Zoro x Robin: The Stuff of Legends

Chapter 12

Venus finally sat on the other futon, crossing her legs at the knee and propping her chin in the cup of her hand daintily. "He's counting on you?"

I suddenly found interest in my sandal-ed feet. 

"He's saved me countless times before, sometimes without his knowing. The first time we had just met, he didn't fall for my usual methods of bribery, teaching me not everyone is vulnerable."

 I hugged my arms, my vulnerability suddenly exposed to the love goddess. "I can still feel his strong arm around my shoulders as he caught me, just before i fell. He didn't have to do that, i had only just joined the crew, he had no obligation at all, so why? was i so quickly a part of this family?"

My eyelids slid closed. "I thought i was wrong to think i had already assimilated into the Straw hats when Foxy chose me to be a part of his crew. I heard him say he knew i would betray them eventually. It hurt me, it wasn't my fault i had been chosen. Granted i had planned on leaving them someday, but not like that. So i was surprised when i was welcomed back into the crew after Foxy's defeat, albeit my apparent eagerness to change my alliance again."

"I had convinced myself by that time that Zoro would never really accept me into the group. And at first i was okay with that. But as our journey went on i found myself craving his company and attention. I started pulling all nighters so i could read while he trained, and i engaged him in light conversation whenever the urge struck me, which was often."

"Everything i had built while travelling with the Straw hats crashed down when Aokiji appeared." My fingers tightened around myself. 

"I knew immediately we were all in danger. The appearance of any admiral means trouble, but to me Aokiji was the worst of them all. I didn't dare let down my guard. And i was right, he attacked us, well i attacked first, and i was sure i was going to die."

 A light smile appeared on my face. "But Zoro, he saved me, again. I could read his body language like the runes on a Poneglyph, he was angry, like a tiger ready to pounce, but why? did this mean that he finally trusted me? that he sees me as one of his crew mates? I didn't know. But he had stopped Aokiji's attack. No one like that had protected me before, and there he was, doing it for the second time in a row."

 A tear slipped from my eye and carved a shining path down my cheek. "That i think is when i realized..."

"That you loved him." Venus finished my sentence for me.

I dipped my head. "Yes, but i didn't tell him. Why should i? They were my feelings, he would reject them anyway, Zoro wasn't that kind of person to fall into a romantic relationship with anyone, much less me."

"What else?" Venus pressed.

"Enies Lobby happened," i whispered. "I should have known that after appearance of Admiral Aokiji, but i had let down my guard. I had no choice but to betray them. It was for their sake, and for his. Seeing him, Luffy, Chopper and Nami burst into Iceburg's room to take me back, it took all my willpower to appear uncaring. In all honesty, i wanted to go with them, but they didn't know the danger i posed to their safety. Why wouldn't they just leave me be? I surrendered to CP9 so that the Straw hats be allowed full pardon. I didn't need saving, i only wanted to die, that was my destiny. I was the Devil's child, shunned all my life only for being a survivor of the infamous island. It was a painful twenty years, hunted by the government, finding no place to live for fear of betrayal, scavenging for food. The government had caught up to me one day, like i knew they would, but not like this. I was going to die soon, and i accepted that fact. My only consolation was that Zoro and the others would survive."

"I wanted nothing more than to die. To forget and dissolve all weakness like love, friendship and family into darkness. They called me the demon child and for a good reason. I was the lowest of low, the hated. Death was my constant companion, and i had resolved myself that i would soon become it's. But the Straw hats..."