It's not until much later, after the obligatory victory celebration: the feasting, singing and dancing until all hours, after the boys have collapsed together in a heap of blissful snores and Nami has retired to her room to record Water 7 and the remains of Enies Lobby on her great sea chart that he finds her, silently taking her hand and leading her out onto the balcony. The night sky is alive with starlight, gilding the rooftops in silver, and the moon provides a steady glow over the quiet city. The surf rustles pleasantly, familiar in the distance, and she takes a deep breath, soaking up the peacefulness of it.

Cool hands settle on her shoulders, pressing gently into knots that, until recently, until that moment in the street so long ago (was it really only a few days? A week?) had finally begun to loosen on their own. She sighs, leaning back into the pressure.

"You looked like you needed it," he murmurs, fingers kneading at a particular hard ball of tension. Her mouth turns down in a grimace and she drops her head with a soft groan.

"Thank you, Zoro."

He hums in return, not letting up his ministrations. They're quiet for a moment as he works the kinks out of the back of her neck and shoulders and she rests her hands on the wrought iron railing, deft fingers following the curves and whorls of the craftsmanship. "What are you thinking so hard about?" he asks quietly, and she can feel the curiosity pouring off him, off all of them. They don't know everything yet. They know enough, yes, but not everything, and they wouldn't be them if they didn't want to know. She's caught Nami looking at her with a strange expression on several occasions, like she was expecting to look through a window and found herself staring into a mirror instead. Usopp is slightly less obnoxious around her, toning down the hyperbole whenever he notices her (sometimes too late, but the effort should be acknowledged. She enjoys his stories). Sanji has gone into overdrive, hanging on her every word, practically feeding her all kinds of delicacies. Chopper patched her up after the rescue and her release from the Sea Prism Stone cuffs. He insists staying close by is strictly because he is a doctor and she his patient, but she heard him creep close the night after her rescue, dragging his chair right up to her bedside when he thought she was asleep. She had been tempted to just invite the little reindeer man to come and sleep beside her, but she didn't want to give the poor excitable doctor a coronary.

The only two members of the crew that haven't really changed around her are Luffy and the swordsman (not that back rubs were at all common before, but she isn't complaining). The captain is still the captain, wild boy that he is, and Zoro still broods alone in the corner or naps the sun whenever the feeling takes him and doesn't spare her a glance. Until now. What sparked the change? her scholar's mind wonders, rewinding the last several days since her return to the Straw Hats' crew and trying to find any indication of a change in Zoro's feelings toward her.

"Robin?" She must have been silent too long; his hands still and he gently turns her to face him. His features are washed out by the moonlight, eyes bottomless black pits and hair reduced to a pale grey-green. His hands slide down her arms, as if he's reluctant to stop touching her, and she finds she doesn't mind so much ('at all' would be a better estimation, but she finds her sense of forced detachment dwindling by the heartbeat), so when he reaches her wrists, his fingertips skimming the bandages covering her skin she twists her hands and catches his. Doesn't let go.

"I'm sorry," she says, smiling to reassure him. "I was just thinking."

"About the same stuff, or…?" He leaves the question open, the angle of his head revealing his confusion.

"No, something different. You." she adds without thinking. Her heart thuds a beat faster when his eyes widen in surprise.

"Me?"

"Well, the crew, really, but you were included." She looks down at their joined hands for a moment, taking a breath to calm her skipping pulse, and he follows her gaze.

"Yeah? What about me?" Something in his voice makes her look up and she sees he's stepped closer, into her space, nearly pressing her into the railing. Just a little while ago, she would have snatched her hands away, brought her phantom limbs to life around his arms and legs, his neck, made him cry out in agony as she twisted and crushed and snapped until he was an unrecognizable heap on the ground. She blinks the image away, surprised to find she has to fight down the bile rising in her throat at the thought of hurting him. His brow furrows over gentle eyes when they meet hers, curious.

"What you did…what you all did for me. I couldn't have asked for that," she says, and she feels the crush of emotion rising up in her again like the tide, gripping her throat and stinging her eyes.

"You didn't have to," he replies. "You never have to ask for our help, Robin. That's what we're here for." He frees one hand from her hold and wraps it around her shoulders, gently drawing her closer.

She turns her head into his chest and leans against his solid weight. "Thank you. I feel as if I can't say that enough lately. Thank you."

"Any time, Blue Eyes." She can feel his chuckle as well as hear it, vibrating against her ear with a pleasant hum. They stand for several minutes, silent, simply enjoying the other's presence, until he turns his head down to rest his nose in her soft black hair. She lifts her eyes to his and suddenly they are very close and the air around then seems charged with something greater than mere static electricity and she feels as if she is falling standing still, lost without moving an inch. His gaze wanders her face for a moment, a line forming between his eyebrows, and what does he see? she wonders. A crew mate, a friend, someone he would die for? His palm cradles her cheek, thumb barely grazing her bottom lip and her stomach starts doing gymnastics behind her ribcage, robbing her of breath. She freezes, eyes wide as she watches him. "Ever been kissed before, Nico Robin?" he asks, and the sound of his voice momentarily breaks whatever spell their proximity has cast on her.

She raises a teasing eyebrow. "Have you?"

He smirks, and his fingers have threaded into the hair at the base of her skull, gently coaxing her closer until their noses brush, sending a shiver down her spine. Her hands have shifted, one arm looped around his back, holding him as he holds her, the other settles on his bicep, warm tanned skin smooth under her fingers. She tightens her hold as he continues to lean closer, fingers seizing when their lips finally touch.

It is brief and sweet, their kiss, barely warming her lips before he pulls back to watch her again, eyes searching deeper than ever before. His brow creases in a silent question, and she nods, nods until he kisses her again, firmer; an answer to his own question, and she grips his shirt to keep him there, right there, with her. His arms move again, spanning her back and pressing their fronts together, and yes she has been kissed before, but never quite like this, never like she was something any more than a conquest, a toy to be played with until she was no longer interesting.

Zoro kisses her as if he thinks he'll never see her again, pouring every bit of himself into the contact, making her head spin in a wonderful way. They break, barely long enough to take a breath before they meet again with him slanting his mouth against hers intoxicatingly. His soft groan answers her own, hands roaming around her sides to grip her hips, gentle pressure contrasting the almost frantic crush of his lips to hers.

Her backside meets the railing, cool through the thin fabric of her cotton shorts, and she lets her hands drop from around him to brace and lift herself onto the ledge before reaching for him again and dragging him back to her. He nudges her knees apart to step between them, running his hands up her bare thighs and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Zoro…." she starts, a curl of anxiety sprouting in her stomach; this is getting very serious very fast, and she doesn't want to think he'd hurt her—she knows he won't—but this sort of situation has never ended well for her, ever.

"Hm?" He draws back, lifting one hand to brush dark hair out of her eyes. They stare at each other for a moment, panting lightly from what she can only describe as a make out session like they're a couple of teenagers on a first date. His eyes continue their endless examination of her face until he leans forward to brush her nose with his again, and perhaps it is meant to comfort her, or persuade her to continue; it works, either way. She tightens her hold on his shoulders, pulling him back to place a kiss to the ever present crease between his brows, feeling it ease under her lips. He lifts his chin, kisses along her jaw to draw a shivering sigh out of her before nosing her hair away from her neck.

She starts to lose her balance, clutches at him for a moment before gently pulling away and panting, "Maybe we should…." She nods behind him toward the double doors leading into her room.

The swordsman wraps his arms tighter around her, pressing them together from waist to shoulders. He lets his forehead rest against hers. "I won't let you fall," he whispers.

She leans back as far as his arms will let her; just far enough to focus on his eyes, and smiles a small true, brilliant smile. "I think I already have," she says, and it draws a smile from him too, a smile she traces with soft fingers, exploring the contours of this new expression on his face. She realizes she hasn't seen him do anything other than smirk arrogantly or bare his teeth in a feral display of aggression that, while not totally unattractive, isn't quite the same as this calm, easy, happy smile.

He leans back in, pressing their foreheads together and wrapping his arms around her waist to lift her from the railing. "C'mere," he growls into her neck, spinning them around to face the doors to her room.

Robin's laugh echoes over the rooftops.

Her body is fairly covered in bandages. Two broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured wrist and dislocated shoulder, even a broken tooth put her in the infirmary for two days before she insisted she return to her own room, claiming she missed it. Really she wanted to be away from, or at least able to politely refuse, the semi constant checking up the crew gave her. If it wasn't Sanji bringing her some new recipe or another to try, it was Franky and Usopp (fast friends, surprisingly) wanting to show her a new invention they've been working on. Nami's visit was marginally more enjoyable; the girl brought in several new pieces of clothing for both Robin and herself along with a book she said Chopper said she might like. And Chopper. The poor little reindeer had been (and still is, frankly) running himself ragged trying to help her heal, even as she insists she's fine and just needs the rest and relaxation of a few days of peace and quiet with the crew (they share a chuckle at that. "Peace" and "quiet" aren't words generally used to describe the Straw Hat pirates.)

The doors close behind them as Zoro carries her to the bed, sheets already turned down from where she was preparing to go to bed before he came to find her. He turns again, sits down with her in his lap, kissing her warmly before pulling back slightly to look at her. She can't help but notice how his eyes seem to glow in the light coming through the gauzy curtains. She realizes she's never seen him look so peaceful (even in sleep, the swordsman wears a frown) or content, and she cannot help the thrill that runs through her at the knowledge that she is the one responsible for another's happiness, and that he makes her happy too.

"What?" she breathes after a moment, smiling somewhat nervously at his sudden silence. His hands ghost up and down her sides, over her tank top, but she still has to breathe through the discomfort as he finds first one injured rib then the second.

She must show the pain in her expression, or perhaps he's just that attuned to her, but his brow furrows as he says, "Does that hurt?" and runs his hands up and down again. She bites back a hiss and shakes her head. "Robin," he presses, and she feels his fingers twitch against her side. "Does this hurt?" She cannot meet his eyes as she nods, albeit grudgingly. He lets his arms fall away from her, landing next to his legs on the bed with a muffled thump. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asks, admonishes, and she can tell whatever it was that happened outside on the balcony, it's changed now.

"It's not that bad, Zoro," she replies, reaching down and taking his hands in hers to hold them up between them, giving them a squeeze for reassurance. "It doesn't hurt, really, it's just uncomfortable. Like a bad bruise."

"You have broken bones, Robin," he emphasizes. "I'd say it's a little worse than a bruise."

"You've put up with worse," she shoots back. When did this become an argument over the state of her body?

"I'm used to it," he says, brow settling into what she calls his mule face. "I know when I go into a fight I'm going to come out hurt; it's just part of—"

"What?" Robin interjects, tilting her head to the side. "Part of your job? Take the worst of the injuries just because you're the 'strongest'?" She's starting to feel her initial exasperation at his attitude come rushing back. Stupid, stubborn marimo.

He has the decency to look vaguely chastised. "Well, yeah. I can handle the worst because I can usually dish out the worst."

She sighs. Closing her eyes, she feels him relax beneath her, cool hands tentatively smoothing over her legs.

"Look, Robin…I'm sorry," he says as she opens her eyes. His brow pinches over his stormy eyes as his gaze fixes on the bandages crisscrossing her chest, keeping her injured shoulder properly placed while it heals. "I know you're strong, I know you can take of yourself; I just…. You've been hurt so much already, I don't want you to have to put up with any more pain, and certainly not because of me."

She lifts one hand to card through his short hair, coaxing his face up to meet hers. "Do you think if this hurt, if I didn't want this that we would be here?" She leans in as he does, pressing their foreheads together. His arms come around her hips, cradling her closer as he takes a deep breath filled with the scent of her hair. "I just want to be close to you right now, just for a little while."

He nods, tips her chin up for a short kiss. "I think we should get some sleep, how about you?"

Robin nods with a sigh, leaning more heavily against him. "I'm exhausted," she says with a soft chuckle.

Zoro eases her from his lap, "Then it's definitely time for bed," he says, tugging back the blankets back far enough to slip under them, then catches her hand to draw her close again. "You get comfortable, and then I will, okay?" She hums, lying on her back with her arms folded across her stomach before turning her head to look at him.

"Alright."

He raises an eyebrow, taking in her position. "That's comfortable?"

She smirks, an expression oddly reminiscent of his own. "Not all of us sleep folded in half, swordsman," she teases.

He glares at her for a moment before replying tersely, "I know that, it's just…really?"

She shrugs, ignoring the sting of pain from her shoulder. He grunts warningly. Repressing a sigh, she says, "This is as close as I can get to comfortable right now."

He makes a noise in his throat, not quite a sigh or a hum, but thoughtful as his gaze travels up and back over her form. He sits up suddenly, taking the pillow from beneath his head and maneuvering it beneath the blankets. "Roll over for just a second," he instructs, hand ghosting across her side until she leans her weight onto her left, allowing him to prop her injured right shoulder against the soft pillow. "How's that?" he asks when she returns to her original position.

It's easier to breathe. She doesn't feel the stretching of her aching ribs every time she inhales, only the cushion of the pillow against her side. Her arm can now rest comfortably without her having to hold it across her stomach. She sighs, sinking deeper into the bed, and feels her eyes grow heavy. "Much better," she replies in a low murmur.

"Good," he rolls onto his side next to her, reaching across her body to grasp her left wrist gently. "Good night, Robin. Sleep well." He kisses her temple and settles his head next to hers on her pillow.

She turns her head to face him, close enough to brush his nose with hers. "Thank you, Zoro," she breathes, and falls deep into sleep.

A/N: I am really proud of this, for several reasons. 1) It's one of the longest pieces I've ever written, and written well (I think, anyway. We'll see); 2) I don't usually write kissing any more than pecks or affection between parents and children, so for this to go as far as it went feels like quite an achievement. That being said, don't expect much more in that particular field; 3) I really like the ZoroxRobin ship (obviously, right?) because they complement each other really well. Both tend to be reserved, but Robin keeps her temper better than he does, but he definitely doesn't mind having fun, while she'd rather sit back and read (I'm totally with her there). And, you know, they're complete badasses when it comes to fighting. I think Robin's abilities and fighting style are my favorite. Anyway, enough about my opinions, I want to hear yours! Let me know what you think, good or bad, and maybe you'll see more you like later! Thanks for reading!