Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sun had gone to sleep long ago and his Jean jacket and ripped jeans reminded him that summer wasn’t here yet harshly. Zoro’s patience was wearing thin as his Husky dog led him ways he was certain were the wrong ways to go to their home. 

“Katana, that’s not the right way!” he yelled as he tugged his dog’s collar. Katana stopped and looked at him straight and if Zoro believed a dog could make a disappointed expression, it’d be how his dog looked now. 

“Fine, where do you wanna go now?” he sighed in defeat and heard his dog’s loud and excited barking. 

They started walking and not so long, they were in the streets Zoro was familiar with. It wasn’t that far from his house and he also knew someone living in this street. He searched for the home and when he found it, he stopped in front of it, trying to be sure what to do now. 

Even though all the houses in the neighbourhood had been made in the same style, the house he was looking at had a different aura. The modest duplex building was looking like a real home with its different outdoor paint and the flowers in the garden. It looked like its owner too much and it made Zoro’s throat dry. 

Speaking of the devil…

His eyes caught the opening of the light of the kitchen and the one who he was thinking about, the owner of the house, had been seen. She was wearing a strapped shirt and purple sweatpants, her raven hair was in a bun. It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen her in casual clothes like these before but, his current situation that he was watching her was more likely spying on and of course, she was all in her natural atmosphere which  made her look more beautiful to his eyes. 

He watched as she went to get her Walkman, put the headphones on and tried to find a good song. She must’ve found a good one because she put it in her sweatpants’ pocket and headed to the sink, starting to wash the dishes. Zoro couldn’t hear it but the song she was listening to must be catchy enough because she started to move her head and body in one rhythm while her hands were doing their work. 

Soon, the rest of her body joined the dance and as there were just little dishes left, she forgot them and started to move her body to the music only she could hear. Her arms were up, her hips were swaying, her head was in sync, her raven hair had escaped from the bun so it was swaying with sync, too. 

Zoro was mesmerized as he stood on his spot, watching the beautiful woman as she danced naturally. All of her moves had made him hypnotized and he didn’t even want to blink because he was afraid he would lose even just a moment of this beautiful yet rare opportunity.  Normally, when they were all together with their group of friends, Robin was always their calmest one. Of course, there were times when she acted like the rest of them, when they were drunk enough, (she was looking rather sober now) and he loved every moment when she was more open with them, with him precisely. 

The song must’ve stopped because she, too, stopped and Zoro reflexively wanted to pout because the mesmerizing show was over. He watched her as she gathered every bit of escaped hair to their place and grabbed a bottle of water. She went to the sink a second time but this time she finished her work. 

Zoro looked at his grey Omega watch, it was just 8 pm. He looked at Katana, he was making himself busy with something he found near a tree. He looked at him and tilted his head innocently. Zoro grinned. “Don’t look at me like that, you brought me here knowingly, right?” As a response, Katana just barked quietly. 

Zoro sighed and tugged Katana’s collar. “Come now, we’re going to your favorite place. ” 

Nearly everyone in their friend group knew that Zoro had a big crush on Robin since the first day that he had seen her in a party. If it wasn’t for Luffy’s insistence on getting new friends to group and Sanji’s barking for it to be a pretty lady, he would try to go on with his life without knowing her(that would be miserable, and boring he could understand this now). She was in their group and they were kind of close friends now, the ones that stay over at each other’s place or tell their biggest secret or flirt and tease each other. 

He cleared his throat as he stood in front of her door. He didn’t know his excuse for being here without informing her. Maybe she had other plans? He shook the thought away, even if she had other plans, he could leave then. But there was no harm for a close friend to come over, right?

He rang the doorbell nervously. Katana was standing near him, even though he looked still, his tail’s movement gave him in, that he was as excited as his human.

The door had opened and Robin, with all of her grace, beamed his name. He greeted her back with a smile. 

“Won’t you come in?” she offered and without him saying anything, Katana ran off inside with an excited bark. 

“I think he ran to Maria.” she said laughing. Maria was Robin’s cat and Katana loved playing with her. They had found the cat together. Two years ago, when he got the Katana from a colleague's friend as a puppy, Robin insisted on helping him train Katana(Zoro thought that was one of the best decisions of his life) and sometimes they had to take him for a walk together. One of these days, Katana saved himself from his collar since Zoro wasn’t holding him that hard(he had learned how to hold him in hard ways), he ran off and when they found him, he was barking at a group of little kids who were bullying a black kitten. They stopped them and Robin gave children a long lecture of how grievous bullying was.  Then she got the kitten with her to treat its injuries. Robin told him that full black cats with blue eyes are rare to find so it must’ve been from a house. But she couldn’t find its owners so she decided to live with it by giving it the name Maria.  

The cat, Maria, was looking like Robin. Black hair, blue eyes, same cool aura… Robin also told her that black cats were famous for bringing bad luck, that was the reason that children were bullying her, same like her. People from the place she was born and grew up always told her that she was the bad luck bringer. Zoro scoffed and told her that they were fucked in the head because they thought cute creatures like these could bring bad luck. He meant both black cats and Robin. He couldn’t say another word that night because he was madly blushing after seeing the look on Robin’s face. 

Maria hissed to his black and white husky dog as he kept on barking to her, inviting her to play with him. Zoro heard Robin chuckling before starting to talk. 

“They’re always like this but I know Maria misses Katana when you're not here.” Zoro looked at her, finding her smiling while looking at two pets. Zoro couldn’t guarantee his heart’s pace when she smiled like that. 

"I'm opening a bottle but are you hungry?" she asked. 

"Not me but Katana must be hungry and thirsty since we were just doing a walk." 

"Oh!" she looked at the dog, he was still trying to play with the cat but the cat was just licking her paws calmly. 

"Katana." she crouched near the dog. "Are you hungry, huh, are you?" she started to talk with a cooing voice and to caress him, Katana was on his back showing her his tummy. 

He can't resist her too, he thought as he left on Robin's couch, and settled near the lying cat. His hand found the cat's chin, not a bit nervous because he knew she liked to get love from that place. She started purring slightly and Zoro felt proud in making the not so domestic cat relax in his hands. 

Robin was still playing with Katana with a cooing voice, another part of Robin that only Zoro was blessed to witness. She then got to her feet and said "Let's go eat?" and Katana was following her while his tail showed how excited and happy he was. 

After moments Robin was back with an opened wine bottle that they both liked to drink and two glasses. She went to her CD shelf while giving them to Zoro. 

"You know we need to go to work tomorrow, right?" he couldn't see her face but he felt her eyes roll. 

"You talk like your tolerance to alcohol as little as Chopper's." Then she turned to him, a CD in her hands. He could see one of his favorite band's favorite album covers. He grinned as started to pour the wine into glasses. 

"You know I can never say no to the Beatles." 

Robin chuckled as she placed the CD to her player. "Yeah I know." she winked as she let herself sit near him and Zoro handed her her glass. 

"Shall we toast to something?" she asked as the song started to play. 

Zoro stopped himself before bringing the glass to his mouth and started to think. He was here now thanks to Katana actually, it wouldn't hurt to toast him this time. 

"Let's do it forKatana." he said while raising a brow to her. "He's kinda the reason that I'm here now." he felt to explain. 

"Then let's toast to him, that he brought you here" she winked and they clenched their glasses. 

"To Katana" 

"To Katana." 

It was perfect like this, nothing much to expect but being near her. They were going to stay like this until something would hit one of them and they would become more close or more distanced. He didn’t want to think about that future, he was glad for the place they were now. Drinking wine with her while listening to their favorite songs. 

This was enough for him. 

Chapter Text

She took a deep breath as she closed the door behind her and locked it.

“Maria! Are you here?” she called out to the girl she loved so much, her cat. But Maria didn’t respond to her as she made her way to her bedroom upstairs.

As she changed to more comfortable clothes,  she was glad that the weather was getting warmer as she wore her sweatpants, tank top and thin cardigan.

The first thing she did was look for her cat. She found her on the island in the kitchen, quietly lying on it.

“Okay Okay I get it, you’re hungry.” Maria replied to her with an elegant meow. 

She heard that Maria kept on meowing  and she yelled to her back. “Okay okay you didn’t die from starving! I’m just coming in a minute!”

“I sometimes envy you that your food is ready. Now I need to make mine. And I’ll make so much effort then it’ll be gone in ten minutes.” she sighed as she put Maria’s food into her food pot.

 Maria was there, looking at her with her usual judging expression. Before taking Maria, Robin could never believe that cats could have facial expressions then she met Maria. The cat with the most attitude ever.

She was watching the cat as she ate her own food. She was really glad that she met with Maria. Robin was still remembering how badly injured she was. And now, she healed, gained weight and she could say she was happier. Robin was glad that after everything she had been through, she could at least do one good thing to at least one creature. 

She thought it would make her mood better to listen to a good song while making dinner. and put on one of her favorite songs from ABBA to dance. as she prepared her modest food she swayed and moved with the rhythm of the songs. 

When the songs ended she was feeling rather happier and went to grab a bottle of water. and as her dinner is finished in less time than she anticipated she was far more happy while eating it. 

When she finished eating she heard the doorbell ring. Who can be it at this hour? she wasn’t expecting any guests. 

But she still went to open the door. She opened the door immediately as she saw who the visitor was from the peephole and tried to show him that she was more than happy to see him here. 

The visitor was one of her friends, Zoro. Their group was all good but she had to admit that she had a bit more than just friend love towards Zoro. he was calm, collected but had a boyish charm since they met in college. He was a bit handsome too. 

She had never felt anything romantically towards another person because of her harsh life so she didn’t realize her feelings until Nami made a joke about another girl being Zoro’s girlfriend and she had an unreasonable jealousy.  

Then she talked about this with Nami and of course everyone in their group except Zoro knew about this too. 

they all wanted Robin to tell how she feels but she doesn’t want to. They had a good friendship and she was hundred percent sure he doesn’t share the same feelings so she is scared that their friendship will be ruined. 

But who could blame her? a man like Zoro, collected, mature, charismatic, good at what he does(excluding finding a place), full of love, sometimes too cute and sometimes too handsome, a man like him wouldn’t love her. That's something she was so sure about. He needs a woman like himself, a perfect woman, a woman that wasn’t all gloomy and depressed like her. a woman with a clear past, a woman that could walk next to him proudly. 

She was none of this. 

but she was doing her best to make him stay around her more. She was okay with every minute she spent with him. If she could see him happy even for a minute she was the happiest woman in the world. 

That's why she was the happiest woman as Zoro’s dog, Katana, ran towards her home when she invited them. “He must’ve ran to Maria.” the voice that made her heart beat quicker said. 

She was a grown woman and she knew it wasn’t a grown woman's behavior to feel like passing out just from hearing his voice. So she collected herself as he went to her living room and she went towards the kitchen. 

There she saw the dog barking towards the cat happily to make her play with him. but the cat was sitting elegantly, completely ignoring her. 

but Robin knew that her cat’s behavior was just to save her attitude. she knew the cat enough to see the happiness on her face. 

“They’re always like this but I know Maria misses Katana when you're not here.” she felt like making a comment while looking at them. They were looking too peaceful and she didn’t notice she was smiling until she felt Zoro’s eyes on her. 

She turned back to the kitchen and hoped that he didn’t see the red on her cheeks. “I’m opening a bottle but are you okay?” they both had the highest tolerance towards alcohol so she didn’t mind tonight was a weekday. 

“Not me but Katana must be hungry and thirsty since we were just doing a walk." 

“Oh!” how unthoughtful of her, she must have thought of the dog too. She loved the dog as much as she loved his human. She knew Katana since he was a puppy and couldn’t believe he became such a healthy dog in a short time.

Katana was looking at her now, probably understanding that she would give him food and water. She felt like he deserved a love seans because he was such a clever dog. 

"Katana." she crouched near the dog. "Are you hungry, huh, are you?" she started to talk with a cooing voice and to caress him, Katana was on his back showing her his tummy. She knew he loved love seans too. 

She noticed that Zoro was trying to get any attention from Maria as she gave Katana the dog food she was keeping for him. Don’t act so though Maria, I know you love Zoro too. and to prove her point she heard Maria's low purring as the cat relaxed into Zoro’s hands. 

She came back to the living room with a bottle of the wine that they both liked and two glasses. She went directly towards her CD shelf because they also like to listen to music as they drink wine. they both didn’t like talking too much , the music was powerful enough to talk in their place. 

"You know we need to go to work tomorrow, right?" she heard him, of course the most responsible man she ever knew. Another reason why she wasn’t for him. He was worrying about them but she was reckless to drink while they had work tomorrow.  but still, she could tease him about this. 

Yes she loved everything about him and that includes the part of him fluttering when she teases him. a secret part of Zoro that only Robin was blessed to witness. 

"You talk like your tolerance to alcohol as little as Chopper's." Then she turned to him, a CD in her hands. She knew this was his special favorite. 

"You know I can never say no to the Beatles ." 

Robin chuckled as she placed the CD to her player. "Yeah I know." she winked as she let herself sit near him and Zoro handed her her glass. She was trying her best not to faint from how close they were. and from how close she could see every one of his muscles and how she was thanking god that their friendship was close enough to be close to him.

She felt like she needed to toast this blessed night but still asked him. "Shall we toast to something?" 

She saw him stop before drinking and thought for a short moment.  "Let's do it for Katana." She must have looked like she needed an explanation as he did. "He's kinda the reason that I'm here now." 

She felt like smiling. I’ll buy you those special biscuits, Katana, thank you so much. 

"Then let's toast to him, that he brought you here" she winked and they clenched their glasses. 

"To Katana" 

"To Katana." 

It was perfect like this, nothing much to expect but being near him. They were going to stay like this until maybe she would be too drunk and confess to him or he would fall for another girl. so then they’ll be more distanced or if the miracles were true, they’ll be closer. But she didn’t want to think about that future, she was more than glad for the place they were now. Drinking wine with him while listening to their favorite songs. 

This was enough for her.