Work Text:
Robin and Zoro had always been an unlikely pair. They met in college, two people from entirely different worlds, but somehow, they fit. Over time, they fell into a comfortable routine, not realizing how the grind of daily life would slowly chip away at their relationship. Robin had always been the ambitious one, focused and driven, with a passion for history and research that consumed her. Zoro, on the other hand, was the laid-back dreamer.
As a result, he became a math teacher. Nothing exciting to him. He just did it to pay their rent. The free judo lessons he gives after work is the only thing that takes his mind elsewhere. He liked teaching kids how to fight way better than how to calculate.
Making time to see each other is hard. She's a busy overachiever, so while Zoro sleeps all day in their apartment during weekends, Robin is either researching on her laptop in their study room or at University. It both pains them to have such little time together. Zoro's idea of proposing to her has been trotting in his head for the past few months. but would she want it?
They are the quiet type of couple. They don't talk much when they get home. To them, warm touches and sweet words are the most important. They used to talk. A lot. They would rant to each other about things they wouldn't say to their group of friends on a daily basis, but that lasted until she really started investing all of herself in her work. Hell, he doesn't even know what she's researching anymore. He's worried about the state of their relationship. He loves her more than anything in the world and he knows that she does too. But is that enough to keep a relationship going?
Usually, Zoro gets home earlier, but he leaves the place the earliest. Robin always writes something for him on a post-it that she sticks on their dining table. Words such as "Good luck with work, love you!" "Eat well today!'" "I found us a movie to watch tonight^_^" were always welcoming him back home. He always reads that post-it and crushes it before throwing it in the bin. Just a way to tell her that he read it.
When she gets home, he makes sure he has already cooked for them. Sometimes she's back early, and dinner's served hot. Sometimes she's not, and it's cold. But he always waits for her even if his stomach’s furiously growling. He always would. She kisses him on his cheek to wake him up from the couch; he tends to fall asleep while waiting for her. There's always a quick exchange between them, just talking about basic things that happened during their eventful day. They then quietly eat in their kitchen, some wine poured in their glasses when it's friday night. They don't need any more words, their presence is enough. Whenever one of them seems down, the other notices it pretty quickly.
They then head to the shower, after she teases him about his sweaty smell. He always waits for her just to spend some time with his girlfriend. Not that he really cares about stinking.
Showering together every evening gives them the chance to deeply touch each other. Sometimes she tells him that she was thinking about him at work, or that she’s been thinking about what he had done to her the night before. It was also the time for them to have sex. Zoro liked pinning her against the shower's wall while pounding into her as water drops poured on their heads. She liked how comforting the sex was in there, being in a closeted space just to give and receive pleasure from the man she loves.
Then they'd head to bed, both exhausted from their little mating session. If it wasn't enough, they'd go for another round in their bedroom, the couple falling asleep with their arms all tangled up around each other. They both snored in their sleep, but he was louder. He would sometimes wake her up, and her pillow ending on his face. She wants to poke fun at him for snoring so loud but everytime she wakes up in the morning, the apartment is already all hers.
This day was even more exciting to Robin as it was a friday. She eats a little something that he made for breakfast and quickly dresses up before writing him a note. She thought they could order pizza for tonight. Robin locks their apartment and leaves the block, ready to do it all over again for a day.
***
He had just called the pizza place near their flat to order two of them. She liked margaritas the most, so it's all he had ordered.
9pm. 10pm. 11. Zoro started getting worried. Would she ever come back? He didn't want to call her to avoid disturbing her, but what if something happened to her on the way home? He dialed her number, but the call was not picked up. Perhaps she'll call back in a minute.
His mind had started overthinking. Did it really work? Or was it someone else? 9pm was fine before. He knows she has plenty of things to do. but 11pm? It was just too much. He started thinking about the cold pizzas, all the other cold meals they had eaten every night. He did not want to get used to the fact that she was slowly fading from him. no.
In fact, he needed her more than ever. He deeply disliked his job. He never found time to talk about it seriously with her. Perhaps he could call a friend. Despite living with Robin, Zoro sees his friends more often than his girlfriend. that thought enraged him. are they even a thing anymore? his mind went to that history science teacher, a friend of hers. images formed in his head. images he had wished to never think about ever again.
She was his, so why can't he see her? The more he waited the more enraged zoro was. The clock reached 11:30pm. his stomach has been growing for hours and she still hasn't called him back. if this was about work, he'll give her a hard time. Surprisingly, the thought of her being in danger escaped his mind.
He opened the pizza box. it looked so amazingly tasty, making it so hard for him to resist.
He took a slice. and two. three.
Then the door opened.
He looked up at the entrance. there she was, her hair a bit wet from the rain outside. not a single word came out of his mouth. not a smile. He kept on munching on his fourth slice.
"I'm home.." she smiled awkwardly, realizing that she just ignored his call when she was leaving her desk.
"Zoro?" she walked up to him, holding his arm. she saw a single vein traveling his forehead.
"I'm sorry I stayed there until so late, we just finished the research! I have the day off tomorrow. I'll stay here. Hm?"
He knew she would not be totally free tomorrow. she would certainly receive calls and she'd go make some research in their study room.
He huffed.
"There's pizza. Heat it in the microwave." He let go of her hold and walked to the bathroom, even more annoyed.
She watched him walk away helplessly. She knew he was mad. and she didn't want to start a fight.
He had taken a quick shower before getting in bed. tossing and turning around, it was one in the morning and she wasn't with him. He watched her pillow, the room being lit up by the full moon. He heard the water running down in the shower. little did he know, not only water drops were running down her face.
Robin wouldn't cry so easily. In fact, he had never seen her cry. Neither did she, actually.
she stepped out of the shower, drying her body with towels before putting on her nightie. She hoped he was asleep. He fell asleep so fast, so why wouldn't he?
As she walked in their bedroom, Zoro was sitting on their bed, arms crossed against his bulky chest.
"I’m tired," he said, his voice low.
"Why aren’t you sleeping?" she asked, trying to avoid his gaze.
"I’m tired of waiting for you."
His words shot her through her chest, stealing a breath from her.
"Are you coming back at midnight next time? Or are you coming back at all?"
She stood there, staring at the ground, not able to confront his enraged stare.
"I'm-
"You're sorry?"
She quickly nodded.
"Good. You should. I deserve an apology."
She looked at him this time. Teardrops watering her eyes once again.
"How long has it been? When did you start getting home so late?"
"Months. A year. Maybe-.."
His cold gaze froze her body.
"So it's been a year that you practically gave up on taking care of our relationship." He scoffed. "You gave me all the work here."
She kept silent.
"Robin. I love you, you know that?"
Her head nodded.
"And you love me too. So why am I the only one investing myself in us these days?!"
His voice had raised up. She flinched a bit.
"Robin ? Are you even listening to me? Or are you still thinking about work!?"
She nodded quickly, a quiet "Hm" sound coming out of her shaky, closed lips.
He hated to see her cry. At this moment, he just wanted to apologize for raising his voice and making her cry. But the pain he held in his heart was too much to contend with.
He sighed.
"I woke up. I go to work. I wait for you for hours. I starve myself waiting for you. You come back home. We spend some little time together but then you're tired so we're going to sleep. I am so fucking tired of that routine, Robin."
She nodded, which cruelly annoyed him.
"Can't you say anything?!!"
She wiped her right eye. "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry." She sobbed. She felt that too, their relationship falling apart. But she didn't take any action about it. She thought it was just temporary. It would go back to what it was in a few weeks.
"Robin, I'm not the problem here. You know I did my best."
"You are the problem."
She sniffed.
"So fucking fix it. It's either your job, or me."
He picked up his pillow and stood up from the bed. He intended to sleep on the couch, to let her think for one night. He also didn't want to fight any more.
"Here. You can sleep here."
She rubbed her eyes, every inch of her wanting to beg him to stay in that bedroom. He was already gone; he slammed the door behind her, her body shivering in response.
He opened the fridge to get two beers. Fuck it, it's Friday night. He heard sobs behind the door while he gulped the alcohol down his throat. He knew he couldn't do anything about it.
He laid down on the couch after drinking, hands resting under his head. Her sobs faded out, she surely calmed down. At this given moment, Zoro felt remorseful and worried. She could just choose work over him. If so, that means they'd have to break up. That means throwing away every memory they've built together, forgetting her and building a new part of his life without her. He'd lose his dearest friend. To him, it almost seemed as if she was already gone.
But she could always come back.
He heard the door knob turn and the hinges of the door squeak. The sound of her shy footsteps quickly followed after.
She walked up to the couch, holding her hands together behind her back.
She inhaled. "Zoro."
He just groaned in response.
"This is going to be hard for me, but I've made my decision."
His heart dropped at that moment. He couldn't wait any longer to know about her decision. She said it'll be hard. Working less surely can't be hard? He was convinced she was about to leave him.
"What is it." He said unbothered, masking his anxiety.
"I'll leave the research team."
His heart dropped. "What ?"
His gaze finally met hers. Her eyes were red from crying earlier.
She nodded. "It's taking most of my time, I just finished the project anyways, it won't be a problem to stop no-"
"Robin ? Are you serious?" He sat up.
She was frankly confused at his reaction. She simply nodded.
"But you worked so hard to get there. Woman, can't you just be less involved in the research? Do you really have to go there all the time?"
Robin looked down, irritated.
"Zoro.." "You asked me to choose between you and work. Isn't that the answer you wanted?"
"You're quitting something that you've worked so hard to get in. Of course I'm shocked."
"It's okay if that means we get to save our relationship." She looked at him. His eyes were watery.
Come here. He sighed.
Robin sat down next to him. He immediately picked her up to sit her on his lap. He hugged her tight, as if he hadn't seen her for years. She wrapped her arms around his head, his face ending between her breasts. Her fingers drove through his moss-like hair while his thumb caressed her back.
"Okay." Zoro mumbled against her skin.
They cuddled on the couch for the rest of the night, falling asleep late. It didn't matter anymore.