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Oh it had hurt like a bitch, that part he hadn’t faked, when Robin completely incapacitated him at the shipyard. She really had used all her strength in the attack, and he crumbled as any man would have if their gems had been manhandled as such. The issue was, of course, that he might have, maybe, kind of liked it. The prostrating, the crying, the fact that it was her doing it, and her smile all made his insides bubble and swirl like lava. God that smile was really what pushed him over the edge. All that time that they were together fighting for her, and hearing what all she had been through he had learned that it was a rarity, just like Adam wood, so to think that doing that to him made her smile made his wiring short circuit. It hadn't been the pain that day that made sparks shoot out from his body -okay maybe a little-, but mainly it had been that his mechanics and sensory protocols genuinely had not known what to do with the conflicting signals they were receiving. If he even thought about it too much he could feel the tingle of electricity building up inside. He thought about it a lot, though. Thought about her.
Robin; what a woman. He couldn't help but be drawn towards her after being captured together in Water 7, and then their tumultuous escape from Ennies Lobby. The moment she fell into his arms was when the true sparks started and his sincere infatuation began. He knew that she hadn't needed for him to catch her on the deck of the Going Merry, she was more than capable of landing herself, but the fact that she had let him, looking up at him with such a subtle rise in her lips that made the whole world, including Sanji’s obnoxious complaints, fade until it was just her. And boy did she fit so perfectly in his arms. Not just physically, but her presence smoothed the never ending energy coursing through him. Ever since that moment he knew he wanted to feel that way again, to be close to her again.
Hadn't anticipated that the next time their bodies would connect would be with his balls in her hands though, but, again, wasn't entirely a bad experience through and through.
Franky never really shied away from his feelings. He cried when he needed to, and yelled when he thought it best, and his romantic feelings were no different. Except that's a lie and yes, they were different, because while he was fully accepting of these new things he was learning about himself, he didn't know what to do with them. What; tell her?
‘Oi Robin, I think you’re the most Suuper woman in this world and I kinda liked it when you nearly popped my balls off and made me cry so you could get the truth outta me.’
Ugh. He covered his face with his hands and slammed his feet on the floor where he sat in his workshop. What would even come out of telling her? He didn't want to cause tension so soon after joining them on their journey, but the only thing he bottled up was cola, not feelings. He smacked his lips. Tingly. He couldn't think anymore or else he might start a fire in his workshop.
Slapping his knees he got up, grabbed a few things from his work bench and headed up toward the main deck, hoping that being around the others would distract him. He knew it was pathetic, but a small part of him hoped that the catalyst for all this thinking was elsewhere.
She was there. Sitting at a small table on the lawn near the railing, book in hand, the other supporting her chin, and another stirring her drink, hair blowing softly in the breeze.
Fuck. Well, he couldn't exactly go right back down after already saying his hellos to everyone on the lawn so he resigned himself to sitting closer to where Ussop was trying to teach Luffy how to draw a fish, and if his back was to Robin that was wholly unintentional.
But then Luffy sent the paints flying, so he scooted back.
Then Chopper came up and the three started doing some weird dance and he didn't want them to step on his materials so he scooted back some more.
Zoro, after seemingly being kicked out of the kitchen, jumped down to the lawn to do some work outs, but then Luffy jumped on his back, and soon enough they began to tussle, so he scooter back some more.
Damn the sun was in his eyes. He scooted back some more.
Hmm, he’d have to come back and fix this patch of grass, it didn't feel good underneath him. He scooted back some more.
A bit more.
And just a bit more.
“Oh hello there, Mr. Shipwright.”
Franky hoped the electricity that shot down his spine wasn't visible to the naked eye as he heard that low, sultry tone so close to him. He slowly turned to see that he had scooted right next to Robin and was sitting at her feet. She was looking down at him with the softest smile. The setting sun illuminated her bronze skin, and her eyes glowed with everything the world had to offer. Some sparks definitely flew from his neck then, but if she noticed she was kind enough not to make a remark.
“Oh, ah, Hello Ms. Nico.” She closed her eyes and gave a small nod before going back to her book. Huh. He sat there puzzled for a moment before going back to his tinkering as well.
She hadn't sent him away. He had been so sure that she would have in the kindest, bluntest way possible and he would have, of course, respected her wishes but she hadn't. Instead they read and worked in companionable silence. Well, as silent as it could be with the young ones' antics, but it was soft and calming nonetheless. After an hour or so Robin finished her drink and leaned in over Franky's shoulder. His back was still turned because he knew that if he had been facing her all he would have done was stare.
“May I ask what you've been working on?”
Franky jumped at how close and sudden her voice had pierced through his concentration, and saw a spark of electricity run across his thigh. Robin didn't move, but she did apologize for startling him, again with no comment on the sparks.
“Oh it's fine I…” He grabbed his trinket and finally turned around to face her. He took a moment. What a view.
He raised it so it was about eye level with her. It was shaped like a bird, small with articulate plated wings folded at its sides.
“It's just something I've been messing with, pretty basic.” He looked at her to see her reaction so far, and her eyes were large and nearly blank. Franky knew this look to be her thinking face, and he loved that she was trying to figure out his work. He let her take her time, but finally in a soft voice she spoke,
“It's gorgeous; does it do anything?” Franky beamed his bright wide smile.
“Yup! I'm totally gonna add more, but watch this.” Delicately he unfolded one wing, then the other, carefully making sure that one was just a bit lower. Then he took one of the plated feathers at the very tip of the wing, looked at Robin, and twisted it til he felt a small click.
Suddenly the metal bird made a whistling sound and shot up into the air before equalizing above their heads, flying in a circular motion as it sang its song.
He looked at it for a moment before looking back at Robin and he was so glad he was already sitting down, or else he would have fallen right back on his ass. She was smiling. Not just her soft sweet smile but open, teeth showing and eyes wide as she followed the mechanical birds' flight. Franky's whole face went numb. Something he had done made her look like that, something he created made this wonderful woman look so happy. He could cry. He just might.
Then, without looking away Robin put her hand on his shoulder and he all but melted, feeling a shock here and there on his body from the feeling of her hand on him. Her hand, not one of her flores this time.
“This is. I.” She took her time and listened to the bird song again. “This is magnificent. It's so small and sweet, yet functionable.” She looked down at him for just a moment before looking right back up, “Could you tell me how it works?”
Franky happily obliged, explaining how the metal was of a thin light weight Damascus, and by turning that one specific feather released an air pressure pumping system which draws air through the beak and pushed it out in high pressure throughout certain pointed of the body; the bird song had been a total coincidence, actually, and he further explained how if the feathers edges are sharpened enough it’d make for a great surprise attack weapon. Plus he was still figuring out how to put a gun in there somewhere. She laughed during his explanation too, and by that point the trinket had caught the attention of the younger boys and they were all chasing it around, pushing air below it to move it away and around each other. She hadn't moved her hand yet; he never wanted her too.
“Do you like it?” Robin nodded her head, still following its flight.
“I enjoy it very much.”
“I, well, if you're interested in this type of stuff you could always stop by my workshop.” The words flew out his mouth before he knew it, but he didn't regret it one bit. She smiled at him before looking up and laughing behind her hand. He turned to see that the bird had run out of pressure and had landed right on Usopp's nose, who was of course being a drama queen about it.
Franky realized then that his previous observation was wrong. Her smile and laughter weren't rare, but bright and clear and blinding like the sun across the sea and he wanted to be there for every sunrise and every setting, to bask in it for as long as she let him. So what his body literally couldn't take what this woman did to him, sending sparks out every time she made his heart skip a beat but thats okay, he could just build another one; and for her, he most definitely would.