Chapter 6: Love?
Robin was sitting in a sun chair on the deck of the Thousand Sunny with a book on her lap, but she wasn´t really reading it. Something, or rather someone else was too strongly in her mind. She glanced up at the crow´s nest with a frown, remembering the things she had heard in Thriller Park. She was angry at him. Didn´t he realize how much pain he would cause to her and the others if they found him dead when they woke up? Didn´t he understand how important he was?
"Robin-san, is everything alright?" Robin turned her head to see the crew´s newest member, Brook, standing behind her.
"Of course" she said without hesitation. Unlike some others, Brook naturally couldn´t read her face "Everything is fine"
"Ah, well in that case" Brook said, coming a little closer "Can I ask you a favor, Robin-san?"
"Of course"
"May I see your panties?"
"…"
"…"
"Maybe later" Robin told with a sly smile "When Swordsman-san is around"
"I´ll be waiting for it" Brook said "Yohohohoo!"
Robin smiled at him, turning her attention back to her book and trying to read, but she couldn´t focus with the swordsman occupying her thoughts completely.
"I need some coffee" she thought, shaking her head. She stood up, walking to the kitchen where Sanji was making lunch. When the blonde heard the door open he turned around, getting hearts in his eyes as he noticed Robin.
"Can I help you, Robin-chan?" he asked.
"No need to, Sanji-san, I just came to get some coffee" Robin told. Lately she had been calling the others with their names, but she was still uncomfortable with it. Sanji nodded, continuing his work as Robin made the coffee for herself and sat down at the table. Not long after the others started to run in to the kitchen as Sanji announced that the lunch was ready.
"Food!" Luffy yelled as he run to the kitchen. Robin narrowed her eyes as their swordsman came in all sweaty and without a shirt. He was wounded; he should be resting.
"Swordsman-san, shouldn´t you be resting?" Robin asked. She couldn´t help it; the nickname came automatically.
"It´s none of your business" he said. Chopper´s ears perked up and he turned to Zoro.
"Zoro, were you training again?"
"…"
"You were!" the little fuzz ball screamed, getting in to a fight with the swordsman. Robin couldn´t help but giggle at the sight; the swordsman surely deserved the scolding he was getting.
"Shut up woman, this is your entire fault anyway!" Zoro hissed.
"Do not talk like that to my Robin-chan!" Sanji yelled, joining to the fight for the little reindeer´s aid. Robin smiled as she watched the three of them. It´s not like she told on Zoro so that she could annoy him, not entirely at least, but because she was worried.
She didn´t want to see him get hurt.
Well she didn´t want to see anyone of her nakama get hurt, she loved them all in their own ways, but somehow Zoro was different. Every time Zoro got hurt fear struck her. The same thing happened with the others, sure, but this was different. The laugher of her nakama was music to her ears, but once again Zoro´s was different. It did not make her feel just happy, but safe as well.
"What are you staring at?" Zoro, who had sat down and caught Robin´s stare, asked.
"Nothing" she replied, removing her gaze to her plate. Zoro narrowed his eyes but let the subject drop as he noticed Sanji´s glare.
And so the lunch continued.
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"Robin, can I ask you something?" Chopper asked as the lunch had ended, staring up at Robin with his big, round eyes.
"Of course, Chopper"
"You were spacing out a lot at lunch, are you sick?" he asked, making Robin giggle. She knew this was coming.
"No need to worry; I am completely fine" she assured.
"Really? Good" Chopper said with a smile "But why were you spacing out then?"
"Robin-san, may I voice my own opinion?" Brook asked, joining the conversation.
"Of course"
"Because of many years of experience, I can recognize eyes like yours" he said "Those are the eyes of a woman in love"
Robin stared at him with blank face and then turned her gaze to Nami who had started laughing.
"Is something wrong, Nami-san?" she asked.
"Sorry" the navigator said as she got her laugher in control "That just sounded so crazy; who would you be in love with anyway?"
"Who indeed" Robin thought as the face of a certain swordsman came to her mind "No"
"Maybe the cook?" Brook suggested.
"Are you really in love with me, Robin-chan?" Sanji asked, dancing over to the table. Nami pinched his ear, hissing: "Not in million years"
"Are you jealous, Nami-san?" Robin asked with a smile. Nami blushed.
"What? No!"
"I´m joking" Robin said, standing up "I´ll go get some fresh air"
XXXXX
Zoro sat in the crow´s nest, wondering when Robin would make her next move. He knew she knew about his little stunt in Thriller Park; it was obvious because of the way she acted. First he caught her staring at him at lunch and then she had stolen glances at him the whole time. It had gotten to his nerves so he had left right after he had eaten. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Robin come to the deck, glancing up at the crow´s nest from time to time.
"What´s she up to?" he wondered as he realized she was climbing up. Zoro closed his eyes as he heard the door open.
XXXXX
Robin sighed, glancing up at the crow´s nest every now and then. She wasn´t in love with Zoro, she was… no, she didn´t know. But if it wasn´t love then what was it? Robin shook her head; she was taking this way too seriously. It couldn´t be love; she had never been in love before so why would she be now?
"I´ll think about it later; right now I have other things to do" she decided, climbing to the crow´s nest. She took a deep breath and opened the door, seeing Zoro with his eyes closed.
A.N: Not so funny, right? These few last chapters will be a bit more serious, but I´ll try to add something fun too.