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In the dark of the night, a storm rages on with thunder booming and lightning crashing in the sky all around the Thousand Sunny as it sits moored on the side of a forested island. Tucked safely in his cabin, the famed swordsman known as Roronoa Zoro is deeply sleeping, his swords resting next to his side of the bed and his hands clutched around the pillow on the other side of the large bed. Though the green-haired first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates is known for being able to sleep through just about anything, he especially sleeps well during rain and storms. Yet, a sudden noise coincides with a rather brash boom of thunder, causing Zoro to bolt upright in the bed, his hand automatically going to the hilt of his swords. A creak of the cabin door makes Zoro narrow his brown eye, focusing his field of vision in the darkness. Two shadows appear in the doorway, causing the swordsman to drop his sword back into its sheath.
The two shadows quickly begin moving towards the bed where Zoro lies before launching into the bed. An elbow catches Zoro in the stomach, forcing him to let out a soft groan before he scoops the offender into his arms.
“What’s all the fuss about, huh?” Zoro inquires, his brown eye locking on to his two children that have made their way into his bed. “The sun isn’t even up yet,” he grumbles, lying back and holding his young daughter in his arms close to his chest.
“It’s raining! It’s pouring!” Kuina and Keiji answer in a sing-song voice to the tune of the nursery rhyme Usopp taught them.
“It’s four in the morning,” Zoro heavily sighs, resting his arm against his wife’s pillow, wishing Robin was here with him to help ease their children back to sleep because he is so exhausted from having two shifts of night watch tonight. “Couldn’t you have gone and woken Uncle Sanji?” the swordsman jokes, though he loves his children and adores his time with them.
“Uncle Sanji was up with baby Satomi because she was crying since Aunt Nami is out with Mama and Uncle Luffy,” Kuina answers, a faraway look in her eyes as she shakes when more thunder and lightning come towards the Sunny.
“We couldn’t go back to sleep, Papa,” Keiji whispers, snuggling closer to Zoro’s side, his blue eyes looking so strikingly like Robin’s in that moment.
Holding both of his children beside him and realizing that his children are so proud that they can’t admit to him that they are scared of the storm, the famed first mate comes to an easy decision.
“Why don’t the two of you keep me company until Mama comes back from her mission with Aunt Nami, Uncle Luffy, and Uncle Usopp?” Zoro suggests, which makes both Keiji and Kuina smile.
As the storm continues to rage on, Zoro turns to cuddle with his son and daughter, assuming his role as their father and protector. Here in the solace of his and Robin’s cabin, Zoro softly begins to sing to his children, trying to soothe them back to sleep.
“Papa, I didn’t know you could sing,” Kuina whispers, a yawn overtaking her voice as she tries to fight off sleep.
“It’s a tightly kept secret, especially from Uncle Sanji,” Zoro whispers back to Kuina, pressing a kiss to his daughter’s raven black hair.
“Thank you for letting us stay, Papa,” Keiji drowsily says, his blue eyes growing heavier by the second as he drifts to sleep.
“Of course, son,” Zoro responds, his voice nearly cracking with emotion as he lies in bed with his children. “I love you very much, Keiji and Kuina. You are always welcome to come to me and Mama with anything. We will always be there for you,” the green-haired swordsman promises, dropping kisses to both his children’s foreheads.
“I love you, too, Papa,” Keiji promises, wrapping his small hand around his father’s much bigger hand.
“I love you, Papa,” Kuina says after, snuggling closer to her father’s warm chest and protection.
Until Kuina and Keiji fall asleep, Zoro remains awake and then he allows himself to sleep as well. With one hand wrapped around Keiji’s hand and Kuina pressed safely against his chest, sleep overtakes the swordsman and first mate of the Straw Hat crew.
When Robin returns the next morning from her mission with Luffy, Nami, and Usopp, she first stops to eat breakfast in the galley with Sanji and Jinbei. After eating a wonderful breakfast, Robin walks into her and Zoro’s cabin, preparing to crawl into bed next to her husband. She comes to a stop and sees the precious sight of her four-year-old daughter and six-year-old son sleeping in bed next to Zoro, her infamous swordsman of a husband curled protectively around them, daring someone to try and interrupt his children’s rest. Robin stands and looks at the serene scene in front of her, committing it to memory.
“You’re back,” Zoro whispers, his voice thick with sleep as he locks his gaze with his wife, admiring those beautiful blue eyes of hers that he loves.
“I thought you were sleeping,” Robin quietly says, coming to the side of the bed and sharing a kiss with her husband.
“I was, but then I heard my beautiful wife come in,” he remarks, more fully awake now and his brown eye shining with love and desire. “Come to bed now, love,” Zoro whispers, his voice husky in that moment.
“But the kids…” Robin begins to say, only for Zoro to cut her off.
“Won’t be in bed all day. Sanji’s cooking always wakes them up and I remember Brook and Jinbei promised to teach our children today. I’ve missed my wife these past few days and with my two shifts of night watch and your night mission, no one expects us to leave this cabin during the day anyway,” he admits, suggestively raising his eyebrows as Robin slips into bed beside him.