Chapter 65: I kissed a girl and I liked it, hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It has been a week since the strawhats, aboard the Sunny, had left Thriller Bark and continued their journey towards Fishman island or as Sanji and Brook now referred to it: Mermaid Island. Brook with his shadow back was free to sail again but after being alone for decades he accepted Luffy’s offer to join him. The fact that they had a friend in common helped a lot. Laboon was a whale living in the sea near Twin Cape Lighthouse, the first stop when ships enter Grand Lineat the base of Reverse Mountain, and has been waiting for Brook’s return for more than 40 years. With the skeleton on board, music to entertain everyone on the boring days at sea was heard quite often. Yet despite the uplifting songs, three people were unaffected.
The first one was Rick, still in a coma. The lightest of his wounds had healed, but the most severe ones like his broken ribs or his cracked skin and internal organs were not completely done with their recovery.
Robin and Nami were the second and third. They were taking turns watching over him constantly, day or night. Sometimes, Chopper came into the room to see Rick’s recovery’s progress or Sanji brought snacks for the one of the two sitting at the bedside of their Vice-Captain.
Zoro and Sanji decided to keep mum about their friend approaching the end of his life. It wouldn’t have done any good for the rest of the crew, unaware that Robin and Nami were in the know. For their part they didn’t disclose the news either for the same reason. After their augment on Thriller Bark their relationship sour a bit. Nami had asked Chopper to do a full check up on Rick but he didn’t find anything abnormal. She refused to believe her Vice-captain was dying but his prolonged comatose state and his own statement birthed doubt. She was in denial but deep inside she knew that it was the truth as Rick is always right. Not for the first time she hated that fact. What she hated as much was her inability to apologize to Robin, it would have meant that she was acknowledging Rick’s state.
Robin had fooled everyone. Smiling and laughing when she was with the others but in reality she was heartbroken. She only showed her true feelings when she was watching over Rick. It tired her to no end. She spent as much time as she could with him without tipping her crewmates about their secret relationship.
Currently Robin was the one watching him and it was about time Nami took her place. She was reading out loud a book for her boyfriend and talking to him about its content, hoping to hear an answer that never came.
When Nami came into the room to relieve her of her duty, she had had more than enough and spoke up to her friend.
“I’m sorry.”
Robin stopped reading but didn’t look at her, her eyes fixed on the man she loved laying on the bed.
“I was in denial, because I was afraid that if I accepted it, it would be true.”
Robin still kept silent but tapped the seat beside her indicating for Nami to come sit by her side which she did. Once seated the brunette just took her friend’s hand in her and squeezed it.
“That’s okay, I know where that was coming from, so I forgive you.” she said.
That was true. Robin for the most of her life had become used to accepting things and moving forward, doing otherwise would have signed her death warrant. But to Nami who only lost Belle-mère long ago and was surrounded by loving people it was not an easy thing to do. Though, even if Robin was in acceptance of hers and her boyfriend’s situation it didn’t make her pain any less.
Hearing her friend forgiving her Nami was relieved and this time was the one to squeeze her hand. They stayed like that for a while before the redhead spoke up again.
“I think I know what happened to him on the island.”
“Nami, I was the one who told you what happened.” replied Robin.
“I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about Rick being… different. With the horns and a completely different personality.”
“Oh... that. What did you find?”
“I should not share this because he told me in confidence. But…”
Robin raised an eyebrow. Rick confided in Nami and not her? She didn’t like that. Nami quickly caught on and explained herself.
“It was just after our talk about trusting him or not so don’t look at me like that!”
That actually reassured Robin a bit.
“Honestly you would have known if you hadn’t been caught eavesdropping, so you only have yourself to blame!”
That was true. At the time Rick saw the ear she had bloomed to spy on him and blew air into it making her dispel it.
“Anyway, considering the situation and because I’m almost 100% sure he won’t be pissed at me for it, I’m telling you: Did he ever tell you how he met Vivi?”
When Robin answered negatively, Nami proceeded to tell her Rick’s and Vivi’s meeting and the subsequent kidnapping and rescue of the latter.
“You’re thinking the same thing happened back then?”
“Yes.”
“What makes you think that, we don’t know if Rick remembers or not his state during the fight with Moria.”
“True, but the trigger is the same.”
“Which is?”
“Anger for the people he loves Robin. From what I understood of their relationship, Rick was already quite protective of Vivi from the moment they met and Vivi… you can’t help but love her. So when he saw her chained like an animal… He said that he had never been so angry before. Now on Thriller Bark, you got done by Moria. He must have seen it and been more than furious because less than a second later Rick is lifting and choking him with one hand, a different personality and with horns. What comforts me in this is that, just as I speculated, you were the only one to calm him down.”
“I don’t know if you’re right but it’s plausible. Now the question is… why does it happen in the first place. Where does that...Transformation comes from?”
“My guess is as good as yours.”
They didn’t talk anymore about this topic and watched over their man in silence. Yes, their, because ever since Rick let it slip that Nami could have some fun time with him she considered him hers. That was the thought she had at the moment which prompted her to get clarification from Robin.
“So…..” she began.
“Yes?”
“Rick said that you agree to let me have him.” announced Nami with a grin.
“He said what?!”
“It’s not true then?”
“He wasn’t supposed to tell you!”
“It’s true then! Wait, why wasn’t he?”
“I wanted him for myself a bit longer. We were supposed to rail you up with teasing and innuendo. Why did he blab?” said a lamenting Robin
“I see… Anyway it wasn’t really his fault, you can’t put all the blame on him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well Rick told me that you were attacked by something invisible?”
“Yes, that thing licked my cleavage! I had to take a shower afterwards!”
“Well that thing actually attacked me too while I was taking a bath in the manor. Thankfully Rick saved the day before… well… before.”
“Thank goodness.”
“Yeah. He got an eyeful though.” confessed Nami with a laugh.
“Though not for long. He put his overcoat really quickly over me. Anyway, that invisible guy somehow knocked me out and kidnapped me to make me his wife. Well I shocked him good and ran back to Sunny to change clothes.”
“Change clothes?”
“He dressed me up in an actual wedding dress!”
“Really?”
“Yes! And that’s what I was wearing when Rick found me on his way to Sunny. His words were, and I quote, ‘I know Robin said you could have me but don’t you think a wedding dress is going a bit too far?’.” that made Robin laugh.
“I understand why he would let it slip then. I won’t punish him too badly.”
“Actually you should reward him.”
“Why is that?”
“He refused to carry me because of my outfit and just made me float back with him to Sunny, saying that you would cut his balls off in his sleep if you weren’t the first for whom he’ll do that!”
“What?! He wants to…” began Robin with an astonished look on her face.
“Sorry! I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“No no ! Tell me more!” the archaeologist asked, eager.
“Well I was surprised too at how much he loves you and he replied that when you know, you know. The only reason he didn’t propose was because you haven’t been together that long.”
Robin didn’t say anything and just thought about it. She knew she loved Rick, but marriage? She didn’t have an answer to that. Seeing her friend retreat in her own world led Nami to change the topic.
“So… How do we share him? Do I take even or odd days?”
That brought back Robin from her thoughts and made her laugh.
“Oh Nami… I’m not sharing Rick.”
“But you said…”
Robin put her hands on each side of Nami’s face.
“We are sharing you.”
And proceeded to kiss her right on the lips. Nami was too shell shocked to do anything. It wasn’t until Robin’s tongue entered her mouth that Nami finally kissed her back. That was her first kiss. That it was from a woman, threw her off a bit, that she loved it? Even more. When her friend stopped the kiss and leaned back they looked into each other's eyes.
Robin had worry in hers. She was worried about Nami’s reaction. Nami’s had confusion, her feelings were now all over the place. They stayed as they were, in silence and face to face for a moment, so close they could feel each other breath. However the moment was soon broken by an impromptu voice.
“Is she as tasty as she looks?”
““RICK!”” exclaimed the two ladies jumping out of their seats in surprise.
“When did you…” started Robin as Nami ran towards the door, her flight instinct winning over her fight one.
Nami didn’t go very far though as hands appeared on the door of the bedroom blocking it. She was trapped. She turned around and saw the couple looking at her.
“You didn’t tell her?” asked Rick.
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