Log #3498 or something

[history_pirate]

Who: Robin and Calgara, with some use of Nami by permission. [Thanks, Michelle!]
What: A very long overdue civil conversation.
When: The middle of the freakin' night. After they'd been fighting long enough.
Where: The Thousand Sunny.



Night had fallen over the Thousand Sunny hours before, but Robin found she could not sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about him, and the things they had- or hadn't- said. She felt increasingly frustrated, and thus attempted to turn her mind to other things.

Her desk was a brilliant mess, open books stacked on top of each other and piles of notes she'd taken over the course of a week. The papers were scrunched, some were smeared. Robin read a few lines from one of the topmost books, scribbled something on her most current page, but with a sigh realized she'd made a mistake in the transcription again. She hurriedly tried to scrub the ink, and ended up making a gray hole through the paper.

"Damn," she cursed. Paper wasn't cheap on the Grand Line, and it was difficult to find. She crinkled it up into a ball, added it to the growing pile in her wastebasket.

Nami stirred at the noise, rubbing her eyes and turning over to face her roommate. "Robin-nee?" she said, her voice low and drawn out like a yawn.

Robin grimaced. Add another strike to the list, she thought. "Yes, Nami-chan, what is it?"

"You need to go to sleep," Nami muttered, almost returning to it herself. "You'll work better in the morning."

Robin knew she was right, that obstinately staring at this book and her smudged, poorly written notes would only end in future frustration. "Very well," she said. "I'll take these up to the library and be right back. Don't wait up," she smiled.

Nami stretched her arms over her head, then curled up underneath her blanket once more. "I won't," she said, allowing herself to nod off once again.

Robin smiled tenderly at her young nakama. Nami was definitely a very patient roommate, and Robin appreciated that fact more than the navigator would ever know. She turned down the lantern so that it would be less aggravating, picked up the tomes she needed to put away, and quietly slipped out the door.

Outside, the moon had risen almost to it's peak. Waves rocked the ship steadily, but the night was peaceful. Robin looked around the main deck, hoping to locate Calgara in order to not disturb him, but saw no one. Well, it was none of her business where he might be. She hurried across, and up to the library. To her surprise, lantern light spilled out into the night when she opened the door. She blinked, blinded for a moment as she came in, wondering who would be up at this hour, reading.

Speak of the devil, she thought. Calgara was seated at a small reading table with a lamp and what she could only assume was Norland's log book. She regarded him for a moment, her expression flat, then continued into the maze of bookshelves, opening her secret door in the ceiling and disappearing into the darkness without saying a word.

Comments

[maki-tiki.livejournal.com]

Robin gave as good as she got- moving her hips in just the right way at just the right moment, or skimming her hand ever so slowly up his thigh or down his stomach. Still, she was impressed by his control. Most men in his position would not have hesitated to slip the short nightdress even higher, or off completely, but Calgara hadn't. He'd been playful, but respectful, and Robin couldn't help but admire him even more for it.

When he leaned back, she had to stop herself from going with him. The situation being what it was, she hoped that once they sealed up the "special collections" library and made their way back to their respective dormitories that they'd also still have a few hours to rest before dawn. Continuing what had been started could prove detrimental to that goal.

Still, she smiled warmly, resting her hands just above his hips. She took a few moments to allow her own breathing to normalize before she said, "I guess this means we forgive each other, then?"

[fireofshandora.livejournal.com]

"That would be a good guess," Calgara said, his gruff voice slightly thicker. He chuckled, his lips curved into a warm smile. Her hands felt insistently warm against his skin in a manner that he found it quite difficult to ignore. But, for their own sanity, he did his best, and raised a hand to touch her face instead.

"Of course, if forgiving each other means something like this, then perhaps we should find another reason to argue!"

Then, he laughed heartily, his shoulders shaking with the sound.

[maki-tiki.livejournal.com]

"Mm," Robin laughed with him, "though quite frankly I could do without the argument."

She leaned in close, brushing a few tufts of the headdress out of his eyes and nuzzling her nose against his. "If it's the intimacy that you like, I don't see any reason why we couldn't just be intimate," she said softly, her breath warm against his lips.

[fireofshandora.livejournal.com]

Calgara swallowed. A lesser man would have given up by now. But he was not any lesser man, he was the Great Warrior Calgara; he had more control than this!

Nevertheless, he returned the gentle gesture, grinning wryly.

"Heh. That I would not mind in the least.." He was silent for a moment, closing his eyes in thought. "I would have asked you sooner, but more and more I am coming to realize that courting rituals in this day and age are far different from the ones I am used to. The time difference, and the culture...it's all very strange to me...I feel very..." He paused in search of the right word, and looked somewhat ruffled when it finally produced itself.

"Archaeic. But it is more simple for men and women in this time...you simply ask and recieve your answer. No rituals involved..."

Calgara paused, frowning.

"So...I am asking."

[maki-tiki.livejournal.com]

Robin blinked once, then twice, taken completely by surprise.

"Asking...?"

Then her mind put what he had been saying together. She grinned, looking a little bit shy in spite of the fact that she'd been just as aggressive as him.

"To date you? I-" Robin thought about it for a moment. The concept of distinguishing between friends, kissing, and dating seemed a little juvenile to her mind. Still, she couldn't deny having felt... something... when he had asked. She couldn't deny the smile on her face, or the sudden giddiness which threatened to spill out into silly, juvenile words and actions. She took his hand in hers, turning to kiss his palm gently before looking deep into his eyes.

"I accept."

[fireofshandora.livejournal.com]

Calgara had the grace to look somewhat disgruntled. The last time he had asked a woman to court him...well, he never had. Anela had asked him!

The kissing upon his palm, though. That was new. He looked at their hands briefly before raising his dark eyes and smiled. Then, he laughed quietly.

"I think that this will be quite a learning experience."

[maki-tiki.livejournal.com]

Robin continued to be unable to return her face to a neutral sort of smile, the wide blushing grin refused to subside.

"Mm, it will be entertaining, to say the least," she said. "Now then, I really should be getting back to my room. I told Nami-chan I'd only be a moment returning the books. I'm sure it's been several by now."

[fireofshandora.livejournal.com]

"Er, yes. I do not want anyone to...get ideas," Calgara said gruffly, gently releasing her from his hands. He laughed though; it has indeed been many moments; enough to arouse suspicion from their rather sharp navigator.

"I think I will remain down below for a while...I would like to read a bit more." He frowned a little at this. "I feel as though I must."

[maki-tiki.livejournal.com]

Robin nodded in understanding as she summoned a new ladder of pierna fleur. She descended quickly, and waited for Calgara to reach the ground safely before sprouting hands to douse the lantern and push the trap door closed, securing it in the darkness.

Before Calgara could return to the desk where he'd been reading, Robin wrapped her arms around his neck, tiptoeing slightly to reach up and give him one last, gentle kiss.

"Goodnight," she said, then slipped quietly out of the library.

[fireofshandora.livejournal.com]

Calgara watched her go, the memory of her last kiss lingering on his lips. Once the door had clicked shut behind her, the warrior sank into the seat he had vacated moments before, looking thoughtful.

He was a grown man; asking a woman to court him at his age was not common, and he admitted to feeling a little juvenile at the idea. However, there was no denying that things in this time were different than what he was accustomed to, and honestly?

Calgara glanced back up at the closed door, and a smile slowly rose on his lips.

This would be fun. Never before had he met a woman who was strong enough to present him with such a challenge as Nico Robin.