Log; complete [backdated]

[erocook-ftw.livejournal.com]

When; Jan 17, a couple of hours after this log.
Rating; PG-13 at most
Characters; Sanji [erocook_ftw] & Nico Robin [blackhibiscus]
Summary; Robin's been missing for several hours, so Sanji goes out to find her. He does, but not in the state he expected. Panic, outrage, and angsting ensues.
Log;

Flight was almost second nature to Sanji now. He normally glided along just above the ground, but certain circumstances required movement far above the teeming City streets.

Robin had left the ship around mid-morning, claiming that she needed time alone to think. While neither Sanji or Zoro thought it was a particularly good idea since she was pregnant and CP9 was on the loose, Luffy had let her go without a second thought. Sanji had spent most of the day in final preparation for the concert that night, shipping the food to the square and making sure it was exactly where Motoko wanted it.

However, as the hours dragged on, the cook grew more and more concerned about the whereabouts of his nakama. After delivering the last dish of food, Sanji took to the sky, his eyes peeled for any sign of Robin.

And then, at last, he spotted her, facedown in a narrow alley. As he descended, he noticed the blood -- blood everywhere, and pouring out of her wounds.

"Shit!" Sanji landed heavily and rushed to the woman's side, rolling her onto her back and lifting up her shoulders. He furiously patted her cheeks with his other hand, trying to coax her back to consciousness. "Robin! Robin, please wake up! Oh, fuck! Robin!"

Comments

[erocook-ftw.livejournal.com]

Sanji nodded. "Yeah. You're fine now. I shouldn't be worrying." He stood up and opened the window to look down at the square below, where the concert was about to start. He could see the lights turning on, and the first notes of music were drifting up with the breeze.

"I probably should head back now. I'm playing the trombone for a song, and helping out with food." He turned to look back at her. "You sure you'll be all right?"

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

Robin nodded briefly, absently and watched him for a moment, thinking and estimating. He had acted differently towards her all this time and right now was probably a good time to ask him what was going on. She didn't like it when her friends acted towards her this way; it felt like she had done something wrong and she wanted to know what.

"Cook-san, please tell me what's wrong."

[erocook-ftw.livejournal.com]

He stared at her in surprise. What did she mean, tell her what's wrong? Nothing was wrong now that she was safe.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, walking back to her bedside.

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

"You've been acting differently since I told you about my pregnancy," she said, looking at him straightly with a concerned frown. "Please tell me why, because I don't want you to walk around with any of my problems."

[erocook-ftw.livejournal.com]

His face fell into grave sobriety. Silently, he took his seat beside her bed, propped his elbows on his knees, and folded his hands under his chin.

"I can't forgive him," the cook said finally. "I can't forgive him for doing this to you. Okay, so it was a curse. Okay, so you've accepted it now. So you want the baby. I'm happy for you, I really am." He sighed. "But I hate him. No matter how much you -- you love him," he choked on those words, "I hate his guts. I'm sorry, but..."

Sanji dropped his head and ran his fingers through his hair, if only to hide his furious expression from Robin. "It broke my heart, okay?!"

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

"I understand," she said sadly, watching him with an almost grieved expression. And she did understand him, she could imagine the feeling; it must've been agonizing. She took his moving hand and placed it into hers, holding onto it tightly.

"I love you so much, Cook-san," she said, squeezing his hand to emphasize those words. "And please know that whenever a... situation arises where I need to choose, I will choose for you. I will choose for you, for Luffy, for Swordsman-san, for Navigator-san, for Longnose-kun and for Doctor-san," she spoke quietly, She wasn't even entirely too sure of that herself, but she wanted to comfort him. Her own conscience too, maybe.

[erocook-ftw.livejournal.com]

He gripped her hand tightly, not wanting to let go. It already felt like he'd lost her, to Jyabura's love, to Lucci's hate, to the City's unreasonable penchant for throwing its citizens into situations that wouldn't normally happen.

"I love you too," he whispered. He never expected those words to mean what they did at that moment, as he sat there like a forsaken little boy.

[blackhibiscus.livejournal.com]

She smiled sadly and placed her other hand on his cheek; it felt like her heart was going to burst from guilt and sheer emotion. One was the worst feeling in the world, the latter one the best. The contradiction was striking.

"Now go to that concert of yours, I'll be cheering on you from here, alright?"

[erocook-ftw.livejournal.com]

He managed a smile. It was small and sad, but it was still a smile. "All right. I'll do my best." He stood and bowed, kissing the back of her hand in his typical gentlemanly fashion. When he straightened again, his smile was more content.

"I hope you get better soon, Robin-chan," he said quietly. That said, he turned and headed for the door.