I don't own anything but my ideas.

Perfect Chaos

Four weeks Sanji had been with them.

Twenty-eight long days.

Zoro couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so alive. He practically floated out of bed in the morning and dove into his exercises, counting his reps and all the while thinking about what Sanji was making for breakfast. Every morning Zoro was the second person in that kitchen, before most of the other people had even woken up. Every morning he fell asleep at the table with the wonderful aromas drifting about him. Every morning he woke up with a cup of tea and a small plate of something tasty and revitalizing placed on the table in front of him.

After he'd finished the plate, people started filing into the kitchen. Nami would generally join them first, waving off Sanji's flourishes and exchanging snide remarks with Zoro. He still didn't like the way she walked all over Sanji. Even if the cook was tired and clearly in pain from a rough night's sleep—whether it was from physical pain or dreams, Zoro never asked—if she didn't like what he was serving she would make a special request and he would leap to it.

Luffy and Chopper were usually the next ones to walk in, as a lot of nights they passed out cuddling each other like Luffy thought Chopper was an overgrown teddy bear. They would race into the kitchen, Luffy would get kicked upside the head (Chopper wised up before that could happen), and snarfed down their food. Usopp followed, having been woken up by the noise, and would entertain them all with his dreams and how they told the future and sometimes the past, pretending to read the food in their plates and the tea leaves in their mugs like a fortune teller. It was amusing, at least, but they were loud, and the louder they were, the more Sanji squawked at them. Sometimes Zoro missed the quiet mornings before people had figured out how good of a cook Sanji was, but Sanji lived to cook for others, so mornings now were a blessing and a curse, so to speak.

The noise had drawn Brook and Franky in after a couple weeks, who brought even more insanity to the table, and all at once if felt like they were a group of swashbuckling pirates stuck on a tiny ship together sailing through the ocean and singing songs the whole way. All they needed was more booze and they'd be set. Brook and Franky had their own apartments just a little ways down the road and really had no reason to be at the arena before fights, which meant that they either really liked Sanji's cooking or really didn't like their own sanity to get down here so early.

Zoro ducked as something went flying by his head, and off to his side he heard Sanji bark Luffy's name and the idiot's cry as Sanji launched a vicious kick in his direction. Franky laughed loudly at the exchange, slinging his arm over Chopper's tiny shoulder.

"Gotta say, cook-bro, from bringing you back the night we found you, I really didn't think you'd make this super a recovery!"

Chopper nodded wildly, bouncing up and down in his chair even with the extra weight on top of him. "I'm so glad, Sanji! We were all really scared for a while!"

Zoro looked over warily, taking in how Sanji's good eye had found the floor, but the cook put on a happy face for the group anyways. "Well, I had the best doctor and the strongest crew on my team; it would be a crazy thought to think that I wouldn't be ok."

"Bastard!" Chopper warbled, flailing in Sanji's direction. "I'm not the best! Don't say that! It doesn't make me happy at all!"

Franky bellowed out another laugh, joined by Brook's chortle, and soon everyone around the table was laughing at Chopper's antics and Zoro couldn't help but chuckle along. Besides, the cook was laughing too, which meant that bringing up said untouchable topic hadn't put him in too much of a funk. He was definitely doing better if they could talk about it that openly without him shutting down.

One by one the group thanked Sanji and chased each other out, crowing about what they were going to do that day.

"Swordsman-bro," Franky said on his way out and Zoro looked up blearily from where he'd been about to fall asleep at the table. "I'm working with Kid today on an engine, you should stop by. The guy's been talking about how he and Law haven't seen you in a while. And Killer's off who knows where doing super things; it looks like they're having a little empty nest syndrome."

Zoro nodded, shaking his head to himself at the thought of Law and Kid with empty nest syndrome and thanked Franky, who gave the remaining two in the kitchen a hardy wave before trudging out.

Zoro looked up to where Sanji was powering through the dishes and crossed the room to join him, taking a towel and drying the ones that Sanji finished. It was nice to have the quiet after such a crazy breakfast, and they stood there comfortably for a long time, just washing and drying. The first footsteps they heard behind them still came too soon though. Zoro didn't bother turning around. Anyone coming into the kitchen now was looking for Sanji.

Sanji turned, plate still in hand, to find Chopper walking back into the kitchen. Chopper smiled and Sanji managed a half smile before he dropped it and turned back around. Chopper's expression dipped slightly, knowing how much Sanji dreaded this topic.

"Zoro?" He cantillated, trying to get the older man's attention. He could still stay strong though for his patient, and that meant a happy tone of voice too.

Zoro blinked, finally turning around to find Chopper beaming up at him like a pint-sized bottle of sunbeam.

"…What's got you so happy?"

"Would you give Sanji and I a couple of minutes?" Chopper was practically singing now.

Zoro caught the way Sanji's shoulders sagged slightly and nodded, laying his last plate down on the drying rack as he went to get his swords off of the table.

Well, he thought with a yawn, scratching at the back of his head, might as well rest while I have the chance. Because Sanji would most likely be riled up enough to want to fight after he was done with Chopper. Any discussion relating to how his body was(n't) healing always put the cook on edge.

Zoro yawned again, hand just resting on the doorknob to his bedroom in the arena when something prickled up his spine and he froze, eyes narrowing.

…Inside.

Zoro slid Kitetsu and Shusui out of their sheaths silently. He moved to find a comfortable standing spot, took a deep breath, and lunged forward, smashing through the door with a loud battle cry, swords brandished and ready for blood—only to grind to a halt at the person sitting innocuously on his bed, legs crossed and innocently waiting for him like he was the one who'd forgotten their plans and was late.

"…Robin!" Instantly a huge grin split his face and Robin smiled back, opening her arms as Zoro slid his swords away and walked over to hug her.

"How did you know I was staying here?" He had his own apartment up the road, but ever since he'd been charged with watching Sanji he'd been living with the rest of the crew here.

She shrugged, looking sheepish. "I didn't, actually. I stopped there first but your place looked like it hadn't been touched in days, so this was my next best guess, and I just tried doors until I found this room." She gave him a chiding look. "Haven't we talked about leaving your door unlocked?"

He glossed over the question unabashedly. "How've you been?"

"I've been…" she paused, choosing the right word, "immersed. I have many stories for you and everyone else."

"All good?"

"Some yes, others no, but they're only half of the story."

"…I missed you," he admitted quietly, and she smiled again, shifting closer to him to lean her head on his shoulder.

"Me too." Her voice was firm and sure, just like it had always been. It was good to have her back. "And why the change in location?" She leaned back on her hands to get more comfortable, already reading him like she'd been here the whole time and it hadn't been almost a year since she'd left.

The last time Robin was around, she'd been talking about these amazing ghost computer programs and the histories of the country they told about from their coding, gushing about how they were so complex that most of the government nowadays didn't even know how to read them and missed all of their secrets because of it. At one point she'd hit a dead end because they weren't available to the city any more, what with the… secession from the rest of the country and all. She couldn't stay there if she wanted to pursue them. And then she'd left, just like Ace had, and they hadn't heard from her since.

"…Well…" Oh boy.

"Hey, marimo, wake the fuck up so we can—"

Sanji froze in the door, Robin staring back at him with surprised eyes as he looked her up and down. Once. Twice.

Zoro grimaced and covered his eyes.

"…Marimo?" she repeated slowly, reaching up to cover her smirk with a hand. Her eyes popped back to Sanji in surprise as the cook suddenly sank to his knees in front of her, his head dipping dramatically as he gestured towards the heavens.

"My lovely goddess, I know not what glorious fates have brought us together here today, but let me assure you—" he pulled a flower that Zoro recognized from the vase in the kitchen out of his jacket and presented it to her. What the hell, did he carry one on him at all times? "—the pleasure is all mine."

Robin clearly had no idea what to think of the situation, and Zoro would have teased her for this being one of the very few times she couldn't find an appropriate response if he hadn't been so annoyed that Robin was just another woman on Sanji's list of things to cherish.

"Robin," he started, forcing his tone to stay cool, "this is Sanji. Sanji, Robin is an old friend of mine. We've known each other for years."

"A pleasure," Robin smiled gracefully and Sanji swooned under her dark gaze, wobbling slightly on his one knee.

"Ah Robin, such elegance and poise to compliment such a spellbinding and beautiful flower. I can't imagine how you survived so many years with this ape of a man, but even if it was him, I'm glad that you had reason to come here today and charm my eyes with such exquisiteness."

Robin's smile was getting more and more strained with every word. She'd never been one for useless drivel. It was kind of fun to see her out of her element for once.

"How long are you staying?" Zoro cut in, taking mercy on her.

She shook her head. "Not long. I have more work to do, but I was in the area and it suddenly struck me how long it's been since I've seen everyone. I was excited to see how much Shanks has improved this place as well. The marines are a surprise though," she turned back to Zoro.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell you about them after you've said hello to everyone. It's kind of a long story, and they'll be mad if you don't go up soon. I'm gonna go see Kid at the garage later, wanna to come?"

She nodded again and stood, Sanji twirling to his feet beside her.

"Is the lovely lady weary from her travels? Might I be able to fix her something to eat?"

Robin gave Zoro a dumbfounded smirk over her shoulder and he grinned in return, mouthing "later" in response. He'd been around Sanji for four weeks now; she could deal with one day.

"That would be very kind, thank you."

Sanji swooned again as she took his outstretched arm, and then they were through the door, leaving Zoro to yawn and get comfortable back on the bed.

Damn Robin, stealing his sparring partner.

-oOo-

"What is Mr. Kid working on today?" Robin asked as she and Zoro climbed onto Zoro's bike. Kid had built the thing basically from scratch for him along with Franky and it was Zoro's pride and joy aside from his swords. Robin had never commented on Zoro letting her ride it, but she knew that he'd only let Chopper and Killer on it—and once Luffy, but they'd both almost died because of the young man's antics, so never again—and took great care to watch her heals for the paint job.

"Not sure." Zoro handed her his extra helmet and pulled his own on. "Franky just mentioned that they'd been asking what I've been doing. I've been up here so much for Sanji, really haven't seen any of them."

"And Mr. Law?"

Zoro shrugged. "Him either, I really haven't seen either of them. Sometimes I'll see Law when he comes to check up on Sanji, but he's basically the head of the hospital because there weren't any others left after the siege so he has a lot on his plate. Underground doctors aren't easy to come by."

Robin nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist as he gunned the engine and pulled out into the street. Right away she began giving him directions, tapping on either shoulder for turns and pulling back on his left shoulder if he was about to make a wrong turn so he didn't swerve out into traffic. It was like she had never left. They pulled into the driveway and drifted into an open spot in the garage next to a car up on the lift. Robin swung her long legs over the bike and slid her helmet off, waiting for Zoro to stop the bike and knock out the kickstand before they went over to see everyone.

"Swordsman-bro!" Franky called, waving while one hand was busy stuck inside the engine of a car that was in desperate need of a new paint job. Beneath him, Kid's legs were sticking out from under the car, the toe of one of his heavy boots twitching. He was annoyed about something.

"Zoro!" Kid barked, making Franky jump. "Get me a hemostat clamp! I need to hold a couple of pieces together and that idiot doesn't know what the hell it is!"

Zoro grinned at the poor help who was shrugging uselessly over in the corner and left Robin to find Kid's toolbox.

Zoro held out the clamp as Kid slid out from under the car on the creeper and scowled up at the poor skittish teenager that was supposed to be helping him.

"Law give this to you?" he asked as Kid took it. Kid just grinned impishly, the beginnings of laugh lines starting to appear around his eyes now that he had passed thirty, and wheeled back under the car without answering.

Franky found a stopping place and laid his tools down, wiping his greasy hands on a rag as he came over to join them. "Who's your friend, bro?"

"You never met Robin?"

Franky shook his head. "She used to hang with you and your crazy friends back in the day?"

Robin chuckled to herself. "You could say that. I'm Robin Nico."

"Charmed," Franky gave her a wide grin. "I'd shake your hand, but I don't know if you'd be able to get the black out for a couple of days. I use really super soap, takes everything but my bones off."

Robin chuckled again, making Franky grin wider, and Zoro went back to helping Kid. Seems like he wasn't needed there anymore.

"How's your ward?" Kid's voice drifted up from under the car and Zoro found a comfortable place resting up against the front door with his legs sticking out in front of him.

"Not bad, he's still a little touchy. Law hasn't told you this?"

"He has, but we haven't seen you in weeks, and do you know how much of a bitch it is to get you to talk when you don't have to?"

"I talk!" Zoro squawked indignantly.

"It's a bitch, bro," Franky cut in unapologetically and Robin laughed beside him, hiding behind her hand.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing something?" Zoro snapped.

"Well you left the young lady all by herself, what was I supposed to do?"

"I'd love to help," Robin spoke up, sliding her jacket off to reveal the dark lacy dress underneath. Franky's eyes followed her long legs as she crossed the garage to hang it on one of the empty pegs, short heels clicking subtly against the floor. "What do you need me to do?"

"Uh, well, sure, I guess," Franky shrugged, unsure at the turn of events but not about to be bothered by the extra hand, especially with their useless intern now making himself useful by tidying up. It seemed he'd caught on that staying clear of Kid after making him mad was a good idea for at least an hour. He could trade with Robin when she and Zoro left. "What do you know about car machinery?"

"Maybe more than you think," she gave him another gentle smile and found a place next to him looking down at the engine. He stood dumbly for a moment, admiring the gentle curves in her shoulders before recollecting and picking up his wrench again.

"Want to find me a socket wrench? Three eighths?"

"Deep or regular?"

Franky grinned widely and stuck his head back under the hood. "Deep would be super."

Robin nodded and headed for the tool bench, leaving Franky with another couple seconds to watch her graceful step.

Zoro watched the way they interacted, weighing them against each other as Franky cracked jokes and made wild gestures with his tools and Robin kept to her personal space and chuckled daintily behind her hand. It was like his charm pulled her out of her seriousness just enough, and her control grounded him just enough. Franky was very open and very friendly, and Robin might have just been being sociable, but Franky, on the other hand, looked very intrigued, and was certainly gaming to get her in bed if nothing else. Something protective inside him growled at the thought of Franky moving in on Robin, but he and Robin hadn't been together for a long time and Franky was a good guy. Robin was very capable of making her own decisions, regardless of what those around her thought. She wouldn't have survived in the underground outside the city on her own if she weren't.

Zoro chuckled to himself, thinking of what Sanji's reaction would be if he were here watching the exchange. He could picture the shit-cook leaping to the unwilling Robin's defense, trying to protect her from the gentle giant of the family and adorning her with a flower crown he'd made himself. As it was, Chopper had stopped him again on their way out and assured Zoro that he and Luffy would watch the cook until Zoro got back.

"Franky said Killer hasn't been around much."

He watched Kid's legs for any pause in activity, but nothing happened, so Kid was either used to the idea or it really didn't bother him. Either was possible with the nut job.

"Yeah, little shit's been running off with his friends and now your blond Dracula feeds him whenever he needs his fix, so he's been home less and less. Nice when Law's off; we actually have the place to ourselves for the first time in way too goddamn long."

"So you don't mind that he's not around?"

"Has it really been twelve years? Yeah, Killer's thirteen. Jesus Christ it's been twelve years since I've had really good sex. How in god's fucking name did we make it that long? You two were not worth that many years."

"Kid, you don't care that he's… you know?"

Now Kid paused. "Why? You grew up, we never had a problem with that."

"No, but you guys have been watching Killer since he moved in with us. He's never been away from you except for school. Never wanted to," Zoro added offhandedly. "…I was the one always fighting you."

"…Traf's a little more bothered than I am. He was way too attentive for way too long. Fucking mother hen. Ever since Killer saw Sanji fight we can't keep him home. He takes his scythes and leaves. Keeps coming back stronger though, which is good because he'll be able to defend himself and Law won't insist on calling him every night. Pass me the torque wrench."

Zoro reached over and pulled the tool from the bench, sliding it under the car. So they were having empty nest syndrome. Or Law was at least.

It had never occurred to him. And Franky had been the one to notice.

He had to get back more often.

"Robin staying with you?"

Zoro shrugged before remembering that the older man couldn't see him. "Didn't ask. It's fine if she wants to."

"You two fucking again?"

"Nah," Zoro glanced up to where Franky was very animatedly telling Robin a story from his hometown. She was immersed in the tale from her perch on the workbench, car long forgotten behind the two. "I think we've passed that."

"Whatever."

Zoro grinned, nudging Kid with the toe of his boot. "What, you don't want grandkids?"

"No! Didn't I just say how happy I was to be having decent sex again?! I'm fucking thirty-one, I'm not nearly old enough for grandkids—and you're not nearly old enough to be having kids!"—Zoro grunted as Kid's boot connected sharply with his side—"Do you know how much work a fucking baby is!? And like hell you're going to give that yellow-eyed, pointy-mustached asshole a reason to show up here again! I don't care if he and Shanks are friends!"

Zoro grinned, leaning back up against the car as Kid ranted.

-oOo-

"Curly-bro cooking again tonight?"

Zoro nodded at Franky as he climbed onto his bike and slid up the kickstand, leaning it to the side to make it easier for Robin to get on with her dress. Franky stepped up to the side of the bike, adjusting his sunglasses on his head as he grinned.

"I might join you then, cook-bro's food is the best. You had any yet, Ro?"

Ro? Robin hated nicknames. With a passion. He waited to feel the claws in his shoulders when she climbed on, and when it never came he turned curiously to find her smiling and rolled his eyes.

"I had a light snack before we came earlier; by then it was already after breakfast. His cooking is quite delicious."

Franky laughed, digging around in his coat pocket for his keys. "I haven't missed a dinner since I first tried it. Let's grab some booze on the way back so we're not mooching off of everything."

Robin nodded and made to climb on the back of Zoro's bike, but he tipped it back away from her as she lifted her foot off the ground. She gave him a blank look and he nodded his head towards Franky's car.

"Go with him. I'll follow you guys."

If possible, Robin's look grew flatter, and a lesser man would have withered, but Zoro only grinned and gunned the bike, drowning out her dark aura. She rolled her eyes and turned for the car, giving Zoro time to put his helmet on and secure hers in the side bag.

Franky looked up in surprise as Robin walked around him, limber legs catching his eyes again. "You comin' with me, sis?"

She nodded with a light smile. "If I'm not intruding at all."

Franky couldn't have looked happier. He slammed the door to the dingy Camaro, making the side mirror rattle dangerously as it threatened to fall off. The car was still in the process of being restored. It needed new paint; new mirrors and lights; the leather inside looked like the victim of a tiger attack; he had yet to replace the exhaust system and it belched everything from smoke to other pieces of the car as it drove down the road; and the undercarriage was so rusted Zoro was still commending Franky for his cojones driving the death trap down the street at all.

"Nope. But if I'm gonna have a lady in the car…" he gestured to the back of the garage, where the beautiful blue '69 Charger he'd spent four years restoring sat quietly in the shadows, waiting to show the city what it had to offer. After the city had risen from the ashes, the Charger was the only decent thing on the road, which made it a sight to see driving down the street, and Franky loved showing it off.

Franky's long strides easily out-stepped Robin, and he made it to the car to open the door for her long before she reached it. She nodded again with her light smile, an amused quirk playing with the corners of her lips, and slid gracefully like a cat into the hand-stitched leather seat. Franky closed the door behind her and grinned at Zoro as he walked around to the passenger seat. Zoro made a face and flipped his visor down, gunning the engine as loud as he could in the tiny garage to get Franky to stop showing off and hurry the fuck up.

-oOo-

Zoro poured himself another glass of sake and turned to see if Usopp, Luffy, or Chopper could use another beer to get them back in the conversation, only to find that they'd passed out in a heap on the table and were snoring with an assortment of limbs sticking into each other's faces and out of the pile. He chuckled to himself, deciding that the situation deserved a double, and filled his glass to the top, passing the bottle to Robin after he was done. She thanked him quietly and turned back to Franky and Sanji, who were discussing old cars. Franky had been glued to Robin's side the entire night, until Sanji mentioned the Charger Frank had parked outside. Apparently, Sanji's father had done some work with old cars and ships. Still no name for the old man though.

"So," Robin asked after a moment, voice quiet enough and hidden behind her glass so that the two across the table couldn't hear—although they'd both had a considerable amount to drink and were discussing the topic quite loudly. "You and Sanji?"

Zoro choked on his drink, spluttering the sake back out across the table. His eyes snapped up to make sure that neither Franky nor Sanji had seen, but Franky was in the midst of one of his more humorous stories and was laughing so loud Zoro doubted either heard him at all.

"No!"

Robin chuckled and nodded, turning back to her drink. Zoro scowled and stuck his nose back in his own, a string of insults running through his mind as she grinned to herself.

"…I told him about Mihawk," he said after a moment.

"…Everything?"

"Yeah. Showed him the scar, told him how berserk Law and Kid went, how scared Killer was. He didn't really say anything."

"Even when you told him your dream?"

Zoro shrugged. "He has one too. Wants to find this… place, with lots of fish."

"Fish?"

"It's like, where all the oceans meet so every kind of fish is there. You know, for cooking and all."

"Yes, I could see how that could be his dream."

"So mine didn't seem so weird."

She nodded.

He hadn't told Sanji about Kuina. But then, he'd never told Robin either. He couldn't even remember if he told Luffy or not. Kuina died before he got close to Luffy and Ace, and as far as he knew Kid and Law had never told Killer, making the two of them the only ones aside from Mihawk that knew. It also made the two of them the only ones that cared. Mihawk hadn't even made the time to come to her funeral. But that didn't really surprise him, coming from a blood relative he had that had nearly split him in two when Zoro challenged him, fueled by years of rage and a deadly drive to be the best, especially if it meant taking that man down.

He'd told Sanji everything: how long he was in the hospital afterwards; how much it hurt when Killer cried and wouldn't speak to him for days for putting himself in a situation like that; how much effort it had taken Law to calm Kid down and keep him from attacking Mihawk; how little Law had said to him beyond the medical stuff; how the doctor had finally exploded, words reopening wound after wound as he told the younger man to just leave if he didn't want to stay and not make it more painful for the rest of them; how much the wound hurt. The words just came, sort of like how Sanji's stories had, just flowing out of him. And the cook had smoked quietly and let Zoro talk, taking in everything and handing him a really nice bottle of sake after he was done for them to split. He'd asked a couple of questions, about Zoro's relationship with Mihawk and why the older man had joined the government, if he and Law had patched things up, but beyond that he'd just listened. And even taken notice when Zoro mentioned that Mihawk left him alive so Zoro could get better, because his uncle was impressed at what he could do.

Zoro knew Sanji would do the same if he brought up Kuina, but Kuina felt deeper. Like what he was sure Sanji felt about his past and his family beyond the facility. There was no need to bring it up, and he felt no desire to.

Robin finished her last sip and stood, bringing the glass over to the sink.

Sanji leapt up as he realized what she was doing, leaving his drink tottering dangerously on the table in his rush. "Let me do that, Robin-swan! There's no need for you to ruin your post-drink relaxation with this menial work."

Zoro poured himself another.

"You finished, Ro?"

"I think so, though I've had a lot of fun. I'm happy I decided to come this week and not have my brain implode from the coding. This is a nice break."

Franky stood and stretched, yawning hugely before he finished his rum and coke in one enormous gulp. "You need me to drive you somewhere?"

"I'm actually staying in a room Shanks offered me, but you're welcome to walk me down the stairs."

"Sure thing," Franky grinned, winking at Zoro, who turned away with a face and pretended not to have seen when Sanji caught it and shot flaming daggers from his eyes in Franky's direction, soapy glass gripped dangerously in his hands.

"Good night, Sanji, thank you for everything."

"Oh my sweet Robin, your praise is far more than I deserve for such a meal not fit for a peasant, but I am glad you enjoyed it~"

Robin giggled quietly, finally warming up to Sanji's quirks and turned to Franky, who held the kitchen door open for her on her way out. He tried to catch Zoro's eye again on as they left but Zoro turned away to watch the cook at the sink. That was imagery he didn't need going through his mind.

Zoro waited as Sanji finished the dishes, pouring himself another glass when he'd finished his last. His eyes traced the sharp, strong curves of Sanji's long legs, finding where the cook was leaning slightly off to one side to keep off his shin.

Still hurts, huh?

Finally Sanji finished and Zoro pushed the wine towards him before he could even turn to return to the table, knowing the tension in Sanji's shoulders when he saw it but not quite understanding where it came from. Alcohol always fixed things in his mind.

Only problem was, he had no clue how to breach a problem even with alcohol.

People should just have to deal with their own shit.

"I feel like such a cripple," Sanji spoke up suddenly and Zoro snorted, taking the cook's lax tone as an OK to joke around. The fact that Sanji had offered that without Zoro asking meant that he wasn't in as bad a mood as Zoro thought.

"Well you should, with the way you fight."

Sanji shot him a look and flipped him the bird as he took another huge gulp.

Zoro waited, but when Sanji didn't speak again, he asked, "Which part?"

"What?"

"Which crippled part?"

Another scathing look.

"…I thought everything was healing."

"…My eye."

Ah.

Sanji tipped his glass back up to his lips. "I hate the eye patch. Huge fucking reminder."

Zoro grunted, taking a swig of his own drink. "Just take it off. It won't make you any less of a pretty boy."

Sanji slammed his glass down on the table and Zoro grumped, hand automatically on Shusui but Sanji just reached for the bottle and topped his glass off roughly, sloshing the liquid everywhere.

"It's my eye and it's not going to get better!" Sanji snapped. "It's not like I broke a nail that will just grow back in a week and I can glue a fake one on until then! It's my fucking eye!"

Sanji stopped and the silence filled the room again, everything motionless until Zoro poured himself another shot and downed it. Every nerve in his body was screaming for him not to—that his fingers were too important for holding his swords—but he set his glass down on the table anyways and reached slowly across the table to where Sanji was hunched over in his chair, cradling his wine.

His fingers touched the end of the bandage where the tape held it together and he paused, giving Sanji plenty of time to turn away or yell or kick him or something, but the cook did nothing but stare straight ahead with his one good eye, intently watching something on the opposite wall, far, far away from Zoro's hand, and Zoro pulled back on the tape. It came off quickly, like the bandage hadn't been changed in days and the tape had grown dirty and lost its adhesiveness. The cloth fell in a pile on the table as Zoro unwound it silently, sometimes using both hands to move Sanji's hair out of the way so he could make sure he wasn't touching Sanji's eye.

And then the bandage was off and he set it off to the side, sitting back in his chair. Sanji took a deep breath, looking away uncomfortably before he finally turned to meet Zoro's gaze. His good, iridescent blue eye stared strongly straight ahead, but the lid of his other eye was closed slightly, open just enough to reveal the murky white film that covered his iris and turned the vibrant blue a sky blue that was almost mundane next to the other.

"It doesn't fuck with your depth perception," Zoro spoke up, "—that I've seen. And you haven't had any other problems, so if your other eye hasn't gotten stronger to deal with it, then they were damn strong in the first place and you never needed two. You can still see, so it doesn't matter."

Sanji didn't answer, but didn't look away either, still meeting Zoro's gaze just as strongly as before. Finally he set his glass on the table and reached up, combing his long bangs over the eye until it was barely visible through the blond fringe.

"…Chopper will be happy," he muttered, picking up his glass again. "He was always spouting this shit about how my eye might stay permanently blind if I didn't let it get used to light. If it even can heal. Law hasn't seen any change, but Chopper insists on telling me as often as he can that it still might someday."

Zoro nodded. "That's Chopper."

"…How long have you known Robin?"

Zoro shrugged. "Years. I met her through Luffy."

"You seem close."

"We used to fuck, but it was really just stress relief—she was the one that initiated it!" he barked, cutting off Sanji's tirade at the first signs of fire in the cook's eyes. Sanji finally settled back into his chair, but for a while there it looked like he was going to launch himself at Zoro to defend Robin's honor.

"…You have a weird family."

"…Yeah."

"…Can I see the scar again?"

Now that had to have been the alcohol. But something in Zoro didn't want to break the trance—the fairy circle that got Sanji to relax and talk when it was just the two of them. It still felt delicate, and he really didn't mind, so he pushed away from the table and pulled back his shirt, revealing the gnarled skin where marks from haphazard stitches just trying to keep him alive had been yanked through his skin, permanently marring it. Law had been angrier about the fact that another doctor had done such a useless job before he could get there than he had been at Zoro for nearly getting himself killed. He had been explicit about no one touching Zoro, and the ER doctor had decided that Zoro was losing too much blood. The other doctor nearly pissing himself in fear from Law's reaction was the only thing that had made Zoro laugh in days.

Sanji's eyes traced the mark, counting the stitches and leaning closer and closer on the table with every second. The fact that Zoro barely noticed or cared was also the fault of the alcohol.

Sanji's fingers drifted up suddenly, and he was an inch away from touching it before he realized what he was doing and his eye popped open. Zoro couldn't help but notice from this close distance that Sanji's bad eye didn't move at all in time with the other. Even through the curtain of hair he could see how motionless the lid was.

Sanji pulled back and grabbed his glass, muttering, "Sorry."

Zoro mumbled something about it being ok, but he wasn't sure exactly what he said and just pulled his shirt back down. The spot Sanji was about to touch felt numb.

-oOo-

Franky stayed in Robin's room the entire week. And every morning she and Nami twittered together under their breaths, giggling when Franky walked into the kitchen looking refreshed and like a new man. The funniest part though was Sanji, who spent the whole morning twisting at the girls' every word while simultaneously shooting daggers at Franky. It was still kind of annoying though after Zoro's routine of working out and relaxing with Sanji and a cup of tea.

Robin helped Shanks with the coding and the security of the city, pouring everything she had learned into the safety of her friends and family at home, joking that she had to have a place to return to someday after she was done. It was no help to her if it'd been burned to the ground because the government had hacked their files. And somehow she still found time to shop with Nami, play with the three nut jobs, visit everyone she hadn't seen for a year, and have so much sex with Franky that Law started calling them newlyweds (mostly to irk Sanji, which it did. Law had a sick sense of humor).

By the end of the week, neither Franky nor Robin were ever seen more than three feet from each other. It was like they'd been friends, or more than that for years. It was such a normal thing to see them walk into the kitchen together in the morning, both damp from a shared shower, that even Usopp lost the desire to tease them about it. Chopper, as usual, had yet to catch on, commenting on how it was so cool that their body clocks seemed to function on the same schedule for whatever reason. Robin just smiled at that and Franky passed him by for the food.

At one point when Zoro found himself near Robin without Franky around, he'd taken the time to ask her how they'd gotten so close so fast, especially with her track record of taking years to get close to people. She'd given him a flat look and started to walk away but he'd grabbed her arm, snapping that she also had a track record of doing things like this to get something that she wanted. She at least had the courtesy to look embarrassed after that. Damned if he was going to let her use Franky. Good friend or not, she had some quirks. He might never forgive her for her first duplicity, and she was smart and aware of that.

The first time Zoro had ever seen her put herself in relationships for personal gain, she'd attempted to get close to Luffy, who was painfully oblivious and missed every one of her advances, whereupon she'd tried Ace. At the time, she was new to their area and still tied slightly to the espionage group her mother had been part of. Robin thought Shanks had something they needed and that his sons were the best way to get to him. What she hadn't counted on was Luffy's childlike personality or the fact that Ace would figure out what she was doing the second she showed interest in him. She also didn't count on his sense of humor and the fact that he would play her until she was really in deep and he could call her out with hard evidence. What Ace hadn't counted on was Shanks helping her, or the fact that Robin would leave her mother's group after he offered her a way out and safety from the group. It had taken years for Ace and Robin to really warm up to each other after everything was out in the open—Luffy loved her right away with her uncanny ability for impressions—but when they finally did get close, there wasn't anything they wouldn't go to the other for. But Zoro hadn't trusted her for a long time either. He already had very little family left, and no one was going to take what was left from him. Robin would have been very able to if she'd wanted. It wasn't that he didn't trust Robin, but he was open to possibilities, and she had a track record.

Robin pulled him out of earshot of the rest of the group and leveled him with a stare that held him fast, which he quickly realized was from how uncomfortable she was but it was still cementing him to the ground. Her voice was honest though, so he let her talk.

"…Franky…" she stopped, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, annoyed that she was being forced to talk about this. "…Franky called me on it. Before he came back to my room the first night." That made her chuckle and she crossed her arms tightly, hip tilted slightly to the side in irritation. "A real gentleman. Wouldn't do anything with me before we talked."

"…About what?"

She blew out a short rush of air. "…How I… drift, apparently, around the room. Listening and not really talking or participating. He thought the same thing, that I was here for an ulterior motive that could be harmful to everyone."

So that's it. Franky had unknowingly hit upon her weak spot. Robin's origins were swathed in darkness; everyone's motives and actions clandestine and no one ever really able to trust a friend or family member as they all (hopefully) worked for a shared end goal. Aside from time and observation, the only thing that kick started Robin's trust was people calling her on her secrets and being real with her, telling her honestly and forwardly that secrets like that weren't welcome. Luffy had been the first one to accidentally stumble across it and Robin had yet to do anything against Luffy's will. Zoro had been painfully blunt that he didn't trust her, and all of a sudden it was her that was trying to convince him that she was a safe friend and ally to have around.

"What did you say?"

Robin snorted, a very un-Robin gesture and it made him blink.

"…I told him how we met, actually. What I was after initially with Shanks, how he trusted me for some unknown reason, and how I stayed."

Zoro nodded, glad that he wasn't going to have to try and convince her out of whatever she was manipulating Franky for. "You're happy then?"

Robin was still, looking out over the group of people with her arms still tightly crossed, and then she relaxed, turning back to give him a light smile.

"I am. And I'm going to enjoy it while I can."

"…What do you mean?"

There was the uncomfortable air again, and the relaxation in her form was replaced with a tight air that made him shift.

"…I didn't come here because of work. I came home because I thought someone was following me. I contacted Shanks and asked him to send me someone to watch my back and maybe protect me if need be, but he thought I should come back. He assured me the city would be able to throw them off for at least a couple days so I could find some way to fix the situation—give me time without someone breathing down my neck to find options. And he was right; the city is so locked down that whoever was after me has yet to find a way in without being seen. I haven't noticed anything strange in days."

"…Who do you think?"

"…I'm not even entirely sure I'm being followed to be honest. But I have a hunch bad enough to worry me and I'd rather be safe, especially with my line of work. I've done some research and found an organization that can hide me. I'm going to meet with them tomorrow."

"…You can't stay longer? What about my apartment? No one will guess you're there with everyone else here."

Robin shook her head, reaching out to lay her hand on his arm. "I just wanted to let you know, just in case I disappear for a while."

"And you can't tell me where you're going or the organization?"

She cocked her head to the side, giving him a mocking look. "That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

-oOo-