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Sanji tossed and turned on the bed. It was day three of their stay on Evertrest Island, and Mayor Rencraft had been so generous in letting them stay in the Mayor's Mansion after they'd gotten rid of the pirates who had made the island their base. The Sunny was safely moored in a hidden cove so no passing Marines would see it, so there wasn't any need for one of them to spend the night on the ship just in case. Or, that's what Nami had said when he volunteered to watch the ship.
Three days since the Straw Hats had made landfall, and three days since Sanji had a decent night's sleep.
He groaned as he settled himself into a different position and closed his eyes tight. He just needed to fall asleep. It was easy, people did it all the time. The whole damn island was doing it right now. All he had to do was shut his brain down and drift off to sleep.
The bed was soft and sturdy beneath him, solid and tangible and unmoving. A constant.
That was relaxing, wasn't it? Most people relaxed and fell asleep in beds that didn't move.
So why couldn't he?
The bed wasn't trapping him in anyway. He could leave at any time, it wasn't like he was stuck there.
Was he?
His eyes shot open and he stared at the ceiling.
Of course he wasn't stuck here, he was being ridiculous. He could get out of bed and leave whenever he wanted.
Right?
To prove it and shut up the paranoid part of his mind, he got out of bed and stood up.
Of course, now he was out of bed and fully awake. Again.
"Shit," he sighed and ran a hand down his face.
The rest of the men of the crew were sound asleep. Zoro, Franky, and Usopp with their usual snores, Brook whistling some tune in his sleep, Luffy and Chopper snuggled up together, Jinbei almost completely silent, the only sign of life being his chest going up and down.
It was ridiculous to be jealous of people sleeping, but it had been three days and how were they able to sleep so easily? It wasn't fair.
He sighed again as he made his way to the kitchen. Maybe some tea or milk or something would help him fall asleep.
When he got there he was surprised to find he wasn't the only one. Robin was sitting at the large counter, reading a book as she sipped on her own mug of tea.
She smiled at him as he entered, extra arms already sprouting out of the counter and pouring him some tea, "Can't sleep?"
"Their shitty snoring is really getting to me," he said as he approached the counter. He saw what she was doing and said, "Oh, I can do that."
"Allow me," she insisted, handing him his own cup of tea.
"Thanks," he smiled appreciatively and sat down across from her. The chamomile aroma engulfed his senses as he took a sip, "You can't sleep either?"
"Yes," she set her book aside and took a sip of tea, her cool gaze sliding to him, "I'm a light sleeper, and being in a strange place makes it worse."
"You're safe here," he was quick to reassure her, "We won't let anything happen to you."
"I know, and thank you," she said with a smile, "But old habits die hard, I suppose."
He smiled back and stared into his tea.
"Forgive me if I'm overstepping," she continued, "but I've noticed you consistently have trouble sleeping every time we make landfall."
"Ah," his eyes dart away, "I doubt it's every time."
"It is."
He frowned and sipped his tea instead of answering.
"Talking about it could help," she said, "I don't claim to know what the issue is, but perhaps giving voice to your concerns will put them at ease, and give you at least one decent night's sleep before we depart."
He ran his thumbs over the rim of his mug as he stared into his tea. The ground below him was solid, stable, unmoving, and although he'd eaten a full meal only a few hours ago, his stomach felt empty.
"I need a snack," he stood up suddenly and wandered over to the fridge, "Would you like something?"
"I'm good," her eyes tracked his every movement, making him self-conscious, "but thank you."
He found some fruit in the back of the fridge that was about to go bad, so he threw together a quick fruit bowl for himself and sat back down.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she leaned onto the counter as he munched on the fruit, "But if you did want to talk, I'd be more than happy to lend and ear."
He let the sweet taste sit on his tongue, reassuring him for a moment before he swallowed it down and felt it hit his stomach, filling him up.
"I don't, uh," he paused, ate some more fruit, then continued, "I don't like being on land."
He quickly glanced at her, but she was just sitting patiently and listening, the soft smile on her face encouraging him onward.
"I was raised on a ship, and being on land has always been a bit strange to me," he dug a hand into his hair, "And whenever I've been on land for more than a few days, it hasn't been good. Bad memories, I guess. It's just, being on land makes me feel, I dunno, trapped?" He gave her a shaky smile, "I know it's stupid."
"Not at all," she leaned forward, her face inscrutable, "If your time on land has been full of bad experiences, than it's no wonder that you're far more comfortable at sea. Your insomnia is just the logical conclusion of your life experience."
"Yeah, well," he shrugged and picked at his fruit, "It doesn't help me sleep."
"Would it help if I told you there's a hammock in the third room on the right on the second floor?"
He blinked, "A what?"
"A hammock," she leaned back and sipped her tea, "It may not be exactly like sleeping on the Sunny, but perhaps the movement will help." She finished her tea and set the mug back down on the counter, "If you want."
"Uh," he stared at her dumbly, "Sure?"
She smiled at him as she stood up, and with a soft, "Good night, Sanji," she left the kitchen.
Sanji took his time finishing his tea and fruit, not keen on going back to the room to lie down and stare at the ceiling for another four hours. Maybe he should take Robin's advice?
The room she had told him about was a small single room, almost the size of a small closet. The hammock was there just like she said it was, and the window was open slightly, letting the fresh sea air filter through the room.
He vaguely wondered if and when Robin had set this up for him, but his sleep deprived brain was too relived at this point to think about it for too long.
He climbed into the hammock and let its gentle swaying finally lull him to sleep.