"He wanted me to play with him.", said the redhead with a laugh, almost in disbelief.

"Play with him.", she repeated.

"Yeah. We wandered all around the castle and laid out in this tangerine tree grove, it looked just like the one from Cocoyashi, Robin. Then, he introduced me to a bunch of weird guys that work here that he's apparently really good friends with."

"Sounds like things are going well."

"Yeah, I guess they are. He's not what I expected at all.", added the brown-eyed, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

"I understand the feeling.", she admitted.

"So things are better than you thought with Prince Leave-Me-Alone?"

"Fufufu, so you've had a run-in with Zoro have you?"

"Not exactly, just get that vibe from what Luffy's told me about him. Seems he's been spending all of his time either with you or training with swords. Luffy wanted me to meet him but the jerk said he was too busy and would have way too much time to be around me after the wedding anyway. Can you believe he said that? The guy hasn't even met me yet.", huffed Nami, crossing her arms in front of her chest indignantly.

"He's not very fond of meeting new people I'm afraid, and his ambitions keep him training for hours on end."

"Yeah, well, at least he seems to like you, right? Luffy said that during their sparring, you're the only thing he talks about nowadays."

"That's not surprising if what you said about how's he's been spending his days is true and yes, we get along fine."

"So you're happy with him too?", asked the redhead.

Robin flipped over on her bed for the umpteenth time, her icy blue eyes staring blankly at the door separating her and the swordsman's rooms. She had told him during their evening meal that she was feeling tired and was heading to bed after a quick shower; an excuse that was hard to play along with considering it was scarcely past nine. She had a hard enough time falling into a fitful slumber in the early morning hours when her body, exhausted, started rebelling against her mind that knew all too well what nightmares awaited her in the hell of her unconscious mind if she dared to let herself drift off. Trying to force herself to rest this early was nearly impossible; trying to do it with her mind still replaying the last days of her life as she contemplated her and Nami's earlier conversation, even more so.

I told him that my mind wouldn't change about this arrangement of ours, or about him., thought the archaeologist, smiling to herself as she remembered the day she had first been introduced to her future husband. What a fool I've been. I didn't think I would fall prey to the likes of such a simple man, nine years my junior no less, so easily., she thought, chuckling to herself as she sat up, swinging her legs gracefully over the mattress's edge. That's what's made me so sure of him though. I've never met anyone so sure of themselves, so honest. Zoro. There really isn't an adequate way to describe you, is there? I've read countless books and now, not a single word comes to mind that seems to do you justice when I consider you.

Robin stepped across the lush carpet to the heavy wooden door, her hand firmly grasping the handle as she steeled her resolve one last time. I was wrong. My life, it can be different. The future that Mother and the other scholars believed in,my future, it can include him. I can live, I can choose Zoro. She turned the handle.

"Ow, Woman! What the heck are you doing?", asked Zoro irritably, rubbing his head that she had just caused the wooden door to collide with. "A little warning next time."

"I didn't think you would be laying on the floor, in front of a door of all places.", countered the raven-haired woman, stepping into the spacious room and crouching beside him. "Do you have a gushing wound or perhaps loss of vision from blood covering your brain at the moment?", she asked, gently probing the back of his scalp for injuries.

"You really are morbid, Robin.", he laughed, sitting up so that his face was even with her own. "What do you need anyway, it's not like you to come waltzing in here without a reason?" Zoro stared at the older woman curiously as her cerulean eyes watched him, her hands carefully running through his hair before moving to cup his cheeks. "Robin?", he repeated, more sternly this time, snapping her out of her trance. He watched her rise to her feet, taking several steps away from him, her back noticeably tense as she faced away from him.

"Zoro, do you still intend on me becoming your wife?"

"A man never goes back on his word, Robin. I meant everything I've told you so far.", answered the green-haired prince with a smirk, rising to his feet as she turned to face him.

"No secrets, right?", asked Robin seriously, her hands firmly gripping the sash that held her robe closed as she waited for his answer.

"Yeah, I have nothing to keep from you, Robin. I've shown you everything I am.", answered the prince.

"Alright then.", she said, taking a deep breath as she ran over the consequences of her decision one last time. She tugged the silky belt out of it's knot, letting the robe slipped from her shoulders, revealing her nude body to the young man as he marveled at her. "My turn.", she said, blushing as he stepped closer to her, letting his calloused fingers brush her side.

"Robin, I", he started before the click of his door made him pause. He quickly pulled the raven-haired woman against his chest, his broad arms doing their best to cover her backside as she instinctively wrapped her slender ones around his neck.

"Zoro, have you seen Kumasy anywhere? I don't know where I left hi-", started Perona as she floated through his doorway. The ghost girl froze that the sight in front of her, stuttering momentarily before her brother's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Could you get out, Brat. I'm a little busy.", said Zoro, smirking at the historian who's burning face was pressed against his cheek as he spoke.

"Why the heck is she naked?", yelled the ghost princess as her eyes scanned the older woman's body before meeting the swordsman's eye once again.

"Robin want's some quality time together and you're ruining it with your stupid face. Leave.", he said calmly, moving one of his hands up to pet the blue-eyed woman's hair as he held her.

"You, you, big meanie! Fine, have fun with your 'wife' or whatever the heck you're doing, see if I care!", yelled the girl, before slamming his door closed and angrily running away.

"Sorry about that, she's always been bad about coming into my room without knocking first.", apologized the young man.

"That wasn't exactly how I imagined meeting my sister-in-law."

"It could have been worse."

"How so?"

"We could have both been..."

"You're being a little presumptuous aren't you? I only did this so that we would be on equal footing after that stunt you pulled the other day. I don't recall offering anything beyond sharing my past with you, Zoro-kun.", said Robin sultrily, pulling back to meet the young man's gaze and giving him a playful smirk.

"And you're being a little overconfident for someone so exposed, don't you think?", he asked, sliding his fingers over her sides and back before grasping her hips and lifting her into the air. Robin wrapped her legs around the prince's waist as he carried her to his bed, laying her down on her back before tossing the forest green sheet over her and climbing in beside her. "So start talking.", he said, tugging a pillow under his head as he faced her, his arms wrapping around her over the blanket, pulling her against his chest.

"What?"

"You're past, go ahead and start.", urged Zoro.

"You mean you don't..."

"I was just screwing with you since you feel the need to test me so often.", said the swordsman with an eye roll. "This is more than enough.", he added, his hand moving to her cheek, tenderly caressing the pink-stained flesh. She smiled as he tilted his face up, feeling the surprising softness of his lips as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Was that alright?", he asked.

Pulling her arms out from under the covers, she wrapped them around his neck, smiling as she marveled at the man in her arms. He had every reason to be less than human, to show the world the darkness that she had witnessed as a child and had let consume her as her resolve waned a little year after year. Other in his position certainly had; he hadn't though. Now, with her completely vulnerable and open to him, he was still the man he had promised her he would be, he was still Roronoa Zoro. "You're human.", she whispered breathlessly. She brushed her lips against his slowly as his eye drifted shut before pressing firmly against them in a warm kiss.

"Is there some other meaning to that that I'm missing?", asked the swordsman curiously when he felt her lips leave his.

"Fufufu, just an answer I finally found is all.", she laughed.

"Are you happy with it?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm happy with mine as well.", he added, pecking her lips once more as he rested his forehead against her own. "Tell me about your home.", he said quietly, almost as if requesting permission for such delicate information then instructing her to follow up on her promise.

"It's alright, Zoro, I have nothing to keep from you anymore."

"What changed your mind so suddenly?"

"Fine, marry me and after I've defeated Mihawk and it's been a few years so you can avoid suspicion, kill me in my sleep and change this world if you still think it's so terrible." "...I'm not gonna leave you, Robin. I meant that." "Hehe, you finally called me, Zoro." No secrets, remember?" "...this is already yours." "You were right?"

"Huh?", asked the man, confused.

"You made me trust you.", she said simply.

A/N: Okay, one more chapter to go! Hope you guys liked this chapter with all some nice Zorobin. Robin finally broke and gave our swordsman a chance. Thanks to everyone that has been faithfully reviewing this fic, I'm glad to hear you are all enjoying it so much. To BloodyME, you're welcome, and don't worry, I'm just happy to hear that you're loving my take on you request. :) Getting to hear that I made my readers happy makes fulfilling requests that much more enjoyable, so thank you. :)