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rainsometimesReposting the Chocolate Box Exchange treat I wrote for prpl_pen here on Dreamwidth! I wanted to stretch my wings, and prpl_pen's request made me try my hand at a pairing I hadn't thought of writing before. It was very fun! ♥
Many thanks totonko for providing excellent beta: any remaining errors are my responsibility alone. Nitpicks and other concrit is very welcome, as is feedback in general.
Title: The Desert Blooms Flowers After The Rain
Pairing: Robin/Vivi
Spoilers/setting: Set post-timeskip at some future point where Vivi is reunited with the Strawhats. Spoilers for the Dressrosa arc and earlier arcs, but not for any later ones.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The reunion between Vivi and the Strawhats also brings two former enemies face to face again, and Robin gets more than she bargained for.
DISCLAIMER: The characters of One Piece are owned by their creator Eiichiro Oda. They are used here without permission. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only and may not be used for profit. It should not be posted elsewhere without the writer's approval, especially not on any site with ad revenue.
It was not long after breakfast when Robin pushed open the door to the innhouse, stopped by the counter to order a cup of coffee, then walked over to the farthest, most secluded corner. The inn’s owner was a sympathizer of the Revolutionary Army and an Alabastan as well, but that only took you so far: she was certain the other person would have opted for extra prudence.
"Nami told me you wanted to talk to me," she said smoothly, taking the seat opposite the blue-haired girl. "I hope you didn’t have to wait too long."
Nefertari Vivi looked up with a bright smile, the smile of a diplomat or a saleswoman rather than that of a friend, which of course was not surprising. She was dressed sensibly in a blue cardigan, green shawl, and grey trousers. Unlike some people of her social class that Robin had observed when trying to stay incognito, she didn’t make the mistake of overdoing the modesty and looking memorably underdressed; people who’d had lived their whole lives wearing well-fitting bespoke clothes of high quality simply moved differently when they tried to disguise themselves. But Vivi looked natural. Just a pretty young woman of the town.
More natural than she’d ever looked as a bounty hunter in Baroque Works, in fact. Not that the Baroque Works had ever been about not standing out...
"I’m glad you could take the time!" said Vivi. "I figured you would probably get very busy again soon.I might, too."
Robin nodded. The circumstances of Vivi’s reunion with Luffy and the others had indeed been chaotic, fraught with danger and adventure; a danger that was likely to continue on today. But her appearance yesterday had helped buy them some respite while their strongest fighters were still injured.
Vivi looked noticeably more mature than the last time Robin – Ms. Allsunday, as she had been then – had seen her, under rather less than ideal circumstances. Her brown eyes seemed to have acquired a new sharpness. But there were no hard lines in her face, nor any hostility in her expression.
There was a part of Robin who wanted to tell Vivi as much, to make it a deliberately flirty compliment (perhaps with a morbid twist or two), all the better to fluster the princess with. But no. She’d decided to be on her very best behavior for this.
She took a sip of her black coffee and smiled, putting her head to the side invitingly. "You are welcome to ask me whatever you like. I suppose you must have been surprised when you found out I’m with the Strawhats now."
Vivi nodded, stirring her cup of tea with a spoon. There was a half-eaten croissant in front of her. "I was shocked for a moment or two," she admitted. "But I thought it over. And I trust Luffy. I trust him to see the value in people and to bring out the best in them. Until their bond grows strong enough to rock countries."
"Or to declare war on the World Government." Robin put down her coffee and enlaced her fingers together. "You could say it’s been a learning experience for me as well," she added, voice suffused with understatement.
Vivi’s eyes widened and she smiled more genuinely. "I bet it has! But anyway," she went on, taking a bite of the croissant between her words, "I didn’t intend to cross-examine you to test your worthiness as a comrade to my friends. Like I said, I trust Luffy."
"I see." Robin paused, gathering her thoughts. "I don’t think anyone would fault you if you had taken that course. You know…" she said impulsively, thinking Nefertari Vivi had every right to a spontaneous reply, "back when I first joined the crew… well, I say ‘joined’, but I was really only boarding the ship at first, you could say I didn’t know what I was in for… back then, I actually found myself annoyed that they all seemed to trust me so easily. Only Zoro kept up his suspicions for more than a day. And as soon as we had fought the same enemy together, he dropped his objections, too… They’re a strange crew. I think... I don’t think I wanted to be trusted that much, in those days."
"Why?" asked Vivi frankly, wiping her mouth free of crumbs after having finished the croissant.
"Hmm…" Robin drank more of her coffee to hide her slight embarrassment. "Let’s say I thought that would make it hurt all the more in the end. So I would need to make sure to leave them before they could leave me, I thought."
"Ah. I bet Luffy didn’t take that well," said Vivi, not even bothering to hide her smile.
Robin shook her head. "He did not. And now I have become someone more willing to honour and be grateful for trust, when encountered." She made an acknowledging gesture in Vivi’s direction. "You honour me."
"I told you, it’s not so much you I trust as Luffy," said Vivi, her tone sharper now. Then she sighed and sat back. "But anyway. That’s not the reason I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to thank you."
It was Robin’s turn to widen her eyes. She stared for a long moment at the princess, honestly lost for words. "Thank… me?" she finally managed. She licked her lips. "Why?"
Vivi put her empty cup of tea and plate to the side and sat straight, her hands resting on top of each other on the table. "First for myself and my friends. You did attack me and others, and of course you assisted Crocodile. But knowing you saw us already at Whiskey Peak, and what he seemed to know about us later… you clearly didn’t tell him everything. And that omission made it possible for us to go on to survive and later win."
Robin shrugged noncommittally, but didn’t interrupt.
"Those things also mean I need to thank you as a citizen of Alabasta," Vivi continued. "And you turned against your leader at the very end. You were prepared for him trying to kill you. You didn’t go down easily."
At that, Robin snorted. "That’s just common sense, with someone like that."
"And as a friend of Luffy, I need to thank you for handing him the antidote." Vivi’s voice was more quiet now.
"He did save me," said Robin, also in a lower tone, remembering those final moments in the underground tomb, collapsing all around them, when she had been ready to die. As she wouldn’t become again until Water 7. As she never had been again, since Enies Lobby.
"Finally," said Vivi, "I need to also thank you as a member of the royal line of Alabasta. As one who will keep protecting our poneglyph, even as it now lays buried even more deeply than before. You didn’t tell Crocodile what was written on it." There was, in fact, a regal bearing to her shoulders right now, and the light over her face in that moment did make Robin think of a duty going back centuries, bearing down on her.
"That, too, was just for my own reasons. Miss Vivi" – that seemed the better mode of address; a "your highness" from her would surely be taken as mockery – "I can’t help but think that your gratitude, while broadminded, is somewhat misplaced." She drew a hand through her hair, contemplating the young ruler-in-training facing her. Her eyes had so much fire in them… "After all. I was the second-in-command of the man responsible for the hardships of five years of your country. I joined him for my own reasons, connected to your poneglyph. But while I didn’t share all I knew with him and sometimes acted against him, there were so many other times when I did exactly what he asked me to. It’s possible he would still have been able to do all those things with someone else taking my position. But it’s certainly not a given…"
Robin trailed off, as Vivi had raised her eyebrows and was looking at her incredulously, as if she had said something ridiculously obvious.
"Well, of course," she said. "I know that, and you know I know that. That hasn’t anything to do with the rest of it."
"But…"
"I have said what I wanted to say," Vivi interrupted. "Sorry, but I need to check in with Karoo and attend to some other urgent business. Please tell the rest of the crew I’ll hope to see them tonight at our rendez-vous. Good luck to all of you!"
And she was gone, having left enough belli on the table to pay for them both and a healthy tip besides.
Robin sighed and finished up her coffee, sitting by herself for a few more minutes and contemplating the town outside in the morning sun. The faint perfume Vivi had left behind her still lingered, bringing the scent of the desert and oases to mind, and the wide Sandora River.
***
"It went well with Vivi, didn’t it?" said Nami a few hours later, as they’d paused on a roof in order to catch their breaths from running. She wiped some dust and chimney soot from her hands and gave Robin a bright grin.
"I think so," said Robin tentatively, shadowing her eyes against the midday sun, calculating the best route for where she assumed Zoro and Usopp were right now while also thinking back to this morning’s meeting. "She was always strong and determined, and wise for her age. She’s grown even stronger and smarter these past two years."
"Right," nodded Nami, twirling her current ClimaTact. "Stronger and wiser… and wilder."
"Wilder?" said Robin, raising an eyebrow.
"Cooped up in the palace with her responsibilities. She’s been so ready to cut loose and go wild, even for just one moment." Nami tied up her long hair, then pointed forward. "All right, I can run again. We should head north-west towards the big square. Let’s go!"
Shaking irrelevant thoughts out of her head, Robin followed her navigator.
***
Two hours later, she had hundreds of hands full, fighting in a huge courtyard while the ground trembled under her feet. She bit her lip and frowned in concentration, trying to keep bitterness away. Despite all their strength and their present allies, there was no denying the enemy had planned their defence well, and had formidable forces of their own. Her team had to reach the gates at the other side and enter them in less than thirty minutes, or things would get very hot around the ears for Chopper and Sanji. But…
A sudden explosion at the outer wall, and then a cart appeared, propelled by what she couldn’t say. The action nearby slowed down, fighters on both sides unsure if this was reinforcement for them or for the enemy. Robin ducked behind a pillar and held her breath – only to let it out at the unexpected sight of several men and women she knew from the Revolutionary Army.
"Koala!" she cried out, running towards them. "How did you get here? I didn’t even know you were on the island!"
"Oh, good, Robin, you’re here!" Koala waved and jumped down on the ground, dispatching three enemy soldiers with Fishman Karate so the two could meet up. "And we weren’t, until two hours ago! We were contacted this morning with an interesting request for an alliance and back-up, and decided to take it on!" She looked around and cracked her knuckles. "Where are you heading, Robin?"
"To the gates right there!" Robin pointed - wait, wasn’t that Vivi’s giant duck Karoo who just ran past, with a "QUACK!" for a battle-cry? There could hardly be more than one Super Spot-Billed Duck on the island, could there? She shook that off as she incapacitated twenty soldiers charging them. "What kind of interesting request?"
Koala gestured for her own team to follow, then grinned back at Robin as the two of them started to run side by side. "Unusually for us, it was a royal request! By a most charming young lady! But that’s a secret~!"
Robin gave Koala a stern look after her first surprise had passed. "It had better stay a secret. We’re talking global politics here, and Luffy isn’t interested in that."
Koala shrugged, one of those "it is what it is, what can you do in this troubled world? and we’re here to change it, aren’t we?" shrugs; and Robin sighed just a little, but then couldn’t help but smile.
***
In the throes of a new battle about one hour later, leaning back against the wall inside a grand ballroom, Robin turned her head to see a huge stone statue come flying across the room from where a warrior had hurled it. Whether by design or accident, it was heading for Nefertari Vivi, who was locked in her own battle with a knife-throwing maniac and would not notice the imminent danger. Robin had no time to call out or even to yank Vivi away - only just about time enough to combine many hands into a big one shooting out from the floor and catching the bits in time.
She wiped sweat from her brow as Vivi trussed up her opponent and sent him careening into Franky’s giant fist. Robin was free to focus on the rest of the room, but she couldn’t see anyone who urgently needed help anymore. It actually seemed like the present Strawhats and their allies had it well in hand right now.
An arm helped her steady herself, and Robin looked up to see Vivi there. The scent from this morning was back, overlaid by sweat and battle dust and adrenaline. It was not an unpleasant mixture. Robin wiped her face and accepted the flask of water that the girl held out to her with a nod.
"Thank you," she said, drinking and giving it back.
"Thank you for shielding me," said Vivi simply. She went on to help out in another part of the room before Robin could answer.
***
The victory party started at sundown. Together with the Strawhats and allies, the ordinary inhabitants of the city threw caution to the winds and celebrated loud and long, with the greatest feast in the liberated castle. The exquisite castle gardens had thrown their gates open to the public, who had decorated it with colourful lanterns and banderolles. Tables of refreshments stood here and there, and at the centre an impromptu band led by Brook played songs from near and far; fast and slow ones, old and new, poetical and bawdy. But all of them made people dance.
Robin wasn’t really a dancer, but this time she allowed Nami and Usopp to twirl her around just a little, for one song only. Then she slipped away and sat back in the shadows, satisfied - and so were they, even looking a bit smug that she’d humoured them this one time. She pondered some pranks to play on them in return for that, but the fine wine had gone to her head and she decided to let it be for now. Instead she went for a slow walk through the gardens to clear her head, stopping by the bank of a small stream. A lantern was shining, and stars were glittering in the sky. It was a clear but moonless night. The princess was sitting on a stone next to the rushing water.
"So pretty, isnt it?" Vivi turned her head and looked up at Robin. "The desert really is in my bones, Miss Robin. I’ll never get tired of the sound of swiftly running water like this, clear and fresh. It’s so…" she struggled to find a word, and Robin saw she too had brought a glass of wine with her. "...Miraculous."
"Here, it’s just natural," said Robin. "The weight of history, on the other hand, of ruins and ancient scripts… That’s wondrous to these people. They’ve only lived here for four generations, at most. Not too long ago, there were no humans here at all. Or other sapient races." She sat down on the rock next to Vivi. It seemed impolite to pick a rock further away from there and from the lantern’s light, where Vivi might not even see her face.
She breathed in the scents of the garden, and of Vivi, feeling lightheaded and easy at heart. It might not be just the wine, nor just the exhaustion and relief from fighting and winning. To some surprise, Robin realized there had been a particular ease in her heart since this morning - an old weight that had grown lighter after their conversation.
"You have a lovely perfume," she said, right out into the night.
"You think so?" In the corner of her eye, Robin saw Vivi turn towards her with those large brown eyes, but she didn’t look back yet. "You know, I don’t believe I’m wearing any perfume today," the girl pondered. "I can’t recall putting one on." She sniffed her own bare arm: she was wearing a short-sleeved dress. "Nope."
"That’s nonsense," said Robin, frowning now. "I felt it this morning." She managed to keep from saying, I’ve felt it since this morning. "And now, too."
"You’re mistaken. It’s just soap."
"Then you use some very nice soap," declared Robin, a little haughtily. It was unlike her, she knew, but the mix-up annoyed her. It had to be the wine making her cheeks feel hot.
Lowering her voice and schooling her tone again, she said, "You’ve been very rash today. The assistance was appreciated, but the consequences could be dire. That group won’t betray your confidence, but… it may all come out into the open all the same. The World Government has many ears and eyes."
"We are living in truly tumultuous times," said Vivi slowly. She was dipping her toe into the water, then drew it out; then back again, her sandal lying on the chiselled sand. "My father thinks so as well. The days when we all had to kowtow to the World Government… Well. Either they soon will be gone for good, or they will come back so much harsher and worse than before, it will be hell to endure it. If it comes down to that kind of stark choice, my people would rather throw their lot in with the forces of freedom."
Robin was quiet for a moment, acknowledging that. "Those are fine words," she murmured. She looked into the water, dark where the lantern’s weak light didn’t reach it. "Reality may turn terrible indeed... But I’m not saying you’re wrong."
At that moment, Vivi hiccuped. She blushed as Robin looked over at her. "Sorry- hic- about that. Hic." She hiccuped three more times, then mercifully stopped. "I might be a little bit drunk, Miss Robin," she said, shifting position on the rock. She was even closer to Robin now. "You smell very nice, too. Sophisticated. You always did."
"I… I did?" That shouldn’t be too surprising; Robin knew she did tend to leave that kind of impression; in fact, she cultivated it. Yet now her mouth felt dry. She cleared her throat. "You are pretty sophisticated yourself, Miss Vivi." This time, she fancied the unsaid Your Highness hovered in the air between them.
Vivi chuckled. "Not really." She bowed down her head, took another sip from her glass, raised her head up to look at the stars. She hummed a little. "I want to go there again," she said, almost to herself it seemed. "To the sea of adventures. I want to see the kind of world where people can do that. Many people. Maybe they won’t even be called pirates then anymore - but they will follow the same kind of dreams…"
"I want to see that, too," said Robin. "And a world where everyone can read and study what they want. Laws won’t stop them, nor poverty. The truth can be told openly, not suppressed by the deaths of tens of thousands or more…"
Again she felt Vivi’s gaze on her. The other woman moved even closer now, her hand right next to Robin’s, but not touching it. She said, "I thought you’d tell me I was being naive. And that these things are easy for me to say… dreaming of being a pirate again, an adventurer again, when I don’t have to. I’ve always had a country to belong to. To return to."
Robin shook her head. "No, not naive" she said slowly, thoughtfully. "As a child, I claimed the kingdom of books and history and the mystery of hidden things for myself. You could say it was my birthright. As the capital of that kingdom was burnt down, I had the choice to renounce it or not as I fled - and I chose to still claim it, carrying it wherever I went, even if only invisibly."
This time she turned to look at Vivi directly. "When your kingdom was in danger, when you left for an undercover mission to find the true culprit, you also had the choice to abandon it and lead your life as someone else, in another country... You chose not to do so, either, but to complete your mission and return home. Should you seek out adventures again one day, I think you'd always carry Alabasta with you, wherever you sat your foot." Not because she was royal, not because of her upbringing. But because Vivi was the opposite of faithless. And stubborn enough to be a pirate.
Vivi breathed out, slowly. "You know," she said, "when I learned you had become part of the crew… it’s true I was surprised. But I was also relieved."
Robin frowned in puzzlement, but said nothing. She finished her glass of wine and waited for Vivi to continue.
Vivi put her hand over Robin’s, her cheeks growing pinker again. "'So Luffy’s come to trust her', I thought. 'Nami and Tony and Mr Bushido and Usopp and Sanji all trust her. They must know who she really is, after all. So that means, I thought… so that means, she is not someone I need to fear, or to hate.'" She spread her other hand over her heart. "I was so glad for that."
"You shouldn’t… I mean, that’s not…" Robin tried to collect her thoughts, but they seemed to be running away from her, slipping into the stream by her feet. All she could think of right now was the nearness of Vivi’s head and the unearthly shimmer and beautiful summery smell of her hair.
"Can I kiss you, Miss Robin?"
Robin couldn’t have heard her correctly. "What? What did you-" She moved her head towards her, and Vivi moved her hand to the back of Robin’s head, tugging her down gently.
"Like this," said Vivi, kissing her softly, lips only slightly open. She sat back without removing her hand. Her face was red, and she laughed a little nervously, but didn’t pull away.
Robin raised her free hand to her own lips, touching them very gently, breathing in Vivi’s taste. "By all means," she said wondrously. "I think you are a little drunk, dear princess. But I can’t say I mind." In truth, Vivi did not seem all that drunk, only tipsy; but Robin felt compelled to give her an excuse to reconsider her impulse.
"It was something I wanted to do," said Vivi. She kicked off her other sandal, and was splashing both feet in the water now. "Like a. Like a claim. On the best historian. Alabasta would like to sponsor the best historian."
"Alabasta probably shouldn’t sponsor the most outlawed and wanted historian and archaeologist on the planet," said Robin. Her own head was spinning. She should be sensible and remove her hand from Vivi’s, and then take her leave - Wait. No. What was she thinking?
You’re a pirate. You are part of one of the most infamous pirate crews in the world right now, celebrating a victory, flush with plum wine. She’s a part of that crew in spirit. She wants to cut loose and be wild if she can.
Now is not the time to be sensible.
She turned towards Vivi again, and Vivi raised both arms and put them around her. "Maybe Alabasta shouldn’t," Vivi admitted. "but I still wanted to do that at least once. I used to find you so intimidating, back then… and for a while I hated you, but more, I wanted to figure out what you were like…" She leaned forward again: now Robin’s lips met hers, and she drew a hand through Vivi’s hair. "The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And then I was relieved… So I wanted that kiss, now. Still the most beautiful. The most gorgeous archaeologist in the world" -- her tongue stumbled a bit on the long word, tipsy as she was -- "And it’s so very nice not to be afraid of you."
"I don’t know what to say," murmured Robin, unusually lost for words. She kissed Vivi on the cheek, on her neck; she took one of her hands and pressed it to her lips. To call her the most adorable pirate princess I know felt patronizing; the most gorgeous undercover bounty hunter also didn’t sit right. Forced. Not like this - improbable, miraculous; even, as Nami would have said, wild - but still oddly easy and natural. The strong warm hands of the desert felt so right on her shoulder and her back. This was a woman who didn’t flinch before the fate of millions - yet she would bear the pain of all of them if she had to, in her steadfast, all-embracing heart. And Robin found she wanted to drink in her strength and desert air; wanted to immerse herself in that deep oasis.
"You honour me terribly," she whispered; Vivi nudged herself all the way up in Robin’s lap now, and Robin helped her find a good position. "If you really want me, I’m here. My crewmate." Vivi tugged her even closer and kissed her again; Robin returned it properly this time, not breaking away until she really had to. Her head was a little dizzy with wine and more dizzy with Vivi. "And about that claim - I’ll. I’ll think about it."
"Good," whispered Vivi, somehow sounding gentle and fierce at the same time. "The world will change. I know it will."
Robin took a long, deep breath: a shiver leapt down her back as Vivi trailed a finger there, from the top of her shoulder-blade and down. All her fine words had fled. She buried her face in Vivi’s hair for a moment. Then she cupped the other woman’s chin, and kissed her firmly. "It better," was all she could manage. "Ahh," she breathed out, "so lovely. What a lovely crewmate I found here." And now she could smile, genuinely, honestly. "The long way around."
Vivi only nodded, her eyes looking softer than usual in the light from the lantern. She bent forward for another kiss, tucked a strand of hair behind Robin's ear. "It’s all right," she murmured, one hand still on her shoulder, the other moving slowly up and down her back, not rushing it. "I think we have until dawn."
prpl_pen here on Dreamwidth! I wanted to stretch my wings, and prpl_pen's request made me try my hand at a pairing I hadn't thought of writing before. It was very fun! ♥ Many thanks to
tonko for providing excellent beta: any remaining errors are my responsibility alone. Nitpicks and other concrit is very welcome, as is feedback in general.Title: The Desert Blooms Flowers After The Rain
Pairing: Robin/Vivi
Spoilers/setting: Set post-timeskip at some future point where Vivi is reunited with the Strawhats. Spoilers for the Dressrosa arc and earlier arcs, but not for any later ones.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The reunion between Vivi and the Strawhats also brings two former enemies face to face again, and Robin gets more than she bargained for.
DISCLAIMER: The characters of One Piece are owned by their creator Eiichiro Oda. They are used here without permission. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only and may not be used for profit. It should not be posted elsewhere without the writer's approval, especially not on any site with ad revenue.
It was not long after breakfast when Robin pushed open the door to the innhouse, stopped by the counter to order a cup of coffee, then walked over to the farthest, most secluded corner. The inn’s owner was a sympathizer of the Revolutionary Army and an Alabastan as well, but that only took you so far: she was certain the other person would have opted for extra prudence.
"Nami told me you wanted to talk to me," she said smoothly, taking the seat opposite the blue-haired girl. "I hope you didn’t have to wait too long."
Nefertari Vivi looked up with a bright smile, the smile of a diplomat or a saleswoman rather than that of a friend, which of course was not surprising. She was dressed sensibly in a blue cardigan, green shawl, and grey trousers. Unlike some people of her social class that Robin had observed when trying to stay incognito, she didn’t make the mistake of overdoing the modesty and looking memorably underdressed; people who’d had lived their whole lives wearing well-fitting bespoke clothes of high quality simply moved differently when they tried to disguise themselves. But Vivi looked natural. Just a pretty young woman of the town.
More natural than she’d ever looked as a bounty hunter in Baroque Works, in fact. Not that the Baroque Works had ever been about not standing out...
"I’m glad you could take the time!" said Vivi. "I figured you would probably get very busy again soon.I might, too."
Robin nodded. The circumstances of Vivi’s reunion with Luffy and the others had indeed been chaotic, fraught with danger and adventure; a danger that was likely to continue on today. But her appearance yesterday had helped buy them some respite while their strongest fighters were still injured.
Vivi looked noticeably more mature than the last time Robin – Ms. Allsunday, as she had been then – had seen her, under rather less than ideal circumstances. Her brown eyes seemed to have acquired a new sharpness. But there were no hard lines in her face, nor any hostility in her expression.
There was a part of Robin who wanted to tell Vivi as much, to make it a deliberately flirty compliment (perhaps with a morbid twist or two), all the better to fluster the princess with. But no. She’d decided to be on her very best behavior for this.
She took a sip of her black coffee and smiled, putting her head to the side invitingly. "You are welcome to ask me whatever you like. I suppose you must have been surprised when you found out I’m with the Strawhats now."
Vivi nodded, stirring her cup of tea with a spoon. There was a half-eaten croissant in front of her. "I was shocked for a moment or two," she admitted. "But I thought it over. And I trust Luffy. I trust him to see the value in people and to bring out the best in them. Until their bond grows strong enough to rock countries."
"Or to declare war on the World Government." Robin put down her coffee and enlaced her fingers together. "You could say it’s been a learning experience for me as well," she added, voice suffused with understatement.
Vivi’s eyes widened and she smiled more genuinely. "I bet it has! But anyway," she went on, taking a bite of the croissant between her words, "I didn’t intend to cross-examine you to test your worthiness as a comrade to my friends. Like I said, I trust Luffy."
"I see." Robin paused, gathering her thoughts. "I don’t think anyone would fault you if you had taken that course. You know…" she said impulsively, thinking Nefertari Vivi had every right to a spontaneous reply, "back when I first joined the crew… well, I say ‘joined’, but I was really only boarding the ship at first, you could say I didn’t know what I was in for… back then, I actually found myself annoyed that they all seemed to trust me so easily. Only Zoro kept up his suspicions for more than a day. And as soon as we had fought the same enemy together, he dropped his objections, too… They’re a strange crew. I think... I don’t think I wanted to be trusted that much, in those days."
"Why?" asked Vivi frankly, wiping her mouth free of crumbs after having finished the croissant.
"Hmm…" Robin drank more of her coffee to hide her slight embarrassment. "Let’s say I thought that would make it hurt all the more in the end. So I would need to make sure to leave them before they could leave me, I thought."
"Ah. I bet Luffy didn’t take that well," said Vivi, not even bothering to hide her smile.
Robin shook her head. "He did not. And now I have become someone more willing to honour and be grateful for trust, when encountered." She made an acknowledging gesture in Vivi’s direction. "You honour me."
"I told you, it’s not so much you I trust as Luffy," said Vivi, her tone sharper now. Then she sighed and sat back. "But anyway. That’s not the reason I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to thank you."
It was Robin’s turn to widen her eyes. She stared for a long moment at the princess, honestly lost for words. "Thank… me?" she finally managed. She licked her lips. "Why?"
Vivi put her empty cup of tea and plate to the side and sat straight, her hands resting on top of each other on the table. "First for myself and my friends. You did attack me and others, and of course you assisted Crocodile. But knowing you saw us already at Whiskey Peak, and what he seemed to know about us later… you clearly didn’t tell him everything. And that omission made it possible for us to go on to survive and later win."
Robin shrugged noncommittally, but didn’t interrupt.
"Those things also mean I need to thank you as a citizen of Alabasta," Vivi continued. "And you turned against your leader at the very end. You were prepared for him trying to kill you. You didn’t go down easily."
At that, Robin snorted. "That’s just common sense, with someone like that."
"And as a friend of Luffy, I need to thank you for handing him the antidote." Vivi’s voice was more quiet now.
"He did save me," said Robin, also in a lower tone, remembering those final moments in the underground tomb, collapsing all around them, when she had been ready to die. As she wouldn’t become again until Water 7. As she never had been again, since Enies Lobby.
"Finally," said Vivi, "I need to also thank you as a member of the royal line of Alabasta. As one who will keep protecting our poneglyph, even as it now lays buried even more deeply than before. You didn’t tell Crocodile what was written on it." There was, in fact, a regal bearing to her shoulders right now, and the light over her face in that moment did make Robin think of a duty going back centuries, bearing down on her.
"That, too, was just for my own reasons. Miss Vivi" – that seemed the better mode of address; a "your highness" from her would surely be taken as mockery – "I can’t help but think that your gratitude, while broadminded, is somewhat misplaced." She drew a hand through her hair, contemplating the young ruler-in-training facing her. Her eyes had so much fire in them… "After all. I was the second-in-command of the man responsible for the hardships of five years of your country. I joined him for my own reasons, connected to your poneglyph. But while I didn’t share all I knew with him and sometimes acted against him, there were so many other times when I did exactly what he asked me to. It’s possible he would still have been able to do all those things with someone else taking my position. But it’s certainly not a given…"
Robin trailed off, as Vivi had raised her eyebrows and was looking at her incredulously, as if she had said something ridiculously obvious.
"Well, of course," she said. "I know that, and you know I know that. That hasn’t anything to do with the rest of it."
"But…"
"I have said what I wanted to say," Vivi interrupted. "Sorry, but I need to check in with Karoo and attend to some other urgent business. Please tell the rest of the crew I’ll hope to see them tonight at our rendez-vous. Good luck to all of you!"
And she was gone, having left enough belli on the table to pay for them both and a healthy tip besides.
Robin sighed and finished up her coffee, sitting by herself for a few more minutes and contemplating the town outside in the morning sun. The faint perfume Vivi had left behind her still lingered, bringing the scent of the desert and oases to mind, and the wide Sandora River.
***
"It went well with Vivi, didn’t it?" said Nami a few hours later, as they’d paused on a roof in order to catch their breaths from running. She wiped some dust and chimney soot from her hands and gave Robin a bright grin.
"I think so," said Robin tentatively, shadowing her eyes against the midday sun, calculating the best route for where she assumed Zoro and Usopp were right now while also thinking back to this morning’s meeting. "She was always strong and determined, and wise for her age. She’s grown even stronger and smarter these past two years."
"Right," nodded Nami, twirling her current ClimaTact. "Stronger and wiser… and wilder."
"Wilder?" said Robin, raising an eyebrow.
"Cooped up in the palace with her responsibilities. She’s been so ready to cut loose and go wild, even for just one moment." Nami tied up her long hair, then pointed forward. "All right, I can run again. We should head north-west towards the big square. Let’s go!"
Shaking irrelevant thoughts out of her head, Robin followed her navigator.
***
Two hours later, she had hundreds of hands full, fighting in a huge courtyard while the ground trembled under her feet. She bit her lip and frowned in concentration, trying to keep bitterness away. Despite all their strength and their present allies, there was no denying the enemy had planned their defence well, and had formidable forces of their own. Her team had to reach the gates at the other side and enter them in less than thirty minutes, or things would get very hot around the ears for Chopper and Sanji. But…
A sudden explosion at the outer wall, and then a cart appeared, propelled by what she couldn’t say. The action nearby slowed down, fighters on both sides unsure if this was reinforcement for them or for the enemy. Robin ducked behind a pillar and held her breath – only to let it out at the unexpected sight of several men and women she knew from the Revolutionary Army.
"Koala!" she cried out, running towards them. "How did you get here? I didn’t even know you were on the island!"
"Oh, good, Robin, you’re here!" Koala waved and jumped down on the ground, dispatching three enemy soldiers with Fishman Karate so the two could meet up. "And we weren’t, until two hours ago! We were contacted this morning with an interesting request for an alliance and back-up, and decided to take it on!" She looked around and cracked her knuckles. "Where are you heading, Robin?"
"To the gates right there!" Robin pointed - wait, wasn’t that Vivi’s giant duck Karoo who just ran past, with a "QUACK!" for a battle-cry? There could hardly be more than one Super Spot-Billed Duck on the island, could there? She shook that off as she incapacitated twenty soldiers charging them. "What kind of interesting request?"
Koala gestured for her own team to follow, then grinned back at Robin as the two of them started to run side by side. "Unusually for us, it was a royal request! By a most charming young lady! But that’s a secret~!"
Robin gave Koala a stern look after her first surprise had passed. "It had better stay a secret. We’re talking global politics here, and Luffy isn’t interested in that."
Koala shrugged, one of those "it is what it is, what can you do in this troubled world? and we’re here to change it, aren’t we?" shrugs; and Robin sighed just a little, but then couldn’t help but smile.
***
In the throes of a new battle about one hour later, leaning back against the wall inside a grand ballroom, Robin turned her head to see a huge stone statue come flying across the room from where a warrior had hurled it. Whether by design or accident, it was heading for Nefertari Vivi, who was locked in her own battle with a knife-throwing maniac and would not notice the imminent danger. Robin had no time to call out or even to yank Vivi away - only just about time enough to combine many hands into a big one shooting out from the floor and catching the bits in time.
She wiped sweat from her brow as Vivi trussed up her opponent and sent him careening into Franky’s giant fist. Robin was free to focus on the rest of the room, but she couldn’t see anyone who urgently needed help anymore. It actually seemed like the present Strawhats and their allies had it well in hand right now.
An arm helped her steady herself, and Robin looked up to see Vivi there. The scent from this morning was back, overlaid by sweat and battle dust and adrenaline. It was not an unpleasant mixture. Robin wiped her face and accepted the flask of water that the girl held out to her with a nod.
"Thank you," she said, drinking and giving it back.
"Thank you for shielding me," said Vivi simply. She went on to help out in another part of the room before Robin could answer.
***
The victory party started at sundown. Together with the Strawhats and allies, the ordinary inhabitants of the city threw caution to the winds and celebrated loud and long, with the greatest feast in the liberated castle. The exquisite castle gardens had thrown their gates open to the public, who had decorated it with colourful lanterns and banderolles. Tables of refreshments stood here and there, and at the centre an impromptu band led by Brook played songs from near and far; fast and slow ones, old and new, poetical and bawdy. But all of them made people dance.
Robin wasn’t really a dancer, but this time she allowed Nami and Usopp to twirl her around just a little, for one song only. Then she slipped away and sat back in the shadows, satisfied - and so were they, even looking a bit smug that she’d humoured them this one time. She pondered some pranks to play on them in return for that, but the fine wine had gone to her head and she decided to let it be for now. Instead she went for a slow walk through the gardens to clear her head, stopping by the bank of a small stream. A lantern was shining, and stars were glittering in the sky. It was a clear but moonless night. The princess was sitting on a stone next to the rushing water.
"So pretty, isnt it?" Vivi turned her head and looked up at Robin. "The desert really is in my bones, Miss Robin. I’ll never get tired of the sound of swiftly running water like this, clear and fresh. It’s so…" she struggled to find a word, and Robin saw she too had brought a glass of wine with her. "...Miraculous."
"Here, it’s just natural," said Robin. "The weight of history, on the other hand, of ruins and ancient scripts… That’s wondrous to these people. They’ve only lived here for four generations, at most. Not too long ago, there were no humans here at all. Or other sapient races." She sat down on the rock next to Vivi. It seemed impolite to pick a rock further away from there and from the lantern’s light, where Vivi might not even see her face.
She breathed in the scents of the garden, and of Vivi, feeling lightheaded and easy at heart. It might not be just the wine, nor just the exhaustion and relief from fighting and winning. To some surprise, Robin realized there had been a particular ease in her heart since this morning - an old weight that had grown lighter after their conversation.
"You have a lovely perfume," she said, right out into the night.
"You think so?" In the corner of her eye, Robin saw Vivi turn towards her with those large brown eyes, but she didn’t look back yet. "You know, I don’t believe I’m wearing any perfume today," the girl pondered. "I can’t recall putting one on." She sniffed her own bare arm: she was wearing a short-sleeved dress. "Nope."
"That’s nonsense," said Robin, frowning now. "I felt it this morning." She managed to keep from saying, I’ve felt it since this morning. "And now, too."
"You’re mistaken. It’s just soap."
"Then you use some very nice soap," declared Robin, a little haughtily. It was unlike her, she knew, but the mix-up annoyed her. It had to be the wine making her cheeks feel hot.
Lowering her voice and schooling her tone again, she said, "You’ve been very rash today. The assistance was appreciated, but the consequences could be dire. That group won’t betray your confidence, but… it may all come out into the open all the same. The World Government has many ears and eyes."
"We are living in truly tumultuous times," said Vivi slowly. She was dipping her toe into the water, then drew it out; then back again, her sandal lying on the chiselled sand. "My father thinks so as well. The days when we all had to kowtow to the World Government… Well. Either they soon will be gone for good, or they will come back so much harsher and worse than before, it will be hell to endure it. If it comes down to that kind of stark choice, my people would rather throw their lot in with the forces of freedom."
Robin was quiet for a moment, acknowledging that. "Those are fine words," she murmured. She looked into the water, dark where the lantern’s weak light didn’t reach it. "Reality may turn terrible indeed... But I’m not saying you’re wrong."
At that moment, Vivi hiccuped. She blushed as Robin looked over at her. "Sorry- hic- about that. Hic." She hiccuped three more times, then mercifully stopped. "I might be a little bit drunk, Miss Robin," she said, shifting position on the rock. She was even closer to Robin now. "You smell very nice, too. Sophisticated. You always did."
"I… I did?" That shouldn’t be too surprising; Robin knew she did tend to leave that kind of impression; in fact, she cultivated it. Yet now her mouth felt dry. She cleared her throat. "You are pretty sophisticated yourself, Miss Vivi." This time, she fancied the unsaid Your Highness hovered in the air between them.
Vivi chuckled. "Not really." She bowed down her head, took another sip from her glass, raised her head up to look at the stars. She hummed a little. "I want to go there again," she said, almost to herself it seemed. "To the sea of adventures. I want to see the kind of world where people can do that. Many people. Maybe they won’t even be called pirates then anymore - but they will follow the same kind of dreams…"
"I want to see that, too," said Robin. "And a world where everyone can read and study what they want. Laws won’t stop them, nor poverty. The truth can be told openly, not suppressed by the deaths of tens of thousands or more…"
Again she felt Vivi’s gaze on her. The other woman moved even closer now, her hand right next to Robin’s, but not touching it. She said, "I thought you’d tell me I was being naive. And that these things are easy for me to say… dreaming of being a pirate again, an adventurer again, when I don’t have to. I’ve always had a country to belong to. To return to."
Robin shook her head. "No, not naive" she said slowly, thoughtfully. "As a child, I claimed the kingdom of books and history and the mystery of hidden things for myself. You could say it was my birthright. As the capital of that kingdom was burnt down, I had the choice to renounce it or not as I fled - and I chose to still claim it, carrying it wherever I went, even if only invisibly."
This time she turned to look at Vivi directly. "When your kingdom was in danger, when you left for an undercover mission to find the true culprit, you also had the choice to abandon it and lead your life as someone else, in another country... You chose not to do so, either, but to complete your mission and return home. Should you seek out adventures again one day, I think you'd always carry Alabasta with you, wherever you sat your foot." Not because she was royal, not because of her upbringing. But because Vivi was the opposite of faithless. And stubborn enough to be a pirate.
Vivi breathed out, slowly. "You know," she said, "when I learned you had become part of the crew… it’s true I was surprised. But I was also relieved."
Robin frowned in puzzlement, but said nothing. She finished her glass of wine and waited for Vivi to continue.
Vivi put her hand over Robin’s, her cheeks growing pinker again. "'So Luffy’s come to trust her', I thought. 'Nami and Tony and Mr Bushido and Usopp and Sanji all trust her. They must know who she really is, after all. So that means, I thought… so that means, she is not someone I need to fear, or to hate.'" She spread her other hand over her heart. "I was so glad for that."
"You shouldn’t… I mean, that’s not…" Robin tried to collect her thoughts, but they seemed to be running away from her, slipping into the stream by her feet. All she could think of right now was the nearness of Vivi’s head and the unearthly shimmer and beautiful summery smell of her hair.
"Can I kiss you, Miss Robin?"
Robin couldn’t have heard her correctly. "What? What did you-" She moved her head towards her, and Vivi moved her hand to the back of Robin’s head, tugging her down gently.
"Like this," said Vivi, kissing her softly, lips only slightly open. She sat back without removing her hand. Her face was red, and she laughed a little nervously, but didn’t pull away.
Robin raised her free hand to her own lips, touching them very gently, breathing in Vivi’s taste. "By all means," she said wondrously. "I think you are a little drunk, dear princess. But I can’t say I mind." In truth, Vivi did not seem all that drunk, only tipsy; but Robin felt compelled to give her an excuse to reconsider her impulse.
"It was something I wanted to do," said Vivi. She kicked off her other sandal, and was splashing both feet in the water now. "Like a. Like a claim. On the best historian. Alabasta would like to sponsor the best historian."
"Alabasta probably shouldn’t sponsor the most outlawed and wanted historian and archaeologist on the planet," said Robin. Her own head was spinning. She should be sensible and remove her hand from Vivi’s, and then take her leave - Wait. No. What was she thinking?
You’re a pirate. You are part of one of the most infamous pirate crews in the world right now, celebrating a victory, flush with plum wine. She’s a part of that crew in spirit. She wants to cut loose and be wild if she can.
Now is not the time to be sensible.
She turned towards Vivi again, and Vivi raised both arms and put them around her. "Maybe Alabasta shouldn’t," Vivi admitted. "but I still wanted to do that at least once. I used to find you so intimidating, back then… and for a while I hated you, but more, I wanted to figure out what you were like…" She leaned forward again: now Robin’s lips met hers, and she drew a hand through Vivi’s hair. "The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And then I was relieved… So I wanted that kiss, now. Still the most beautiful. The most gorgeous archaeologist in the world" -- her tongue stumbled a bit on the long word, tipsy as she was -- "And it’s so very nice not to be afraid of you."
"I don’t know what to say," murmured Robin, unusually lost for words. She kissed Vivi on the cheek, on her neck; she took one of her hands and pressed it to her lips. To call her the most adorable pirate princess I know felt patronizing; the most gorgeous undercover bounty hunter also didn’t sit right. Forced. Not like this - improbable, miraculous; even, as Nami would have said, wild - but still oddly easy and natural. The strong warm hands of the desert felt so right on her shoulder and her back. This was a woman who didn’t flinch before the fate of millions - yet she would bear the pain of all of them if she had to, in her steadfast, all-embracing heart. And Robin found she wanted to drink in her strength and desert air; wanted to immerse herself in that deep oasis.
"You honour me terribly," she whispered; Vivi nudged herself all the way up in Robin’s lap now, and Robin helped her find a good position. "If you really want me, I’m here. My crewmate." Vivi tugged her even closer and kissed her again; Robin returned it properly this time, not breaking away until she really had to. Her head was a little dizzy with wine and more dizzy with Vivi. "And about that claim - I’ll. I’ll think about it."
"Good," whispered Vivi, somehow sounding gentle and fierce at the same time. "The world will change. I know it will."
Robin took a long, deep breath: a shiver leapt down her back as Vivi trailed a finger there, from the top of her shoulder-blade and down. All her fine words had fled. She buried her face in Vivi’s hair for a moment. Then she cupped the other woman’s chin, and kissed her firmly. "It better," was all she could manage. "Ahh," she breathed out, "so lovely. What a lovely crewmate I found here." And now she could smile, genuinely, honestly. "The long way around."
Vivi only nodded, her eyes looking softer than usual in the light from the lantern. She bent forward for another kiss, tucked a strand of hair behind Robin's ear. "It’s all right," she murmured, one hand still on her shoulder, the other moving slowly up and down her back, not rushing it. "I think we have until dawn."