It had been 2 days since they all celebrated their victory of Thriller Bark. Nami was using her shift of watching over Zoro to correct some some maps and draw up a new one for Thriller Bark. They had all started taking shifts to watch over the swordsman, Chopper using his shifts to swap out Zoro's bandages. Everyone was starting to worry about if Zoro would wake up, but Chopper had told them that he was improving. The internal damage he suffered, while fatal for anyone else, was starting to heal.
Nami heard a yawn, which could have only come from one of the two sleeping crewmates in the infirmary.
"Zoro!" Nami called out in shock. She hadn't expected him to wake up on her shift.
"Ah, how long was I out?" Zoro asked, as he struggled to sit up in the bed. Once he was sat on the edge he spotted a barrel and a bottle, both no doubt being alcohol.
"3 days, we were all worried." Nami said, finding herself feel a little relaxed now that he was finally awake.
"3 days? I overslept." Zoro commented. Trying to stand up with some difficulty.
"Hey, slow down. You're still crazy hurt, I'll get Chopper, he'll le-" Nami started. Zoro had been eyeing the two alcohol containers, the barrel was definitely sake. He recognized the smell. The bottle though, he vaguely remembered that bottle from somewhere, he just couldn't remember where. Curiousity getting the better of him, he pick up the bottle and started to drain it's contents. "HEY! Don't ignore me! That can't be good for you!" Nami scolded. The second the liquid hit his throat, the familiar burn and taste, he recognized it.
"Damn woman." He said with a growing smile.
"She said you liked that one. Something about it being a recommendation of your's." Nami explained, not knowing that Zoro knew full well what the bottle was for. "She was watching over you a few shifts ago. She hasn't slept much since we found you like that." Nami told him, turning her attention to the sleeping figure on the couch in the room. "She must have been exhausted." Zoro didn't say anything, he only began to stretch and crack his joints.
"Let her sleep, I know how little she normally sleeps. So if she's so exhausted she passed out, leave her be." Zoro requested. "Have I missed anything?" He asked.
"Just a party, celebrating our victory. Some of us didn't celebrate too much though, worrying about you and all." Nami added, turning to Robin once again. "Oh, and Brook is also a part of our crew now."
"Ah, figures. A skeleton that plays music, sounds odd enouugh for us." Zoro reasoned. Nami smiled, he really was a perfect fit for this crew. Well, besides the pervert factor, did they really have to get another pervert? Zoro started to make his way out of the room.
"Brook, Franky and Usopp are all making a memorial for Brook's old crew. I haven't heard Luffy or Chopper either so they might be with them too. They'll want to know you're awake." Nami informed him. Zoro nodded in understanding, walking out of the room. Nami spotted the bottle he was drinking out of, still more than half full.
"ZORO!" Luffy and Chopper cried out, rushing toward the young man. The crashed into him giving him a war hug. "We thought you might have never woke up!" Chopper sobbed, even being a world class doctor, he still thought like a child.
"Ah, ah, I'm fine. Thanks for taking care of me, Chopper." Zoro said, making the young reindeer dance happily with tears still in his eyes.
"ZO-ORO!" Chopper cried.
"Where's everyone else?" Zoro asked, dusting himself off since he was tackled to the ground.
"Oh, Franky and Usopp built a gravestone for Brook's nakama. We were going to go with them, but look at this!" Luffy held up his hands revealing a large orange beetle. It had two horns that resembled a ram. "Oho! Isn't cool?! I wonder if it wants to join our crew!" Zoro smacked him over the head for that. A bug couldn't become part of their crew. Zoro headed on while he left the two boys to try and catch the beetle once again.
"Zoro-bro!"
"Franky, Usopp." Zoro called out.
"Oi, oi, welcome back to land of the living. I never doubted that you'd pull through." Usopp said.
"Liar, he was going on about how we 'lost' one swordsman and found another. Saying that we better not bump into any sharpshooters otherwise he'd probably be the one to die next." Franky informed him. Usopp only screamed in fear as he thought Zoro would surely gut him for that.
"Ah, don't worry, I'll make sure you're the one who survives." Zoro comforted, ignoring the boys lack of faith in him.
"Zoro... Oi! Brook is one of us now! We have two swordsman now!" Usopp declared.
"I've heard, where is he? I was hoping to have a burial of my own." Zoro informed, holding up Yubashiri.
"He's just over there, just follow the sounds of violin. I'm sure even you could find him then." Franky joked, walking past Zoro. Usopp following Franky, but keeping a safe distance due to that last jab.
"Sorry to hear about your bad luck."
"Eh?"
"This is one hell of a crew." Zoro remarked, with a proud grin. Brook caught on to his meaning, finding his joke to be honest but very welcoming.
"Yohohohoho. So it seems, and because of that, I'll try my hardest till death does me in! Oh yeah, I'm dead already. Yohohohoho." Brook joked, finding the man he witnessed defend them all with his life not so imtimidating anymore.
Zoro was back on the ship, he had made his way up the ladder to the crow's nest. Finding that lifting weights was still a little too difficult in his weakened state, and that if he reopened any of his stitching, Chopper would surely re-apply his bandages that he removed. He settled for meditating but even that was proving difficult right now. His body was a flame from the pain of him moving so much after just waking up and it chose now to surface.
The hatch to the crow's nest swung open and the breeze from outside carried the smell of sakura flowers. Now he definitely couldn't meditate. Robin appeared from the hatch opening, bringing in the bottle of rum she had placed beside the infirmary bed for him.
"Ah, finally awake." Zoro commented.
"I believe, I should be saying that to you." Robin mused. "You gave us quite a scare when we found you like that." She told him. Placing the bottle on the ground in front of him as she made her way to the bench surrounding the crow's nest. "We had no idea what happened to you, and the condition you were in left so many questions unanswered."
"It's probably easier to lie to everyone else I suppose." Zoro remarked, taking a swig of the alcohol. Finding it to be rather soothing to his burning body. 'Of course she knows, how couldn't she.'
"Hmm, it is. Though, I never intended to keep secrets anymore." Robin commented. She was staring out the window, as she felt the bench shift from another body.
"I told you not to sit next to me." Zoro added. Swirling the bottle around and watching it's contents splash around inside. Robin smiled, remembering the first time he told her that.
"Is that how you meant it? Back then." Robin questioned, turning to see him.
"No, but that's how I would mean it now." He answered. Sipping the alcohol once again before offering the bottle to her. She accepted, taking a rather large swig herself. She guessed she needed this comfort at the very least.
"I remember when you gave this to me. Just before we left Water-7. You said it was one of the finest rums you've ever had and it helped ease some of the pain from battles." Robin reminisced. "I figured you could could use it more than me." She admitted, while takinng another large draw from the bottle. Zoro frowned, he reached out took the bottle slowly from her hands. Saving her from going over board with it.
"Those are the wrong wounds." He told her, holding his serious expression while she started to whipe away stray tears that had begun. He set the bottle down and stopped one of her hands from sweeping away another tear. "Stupid woman."
Zoro leaned in, brushing their noses together before they met for a kiss. Zoro left it at a short soft kiss, but as he pulled away, Robin pressed on. Forcing more contact between the two, Zoro now wrapping her in his arm while his other hand entertwined with hers.
"Promise me you'll never do that again." Robin whispered, pressing her forehead to his.
"I can't." Zoro breathed, knowing that was not the answer she wanted but the one she expected. Robin let out a soft chuckle as more tears escaped. Zoro's serious eyes never left her's. "I can promise you one thing though." A small grin breaking his lips.
"What?"
"I love you, Nico Robin." He finished, pressing his lips to her's once more. He could feel her relax and the happy smile form on her own lips.
"I love you, Roronoa Zoro." She smiled. "Just don't die on me yet. I haven't held you long enough." She confessed, settling her head on his shoulder.
"Neither have I." He told her. Stroking the raven locks of her's while they sat there in the crow's nest.