Robin should have known the nightmares would come back. They always do on the first few weeks aboard a new ship. Add the terror that came from Enies Lobby as well as the fear of losing her beloved crew, and it was now clear she should have prepared for this.

The woman had nearly panicked when she woke up in a room far different then the one on the Going Merry, but Nami's quiet snoring quelled her fear long enough to remember where she was.

The Thousand Sunny is our new ship. Nami's safe. Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper are safe. Our newest member is with us. And Luffy is alive.

Before Water 7, that simple reminder would have been enough, but the battle with CP9 was still fresh in her mind, and Spandam's idiotic decision to use the Buster Call had also brought back memories that had long been suppressed.

Robin realized just in-time that she was almost hyperventilating and managed to calm herself down by focusing on Nami's slow breaths as well as the gentle rocking of the sea. She knew she couldn't stay still though, there was no way the Archeologist would be able to ignore the memories and feelings staying here.

Going to sleep would just bring back the nightmares.

Decision made, Robin quietly got out of bed and tiptoed her way towards the dresser to get something to wrap around her shoulders. It wasn't cold out in this region, but she did not want to go out into the night without some kind of extra layer on. Her nightgown was simply far too nice to be exposed to the sea air.

With a silent rustle of clothing as she zipped up a light jacket, Robin made her way out of the women's dorm and relished the fresh air that immediately hit her. It did wonders to put her at ease.

The Archeologist allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she walked forward to lean against the rails, looking up at the countless stars that dotted the night sky as well as the moon that shined particularly bright tonight.

It was equal parts beautiful and calming to Robin, and for several long minutes she simply took it in. Then a stray thought crossed her mind.

Who was keeping a lookout tonight?

She first looked up towards the crow's nest to see if it was Usopp or Nami, but the fact that there were no lights on gave her an answer. Then she leaned forward to get a better view of the kitchen, Sanji liked to look through their stock on his shifts, keeping the door open to have a better view of the sea.

Lights were off there as well.

Chopper was similar to Sanji by checking their medical supplies, only he was far more worried about surprise attacks, so he ended up running back and forth between the main deck and his office with great frequency. Robin had seen him do it once and found it rather adorable.

He wasn't around either

Zoro just slept against the mast. Sometimes he did it even when it wasn't his turn. Tonight seemed to be one of those rare nights where he actually slept in his bed.

Franky wouldn't be allowed the night watch until the First Mate gave the go ahead. A rule Zoro had made when she first joined, and rightly so, her previous affiliations had made the Swordsman hesitant to give her a task that would leave the rest of the crew vulnerable.

Which means the person watching the ship tonight would be…

Robin turned to look towards the front of the ship, and sure enough, she saw the familiar straw hat of her captain.

Even on a different ship he still seemed to have the same habit of sitting on its figurehead without a care in the world. Completely ignoring how easy it would be for a relatively small wave to rock the ship enough to throw him into the ocean. Something that would do what many others had failed to do and end the life of Straw Hat Luffy.

Robin shook the thought out of her head before it could manifest as another panic attack, and simply smiled as she looked at the back of the man that had done so much for her.

In all honesty, she probably should have gone back to her room at that point, just the sight of Luffy was enough to calm her – as well as the others in this crew – down. Tonight was different though, tonight the image of Luffy standing off and declaring the entire World Government their enemy just to get her back into his crew was… overwhelming her. Gratitude couldn't even begin to describe how she felt towards him at this moment.

There probably wasn't a word in any language that could really.

She needed to talk to him, needed to say something to her Captain. So, with another smiling once again forming on her face, Robin descended the stairs to the main deck before heading towards the front of the ship. The Archeologist made sure her steps made just enough noise to alert Luffy that someone was approaching.

Didn't want to startle him into falling off after all.

Robin was about halfway across when he seemed to register her approach.

"Huh?" Luffy's confusion at seeing someone else awake was adorable, but the way he lit up once he realized it was her warmed the Archeologist's heart immensely. "Hey Robin! What are you doing up?"

Unknown to Robin, her smile widened, and she held up a finger to her lips to let Luffy know there were still people sleeping.

"Oh, right. What are you doing up?" He asked again, this time in a whisper, turning around to face her completely.

"I guess you could say I was feeling restless tonight. It feels rather strange being in a new ship after all."

The Rubber man bobbed his head up and down with an excited grin. "Right? It's why I wanted to stay up tonight. I don't know how everyone else can stand it."

Robin frowned, mildly concerned for her Captain's health. "Have you not slept well ever since we left?"

"Eh," Luffy shrugged, scratching the back of his head as well, "depends on the day really. I was so tired the first couple days that I slept like a rock, but then I was really restless after that."

He rested his chin against his palm and looked off to the side at the sea. "I really like this ship, it's soooooooooo cool, but… I really miss Merry too."

So that's what's wrong. Robin could partially understand where her Captain was coming from. Despite the short amount of time she had spent on it, the Going Merry had wormed its way into the Archeologists heart just like the others. Seeing it burn had been heartbreaking.

She could only imagine how it had affected Luffy.

Robin felt terrible for never considering that before. The least she could do now was offer some comforting words. "You know she'll always be with us, Captain. We'll carry her memories all the way to the Grand Line."

Luffy smiled wide at that. "I guess I never thought about it like that. Thanks Robin!"

The woman could feel her heart quicken in response to his smile, and if Robin were able to see herself right now, she would have been surprised to see the amount of affection shining from her eyes. "It's the least I could do Captain."

It did not take long for the relaxing mood to be broken as a yawn managed to escape from Robin's mouth.

Luffy frowned when he realized just how tired his crewmate seemed to be. "You should probably try go to bed again Robin. Can't have my Archeologist falling asleep during the day after all!"

"Ah…" hazy, but still fresh, images from her nightmares came to mind at the mention of sleep. It made Robin grip the sides of her jacket a little tighter than normal.

The Captain caught the motion before she could get it under control and realized immediately that she wasn't telling him something.

"Robin?"

Her natural urge to wave off his concern delayed Robin's initial response, it felt almost childish to bring up something as simple as a nightmare. Luffy was watching her with an honest expression that chipped away at the few barriers she had left. He waited for her to tell him what was wrong, and eventually, that patience won out.

So, she confessed to him about her nightmares, about the real fear she held for their safety now that they had antagonized the World Government. She told him how the sound of the Buster Call still echoed in her mind in both the past and the present. On and on Robin went until she found herself repeating the same story and fears while unable to stop herself from doing so.

Then something was placed atop her head, and everything came to a screeching halt.

Robin looked up to her Captain to ask what he just did, only to stop once she saw his signature straw hat now missing from his person and realized immediately what had just happened.

"Whenever I had a nightmare, I would cover my head with the hat and sleep like a rock for the rest of the night, so I'm sure it'll work for you if you do it!" Luffy grinned with absolute confidence as if what he said was a fact of life instead of an idea to try out.

Still, there was a part of Robin that couldn't help but trust his words as she gripped the hat like a lifeline. She could feel the warmth it provided spread out through her body, easing her body into a state of calm unlike any experienced before. Luffy was trusting her with his most precious item.

Robin felt unworthy to even touch it.

"I shouldn't. This hat means a lot to you, and I could ruin it if I start thrashing."

She tried to take it off, but the hand that had placed it there prevented her from moving it off.

"I know you won't do that, because you're part of my crew, and my crew is a part of my family. If my hat can help you sleep through the night, then you can use it every day until those nightmares go away."

Overwhelmed by his words, Robin pulled the brim of the hat down to hide her eyes and the moisture that was starting to gather. They had already seen her tears when she begged them to take her back to the sea, and damn it all the woman didn't want to let them be seen again.

Luffy was unintentionally doing his best to bring them out again.

"Thank you, Luffy." Robin finally choked out, looking back up to show the marvelous smile his words had given her, one he eagerly returned.

Robin then offered a simple 'good night' as she turned around to head back to her bed. However, she only made it a couple steps before stopping because this didn't feel right. Words didn't feel like enough in this situation, they didn't properly convey how he truly made her feel.

But what could?

Her cheeks warmed up significantly as something came to mind, and as embarrassed as the thought made her feel, she was determined to see it through.

So, Robin turned back around, marched herself back to her confused Captain, and smiled as she leaned down to plant her lips on his cheek.

Robin kept them there long enough to be more than a chaste kiss, but short enough so it didn't become too intimate. When she finally pulled back, the woman was greeted with an absolutely bewildered look that made her burst out into joyous laughter.

It didn't take long for Luffy to join in.

A few more words were shared between the two when their laughter died down before Robin truly went back to her bed.

There would certainly be questions in the morning as to why the Archeologist was wearing their Captain's treasure hat, but those questions were far from Robin's mind as she made herself comfortable.

It took only seconds for her to drift off peacefully once she placed the straw hat over her face.

It was the best night of sleep she had ever had in her life.