Work Text:
Thank goodness he'd already set up the coffee maker the previous night, because those 5 minutes on the alarm clock had stretched into a languid 30.
Almost forgetting to lock up the house as he made his way to the garage, he realized that on this particular day, being late was out of the question. After all, She would be waiting, and making a lady wait, especially someone as captivating as Nico Robin, was simply not in the cards.
The morning painted the city in soft hues of gray and blue, with the sun still lazily making its way up the sky. People were still cocooned in their homes, leaving the streets unusually tranquil. Perfect for him to press the accelerator pedal a little harder, a determined effort to make up for the fleeting moments that had slipped away.
Navigating towards the roundabout crowned with a historic monument she'd once casually mentioned, the car responded with a subtle vibration, each purr of the engine echoing the excitement in his chest. The GPS's estimate of arrival time turned into a playful dare, urging him to beat its prediction, to reach their rendezvous faster than technology could predict.
The main avenue stretched wide before him, flanked by buildings with stories etched into their architecture and trees trimmed to perfection by diligent hands. Alongside the tentative morning sun, it was a scene that almost stole his attention, until the abrupt blare of a horn snapped him back to the present, reminding him of the bustling reality outside his thoughts.
Following the course, he found himself weaving through the heart of the city, the once long route reduced to a quick journey. As he maneuvered through streets and alleys, pedestrians darting across his path and garbage trucks beginning their routine rounds, he was propelled by a singular determination – to reach his destination ahead of schedule.
The rendezvous point materialized before him: the steps of an unassuming church nestled within the city's historic embrace. Miraculously, a parking spot awaited – a small victory that the clock's hands seemed to have orchestrated. Retrieving his phone from the central console, he realized he had navigated the labyrinth of streets with ease, arriving right on time. The GPS's predicted arrival time now felt like a forgotten detail, as irrelevant as his heart's tempo when he caught sight of her ascending the stairs.
There she was, a vision of grace, climbing towards him. The world around him faded into the background, leaving only her and the enchanting rhythm of their hearts. In her presence, the steps became a staircase of destiny, each one bringing them closer to an awaited union.