WARNING: This is yuri. Meaning girlxgirl. If you don't like it, DO NOT READ IT. The rest of you, enjoy! It will start off slow and pick up in later chapters, expect some moments of fluffy nakamaship.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece anything. That genius belongs to the wonderful Eiichiro Oda. ^_^

When Zoro banged into the galley, Sanji stood at once from his place at the far end of the table, all ready to ream him out for it. After all, the idiot was supposed to be keeping watch and there is a general level of importance that goes with the job.

But the green-haired marimo didn't even spare him a single glare as he shuffled to his seat and sat down heavily, his thin brows furrowed in thought.

The blond had watched him, curious and wary at the same time and slowly moves from his seat towards the kitchen to retrieve the second pan of the dinner entrée. The swordsman almost looks thoughtful. Thoughtful or constipated. Sanji snorted. A thinking Zoro wasn't necessarily a good thing. It could bring about some interesting entertainment or it could lead to more dangerous things. The cook frowned. The last time Zero had gotten a look on his face like that, he'd been fighting a stupid fish pirate with his gut sliced open from an 'honor wound'.

Sanji resisted the urge to shudder. There were some things he'd never understand about the idiot swordsman and that was perfectly fine with him. He stomped over to clear away the dishes from where his precious Robin and Nami had been just moments before. He kicked Zoro's foot, lightly, "Oi, marimo! Aren't you supposed to be on night watch?"

The dark-eyed man threw an irritated gaze in his direction, but leaned back to allow him to collect the dirty dishes. "It's not any business of yours, ero-cook." He muttered. "Sake with that." He gestured towards the full frying pan in Sanji's other hand.

Sanji lets the frying pan thump onto the table a little harder than necessary as he hands off the empty dishes to a helpful Chopper who has just finished his own dinner. He glowers with all of his glare that he can muster and begins to shovel food onto a clean plate, because nightwatch or not, if Zoro is hungry enough to be here, then he will be fed. No arguments. He'll kick some sense into him later, if needed. "Oi."

The green-haired wonder matches his glare with one of his own. "Nami's turn." He says, snatching the plate out of Sanji's hand and grabbing a fork with the other.

"Nami-swan?" Sanji blinks and then automatically slaps away one of Luffy's questing hands. He knows the Captain has had more than enough on his plate for the current meal, this overly large helping in the frying pan is really only for Zoro. Luffy pouts, blowing his injured hand, but quickly returns to his usual antics, thanks to Usopp's storytelling and Chopper's return as his eager audience. "Why?"

Zoro shrugs. "Sake?"

Sanji stalks over to the 'fridge and snatches a bottle of the atrocious drink, popping the cork as he approaches and tossing it to the marimo, knowing that he'll catch it easily. He does. The two scowl at each other. Sanji doesn't say anything else.

"Told me to." Zoro says between mouthfuls and swallows, turning his full attention to the meal.

But it doesn't escape Sanji that he's used the redhead's full name. Instead of sea-witch, stupid witch or any of the other generally mildly insulting nicknames the swordsman has for their navigator, he simply says Nami and leaves it at that.

That, Sanji notes, is another part of their silent, special code between them. He makes a mental note to keep an eye out on the redhead and then allows his thoughts to wander over his precious Robin-chwan as well. She has not really acted anything out of the ordinary, though if he does think about it, maybe she did leave dinner a little earlier than usual.

But Robin has never been usual.

Puzzled, the curly-browed cook retreats to his kitchen to wash dishes and think some more.

Robin woke to the familiar creaks and groans of the Going Merry with the faintest slats of light filtering on through from the few eyes she'd thrown up during the night out of habit. Not to be invading the privacy of her new crew members, but self-preservation had always been her necessary evil and this time is truly no different from the others.

This will be just another chapter in her passing tale of life.

Perhaps it might be more enjoyable and pleasurable than others, but it is only one chapter, just the same.

She cannot afford to fall into the sense of security and community that the Strawhats offer.

It is too dangerous.

On too many levels.

With a sigh, the spy-assassin brunette begins to wake herself up.

The night has not been kind, gifting her with memories and horrors that she would have rather never remembered. They have done their trick in reminding her of her place and the darkness that she carries within her. It has helped to strengthen what steel resolve is bound to her name. She will be careful.

Even more careful than she has been before, because this time, if anyone is hurt, it will haunt her.

Robin is tired of being haunted.

It pains her on a level she doesn't care to explore.

The thoughts linger and her mind conjures up the handful of pale faces, some freckled, some not, and the thick, rich waves of red hair in every vibrant hue of the color. A short, sharp intake of breath is all that evidences this topic burns deeper than any other.

But Robin gathers herself together and reminds herself that there are more pressing matters that require her to be lucid and in control of her emotions and expressions. Very important things.

And so she pushes them away.

Someday, maybe, she will have the time for the leisurely sorting of feelings and emotions that others carelessly indulge in.

Today she cannot afford to spare that.

Robin rose with a careful check and body inventory of her current physical state, rolling her shoulders forward and back. Her neck was rolled from side to side and she slid out from beneath the soft sheets and covers and onto the thick rug in front of the bed. She rolled up on tip-toe and then settled down firmly to her heels and began the careful series of stretches, lunges and twists that made her body the weapon it was.

It was always easier and quicker to go about her morning routine when Nami wasn't there.

The redhead usually went about her own routine a bit sloppily and sleepily, but with a few hints of genuine cheerfulness that Robin had never quite been able to ignore and on account of that, had been forced to make different arrangements to keep her workout sessions.

Not that it was something to hide, but a creature of habit remained a creature of habit and for Robin, she would keep this habit so that her personal privacy would be satisfied while leaving her free to consider and take other options. This would include her rare adaptability and her ever-changing fight style. They were the constant changes that continued to shape and taunt her, yet bound by the small thing such as these morning workouts, that would keep her together, even as everything tried to pull her apart.

With deep breaths and an expert flexibility from experience alone, Robin finished and snagged a towel from the end of her bed where she'd placed it the night before. She draped it around her shoulders and tugged at the slightly loose pajama top, fanning herself slightly. She shuffled over to her personal dresser, her feet cat-quiet and picked up the little shower caddy that held her things.

She could spare herself the luxury of a shower today.

A faint smirk played over her lips before she squashed the emotion that came with it and expertly blanked her face from expression and emotion. It would be interesting to see how Nami was doing this morning.

The very obvious absence of her redhead roommate has spoken volumes in the wake of their strange encounter from the previous afternoon.

A/N: And here's another chapter! Whoo hoo! I decided to write this over my lit paper. LOL. I hope y'all enjoy it. I still have a paper to write. I thought it'd be neat to show some of the other crew dynamics here (the sanji and zoro) interaction, so that's why they share this chapter with Robin. We'll get back to Nami in the next one. Thanks for reading!

TheGuzz: Thank you! I thought it fit Nami very well for last chapter. Thanks for reading! ^_^