"Hey Zoro, can I ask you something?"

"What is it Luffy, I'm trying to nap."

"Well I was just wondering, why did you marry Robin?"

"That's a stupid question. I married her because I love her, simple as that. Why the sudden interest in our relationship, Captain?" Zoro was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he didn't plan on making this conversation easy for the rubber-brained idiot.

Luffy's sweat dropped as he tried to think of a valid excuse for his sudden curiosity in the crew's romantic affairs. "Oh, um, Usopp wanted to know how it happened, so I uh, told him I would ask you, and then, you know, tell him."

"Oh so this is about Usopp."

Luffy nodded helplessly, hoping that is protruding lips wouldn't tip off the first mate to his deception. The swordsman continued to stare at the nervous captain waiting for Luffy to come clean about his true purpose for disturbing him. This went on for several minutes until Zoro, realizing Luffy needed some prompting, popped the question.

"Are you sure this isn't about that greedy witch you chose for a navigator?"

"No." Realizing his mistake, the straw-hat teen quickly tried to back-track into his original lie, hoping Zoro wouldn't notice. "I mean, yes, this is about Usomi, I mean Namopp, I mean..." Watching the awkward teen try to correct himself, Zoro decided to put an end to his captain's struggles.

"Luffy, did you ask about me and Robin because you like Nami?"

"Yeah, I mean I think I do. How did you figure it out, Zoro."

"Are you kidding, me and Robin have been betting on how and when you two will finally get together for weeks."

"Nani! You guys have know for weeks!"

"Of course Luffy. We're best friends so I can tell when something's bothering you, and do you seriously think anything on this ship can get past Ms. I can have eyes and ears wherever I want."

"I get it, you guys have mystery skills."

"That's not it at all! Look Luffy, what is it you want to know exactly?"

"You said you married Robin because you love her, right." Zoro nodded his head in affirmation prompting the teen to continue. "Well how did you know that you loved her?"

So this is what's been bothering him, thought Zoro. "That's kinda hard to explain. I'm not really sure where to begin."

"Just start at the beginning."

"Well Robin tried to kill us, then she stowed away on the Merry and you let her join, and then"

"No, not that beginning. Just when you started to love her."

"There wasn't ever a definitive moment when I started to love her, when it's real I don't think there can be one singular moment that decides it. For me it took a lot of different instances piled on top of each other before I realized how I felt. In Skypia I felt unbridled rage at that false idol who had hurt her, I figured it was because the crew cared about her, not because I did. Then we met Aokiji and I saw that she was still trying to fight off the demons of her past single handed, my blatant mistrust of her probably contributed to that. Something inside of me broke that day, watching her freeze, all the while trying to deny that behemoth's taunts, I wanted her know that she was one of us, that I had faith in her. I thought I would talk to her at Water Seven after she came home with Chopper, but she was gone. Seeing her leave out that window, an inexplicable sadness seized me. I couldn't understand it back then, I mean, didn't I always think she would leave, I always knew it was just a matter of time. Then, Nami told us why she left and I was determined to bring her home, the means to reach that goal were irrelevant. I never wanted to see her cry again after that day, so I made it a habit of staying close to her and spending my spare time in her presence. It finally hit me after we were separated, I ached to be near her, to see her smile, to know she was safe. I resolved myself to hash this out with her when we met again and you pretty much know how the rest happened."

"You knew you loved her because you wanted to protect her and you wanted to be around her all the time."

" If you want to simplify it that much, then yes." huffed a peeved Zoro.

" All that stuff you said about moments, I felt that at Cocoyashi, and Thriller Bark, and Skypia too."

"Are you going to talk to her about your feelings."

"Yep, right now, do you know where she is!?"

"If she's not on deck try the library." As soon as Luffy had the possible locations in mind he threw open the hatch in the Crow's Nest at breakneck speed, well if your neck's not rubber that is. Halfway down the ladder the over eager captain stretched said neck back into the gym.

"Zoro"

"Yeah"

"Thank you, for everything."

"Anytime, Luffy."

Later that evening the happy smile plastered on the raven-haired teen's face and the contented look that the usually high strung navigator wore didn't escape the sword wielder's notice.

Later that night

Zoro opened the door to his shared room after a late shower to find Robin staring at her bare abdomen in their full-length mirror. Approaching his beloved from behind, he wrapped his damp arms around her waist splaying his palms across the area of scrutiny.

"It looks the same Robin." Zoro started to nuzzle her neck as if to grab her attention while spinning her around to face him.

"When are we going to tell them?" Zoro ignored the question, too distracted by her soft, flower-scented skin to respond. He opted to trail kisses down her face until they fell onto the bed and he was able to capture her lips. Hmm, when did we start moving, he thought.

Robin turned her head up denying him access to her mouth until he answered her. Defeated, Zoro gave her a reassuring smile.

"Let's let Luffy and Nami have some time together before we announce it, we do have like eight months still."

Satisfied by his answer, Robin slid her hands into moist green hair as his found there way down to her backside, their lips finding each other once again.