Hey guys! Hellsing Prince, back with another chapter! I am glad to have gotten such wonderful reviews from all of you. And thank you for the critiques. I appreciate them. They help me grow as a better as an artist. I consider whatever someone is passionate about to be their art. For me, my art is anime, and reading, and writing. And in the words of Deidara from Naruto...ART IS AN EXPLOSION! Ahem..But, I digress. I hope for more helpful criticism and words of encouragement from you all as I continue this story. And as always, even the flamers are welcome and appreciated as well. Even though I haven't gotten any yet, I know, with every good, there is a bad; so I'm just waiting for the bad to happen. Anyway, enough from me! ON WITH ZE STORY!
As Zoro made his way to the dining room, he saw everyone taking their seats, Chopper coming in just before he did. Brook sat across from Nami and Franky sat beside him. Sanji took his place beside Usopp, who sat opposite Brook, on the other side of Luffy. While Luffy sat at the head of the table. Chopper sat in Robin's lap, leaving Zoro the only open space across from Robin. "Of course. They would leave this space open for me.. It doesn't matter! That woman is just that.. A woman. Nothing but a distraction.." Zoro convinced himself as he took his place in front of the raven haired beauty that was Nico Robin. Once he was seated, everyone took the tops off of their trays, to find steamed snow crab legs with a side of a 7oz. sirloin, cooked to perfection. There was also cheese covered broccoli and a butter dish for everyone to dip their crab's in. "Yummy!" Chopper said as he watched Robin conjure her extra hands to crack open the crab legs and feed it to Chopper after dipping the meat in butter.
She did the same for herself, and glanced up at Roronoa discreetly, thinking silently to herself. "I wonder when Zoro began to gain feelings for me?.." she pondered as she ate a small bit of crab. Chopper squealed happily and laughed as Robin teased him with her arms, getting hot melted cheese on his cute blue nose as she fed him the broccoli. "Roobiiiin! You got it on my nose!" He laughed as he ate the broccoli, humming in satisfaction with it's taste. She giggled and leaned down, planting a soft kiss on his round blue nose and collecting the cheese on her lips. She was about to grab her napkin to wipe it away, when she and Zoro briefly met eyes before he looked away and scowled. She decided to tease him, as she could easily see he was still glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes.
So instead of going through with the napkin, she slowly ran her tongue along her lips, collecting it and letting it slide back in past her soft lips. She could be mistaken, but she thought she detected a soft rosy tint to Zoro's cheeks after that, and heard him mutter something about "Only a distraction.." The young Doctor saw Zoro look at Robin as she kissed him and mistook his glare for jealousy. He knew Zoro liked Robin, so he took it upon himself to help his Nakama get a friend and still save face. "Robin, why do you only kiss me?" He asked, looking up at her.
At this question, everybody quieted down mostly, except for the oblivious captian who shoveled food into the wide endless pit he called a mouth sneaking his hand over Usopp's plate in his distraction and taking a full rack of crab legs. Zoro watched Robin, to simply see what her answer would be to the young doctor's question. Robin paused at the sudden question, quite surprised that the reindeer had even thought about it, before she grinned. She could use this as more fuel for her little game with Zoro. She smiled down at the boy in her lap kindly and responded, "You're right Chopper, that is very selfish of me."
At this, Sanji's eyes turned to hearts and his body seemed to be in slow motion as he ran, open arms to the lovely archeologist. "You may be as generous as you wish with me, my beautiful Robin-schwaaaaan!" He cried, before being knocked into the kitchen by a powerful fist from Nami, giving him a nosebleed for a different reason for once. Robin giggled. "Fufufufu.. So, Kenshi-san, would you like a kiss?" She asked, the kind smile she gave to Chopper turning to a devious one as she locked eyes with the green headed swordsman. All eyes were on Zoro now, except for those of his Captain's, who still was too interested in the wonderful dish to care. Zoro's cheeks definitely burned now, and everybody noticed as he growled and snatched his katana from the beside him and shoved his chair back. "God damned woman..." He snarled before turning to exit the kitchen.
Stared at the doorway which their swordsman had just thundered out of, then to Robin, who was silently giggling to herself as Chopped looked back and forth, trying to contemplate what exactly happened. It was only now that Luffy raised his head up from his meal to see Zoro storm out. "What's the matter with Zoro?" the Rubber man asked, a mouth full of Usopp's sirloin as well as his entire baked potato stuffed in his cheeks. "I'm not sure but- HEY! You bastard, eat your own food for once!" Usopp protested, taking one of his Tobasco Star's and putting it on one of the Sirloin's that the captain was about to gorge on. Luffy ran around, feeling like he had swallowed the flames from Ace's Mera Mera no Mi. During all the commotion, with Chopper screaming for a doctor, Nami reminding him that he was the doctor, and the sounds of Sanji retuning from the kitchen and stomping out Luffy and Usopp for disturbing his Nami-swan's peaceful lunch, and Brook and Franky trying to calm the assaulting cook,Robin took the time to slip out and find Zoro.
She checked the first place she thought him to be. The Crow's nest. Sure as her hypothesis was, Zoro was there, lifting impossibly heavy weights to vent his frustration. His long robe was on the railing, threatening to blow off in the night air as he trained.
Zoro was turned away from the door, and because Franky had oiled it yesterday, per his request that the squeaky hinges of the trap door disturbed him, Zoro would have missed the buxom navigator's arrival except for two things. One, being his swordsman's instincts, telling him someone was watching him. Two... "That fragrance.." Zoro immediately recognized the scent of Sakura petals and pictured Robin, her periwinkle blue eyes examining him, taunting him. Her soft, multi-layered smile...Her daring smile.. Her beautiful smile-Wait. What?! No! He got it right the first time! Her daring smile, teasing him, exposing his weakness.
But weakness towards what? Towards Chopper? No..The little doctor was only another reason he trained even harder. Not only to get a rise out of the reindeer whenever he came in with a self inflicted concussion just to tease him, but to grow stronger to protect his youngest Nakama, and people like him. Weakness towards the crew? No. The same thing applied there. Weakness towards...Weakness towards her?...He would need to meditate.
All of this was going on in his head as Robin fully emerged from the trap door, softly closing the hatch behind her. "This woman is the last thing I need right now.." Zoro thought as heset down the weight, but still refused to turn to face her. "But the first thing you want right now.." A quiet, smaller voice piped up from deep in his conscience. Zoro was quick to inwardly slash this voice to nothingness with Kitetsu and Shuhei. "What do you want woman?" Zoro finally asked, knowing that Robin had been standing there the whole time, waiting for "Kenshi-san's" response to her presence.
"Fufufufu.. I simply wanted to check on my nakama, is that so wrong? Especially after such a notable exit like the one you put on." Robin teased, making Zoro remember how he barged out of the room, red faced and angry. "Well I wouldn't have if you didn't ask me that damned question! What is wrong with you anyway for thinking that?" Zoro demanded, subconsciously moving closer to the archeologist, who stood calm and smiling in the crows nest. "Tell me, Mr. Swordsman, what scared you into leaving like that? Kissing a woman in front of your nakama, or simply kissing me?" She asked, putting on a hurt expression at the thought of Zoro being afraid to kiss her.
Zoro crossed his arms over his broad chest and turned his head, shutting his eye. "Neither! I'm not afraid of kissing a woman in front of my nakama. I am just don't want to kiss one of my nakama in front of my nakama." Zoro stated, not even looking at her. "So you would kiss me, just not in front of our Nakama?" Robin asked with a raised brow and a grin. She had him now. Zoro's good eye shot open, as he felt his ears burn. "I'm going down for my afternoon nap.." He growled, not even wasting time with the trap door as he hopped down from the crows nest, landing in a graceful crouch and standing up, hurrying away, the back of his neck visibly red, even from where Robin stood.
"Fufufu.." She giggled to herself before hearing the sound of cloth rustling in the wind. She turned her head to see Zoro's robe about to be lifted up and out to the sea. Just as it left the railing, Robin sprouted an arm from the rail and held onto the green article of clothing. "Kenshi-san was in such a hurry he forgot this.." She noted quietly as she walked over, gently holding it up. Then she did the unthinkable. Robin. Nico Robin of the strawhats hugged Roronoa Zoro's cloak and inhaled his manly scent. If she were to describe his scent in one word? Power. Simple, raw, unyielding power. He smelled of salty seas, steel, and the faint hint of something spicy...Cinnamon? She remembered her book was still sitting on her lawn chair below and crossed her arms over her chest. "Trenita Fleur" Robin's arms sprouted from the chair all the way up to where she sat, each passing the book up to the next. When it was finally in her real arms, she used Zoro's robe as a small comforter blanket as she read silently on the couch in the crows nest.
Well, this chapter is over. Thank you for reading! I am sorry about any grammatical errors or OOCness for this one. I was up till exactly 2:21 AM writing this for you guys. And believe me. Marshmallows and energy drinks only fuel you for so long before you burn out. Thank's for your patience, and I appreciate the critical reviews. And to answer one of the questions asked, This is my first published work, so thank you. But I have written little stories to myself just to pass time. And also, my updates are sporadic. I do not plan dates to finish, just know that I try to finish them as fast as I can. I hope you have enjoyed the second chapter!