Impromptu
Robin put on a short jacket and then smoothed out the folds of her skirt. She didn't think there were any occasions for the outfit. It was a white cotton dress with tiny purple flowers printed all over it. It was very casual and mundane, not something she would wear for espionage or intrigue. She bought it by chance on one of those shopping sprees she and Nami frequent together.
Checking herself in the mirror, Robin finished her appearance with a yellow silk ribbon in her hair. She smiled, pleased with the result. Nice and simple, no one would ever suspect her of being a wanted woman with an 80-million beri bounty.
The Thousand Sunny was anchored near an uninhabited tropical island. The captain decided it was time for an adventure. Usopp, Chopper, and Brook were quick to agree. The navigator decided it was time to restock on fresh water. Only Sanji agreed most heartily with her. Despite not getting a popular consensus, Nami sent the four of them, along with a grumpy Zoro, on their adventure of finding water. Franky had strapped a number of empty barrels on their backs for this task. That put a damper on their spirits except for Luffy, who grinned unabated by the chore.
The cook, perpetually in his kitchen, was busy whipping another one of his masterpiece. He had promise a scrumptious luncheon for his two favorite crew mates, Nami and her. An extra special treat for all the hard work they did. Of course there were angry protests, especially from Luffy and Usopp. Sanji snarled back out them and told them there were be lunch for the rest of crew when they get back.
Robin left her quarter and headed across the lawn. Nami, she noted, was absent most of the morning. She had sketched out the island late in the evening and had disappeared to the library to continue her work. Regardless of the size of the island, Nami was driven to map out every single island they encountered.
Robin peered through the crack of the door and found her hunched over the survey desk. Nami was meticulous and quiet, her hand slowly moving the drawing tool across the parchment. She stopped momentarily to stare down at the sketchbook on her lap and then continued her painstaking trace. So absorbed was Nami in her work, she didn't even notice Robin standing over her, looking at her map.
"Your map is coming along very nicely," Robin commented with a small smile.
Nami jerked upright and yelped. Her pen almost veered off, but a hand suddenly materialized from the desktop and snatched the pen away from Nami's hand before she did any irreparable damage to her map.
Panting and her hand on her chest, Nami glanced up nervously at Robin and then let out a heavy breath. "You scared me, Robin. I wish you didn't do that."
"Did I?" Robin chuckled.
"What's going on?" Nami retrieved her pen and put her map aside. Obviously she was done with her work. She liked to work privately whenever possible. "You look very nice today. What's the occasion? You got a hot date?"
Robin ignored the giggle from Nami. "Not date. Lunch. Sanji's special lunch party."
"His lunch of love? That's today?" Nami exclaimed. She leaned back and pressed her fingertips against her forehead. "I totally forgot about that."
"He's been preparing all morning for it. We don't want to be late."
"I got it, I got it." Nami glanced down at her hands, which were smeared with ink stains. "Let me clean up first and change clothes. I'll met you in the kitchen. I promise it won't take long."
Just before entering the galley, Robin picked up the scent cinnamon and nutmeg baking in the oven. The atmosphere was warm and the kitchen was bright with the afternoon sunlight. A plate of deli meat, cheese, and bread was sitting on a silver salver along with an assortment of tiny sandwiches and delicate fruit tarts. It was an impressive spread thus far.
Sanji looked as dapper as ever, despite wearing a pink apron. Robin had to admire his choice of clothing. He wore a dark slacks, a black waistcoat, a pinstriped shirt and a wool tie. It was rare to find a man who took so much care in his appearance.
"Robin-chwan!" Sanji sang with his hearts in his eyes. He immediately halted his cooking and spun his way to her. "You look absolutely divine in that dress!"
Robin smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you. You're too kind. And thank you very much for inviting me to your wonderful lunch party."
"The pleasure is all mine. Come! We are eating outside in your garden today." Sanji led the way through the hatch and Robin followed.
The open area above the galley was her garden. Robin grew many different kinds of flowers and herbs, depending on the season and whatever she found sold in shops. It was her job to water, prune, and weed her garden and she did it with great pride and satisfaction.
Gardening was something she did when she was younger. It kept the loneliness from bearing down on her as a child. As an adult, she found the hobby very calming and spiritual. Gardening taught her about nature, how to be patient and how to care for another living being. It instilled in her the sense of responsibility and it allowed her to set a daily routine that wasn't about being a pirate or an archaeologist.
A gentle breeze and calm ocean waves, the weather was perfect for an outdoor lunch. Near the Nami's mikan trees, Robin saw a wrought iron round table with plates, utensils, and napkins neatly arranged on it. She noted only two chairs in the vicinity.
Sanji pulled out the chair for her and she graciously accepted it.
"Lunch will be ready soon." He left, grinning as he walked backwards away from her. As he was about to climb down the hatch, Nami made her appearance.
"There you are," Nami said. "I tried the aquarium bar, but no one was there."
"Nami-swan!" Sanji cried joyfully. He gave her a hand up the ladder. "Come, have a seat with Robin. I have everything ready. You will love what I prepared for you."
"Uh, yes... About that..." Nami started, trailing slowly. She seemed uneasy as she pulled her hand away from Sanji and clasped it behind her back with her other hand. Robin noticed Nami had not changed clothes like she said earlier, but instead had put on some sturdy sandals. Her Clima-Tact was strapped to her leg.
"Nami! Hurry up," Usopp called to her from below deck.
Sanji became quiet and confused.
Nami glanced at Sanji and then diverted her gaze. "I'm really sorry, Sanji-kun," she blurted out loud. "I have to take a rain check. Usopp said they found something really exciting. A cave full of gemstones. He says there are tons of them laying around."
"Oh." His face fell for a fraction of a second, but was back to his sunny disposition. "No worries, Nami-san. I can save you the best parts for when you return. No, wait! I can prepare something fantastic tomorrow. Better than today's."
Nami paused, not missing the look in his face he had earlier. "I have a better idea. Why don't you and Robin come along too? It should be a lot of fun. We can all have lunch when we get back."
His face brightened. "That sounds like a marvelous-"
"That's perfectly all right," Robin interrupted. "You go on ahead without us, Nami. I don't feel up for an adventure today."
"Are you sure?" Nami asked hesitantly.
Robin nodded.
"NAMI!" Usopp shouted impatiently. "Are you coming or not!"
"Hold your horses," Nami screamed back and then she turned to Robin and Sanji. "Okay, then. You two have fun. I'll see you later." She climbed down the ladder, leaving Sanji staring at the hatch.
There was a moment of silence until Robin cleared her throat.
Sanji straightened, flustered and turned to face her. "I'm terribly sorry, Robin-chan. Where are my manners? Lunch will be served." He bowed slightly and climbed down to the kitchen. He was back in seconds, carefully balancing the salver on his head. He set it gently on the table.
"First, the appetizer. If you sample the different cheeses with meat slices and bread in the order I lined them, you will find that they compliment each other." Sanji stopped, realizing something. "I mustn't forget the wine." He darted back down to the kitchen again.
Robin waited, enjoying the warm sunlight. It was a nice day. It was a shame that Nami chose to go tramping inside a cave.
Sanji returned with a bottle and long-stemmed fluted glass and poured her a glass. "Is something wrong?" he asked abruptly. "You haven't touched the appetizer yet."
"It rude to start until all company is present."
His mouth fell agape. "But Nami-san won't be back for a while."
Robin smiled demurely, fluttering her eyes at him. "I meant you." She indicated to the empty chair before her. "Would you care to join me for lunch?"
He blinked twice and shook his head. "I couldn't. This lunch is for you. I need to serve you the meal. Who will bring up the food?"
It was easy to see his background. Nearly half his life he lived in a restaurant, cooking and serving all the patrons that came. All the meals he served on this ship, he made sure everyone had their food first before he sat down to his own. If any of the crew wanted seconds or third or even fourth helpings, he obliged them.
With Sanji, it shouldn't take much to persuade him to do anything, especially when there was a pretty lady involve. Of course, when Robin took a hold of his hand and a multitude of hands appeared to urge him towards the chair, he really couldn't say no.
"Much better. The food is better when you share it with good company."
Sanji shifted nervously in his seat, his posture erect, his hands on his knees. He seemed at a lost of what to do. "It almost feels like a date." He grinned sheepishly.
"Does it? Maybe it is a date." She winked at him.
Sanji blushed uncontrollably.
Robin had to chuckle a little at his candid expression. By no means a novice, she had gone on dates before, though they had more to do with business than any pleasure. Her old line of work sometimes required subterfuge and seduction. She felt a little guilty using her old tricks on someone as susceptible as the cook. But it was nice to know she still had that effect on men.
The appetizer was delicious. Back in his element, Sanji became relax and started explaining the different types of cheese, meat, and bread to her. She listened attentively and followed his suggestions. There was so much different aroma and flavor to consider. He, in turn, asked her how her study was coming along. She explained what she was currently working on and simplified so as to not overwhelm him with technical details, but he managed to follow her meaning without any trouble. It was a delightful conversation.
Robin didn't allow him to leave his seat when it was time for the main entree. She wagged her finger at him when he tried. It was really quite easy for her to bring the next round of food. A trail of hands merged and passed the tray up and across the garden.
Sanji bent down to retrieve it and set it on the table. He beamed at her. "You are brilliant."
After lunch, Robin helped him clear the table and brought the plates back to the kitchen. Sanji put his foot down about letting her clean them. He reminded her he still have to finish lunch for the rest of the crew so it was better to wash them in one load. Plus it was Zoro's turn to clean them. Why make his job easier for him?
Robin let him be and returned to her quarter, intending to change out of her dress. She undid the ribbon in her hair and put it away in the drawer. Sitting down in front of the vanity mirror, she studied herself and then began to wonder. She wondered about certain possibilities. She was more than a few years older than him, but they were both adults.
Suddenly the door swung open and Nami stomped in, wet and haggard. She tossed her bag in the corner and then threw herself on her bed. By the sound she was making into her pillow, the cave exploration didn't go as well as expected.
"I can't believe those numbskulls," Nami fumed.
"I'm afraid to ask how it went."
Her sat up, her shoulders sagging in disappointment. "No precious stones. Not even semi-precious. I should have realized those blockheads wouldn't know what's valuable even if it bit them on the nose."
"What did Usopp show you?"
Nami groaned and went over to her bag. She pulled out two rocks and showed them to her. The rocks were hollowed and sliced cleanly through. Robin assumed the cuts were Zoro's handy work. The outside surface was rough and dirty, but the interior sparkled and shined with crystals.
"They're just geodes," Nami explained. "Not really worth anything. They make good paperweights. I guess there use to be active volcano on this island."
"How disappointing."
"I wouldn't make a big deal about it, but Luffy knocked into the steam and got me all wet. He wanted to show me a bigger geode he found. He was dragging Zoro by his neck, wanting him to cut that one."
Robin laughed out loud. "I can imagine the whole scenario."
Nami rolled her eyes. "So how was lunch? I'm sorry I ditched you. I know Sanji-kun can be a handful sometimes."
She paused to think about her answer. "It was perfect," she simply.
"Perfect?" Nami asked in surprise.
"Yes, perfect."