She continued to stare at him, taking in the bloody bandages, cuts, and bruises that covered the majority of his body. He laid there, not capable moving, meeting her angry eyes with a look of unwavering resolve. He didn't understand why she was so upset, correction he did understand, but he didn't like it. Seeing her beautiful face twisted up in anger and regret drove him insane, it was his choice, she had nothing to feel guilty about. Not wanting to see her upset any longer he attempted to get her talking, hoping he could push aside her worries by assuring her that he was fine.

"Robin, it's not that bad."

She just continue to look at his mangled body, her eyes began to tear up, all of her emotions bare for him to see, he hated it. He had done it with her in his mind, only her in fact, but seeing the evident self hate on her face he broke inside, he was always so selfish.

"I'm fine, really. I've been hurt way worse than this." he attempted to say lightheartedly, but it came out more jaded than carefree like he had hoped.

Still nothing.

"Robin please say something."

"Why did you do it?" she asked quietly as if afraid of the answer. He had dreaded this talk, he didn't entirely know himself. His actions had seemed instinctual at the time, she was in danger of getting hurt so he prevented it, the act itself was straightforward, the reasoning was much more complicated.

"Why would you throw yourself in front of his attack?" He had just moved. The crew had been attacked in the early hours of morning by Marines, Chopper who had been on watch had alerted everyone and the battle had begun. These New World Marines weren't jokes either, almost all the ones that had boarded the Sunny were ability users with a rank of at least Captain. The Marines were tough, but the two years the crew had spent training were put to use as everyone quickly finished off their 10 or so opponents when he saw what was about to happen. A fruit user that could throw off his opponents' equilibrium was rising from the deck where Franky had shot him down and aiming his hands at Robin. This guy's chosen way of disrupting his enemy's body was sending a shock-wave that caused their brains to register false pain waves while simultaneously ripping into the nerves that covered the outside of their body. Zoro had watched his blue-eyed crew mate snapping necks and squashing soldiers seemingly oblivious to an attack that would destroy her from the inside out. As, the Marine readied his power to take out the historian Zoro had raced across the deck, taking in the full brunt of the captain's shock-shock fruit powers. He convulsed on deck as he took in pain from every part of his body, the last thing he had seen was Robin breaking the jerk's back before she ran over, repeatedly calling his name, everything went dark after that.

He tried to come up with an answer that she would accept.

"We're nakama."

"Don't lie! If that had been Luffy, or Sanji, or even Usopp, you would have trusted then to handle it, so don't give me that crap. Do you think I'm so weak I can't handle one devil fruit user?" she asked bitterly.

"No..."

"Then why!?"

"Because it would hurt me more to see you injured when I knew I could prevent it than to take on all this pain!

He looked away, not wanting to see her reaction as he finished speaking.

"Because I can't handle seeing you in pain! You crying right now is eating me up on the inside more than any stupid fruit power ever could!

She sat there shocked by his angry confession trying to puzzle out his meaning.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know, but ever since Water Seven I haven't been able to stand seeing you hurt. If I can somehow prevent it then I will, I don't care about what happens to me.

"You would throw your life away to spare mine?"

"If it spared your life, then it wasn't thrown away." he said sternly.

She stared at her hands, vision bleary from tears as he spoke once more.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish Robin." She had never heard the swordsman apologize before.

"I know you can protect yourself, but I can't sit by and see you get injured or worse killed. I don't think I could survive if anything ever happened to you." the swordsman finished, looking down at his clenched fists gripping the sheets.

Her reaction surprised him more than any Marine attack. She stood up and wrapped he arms around his neck, pulling his head so that it was laying on her chest above her heart. He could feel the sporadic beat against his ear. He sat there enjoying her holding him and running her fingers through his hair.

"I feel the same."

He tilted his head up to see her sad eyes watching him.

"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you, especially when you were protecting me."

He reached up and took her tear-stained cheeks in his hands, using his thumbs to brush some of the salty wetness away. His leaned forward pressing his lips to hers, trying to convey all of his pent-up, confused emotions to her. He wasn't entirely sure what he felt, all he knew was that he wanted Robin to stop crying and that her lips moving against his was the most amazing thing he had ever felt. He pull her closer, one hand moving to stroke her raven locks, and the other rubbing comforting circles on the small of her back. He held close after they broke apart, needing to feel her, and realizing he never wanted to let her go.

"I'm not going anywhere."