The heat was almost unbearable. After Alabasta, a desert country, Nami had thought that her tolerance for such weather would have increased, but apparently not. The air in the female sleeping quarters was stifling to say the least, and Nami could not help but toss and turn, struggling to settle down.
It didn't help that a certain archaeologist gave every appearance of being sound asleep, apparently oblivious to the rising temperature within the room, buried within her sheets as she was, facing towards the wall.
Maybe I just need some fresh air, the young navigator thought, untangling herself from her sweat soaked bed sheets before tiptoeing silently across the room to the door. It creaked slightly as it opened causing Nami to flinch and throw a nervous glance over her shoulder, only to heave a soft sigh of relief upon seeing she hadn't disturbed the other woman's sleep. Robin, apparently deaf as well as immune to the heat hadn't so much as moved an inch in response to the noise.
She must be a deep sleeper, Nami wondered to herself, before moving out into the adjoining corridor, closing the door softly behind her. Deciding a drink of water may do her some good she headed towards the deck to gain access to the kitchen, careful to move as quietly as possible, lest she alert whoever was on watch to her presence.
…
Once Nami had left the room, Robin opened her eyes and frowned after the retreating figure in the doorway. The truth was that Robin had been awake for much of the night, Nami's constant tossing and turning, not to mention the inappropriate cacophony of moans and sighs that seemed to accompany the movements, had prevented her from falling asleep.
Not that Robin could blame the young girls' inability to settle – the temperature in the room was suffocating and Robin was fairly soaked in sweat, having buried herself in her blankets to give the illusion of sleep.
With the navigator's sudden departure, Robin took the opportunity to throw off the oppressing covers before reaching over to turn on the light. The navigator's bed was a mess of tangled sheets, all of which were damp to the touch.
No wonder she can't sleep, Robin thought, casting a look at her own sheets, not quite as tangled but nearly as damp. Acting on a rare burst of something akin to sympathy, Robin went about the process of stripping both beds and remaking them with fresh sheets, summoning a few extra hands to speed up the process.
It only took her a matter of minutes to complete the task, before settling herself back between her own sheets and turning of the light just as the navigators footsteps could be heard as she entered the corridor that led to their room.
…
Nami, trying to be as quiet as possible, crept down the hall back to her room feeling slightly more refreshed after a few moments spent in the relative coolness of the kitchen with a glass of ice water pressed to her forehead.
Her body still called for sleep though and she was reluctant to remain in the kitchen lest she turn the dining table into her new bed for the night.
An embarrassing scene she would rather not experience if Sanji were to be the one to find her passed out on the table, or Robin for that matter. Nami paused at the thought. Would it really be so bad if Robin were to find her? She wondered.
Besides, what would the older woman do if she did happen across her draped over the table, asleep? The thought sent shivers up the young girls spine, as a flush of excitement filled her cheeks.
Shaking her head sternly, as if to dislodge such thoughts from her head, she tried to recollect her thoughts before easing the door open to find everything as she had left it; Robin was still asleep, buried in her sheets, in fact it looked as if she hadn't even moved so much as a single muscle in the time that she had been gone, and her bed was made.
Wait, what? Stepping back in surprise the navigator felt confusion seize her; she was sure that her bed had been a mess when she left it. Reaching out tentatively she pulled back the sheets to find that they were dry, crisp and clean, if not a little musty from spending an extended period of time in the linin cupboard.
But how? Nami wondered, casting a glance over her shoulder at the sleeping form of Robin. Was it possible? She though. Was it really possible that Robin, cool, calm, collected, never bothered by anything, ex-assassin Robin, would actually change her sheets while she was out of the room for a few moments? The thought made Nami's head reel with the possible implications.
Maybe she isn't as cold as she appears to be, the ever thoughtful navigator concluded as she slid between fresh sheets, cool against her heated flesh.
…
A small smile pulled at the archaeologist's lips as her companion slipped between the sheets of her bed.
Maybe next time I should give her a glass of warm milk to help her get off to sleep better, the older woman thought, a new kind of smile pulling at her lips.