Chapter 5: Jealous
Zoro was pissed. They had gone through so much trouble to save that damn woman who had thought they wouldn´t be able to beat the enemy. And after all this she still addressed them with their titles, Luffy being an exception. And that really annoyed him. He was going to talk to her as soon as they got a chance to be alone. He knew that that chance would come soon; it was already late and the two of them were usually the last ones up. He got up from his bed where he had been laying, knowing that Robin was still outside reading in the dim light of a lamb. He went outside but froze when he heard voices.
Robin wasn´t alone.
Zoro´s hand went to his katana, but he relaxed when he heard it was just the cyborg, Franky. …yeah, that stupid cyborg. It´s not like Zoro hated him of anything; the fact that Robin called him by name just annoyed him. And they seemed pretty close, too.
"It´s not like I´m jealous or anything…" Zoro tried to tell to himself, failing miserably. He frowned as he realized he couldn´t hear a thing the two were saying.
"Well it´s not my business anyway" Zoro thought, deciding to wait until Franky left. When the said mechanic was finally out of sight Zoro walked over to Robin.
"What brings you here, Swordsman-san?" Robin asked, turning to look at him. She had known he was there, and as far as she knew so had Franky. She didn´t know why the mechanic hadn´t said anything, but she had stayed quiet because she wanted to know what the Swordsman wanted.
"Could you quit that already?" Zoro snapped, making Robin confused. Quit what exactly?
"I don´t think I understand what you mean" she said calmly.
"Stop calling us with those ridiculous nicknames! The only time I remember you saying my name was-"Zoro cut himself off, his face going red. Now was probably not the best time to think about that night. To his surprise Robin´s face went a bit red too, making him realize that she remembered at least partly what happened back then.
"Why does it matter?" Robin asked "It shouldn´t be offending you in any way"
"It wouldn´t be if you´d call everyone with their nicknames, but you use Luffy and the cyborg´s names" Zoro said, crossing his arm. Robin frowned, realizing what this was all about.
"Are you jealous, Swordsman-san?" she asked with a faint smirk. Zoro´s face went red and he muttered: "Stupid woman, that´s not what this is about"
Robin raised an eyebrow, asking: "Then what is it about?"
Zoro´s face went even redder since he found nothing to say.
"Does everything need a reason?" he muttered, stomping away. Robin laughed, feeling like she had won this one.
XXXXX
Zoro, who was sitting in the crow´s nest of the Thousand Sunny, frowned. From up there he could easily see Robin and their newest member, Franky, discussing something on the deck. What bothered him the most was the way Robin was smiling; she never gave that smile to anyone but Franky and Luffy. Luffy he could understand, but why Franky? What had the pervert done to deserve that sweet smile from her?
"Well he might actually have done something; they seemed close when we left from Enies Lobby" Zoro thought with a frown. He was grateful to Franky for helping Robin, but did they have to be that close?
"I´m not jealous" Zoro told to himself in his mind as he forced his gaze away from the window, closing his eyes "I´m just… worried. Yeah, that´s it, I´m worried."
Zoro knew he was jealous, but he´d never admit that.
"I should think about the bright side" he thought "At least she´s not smiling like that at that stupid cook"
Zoro had been in his thoughts so deeply that he noticed Franky´s presence only after the cyborg sat next to him.
"Nice weather" Franky commented, trying to start a conversation. Zoro only grunted in response.
"Can I ask you something, Zoro bro?" Franky asked. Zoro opened one eye, telling that he was listening "Are you and Nico Robin lovers?"
If Zoro had been drinking something at the moment it had flown out right away, showing his shock that was clearly visible on his face.
"Say what? What made you think that!" the swordsman demanded, his face going deep red.
"Was that a yes or no?" Franky asked with a laugh.
"No" Zoro muttered "It was a no"
"You sure bro?"
"Yeah, why?"
Franky sighed, opening the fridge on his body, taking something out.
"I was putting books in to the library and found this" he started, holding out a purple, leather covered notebook "And thought it was probably yours"
Zoro´s mouth opened and closed itself like a fish, being in the loss of words.
"What makes you think it´s mine?" he finally managed to mutter.
"I just thought so because of the pictures inside" Franky said "But if it´s not yours I´ll go ask from the cook"
Faster than you could say "Puffing Tom" Zoro snatched the book away, yelling: "No!"
"So it´s yours?" the mechanic asked with a smirk.
"Yes, it´s mine" the swordsman confessed "But it´s not what you think!"
"Care to share?" Franky asked, causing Zoro look at him with blank face "I´m talking about information"
Zoro sighed.
"It really isn´t what you think" he said "Just a stupid prank of hers"
Franky took the book back from Zoro, opening it.
"Doesn´t look like a prank to me" he said, whistling.
"Don´t look at it!" Zoro yelled, trying to take the notebook back but Franky held it up out of his reach.
"You like Nico Robin" the blue haired cyborg sang "Admit it!"
"I do not!" Zoro protested, trying to take the book.
"Really?" Franky asked.
"Yeah, really!" Zoro confirmed, still trying to take the book back.
"Well then I´m sure you don´t mind if I keep this" Franky said, whirling the book in his hand "I like it"
"You sick pervert!" Zoro yelled, completely losing his cool as he tried to hit Franky, but the cyborg dodged it easily.
"You like her" Franky said again, dodging another hit "Admit it"
Zoro sighed, slapping his forehead.
"Fine" he said "I like her; now give me that damn book!"
Franky grinned, giving the book to him.
"I knew it" he sang, making Zoro glare at him.
"Chill man, that´s not super" Franky said "And you don´t need to be jealous; Nico Robin isn´t my type anyway"
"Oh really? Why?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow. He decided to ignore the "jealous" part, knowing that saying against it wouldn´t change anything.
"She´s too violent" Franky said, shuddering at a memory that had happened only two days ago. Zoro paled a bit too, knowing what he meant.
"I can see your point" Zoro muttered "But she has her good sides"
Franky chuckled; who would have thought this would go so well?
"What´s so funny?" Zoro asked.
"Hm? Oh, nothing!" Franky said, making the swordsman narrow his eyes.
"You´re not telling me everything" Zoro said "Spit it out!"
"I don´t know what you mean" Franky said, sweating. Man, he had messed up! Zoro frowned. Now that he thought about it, just before Franky came up he had been talking with Robin… oh hell!
"That damn woman put you to do this, didn´t she?" he asked. When Franky turned his head away he knew he had been right.
"Franky…"
"Okay okay" Franky said "The first part was true; I really was putting the books to the library when I found that" he pointed the book "But instead of coming directly here I went to ask Nico Robin why did the ship had a book like that"
"And what did she say?" Zoro asked, now really interested.
"She told me about your little game" Franky told "But seriously; you should just confess her"
Zoro, deciding to ignore the later part, said: "And she sent you up here to mess with me?"
"Yeah, and I came because she said it would be fun" Franky said with a teasing smirk "And it sure was; you seriously don´t know how to handle your female problems"
A tick mark appeared on Zoro´s forehead.
"Whatever" he said "And now you´ll help me to get back at her"
"And why would I do that?" Franky asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Think it as of a payback for what happened when we left Water 7" Zoro replied. Franky smirked; the younger man had a point.
"What do you have in mind?" he asked. Zoro smirked, now knowing that Franky was with him. Zoro threw the book back to him and said: "Tell her I wasn´t interested in it and let´s see what´ll happen"
"You think she´ll believe it?"
"We don´t know without trying" Zoro said with a shrug, sitting down and closing his eyes. Franky shook his head, deciding to go along with Zoro´s plan.
XXXXX
Robin lifted her gaze up as she heard Franky climbing down from the crow´s nest. She hadn´t eavesdropped but when she saw that Franky still had the book she wished she had.
"Well?" she asked, but Franky just shook his head.
"He obviously recognized the book, it was clear from his face" Franky said "But after a while he turned away, saying that it was nothing important"
Robin frowned; something seemed weird, but on the other hand what reason would Franky have to lie to her?
"That´s a pity" she said, disappointed "Could you give the book back to me now?"
"You mean I can´t keep it?" Franky asked, earning a dark look from Robin "Just kidding"
Robin smiled as Franky threw the notebook to her.
"Thank you" she said "And Franky?"
"I know; I won´t tell anyone about your little game" the cyborg said, making the younger woman smile gratefully "But there´s one thing I want to say to you"
"And that is?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don´t take your little game too far; someone might got hurt" he turned to leave "Zoro bro obviously cares about you"
Robin watched after the older man, replaying his words in her head. It wouldn´t be until later that she´d realize it had meant more than as friends.
A.N: And the book was there again. Most people probably know what´s in it already, don´t you? Review!