Like always, the coffee was perfect this morning and warmed you down to your bones. You wiggled down further into the booth and carefully placed your cup on the floor before turning the page of your book. The fish in the aquarium beside you swam around lazily, only darting away on the rare occasion you readjusted. The light from the tank was perfect to read by and that coupled with the blissfully rare quiet had you in a good mood.

It wasn't too late in the morning. Far enough into it that daylight's first rays were subtly peeking through windows and from behind curtains. You'd been here long enough now that you were beginning to learn the gang's schedule and knew it wouldn't be too much longer until they also began to stir. Like usual, Brook would be first. You'd seen him, on a few occasions, as he'd gone about his ritualistic morning routine. He always started with brewing a fresh pot of water for tea, humming the same tune by heart. On days like this, when you were awake even before him, he'd greet you with a smile and a nod before doing what you assumed had to be the best part of his day. Brook would slide past you to reach for the gaudy electric guitar easily hidden beside the staircase leading up to the second floor, plug it in, and play his tune with deft fingers. It was just loud enough to wake everyone else without seeming all that annoying. As someone who wasn't a fan of waking up to an alarm, you actually enjoyed this. If he was in a particularly good mood, his humming would turn to singing and he'd sway around the room to the music.

And like clockwork, that was exactly how the day started as sunlight overtook the light from the aquarium and you were basking in the warm rays that peeked through the front door's glass and down the hall. You could safely say, you felt very at ease in the moment, even with the muted sound of Zoro and Sanji bickering to each other through their bedroom walls. Their arguing never really ended, it was more like they'd fall asleep making backhanded comments and wake to pick up where they left off. It made you a little anxious the first few nights but now you were very accustomed to it.

"What are we reading today?" Brook asked as he noticed you'd lingered on the same page for some time. He'd paused his tune long enough to get the words out before continuing effortlessly.

"Hmm?" You glanced down at the pages and back at the tall, spindly man. "Oh, just something about pirates. It's kinda interesting."

He nodded happily, content with your answer as a smile on his lips while the song neared it's end. You would have said playing something like an electric guitar first thing in the morning would be too harsh but he somehow made it seem anything but. The man was downright magical when it came to his musical skills.

Like always, the crew began to come to life as the last note rang out. The first to emerge was Chopper, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he stumbled out of his room. He gave you a sweet, tired smile and a lazy wave as he went straight to the kitchen, presumably for a glass of water. That's how he usually liked to start his day.

Slowly but surely, everyone else followed. Brook wandered off to make himself a cup of tea, deciding that he'd rather not bother you further. Robin and Nami made their way to sit at the booth nearby, chatting about their plans for the day as they woke up. Next was Franky and Usopp, headed straight to the kitchen in hopes of getting breakfast soon. And last were the three noisest men in the crew.

Sanji and Zoro were snapping at each other, merely a hairs breath away from having their noses touch as they looked just about ready to go to blows. You knew that wouldn't be the case, it never was, but it still didn't stop you from wondering if that'd suddenly change some day. Luffy was right behind them, giggling at how ridiculous they were being. You figured if there really did come a day that they'd seriously fight each other, Luffy would be the first one to see it coming so if he was relaxed about it, you supposed you could be too.

The three men followed suit with the rest of the crew, wandering into the kitchen. Sanji spared you a quick, toothy smile before returning to a scowl as he grumbled to Zoro who only looked your way in response to the first noticing your presence. Luffy didn't even bother as he instead seemed to almost drool over the thought of breakfast.

With the exception of you and the girls, everyone else was now keenly waiting for food. That meant that the noise in the room had dulled and the muscles you didn't realize you'd tensed began to uncoil. You'd been adjusting surprisingly well to living with others again but there were still days that you couldn't help but feel on edge. Today was one of those days.

It wasn't exactly terrible, you felt fine around the crew, but you couldn't help but also feel hyper aware of everything around you. The sunlight that bounced off the water in the tank and flashes of sleek, scaled bodies. The polite murmurs of the girls, voiced lowered to not distract you from your own reading. The slightly louder few conversations in the kitchen that overlapped too well for you to only be able to pick out the occasional word. The delicate rumbles that trickled out of Clover's throat as she wandered the home, greeting everyone. And to your displeasure, the sharp scuffs of shoes along concrete, just outside the front door.

It was a sound you should not have been able to pick out from the many other stimuli surrounding you but on rare occasions, though overall subdued, your inner dragon would find ways to creep to the surface. It could always notice things you otherwise couldn't.

The footsteps shifted in front of the door, like the owner was gathering the will to knock. You watched the door, seeing the dark shape of a man framed in the frosted glass window at the top.

Robin seemed to notice you were distracted and followed your gaze, appearing as unphased as she almost always did. "Is there someone...?"

She didn't have to finish the thought. A quick knock cut through the noisy kitchen banter, temporarily making everyone go quiet before almost immediately resuming where they left off. Everyone assumed someone else would answer with the exception of Luffy who had decided to at least peek around the corner and down the hall, simply out of curiosity.

You shut your book and placed it on the floor, right by your now cold cup of coffee, and frowned. You cursed your inner dragon for being as attentive as it was and choosing now of all times to come to life. It had let you know exactly who was there and what kind of day you were going to have. Those footsteps had been light and the knock was the kind that said the person behind it was busy, bothered to have had come this way.

Robin made the move to get up and answer but you let out a heavy sigh and quickly got to your feet.

"I got it." You grumbled, already marching towards the door. "He's going to keep being annoying otherwise."

She returned to her seat, a slight frown on her face but she didn't complain. Robin had been very attentive to your wants and needs while living here and it wasn't hard to tell she didn't want you being disturbed so early on in your stay. You were almost positive she was worried about you up and leaving if things didn't go smoothly enough and you couldn't blame her. It was always an option, lingering in the back of your mind.

He knocked again, this time a little more impatiently as you reached the door. As you grabbed the knob, you took a deep breath for courage, and jerked the door open.

Law stood outside, wrapped up in a thick, warm jacket that fell to his knees, boots coated in snow, and a surprised look on his face. He probably thought it'd be Robin he'd be dealing with, just like last time. At his feet was the ever loyal Bepo, looking far too at home in the snowscape that had taken over through the night. His tail swayed back and forth happily at the sight of you.

Before he had the time to open his mouth and speak, you put a firm hand to his chest and pushed hard enough for him to take a couple steps backwards before you took a couple as well and shut the door behind you.

"Why're you coming around, what's the point?" You gathered yourself to your full height in an attempt to look a little more imposing. It would've been a good day to wear heels.

"Straight to the point (Y/n)-ya? And here I thought you didn't want to see me." He was scowling, the dark circles under his eyes as prominent as ever though he some how looked even more exhausted speaking to you.

"I don't, but like Luffy, you're annoyingly stubborn so what do you want?"

You knew he wouldn't like the comparison and sure enough, his scowl morphed into an expression of pure disgust. He and Luffy had some weird kind of relationship that you couldn't put your finger on but if there was one thing you knew for sure, it tended to make Law uncomfortable.

"I'm nothing like Strawhat-ya." He responded definitely, crossing his arms over his chest. Bepo let out a short chuff in agreement.

"Then do us both a favor and say what you came here for." You mimicked him, crossing your arms as well.

He took note of how you were standing and stared back in silence. It was like two kids trying to out petty each other and you were more than ready to play this game all day. Apparently Law wasn't as keen on letting the standoff last for so long.

"You being back here means a lot (Y/n)-ya, there's much you can offer the alliance."

You groaned, rolling your eyes heavily. "I am in no way, shape, or form here to help you guys with your stupid gang bullshit."

"But why else would the dragon be back?" He practically snapped.

"Because Luffy is an idiot! He sent his whole crew out to find me and drag my ass back."

"I see.....but why stay then?" It was almost laughable that it made so much sense to him so fast. But then again he'd spent plenty of time dealing with Luffy's strange ways of leadership before.

You shrugged. "It's an okay place to live for now."

"For now?"

"I may not stay."

"Then come with me."

Your eyes widened in surprise and if you'd lacked self control, your jaw would've dropped. His glare had softened along with the corners of his mouth. His closed off body language opened up as he held out a gloved hand to you. You glanced from his hand and back to his face, shivering as the cold was beginning to settle in.

"Luffy-ya can be too much for one person to handle and his crew is just as chaotic. Come stay with my crew, I'm sure you'll like it better."

"What makes you think I want to be part of a gang again?" He was bothering you more than the cold.

"Because you're back here and haven't tried to leave again. There's no other reason for the dragon to be here."

"First, stop calling me that, I'm not the dragon anymore." You smacked his hand away and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Second, Luffy invited me into his home as a friend, not as a fucking weapon in your stupid game. You can take your offer and shove it up your ass Law."

He scoffed, wrapping a hand around your own and gently moving it away without letting go. "You can't choose to not be who you are (Y/n)-ya. You are still the dragon whether you want to be or not. I don't take kindly to your attitude but my offer will still remain. You may not accept it today but I plan on seeing you at my doorstep someday in the near future."

With his free hand, he reached into a pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small slip of folded paper. With deft fingers, he opened your hand he held in his grasp and placed the paper in your palm.

"I'll refrain from finding myself at Strawhat-ya's residence for now and let you find your way to me. I don't know if you've noticed, but the gangs from neighboring areas are beginning to make their moves. It'll take more than your friends to survive the changes to come."

He turned on his heel and walked down the path, Bepo trotting obediently at his heels, leaving you very confused.

"What the hell do you mean? What changes?!"

He simply waved over his shoulder as he continued, apparently done with the conversation. When he was out of sight, you opened up the paper and found an address written across it in sloppy, barely legible handwriting.

You hoped you never needed to look it up.