A.N: Since it's New Year´s Eve, it's gotta be SaRo, right? New Year's Eve is the SaRo day! As some have probably guessed, this is sequel to my earlier New Year's one shots starring these two, starting from 2010.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece (seriously, do people still do this? I haven't seen it in a while…)

Stay by My Side

The past year had been rather peaceful, and Sabo was grateful for that as he lay on the deck of his brother's ship, gazing at the stars. As much as he liked action, times of peace where you didn't need to constantly fear for your or your friends' lives was just something that nothing could beat. Especially when you could spend that time with the ones dearest to you.

Looking to his left, he saw Luffy snoring away after having eaten his fill. To his right he saw Robin, still awake as she too lay on her back, gazing at the stars. And naturally, all around them, rest of the Straw Hat crew, including the cook and his wife's baby girl that was using the reindeer as a pillow. Just a few years back peaceful times like these were nothing but a dream.

"Not sleepy?" Robin asked him quietly, careful not to wake the others. Sabo shook his head "No"

"Something on your mind?" he thought of it for a moment. Was there something in his mind, bothering him? …Yes, he supposed there was. There was still something he had to do this year, before it ended.

"Come with me for a moment" Sabo said, getting up and walking away without checking if the woman followed him or not, for he knew she would. They were long, long past the phase where one was suspicious of the other or needed an explanation for the other's actions. They trusted each other completely. Well, that and the fact that Robin was curious by nature. Of course, she'd follow him.

Climbing up to the crow's nest, Sabo knew Robin wasn't far behind. Going inside he walked to the opposite side, gazing at the stars from one of the windows. As Robin arrived to be by his side, he asked: "The stars look beautiful tonight, don't they?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, but agreed nonetheless.

"It's funny you know, how the starry sky remains the same no matter what goes on down here" he continues "It's… oddly comforting."

"Is this one of those times where you have something to say yet don't know how to say it so you just blabber about something, trying to buy time?" Robin asked, making Sabo burst out laughing. After he calmed down, he said: "You know me too well."

"So it seems" Robin commented, patiently waiting for Sabo to get to the point. Knowing that the longer he delayed this, the more nervous he would get, so Sabo just blurted out what he had in mind: "Will you marry me?"

"…"

That hadn't come out right, not right at all. That wasn't even the least bit of romantic and was way too straight forward; it wasn't how he had planned this!

"Excuse me?" Robin asked, thinking that she had to have heard him wrong. Surely Sabo hadn't just proposed her, had he?

There's no way she hadn't heard him, but maybe she thought she'd misheard? Sabo supposed that that wasn't a good sign. Shoot. Well, it was way too late to back down now.

"That came out a bit too fast and not in the proper way" he mumbled, more to himself than to Robin but she heard it anyway. Taking a deep breath, Sabo told her: "I want to be with you, now and forever, no matter what the future holds. So- "he takes the ring from his pocket, thank god he hadn't dropped it at any point, and kneeled down, asking again: "-Will you marry me?"

For once, it was Robin who stared at the other with her mouth hanging open. Apparently, she'd heard him right, he seriously just-

…

What was she supposed to answer to that? She loved Sabo, of course she did, but… marriage? Really? She had never thought, never considered something like that to be an option for her. When she still had a normal life, she had been to young to think of things like that and hadn't been interested anyway, and as she got older, she was too busy fighting for her life and dream to even think of what might happen after. Sure, things had changed after she joined the Straw Hats, but the only future she'd imagined for herself had been by their sides, simply spending the rest of their lives enjoying life and adventures. What was marriage even like, what was expected of her? If the union between Sanji and Pudding didn't count, and she was pretty sure it didn't with how unique the couple was, she hadn't had any real interaction with any married couples in years. She had no examples on what to do or how to act.

"I don't mean to pressure you, but please say something, anything" Sabo said, feeling more nervous as the seconds ticked by. Then again, maybe he should've just waited because this was exactly like he was pressuring her. Shit.

"I…" Robin started, but then realized she didn't really even know what she wanted to say "Why?"

"Why?" Sabo repeated, having not expected that. He loved Robin, but he supposed that answer wouldn't satisfy her. However, what else could he tell her? That was the only reason he had really; he had never even considered that another reason would be needed. But of course, that wasn't the case with a woman like Robin. How come that thought hadn't occurred to him?

"I haven't really thought about that" he confessed, coming to the conclusion that he had no choice but to say what he had in mind "It just felt so right; like it would be the most natural thing to do at this point."

Going by instinct, then. That was very like him and not like her. But… maybe it could be? Maybe she too could forget logic for once and just do what felt right?

"Then I think it's okay for me to do the same" she said with a smile, but since Sabo didn't seem to catch on, she added: "My answer is yes."

Sabo grinned, taking her hand in his before slipping the ring on. Standing up, he kissed her. Things hadn't gone exactly as planned, but everything worked out in the end. And would work out in the future too; he'd make sure of that.

A.N: Happy New Year!