"What's wrong?" Nami had dragged her roommate to their cabin locking the door behind her.
Robin sitting on the bed legs drawn to her chest holding onto them like a life line, Nami drags a chair opposite of the woman to watch her.
She runs her hand through her orange locks not even knowing where to start.
"Tell me honey, what's wrong?" Nami softly coos.
Robin had buried her face behind her legs.
Nami reaches out placing a hand on hers, "Something is on your mind, you know you can tell me anything."
Robin slowly raises her head, her eyes trace down to the book lying next to her. Hesitantly she reaches out, her hand sliding between the pages pulling out a silver chain.
Nami's mouth opens into a large 'o' recognizing immediately what she pulled out.
"Ho-how'd you get those?" the navigator suddenly recalling her recent memories, never noticing before the chain was missing from Sano's neck.
"Back at Belyarte..."
Eye's widen, "When?" Nami blurted out.
"When he told us to go to the ship." Robin softly sighs, her hands nervously tracing the stamped letters on the surface of the tags.
Nami crosses her arms and leans back in her chair, "He say why?"
Robin slowly shakes her head in response.
Nami taps a finger on her chin, "But that was what...over three weeks ago? That is either one hell of a delayed reaction or something else is on your mind."
She waves a hand, "And I believe it's something else, maybe related to his dogtags."
Silence fills the space between the two women, with Robin suddenly feeling like their roles had reversed. She was the young one unsure of anything and Nami was the mature older sister.
Robin opens her mouth, stopping for a few seconds then asking softly, "Nami, have you ever been in...love?"
The question had taken her aback, Nami totally dumbstruck that the older woman would ever ask a question like that, not to mention so sheepishly. It took a few seconds for it process but it suddenly dawned on the orange haired woman.
"OH MY GOD!" Nami jumps to her feet pointing at the older woman, she suddenly squeals and performs a small jig of delight.
Robin groans and buries her head again, regretting she had said something.
Peals of laughter from the young navigator fill the room, "Finally!" she pumps her fists in the air like she'd won a prize fight.
"I was starting to question if there was something wrong with you girlie." Nami eyes the woman up and down.
"Sure I catch you ogle men every now and then, and you do a much better job of being subtle about it than me." Nami suddenly clamps a hand on her mouth, she'd erred, exposing herself and Robin in the same statement.
Robin suddenly grinning, "I know."
"Shit." Nami mutters, not only that Robin had figured out the younger woman even before her slip of the tongue but also at the sound of quickly approaching foot steps.
A sudden knock at the door, "Nami, Robin, is everything okay?" Sanji calling through the thick door.
"We're okay." Nami quickly answers.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes we're okay Cook-san." Robin answering this time.
"Well...okay...anything I could get for my dear angels?"
Nami sighs, "No no, we're fine."
"Than I shall await your glowing presence in the galley."
Nami could swear she could hear the bow at the end of the sentence but quickly brushes it off.
She plops down in the chair leaning forward with intense interest, suddenly feeling like a young girl at a sleep over.
"So tell me."
"T-tell you what?" Robin furtively looking at the woman.
"Why everything of course." Nami rolls her eyes and huffs.
"Damnit." Robin mutters letting out a heavy sigh. She felt Nami was like a sister, but this was a very sensitive subject, however if she talked about it maybe she'd feel better and her mind wouldn't keep running in circles like it had been for the last couple of weeks.
"Well?" Nami impatiently asking.
Robin trying to weigh her options as Nami starts to tap her foot, flashing a 'I'm waiting' look at her.
She throws up her arms in exasperation, "I really like Sano!" Robin suddenly blurts, feeling heat radiate off her face. She buries her face and groans.
'What a way to let the cat out of the bag.'
Nami giggles and pats her friend's head.
"Happens to the best of us right?" Nami's grin spreading ear to ear, "At least you have good taste."
"But." Robin already attempting a rebuttal.
Nami could already guess what Robin would say in response and attempt to deny everything, so she cut the older woman off.
"Is it that bad to be happy for once?" Nami raises an eyebrow.
"I don't know." Robin meekly answers, her usual confident mask stripped away.
Nami could easily see that this was just much more than an infatuation, Robin's walls had broken down. Beneath the independent and confident exterior there was a very self conscious and scared woman.
The Straw-Hat crew had already been chipping away at the ice since she joined, but it seemed that Sano had finally melted the ice around the woman's heart without even realizing it.
"This really is serious." Nami softly stating.
Robin nods, "I think I'm in love with him."
Nami sighs, "At least it's him and not someone else. Sooner or later it was probably bound to happen." she shrugs, "After all you're still only a human, and a woman at that."
Nami sits next to her friend wrapping an arm around her, "You can't keep hiding yourself from everything and everyone, it's a pretty miserable way to live."
She chuckles, "And as I already said, you have good taste, I can't think of a better man to fall for."
"I'm not the cold hearted ice queen most people believe me to be." Robin softly murmurs, Nami recognizing it as her trying to convince herself more than a belief.
"That's right sweetie, you aren't. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be happy or to be in love." Nami gently smiles.
"I can't fight it this time Nami...I could always bury my feelings deep enough to forget, if I wanted physical intimacy then I found it. I've had infatuations, but thats where I always drew the line."
Nami quietly listens as the usually silent woman laid herself bare.
"I had to do so many things for my benefit, for my own survival...how can anyone love a selfish woman like that?"
Robin lets out a dark chuckle, "He'd probably run away the moment he finds out about the betrayals I've committed, and I couldn't blame him if he felt like it would just be just a matter of time till misfortune finds him because of me."
She buries her face once again, "What if it's as simple as he just doesn't like me? After all I still don't know very much about him, he could have a lover waiting for his return."
Tears start to leak out at that thought, "That would really make me a selfish woman, and I'm tired of being that way, I'm tired of hurting other people. For once in my miserable existence I would like to be happy. The woman in me wants to know what true love is like."
Robin shudders, "I don't want to be hurt. I don't think I could take even rejection and I'm afraid he might."
Nami never knew that her friend had such deep insecurities, but she couldn't blame her. Robin had watched her country destroyed by the hands of the government. Her only friend sacrifice himself for her survival. Lived her life in darkness to keep from being hunted, only to end up as a puppet for the same people who in cold blood destroyed everything she held dear.
"What makes you think he would reject you? If I were a man I'd gladly jump your bones." Nami attempting to lighten the mood.
"You know that I was sneaking into the infirmary when he was unconscious?"
"I kinda figured, but didn't think anything of it." Nami nods.
"He seemed to be having a nightmare the entire time...but when he finally woke up he looked at me. It seemed like he was happy, but then suddenly disappointed and sad until he could hide everything again."
Nami frowns not quite sure of how to interpret the new piece of information.
"I've been trying to figure out for a while why he would give me these." Robin holds up the chain, light bouncing off the silver tags.
"It was something I had discovered at the same time as my feelings."
Nami recollecting the double gasp Robin had let loose.
"I think..." Robin takes in a ragged breath, "He expected to die out there...or even possibly wanted it."
The theory leaving a heavy weight in Nami's mind, "Oh."
"Even if I were to find out his feelings...how do I know he just wants to go back to where he came from? Or what if he doesn't have any choice? Where does that leave me?" Robin's voice sinking in sadness.
There was a lot of truth behind Robin's question, their world differed greatly from his. And what if he really did have people or someone special waiting for his return?
Nami sighs, "I think for the most part you should just take this at face value. He's here now and you should take advantage of that."
Robin's curiosity piqued by the younger woman.
"I don't think you should shut yourself off from him, try to talk to him, get to know him more, don't hesitate to ask questions. It's okay to start off slowly, you already know how you feel so that's half the battle won." Nami smiles.
Robin acknowledges with a slow nod.
"He usually sleeps on the deck or in the library so it should be easy to find alone time with him." Nami looks her friend in the eyes, "I have faith in you, but you can't run. When you fall in love you just do, so you better take the initiative while you can."
"There IS a chance you may be hurt in the end Robin, I won't lie to you about it. But don't you think it would be better to find out if you can make this work rather than simply brood over it and hide your feelings? If there is any chance that this can have a happy ending then you should take it, after all it's a simple yes or no right? Therefor you have at least a fifty percent chance of success."
Robin looks down at her hands contemplating.
"You have to keep in mind that it is also a two way road sweetie, you need to open yourself to him as well...and well I believe you two complement each other in such an absurd way I find it hard to believe the two of you haven't already gotten together." Nami giggles, the encouraging attitude making Robin smile.
She taps her head, "I see and hear many things, and don't think I can't see at least a little spark between the two of you."
Robin blushes slightly.
"Now that I think of it, if you talk about yourself, I think that may actually be the fastest route to get him to open up as well."
"Maybe." Robin softly answers.
"And you'd be wise to keep this in mind. I want you to do this at your own pace and discretion, but if I don't see any progress then I'm stepping in."
Robin's face pales at the idea of Nami getting involved with her romance.
Nami giggles at the involuntary response, "So you better start using that ridiculously smart brain of yours to come up with some sort of plan."
She gets up and stretches, "I'm gonna go back up and take a nap out in the sun, but before I do can I ask a question?"
"Hmm?" Robin's mind no longer running in circles and trying to provide a methodical plan of attack.
"When did you start liking him?" Nami tilts her head.
Robin's mouth drops open, her cheeks coloring, "Probably since the first day he dropped in on us."
Nami softly whistles, "Like I said, the two of you go together." She then opens the door looking over her shoulder, "One last piece of advice, just be yourself. Even an idiot would know you're one helluva woman."
Robin watches the door close behind her friend, her first thought 'I can't believe I had to take advice from a woman younger than me.' Her second, 'Now where did I put that bathing suit.'