while the waves rock, you sleep

a luro fic

My eyes are half closed.

I'm close to sleep. I can feel it in the droop of my eyelids and the weight in my legs and arms. And at the same time there's this weightlessness to my body. Like I'm floating on clouds. Like I'm floating…

It's very nice.

The nicest thing of all is her arms long and slender wrapped around me. Her lips soft and thin, whisper sweet things. Reassurances. Shouldn't I be the one whispering nice things to her?

I know she never wants to leave us now. I think I knew it along. I think I did at least. I never wanted her to leave us! I'll never really know why she felt she had to go away.

She's everything.

Everything.

But more than everything, she is more than I could ever have imagined somebody could be.

She's smart.

Very smart.

Really book smart? But also, she knows all sorts of things I don't. What I mean is that she's much, much more than book smart. She's world smart too.

She's a kind person.

Not everyone is kind, but she is.

I stretch my arms out above my head, yawning widely. I look out across the water. The sky is dark, but the water is darker. There's this sort of glow on the waves. Little pinpricks of starlight wash to and fro on the ever twisting and jumping water. I don't usually notice things like this. I think it's her. I think she has this effect on me. I'm more observant when she's around.

She knows all these cool things!

She's here with me.

Even though she wanted to leave us, she's here right now. How often do I think back to when she wanted to leave? Not all that often. And yet, whenever I think back to it I can't help the anxiety it brings me.

I promised myself long ago that I would never let one of my own be hurt. Shanks was the one who taught me that. He didn't ever exactly say, 'never let your crew be hurt!' He lived that way. A captain is only as strong as his crew. Yet, he is weak if he allows those that look up to him to be hurt.

I think it was almost losing Nami, and then Robin, and then Usopp that showed me just how fragile my crew was. How fragile each and everyone of them are.

It is not a flaw.

They have me to protect them.

And she's warm, which I really, really don't mind.

Robin is warm.

The soft glow of her body heat soothes me. I don't know how she got to be here. I woke up like this, rubbing my eyes and looking around to find that she was here. Her breathy voice was fading in my ears. She'd been saying...

I don't remember what exactly but I do know that it was a reassurance.

I had fallen asleep I think. Watching the waves? That must be it, because I'm sitting where I was last I can remember. Now I only can think of one thing.

Robin.

She's fragile.

Despite how competent at combat, or how dangerous she is. There's a piece of her guarded at all times. There's a piece hidden from view. Shielded and protected from everyone and everything.

I hope that someday she'll realize that her crew will protect her. Does she know? I think that she must. If she didn't believe she was safe with us, I don't think she would have stayed with us.

So I don't mind that I can't move because she seems about asleep and this is nice.

It's nice to be held by someone that pushes others away.

Her breath is drifting in little whispers by my ear.l

The water out there is so dark, but sloshing still. Splashing and lapping up against the side of this big ship.

It feels like we're all being rocked. This swaying and the breeze and the smell of the sea. And how warm it is. I feel safe, and she must feel safe too because I've never seen her fall asleep anywhere really. I know she doesn't sleep anywhere but her own bed because I've never seen her nap.

I stretch my arms out above my head again and look from her, to the water, to her.

Someday I hope she feels safe enough to show me that fragile little bit of her that is hidden away. I hope that someday we will be enough for her to bare it all.

But not today.

Tonight I am content to feel safe and to be held. I know how hard just this little show of affection is for her.

I lean my head on hers and pat gently at her arms around me. She doesn't respond because I think she's drifted off now.

Yes, I feel warm and safe and happy. And it's nice to be with Robin.

A/N

I've rewritten this. if you liked the original and want to read it again, it's chapter 2 💕

written to celebrate 40 followers on Luffy/Robin tumblr blog

blog: lu❤️ro (for the devil child and her sunshine)