while the other had been shielded by a cascade of gray locks, a style that was normal for her. She remained this way for another moment, relaying the previous thoughts again, before exhaling the breath she did not realize she was holding.
If she genuinely cared about what the others would think, then she would not be out and about on the submarine as late as she was making her way to her captain's bedroom...for the second time in what seemed like a while. However, when she put in that perspective, it sounded rather harsh and cruel to think. Nerine, contrary to what she had thought, did care about her crewmates dearly. She would not be where she was without them, and there was no way she would ever be able to repay them for what they've done for her. She felt indebted to them, but at the same time, she felt like there was no way she could return the favor to them. Nevertheless, private matters were still private, and while under the command of the infamous Trafalgar Law, privacy was of the utmost importance. Therefore, there was no way Nerine was going to discuss her reasons for why she was going to see the captain late at night. She had her reasons for going, and she did not feel the need to explain herself to anyone. Even if she did, there was no way to explain herself without sounding odd.
After some time, Nerine shook her head and proceeded forward. Fortunately, she would avoid having to explain herself since everyone was asleep; all except for two.
Walking through the deserted and empty halls of the Polar Tang made the air feel eerie and tense. It was as if someone was watching Nerine's every move from behind an unsuspecting corner, spying on her and trying to figure out what she was up to at this unholy hour. The end of her dark colored robe floated behind her as she gracefully moved forward, dancing to the beat of its own music. Her gray hair, typically styled in a high ponytail on her right side, now hung loosely and brushed against her shoulders and back with every passing step she took. It felt a bit colder than it usually did on the submarine that night, especially for being underwater, and she could not help but hug herself in an attempt to remain warm. Despite the change in temperature, the young woman's expression never changed. Even though she had visibly shuddered after feeling a chill run down her spine, her face remained blank, void of any and all emotion, as her attention remained focused on locating her captain. Cold weather was the least of her concerns at that moment, she told herself.
It did not take long before Nerine had stopped in front of the familiar bedroom door that belonged to Law. She soon found herself staring at the metal door in complete silence, contemplating if knocking was a good idea or not. It was the polite thing to do, but Nerine knew what kind of person Law was when he was awoken from his slumber unexpectedly: he turned into one hell of a grouch, more so than normal. However, the idea of looking up into the cold, fatigued silver eyes of her captain was not much of her concern to her.
The only reason Nerine had come all this way in the first place was because she had a feeling that something was not right with the captain of the Heart Pirates, an odd statement to make about a man like Law. Infamously known as the "Surgeon of Death," it came off as rather strange when anyone was genuinely concerned about his well-being and health. To the rest of the world, Trafalgar Law was a pirate that could kill a man without even lifting his Kikoku, and he would do so without the slightest ounce of hesitation or regret. To the Heart Pirates, however, he was seen in a bit of different light...sometimes. In Nerine's eyes, at least, he was somewhat different than what the world made him out to be. Granted, Law had his moments of "comedic sadism," as she fondly referred to it, finding amusement in messing with his crew from time to time whenever they fell out of line, but he certainly seemed like an entirely new person when out of the public eye. He cared about his crew like any captain should, and he did well to do everything in his power to make sure they were okay...even if they did piss him off at times.
That night, however, was different. Nerine could feel that something was bothering Law, and it was not the first time she felt like this. She could see it in the past few days, the fatigue that seemed to take over despite acting as he normally did. Law did well to hide this fact from the others, resorting to blunt responses or merely leaving the room to avoid further questions, but Nerine knew better. His demeanor did not change in the slightest, she noted, which allowed him to play it off exceedingly well in front of the others, though she was able to see that something was...off with him. It was not his body language that gave it away, but rather the look in his eyes. The way they appeared – more dull and fatigued than usual – made Nerine feel uneasy the longer she observed him. It made her feel as if something was lurking in the back of his mind, and he was using every ounce of strength in him to keep it from latching on to him any further. It did the trick, though at the cost of him losing sleep at night, and in Nerine's mind, losing sleep was not an option for Law.
Realizing this made her feel the need to do something about it, which prompted her first visit to him quite some time ago. Unfortunately, she wasn't expecting to do it more than once. She was only planning to stop by his room once, not twice.
After a moment, the young woman inhaled slowly before raising her hand, gently tapping on the cold metal door just hard enough for the man inside to hear.
"Captain..." She spoke. Her voice was monotonous and void of any emotion similar to the look in her eyes. Her hand lowered to her side as she patiently waited for any sort of response, but nothing of the sort came. If anyone else were in her position, they would have merely assumed he had gone to sleep and left. Nerine, however, knew him better than that. "I know you're awake in there, Captain, so there's no need to stay silent." She pressed coolly, unfazed by the fact that he may have been deliberately ignoring her. That, or he was genuinely asleep and just waking up because of the knocking. "May I come in?"
She remained there for about a minute, hoping to hear a voice of any kind as a sign of his approval or disapproval of her presence. She contemplated knocking again, hoping that the light tapping would be enough to let him know that she was still present, but the idea was soon shot down as the metal door suddenly began to open. She did not react at first, merely watching as it opened up just enough to reveal the person inside before she looked up at the man that was Trafalgar Law, who was staring down at her with – as expected – fatigued gray eyes. Not to her surprise, he had chosen to sleep without a shirt, revealing all of the tattoos that were permanently inked on his body along with almost every toned muscle he obtained over the years of training. His dark hair was a bit disheveled, Nerine noticed, indicating his attempts at getting rest but to no avail. His silver gaze bore into her, but what surprised her the most was the fact that there was not a single ounce of annoyance or anger hidden in them. Instead, it was as if he was expecting her to be there, anticipating it long before she even considered the idea.
"You're up late again," Law commented blandly, his expression resembling Nerine's as he looked her over once. It was not intended to be harsh in the slightest, but rather a quick jab at the fact that Nerine was, once again, standing at his bedroom door.
Nerine, who had taken a brief moment to casually look at him as well, stared at him blankly.
"Coming from the man who hasn't been sleeping well these past few days," she answered calmly, "once again."
The comment alone was enough for Law to faintly smirk before running a hand over one of his sideburns. He could not deny it; she had a good point.
"Of course you would be the first to notice, Neri," he muttered as he opened the door completely, gesturing with his head for her to enter. "Why wouldn't you be?"
Nerine did not respond to his comment at first when she entered, briefly taking in the familiar sight and scent that was his bedroom while Law shut the door behind them. The moment it closed, however, she stopped in the middle of his room.
"Are you having nightmares again, Captain?" She inquired softly, turning her head in his direction a bit and looking over his back tattoo while he remained standing near the door with his hand on the handle. Her attention was focused more on the fact that something was amiss in his head rather than the fact that he was topless; after all, it was certainly not the first time Nerine had seen her Captain this way, and it was not in the intimate manner as some would believe. Still, she could not help but look at the markings on his body from time to time. The details were something to admire.
"Law..." The captain answered her flatly, causing Nerine to snap her brows together as she turned to look at him more.
"Hm?"
Law glanced over his shoulder to look at her as well, his eyes still fatigued and void of emotion.
"Didn't I tell you before that you can refer to be my name when we're alone?" He questioned her, though it sounded a lot more like a statement.
Nerine blinked and quirked a brow, bewildered by his words at first before her expression returned to its neutral state.
"Ah...you did say that. Numerous times, in fact," She answered indifferently while turning her gaze elsewhere. It was unclear if it was out of embarrassment or just because, but regardless of that, her expression did not change in the slightest. After a moment, she glanced at him again. "You know, I'm surprised you brought that up, Cap-" She cut herself off, sheepishly cleared her throat, and continued, "Um...Law."
Law could not help but smirk at that; hearing her speak his name in such a forced manner like it was foreign to her still amused him. He enjoyed seeing her in a less professional light; it made her feel more human and less robotic.
"Why do you say that?"
"You make it sound like we're keeping secrets from everyone or something," She went on to say casually, shifting her gaze to the bookshelf nearby before slowly approaching it. "Like we're secretly-"
"Lovers?" Law finished her statement with a devilish look in his eye, keeping his back toward her.
The answer caused Nerine to stop walking and deadpan as she looked at him, raising a brow almost instantly.
"I was going to say 'in a relationship,'" she told him bluntly before moving once again. "But I suppose that's another way of putting it."
Releasing the handle, Law turned to Nerine, raising a brow as he watched her glide across the room to where his books resided, before following after her.
Law was very aware of the fact that Nerine's was seemingly indifferent and apathetic to the idea of romance. It was something she did not care for; at least, as far as he knew, she had no interest in it. If anyone were to ask if he and Nerine had something going on, she would be the first to deny it without missing a beat. Law had no issue with that, of course. It was the truth, after all. However, one thing was sure; Law would be lying if he did not admit that Nerine was an attractive woman in her own right. Her skin may have been more on the paler side of the spectrum, but she barely had blemishes that marred her from what he could see. Sure, she may not have been as curvaceous as some of the women he laid eyes on, but Law did not really care much about physical appearances anyway. She was highly intelligent, able to respect and challenge him as a captain without an ounce of fear or hesitation behind her words. In many ways, being around him on the submarine for so long gave her the chance to read him like an open book, grow numb to his ways, and react accordingly. It made her that much more attractive, captivating, to the Surgeon of Death.
However, there was a reason for why Nerine was the way she was when it came to intimacy, even social interactions as a whole, and it may have been the result of one of her most well known...qualities.
"Law, you're standing a little too close to me. Do you mind?"
Nerine made the sudden and strict command just moments after Law had stopped to stand behind her, glancing over her smaller form to find her skimming through one of his medical books absentmindedly. It was evident that she was no longer reading the contents of it, but instead focusing on the fact that he was inches away from her. Even as he remained still, Law could see just how uncomfortable she felt knowing that he was a bit too close for her comfort. Not only that, but he could visibly see just how tense she had become as well; her shoulders had stiffened, the grip on the book had tightened, and he could have sworn her breathing had increased slightly from the way her chest rose and fell. The sight alone was enough to make him frown and narrow his eyes.
Even though she was comfortable being in his room, seeing him in nothing but a pair of pants, and reading his books without asking, Trafalgar Law did not forget about Nerine's crushing phobia of physical contact. Haphophobia, as it was referred to in the books he had read.
Being as close as he was to her still caused Nerine to feel a sense of panic wash over her, regardless of the fact that she had known him and was comfortable in his presence in most situations. In her mind, she was terrified that Law may put his hands on her, no matter the reason or intent behind it, and it was that thought alone caused her heart to race to the point where it may have exploded out of her chest. However, she knew it would not be the case; at least, she continued to convince herself of that fact. Nerine knew that Law would never put his hands on her – or any crewmate for that matter – with the intent of harming her unless she gave him a reason to do so. In Nerine's case, he never had a reason; therefore, he never did touch her unless he obtained expressed permission. He may have been the "Surgeon of Death" to the world, but even he knew how to respect someone's personal space when needed. Nevertheless, even after reminding herself time and time again that everything was fine, her hands would still clam up with anxiety, and her mind felt fuzzy as if she were about to faint at that very moment.
It was nerve-wracking for her to experience, and any sane person would do well to try and keep a reasonable distance until they calmed down or at least said that it was okay to approach. Law, despite his profession, was not one of those sane people.
"It looks like you're improving, Neri," he commented, observing her calmly and disregarding her previous request.
Nerine was quiet for a moment, inhaling deeply as she did her best to push away her fears, before slowly turning her head. Her emerald eyes were downcast, avoiding his gaze, and her brows had snapped together. She appeared unsure of how to respond to his words, almost as if she was baffled by them, but soon enough she exhaled through her nose before muttering, "I didn't come all this way for another therapy session, Law."
"I never said this was one," he noted as he cautiously took another step closer to her. In an instantly, he watched her eyes flicker with anxiety, widening as she watched him take that step. "Still, it's better to work on it as much as possible so you may overcome your phobia faster. Wouldn't you agree?"
Nerine kept a close eye on him as if she were a hawk watching over its prey, and she remained this way for what seemed like an eternity. When she felt comfortable, or as close to comfortable as she could get, she turned her head forward and continued reading the book, the contents of which she had long forgotten.
"I can't disagree with that. However, I already told you I didn't come here for my sake, but for yours," the young woman stated plainly. Law merely raised a brow as she continued. "I know you've been awake for days because of your nightmares again, and I'd rather not see our captain spend another day-" Nerine was cut short as she suddenly gasped when Law slowly grasped the book in her hands, causing her to release it as if she was burned. She immediately felt her heart drop into her stomach as panic began to set in, and her first instinct was to step back in an attempt to distance herself. Unfortunately, she had completely forgotten that Law was still standing behind her, and she accidentally backed into him. The immediate contact with him caused her to freeze up instantly as she pulled her hands to her chest, attempting to keep herself away from Law's tattooed hands out of the fear that she would be hurt by them. She took a moment to process everything before looking up at the raven haired man, glaring at him while he merely smirked triumphantly. "I'm g-glad to see you find pleasure in torturing me..." She grumbled.
Law chuckled as he shut the book.
"Morbid curiosity got the better of me," he joked as he set the book back onto the shelf. The action brought Nerine closer to him, causing her back to press up against his chest, and she felt her body stiffen. "I wanted to see how far I could get without you breaking down, though telling you is something I should have done. I don't want to be held responsible for accidentally giving you a heart attack." After setting the book back to its original spot, Law looked down at her, noticing how uncomfortable she had become once more – bug-eyed, fast breathing, and trembling hands – before sighing and taking a small step back. Before Nerine could relax and catch her breath, however, he gently grasped her shivering wrist and began moving toward his bed, pulling her along with him. "Come," he commanded as he walked, ignoring Nerine's look of mortified confusion.
It was at that moment that something clicked in Nerine's mind. Something was off with him, she realized. He was not himself; it was like something was bothering him, but she could not put her finger on it. She did not recall him having the desire to get anywhere close to Nerine unless she openly stated that she was okay with it. Was it because of his nightmares, or was it because of something else? Nerine had to know; if only he would stop touching her for a good minute or so and allow her mind to think straight.
Upon reaching the edge of his bed, Law turned to face Nerine, looking down at her with half-lidded silver eyes. He soon realized that her attention was focused on the fact that he still had a hold of her wrist, something that upset him. He did not want her focusing on that anymore; after all, she said she was here for him, did she not? As selfish as it may have sounded, it was her words. With that in mind, he raised his free hand and gently placed it under her chin, causing her to flinch in surprise. However, she kept her gaze downward, staring at his hand grasping hers as if she was fearful of him tearing it off. Law frowned once again.
"Neri," he spoke in a commanding tone. However, it still remained gentle; an odd sound coming from him. "I want you to look at me."
It was evident from the way she shifted in her spot that Nerine heard his command but was refusing to listen. Of course, she would. A shame that her phobia caused this much stress for her, wanting to distance herself from someone she knew she could trust. The only silver lining of hope was that she was not reacting in the manner that she had before, which he recalled was far worse than what it was now. Nevertheless, the sight of her looking away and focusing on her fears rather than him was a bit upsetting.
After a brief moment of silence, Law sighed and raised her chin upward, hoping it would do the trick and force her to look at him. Unfortunately, she was about as stubborn as a mule and continued to avert her gaze. By then, he knew she was purposefully refusing to look at him; no doubt she was more concerned with the physical contact and her desire for him to release her rather than listening to his orders. Annoying, he noted, but it was an understandable reason. Still, it did not change the fact that it was a direct order, and he was not a fan of repeating himself more than once. With that in mind, Law finally listened to her silent request and released her hand, allowing her to swiftly move it away and return it to her side. However, rather than releasing her face as well, he raised his hand and slowly moved it toward her face, only to pause when she flinched and shrank back, shutting her eyes tightly as if she were expecting him to strike her. An asinine thought, he told himself, since he had already gone over this numerous times before with her.
"I told you before, Neri," he informed her calmly, moving the locks of her gray hair that shielded half her face and tucking it behind her ear. He watched her visibly relax at the action, a pleasant sight for him, as he went on. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I-I know that, Capt...Law..." She finally found her voice after what seemed like an eternity, once again correcting herself after recalling his previous orders. Her eyes fluttered open and finally looked at him with a look of shame. "I'm...I'm just not..."
"It's fine," he interjected, gently cupping her face with both hands. He felt her tense up at the action, yet he paid little mind to it as he brought his face closer to hers. Nerine inhaled sharply as her eyes widened, holding her breath as he gently placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he did so. "But you will. Just...just give it time, okay?"
Nerine felt a sense of uncertainty and confusion the longer she stared at him, unable to comprehend her captain's actions. She had never seen Law act this manner – so sympathetic and reassuring – and it was almost foreign to her. Yes, he did have his brief moments of compassion, a sight she could not help but admire, yet she had never seen him act this way. At least, not toward anyone else. Who was this man, and what had he done with her monotonous and ruthless pirate captain?
After some time, she reminded herself of the reason for why she was there: She came to the conclusion that his nightmares may have been causing this odd change in personality. Whatever he was dreaming about left him in this state, deprived him of his old personality and replaced it. That had to be the only explanation, even if the idea did sound a bit silly to other people.
With that in mind, Nerine cautiously raised her hand and moved it toward his cheek. Before she could touch it, however, she hesitated, feeling her heart beat faster over the realization that he was still touching her, and soon began to recoil.
"Your...your nightmares must be the cause of this," she stated blankly, attempting to return to a more neutral state and ignore her own fears for a moment, while her hand reached for his face again. "I-if you'd like, maybe I could use my powers again to-"
"Stay with me."
The sudden statement threw her off, causing her brows to snap together as a hint of bewilderment crossed over her usually blank features. What changed her expression was when one of Law's hands moved from her cheek to take hold of her wrist once more, preventing it from moving any further. Her heart, once again, dropped into her stomach at the sudden contact, yet she made no attempt at pulling away. Instead, she found herself focusing on the words that had just escaped her captain's lips. Did she hear him right or was her mind playing tricks on her once again?
"I...I'm sorry?"
Law inhaled deeply before slowly opening his eyes again, staring at her intently.
"Stay with me," he repeated himself. "Just for one night." He hesitated a moment as his gaze shifted. "Please..."
Nerine was left speechless at that point, finding it difficult to comprehend what she was witnessing, what she was hearing. He was begging; Trafalgar Law never begs for anyone or anything.
"Law, I...I don't..."
"I know it's not like me to do something like this," Law explained, cutting her off once more. Nerine went silent, allowing him to continue. "I know it's out of character for me, and I know it sounds wrong for me to ask you of all people since you're terrified of being this close to me. But..." He hesitated once more as he looked at her again. "I don't...feel safe waking up with the idea that, one day, you might not be here. That you really... That you're actually..."
Nerine furrowed her brows at that, watching as Law shut his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. She remained this way for a moment before it finally hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Your nightmares...are similar to the ones you had last time," She muttered. "They...they were about everything that's happened, about the people that you lost years ago. Right?" Law did not say anything to confirm or deny her statement; he refused to say a word at all, almost as if he felt ashamed for what he said. "You're worried...that you're going to wake up and realize I've been dead this whole time. Is that it?"
His silence was enough for Nerine to actually understand; Law was worried that he would wake up one day to find that Nerine had died alongside his loved ones, his classmates, or even Corazon. He must have been kept up all this time wondering, "What if?" What if she had died along with his classmates and family? What if she had been shot and killed by Doflamingo, just like Corazon? It made her feel sympathetic toward him, knowing just how much of an effect those events, those people, had on his life.
The reminder caused Nerine to forget about her own fears briefly as she gently placed her hand – the one Law held onto – on his cheek. His hand remained clasped to her wrist, yet he did not react as she brushed her thumb against his olive skin. Her eyes remained sympathetic as she continued to look at him, seemingly contemplating her next choice of words, before sighing.
"I, uh...I don't think it would be right...for me to say no when you're in this state of mind," she muttered softly, allowing her gaze to falter. She soon felt his eyes on her once more, eyeing her carefully as she went on. "I mean, it is just...one night, after all, so it's not that big of a deal. Right?" Nerine waited for him to answer, to say anything in response, but she was only met with silence once again. Blinking, her eyes looked up, glimpsing into those silver eyes of his as they looked down at her. She could see it clear as day; he was hurting deep down, and it killed her to see her captain in such pain. "Captain?" She muttered curiously. Before she had the opportunity to say anything further, though, she was caught by surprise when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. She gasped and flung her arms around his neck tightly, feeling her heart pounding in her just as her breathing began to quicken, as he turned to face the bed. "W-what are you doing?!" She exclaimed in a small voice, fearful of waking up her crewmates. She could have sworn her face burning, though she found it difficult to tell if it was more out of embarrassment than anything else.
"I thought it was obvious," Law plainly stated as he climbed into his bed, keeping a firm grip around Nerine as he did so before gently placing her onto the mattress and pillows.
"I-I could have gotten in bed by myself, you know," she informed him as he positioned himself over her, using just one hand to support himself while the other casually rested on her hip. Her arms relaxed as she released him, though her hands remained clasped behind his neck. The action seemed unconscious, he realized, as she made no motion to move her hands away. Not that he was complaining.
Law stared down at her for another moment before smirking.
"I know," he answered smugly, "but it's better to catch you by surprise and watch your face turn red with embarrassment." His smirk grew. "It's highly amusing to watch."
Nerine glared at him for that, unable to hide the crimson that was now flushing her cheeks, but she said nothing in response. Instead, she decided to turn her head away, glaring at something else. The action left her blissfully unaware of the fact that Law's expression soon softened, the smug look vanishing almost instantly, the longer he looked her over. The longer he did that, the more his mind began to wander.
It may not have been the first time Nerine had made her way into his room, arriving to assist him with his bout insomnia with the help of her Devil Fruit powers, but it was the first time she was placed in a rather precarious situation with him. Just looking at her gave away just how awkward she felt lying beneath him. She was tense, her breathing picked up once again, and if he put an ear to her chest, he knew he would hear it pounding. Nevertheless, the longer he remained looming over her, the longer he continued to look over every inch of her body, the more his desires began to grow within him.
Law had always wondered what it would be like to pull this enigmatic young woman into his arms, to capture her lips in a kiss so passionate that she would tremble with ecstasy and beg for more. He always wondered what it would feel like to brush his hands over her bare and delicate skin, wondered if they were soft to the touch. He always wondered what it would be like to delve into the throws of passion euphoria, to drown in ecstasy and claim her mind, body, and soul all for himself. He wanted to know all of these things and more, but he always knew taking advantage of someone like Nerine was out of the question. Not only was it due to his profession, but it was also because he was still her captain. Dominating her based on status was distasteful, he noted, no matter how badly one's body craved the body of another. The only reason she was there in the first place was that of she, as a crewmate, was worried about his health and well-being. As far as he knew, she had no desire of going to that point with anyone, and forcing her to go that far without her consent was too far. After all, she still had her phobia controlling almost every aspect of her life, so who was to say that she would even want to go that far?
"C...Captain...?"
It took a moment, but Law soon came back to his senses. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he soon began to realize his face was just inches from Nerine's, inches away from pressing his lips to hers and divulging into his carnal desires. He blinked, staring at her widened eyes for another moment as if he was still processing what was happening before he mustered the strength to turn his head away. Clearly, she was not only confused by what he was about to do but scared of what he had considered. That alone was enough of an answer for him; she was not ready for something like that right now, and he was glad she brought him back from that dangerous mindset before he had taken a step too far.
After some time had passed, Law looked at her briefly before he allowed himself to collapse next to her, pulling her into his arms as he did so. Nerine froze once more at the close contact, still baffled by everything that was happening before she slowly looked up at him.
"Law, are you...are you alright?" She found her voice again, moving her hands so they rested comfortably against Law's chest. It was evident by the tone of her voice that, while she did not forget about what happened mere moments ago, she was more concerned with what was going on in his head than anything else.
Law contemplated answering the question honestly, wondering if he was prepared to explain what he was thinking before he exhaled through his nose and closed his eyes. His grip around her waist tightened a bit, almost in a protective manner, before he muttered, "I'm all right, Neri. Just...tired." He felt her gaze on him for another moment before she looked away, cautiously placing her forehead against his chest. "It's late, so I think it's time we both rest. We'll need it."
Nerine hummed in agreement at that, allowing her own eyes to slowly shut.
"I...I suppose so," she answered softly. It went silent for a moment before she suddenly said, "Law...I, um, I know I said that...this was just for one night...but..." Law opened his eyes a bit, keeping them half-lidded as he glanced down at the top of her head. "If...if you need me to stay with you...for the night again without using my powers to quell your nightmares, I...I can...do that for you..."
"What about your phobia?" Law inquired unconsciously, feeling genuinely surprised that she would even make such an offer when she could barely stand next to him without going stiff like a marble statue. "It's obvious that you're tense while I hold you like this, and I don't want you doing anything that you're not comfortable with."
Nerine chuckled softly at that, a rare occurrence from someone so monotone.
"Funny you mention that," she answered, "because I am a bit nervous being here like this, but I'm...also a little relaxed, too. I...I feel safer...like this." She paused momentarily as if she had suddenly fallen asleep, but it did not take long for her to speak again. "I'm...I'm not sure why, either, and it's...rather strange."
"Hm," came Law's response as he closed his eyes once more. "Then it's just as I said before. Your therapy is helping you improve." A faint smirk formed on his lips. "Even if you didn't intend to have one tonight."
He was expecting her to make a retort as she normally did, respond with a sarcastic comment or even just a simple hum, but nothing came. He was met with the sound of silence. After a moment, silver eyes opened yet again and looked down at her, curious as to why no remarks had been made. Before he could utter her name and ask, however, he soon felt her body slowly rise and fall his arms. It was a clear indication that Nerine had finally fallen asleep. Quite a surprise that she ended up clocking out right in her captain's arms, a sight that would make anyone question if her phobia was genuine or for the sake of grabbing her captain's attention, but Law had no complaints. After all, if she was comfortable and relaxed where she was, then who was he to try and ruin that?
Instead, his eyes closed for the last time that night, holding onto her protectively as if it would be the last time he would ever be this close to her.
Nerine would be there when he woke up, Law told himself as he drifted into his sleep. He made certain that nothing, not even the nightmares that kept him awake, would change that fact.