Chapter Text
Franky hadn’t meant to become so attached so quickly. He couldn’t quite puzzle out where it had started. Had it been Usopp sacrificing so much for the Going Merry, only to throw it all away for Nico Robin? Was it Sanji’s devoted desperation to fight through all of CP9, it had been so moving that Franky had chosen the path of self sacrifice for them and for her. Or maybe it had been Luffy, fighting desperately to clear Nico Robin’s name when she had shot Iceberg. No that couldn’t be it, he had only understood what was going on fully after joining the Straw Hats.
If he was honest with himself (which usually only ever happened when he was alone in his workshop, his hands occupied with a task) he would allow himself to go back further. To a time that still hurt to remember. To Tom placing a poster in front of him and a girl staring back.
Had it all started with Nico Robin? It had all ended with her in some ways. It had all begun again in others.
The cyborg’s hands shook slightly. The memories of a hard thud, the sound of steel toed boots making direct contact with her jaw. Franky couldn’t escape the echos of that moment, they haunted the corners of his mind. Her desperation to die replayed in his mental theater nearly as often as her begging for Luffy to take her with him.
Franky had done what he could at the time. He hadn’t exactly been the most powerful guy in the room but he had gotten her to that ledge hadn’t he? Promised her a shot at getting back with her crew when she was still just a stranger.
It had just all felt so natural to him. Her pain was blindingly obvious. Her desperation had made him feel protective, despite the fact that he himself maybe could have also needed some protecting. In the moment, it hadn’t seemed all that important even. Hell, he’d gone all in for her. Destroyed Tom’s legacy and set the plans for Pluton aflame. For some reason, keeping the world from laying another finger on her had been all that mattered.
Suddenly, another vision flashed in his mind’s eye. Hands blooming from his thighs, a soft yet firm public grip, and a feeling of electric surging that had instantly brought Franky to his knees.
CRUNCH
Ah fuck. Franky hadn’t been paying enough attention to the task he was actually supposed to be working on. It wasn’t anything important, the Thousand Sunny had been a labor of love and he didn’t have the heart to mess with her perfection just yet. With time he’d find ways to fix her up, trip her out and really make her worthy of The Battle Franky Family. For now he was just proud.
That didn’t mean he wanted to sit still. He liked working. It always reminded him of Tom, made him feel closer to his old man. It also helped him understand himself better. Always fiddling with what was around gave him ideas to improve his cyborg enhancements. It made him more attuned to potential maintenance or mechanical issues, often before they became a problem.
He looked at the mangled metal in his hands. It had been an internal compass he wanted to equip himself with. He’d noticed the group had a tendency to wander and thought it would be helpful to install an eternal pose of sorts. One that always told him where the Sunny was.
It was harder than he’d anticipated. He wasn’t sure if his hands were the problem or his uncooperative mind.
Taking a breath, he pushed himself away from the table. What time even was it? He had a tendency to lose track when he was in the small work space. He rolled his neck and pumped his arms. He’d gone slightly stiff from hunching over for too long.
He needed a break. Maybe a snack to go with his cola.
Franky hadn’t realized how late it truly was until he opened the door and was met with an eerie stillness. The crew had turned in for the evening it seemed. They probably hadn’t wanted to disturb him. He should attempt to return the favor.
Creeping slowly down the hallway, Franky could hear every creak of the Sunny. Her hull settled beautifully into her ocean bed, it was a soothing sound to those who knew what it meant. It tugged a small smile at his lips. It had been a long time since he built a ship, it was a good feeling.
As he listened to the lullabies his masterpiece was singing to him, Franky realized another sound was tangled up between the crashing waves and creaking hum. It was faint, more structured. Someone was playing a guitar maybe? He strained his ear, trying to move towards the floating melody.
He walked towards the door to the deck, hunger forgotten. The door swung open silently and easily. Her hinges still pristine, Franky felt a small swell of pride at even the smallest detail of perfection.
The music was louder now. It wasn’t a guitar, in fact it was two instruments. He hadn’t heard the higher pitched melody from inside but now it was impossible to miss. The wind carried the dulcet duet towards him.
The instrument that had caught his ear was a string, that much he’d gotten right. He could hear the bow, drawing out deep reverberations that sent a shiver down his spine. It harmonized with a flute. Its light trills coupled with the deep tones gave Franky the feeling that he was listening to something deeply personal. Something that wasn’t actually meant to be shared.
He almost turned heel right then and there, feeling that whoever was playing deserved the privacy they were seeking. His hand hovered an inch from the door. Who was out there? Maybe he should be concerned for the crews safety right now. How would his new captain feel if he had left a potential threat unattended? Who was even supposed to be on watch tonight?
Franky must have hesitated for a moment too long because suddenly the melody stopped.
“Don’t let me disturb you, my apologies if I was being too loud.”
Nico Robin.
Franky was frozen. That surge of electricity was back, not quite as strong but his body had not forgotten completely either.
He heard a light chuckle. That was enough for him to slowly turn his head around. Where was she? The deck looked empty. His head slowly creaked up, his eyes traveling up to the crows nest at an alarmingly slow pace.
The silhouette of a woman stared back at him through an open window. Currently she had two extra arms protruding from her waist, they were supporting something solid. Her other arms (the ones she always had) held a long object in each, difficult to make out.
“Ah, sorry Nico Robin. I didn’t see you up there. Didn’t mean to bother you, just thought I’d do a perimeter check. Didn’t realize you were on watch tonight.”
They stood there for a moment, Franky wasn’t sure what to say next. Did she think he was a loser who only knew the words “I’m sorry” and “didn’t”?
“Well I guess I’ll leave you-“
“It’s no bother, would you care to join-“
They spoke in unison, halting in the same breath. There was a pause again. Then a small laugh from both.
“Well if you don’t mind the company, I could definitely use a break.”Franky shot his arm towards the lip of the crows nest, he felt the exhilarating pull in his gut as momentum dragged him towards the top.
He landed with a hard THUNK on the outside of the basket. His body clung for a moment before he swung his legs up and over the windowsill, delicately coming to a stop next to Nico Robin.
He was suddenly hit with the realization that this was the closest she’d stood to him since he had joined their merry gang. The electric buzz seemed to hum just a little stronger in his circuits with the realization.
“What were you playing?”
“Hmm? Oh, it was something I found in one of the books of sheet music you provided the ships library with. I know Luffy insisted they were for his mysterious musician he is endlessly searching for but this one captured my attention.”
“I didn’t know you played.” Was there anything this woman couldn’t do? Franky was not so sure at this point.
“I’m no virtuoso. I never had the time to dedicate myself to the craft. However the Baroque works organization had a pension for the dramatic. I picked up some useful skills that I like to keep from rusting.”
Franky looked closer at the instruments she was holding. A cello and a flute.
Franky eyed her skeptically. He had noticed Nico Robin had a tendency to minimize her skillset.
“Is that all you play?”
“Now that is a complicated question. To be precise, no. I play flute, cello, piano, and harp proficiently. I can play all four at once. I can also play several other instruments, however I am much less proficient and have struggled to maintain my focus when adding any more to my ensemble.”
Franky was gaping, there was no way his jaw wasn’t on the floor. He strummed the guitar and wasn’t half bad himself but Nico Robin sounded like a musical prodigy.
“Does Luffy know you’re a one woman symphony? There’s no way.”
Nico gave him her patented soft laugh and hidden smile.
“No, I don’t think our dear captain has figured it out himself quite yet. Or perhaps he has but he knows I lack the spark of a true musician. My dreams lay in the past, after all.”
Franky couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sardonic as it was, he thought he was starting to understand why the government had been so afraid of her. She may just be the smartest person in the world. He was pretty sure he was at least a little scared of her by now. That’s what the electric current running through him must mean.
Nico Robin had moved to put her instruments back in their cases. Despite the spaciousness of the room, she was standing rather close to him. Her extra limbs poofed out of existence, leaving the pair in a flurry of pink cherry blossom petals. He felt very hot and went to tug on the collar of his shirt before he realized he wasn’t really wearing one.
Franky felt exposed. Which was a new feeling for him, honestly. He had never realized just how much people could see him until it was ice blue eyes piercing through the darkness.
“You don’t have to stop on my account.” Was Franky’s voice shaking?
“I know.” Her voice was even. When had they switched roles? Hadn’t he been the one to offer her steady words in Enies Lobby? Why was he finding it so difficult to keep his cool now?
What little space there was between them dwindled even further as Nico Robin took a step towards him.
“If I am being honest, Flam-“
Franky’s heart skipped a beat, hearing her use his name in such a familiar way.
“- I was hoping for an opportunity to speak to you. Without the others present, that is.”
Nico Robin was very close now. Close enough that Franky could smell her. She smelled like cherry blossoms and sea salt. Which was so distracting and she was talking to him. Being so familiar with him. He should be paying attention to her every word.
“You wanted me alone, huh?”
Or he could say that, like an idiot. Except she was… laughing? Not just her polite laugh, the one without hesitation behind it.
“Yes I suppose you could put it that way and it wouldn’t be inaccurate.”
Wouldn’t. Be. Inaccurate.
The words hammered into him, one after the other. He was not doing a good job keeping up with this woman, he was certain his face gave him away completely.
“I wanted to thank you, Flam.” Her voice had shifted, it was barely perceptible and yet Franky noticed immediately. “I don’t think there are really the right words to properly articulate my gratitude for everything you have done for me,” there was a pause here. Brief as it was, Franky heard it. “And for my family.”
Franky face was burning hot, he was afraid his motors may actually be steaming.
“Oh well you guys are special. I’m honestly still kinda shocked myself that you wanted me to join you all so-“ Franky’s voice caught, realizing he should be careful with his next words. “Passionately.” Is what he settled on.
Wrong choice. Her eyes were locked on him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. He knew she could see it, even if that face didn’t betray her.
“The Straw Hats are a passionate bunch, indeed. Perhaps that’s why you fit in so seamlessly.”
Franky’s heart was gonna give out any second now.
“I think the words you used were ‘your treasure’.”Franky was pretty sure his mouth was running itself right now. Maybe a system glitch? He would have to take himself apart and find out what was making him say such outrageous things to Nico Robin.
Oh shit, when had she gotten that close? The distance between them was barely perceptible. He had a deep tugging in his gut that gave him the wild urge to close what little gap remained.
“I’d say that remains an accurate description. Although, I do feel I must apologize.”
“Apologize?” His voice needed to stop squeaking. “What- uh what do you need to apologize for?”
She looked at him. He blushed deeply. God he hoped she couldn’t tell but it was a full moon and her eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness.
“You went to quite a bit of trouble for us Mr. Cutty,” how did she have the ability to make formality sound so intimate? “You sacrificed your freedom for us. You continued to champion my hope and faith, even when you had little of your own. You bet on us, even when I refused to. You took bullets for me. You saved me. Then, you went and built us a new home.”
“You would have done the same.” Franky was feeling scrutinized, which wasn’t bad but it made him uncomfortable. He’d spent a long time having to distance himself from his past and build a new identity, yet she seemed to see him completely. From start to finish, one person.
Nico Robin shook her head, a contradiction to his deflection.
“No, I wouldn’t have. I was only concerned with the safety of my crew. The rest of the world be damned. I didn’t even care about myself at that point.”
“You didn’t kill Iceberg.”
“Not killing a man isn’t the same as giving yourself to save one.”
“Not killing him put your deal in jeopardy. It was a risk. You took it.”
Her head cocked to the side, taking in what he said.
“You have a unique way of looking at things, Franky.” He jolted at her words. Electric sparks must be flying off of him right now. He may have to ask her to stop using his name. She could call him shipwright, that would probably be impersonal enough for him to think. “I appreciate a persons ability to surprise me. It doesn’t happen very often, as I’m sure you can imagine.” She let several eyes blink into life on the mast around them just to prove her point. They disappeared quickly, showering more cherry blossom petals down on the pair.
“Well it’s not like the world government was giving you a whole lot of options.” Franky felt heat in the back of his stomach just thinking about what they had put her through. If Nico Robin could tell, she didn’t let on. She just continued.
“Perhaps, and yet you have surprised me every moment I have known you. You have seen through to the heart of the matter time and time again. In a way it’s felt like a challenge. For most of our time together at Enies Lobby my mind was clouded. The sea prism stone had left me weak and confused. The primal fear of seeing another Buster Call was too much. Once I was safe, once you saved me, I was able to gain some clarity. Yet you were still so elusive to me. Puzzling you out these last few days has been a bit thrilling. I don’t fully understand myself yet and It may have caused me to act brashly.” Her words had an edge to them, as if she was towing an invisible line. Nico Robin was studying Franky with an intensity usually reserved for books with thick and dusty covers.
Franky was certain he had to say something. Those eyes were locked on his. He wanted to squirm away from the intensity, yet he couldn’t dare to tear himself away.
“Nico Ro-“ that was all he got out before the distance between them snapped closed. Soft warm lips met his. Hands, so many hands, he felt a flurry of them grabbing onto him. For just a moment, he was too stunned to move. Then something inside of him blossomed. A fire he didn’t know his motor contained. His hands were pulling her closer, wrapping around her delicate frame, his mouth never leaving hers.
Then, just as quickly as it started, she broke away. Her breath had become slightly uneven. Her eyes seemed suddenly shy as she broke his gaze.
Franky had to fight the urge to pull her back into him.
“My apologies, I seem to be getting ahead of myself.” Was she blushing? Nico Robin’s face was hard to read in the darkness, but Franky was positive she had just lost her composure. Over him.
Nico Robin took a small step back. To Franky, it felt like a chasm between them. Franky yearned to close the distance.
“Ahead of yourself huh? You plan out this whole night then, Nico Robin?” Franky wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a smile tug at the edge of her mouth.
“I admit that I had been hoping for this opportunity to present itself naturally. The topics I’d like to address when granted the chance had been given a level of thought and priority. However, I do seem to struggle in accounting for the ease of conversation you bring out in others.”
Nico Robin took a moment to perch herself on the windowsill of the crow’s nest. The sea wind ruffled her hair as she brought her eyes up to meet Franky’s once more.
“I wanted to thank you, properly. Personally.”
“Well, this is definitely personal.” The words slipped out of Franky. Good thing it was only that. After all, if this is how she was thanking him, he was kind of curious to see how she expressed her other emotions with him.
“Yes,” the smile danced across her face for a moment. “Quite the unique experience, I assure you.”
Was she teasing him? She was definitely flirting with him, right?
“Franky,” she looked him square in the eye. “Thank you. You gave me my will to live as much as the straw hats. You stood by my side when I was determined to walk alone. You had just as much to loose as any one of us. You never stopped fighting, never stopped thinking, never gave up, never surrendered.” Nico took a breath, her voice was shaky but determined. “Franky, I will never see Ohara again. I didn’t think that I could build another home after losing what little of one I had before. The straw hats showed me I could honor my history and in doing so I would have gladly died for them. Franky, you showed me that I had already built a place for myself in the world with them. You all helped me realize I finally had something to live for.”
Franky’s eyes were misting over. He wasn’t positive but the hitch in her voice indicated that Nico Robin’s eyes hadn’t stayed dry either.
“Now I feel there is a moment I have to explain myself. I was still contemplating all that I had uncovered in Enies Lobby. When you hesitated to join our crew, I felt a sense of dread. Yet, I wasn’t scared. Something inside of me knew I had to convince you. I couldn’t let you go without a fight.”
A rueful smile flashed at Franky before it quickly disappeared behind cool composure once more.
“I can’t say I regret my actions either, you were being quite the menace to that poor town. I think maybe you have needed someone to return the favor.”
Franky’s grin could have lit up a lighthouse. Now it was his turn to close the distance between them.
Before she had time to react, Franky was looming in front of her. Her legs opened just enough for him to fill the space they created. He didn’t say anything, just put his arms around her waist and tugged her gently forward.
She stiffened for a moment before relaxing entirely onto his chest. Franky pressed a light kiss to the top of her head before resting his chin only the spot his lips had just brushed. Staring out at the ocean, he knew the answer.
“I think I’ve been looking for you for a long time Nico Robin. I didn’t know it, Tom had me thinking you were here to bring the world to an end.” He felt a tremor of rigidity run through her. Franky just squeezed her a little tighter while continuing. “I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. The government had framed Tom and left me for dead so it was hard to trust anything they said.”
Franky’s hand had begun to stroke Nico Robin’s back. The other found her hair and burrowed itself into the soft locks.
“I was blindly barreling down a path towards you every day. When I saw you on the sea train, Sanji and ‘Sniperking’ fighting so hard to get through to you, it was like I’d arrived at my destination after all these years. I just hadn’t put it all together yet.” He chuckled to himself, “well I guess in the end you put it together for me.”
Nico Robin’s head shifted. He felt her look up towards him. He bent his gaze down to meet her. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Franky really wanted to kiss her. He wondered if he was allowed to. She had kissed him first after all. Yet it still felt like he would be crossing a line, he worried about scaring her away and losing whatever this crescendo between them was building to.
“Franky,” Nico Robin’s voice floated into him. That was all it took for his hands to release her body and move to her face. Cupping it so tenderly, she seemed so small and fragile in these cybernetic hands of his. She smiled up at him, a tear still caught on her cheek. He wiped it away with a thumb. She caught his hand in hers, nuzzling into it and pressing him closer.
He felt her legs wrap around his waist, causing a ripple of tension between their bodies that would only be broken once Franky’s lips met Nico Robin’s.
So he kissed her. He knew that was what she wanted now. He was so certain of it. So certain of her. She was melting into his touch, after all.
He scooped her up off the ledge, sinking to his knees but keeping her on his hips the entire time. Didn’t need to leave themselves open for the whole crew to potentially see. He didn’t care if they were all asleep. Franky refused to risk some teenager ruining this moment with what he knew now was his perfect woman.
The two of them were interwoven, tangled up in more limbs and hands than Franky could keep track of. He slid fully to the ground, his knees weak from passion and adrenaline. Nico Robin never broke the kiss, she stayed perfectly perched on top of him.
Franky didn’t think he’d ever be able to bring himself to stop kissing this divine creature. He worried if he stopped he would never be allowed to start again. Or wait, maybe this was a bad idea? He was the newest crew member after all.
He was certain Nico Robin could sense the intrusive thought. She broke away from him suddenly, breathing slightly ragged as she studied his face.
“If you are concerned about your place on this ship and how my attraction to you may jeopardize that I understand.” She placed her hands on his chest, propping herself up and away. “You should know that I don’t have any expectations of you Franky. I wasn’t ever taught to have them and I have learned to be grateful for what I am given with the straw hats. You will always have a place in this family simply due to who you are and completely separate from me.”
A pause before she added, “It will not change my opinion of you if you prefer to maintain platonic boundaries.”
Franky couldn’t help himself, he let out a snort. “Woman, let’s get one thing straight. There is nothing platonic between us anymore.” Reaching up, Franky pulled Nico Robin back towards his chest. She happily collapsed into him, as if a lifetime of stress and tension had suddenly left her.
Franky wasn’t sure where they were blooming from, but several hands passed a thin wool blanket between them and spread it out on top of Nico Robin’s delicate form.
“I still have watch tonight.” She mumbled, drowsiness slowly overtaking her. To whom she was speaking to, Franky wasn’t entirely sure. He kissed the top of her head.
“I’ll finish, wake you up before the others, and keep your secret safe with me.”
“My secret?”
“That you’re terrible on night duty.”
Robin was mumbling a protest. Something about not sleeping for several days and a seahorse. He would have to ask her about it when she was more cohesive. For now, he just wanted to hold her close. Nico Robin’s first truly peaceful sleep since the last time Olvia had held her.