[Note] Post Thriller Bark Arc.
Thanks to Grace-Logan for being an awesome beta reader.
She's an excellent writer too so check her out ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece (I wish I did)


Late Night Escapades: Confrontation

"Well, love is insanity. The ancient Greeks knew that. It is the taking over of a rational and lucid mind by delusion and self-destruction. You lose yourself, you have no power over yourself, you can't even think straight.
Marilyn French


"It was really foolhardy of you."

The swordsman looked at the black-haired beauty in surprise, wondering what could have bothered her so much to break their usual comfortable silence that they shared in the Crow's Nest of Thousand Sunny to say that.

"What is?"

Robin placed her book aside and leaned against her knee, a clouded look coming over her face. "Taking Luffy's pain for your own even when you were already on the brink of death."

"That's none of your damn business, woman. Stay out of it." Zoro replied tartly, resuming to swing the heavy weights.

The Archaeologist laughed coldly. "None of my business?" You're my nakama- no- you're OUR nakama. We share our woes and happiness, through thick and thin. It's natural that I'd feel the obligation to care."

Before the marimo could retort, Robin summoned a hand and clamped his mouth. "Keep silent and listen." She snapped.

Cooling herself (and her temperament) down, she begun again. "Before you try and think about giving up your life, have you ever considered what would happen to us if you died? Who would cause us troubles to have to find you? Who would wage war with Sanji and yet be on good terms next the second? Have you?" Her voice an octave higher with each line she spoke, her blue eyes darkening further as she mentioned the prospects.

As she said that, she realized that she couldn't even stand the thought of Roronoa Zoro not existing anymore. It pained and haunted her to think of such horrendous things.

"And don't even begin to give me the reply that it was necessary to do it for Luffy." The Historian continued, but the intensity of her emotions still evident in her voice. "If you died, we would lose a friend, a brother, a rival and Luffy will lose his first mate and confidante. It would kill him to see you dead when he would do absolutely anything to protect us and you damn well know that."

"It'd kill all of us that you died. The Strawhats aren't the Strawhats without you, Zoro. Why can't you understand that?" She said hoarsely, releasing her hold on him.

Zoro thought for a moment before speaking. "Better me than him."

"Better? Better!?" Robin yelled harshly, not caring if she was meeting the possibility of rousing her crew due to her incessant shouting. She stalked towards him like an avenging goddess and grabbed him by the collar, pushing him against the wall roughly.

The Devil Child never prided herself to be irrational or prone to violence, but this man infuriated her. She didn't understand how he could just toss everything away, I mean where exactly was his self preservation?

"YOU are your own being. Irreplaceable, infuriating, dense! You're not a temporary thing for King's sake! Stop risking your life like it's nothing! You are worth something, get it through your thick skull."

"You know this better than anyone else, Robin." He rebutted in a low voice. "People come and go, with or without a word. They leave voluntarily or get violently ripped away but in the end it doesn't change that they are gone. I chose to give my life on a platter because Luffy has more power to protect our nakama. I chose."

The historian blinked away the hot tears of anger that welled in her eyes."You're just a idiotic bastard- 'and selfless', you know that right? Has it occurred to you to be the bigger person and not commit to the same mistakes?"

She pressed her hand to her heart, bunching her shirt material together. "I was hurt by the likes of you. Offering me things but leaving me with empty promises, using and betraying me for your own means. I thought you were better than that." She choked out.

"Robin- "

She silenced him once more, shaking her head. "Just- Just stop. I don't want to listen to a man who would toss his ambitions like it was nothing of consequence. I'm done with you."

With the final line ringing in the air, she moved towards the entrance of the crow's nest, gripping onto the doorknob with trembling fingers as she tried to control her tears. The raven-haired beauty then yanked open the door and slammed it with a resounding thud, leaning against it for moments to finally allow the tears to trail down her face.

She drew her power and formed a tall pillar that went from the deck to through crow's nest before stepping onto the web of hands and making a quick descent down and walked towards the end of the upper deck.

The archaeologist tightened her hold on the railing, absorbing the darkness of the night she had been accustomed to for so long and watched the waves lap against their ship.

She screamed.

Part of her pent up frustration were released with the scream, her surroundings and the sea swallowing up the shrill vibrations she had created.

Was she being selfish for wishing that he was not hurt, allowing her wounded captain to shoulder everything and possibly die? Why did she always have random outbursts around the swordsman? The thoughts ran through her head as her tears dripped onto the wood.

She screamed once more, this time it was louder than the other and put a greater strain on her throat. She gasped for air when it ended, sinking to her knees only to be caught by muscular arms.

"Go away." She muttered, her voice cracking slightly.

"When you need comforting? I could never do that."

"Isn't that ironic when you're the source of my irritation? Life doesn't work that way, Mr. Swordsman." She muttered, trying to push him away weakly.

"What's wrong with giving up one life so the others could live theirs?" He retorted back.

Robin sighed. "What about your life?"

"Inconsequential."

A spiral of hands sprouted and slammed his head to the ground. "My foot."

Zoro groaned, laying down on the ground and staring at the endless sky for a few seconds, a look of amusement coming onto his face. "Those were your hands."

"Clones."

"But still."

"For King's sake Zoro, stop trying to make me smile when I'm trying to be serious here!" She snapped at him, glaring into his obsidian eyes while trying to stop her lips from curling into a smile.

"Then why don't you drop it and we can pretend like it never happened?" He suggested. "It'd be easier on both of us."

"One never truly forgets such a crazy and yet heroic thing, I reckon." She murmured. " I'd ask of your recklessness to stop but you wouldn't be a Stawhat or Roronoa Zoro if you did that."

"And you insisted on the argument that could have been avoided?" He pushed himself up and looked at her in disbelief.

"I- I just- I... I don't want to lose you." She confessed, her face flushing red.

The moment she said that, she just wanted the sea to split open and swallow her up. She didn't do feelings. They were like a taboo topic and they usually came hand in hand with attachments which she had to begrudgingly accept. Coming in terms with the fact, rather,admitting it to the party she was thinking was an entire thing by itself.

The swordsman groaned slightly in embarrassment as he pulled her towards him once more, tightening his arms around her and brushing his lips against the crown of her head.

"I could say the same Robin, I could say the same." He murmured.

There were things he wished to say to her but refused. He wished that he wasn't a shut-in at times like these, unable to tell her how much he craved her and needed her and how her words had lit a flame in his heart that warmed him to impossible degrees but he was never the kind of sappy words. Zoro could only pray that he could truly express himself one day before its too late.

The marimo bit his lips slightly before he spoke again. "You should get some rest."

"Just a little more. I'd like to see the sunrise." She replied, snuggling against him.

He simply kept his mouth shut as he encased her in his warmth, watching the sun rise from the horizon as they steadily approached it. It painted the night sky with its golden rays shining through, turning the colors a lighter shades and hiding the gleam of the stars and moon with its bright light. He could only sigh in content as he watched it change from dark blue to a purple-pinkish hue in a matter of minutes before fully rising and signaling a new day.

He gazed in adoration at the archaeologist that nestled in his arms asleep, looking irresistible with her hair falling onto her face like some kind of veil. He brushed it away gently and hooked his arms underneath her arms and knees, slowly getting up in fear of jostling her awake. Carrying her across the deck and into the room, he frowned slightly.

She was awfully light for someone with her figure.

Zoro shook his head at his erratic thoughts before pushing open the door to her room with the back of his body and laying her down onto her bed that had seemed awfully vacant over the span of weeks. In all honesty, it was common knowledge that she spent more time at her desk than on her actual bed. He murmured a quick farewell since she was retiring for the night, giving her a light kiss on the forehead before he walked towards the door once more to stay as a lookout until the entire crew woke.

Well, that was his plans until she called for him.

"Zoro...?" said Robin softly, her fingers curling slightly to ask of him to come forward.

He turned around in surprise, thinking that he was being discreet with the minimal sound that he made. He cocked his head to the side curiously before approaching her.

Without prior warning, the black-haired beauty suddenly yanked him down, pressing her lips onto his and smiled sleepily at him after he pulled away, stunned.

"Good Night Mr. Swordsman." She uttered, pulling the blanket over her face to hide her triumphant grin at his reaction.

The marimo could only walk out gingerly, only allowing himself to collapse onto the floor when he had reached the wall next to her door.

He groaned. That woman was going to be the death of him.


No steam this time guys, too much would be ineffective :P Treat this as a breather.
This was supposed to be a drabble inspired by MegaME but it got a tad bit too long so it was perfect for Late Night Escapades.
Like this sort of thing? Any ideas? Comment about it!
Do check out my One Piece Furor too~ (shameless self-advertisement)
Till next time. Yuu.