Work Text:
I do not own One Piece.
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Luffy attempts a noiseless leap from the fore topmast of the Thousand Sunny to its main topmast in an endeavor to keep away from Sanji's sight and his fury of complaints. His cook has been chasing him, with a verbal onslaught of his grievances and dissatisfaction, right after he's told him and Zoro that Luffy is going to propose to Robin today.
It's been a while since Sanji has reluctantly accepted the relationship Luffy and Robin have. Although from time to time, he still expresses his envy and grudge with his captain, he's already learned to acquiesce the fact that his beloved Robin-chan will only belong to Luffy. But now that Luffy has decided to take another step further, it seems as though the fire of jealousy inside of Sanji has flickered to life once again.
Speaking of Robin, Luffy finds her sitting alone at the bottom stairs connecting the main deck with the quarters deck. She's holding a yunomi cup with both hands as she sips her matcha, no doubt adapting the habit she's acquired from Wano. She looks so tranquil and relaxed and it makes Luffy smile in contentment. His exuberance, however, still gets the better of him.
He stretches his dangling arm and positions himself so he'll land in front of the unsuspecting archaelogist with quiet mindfulness, wanting to take her by surprise and see how she'll react.
"Yo!" he gives her a short greeting when he becomes face to face with her and just as expected, she lets out a soft gasp of surprise, her eyelashes fluttering with the rapid blinking she unconsciously makes. She's just so cute sometimes and Luffy can't get enough of it. He grins at her.
"Luffy! Please don't startle me like that."
"Shishishi. You're adorable, Robin," he comments as he briskly moves to kiss the tip of her nose.
He receives a slightly embarrassed smile, one that he seldomly sees but still cherishes so much.
Just then, he senses the presence of a vicious and wrathful Sanji coming on their way before he hears his name being called from the main deck. "Oi, Luffy!"
"Oh, crap! Sanji's here!"
He turns to look behind him, sighing in relief when it seems the cook hasn't found him yet as the main sail obstructs his view. Then he peeks around him in the hopes of locating a better place to hide. His hand is still holding onto the topmast, he can simply hop back in there as a last resort. But if he leaves Robin here, Sanji will find her instead and...
"Why is Sanji-kun looking for you?" Robin asks in curiosity, glancing behind Luffy in the process.
"Oh, that," he replies as he reviews the interior of Thousand Sunny in his mind. There are a couple of spots here they have frequented when playing hide-and-seek, he's sure he can find somewhere to hide. "I told him I'm going to propose today and he started chasing me."
An idea has popped in his mind when his gaze lands at the bottom of the stairs. Right, there's that place! He promptly looks at Robin, who seems to have frozen in her spot, and takes the tea cup from her unmoving hands. "Sorry, Robin, bear with me for a bit."
He sets the cup in the corner of the stairs so it won't get in the way. Retrieving his arm from above, he gently picks Robin up and hurriedly carries her with him. He hears a sharply drawn breath but he has no time to relish on it as he runs towards the small closet room situated under the stairs. He proceeds to deposit the two of them in there, squeezing in so they can both fit, then he closes the door abruptly before Sanji can sniff him out.
In his haste, he hasn't actually considered how incredibly cramped it is inside, he only has a single thought to lose Sanji and bring Robin with him. Now that they're settled though, he realizes how foolish the idea is with how his back is practically arched in half as the low ceiling prevents him from sitting straight. One of his hand is supporting Robin's head and the other is pushing on the door.
"This place is narrower than I remembered," he murmurs before his free hand locates the light switch. He flicks it on when he finds it, glancing at Robin and immediately inquiring her well-being. "Are you okay, Robin?"
It's only then that he becomes aware of how intimate and physically stimulating their position is. His eyes widen and his jaw slackens when he sees her.
Robin is lying on her back, both of her arms are on top of her head as they hang onto the wall. She has her knees bending to accommodate Luffy, who is sitting in between the marginally spread thighs. Luffy's upper body, in addition, is directly on top her and there's only an infinitesimal space in between them.
Luffy looks ahead of him and is greeted by an expanse of porcelain skin. Robin's blouse has crumpled slightly which causes it to open at the top and exposes her smooth neck and collarbone. He casts his gaze down and just as he suspects, her skirt has hoisted up to reveal more of her skin. He swallows tensely and reverts his gaze back to her face.
He notices that she's pointedly facing away from him, but the flush on her cheeks is unmistakable. She really is too irresistible right now and Luffy is so enamored by her, but at this rate, he may do something he hasn't done before if his mind starts catching some indecent thoughts. He's not acclimated to Sanji's lascivious ways yet, but it's a fact that he's learned a thing or two from him and it's only a matter of time until he gets nosebleed with how unbelievably close Robin is for him to touch.
Her inviting neck is only a few centimeters away from his lips, her milky thighs, her slender arms, her tiny waist and her overall tantalising body... with just a flip of his hand and he can...
"Luffy," Robin suddenly calls him as if she can read how impure his current thoughts are. He's thankful, though, for he doesn't want to go down the path of disrespecting her. She glances at him for a second, checking if she has his attention, and speaks. "You didn't have to bring me, too, did you? I wouldn't tell Sanji-kun where you are."
With that, Luffy gets reminded of his present conundrum, of why he's suddenly brought Robin here and of why Sanji is so adamant in hunting him down. Luckily, it successfully wakes him from his reverie like a mighty splash of cold water. He shouldn't let himself get lost in those thoughts, he has to keep his mind focused on his purpose.
"No, no, if he finds you instead, he'll keep you away from me." Which will hinder him from accomplishing his aim for today. Luffy can't let that happen.
"Is that so?"
Luffy regards her with attentiveness, his eyes following the movement of her tongue as she wets her lips. He detects it as a sign of nervousness. She rarely does it as she rarely gets nervous but Luffy has already committed to memory all her traits and mannerisms, so he can read her as easily as she can read him.
His heart softens with the charming way she reacts to his words, but he can't allow himself to get distracted because of it so he asks, "Hey, Robin, what I told you before, have you given it more thought?"
By the contemplative look Robin has responded him with, he can instantly tell that she has. He wants to ask her right away, to plea for her answer, but it doesn't seem like she's fully made her mind. At the very least, she's still awashed with concern and entanglement.
Luffy has told Robin that he wants her to come back with him to his hometown. Out of all the people in Straw Hat Pirates, Robin is the only one who doesn't have somewhere to go back to, even Brook has planned to go to Reverse Mountain for Laboon and Crocus-ossan. Even at this moment, her solemn words back when she's joined the crew are still ringing in his ears. But that's not the only reason why he longs to bring her in his home.
He's not sure if she knows that, though.
"Luffy, did you know that Dragon-san, your father, has told me that if I have nowhere to go, he's always willing to welcome me?"
"Really?"
Luffy hasn't actually been acquainted to the man himself, but somehow, the thought that his own father cares genuinely for the person he loves with all his heart makes him grateful. He's heard personal things about him from Robin before and based from the high opinion she has for him, it's not a terrible idea for her to come back to his army. Plus, Sabo is there, too, so it will be like she's going to be with Luffy's treasured family. But still...
"Yes. So if you're only worried that I-"
Luffy unhesitatingly cuts her off with a loud sigh. One way or another, he's predicted that it will be like this.
"Listen to me, Robin," he says in slightly frustrating tone. He determinedly looks at her face and waits until she meets his fervid and impassioned gaze. Without any dawdling and fumbling, without any uncertainty and unwillingness, without any indecision and hesitation, he makes his intentions crystal clear. "I want you to come with me because I can't tolerate being away from you. I don't think I can live without you so I want you to stay with me always."
He sighs again, vaguely recognises the understanding in her eyes, and decides not to delay any longer. He brings his free hand to grapple the inside of his straw hat where he has sheltered the ring he's supposed to give her.
"Here," he presents it with the sincerest expression he can manage. "Didn't I say I'm going to propose today?"
He watches as Robin becomes speechless. Her eyes darting in between the ring and Luffy's face. He knows that the gears inside her head are spiralling in unimaginable speed. He gives her time to process it as he takes her expression in and secures it at the corner of his mind where all his other memories of her are being compiled.
"This is..."
He smiles at her. "Jinbei gave it to me as a present when I told him my plans for the future. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to give it to you. Look, it matches your eyes so well.
"Robin, will you spend the rest of your life with me?"
There's a crease that has appeared in her forehead as she furrows her brows. Her eyes have suddenly turned morose and wistful and she has bitten her bottom lip to stop the sparse tremble it makes. For an alarming moment, Luffy has thought that she's going to say no, but before he can even begin to panic, he hears her quiet and unsure voice.
"Are you really okay with me, Luffy?"
Disregarding the difficulty of their position, Luffy pulls her to him and cradles her in his arms as tight as the cramped space allows him to. All he has in his mind is to relieve her from her anxiety, from her self-doubt, from her insecurities. She shouldn't sound so uncofident like this and she shouldn't look like she's about to cry because of her uncertainties.
"What are you talking about?" He speaks as gently as he can. The thought of her being in pain hurting him tenfold. "You're the best I could ever wish for."
He feels a pair of arms encircling around his nape as she returns the hug in equal intensity. "Then yes, Luffy. I will."
Luffy embraces her tightly as his world seems to brighten magnificently. Robin's answer means so much to him, but it's even more precious and meaningful because he knows how hefty and how extensive she has worried about it. It's very touching, in a way, and it brings tears to his eyes. He's so happy, truly, sincerely happy, and there are no other words to describe how he feels right now.
He hasn't thought that his proposal will end up with him crying, but he figures this is only due to how strong his feelings are. He's glad that Robin is also not as calm and impassive as she usually is. It shows that her emotions far surpass her cool composure. The place they're in is not really ideal and their arrangement is still awkward, but somehow, Luffy thinks this is as perfect as it can be.
Robin lets out a soft chuckle when she hears Luffy sniff. "Are you crying?" she asks, not in mockery but in familiar amusement.
"I'm so happy, Robin. I'm so, so happy. I love you very much."
He feels a hand pet his head. It's sweet and caring and the tenderness the touch carries is like a blanket to his soul. It soothes him and it warms him, the affection inside his heart spreading like a wildfire. "Me too, Luffy."
Eventually, he asks for Robin's hand so he can put the ring on her finger. It's not a very extravagant one, but the Sapphire stone it's embellished with is one of the most valuable in the world, befitting the most precious person in his life. The deep blue color gives off a mysterious emanation to it, yet it shines so brilliantly under the light, just like Robin, herself. With an affectionate look, Luffy admires the way it complements her eyes.
Robin is so beautiful and so perfect.
He looks at her smile and sees the happiness mirroring his own in there. He looks at the faint blush on her cheeks and appreciates the essence behind it. Then he looks at her closed lips that seem to magnetize and lure him. Slowly, he leans closer to her until all the remaining distance gets diminished. Just a bit more, just a little bit more and his lips will touch hers...
But the door is quickly pulled open to ruin their moment.
"Ha! I knew it, you're here! Robin, Luffy, are you alright?" Chopper excitedly and innocently says from the outside, not having a clue that he's caused an angry mark to appear in Luffy's head.
Nami is there, too, and she's looking unimpressed as she stares him down. "What the hell are you trying to do to Robin?"
And of course, Sanji, as well. "Oi, idiot captain! You didn't do anything to Robin-chan, did you?!"
Luffy clicks his tongue in extreme annoyance and faces them. "You guys! What a really bad timing you have!"
Robin only giggles at them.
He has half the heart to ignore them completely and close the door again so he and Robin can maybe resume their moment, but then Nami seems to have caught a glint of something and in a flash, she's tugging at his shirt to pull him out.
"You idiot! You didn't propose to her in here, did you?" One of her hand is pointing in the direction of the dingy closet room with so much disapproval while the other is holding on to him and relentlessly shaking him back and forth. "Do you really have no romantic bones in you? Why of all places-!"
Fortunately, Robin takes pity on him and saves him as Nami can be ruthless and merciless when she wants to be, not to mention that she's too strong for her own good.
"Don't worry, Nami, it's actually the best I could ever wish for."
Luffy looks at the smiling Robin, remembers her answer and his tears, and gets flooded with his overflowing love for her. They exchange gazes and he grins widely at her, expressing all the emotions he can't put into words. He really loves Robin very much.
..
-k-