Chapter 67: You wa Shock! Ai de sora ga ochite kuru

They reached Sabaody Archipelago rather quickly. During the two days of journey Luffy invited Camie and Hachi to stay on the Sunny. They were friends and there was no way he was going to let them find a place into the sea to sleep. That’s actually what made the trip faster as they didn’t have to stop the Sunny during the night. Camie slept in the big aquarium in the dinner hall. She was given an open invitation by Nami and Robin to sleep in the girls’ room but she declined saying she was more comfortable there. Hachi slept with the guys; he was reluctant at first. Not because of any prejudice from the crew for him being a fish-man but because he was still feeling guilty for his past actions in Arlong’s crew. Too bad for him, he was grabbed by Luffy and Usopp then dragged to the guys quarters. As for Rick? Well He slept in the captain’s room that Luffy had left him. He didn’t stay there for long though as not long after everyone was asleep a really tall brunette with blue sky eyes woke him up. She was dressed scantily and her boyfriend thought she was here for a rematch after his victory in the garden earlier in the day. She would have none of that as she escaped his reaching arms and waited for him at the bedroom’s door. When he got up and went for her she just escaped again towards the girls’ room.

‘So that’s your little game.. honestly Robin you just needed to ask but fine I’ll play’ he thought to himself.

He entered their room and saw his two lovers waiting for him in bed, leaving a big enough spot between the two. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask the question he had.

“We always go to your room.” said Nami.

“For once we wanted you with us. Besides, the bed is larger and can accommodate all of us.” added Robin.

“So up for a cuddle night?” finished the redhead.

Rick just smiled and joined them, finding his rightful place between the two. He took one in each arm and brought them closer. With their head nuzzled in the crook of his neck everyone fell asleep with contentment.

And that’s how Camie found them in the morning. To say she was shocked was an understatement. From the short time she had been with the crew she knew the three were close but not that close. She wouldn’t have believed it if someone told her. Nothing indicated their relationship was like that. They stayed relatively at a good distance from each other and their interaction left nothing more than the thought of friends hanging with each other.

She came closer to the bed and gently shook Nami awake. The chain reaction was instantaneous, Rick woke up and moved, waking Robin up.

“Good morning! Sorry to intrude but the guys sent me to wake you up. We have arrived.” said Camie.

The trio made each a different face. Nami’s face was red out of embarrassment, Rick was amused, and Robin just gripped Rick’s arm tighter and nuzzled his neck even more, clearly not happy to be woken up and not caring one bit what Camie had to say. Nami stammered something unintelligible before Rick took pity and came to her rescue.

“Camie, can you keep quiet about..”

“You three being together? Sure, not my business anyway. I’m interested in knowing how that came to be though.” answered the mermaid with a grin on her face.

“That’s all Robin’s fault!” exclaimed Nami.

Rick turned his head to look at her with an eyebrow raised and Robin raised herself from her little paradise with the same questioning look.

“What do you mean it’s..” the brunette started.

“Robin’s fault? You’re implying she did..” continue Rick

“Something bad. You’re happy, so it’s not.” ended Robin.

“Wow, do they do that often?” asked Camie.

“Being creepy by completing each other's sentences? All the time.” replied Nami.

“No more Rick for you until I say otherwise.” declared Robin.

““That’s not fair!”” said Nami and Rick in sync.

“Do you prefer it was no more Rick and me ?”

““NO!”” her lovers said.

That made Camie laugh. The situation was silly, they either completed their sentences or said the same thing at the same time. She wondered if because they were like that they got together or if it was the other way around. If only Hachi and her were like.... that was the thought that came to her and made her sigh. She left them arguing alone and went back to the deck.

~~~~~

Rick and Robin were currently enjoying a stroll in the commerce district, hand in hand. They had ditched everyone else when Hachi said he was bringing them to see his friend doing the coating for ships. Nami was apparently told by Robin about their date and left them alone but not without pouting cutely. She tried to get a deal out of Robin about having Rick for two consecutive nights but a glare from the tall brunette cut that out immediately. After all, Rick was Robin’s not Nami, and the redhead was theirs, not the other way around.

The couple was window shopping most of the time, except when they had found a library. Unfortunately the small shop didn’t contain any history book they didn’t have in their possession or just already read. Another shop they entered was an accessory shop. Rick saw something in the display window and disengaged his hand from Robin’s before rushing inside. Five minutes later he came out with a bag.

“What did you buy?” Robin asked.

“A gift for you and for Nami.” he replied.

He opened the bag, brought out a small black box and gave it to Robin. She didn’t know what to do as her mind blanked.

‘Is that.. Is that what I think it is?’ she thought in panic.

“Come on, take it.” said her boyfriend.

She did. Looking at the small object in her hand she held her breath without any knowledge of it. With her free hand, which was trembling a bit, she reached the top of the box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver locket. Robin let out the breath she was holding in mixed feelings. Relief and disappointment. Rick wrongfully interpreted it.

“You.. don’t like it? I mean, I know it’s not great or anything but I thought..”

He was interrupted by a very long and very passionate kiss from her. When she stopped it she spoke up before he could.

“I love it; it’s beautiful. I don’t care if it’s worth ten berry or ten million.” she said, looking him in the eyes.

“Why don’t you open it and take a look at what’s inside?” he asked.

“You just bought it, there is nothing inside.”

“Is it?” he replied with a smug face.

She indulged him and did as he wished. Inside she saw a small seed. At the sight of it Robin’s eyes opened wide and she raised her head to look at him with an inquisitive face.

“Is that..”

“A seed I sprouted? Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because that way we’re always together.” he said with a smile.

She didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to do though and he was lucky they were in public. That seed had so much implication behind it. She thought she couldn’t love him anymore than she already did but she was wrong. That tipped the scale in her mind.

She grabbed his hand and resolutely started walking while looking around, searching for something. She ignored his questions and when shenfound what she was looking for when towards it without paying attention to anything else. Once in a small and secluded blind alley she pushed him against the wall and assaulted him with her lips and hands.

“Robin! What are you..”

“Questions later. Love now!” she ordered.

Rick didn’t have to be told twice. His girlfriend wanted him, so she will get him, there was no question about it.

~~~~~

The quickie was short but intense. While Robin was flustered but radiating happiness, Rick, for his part, had wobbling legs. Not surprising since he had to carry her for the entirety of their little tryst while doing all the work. He could have used his gravity but thought better, after all what message would it send to his partner but “ you’re too heavy so I’m reversing gravity”. He liked his penis where it was and how it was.

They straighten themselves and their clothes before exiting the blind alley and resuming their date. They didn’t go very far before receiving a call on the den den mushi Nami had left Robin.

“Robin?” asked the redhead.

“Yes?”

“Camie had been kidnapped! One moment she was there with us and the next..”

“Calm down Nami, it’s going to be alright.” said Rick.

“Alright?! We don’t know where she is!” yelled Nami.

“She’s probably at the slave auction, she’s a mermaid after all. 100% sure she was taken by slave traders.” announced Rick.

“You think?” asked Nami, worried.

“Told you: 100%. We just have to go there and either buy her, or kick the asshole who does to get her back.”

“Where is the auction house?”

“Groove 1. Let’s meet there.”

Rick hung up and saw Robin giving him a look.

“What?”

“You’re awfully calm.” she pointed out.

“Why should I not be? We know where Caimie is and how to get her back.”

“Is it another of your feelings?”

“Sorry but I’m not talking about them anymore. You’re always asking me questions about them and it’s tiring. And when I said you, I’m including Nami too. Well mainly Nami actually.”

Robin didn’t ask anything more, respecting his decision. Rick took her in her arms and started flying towards the slave Auction. On the way he asked her a favor.

“Ro..”

“Yes?”

“I may have miscalculated something.”

“Miscalculated what?”

“There may be celestial dragons present at the auction. It’s rare but sometimes they? get down here to buy some slaves.”

“So?”

“So can I count on you to prevent me from murdering them all? I.. I really hate those bastards Ro. It’s.. it’s like an instinct. They are the root of everything wrong in this world and...and..”

Robin saw how agitated the world nobles made him, she could feel the anger and disgust in his voice, it was so intense that his ability to speak was impaired, that, and the fact his hold on her got a lot tighter. She put one hand on his cheek and kissed him.

“You’re making me all hot when you’re angry.”

“Ro... It’s not really the time for that, there is a more important situation at hand.”

“Actually it’s linked.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re making me all wet and after what you gave me in that alley.. Let’s say... I need to make a trip to the bathroom to clean up if you want me to be able to restrain you.”

Rick looked at her dumbfounded.

“Don’t look at me like that, it's your fault.” she said with a surprisingly calm voice.

“My fault? How is it my fault? You wanted some loving.” he replied with an incredulous look.

“Yes, but in case you didn’t know, you.. produce a lot. It’s a miracle I’m not pregnant yet.”

That did it. Rick’s brain short circuited and his body stopped in place abruptly losing all strength. The consequence of this loss was.. Robin falling to the ground. Her scream snapped him out of it and he made her float before she crashed. He brought her to him and spoke up.

“What do you mean ‘it’s a miracle I’m not pregnant yet” ? Aren’t you on anything?”

“Well.. no?” said and hesitant Robin.

“Why is that ?!”

“I mean.. Before you, I didn’t really.. I mean I wasn’t active for some years.. And I didn’t expect to enter into a relationship when I joined the crew either.”

“Okay, fair enough, but since we started dating? Nothing?”

“I was on it, I bought enough for four months but with Nami..”

“Nami wasn’t either?!”

“She is now! Well.. not since a week ago..”

“Oh my god please don’t tell me she’s..”

“NO! No she’s not. We timed everything. I meant I shared half with her and we didn’t have any more pills.”

“Wait a minute, it takes weeks before being effective, and you send Nami to me...”

“I told you we timed it.”

“Then what about..? in the garden the other day?”

“Timed it.” she said with finality in her voice.

“So.. I’m not going to be a dad?”

“Nope. Not any time soon anyway. Why don’t you want to?”

“I...-I..” he stuttered, at a loss for words.

“It’s fine, it’s a conversation for another time and another place.” she said, caressing his cheek with her hand.

Rick just nodded and started to fly again towards the Auction House. Still his mind replayed the little talk they just had.

‘Me! A dad?! Ohh boy.. I’m so not ready for this. Wait! Do I even want children to begin with? Did I have children in my previous lives?’

That was a good question, he had knowledge of his previous lives but no memories of it at least not outside the goddess’ realm. That thought bummed him a bit. Did he leave behind children? Was he a good dad if he did have some? Not knowing began to haunt him and Robin saw his haggard look.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have joked about that but now you need to focus.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one that got the shock of his life.”

“Think of something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.. Oh! What did you buy for Nami?”

“A collar with the word ‘kitty’ written on it.” Rick answered with a grin.

“No seriously, what did you get her?”

“I just told you, check the bag if you don’t believe me.”

Robin looked at him with narrow eyes before opening the bag and pulling back a collar.

“Oh my god! You really did!”

“Of course I did.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re sharing her? Like she’s our little pet or something? And because she’s adorable?”

“A pet? Are you serious?” she said with an incredulous look.

“Don’t look at me like that, you love how submissive she is, don’t deny it.”

“How do you..”

“Know? Easy, we’re the same Ro.. We love the same things, we think alike and we have the same kinks. It didn’t take a genius to know you are the one in charge when the two of you are together. Now, do you think it’s a good gift or not?”

“I mean.. I love it. That way it’s proof that she’s ours.”

“Our little kitty.” said Rick with a chuckle.

“We better give it to her when it’s only the three of us.”

“Obviously. I do have another gift for her though.”

“So she gets two and I get one?” said Robin with mock jealousy.

“You got the necklace and the seed.” he reminded her.

“Fair enough, but what’s her second gift?”

“A devil fruit.”

“A dev.. Wait Where did you get it?”

“Thriller Bark. When I got separated from her, Chopper and Usopp, I kinda infiltrated the place and found the treasure room and found it there.”

“Do you know what it does?”

“Ohohoh yeah..” said Rick with a very content face.

“Come on, spill it out!” not liking his answer.

“It’s the Tenki Tenki no mi, the weather fruit.”

“Weather, as in..”

“Commanding the wind, the sea and all that shit? Yes ma’am.”

“That’s like.. she’s going to be a monster if she eats it, it’s perfect for her.”

“Either at sea or in battle with her clima tact, she’d be a force to reckon with.”

“If she eats it.”

“If she eats it.”

Their conversation stopped as the Auction house was in sight.

Hrist_Waltz

For two... Well, I do what I want... and I want to write leisurely. : D

Good news though, I made some notes! yeah some notes, about the three next Arcs. Some are already planned some... there are still some work to do before I start to write them.

I do predict some of you screaming "BULLSHIT" at the start of the fish-man arc though : D

I won't say more.