Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The music is blasting, and her head is starting to hurt. Robin finishes her drink and her conversation before going up to Sanji, stepping behind him and tapping his shoulder. He stops dancing and turns to her. His eyes are blurry, she thinks, though she figures hers must be as well. Robin asks him a question, but even she can’t hear her own voice over the loud music. He shoots her an inquisitive look, so she gestures a cigarette. Sanji nods, starts patting his pants, much clumsier than usual. The sight makes her want to giggle like a child.

She probably shouldn’t judge his level of inebriation.

Cigarette in hand, Robin opens the door to the garden and steps outside. Her ankle wobbles when her heel touches the gravel. She sighs loudly: she’s been getting too drunk.

But time has been devoted to celebrating, lately — as proven by the music blasting inside the house. A month and a half ago, they’d found the One Piece. Brought the World Government to its end.

The Light of the Revolution.

That was what Dragon had called her. When she finally discovered the True History, along with the One Piece, she’d finally understood what he’d meant.

The fight had been truly horrendous. They’d won, yes, but the whole affair had been a bloody, disgusting mess.

She’d enjoyed it, the blood of the World Government all over her arms and chest and legs. She’d felt vengeful.

She remembers Zoro’s look, a fucked up kind of pride as he watched her take down her enemies in a single swoop of the arm.

Most of the rest of the crew liked to fight, she’d thought. Loved it, even.

But only they knew the desire for violence.

He had looked happy about the state she was in, about the look in her eyes.

No, happy isn’t the right word, she thinks as she goes to sit on the steps behind her. He had looked…

Hungry.

She shakes her head lightly, not letting it be more than a half-thought. She lights her cigarette instead, taking in the view of the mountains under the moonlight. She inhaéles.

A month and a half ago, they’d found the One Piece, and had fought with all they had. Enemies they didn’t know they had, and others who had been looming over them since the beginning.

They’d never been so injured. Recovery had been long and difficult. A week, bedridden. All of them.

For a minute, she’d wished they’d all died there. Together. So that the unavoidable pain of seeing time pass wouldn’t come. It would have been beautiful, poetic.

Right now, though, her head feels light, and the mountains are pretty, and muffled laughter is coming from right behind her. She’s happy they didn’t die. She’s happy they came here, instead. A vacation in a beautiful house, on an otherwise deserted island, courtesy of Dragon. The least he could do.

They’d barely recovered but were in deep need of some time alone. Or as alone as they can be, which is together. A breather, they had decided. A month of vacation. Sleeping, eating, and drinking, no outside world, just them.

She’s happy, and drunk, and enjoying her cigarette. It’s nice, here. It’s warm and she can hang around all day reading, drawing, and playing. She needed this.

Problem is: it’s been three weeks and a half. Soon, they’ll have to decide what’s next. They’ve been talking about it, just a few conversations, here and there. She takes a drag out of her cigarette, feeling her wrist shaking. 

Shit. 

She doesn’t want to think about it.

The door creaks behind her.

“You ok?”

Zoro is standing there.

“Yes, I’m just alright, thank you,” she responds, cheerfully. “Just getting some air.”

He comes up to sit next to her. The moonlight gives her a good view of his face. His eyes look blurry too — but he’s not really drunk, she’s learned that from experience.

“That’s some nice air, yeah,” he mocks, pointing to her cigarette.

She takes a final drag and puts it out.

“Did you come here to judge my bad habits?” She asks.

“No, just wanted some air too.”

They stay quiet for a minute. Robin bites the inside of her cheek.

“Are you nervous about getting back to the Sunny?” She asks, incapable of holding it in any more.

“Leaving this place, you mean?”

“Yeah, I mean…” She scratches her forehead, “Our new lives as the Pirate King’s crew.”

He takes a second to think about it, taking a sip from his glass.

“I don’t know. It’s not that I’m nervous, not really, but…” He’s choosing his words. Being careful. Still learning how to talk. He looks at her, as if looking for support.

“I’ve never existed without a set goal in my mind. A clear idea of what I needed to do and who I wanted to be. And now, I’ve done it. So, sometimes, I wonder what’s left to do.”

She nods, offers a comforting look and a light brush of her fingers on his wrist. She thinks that, too. All her life, she’s stayed alive for her dream. For history, the True History. But now it’s done. She’s never been happier about anything, but it’s over.

“I suppose,” she answers, “that there’s only our crew now.”

It’s a comforting feeling. Sort of a sad one, too.

He nods.

“Yeah, years of aimless travelling with a bunch of idiots. And I wouldn’t even mind it.”

Zoro chuckles lightly. He’s more talkative than usual. He’s like that after a few drinks, she’s noticed..

And when he’s tired from training, too.

She likes to hear him talk, likes to hear his laughter, close to her. Just a little further, behind the front door, Nami’s giggles come to her ears.

She likes these chats with him, in the chilly air, with the comforting presence of her family surrounding them.

She feels her throat getting tighter.

“Hey, Robin,” Zoro says quickly. . “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” He asks, sounding insistent.

She’s nervous. She’s not used to opening up, either.

“You remember the chat we had with everyone this morning?”

She fumbles with her fingers, wishing she had another cigarette.

“Which one?”

“Talking about…” she hesitates. “Separating, for a bit.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Oh.”

“I know it’s stupid,” she stutters. “It’s just that… everyone is going to go home, to their people. Not for long, I know, but…”

She doesn’t have a home. She doesn’t have her people. She only has them.

Zoro sighs lightly, chuckling.

“Robin, there’s no fucking way I’m going to leave you alone.”

She’s taken aback.

“No, Zoro, there’s no need. I’m just a little sentimental, is all, but I can go visit Sabo and Koala. It’ll be interesting to see the Revolutionaries in action, really.”

He clicks his tongue, stopping her.

“Not doing this out of pity or obligation, Robin. Listen, ‘my people’ aren’t the ones at home. They’re you guys.”

She’s about to cry. Or maybe burst into laughter? She’s not too sure anymore.

“Plus,” he continues,”you’re not a pain in the ass to be around. Not like these idiots.”

He points behind him. Behind the door, she hears Luffy shouting something idiotic, and Usopp bursting into laughter. She chuckles softly. Her eyes go up to meet his.

“If we separate for a bit, there’s no way you’re staying alone,” he keeps going. “You can come with me. I don’t want to stay at my village too long, anyway. Afterwards, we can do whatever we want.”

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy the company.” He brushes his fingers against hers. She takes a deep breath.

“Want to go back inside?” She asks.

He goes to stand up.

“After you.”

Chapter Text

Robin’s sitting at the kitchen table, having a cup of tea before bed. In front of her, facing away, Sanji’s cleaning the dishes. The Sunny is completely silent. Everyone’s already asleep.

It’s been sort of an unspoken tradition of theirs. Robin always needs a bit of time to calm her brain down after a party, and Sanji likes his dishes cleaned before he goes to bed. So, every time, she comes to read in his kitchen, he makes her a cup of tea, and they enjoy each other’s company, both half asleep themselves..

 With luck, they’ll both have had the right amount of alcohol. When that happens, he usually puts down his last clean dish and pours them both a glass of that nice, dark whiskey she likes so much. And then, the best part: a good, long, uninterrupted chat.

Sanji turns off the sink. She raises her eyes to him.

“One last drink?”

She smirks.

Guess it’s one of the good nights.

As he pours her a glass, she thinks of the last few weeks, back to travelling on the ship. It’s only temporary: just enough time to take everyone home – then, they’ll be separated for just a short month. She’d thought the goodbyes would be more dramatic. Right now, it just felt like another aimless adventure.

This is good for her. She’s had time to process it.

It doesn’t seem too bad anymore.

Sanji sits next to her and offers her a cigarette. She gracefully takes it before clinking their glasses together. They both take a sip. It’s wonderful.

She likes these times with Sanji, likes quietly drinking, and smoking and...

“Sorry to ask but…” he starts, all of a sudden. “Did you notice anything different about Zoro?”

She knew he was going to say something, but perhaps not this.

“Why do you ask?”

“Don’t you think he’s even quieter than usual?” Sanji asks. “I mean, not all the time, but sometimes, he doesn’t even shout at anyone all day.”

It’s true, she thinks, she’s seen it too. And she knows why, obviously – he told her. But there’s no way Sanji doesn’t know, too.

“Yes, I agree, yes.” She takes a drag out of her cigarette. “I think he’s worried about not having a sense of drive anymore. Now that he’s beaten Mihawk...” Robin thinks for a second. “I also think that the prospect of going home is making him a little…sentimental.”

The word feels wrong for Zoro.

“Mm, you’re probably right,” Sanji agrees.

She feels jittery, a slight nervousness forming in her chest. The alcohol tastes bitter against her tongue. Her eyes meet Sanji’s.

“Why do you ask me?” She wonders.

“What do you mean?” He raises an eyebrow. “Because he actually talks to you.”

She smiles and shakes her head.

“Not that much. I mean, you know Zoro. With you, he opens up just as much. Probably more.”

“I think you’re wrong, Robin.”

She frowns, slightly. She hears hard gusts of wind against the window.

“He does talk to me,” he continues. “More than he talks to the others, anyway. He allows himself to be a little vulnerable, around me. That’s all true. But with me it’s just… a general rule between us. That he’s allowed to. Not that he’s going to very often.” He takes a sip out of his glass. “It’s different with you. It’s more of a continuous, regular thing. He’s really relaxed around you.  Surely you’ve noticed?”

She shakes her head.

“I’m not sure I have,” she answers. She has a little trouble meeting his eyes, but there’s a small smile creeping on her lips. “I noticed him opening up when he was tired, or vulnerable. Or when he drinks a lot. But I thought he did that with you, too, at least.”

Sanji makes a gesture with his hands.

“He’s still a moron at the end of the day. But at least he does open up to you, even if he needs a little push from painkillers or alcohol.”

She nods.

“I think it’s because you’re kind of bad at that stuff, too,” Sanji goes. “You’re a lot better than him, obviously, but he must feel like he’s in good company..”

The comment makes her laugh. Drunk Sanji is funny, because he lets himself be as honest with her as he would with any man.

He realises what he’s said, turning red.

“I don’t mean to offend you, my beautiful lady! Sorry, I didn’t mean to be insulting, I should never have said that…”

“It’s okay, Sanji,” she laughs. “Sit back down. I don’t think you’re wrong, I just… I really hadn’t realised.”

He relaxes against his chair and raises his shoulders. Raises his glass, smirking.

“It’s the burden we have to share.”

She laughs and clinks her glass with him.

“The man is insane but…” Sanji chooses his words. “I’m glad we’re the ones taking care of him.”

She nods and smiles. Her heart feels light. Suddenly, she understands why Zoro asked her to join him home, on this incredibly vulnerable journey: pure and utter trust.

Chapter Text

The closer everyone had been getting to their home islands, the more they had individually started to ask Robin if she wanted to join them. Every time, she would tell them she’d already accepted Zoro’s invitation. Then, they would immediately drop the idea.

Even if she has a little trouble understanding their reactions, it makes her feel loved, to know they all had planned on taking her home. Even Usopp had asked.

Slowly, aboard the Sunny, the Straw Hats had started dropping everyone home. It had been agreed that they would travel the South Blue to the Grand Line until Water 7, where Franky would keep the Thousand Sunny. Then, the rest of the crew could get themselves home. A month and a half later, they’d meet back in Water 7, and go back to their adventures. Nami had left first, not before a long and teary-eyed goodbye to everyone. At the port of Conomi Island, Nami’s sister had greeted them all warmly, and the crew, all ten of them, had been forced to stay for lunch. She’d hugged Nami long and tight before leaving.

Usopp had been the same, from his adorative old crew - a bunch of now grown-up boys - to his now trained doctor friend, Kaya. The goodbyes had been long and sentimental.

Now, they’re back on the sea. Tomorrow: Shimotsuki Village. Zoro’s home.

Luffy’s thrown a party for them again. He’s done it for every single crew member. Robin can tell he’s sad to see them go. She knows how he felt, the last time they were apart.

Zoro knows too, she can see it.

She takes the time to have a conversation with every single one of her friends. Tells them all she’ll miss them, that she hopes these times with their loved ones will be as happy as can be. She embraces them all.

Luffy’s hug lasts a little longer.

“Thanks again, Captain,” she whispers in his ear. “For the love, and the adventures, and the trust. I’ll miss you. A month and a half will seem like years.”

He laughs in her neck, hugging her tighter.

“Have a good time, Robin. Take good care of Zoro.”

•·················•·················•

Zoro and Robin wave goodbye to the Sunny. Robin’s eyes are a little wet, and Zoro hasn’t looked away from the shore yet. The sand is soft against their shoes. The walk to the village is only fifteen minutes. They can spare a second.

They walk in a comfortable silence, going up the cliff they have to cross to get to the village. Zoro hasn’t been here in many years.

It’s sentimental to be back. That’s something he doesn’t feel too often. But it is.

He remembers who he was the last time he was here. He almost feels tenderness for him.

He was fending for himself, at that time. Didn’t have anyone. Didn’t even want anyone. It’s funny. Now, he can’t see himself existing without his family.

He’s happy that he’s going to see Kuina. To show her that he’s done it. It’s still important to him, even though it’s a different feeling than when he left.

He doesn’t exactly remember the moment when he stopped fighting for her, for a ghost, a memory. When he started fighting for them , as well. For…

He turns to Robin, walking right behind him. She stopped to pick a couple of raspberries from the side of the cliff.

“Would you like one?” She offers.

He sneers, taking one from her palm. It tastes sweet against his tongue. Like the first warmth of spring.

“They’re nice, right?” She offers enthusiastically.

He can’t help but smile back.

“They actually are.”

She keeps walking.

“So, where are we going, again?” She turns around to ask him.

He picks up her pace.

“To visit the master of my old dojo. His name is Koushirou.”

“This is the man who trained you, then?”

“Exactly.”

She nods, takes the time to pick her words.

“If I may ask, he’s the father of your late friend, as well, right?”

Zoro nods.

“Her name is Kuina. You can say it. You’ve proven yourself worthy a long time ago.”

She smiles.

“I can stay outside while you talk to him,” she proposes. “If you want to have a personal chat.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t mind.”

After a ten minute walk, they reach the edge of the forest, near the village. The air is warm, wet and salty. He breathes in.

It’s good to be back.

He can see the roof of his teacher’s house in the distance. Where he had, so many years ago, received Wado Ichimonji, Kuina’s sword. Where, a lifetime ago, he had said goodbye to his teacher, and left to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman.

He looks to Robin. The morning light illuminates her face. She looks a little tired, but relaxed, happy. She cut herself bangs again, just a few days ago.

It’s nice. More like herself.

She smiles at him.

“Is everything ok?” She asks.

“Yeah, I’m alright. We’re almost there.”

When Zoro and Robin arrive at the house, Koushirou is outside, tending his garden. When he notices them, he stands straight, and his expression brightens.

“Zoro?”

Zoro can’t help but notice that his teacher has gotten older. It has been long for him, too.

Zoro bows. Robin follows.

“Master,” he answers.

“It’s an honour to meet you, sir,” Robin adds.

Koushirou locks eyes with her. Smiles.

“Nico Robin.” He sounds impressed. “The woman who found the key to our freedom.”

The True History. These days, Zoro thinks about that at least once a day. How she was the answer to everything. How she freed everyone.

He smiles, too. This is the most intelligent, powerful, and strong person he’s ever met. Sometimes, it takes his breath away.

“Two of the strongest people in this world at my doorstep,” Koushirou laughs. “It is a pleasure and an honour to have you both.”

Zoro doesn’t know what to say. This is the man who made him into who he is. He can only smile, as sincerely as humanly possible.

“Please, come in.”

Meeting again is interesting. Koushirou has poured them all a cup of tea, and he asks Zoro what happened, how he went from a pirate hunter to second in command of the Straw Hats.

It’s a long story, and Zoro isn’t used to talking so much, but he tries to tell it as well as he can. Koushirou has a thousand questions – about the islands they saw, their friends, their enemies, the names he’s heard in the news. He wants to hear all about Zoro’s masters along the way, about his techniques, about Mihawk. He’s also more than curious about Robin’s research, her discoveries. He wants to understand the True History better than by reading the paper. Everyone does.

All throughout their chat, Zoro can see a light shining bright in his teacher’s eyes. Unmistakable.

Pride. Pure and utter pride.

He hadn’t realised how much it would mean to him for Koushirou to be proud.

They chat for a good few hours, hundreds of tales of the sea told and the teapot empty. It’s interesting, Zoro thinks, to see himself and Robin tell these stories. They’re not exactly the public speakers of the crew, usually, so they have a little trouble keeping the narratives exciting. He supposes the content of their speeches are interesting enough, and regardless, Robin is so passionate about her words that it’s basically impossible to look away. She’s funny, too, and he enjoys hearing their adventures from her mouth as much as his master does. Sometimes, when she’s visibly looking for the right phrasing, she lightly bites her bottom lip. He can’t help but stare.

After a particularly fascinating story about the Sky Islands, Koushirou puts down his cup and checks the clock.

“I am giving a lesson at the dojo in an hour,” he explains to the pirates. “Feel free to stay until then, I’ll be more than happy to hear more of your stories. However, about your accommodations – my sister sadly passed away last year, so I have been renovating her house to sell it to someone in the village. It’s clean, usable, and unoccupied right now. I thought you would enjoy the privacy.”

Zoro doesn’t want to think about what he meant.

“We are very grateful.” Robin answers. “I think I’ll go and read for a bit, now. Would you tell me where this house is, please?”

While Koushirou gives Robin the instructions, her eyes meet Zoro’s. Stay, they seem to say. He’d love to talk to you alone.

Zoro knows.

“I’ll see you soon,” he tells her as she leaves the house.

“Do you still have Wado, Zoro?”

He’s taken aback by Koushirou’s question, especially after the long silence that had installed itself. He puts down his freshly made cup of tea.

“Yes,” he answers. “I’ve taken care of it with my life.”

His teacher gestures to show him. With no hesitation, Zoro grabs it off the side of the table and puts it in front of Koushirou. If he’s going to trust anyone with it, it’s going to be the man who gave it to him.

He examines it, eyes wide.

“It’s as beautiful as ever, isn’t it?” He asks. “You’ve taken good care of it. I’m sure this sword is proud of its master.”

Zoro nods thank you.

Koushirou locks eyes with him – he looks happy, sad and proud at the same time. He grabs his upper arm.

“Kuina would be so proud, Zoro,” he whispers, his voice full of emotions.

Zoro hadn’t cried in years, until recently. He'd broken down after winning his fight against Mihawk – the indescribably complicated reaction of reaching his goal consuming him. Robin had been the one to look over him while he came undone.

He remembers thinking he wouldn’t have wanted anyone else there.

Right now, though, he feels like the same kid who had received this very sword, from this very man, in this very house. Like the kid who had just lost his best friend in the whole world.

“I hope she is, Master.”

Right before his lesson, Koushirou walks Zoro to their temporary house. It’s only a three minute walk, but Robin made him promise he wouldn’t go alone.

When they arrive at the door, the teacher pats his student's shoulder.

“I’m so proud of what you’ve become, my boy.”

Zoro bows his head in response. Koushirou adds:

“And I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you happy.”

His face turns red. He knows exactly what he means, by now.

“It’s not what you think -”

“I’m aware," he says with a knowing smile. "I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Koushirou walks away. Zoro looks at him leaving, confused. Inside, he knows Robin is probably sitting somewhere, reading. It comforts him just thinking about it.

He goes in.

Chapter Text

As it turns out, Robin is actually making a meal. It’s a little early for dinner, but they’re both quite hungry already. Koushirou has left them some food, just as a placeholder until they can go buy their own, tomorrow. The house smells really nice. 

It’s small but comfortable enough: wooden walls in a nicely sized living room, a tiny kitchen and a beautiful bedroom. There’s just one big bed in the middle, and it looks incredibly soft. It’s not going to be a problem. They’re crewmates – they’ve slept in the same bed, or on top of each other (with about six other people), countless times. There’s a nice garden, too, and it’s just isolated enough from the other houses that they won’t have to worry about passer-bys

She greets him with a smile while she stirs some carrots in a pan.

“How was it?”

“It was nice.” He doesn’t really want to elaborate, and she doesn’t mind. “He wants me to train the kids in his dojo, in a couple days.”

Robin smiles at the thought.

“Will you do it?”

“I mean, yeah,” he answers. “I’m gonna blow these kids’ minds.”

She laughs lightly. Music to his ears.

“I can’t wait to see it.”

She adds some mushrooms to her pan, and keeps stirring.

“Can I help?” Zoro asks.

“Not right now, don’t worry. You’ll clean the dishes,” she adds playfully.

“Works for me.”

He stands against the wall, eyes on the sizzling vegetables.

“Told him you had a few questions about Wano for him, by the way.”

She looks up to him, a very specific history light of excitement shining in her eyes.

“What did he say?”

“Something along the lines of ‘tell her to bring something to drink, and something to write on.’ He seemed like he had a lot to tell you.”

“That’s great,” she smiles.

“Yeah?”

She stops stirring for a second.

“Yeah, Zoro. It’s your history. What could be more fascinating than that?”

There’s a smile creeping up on his lips.

They eat their dinner – a simple stir-fry and some white rice – in comfortable silence. Afterwards, he picks up the dishes and goes to clean them. Robin stands next to him with a cloth, dries them, and puts them back. 

As he hands her the last clean glass, she gets distracted and almost lets go of it. While she catches it, at the last second, he grabs her wrist to steady her. The contact makes him look up to her. Their eyes lock.

He thinks about the redness of her lips just a bit too long. He lets go.

It lasts just a second. He feels out of breath.

The evening is peaceful after that. They pour themselves a couple glasses of whiskey they found in a cabinet, and go sit outside for a bit. They talk about their plans for the next few days: they’ll spend a week or two here, they decide, and then get a small boat and go wherever they want. Robin jokes about being able to simply buy a boat without having to think about it . Just a few months ago, Nami would’ve cried at the idea. One of the less talked about advantages of finding the One Piece, at least for him, Zoro supposes: becoming rich.

They go to bed relatively early. Robin falls asleep almost immediately. Funny, he thinks. She’s always been a notoriously light sleeper.

It’s the sound of her regular, relaxed breathing that lulls him to sleep.

•·················•·················•

The walk to the graveyard is a little longer: all the way to the other side of the village and then up the hill. They’ve been walking for a good half hour now, and it’s nearing 11 o’clock.

This morning, while Robin was having a coffee outside, Zoro made breakfast for the two of them. They ate in the garden, under the warmth of the late spring sun, and then he went to meditate for a while. When he came back, he asked her to join him to the graveyard. She accepted immediately.

Here they are now. Robin stops walking at a reasonable distance, so that she won’t be able to hear him in there. He thanks her silently, and she smiles comfortingly.

He goes up the alleys alone. He remembers exactly where she is.

“Hi, Kuina.”

He kneels in front of the tombstone. Reads the epitaph.

‘ Cherished daughter. Gifted swordsman.’

“I won, you fucker,” he whispers. “I’m the World’s Greatest Swordsman.”

Told you I’d do it, he thinks.

He feels weird talking to her, so he joins his hands together and closes his eyes. Takes time to remember her. To think of his time with her. Of their promise, that he has now fulfilled.

He wishes she’d lived long enough to meet his friends. Lived long enough to beat his ass.

He takes his time, with no idea how long he sits there, in silence, taking it in. All he knows is that, when he opens his eyes again, he feels lighter.

He takes a breath.

“Robin?” He asks, not shouting, but loud enough that she’ll hear him.

A clone materialises in front of him. He jumps, slightly.

“Yes?” It answers.

“Shit, I’ll never get used to that. Do you mind coming here for a minute?”

“I don’t.”

The clone disappears into thin air, and a second later, he sees her, the real her, walking up to him. She gets closer and stands behind him for a second. He gestures for her to sit next to him, so she kneels down as well. Their thighs are touching.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hi,” she smiles, softly.

He turns to the tombstone. She turns too, bows her head in respect. He grabs her hand a little firmly, and she squeezes his in return.

Hello, Kuina , he seems to say. This is Robin. She’s one of the people who saved my life. Now that our dream is fulfilled, this is who I’m going to live for.

You’d love her, you know? She kicks ass, too. If you’d met her when you were little, you never would have thought women couldn’t be as powerful as men.

You’d love all of them.

After a while, they leave the graveyard, and take the path to town. Zoro gives one last look to the tombstone behind him.

I miss you, Kuina. I wish you were here. 

•·················•·················•

“Okay, kids,” Zoro claps his hands. “Now, we’re going to use a technique I learned from none other than Dracule Mihawk…”

He can hear Robin giggling behind him. She likes seeing him with kids, he knows. She finds it, how did she say… incongruous.

Zoro’s having a good time, nonetheless. They’d gotten to Koushirou’s dojo right after breakfast, in order to help him set everything up. Robin had started exploring the place immediately, asking a few precise, incisive questions along the way. She seems to enjoy existing around Zoro’s memories.

The students had looked positively floored to see him, the World’s Greatest Swordsman, at the front step of their dojo. He’d refused to tell them any stories before training.

It’s been about an hour now. The drills are clearly more intensive than the kids are used to, but none of them seem to want to back down. Koushirou knows he should probably stop them: time’s up, and their parents would want them home… but he doesn’t have the heart.

Zoro finishes up when he notices that multiple kids have gotten significantly slower from exhaustion. He sends them to clean up, and promises a few stories. Once they’re back, they all sit on the floor, facing Zoro and Robin. They all seem incredibly excited, waiting for their turn to speak.

One of them raises his hand. Zoro nods at him.

“How’s the sea?”

“Um… large and...weird…” Zoro answers, troubled by the question.

“It’s very beautiful, too,” Robin continues, saving him. “Places like you can’t even imagine – islands in the sky and underwater.”

The children gasp.

“Pretty mysterious, too,” he adds, a sudden rush of confidence hitting him.. “The weather is completely unpredictable, it can change from a beautiful day to a raging storm in a matter of seconds.”

“So how did you make it?” A child questions, eyes bright.

Zoro and Robin look at each other. They smile knowingly.

“With the help of the best navigator in the world,” she answers.

After the kids have left and Koushirou is thanked, Zoro and Robin decide to take a walk by the cliff sides, to watch the sea from the top of it. They walk for about an hour before sitting down, facing the water, and eating the sandwiches they’d packed.

The wind isn’t too strong, and it’s pleasantly warm. They can hear the waves crashing against the shore below their feet.

“You’re always better with kids than I think,” Robin goes.

“You’re way better than me.”

She raises her shoulders.

“They were definitely blown away to see you,” she jokes. “Can you imagine, being 9 years old, going to your dojo, and the World’s Greatest Swordsman is actually the one training you today”

“I hope they liked it, yeah,” he smiles.

They let the silence settle, again. She’s the one to break it.

“Would you like to have some, one day?”

“Children, you mean?” She nods yes. “I don’t know, I don’t think so. A lot of people I’ve met had pirate parents. That usually didn’t end well. Wouldn’t want to put a kid through that.”

He turns to her.

“Do you?”

She shrugs. She’s still looking at the shore.

“I can’t have them, actually.”

“Ah, shit, sorry.”

“Don’t worry, it’s okay, really,” she reassures him. “I’ve made peace with it a long time ago. I’ve never really dreamt of having kids, anyway.”

Zoro nods, still offering her a comforting look.

“Sorry if you don’t want to talk about it,” he tries, “but had it been that way from birth, or…?”

“It wasn’t, no,” she answers. That’s exactly what he hoped she wouldn’t say. “When I was 14, I got captured by a bunch of men. And on top of being assholes for capturing a 14 year old for money, they were absolute psychopaths.” She’s keeping a straight face, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Unbothered by the horrific story. “They’d found some seastone, somehow, and they’d planned on torturing me for a few days before handing me to the marines. I was there for about three days, but at some point, they all stopped paying attention for just a second. I was able to get the seastone off of me, and then I strangled them all.”

“Shit, Robin.”

“Don’t worry, it was a long time ago. Either way, a few months after that, I noticed I wasn’t getting my period anymore. I found a doctor who could examine me, and she said that they’d beaten me so badly in the stomach I wouldn’t be able to bear children.”

He takes a moment to look at her. He hates this. Hates knowing she’s had to suffer through so much.

“I won’t let that happen to you ever again, Robin.”

She locks eyes with him.

“I know,” she whispers. “But you have to trust me to take care of myself, too. I’m not the same person I was at that time.”

He nods, his voice dropping to a whisper as well.

“I know,” he answers. “I know you’re strong. You are. I’m just… bad at letting go, sometimes.”

He pauses.

“I trust you.”

He knows she doesn’t have to make him weaker, not if he accepts that she’s strong enough to take care of herself. That’s something that took him a long time to accept, but he has.

Old habits just die hard, he supposes. 

“Thank you,” she answers, and he can tell she means it.

Chapter Text

The week has been peaceful – the type of peacefulness he could see himself enjoying for the rest of his life. Relaxing, cooking, reading, meditating…To each their own schedule for the day, meeting for meals and the occasional walk around the island. A dinner with Koushirou, then Robin spending the day with him, to ask about the island’s ties to Wano. The drinks in the village’s bar, and then sitting in the living room for a Mahjong. He’s enjoying the break, the calm, the warmth of his home town. 

He knows it’s not going to last forever. That, soon, they’ll have to leave this place, because he won’t feel good here anymore. But for now, with Robin around, he can only enjoy the trip.

This morning, when he wakes up, Robin is already brewing some coffee and cooking some eggs. When he sees her face in the golden light of the kitchen window, he feels as content as he’s ever felt.

“Good morning,” she offers.

“’Morning,” he responds.

After breakfast, she asks him to join her into town to get some more food for dinner. He accepts, enjoying the walk between the vegetable aisles of the market. Enjoying her dark jokes while seeing ugly oranges (“ Look at this one. It looks like its whole family was just murdered in front of him. It shrunk from the trauma”). He even likes the domesticity. A few years ago, he would have freaked out, thought that these thoughts made him weaker.

Now, he knows that it makes him human. And human is okay, sometimes.

For lunch, he buys them a few onigiris, and they seat on a bench to eat them.

“These onigiris are the whole reason why I eat them so much,” Zoro explains. “I’ll never say anything mean about Sanji’s food, but he’s never been able to replicate them.”

“These are bold claims, my dear Zoro,” Robin smirks.

“See for yourself.”

She takes a bite out of her onigiri and opens her eyes wide. She looks at him in disbelief, laughs a little.

“These are amazing!”

He snickers.

“I know, right?”

The more he looks at her, the more he realises that she exudes warmth. Comfort. From her soft smile to her dark eyes, from her soft skin to her long hair, she is home. As she meets his eyes, he understands, slowly, that he’s probably home to her, too.

•·················•·················•

It’s around 5 in the evening when Zoro goes to train. Robin sees him walking outside, and asks if she can join.

It’s strength exercises, first. Even since she’s come back from the Revolutionaries’, Robin’s been able to lift way more. He’s impressed. He always is.

She’s barely even tired when they start the endurance workout: running around the village, for about 50 minutes. A few years ago, Robin would’ve been exhausted – but she keeps the pace, makes comments about the scenery. Once they get back home, Zoro proposes a few minutes of meditation before some sword-training, or in her case, Devil Fruit training.

“Sure,” she agrees, “but we should probably go to the beach. Our attacks can be… impressive.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Zoro’s just demonstrated a Foxfire Style attack, while facing the ocean. For a second, he was worried he’d permanently cut open the water.

He turns over to Robin, sitting behind him on the beach. She looks impressed. She’s seen it a thousand times, but she still is.

It still makes him feel proud.

Zoro’s tired, really tired, the kind where his muscles feel soft. It’s nice. He’s enjoyed the training, and the company. He lets himself fall on the ground next to her, and takes a few deep breaths before he sits back up.

“Your turn, now,” he tells her.

“To do a Foxfire Style?”

“No,” his laughter stops him. “To show your strongest attack. Your awakened Devil Fruit, or whatever.”

“Oh, okay,” she says as she starts getting up. “I can do that.”

She stretches her arms lightly and places herself in front of him. She looks confident. She’s been working out for hours, and yet, she’s still the most beautiful thing Zoro’s ever seen.

She puts her right knee to the ground, crosses her arms, looks at him in the eyes one last time before closing them.

He’s fully hypnotised, already.

She takes a deep breath.

“Demonio Fleur.”

The transformation is as quick as it is terrifying. All of a sudden, Robin is three metres tall, her skin is red, her eyes, yellow. She’s a devil.

Zoro can’t breathe. He looks at her, right now, and he knows that if she wanted, she could crush him in an instant.

He wouldn’t find it in him to fight her.

She exudes power, violence. She’s accepted her title: Devil Child. On her face, he can see her smirk. She knows she’s good.

He feels like he’s about to burst.

She’s the most incredible thing he’s ever seen. She’s perfect.

Robin comes back to her human form, suddenly. She falls on her knees, visibly exhausted. Her head falls to her chest.

Zoro runs to her, lets himself drop on the sand in front of her and places his hand on the crook of the neck. She looks up.

“You okay?”

“I’m good,” she answers with a muffled voice. "Just overdid it, a little."

He lets her breathe.

“Holy shit, Robin.”

She chuckles,

“You’ve seen it before.”

“Never ceases to impress,” he follows.

She laughs again, looks up to him.

Their eyes meet.

For a few seconds, there’s only her. Only her face, her eyes locked with his. The feeling of her skin against his fingers. He's in complete awe of her strength, her beauty, her intelligence... and everything that she is.

There’s about a thousand voices in his head yelling at him why it’s a bad idea. 

'She’ll make you weak', they say.

She’s one of the strongest people I know.

'She’s your crew mate, you idiot. Even if she feels the same, what happens if it doesn’t work out?'

He can’t look away from her. She’s like the most beautiful, darkest jewel he’s ever seen. He’s burning up inside.

As he goes to kiss her, he chases the thought.

It’ll work out. She’s Robin, for God’s sake.

When he feels the warmth of her lips against his for the first time, Zoro feels like he’s going to implode. He deepens the kiss, brings her closer to him. Her hands meet his face. Her whole body is soft against his, and he wraps his arms around her. His first hand finds her shoulder blades, the second, the small of her back. He wants to feel her whole. To devour her. He brings her closer to the ground.

She pulls away, stays close enough that their noses are still touching.

“It’s not that I don’t enjoy this,” she punctuates her sentence with a kiss on his temple, “but I think it would be best if we went inside.”

They go home hand in hand, careful, silent, as if worried they could break the moment with just a sound. They wash themselves, first, and once they’re both clean, Zoro catches Robin coming out of the bathroom door. He kisses her again., hungry but tender. Then, slowly, softly, he takes her to bed and takes off her clothes. His join soon after.

Zoro takes his time to explore every single piece of her skin. They’ve got the whole night in front of them, and he’s wanted her for a long time.

You bet that he’s going to enjoy it.

What he doesn’t expect, though, is the tenderness with which she treats him. Soft hands all over his body, gentle kisses all over his neck and chest and stomach and…

He moans. He can feel her smile against him.

Shit. She’ll be the death of him.

She presses right up against him when he’s inside of her, her arms wrapped around his neck, skin rubbing against skin, hungry lips looking for each other. They whisper the other’s name, and the whole time, the whole entire time, Zoro thinks that he's discovered a new way to name the stars.

Robin.

Once they’re both too exhausted to keep going, Zoro brings her to him and covers them with the warm covers. She nuzzles up against the crook of his neck, and he starts rubbing his palm along her spine. Her skin is the softest thing he’s ever felt. He can barely believe it.

It’s gotten cold, outside. Yet, they’re both the warmest they’ve ever been.

•·················•·················•

When he wakes up, the first thing he notices is her smell. Then, her arms around him, her warmth everywhere. His hand goes to her waist and he buries himself into her skin.

As his eyes open on the gentle morning light, and her lips meet his with the softest “good morning” of his life, he feels like he’s having a religious experience. Like the light is piercing right through him.

But to him, she’s the only light that matters.