I do not own One Piece.

..

As soon as Luffy spots Robin from the large joyful crowd, he walks straight towards her. With a dismissing laugh, he has to avoid Franky's enormous cyborg arm meant to stop him for a drink and Sanji's invitation to listen to his cries of complaints on his way, but other than those, he arrives at his destination without too much of a hassle considering the number of people out in the open.

Robin has a glass of red wine on her hand and an appreciative expression on her face as she watches the newly-wedded couple in their exclusive drinking battle. He smiles, glad to see her having fun, and sneaks behind to give her a back hug.

"Luffy," Robin mutters, not at all surprised to suddenly find herself caught by a pair of arms.

His smile widens. Bringing his chin to rest it over Robin's shoulder and tightening his arms on her waist, he decides he wants to completely wrap himself around her like a second skin, no space and no distance should ever come between them. He likes it here, likes to luxuriate in her scent and in her presence, and likes it even more now because he's feeling really sentimental and he needs to hold the person he loves the most.

Luffy turns his gaze to the current center of attention where most of the people here have their focuses glued to. He looks at Zoro and his clear resolution to win, then he looks at Nami and her fierce desire to overtake her husband, then he chuckles at how these two have chosen their way of celebrating the marriage.

After reaching Raftel and obtaining the greatest freedom of all as Luffy gets to be known as the Pirate King, Zoro and Nami have started to get serious and give their relationship a significant thought. To their part, Zoro has become the world's most excellent swordsman and Nami has been able to finish her very own world map. They have promised Luffy that their loyalty is his and will always be his and that they're still going to be part of his crew as long as he has an adventure to journey on. The only difference is that it won't be just Zoro anymore and it won't be just Nami anymore, it will be Zoro and Nami.

The wedding has been held in Cocoyashi village and has been celebrated by every resident of Nami's hometown plus the whole Straw Hat Pirates. It's been a day filled with overflowing emotions and now that the night is starting, Luffy doesn't doubt it'll be filled with music, laughter, food and plenty of drinks.

Even to his own opinion, he's been acting so uncharacteristically mellow since earlier, only able to gobble half of his usual portion of meat before he has to excuse himself away from the party. It's just that he feels already full right now. His emotions are gushing and pouring out like they're about to bubble over. Zoro and Nami are the two people he's been with the longest, they're the first two he's picked to be in his crew. They've been so easy to start bickering with each other at first, Zoro has even referred to Nami as a witch and Nami has taken to calling Zoro as a no-good human being. But now... Now...

Luffy sniffs, his emotions getting the better of him again. He feels like crying, to be honest. Actually, his eyes are already welling up with tears.

"Luffy? Are you alright?" Robin asks him. She shifts her head on the side to take a look at him, the gesture causing her face to get closer to his.

He sniffs again and gives her cheek a light peck. "I'm just happy for Zoro and Nami."

"Hmm," she hums, directing her gaze back to the couple as she rubs a comforting hand on top of Luffy's arm. "The two of them deserve to be happy."

Blinking back his unshed tears, Luffy realizes that other than his happiness for the couple, there's something else inside of him that this event has stirred. He's never really put so much consideration about it before, but because of this marriage, the idea that's been once just a tiny bud has bloomed and sprouted another set of ideas until it becomes so substantial he can no longer ignore it.

Unlike Zoro and Nami, Luffy and Robin haven't thought of settling down as of yet. They can't, not when they still have something left to do.

Luffy, even now as the Pirate King, still has matters to straighten out. His life has been so tangled with many connections that can cause complications in the long run. And as for Robin, while she's found the way to learn the truth, understanding the secret of the Void Century isn't as simple as reading the Rio Poneglyph. She still hasn't come out with her own truth.

But he wants to, Luffy badly wants to. One of the things he desires the most, the moment he's truly matured, both body and mind, and has learned more about commitment and love, is for Robin to become officially his. He wants to give her a proper home, build a family with her and make her incredibly happy she'll be able to forget how she's lived those past sad years of her life.

He's not jealous that Zoro and Nami are able to do it while they still can't, but the envy he feels is as extreme as it's undeniable. At the very least, he wants to tell Robin that he plans to take her as his wife after everything is done and solved.

He tightens the embrace even more, squeezing the woman in his arms in a way that's asking for her attention. "Robin?" he starts tentatively, bringing a hand to dry his eyes before putting it back in its rightful spot. "I..."

As the words get stuck in his throat and the thoughts inside his head become a jumbled mess, silence stretches for some time. This causes Robin's stance a slight change, however, for she seems to have caught the hesitance and turbulence that Luffy is involuntarily letting out. As expected of her, really.

"We have time, Luffy," she says, her intention to placate him clear and unsubtle. "We'll tie some loose ends and finish what we started. Then we'll decide on what to do next afterwards." She deposits her glass of wine in the nearby table and places her now free hand to join the other on top of Luffy's arm. "I have given you my word, haven't I? I'll stay by your side. Always and forever."

Luffy's heart makes a hiccup because of what he's heard. Robin is so understanding and Robin is so perceptive and Robin is so lovable. His eyes are starting to water again because his heart is so happy that he has Robin.

"Robin." He plants another kiss on her cheek, stretches his neck and plants a kiss on her forehead, on her other cheek, on her eyes, on the side of her temples, on her jaw, and on the tip of her nose. "I love you."

He kisses the side of her mouth. She's giggling at his ministrations by now, no doubt very amused by him and his way of showing affections. It's alright because he adores the look on her face when she smiles like that. She's adorable and very, very pretty.

"I really love you, Robin."

She lets out another soft chuckle, closing her eyes when Luffy's lips land in there. "You've become quite the sentimental, Luffy. I like it."

Luffy grins at her as he stops showering her face with kisses. He actually doesn't really like to be filled with these emotions, but if Robin likes it, then maybe it's alright from time to time. After all, his priority is to make her happy.

"Luffy?"

He hears her after a while, after Zoro has been declared the winner of the two as Nami has slumped down nearly unconscious, and after Zoro has gently scooped his wife in his arms to bring her home. Luffy and Robin are still attached to each other even as the crowd starts to disperse. He hums questioningly, closing his eyes to savor the moment of having her so close to him.

"I love you, too."

Luffy smiles widely. His heart proceeds to make somersault inside his chest from the words that are so precious to him. For a long time, Robin has been so reluctant in allowing Luffy to love her. She has had plenty of doubts, of skepticism and fears. She hasn't believed that she deserves Luffy's love to be offered to her and her alone.

But now that he's gotten everything the world has to offer and yet she's still the one he's so crazy about, Robin has decided to accept him and acknowledge her own feelings.

She loves him. She's told him and has shown him before, and all the frustrations and unfulfillment he's suffered from not being taken seriously are definitely worth it as she eventually surrenders herself to him. He's so happy to be loved back by the person he loves.

"Shishishi. I know."

..

-k-