Staying with the Strawhat crew, she slowly came to learn the value of life. For most of the years she had lived she was constantly on the run to survive. Using, betraying, deceiving, and even killing others just to live for another second. That was the cause of her insomnia, the chance of seeing the people she had used in the past once more in her dreams was not a chance she did not want to take. It was the same nightmare every time, her past tormenting her, pairs of hand grabbing hold on her as she uselessly tried to run away. She would ruthlessly be dragged underground where then she would find herself alone in a dark abyss. Cold and hot, dark and light, she felt all at the same time, the faces of the one's she had killed circling around her like they were taunting her. She'd hide her face in her knees as she hugged her body to protect herself. All she felt was fear, despair, and most of all, loneliness.

Not once in her whole life had she been accepted for who she was. Many just used her for her knowledge, others for her body which she had vigorously protected successfully, to her relief, and most of all, her ridiculously high bounty that the Marine's mercilessly had given her which was the very cause of everyone's betrayal. She was only used, abused, tormented until no end, until she met Crocodile. Or so she thought- after what had happened in Alabasta.

Just to desperately avoid sleeping, Robin spent most of her time at night reading and drinking caffeine to escape her thoughts when Nami wasn't in the room. She found out, the presence of another neutralizes the nightmares a bit so she always tries to make Nami sleep properly in their bedroom instead of falling asleep somewhere else. Today though, she had failed to do so and was now doing anything she could to stay awake. The lack of sleep was finally getting to her as she could see the dark bags under her eyes in the dimly lit room.

Robin walked outside of the ship to try and have the crisp air wake her up. At first it did, as the cold impact startled her, but unfortunately as she leaned towards the ship's ledge to watch the sea, the smooth rocking of the boat from the waves started to have an effect on her. Slowly her head started tilting back and forth, her eyes slowly trying to close, before she knew it her front body leaned too far into the ledge and she was about to fall when just in the nick of time, as if it was a miracle, a hand caught hers preventing her from falling into the depths of the deadly ocean she just thought was calming.

"Are you crazy?" The person who had caught her had exclaimed, their voice filled with anger.

She recognized it was Zoro as it was his turn to watch over the ship at night. He must have seen her falling from the bird's nest. "I'm sorry for troubling you swordman-san." Robin apologized, her face filled with regret for making such a dumb mistake that could have taken her life. How could she afford bothering her crewmates again when they just had risked their lives to save her. "I'll go back to my room."

She was about to head back when the sudden rush of adrenaline forced her to stumble, making Zoro catch her again. "When was the last time you slept Robin?" He asked with worry. Not wanting her to fall again, he gently lifted her up, one hand behind her back and another behind her knees, and carried her to the women's bedroom.

"I don't know…" Robin blinked her tears away and hid her face on his shoulder, using this chance to absorb the warmth he had that she so craved for she held her arms around his neck. Luckily for Zoro, she couldn't see his madly blushing face from her embrace.

He ever so carefully placed her on her bed noticing her glistening eyes. Though he was bad with noticing directions, Zoro wasn't one to not notice one's feelings and emotions. Robin was usually the one to gladly receive and subtly give back attention, just how she did the other crewmates, especially Sanji, as much as he hated it when that idiot Cook got any form of attention he begged to have. This night seemed different from that though. From the way she held him as if she didn't want to let go, to the barely noticeable hints of fear her face had shown, he knew she wasn't ok. It was best to let Chopper know of what's happening tomorrow morning.

"Goodnight." He turned around to leave when she had suddenly grabbed his hand.

"W-wait, don't…" He had barely heard the last word she had said. Zoro turned around to see her tear filled eyes, desperate for rest. Her expression pleading him to stay. "Please, stay…"

He stood quiet, thinking of what he should do. Unfortunately for Robin, she had mistook his silence as a 'no' and let go of his hand. "I- I'm sorry, forget it. Have a goodnight."

He heard the crack in his voice and hat was when he gave in to his temptations. Swiftly but silently he took off his boots and laid down beside her. The sudden moves caused Robin to tense up in surprise but slowly relaxed as she succumbed to his body warmth. With hesitance, she hovered her arm on top of his chest as if she was scared of touching him, "Is it ok?"

Zoro grumbled in embarrassment as he was not one to be good at handling situations like these, but he knew Robin desperately needed someone right now. He roughly turned his torso in front of her and enclosed his arm around her body. "Of course it is, woman. "Whenever Nami is not here.. I'll come to you."

She softly hummed and rested her head on his arm, grateful that Zoro was there for her. She remembers a time that was all too similar.

…

It was just a usual night in Alabasta. Robin was reading in the library trying to stay awake when the pleads from her body to rest were too strong to handle. She somberly stood up and started to walk towards her room, her vision and concentration slowly blurring. 'I should have stayed in the library' she thought as she leaned towards the wall. Finally, with so much struggle, she was able to reach her bedroom and collapse on her bed.

Little did she know that she had entered the crocodile's den.

…

Crocodile looked up from his desk to see Robin come inside his room out of nowhere.

"Miss All Sunday?" He called out to ask what her intentions were only to see her plop down on his bed. He was in the middle of some paperwork and to suddenly see his vice president come so suddenly was very bizarre, but a nice surprise. Usually when work hours were over he'd never see her around, always cooped up in her room or the library. To see her come inside and lay on his bed so care freely was certainly something he'd thought he'd never witness from Nico Robin. Crocodile started to hear soft sighs coming from the archaeologist. "Are you trying to seduce me?" he tried to tease only to be answered with silence. Perhaps she was drunk, he couldn't really tell for the only light source he had was the lamp besides him.

Slowly he stride towards her to take a better look and truth be told, she was actually sleeping. Crocodile figured she might have mistaken his room for hers, afterall, most of the bedrooms looked the same. He sighed, for someone so cautious she sure was careless this time. He carefully tucked away some of her hair that was covering her face, having a closer look at her complexion. From her pale skin to the dark bags under her eyes, he could tell just how much sleep she lacked.

To his surprise, Robin started to shake and shiver, beads of sweat dripping from her face. "No… No.." He could hear her whisper against his pillow.

"Robin? Robin!" He tried to wake her up and shook her shoulder but it was to no avail. He wondered what he should do as this situation was not something he had experienced before. With his hand still on her shoulder he had noticed her whimpers starting to decline. Was this helping her? Having someone beside her?

As careful as he ever could be he awkwardly started stroking her ever so soft hair which eventually let him receive a hum. He chuckled by her reaction, oh how much she was like a cat. So guarded and cautious when awake but so vulnerable when asleep. The warlord sat down on the edge of the bed and began rubbing her so slender back. 'Was that a purr?' He joked to himself. Before he knew it, watching her peacefully sleep got him to feel quite tired. He could always finish his paperwork in the morning, he reasoned. Giving in to his desires he laid down besides her and slowly tucked her around his arm, moving his arm to stroke her hair once again.

…

Robin awoke the next morning alone in… Crocodile's room?! She gasped in shock by the fact she herself made such a stupid mistake. Checking if they had done anything she looked at her body to see her clothes still intact, she sighed in relief.

The archaeologist ran towards his office, "Mr.0!"

"Ah, Miss All Sunday, glad to see you awake. Did you have a nice sleep?"

She blushed in embarrassment by his teasing as she was usually the one to do so, not the other way around. "I-I apologize sir. I wasn't myself last night." She had to think it did seem strange how awfully well she slept.

"No need. I too had a pleasant night's rest. Who'd know holding you would be so comfortable."

"Sir?!"

…

Another whole day had passed and it was soon time to retire. Unfortunately, before she could return to her quarters she needed to go to him to give some information about the ponelyghs the officer agents had found out about. She walked as slowly as he could to his bedroom dreading to face him.

Once she arrived she was greeted with a smirk. "Miss All Sunday? My, I didn't know you enjoyed my bedroom that much. Would you like to share again?"

She gulped down the many insults she wanted to say, regretting the accident she had made so much. "Mr.0, I would love to, but I do have to say I enjoy my personal space quite more."

"Oh really?" His mischievous grin only seemed to have grown wider.

Robin coughed. "Anyways, I have very good news to report about the poneglyphs sir." She handed him the documents she brought. "Our officer agents have confirmed that the artifact is indeed hidden in this kingdom."

"That is good news indeed Miss All Sunday! And to think you just came just to sleep again!"

She finally thought of a reasonable comeback. "It sounds like to me you have trouble sleeping without me Mr.0. Here, shall I lull you to sleep?" She gestured her hands towards the bed. "I'll be taking my leave now sir."

Before she could even take a step she stopped when she felt his hand grab hers. "You should really sleep here Robin. We both know that you slept well." She turned around to question him as she sweat dropped from his seriousness.

"Come to bed with me. Just to sleep, nothing else."

She looked straight into her eyes only to see resolute in his eyes promising he will not do anything else. As much as she wanted to decline she couldn't help but remember just how peacefully she had slept in a long time. For as long as she could remember it was the same damn nightmare, nothing but torture, and she knew her body wanted to feel that relaxation just once more. "I… alright."

Once they both got on the bed, she couldn't help but notice how awkward it was, but that tension was soon disrupted when he suddenly held her body against his chest, the same position they were in last night, giving her a small gasp. Crocodile didn't think about it before as he was too tired, but he noticed how she perfectly fitted underneath his chin as she was enclosed in his arms. She looked so frail and small compared to him, like she was going to break if he held her tighter. It was strange, he had never felt this way towards her before, the need to protect someone other than himself, it was like he was enchanted in a spell she had casted on him. When had it begun? Perhaps it was when they had started reading together, or when they had their walks during break. It was hard to tell.

He felt her arm cautiously slid around his handless forelimb in return. "Thank you.. For this."

"I wouldn't be doing this if it didn't help me too," Crocodile chuckled when he felt a small hit on his arm.

"You have trouble sleeping too?"

"As long as I could remember." He hummed as he started stroking her hair. She looked at him and was met with a smile she oh so adores, "We are very similar dear."

There it was again. The word 'dear' which always causes her to smile. It made her feel protected, wanted, loved- if she dared to say ever since he had comforted her when she broke down from trauma. Crocodile was not what he seemed to be at first glance. Sure, his personality can be a little… complicated, but she knew he wasn't all that. Just like any other person he too can be gentle and kind, especially during these intimate moments they had.

"It's ok to be selfish sometimes Robin."

…

She awoke to find Zoro sleeping besides her. Careful not to wake him up she gently placed a blanket on top of him and slowly went out for some fresh air. She smiled to see the beautiful sun rising.

Now, as one of the Strawhat pirates, she had come to learn what it was like to live, to love, to be accepted. She felt protected and the need to protect them. Robin felt safe. Their journey in Water 7 has come to an end and they were now headed to the next island that awaits their arrival.

A/N: Hello, this was a long chapter huh? It better be because it took hours. I hope you have enjoyed this one. Finally we are getting some Crocodile x Robin action, something I'm begging for from other people. Lots of Zoro x Robin too which is awesome i guess. Please review! And please follow me on instagram kattes_moon. Also review lol