Work Text:
The sun casted a beautiful glow aboard the Thousand Sunny,
Aboard the deck, the usual lively chaos of their daily life was ensuing.
It was one of the rare peaceful days the crew got to experience, as there were no new threats on the horizon for now. One of the rare moments to relax indeed.
It hadn't been long since they had left fishman island, the aftermath of the battle still feelable in their bones.
Nevertheless, this did not stop the crew from enjoying their time.
Many sounds flowed from the Thousand Sunny today. Luffy's bright laughter that followed Usopp's series of increasingly stupid jokes like thunder after lightning, Sanji's casual attempts at with Nami and her equally casual rejections, the sound of hammering as Franky tinkered on a brand new machine as well as the soft melody from Brook's direction as he played his violin all sounded from up aboard the Thousand Sunny.
The crew's archaeologist sat casually under an umbrella, spending her time playing with the little doctor of the crew.
Next to them was Zoro, who watched them with a slight smile that tugged on his lips, dozing off every now and then.
Currently the pair were laid on their back, watching the clouds move by and guessing what they looked like.
"Ohhh, and that one looks like a...cotton candy", the little reindeer exclaimed excitedly, while gesturing with his hoof to an especially fluffy looking cloud.
"Fufufu, indeed it seems so. And what about that one over there?" she asked and gestured at yet another.
"Hmm...a bonbon? Or maybe a cotton candy too?", he answered, deep in thought.
"How about a bunny?" Robin suggested to the little deer. He shook his head, before continuing to analyse the poor cloud critically.
"What do you see in that cloud, Zoro?", Robin called out to him.
He turned to look at it, not wasting a second before answering.
"A cloud." He deadpanned.
"That's not how you play the game," huffed Chopper, obviously disappointed by his answer.
Zoro cringed at his reaction, and then he sighed, defeated.
"Fine fine, I see… ." He started and looked at the cloud again.
‘God, what was there to see anyways? It was just a cloud after all.’ But he had no interest in disappointing Chopper again.
"I see...a sheep?" he finally answered, hoping that this was the answer the reindeer had been looking for.
Said reindeer considered his suggestion for a bit, before his eyes lit up.
"Ohhh, you're right Zoro! It really looks like a sheep family, hehe. You're amazing!"
The swordsman smiled, content at the doctor's reaction. It was adorable to see him happy about such a small thing like this.
Well, maybe playing along wasn't so bad after all.
"And what about that one, Zoro?", Robin asked again, this time pointing at another one.
"A sword."
"No, that's obviously a pocky stick", Chopper argued, but still seemed pleased nevertheless.
This continued for a while, with Robin pointing at a new cloud as Chopper and Zoro discussed what it could be.
After some time Luffy joined in, then Ussop and not much later the whole crew was playing along.
"This one?"
"Icecream!"
"Sake."
"Meat!"
"A hat definitely!"
"Two Berry coins!"
"Definitely two berry coins, just as Nami-swan said♡~"
"Hmm, a coke!"
"Yohohoho, panties perhaps?"
At one point Sanji disappeared, before calling everyone for dinner shortly after.
The dinner was loud and chatty as always, with Luffy trying to steal everyone's food and Sanji trying his best to prevent it.
After eating, Chopper and Robin headed out again, happily chatting about all kinds of books. As always, the deer was amazed by the knowledge Robin possessed and the archaeologist herself made sure to sneak in as many compliments as she could for the little doctor too, watching his little flustered dance each time with an endearing chuckle.
It didn't last for long though, as Chopper quickly fell asleep in her lap, still exhausted from the afternoon.
So, she carefully picked him up and brought him to his bed.
As they didn't have any matters to attend today, it was safe to say she had a free evening.
Contented, she begun to make her way to the girl's chambers, before reconsidering it.
The sun still hadn’t gone down and Nami wasn't in their chambers anyway - she was working on her map. ‘So why not enjoy the sunset for a bit?’ She needed to get a new book from the ship's library anyways.
Making up her mind, Robin headed out on the deck again and eyed the crows nest.
This was probably where she would get the best view.
Although there was a high possibility that Zoro was training there too, at this moment, it wasn't as though she would mind.
Quite the contrary, actually.
His company was always nice, after all.
Zoro had been lifting weights, so when Robin entered, she quietly closed the door again so as not to startle him while he trained.
Upon hearing approaching footsteps, his ears perked up, however, he relaxed once more when he recognised who they belonged to.
The sound was soft yet determined. There was only one who came to his mind at that. Long raven black hair, as well as gentle blue eyes. Robin.
A quick side glance only confirmed his suspicions.
Even if he had no idea as to why she came here, it's not like he particularly minded.
She was one of the few which didn't manage to get on his nerves through endless chatter or childish behaviour.
On the contrary, he felt more at ease with her around.
Furthermore, his bluntness and short-spoken nature never seemed to annoy Robin either.
His eyes followed her as she made her way to the big window, sitting down in front of it. her way over to the big window, sitting down in front of it.
"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" She quietly spoke up, eyes fixated on the sunset.
He followed her gaze and grunted.
"I’ve seen better ones."
"Fufufu, I suppose so. But still…
Each sunset is unique in their own way.
Whether it be the situation you see it in or the sky itself."
Zoro didn't answer her and instead continued lifting the weights a few more times.
697...
698...
699...
700.
‘This would have to do for now,’ he thought, setting his weights down. He could always resume later after all, once he was focused again. The swordsman's current mind was too occupied by a certain person at the moment to properly work out.
So instead he grabbed a bottle of sake on his way and walked over to Robin, joining her at the window.
"I personally always enjoy the orange in sunsets. The way the warm color sets against the cold of the blue in the sky. A really nice combination. Just like Nami sometimes." she mused and a smile formed on her lips at the mention of the red-haired navigator.
He gave a slight affirmative nod at her remark. Fortunately, the archeologist didn’t seem to mind his silence.
It was one of the things he appreciated the most about her. She never tried to force him into talking and instead just continued on her own if necessary, their shared silence never awkward.
Taking another swig of his sake, he put down the bottle and observed her profile.
‘She looked beautiful.’
A rich contrast to the sunset, the light danced off her skin and embraced her in a warm light.
But unfortunately he also couldn't help but notice the scars. Their paleness stood out from the rest of her skin, the light marking and emphasizing them.
He still remembered vividly how they had to fight against so many opponents on Fishman Island. The way one of Hody’s lackeys almost got her-
He shuddered inwardly at the thought.
They had rough days behind them and Zoro was more than glad they all came out with only minor injuries at worst.
But still...the image of her surprised and relieved face stuck in his head.
The way she easily beat up hundreds of enemies without breaking a sweat.
Day for day she continued to surprise him and not once in a bad way.
It was strange to imagine that they were once enemies intent on killing each other.
The first time they met in Alabasta.
The warm desert wind being the thing perceivable among the tension upon seeing the stranger on their boat. Her mischievous smile while taunting them all.
Looking at her now he knew that this personality was still somewhere hidden deep inside of her. But he couldn't care less though.
The Robin he and the crew experienced everyday was who he came to know. The quiet, but smart-spoken women who cracked a morbid joke every now and then, catching everyone off-guard.
A smile tugged at his lips at the thought.
The sudden action caught the attention of the archeologist, making her face back to him.
"Hmm? What's so funny?"
"Nothing." He grunted, a faint blush tainting his cheeks at the fact that she caught him staring. She chuckled lightly and reached for her wine glass.
"Care to try?", she asked, holding it out to him.
'When did this get up here?' he wondered, before shrugging it off. Not that it mattered.
However, he eyed the glass skeptically for a few more moments before taking it, not wanting to get caught staring again.
'Might as well give it a try.'
The liquid tasted rich and full. Before he knew it, the glass was empty and then another and then another.
It was a nice change to the sake he kept around drinking, the strong alcoholic flavour usually to his satisfaction. Today the wine just seemed perfect though, his poor bottle of sake next to him swiftly forgotten.
Robin seemed to enjoy sharing the drink with him, encouraging the swordsman to drink even more.
The sunset was long gone by now, instead the endless amount of stars shone, spread across the night sky.
They sat there in comfortable silence, until Robin quietly spoke up.
"I remember watching the stars on Ohara back then. Whenever I couldn't sleep I would just go up a mountain and enjoy the view of them. It reminded me that I was not alone."
Zoro looked at her for a little bit longer, before turning his attention to the window as well.
"Kuina liked to watch the stars every now and then too. Making hopeless wishes towards them… ." he replied just as quietly, observing the stars with a mild disinterest.
"I never understood why she did that. They're hundreds of kilometres away, what would they be able to do, huh?"
"Fufufu, well...you're not wrong.
...But it's calming in a way, I suppose. Projecting your hopes to some sparkling dots in the distance.
Believing they will make things better.
That you matter to them."
"You don't need them anymore. You have us now." he answered, turning his gaze towards her.
"Indeed I have." she replied and smiled softly.
They spent the rest of the night in comfortable chitchat, telling the other some small details about themselves every now and then. Sometimes Robin guessed it before Zoro spoke it out, sometimes he surprised her and managed to catch the archeologist completely off-guard. Her resulting chuckles filled his mind every time and cracked a grin on his face.
But time tends to fly when one is having fun, so it didn't take long for them to see the first inklings of light that heralds the start of the day up in the night sky.
As they noticed the brightness it gained once again, they knew their time together was coming to an end.
Zoro watched the change with disappointment.
He didn't expect morning to come so soon.
Looking down at Robin, it seemed like she felt the same. Her face was calmly collected, as always, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
"It seems like the night is over, huh?... ." he started, voice trailing off.
"Indeed, it seems so… ." Robin answered, just as lightly.
They both fell into silence, both knowing what they should do, but neither of the two made a move for it.
"I…quite enjoyed the evening. Thank you for staying with me, Zoro." Robin said, moving to collect their glasses.
Zoro watched her silently, before speaking up once again.
‘It's now or never, after all.’
"Well, there is one more thing before you go,” he started, successfully catching Robin's attention. The archeologist stopped what she was doing, instead turning towards him.
She held his gaze with an uncertain curiosity, not sure what to expect.
The swordsman carefully moved his face closer to her, his breath tickling Robin's face. None of the two dared to move, their eyes completely focused on each other. Searching for an answer to the unspoken question.
Another heartbeat passed before Zoro closed the distance between them with a kiss.