What's Not To Love

Chapter 26

Sorry for the Long Wait, guys. Senior year is no joke and I still have to make a graduate school portfolio. I'm writing the rest of the chapters though so don't worry. I vow to have this complete soon. 

Sanji held an unlit cigarette between his lips as he looked out at the sea from the crows nest. It was quiet and peaceful. He closed his eyes and tried to let the sound of the waves beneath the boat take away some of his exhaustion. It was hard...the relationship between him and Zoro that is. It was hard to get close, hard to stay away and hard to figure out the right move to make.

The cigarette end tasted bitter in his mouth and he almost gave into the urge of lighting it. Pulling it away from his lips, he sighed. He was starting to understand how Zoro felt when he said that he was tired. Letting his head fall against the windowsill, he continued to contemplate his situation. He had to get Zoro back in...10 days. Sanji opened his eyes and stared across the room. He heard noise on the ladder but ignored it. He lost 2 days so far. 2 precious days out of an estimate of 12. The door to the room open but he remained in the same position. Didn't Nami say that it would be 12 at most? Doesn't that mean there could be even less days than he initially thought?

"Someone's thinking hard," a voice called out not too far.

Sanji turned towards the voice and saw the archaeologist sitting on the couch not too far. He cleared his throat and turned towards her. "What brings you here?" Realizing he doesn't sound like himself, he quickly adds, "Is there anything you need, my sweet Robin?"

Robin let out a soft chuckle. "No, Cook-san. I'm quite alright,"

The two stayed quiet for a moment, letting the sound of the ship clashing against the waves feel the silence. Robin observed Sanji closely, noticing he was paler than usual, but not so much that it registered as sick in her mind. Accompanied with his slightly disheveled hair, she guessed that he was tired. She smiled slightly at this thought.

"Sanji," she waited for the blue eyes to look at her before she continued. "It seems like you have a lot on your mind but you shouldn't overthink things,".

Sanji remained silent as he looked at Robin. She smiled in turn, looking out the window. The sound of a violin floated in through the window and she closed her eyes in response. She could imagine Brook playing near the mikan tree.

Sanji stared at Robin as she got absorbed in Brooks music. He, too, felt the calming feeling that it brought. He opened his mouth, and spoke quietly, as if not to disturbed the melody surrounding him. "What should I do?"

Robin hummed lightly in response to Sanji's question. She kept her eyes closed and spoke back. "Do you know what I like most about Poneglyphs?" She paused for a brief moment, knowing that Sanji kept his full attention on her. "Poneglyphs seem complicated but they actually aren't. Each one tells a different story but they create a larger story in the end."

Sanji stared at Robin, and imagined her looking at each one. When she opened her eyes, he could see a sparkle in her eye.

"But the best part is always finding them. They're never in an easy place but you learn so much on the journey. The journey is what makes the finding that much more beautiful."

Robin remembered all the Poneglyphs she found over the years and smiles softly at Sanji. "What I'm saying is that this isn't going to be easy Sanji. But, I can tell you that if you're patient and hard working, if you truly love Zoro as much as you do, then you'll find the way to his heart. He may not look like it, but he's more complex and complicated than anyone else on this ship. The difference is that he's better at hiding it." She thought back to the different sides of Zoro she saw over the past year. "This past year we've all gotten the chance to see Zoro differently...and you're the one who made him that way."

The seat sunk in next to Robin and she turned to regard the blonde man. She watched as he let out a breath and turned towards her. She stared into the blue eyes warmly and smiled. Reaching over, she grabbed Sanji's arm and squeezed it. "It may seem like a lot now but I promise you that it'll be worth it. I'm saying this because we all care and we're all concerned. All we want is for you two to be happy,"

Sanji swallowed a lump in his throat and shifted his gaze to look behind Robin's head. "Thank you," hie voice came out as a whisper. "Really...thank you. We've been putting you guys in our problems for a while now but no one's been rude about it."

"Of course not," Robin turned to look out the window. "We're family. The least we could do is help out."

Sanji let his eyes fall on Robin's face. He smiled at her in return. "And thank you for the advice,"

Robin relaxed into the couch and continued to stare out the window. Brook had changed to another violin song, creating yet another comforting atmosphere. "Well, Cook-san,"

She closed her eyes and swayed her head to the melody. "If you are thankful, than I suggest you start using these next few days wisely,"

She didn't hear a response but smiled and hummed along to Brooks music as the door to the crows-nest shut in the background.