-> x reader with the Cross Guild in the middle! The Archivist of Buggy's crew (you) finds themselves under the scrutiny of Crocodile after the clown's debts come to light. Now, your working with three of the most prolific pirates of the New Age. Congratulations and good luck.
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Obsession Wears a Crown (Doflamingo x Reader)
-> an x reader with an obsessive Doflamingo and an equally as obsessive reader. Being the other half of the monarchy of Dressrosa, there is a ton that you do for your husband. What happens when the world finds out about you and what happens when you start to get involved in your husband's darker activities.
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ASL Brothers <3
Older Brother Luffy
Drabbles
Doflamingo
Archive Works!
Just a few of my works, there are plenty more under my AO3!!!
Mr. Donquixote
The Roger Pirate Apprentices
Change is Gonna Come
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SERIES
COVERT SENTINEL
League of Villains Spy infiltrates UA under the guise of being an assistant to help with the onslaught of oncoming villain attacks against hero students. Becoming an assistant for Class1A sounded perfect...but is it all that it's cracked up to be?
synopsis: kung lao has faced monsters, tournaments, and life-threatening danger. now he faces his most terrifying opponent — a self-conscious, crying girlfriend.
genre: established relationship, hurt/comfort, humor, reluctantly vulnerable lao (<3)
word count: 1.3k
kung lao immediately noticed that you had gone quiet.
it wasn’t your normal quiet. not the kind where you were tired after training or lost in thought. this was different.
you’d barely spoken through dinner. you’d laughed once at something raiden said, but it sounded forced.
you hadn’t teased him all evening, which, frankly, was alarming. because usually by now you’d have made at least three comments about his ego and one about his hair.
instead, you sat beside him on the couch in the temple common room, knees tucked to your chest, staring at absolutely nothing. kung lao glanced over. then away. then back again. still quiet.
“…are you sick?”
you blinked. “no.”
“hm.”
a few minutes passed.
“you sure?”
“yes, lao.”
another few minutes.
“you’ve barely spoken.”
“i’m fine.”
he frowned. you weren’t. he knew you too well by now.
almost a year together had made him annoyingly good at reading you. he knew your different laughs, your different moods, the exact look you got before you started complaining about something, and this, this wasn’t fine.
you looked… sad.
the realization made something uncomfortable twist in his chest.
across the room, kano was talking loudly about something stupid, as usual. kung lao immediately decided it was probably kano’s fault somehow. he couldn’t prove it, but it felt correct.
you shifted slightly beside him, and your eyes looked suspiciously glossy.
his stomach dropped.
oh no.
oh, absolutely not.
crying was not one of the situations he handled well.
fighting? easy.
monsters? fine.
life-threatening danger? no problem.
but a crying girlfriend? terrifying.
he sat there for another minute pretending he wasn’t panicking, then finally sighed. “come here.”
you looked over. “what?”
“come here.”
you were already beside him, which made the request objectively ridiculous. still, he held out an arm.
after a second, you scooted closer. immediately he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you against his side. the tension in your body was instantly noticeable.
his expression softened, just a little. only for you. “hey.”
you didn’t answer.
his hand rubbed your arm. awkwardly. like he was following instructions from a manual.
“are you okay?”
the second the words left his mouth, your lip trembled.
oh no.
no, no, no.
your eyes immediately filled with tears.
kung lao stared. you stared back. for one horrible second neither of you moved.
then a tear slipped down your cheek.
panic.
immediate panic.
“hey.”
another tear.
“oh, come on.”
more tears.
“oh, no.”
you covered your face as a small broken sound escaped you. kung lao completely folded.
“hey, hey, hey.”
his arm tightened around you, one hand immediately finding the back of your head.
“baby.”
another sob and his heart shattered.
“sweetheart.”
you buried your face against his chest.
“okay.”
he pressed a kiss into your hair.
“okay.”
another.
“come here.”
you were already practically in his lap. still.
“come here.”
you let yourself melt against him while he held you close, one hand stroking your hair, the other rubbing slow circles against your back.
he had absolutely no idea what was happening, but he knew you were upset and he hated it. actually hated it.
you cried quietly for a few minutes. kung lao stayed patient, which was how you knew he was genuinely worried — normally he had the attention span of a fruit fly.
eventually your breathing steadied and the tears slowed.
his thumb brushed beneath your eye. “talk to me.”
you looked embarrassed immediately, which somehow worried him more.
“what happened?”
you hesitated. then sighed. “kano said something earlier.”
kung lao’s eyes narrowed instantly. of course it was kano. he knew it. “what did he say?”
you looked away.
“just…” your voice cracked. “he made fun of how i look. my face and stuff. and… my skin.”
kung lao blinked. “what?”
silence. pure silence.
you looked down at your hands. “i mean… he was joking.”
“clearly.”
“but it just…” you swallowed. “i don’t know.”
your eyes started watering again.
kung lao stared at you. then stared some more. waiting for the rest. when no additional explanation came, realization slowly dawned on him. you were upset because—
because you actually believed this nonsense? for a moment he looked genuinely baffled. like you’d just informed him water wasn’t wet.
“you’re kidding.”
you frowned, and his expression immediately changed.
right. wrong response.
he cleared his throat and tried again, softer this time. “…you don’t actually believe him, do you?”
your silence answered for you.
something in his chest squeezed painfully. you looked so small, so uncertain, and kung lao hated seeing uncertainty on you.
especially about yourself.
especially when it came to things he—
well…
things he liked. a lot.
he shifted closer, close enough that your knees bumped. then closer still, until he could tilt your chin toward him.
you refused to meet his eyes.
“look at me.”
“no.”
“look at me.” his voice was firmer now.
reluctantly, you looked. your eyes were still wet. your nose was pink. you looked devastatingly adorable.
okay, not the point. focus.
kung lao took a deep breath. this was horrible. compliments were horrible. vulnerability was horrible. why was this happening to him?
“you look… nice.” you blinked. he immediately looked annoyed at himself. “obviously.” a pause. “very nice.”
you stared. he stared back, like this was physically painful.
“thank y—”
“i wasn’t finished.” the words came out almost offended. you nearly smiled. good. that was progress.
kung lao took another breath. “you have nice eyes.”
your eyebrows lifted.
“they’re pretty. i like them.” another beat of silence. “i’ve always liked them.”
he looked away for half a second, then back.
“and your skin.”
now he was really suffering. you could see it. every compliment looked like it cost him money.
“there’s nothing wrong with your skin.” his thumb brushed your cheek. “you look like… you.”
the words came out quiet, completely honest.
“i don’t know what else you want me to say.”
your eyes softened.
“lao—”
“no, because this is ridiculous.”
there he was. finally finding his footing.
“you’ve seen everyone here.” he gestured vaguely. “half of them look exactly the same.”
that actually made you laugh. a small one, but still. it felt like victory for lao.
his hand settled against your face gently. “you look different.”
“different isn’t always good.”
“it is when it’s you.”
the sentence slipped out before he could stop it.
both of you froze. kung lao looked horrified. like he’d accidentally exposed a vital organ.
you smiled. a real smile this time. “oh my god.”
“don’t.”
“you meant that.”
“i didn’t.”
“you did.”
“i really didn’t.”
you laughed again. lao was blushing now. actually blushing. the sight nearly cured your sadness on its own.
still, he leaned forward until your foreheads touched, his voice quieter now, more serious.
“i think you’re beautiful.”
the words hung between you, rare and precious. because kung lao didn’t hand compliments out easily. you knew exactly what they cost him.
“i always think you’re beautiful.”
his nose brushed yours.
“and you could not pay me enough to care what kano thinks.”
a watery laugh escaped you. “okay.”
“good.”
he pressed a kiss to your forehead.
then another.
then another.
because apparently he wasn’t done.
“you understand?”
you nodded.
“good.”
he wrapped both arms around you and pulled you into his chest again, holding you so close it was almost impossible to breathe. not that either of you minded.
a few moments later, after the silence settled comfortably around you, his voice spoke from above your head.
“if it helps, i think kano looks like a thumb.”
a laugh burst out before you could stop it, and immediately kung lao looked smug.
there he was, your boyfriend. crisis averted, ego restored, already taking credit for fixing everything.
“you laughed.”
“you’re ridiculous.”
“i know.”
his chin rested on top of your head. his arms tightened. and much more quietly, so quietly you almost missed it—
“you’re so much prettier than everyone else, by the way.”
but of course, he pretended he hadn’t said it at all.
the firelight in liu kang’s private chambers danced low and warm, casting golden flickers across the ancient stone walls. outside, the stars hung heavy over the temple, but inside it was quiet, save for the soft rustle of silk and the occasional contented sigh.
liu kang, once a champion, now a god, sat with his back against the headboard, with you tucked perfectly between his legs and against his chest. his strong arms were wrapped around your waist like he feared the universe itself might try to steal you away if he loosened his grip even a fraction. his chin rested atop your head, thumb idly tracing slow circles over your hip.
you could feel the steady thrum of his heart against your back, always a little faster when you were this close.
“liu…” you murmured sweetly, tilting your head just enough to look up at him with those big, sparkling eyes. “i’m still cold.”
a soft chuckle rumbled through his chest. “i have stoked the braziers three times, my love. the room is warmer than midday in the desert.”
you didn’t even bother hiding your smile. instead, you turned in his arms, shifting until you were straddling his lap, hands resting lightly on his broad shoulders. you gave him the full treatment: slightly parted lips, lashes fluttering, a tiny pout forming as you gazed up at him through your lashes.
“but i’m still cold,” you whispered, voice honey-soft. “won’t you warm me properly?”
liu kang’s golden eyes softened instantly, the fire in them flickering like a candle in the wind. the son of the dragon, feared across realms, looked utterly helpless.
“you are going to be the end of me,” he breathed, already leaning in. one large hand slid up your back, pulling you flush against him as the other gently cupped your cheek. his lips met yours slowly, reverent, like he was tasting something sacred. heat bloomed around you both, a gentle, enveloping warmth that chased away any chill that had ever existed.
when he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, eyes half-lidded and adoring.
“better?” he asked, voice husky.
“mmm… almost.” you bit your lip, tilting your head with another devastatingly effective doe-eyed look. “i think i need tea. you know, the jasmine one that i like.”
liu kang raised an eyebrow, lips twitching with amusement even as he was already moving. “it is the middle of the night.”
you pouted harder, fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “please? for me?”
he exhaled a defeated laugh, pressing a kiss to your forehead, then the tip of your nose, then your pouty lips again. “you know i can deny you nothing. i am utterly ruined for anyone else.”
with impossible grace, he rose, lifting you with him as if you weighed nothing. instead of setting you down, he carried you bridal-style toward the low table where the tea set waited. you giggled, arms looped around his neck, face tucked happily against his shoulder.
“you’re so whipped,” you teased, kissing his jaw.
“shamelessly,” he admitted without hesitation, voice warm with affection. “one look from you and i would rewrite timelines if it made you smile.” he set you gently on the cushioned bench, kneeling to prepare the tea with careful movements.
you watched him, heart fluttering. he really would. this powerful, ancient being who carried the weight of existence… looked at you like you were his entire universe.
when the tea was ready, he handed you the cup with both hands, then sat beside you, immediately pulling you into his lap again like he couldn’t bear even a foot of distance.
you took a sip, humming happily, then offered him some from your own cup. he drank without protest, eyes never leaving your face.
“anything else, my heart?” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “the moon? a new realm? more blankets? you are only to name it.”
you laughed softly, setting the cup aside so you could cup his face with both hands. “just you. like this. always.”
liu kang’s expression melted completely. he turned his head to kiss your palm, then pulled you down into another lingering kiss that tasted like jasmine and devotion.
“i am yours,” he whispered against your lips. “completely. hopelessly. forever.”
you smiled, victorious and so very in love, knowing that all it ever took was a pout, a flutter of lashes, and those big doe eyes, and your man would move heaven and earth just to keep you warm and happy in his arms.
the following afternoon, the low table in his chambers was scattered with bamboo steamers and little dipping sauces as you sat for lunch. you had already polished off your own dumplings with impressive speed, chopsticks now resting innocently on your empty plate. liu kang, ever the picture of composure, was still working through his portion with slow bites, steam curling gently around his face.
you stared at the perfectly pleated dumpling pinched between his chopsticks. then you looked at him. then back at the dumpling.
a soft pout formed on your lips.
liu kang felt it immediately. he knew that look. he kept his eyes fixed firmly on his food, refusing to glance your way.
“no,” he said calmly before you even spoke, popping the dumpling into his mouth.
you huffed, cheeks puffing out. “i didn’t even say anything yet!”
“you didn’t have to.”
you scooted closer on your knees, leaning forward. “liu… look at meeee.”
he turned his face the other way, biting back a smile as he reached for another dumpling. his shoulders trembled just slightly with suppressed laughter.
“liu kang!”
a little grunt of frustration left you as you poked his arm. “look at meeeee.”
he kept chewing, deliberately angling his head away, though the corner of his mouth was twitching dangerously.
you let out a dramatic huff, then a grumpy little grunt, scooting even closer until your knees bumped his thigh. “look. at. me.”
still, he refused, eyes sparkling with amusement as he lifted another dumpling toward his lips.
“this isn’t how it’s supposed to gooooo,” you whined, voice pitching into full toddler territory. the pout was now in full force, brows drawn together in the most adorable scowl.
before he could react, you reached up with both hands, cupping his face and turning it toward you with surprising determination. you pressed your forehead firmly against his, staring straight into his eyes with that intense, grumpy pout.
liu kang finally cracked.
a soft, helpless laugh escaped him as he met your gaze and lowered his chopsticks. the exasperated sigh that left him was pure theater, fondness practically dripping from every syllable.
“you are impossible,” he murmured, forehead still resting against yours. his thumbs brushed tenderly over your cheeks. “completely impossible.”
you didn’t move, just kept pouting, nose brushing his. “you’re supposed to fold immediately.”
his smile widened, warm and utterly defeated. “i was trying to be strong for once.”
“fail!” you declared, still grumpy but eyes sparkling with victory.
liu kang exhaled a long, theatrical sigh, then brought the dumpling to your lips.
“here, my demanding little tyrant,” he said softly, voice full of affection.
you opened your mouth and let him feed you, eyes fluttering happily as you chewed. the moment the dumpling was gone, you leaned in and pressed a sweet, sauce-flavored kiss to his lips. liu kang hummed against your mouth, one arm sliding around your waist to pull you fully into his lap, the resistance from moments ago completely forgotten.
“you win again,” he whispered, pressing kisses along your temple. “as always.”
you giggled, nuzzling into his neck with a satisfied little sigh. “good. now give me another.”
he laughed outright this time, already reaching for the steamer. “yes, my love.”
that evening the courtyard pavilion was lively with the clink of cups and boisterous laughter. a rare casual gathering had brought together old allies and reluctant acquaintances. kung lao was spinning his hat on one finger while bragging about his latest victory. kano lounged back with a mug of something strong, smirking like he owned the place. johnny cage, of course, was in the middle of telling an exaggerated story about his last movie, complete with sound effects.
liu kang sat at the head of the low table, the picture of divine composure… until you strolled up beside him.
you didn’t even say anything at first. you just placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and gave him the look.
big doe eyes. soft pout. slight head tilt.
liu kang’s spine straightened like he’d been struck by lightning.
“my love,” he said quietly, already turning toward you with that helplessly fond expression.
kung lao’s hat clattered onto the table. kano raised an eyebrow. johnny cage actually stopped mid-sentence.
you leaned down, lips brushing his ear as you whispered just loud enough for the table to hear, “i’m bored. and i want to go back to our chambers now. carry me?”
a beat of silence.
then johnny cage let out a loud, dramatic laugh. “no way. he’s about to fold like a cheap lawn chair. in public.”
kung lao crossed his arms, grinning. “liu? have some dignity, brother.”
liu kang didn’t even glance at them. his golden eyes were locked on your face, softening more with every second. he reached up and gently cupped your cheek, thumb stroking your skin like you were made of fragile starlight.
“you are bored?” he asked softly, as if that were the most important crisis in all the realms. “of course i’ll take you.”
you batted your lashes and added the tiniest whimpering pout. “my feet hurt from walking here…”
that was the killing blow.
without another word, liu kang rose from his seat, slid one arm under your knees and the other behind your back, and lifted you effortlessly. your arms looped around his neck as you nuzzled happily into his chest.
kung lao’s jaw dropped. “you’re actually doing this. right now. in front of us.”
kano shook his head, cackling. “mate, you’re embarrassing all men across the universe right now.”
liu kang finally spared them a glance, utterly unbothered. a small, serene smile played on his lips as he held you closer.
“she is my universe,” he said simply. “the rest of you are merely… visiting.”
you giggled and pressed a kiss to his jaw, then looked over his shoulder at the stunned trio with a victorious little smirk.
kung lao threw his hands up. “unbelievable.”
johnny cage called after you both, “at least give us a rating! on a scale of one to ‘i’d burn the realms for her,’ where we at?”
liu kang ignored them completely. he simply pressed his lips to your temple and started walking toward your shared chambers, murmuring soft promises against your skin.
“would you like a bath first? or honey cakes? i can have the servants bring anything you want…”
you hummed happily, legs swinging a little in his arms. “a bath sounds nice... and maybe those dumplings from earlier.”
“done,” he whispered, pressing another kiss to your hair. “anything for you.”
behind you, kano’s loud voice echoed across the courtyard, “never thought i’d see the day a woman broke a monk with a fucking pout!”
you laughed into liu kang’s neck. he only smiled wider, utterly and happily ruined.
steam rose gently from the large marble bath, scented with jasmine and rose petals liu kang had personally scattered in the water. you were already half-melted in the warm water when he joined you, kneeling behind you on the wide stone ledge. his strong hands moved with reverent care, gently washing your hair, massaging your scalp until you were practically purring.
“mm… you spoil me too much,” you murmured, eyes half-closed.
liu kang’s low chuckle brushed against your ear. “there is no such thing as spoiling you, my heart. you deserve this every day.”
he poured warm water over your shoulders, watching the droplets trace down your skin like he was witnessing something divine.
after the bath, he wrapped you in the softest towel and carried you to the bed without letting your feet touch the floor even once. you pretended to protest that you could walk, but one little pout and a flutter of lashes later, he simply smiled and held you tighter.
“none of that,” he whispered, kissing your temple. “let me take care of you.”
he laid you down gently on the silk sheets and fetched the bottle of your favorite lotion. with slow, worshipful strokes, he warmed it between his palms and began massaging it into your whole body, every touch full of quiet devotion. his eyes never left your face, drinking in every sigh of pleasure you made like it was the most beautiful sound in existence.
“you’re staring again,” you teased softly.
“i cannot help it,” he admitted, voice husky. “you are the most perfect creation i have ever laid eyes on.”
when he finished with the lotion, he helped you into a fresh silk robe the color of moonlight, tying the sash with careful fingers. then he sat behind you on the bed, legs bracketing yours, and picked up your comb.
you leaned back against his bare chest with a contented hum as he began brushing your damp hair in long, gentle strokes. each pass was slow and methodical, like a sacred ritual. every tangle was handled with infinite patience. occasionally he’d lean down and press a kiss to the top of your head, your shoulder, the side of your neck.
“you don’t have to do all this,” you whispered, even as you melted further into him.
liu kang’s arms slid around your waist, pulling you closer as he continued brushing. “i want to. there is nothing i would rather do than care for you.” his voice dropped even softer. “you have me so completely, my love. one look from you and i forget every duty, every responsibility. i would spend eternity just like this… bathing you, dressing you, brushing your hair… if you asked.”
you turned your head slightly, giving him the full doe-eyed treatment with a tiny, playful pout. “even if i asked every single night?”
he let out a soft, helpless laugh and rested his forehead against yours. “especially if you asked every single night.”
you smiled victoriously and tilted your head back for a kiss. he gave it to you instantly, slow, deep, and full of so much love it made your chest ache.
when he finally pulled back, he nuzzled his nose against yours. “all done, my princess. though i admit… i am already looking forward to doing this again tomorrow.”
you giggled and snuggled deeper into his arms, feeling safe, warm, and utterly adored. liu kang held you like you were the center of all creation, eyes shining with pure, hopeless devotion.
the next afternoon, the same group had gathered again near the training grounds. you were sitting beside liu kang, quietly sipping tea, when kano spotted you both and grinned like a shark.
“well if it isn’t the little princess,” kano called out loudly. “still got your personal assistant on a leash?”
johnny cage leaned back with a dramatic whistle. “i’m telling you, i’ve seen oscar-winning performances with less commitment. one pout and the man drops everything. respect, honestly… but also, damn.”
you tried to laugh along at first, but the words stuck. by the time they moved on to other topics, something heavy had settled in your chest.
maybe they were right. maybe you had been taking it too far. asking too much. using the power you had over liu kang just because you could.
the rest of the day you were quiet. no pouts. no doe eyes. no soft little demands.
when liu kang offered to carry you across the courtyard because the sun was hot, you shook your head and walked. when he asked if you wanted your favorite honey cakes, you politely said you were fine. every time he looked at you with that gentle, expectant warmth, you gave him a small smile instead of the look he adored.
by evening, he was quietly unraveling. he kept stealing glances at you, brow furrowed, eyes filled with worry. he canceled his evening duties without being asked. the moment you two were finally alone in your chambers, he closed the door softly and turned to you.
silence stretched.
“my love,” he said gently, stepping closer. “you’ve been quiet all day. you haven’t asked for anything. you haven’t even looked at me the way you usually do.” his voice softened with concern. “have i done something to upset you?”
you stood near the window, arms wrapped around yourself. he spoke so kindly that your bottom lip started to wobble. tears welled up fast, blurring your vision. you couldn’t look at his face. instead, you stared fixedly at the center of his chest, blinking hard.
liu kang was in front of you in an instant.
he dropped to one knee to look up at you, large hands gently cupping your elbows. “darling… talk to me. please.”
a tiny sob slipped out. the tears finally spilled.
“kano and johnny,” you whispered, voice shaky. “they were laughing about how whipped you are. how i just… pout and you drop everything. how i make you carry me and brush my hair and cancel your duties…” your breath hitched. “maybe they’re right. i’ve been too much. i don’t want to take advantage of you, liu kang. you have responsibilities and i’ve been acting like a spoiled brat who—”
“stop.”
his voice was soft but firm. in the next breath he stood, scooped you up, and carried you to the bed. he sat against the headboard and settled you in his lap, cradling you against his chest like you might disappear if he loosened his hold.
liu kang pressed his lips to the top of your head, then your temple, then your wet cheeks, kissing away every tear.
“my heart… look at me,” he whispered.
when you hesitantly met his eyes, his expression was so full of love it hurt.
“you have never been too much,” he said, voice low and steady. “never. not once.” he brushed damp strands of hair from your face with careful fingers. “do you know what my life was before you? endless duty. wars. sacrifice. i carried the weight of every realm on my shoulders.”
he tilted your chin up gently.
“you are the only thing in existence that is mine. not because i demand it, but because you chose me. and every time you pout, every time you bat those beautiful lashes and ask me for something… i feel joy. real, selfish joy. because it means i get to take care of you. it means you trust me with your wants, your needs, your whims.”
he leaned his forehead against yours.
“i am not ‘whipped’. i am devoted. willingly. if the others mock me, let them. they will never understand what it is to love someone so completely that their happiness becomes the center of your universe.” his thumbs wiped fresh tears from your cheeks. “you are not a burden. you are my greatest peace. my sweetest weakness. my everything.”
your lip wobbled harder. “but… i don’t want to distract you from important things…”
“but you are the most important thing,” he said without hesitation. “everything else can wait. the realms have survived without me for a few hours. they will survive again tomorrow if you want me to stay in bed and brush your hair until noon.”
a tiny, watery laugh escaped you. liu kang smiled, warm and relieved, and kissed you softly.
“there she is,” he murmured against your lips. “my spoiled, impossible, precious girl.”
he pulled the blankets over both of you and tucked you against his chest, one hand slowly stroking your back.
“promise me something,” he whispered into your hair.
“hm?”
“never hold back again. if you want something, ask. pout. give me those devastating doe eyes. make me weak. it is my favorite thing in all the realms.”
you sniffled, burying your face in his neck. “i love you.”
“and i love you,” he breathed, holding you tighter. “beyond reason. beyond duty. beyond anything.”
liu kang stayed awake long after you fell asleep in his arms, pressing occasional kisses to your forehead, perfectly content to spoil you for the rest of eternity.
when soft morning light filtered through the paper screens, you woke slowly, nestled against a solid, warm chest. liu kang’s arms were wrapped around you securely, one beneath your head, the other draped over your waist, holding you like you were the most precious treasure in existence. his breathing was slow and steady, but the moment you stirred, his hold tightened just slightly.
he was already awake.
“good morning, my heart,” he whispered, voice husky with sleep. his lips pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead, then another to the tip of your nose. “did you sleep well?”
you hummed softly, nuzzling deeper into his bare chest, eyes still heavy. the memory of last night’s tears and his gentle reassurances came back, warming you from the inside.
“mhm… best sleep i’ve had in a while,” you murmured, fingers tracing lazy circles over his skin. “you stayed like this the whole night?”
“i could not bear to let you go.” his hand slid up your back in slow, soothing strokes, fingertips brushing beneath the silk of your robe. “i watched over you until the sun rose. even then, i did not want to move.”
you tilted your head up to look at him. those deep brown eyes were already soft and full of devotion, drinking you in like he’d been waiting hours just for this moment.
“i’m sorry about yesterday,” you whispered, a little shy. “for getting quiet… and for crying all over you.”
liu kang shook his head immediately, cupping your cheek with one large hand.
“you never need to apologize for telling me how you feel.” he leaned down and kissed you, slow and tender and full of quiet morning affection. when he pulled back, his forehead rested gently against yours. “i am only sorry the others made you doubt yourself. their words mean nothing. this,” he squeezed you closer, “means everything.”
you smiled, the last remnants of worry melting away under his gaze. you gave him a small, playful pout, just a tiny one. “so… i can still be a little spoiled?”
liu kang’s entire face lit up with a warm, helpless smile. he looked utterly smitten.
“always,” he breathed, like the word itself brought him joy. “demand anything you want. today, tomorrow, every day after. i live for it.”
his hands roamed slowly over your back, massaging in lazy circles as he pressed more kisses along your jaw and down your neck.
“tell me what you want this morning,” he murmured against your skin. “breakfast in bed? another bath? shall i brush your hair again? or would you like me to carry you out to the garden and feed you honey cakes while the monks pretend not to stare?”
you let out a soft laugh, burying your face in his neck. “you really are gone for me, aren’t you?”
“completely,” he admitted without hesitation, voice warm with happiness. “hopelessly. irrevocably.”
for a long while, the two of you stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, trading lazy kisses and quiet whispers. liu kang’s fingers never stopped their gentle caress, as if he couldn’t stand even a second without touching you.
eventually, you lifted your head and gave him the softest doe-eyed look, lips pouting just a little.
“…can we stay like this for a while longer?”
liu kang’s eyes sparkled with pure adoration. he pulled the blanket higher around your shoulders and held you tighter, pressing his lips to the top of your head.
“we can stay like this all day if you wish,” he whispered. “the realms can wait. i have everything i need right here.”
you sighed happily, melting back into his arms as the morning light grew brighter around you both.
safe. loved. completely spoiled by one of the most powerful beings in existence, who wouldn’t have it any other way.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: obsessive personalities, yandere both platonic and romantic, Doflamingo, talk of slaves and owning a person, SA, violence, mentions of suicide
ONLY on TUMBLR UNDER ACEANDURMOM <3
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You loved your husband. You adored the man in a way that no one could ever truly comprehend. The freedom he had given you and the worship he provided at your altar was complex and devoted. You felt every emotion he did and the both of you were connected in a way that was indescribable. But due to this, he no longer treated you like Lucci was now.
Like you were dangerous.
Like you were feral.
The basement was dark and damp, your knees forced to the stone floor and made to stay there. Your wrists were chained to the wall behind you and a collar forced on your neck. It fit the scars laying there perfectly, the same brand and constant low thrum of electricity familiar. You closed your eyes and hummed along with it before looking up at Lucci under your lashes. You tried to breathe normally but the dread you tried so hard to forget was making its way back into your chest. The pit in your stomach growing deeper and your lungs forgetting how to properly function. The flush on your face was burning, you knew what kind of state you were reduced to in situations like this. You tried to pretend it was Doffy hovering over you, but the two men couldn’t be more different. The way Lucci looked at you now was predatory, and it caused a moan to escape your lips. It felt awful to react like this with someone that wasn't Doflamingo, but this treatment was bringing back things you haven't completely coped with yet.
Lucci glared down at you in the dark, his pupils dilating at seeing you bound like you were made for it. Surely you knew this was your fate the moment you had caught his eye. No one else became as close to him as you had. No one had ever come close to what the two of you did in the dead of night. He huffed thinking of it, having to turn and leave you here before he did something stupid. He had to at least wait until after you had made it to Enies Lobby.
You watched him leave. Always a coward when it came down to following through. You had always taken the lead with him, and even now he was turning tail and running away. You growled under your breath, growing frustrated at the neglect. This was one of the reasons Doflamingo was perfect for you.
He never went against unspoken promises. He knew what you needed before even you did, the man knowing everything without you having to even speak a word. But you had conveyed the best you could with Lucci, your body acting despite your mind knowing better. Even with your begging eyes and blushing face he had turned on you. You spit in the direction the man had left in, angry in a way that your body grew tense and burned. You missed your husband. Except that thought pissed you off more, the reminder of your crushed ring scattered across the bar floor to be thrown away was infuriating. Tears burned in your eyes before you blinked them away, trying to regulate your breathing to think better in this instance. You had always been an angry crier. What were you going to do now? Should you wait it out? Should you break the chains and fuck this situation entirely? The only reason you were this far was because you were curious and it had been a long time since you had seen Lucci. Admittedly, he used to be something you looked forward to, something you could control. He had been so pliant under your touch, accepting of whatever you threw at him in his inexperience. Your own sadomasochism drew out his own, unintentionally creating him in your image and making him into what he was now.
You only hoped that Zoro had understood your plea, the snail in his hands and your lover’s number scrawled in your hurry. You knew the boy was smart, and you knew you had told Doffy what to do if you were to do something like this. To give his number to a member of the crew in a case of absolute desperation. You told him to listen and not to speak a word until they explained, and even then to hang up before saying too much. There was nothing that was going to mess up your mission to get Law back to Dressrosa. And now you knew you wanted more than that, a being of greed to your very core.
You wanted Luffy and Zoro too. To have the three boys under your care and in the Family. To live a life of piracy and corruption with your husband at your side and with them as your boys. Dellinger was already your son, but now you craved more than that. He was more than enough as he was, it was just your heart now bled for more than just your small patchwork family, it now included three others that you were going to have. You would kill Doflamingo if he screwed this up and then kill yourself. It was an image you had thought of many times: the epitome of true love the image you had curated in the depths of your mind.
You slowly drifted off into sleep with the scene in your head, smiling as you dreamt of the perfect ending to your life. Pictures of blonde hair coated in blood, glasses strewn on the floor and lenses broken, chest exposed with a sea stone bullet embedded in the center. His pink feathered coat would be under his body, white shirt in tatters and covered in blood spatter. Your own body would lie opposite of his, heads next to the other and noses touching. You would lift the gun and-
The door opened and your body jerked awake. It seemed as if old habits came back with a vengeance without you even meaning them to. These were the things that kept you alive and would continue to try to do so. It was one of the earlier two you didn’t recognize, he had a longer nose and blonde hair. He also had kind eyes, genuine, something that you weren’t expecting of a CP9 agent. He pouted seeing you there, pointedly staring at the collar before huffing. He walked towards you slowly, as if you were a terrified mouse backed against the wall. You bared your teeth, not at all tired from your restless slumber. He put his hands up quickly, ceasing his advances once he was a few feet in front of you. Your knees dug into the stone harder as you lunged forward, trying to get him to leave so you could fantasize once more.
“Sh, sh, sh, easy there, lovely. I don’t mean any harm, promise.”
He closed his eyes and knelt down, opening them once more as soon as he was situated. He stared hard, eyes flitting about your entire body before humming appreciatively.
“My name is Kaku. Sorry to be so nosy, but Lucci never lets anyone close to him, so we’re all kinda curious.”
You continued to glare, distrusting, but you returned to your prior position. Snarl returning back to your pouting you let yourself indulge in for once.
“We met before he was who he is now. I was by his side since he was in training.”
You divulged the information, not at all against letting people know about him. Especially since you had no attachment to him any longer. Once he may have been a break for you, a reprieve in your sorrow filled days. Now he was only a pain in your ass, standing in the middle of the path you had so carefully curated. Even thinking about it was frustrating you again. You missed your boys dearly, craving the sunshine that was Luffy and the steady rock that was Zoro. Eye twitching, you relaxed further into the chains in order to save your energy. You looked again to this man.
Kaku.
“What exactly do you want to know? I don’t have anything very interesting on him-”
His eyes sparkled, a childlike gleam in them as he leaned forward. Your heart stuttered, watching as the man reverted to an excited teenager. It burned in your chest, the platonic affection blooming seeing him act in such a way. It burned fierce after knowing exactly how these assassins were trained and how young they were when recruited. Your eyes focused and you perked up, a small grin forming despite your best intentions. It was always the subtle signs that drew you in. The longing in Luffy’s eyes as he stares out at sea, even after sailing for weeks without finding land his eyes never stray from the blue vastness. The way Zoro always stays by your side, even after deeming you safe around the crew. It had started out of necessity and now he does so because he wants to, always keeping an eye on your surroundings no matter how many times the both of you stray from the path. It’s in the way Kaku leans forward and is childishly excited at the very idea of learning something new and secret. You decided to indulge in the boy.
“Tell me everything you know!”
He whispered, excitement lacing his tone so blatantly it caused an ache in your chest.
You leaned into his space, allowing him closer in the process.
“He was the sweetest man I had ever met. The kindest I had ever interacted with until that point in my life.”
His mouth hung open, eyebrows furrowed as he gaped.
“No fucking way-”
You nodded, pressing a finger to your lips.
“I know. He was always something to fear though. As kind as he was, he was just as dangerous. Even the Celestial Dragons were wary of him. That’s why he was allowed to be near me, I was an offering to him of sorts to ensure his cooperation.”
He leaned back, a deep seeded sorrow passing his features. A grimace on his lips and you desperately wanted it gone.
“What’s with that face, amorcito?”
You went to caress his cheek but was violently reminded of the chains clasped to your wrists. Groaning, you threw your head back against the wall.
“Ugh! Fuck this!”
Coating your hands in haki you pulled as hard as you could and broke the chains. You had allowed Lucci to play his games and to play with his little friends, but you were starting to get genuinely exhausted with the entire ordeal, expecting some kind of violence or fight. Standing, you rolled your neck before facing the man in front of you. He has yet to move but his gaze had shifted. You refused to let that happen, wanting that childlike wonder back.
Crouching in front of him, you reached to his face and caressed under his eye, fingers curling behind his ear.
“I apologize, little one, but those were terribly prohibiting.”
He blinked a few times before snorting.
“I should have known someone that enticed Rob Lucci of all people was going to be more complicated than that.”
You nodded, leaning your forehead against his before pulling away.
“Indeed, but now you know better. Now.”
Standing straight, you popped your back and rubbed at the bruises on your wrists. The stiffness faded and you were left with what to do with this man that had caught your attention for a multitude of reasons. Humming, you smiled.
“Alright then. My dear, if you could take me to Lucci so we can settle this…disagreement. I do hope he isn’t expecting me to truly meet with Spandam of all people. This has severely complicated my plans for the next few months.”
Kaku stood, sighing before smiling the prettiest grin. One that was without malice or ill intent. One you decided then and there you would protect as much as possible. If you were going to grow your patchwork family, then this man would do just perfectly as your little brother.
If you were to be honest, this habit of hoarding family had no concrete origin. Perhaps your Devil Fruit was the instigator, or maybe it was the lack of having anything to yourself as a slave. Either way, the nature of your being craved to collect and protect these treasures of yours. The further you branched out from Doflamingo the more you saw in others and the need to have them grew. You were starting to see a trend here, not being able to leave Kaku and refusing to leave Water 7 without him by your side to ensure his happiness and well being. You only hope he wouldn’t freak out when you left with him in hand.
The two of you ventured out of Blueno’s Bar and into the chaos that was the city. It looked as if all hell had broken loose, gang members and civilians scrambling about. Kaku plucked up a man from the Galley La company and asked what was going on. Turns out the rookies you were travelling with got entangled with CP9’s plot and were now on the way to Enies Lobby. Pinching your brow, you huffed. Kaku let the man go and shrugged, taking your hand and pulling you close before throwing youover his shoulder.
“Apologies, but I can Moonwalk and get us there faster.”
You hummed, letting him know there were no hard feelings. More focused on getting to your present crew than worrying about appearances. You didn’t realize what it might look like to anyone else, especially not paying enough attention to see a Donquixote servant pointing you out to their associate and phoning the Young Master.
The train was quiet.
Kaku led you through the train cars with a gentle hand, still having you carried to move quicker as he knew the layout. It only took moments after landing on the Sea Train to get to the car with both CP9 and Nico Robin. The door opened causing every person present tense, ready to fight before the Haki presence even registered. Kaku grinned, waving to the others before setting you down. Robin’s eye widened before she steeled herself, refusing to break in front of these men (and one woman).
It was Lucci that had the reaction, surprising both Robin and his peers.
He was seething, eyes narrowed and already stalking towards the both of you. You pushed Kaku behind you, stepping in front of him and baring your teeth.
“You will not lay a hand on him-”
The leopard refused to hear you out, hand encompassing your throat and holding firm. His eyes bore into yours as he spoke.
“What exactly are you doing here? I thought I had you all prettily tied up downstairs.”
His eyes slid to Kaku.
“Why are they here?”
He tightened his grip, a flutter of your lashes at the question. Screw it, it had been a long time since you had any attention of this nature. Sighing softly, you relaxed into his hold and rolled your eyes.
“You should know better by now, Lu, I learn quickly and Seastone means nothing to me. I am more than my Devil Fruit, assassin.”
His lip curled and his own fangs were bared, a dark glare passed over his eyes before he breathed heavily.
“You will stay in my sight from now on, I refuse to let you roam without knowing what you’re capable of now.”
He shoved you down into the seat across from Robin, situating himself beside you and grabbing a hold of the nape of your neck. He curled his fingers into the hair near your neck, fisting his hand to grasp onto a bundle of strands.
He glowered down at you, voice deep and unrelenting.
“You will not move, you hear me?”
You were tempted to spit on him until Kaku spoke up.
“Ya know, the way they talked about you I thought you would be a lot nicer to them, Lucci.”
He tried to ease the tension and he succeeded in making you huff a laugh. You met the boy’s gaze, eyes crinkling in amusement.
“Silly boy, this is the kindest anyone had treated me back then. You will do well to remember I do not lie.”
Robin paled, watching as even Kaku stumbled over his words. Khalifa was next to the other woman, Robin hearing her swallow before averting her eyes.
It was broken up by a thud on the window, a man crashing in and shooting something into the air. It was unexpected and distracting. Perfect for what he had intended. The 'unknown' grabbed Robin and ran, not a sign of him or the Wanted woman anywhere to be seen.
You knew who it was, could sense his Haki long before he had arrived. You had tried to stall for time by instigating Lucci, pushing him as much as you could to make him lose focus. It had worked, and now he was furious. His neck tensed and a vein protrudded from his temple. He grit his teeth and growled, staring down at you and pulling your head back.
“You knew he was coming.”
It was not a question.
“You’re starting to fuck up, Rob. What happened to that perfect-”
He stood and slammed your head into the opposite window, busting your nose in the process. You moaned at the aggression, having missed the adrenaline now running fervent in your veins. Blinking, you cleared away the tears as fast as you could and then licked your lips. The blood stained your teeth, iron taste overtaking any other sense you currently had. A moment of euphoria before you came back into your body and saw Lucci. His anger had melted away and he was staring at you in awe, a lovesick expression, fleeting, but still there. His hand shook in your hair before he forced himself out of your face.
“We’re almost at Enies Lobby. I hope you have a good memory, diavolina.”
The rest of the trip was spent catching Kaku up on all the shit he had missed. Lucci hadn’t had time to get both you and Robin at the same time so he got the Devil Child while he could, not at all worried about you possibly fleeing. It was a mistake he now realized he had made, now that he had Robin missing and now you were in his grasp. He should have made the detour to gather you as well, to have both of his pieces on the board instead of having to sacrifice one instead. Kaku had been eyeing you the entire time, his interest not escaping Lucci’s attention. It was starting to grate on his nerves, more so considering you only smiled gently at the man. Why were you so tamed with him, what did that brat do or say to have you so docile so...gentle?
The train ceased its movements once Enies Lobby came into view. The agents all escorted you off the ship, surrounding you in a circle as Lucci dragged you by your hair. The walk was quiet, stifling. The door came faster than you wanted, dread building at having to see Spandam again. You had been glad when his father retired, only to be appalled at his son being the one to take over afterwards. You would have preferred the old bastard to this fool any day.
The blonde woman opened the door, Blueno stepping in first before Lucci did. The lavender haired man was leaning on the front of the desk in the middle of the room, his pale skin causing you to grimace. He was slender, unhealthily so, the gaudy straps covering his face a blessing to all who witnessed him. Any more of his exposed flesh and you were sure to vomit. His eyes widened upon your arrival, a sick sense of glee filling his body as he set eyes on you. The little runaway Head Slave that ended up killing their Celestial Dragon. What fun.
His mouth opened and he pushed off the desk, only to be stopped by the dark glare Lucci sent his way.
“They know of the Joker as well as where the remaining SMILE factories are functioning. Grab a map.”
Spandam recovered slowly, frowning before huffing. Only to go dash to grab a map of the entire ocean as told. It was clear he feared the assassin, just like everyone else always did. It was odd to see the man in charge of the other, the supposed boss being ordered by his subordinate. How amusing.
You were pushed into the room, head tugged in front of the map. You looked across the parchment, thinking of the factories that were in Kaido’s domain that wouldn’t terribly affect Doffy’s franchise. It would be enough to give them just one location, but the longer you thought about it, the Yonko deserved an attack to his ego. Then the memory of Law crossed your mind, you couldn’t give the one on Punk Hazard, it was coming up soon on your adventure with Luffy. It was where you determined the crew would meet Trafalgar. So you decided on the only other one that was out of Doflamingo’s immediate jurisdiction.
The room watched as you held out a hand, fingers gesturing for something to write with. Kaku dashed to your side, plucking a quill from his own pocket and placing it softly into your grasp. His actions were thoughtful, enough so that you hummed plesasntly and pet his head in thanks.
“Thank you, my dear.”
He rolled his eyes, tucking himself behind Lucci to avoid the scathing glare directed his way. Bringing the quill to your lips you licked the tip of the pen and brought it to the inkwell off to the side. Dipping it in the ink, you swiftly circled the location on Wano itself. Tapping the pen thoughtfully , you wrote off to the side.
Settled in Ringo. Beware the haunted wasteland and the frigid hell it rightfully portrays.
Lucci leaned over your shoulder, trying to read the writing you scrawled as best as you could.
Spandam took the map before anyone could decipher your writing, bringing it close to his face and taking in the placement. He blinked once before outright laughing.
“Y-Your telling me-!”
He cackled, his voice grating on your nerve endings and lighting them up faster than anyone else ever has. A talent really.
“That! That one of The Jokers factories is in Wano!?”
He laughed harder, clutching his stomach.
“Now I know you’re lying! No one has been allowed into Wano for years-”
He pointed a finger into your face, taunting and laughing without a care. You were reminded of a petulant rat, unable to contain itself upon seeing something so amusing. His eyes were dark and disgusting, so you couldn’t be blamed for what you did next. You didn’t even think it through, too aggravated to care for the consequences.
His hand was right there, so what were you supposed to do other than bite it? To latch onto his hand and chomp down as hard as you could, biting until you tasted his foul blood and heard his choked scream.
He yowled, trying unsuccessfully to pull away from your grip. His struggle only drew you further, deciding then to do as much damage as you could. You pulled back with his fingers in your mouth.
“STOP! STOP! STOP!”
He wailed, hair flailing as he whipped his head left and right, seeking for a savior. It was Jabra (who you only now noticed had been here before the other agents had) who pulled Spandam away, but you remained locked on. Your blunt teeth were baring down and you refused to let go. Spandam’s screaming had finally reached the others, Kaku pushing on your forehead and trying to unlatch your jaw from the other man. Even so your teeth held on to two digits before you hatefully spit them onto the floor. Spandam clutched his hand to his chest, tears flying freely and having no dignity in his despair. Jabra let the man go once he was released. Something was said from the boss, but you paid no mind to it until he came closer and smacked you. His undamaged hand came and struck you once. Then twice. His fist came down on the top of your head, teeth clashing and biting your tongue in the process.
“You filthy, fucking-!”
He winced, glaring and tears spilling before leaving the room with Blueno for medical attention. The room was quiet then, no one saying a word. Lucci’s hand never once strayed from your hair the entire time you had been here.
“Lucci, why didn’t you do anything!?”
Kaku cried out, baffled at the lack of response to your assault. The blonde man fumbled for words appropriate for this situation, only to catch the look on Rob’s face for the first time since Spandam left.
It was flushed, eyes glazed but never straying from the fingers lying on the ground. Panting, the assassin could only try to make sure he didn’t do anything untoward in front of his peers. But it was remaining awfully difficult to do so. He knew he liked you the moment you had first met him and refused to give him the respect he so deserved. He had bedded you then and he wanted to do so now. His fingers curled tighter into your hair, jerking your head back and burying his face into the crook of your neck. His facial hair grazed your nape, chills erupting onto your arms. His mouth spoke words that only could hear, voice breathless in a way you hadn’t heard in years.
“I…am going to absolutely destroy you, topino.”
Thank Nika for Luffy’s timing. As soon as the words were breathed into your skin, alarms started to blare to life. It shocked everyone in the room, not expecting anyone to come for you. As far as anyone in the room knew you had been by yourself, so what was going on?
Voices were heard shouting out in the building, joyful cackling soon overshadowing every other sound. Lucci grabbed onto you and fled the damned room, sprinting up the stairs with you in tow. You kept up just fine, not paying any mind to his hurry as you searched for Kaku. The man was following just fine, keeping pace with Lucci and shouting questions you didn’t care to decipher. The rush to the roof took no time at all, and it was there that you saw a wrecked Sea Train and the Strawhats on the bridge. You were jostled to stand in front of Lucci, facing the bridge as he forced you to kneel. His hand moved for the first time from the nape of your neck to the top of your head, still entangled in your hair and determining where you looked.
“Strawhat.”
Lucci spoke and the Captain heard, spotting the three of you without trouble. Luffy had been smiling, but he saw the forming bruise on your face and the excessive blood spilling from your lips.. The others were there too, even Robin as she stood next to a new man you didn’t know. At least, not formally, you knew of him. Cutty Flam, the man who had the blueprints to a weapon his master had designed before he was murdered. The very same man that had constructed the Oro Jackson herself in all her glory. You wished the man had lived, but this one was interesting as well.
“Give us back our Sailsmaster!”
You blinked, not quite understanding what was said. Yes, you assisted in the rigging on the ship, finding their knots gave you chronic anxiety the longer you stared. You hadn’t expected the boy to notice your efforts. Granted, you didn’t do it to be recognized, you did it because you wanted to survive if you were to be sailing with them. The attention caused you to flush, a goofy grin crossing your features despite your annoyance. This boy was already such a sweet kid, the perfect son to notice your hard work and be so appreciative.
Lucci’s grip tightend, tilting your head up to face him. An eyebrow raised in question.
“Sailing with pirates? Didn’t expect you to become such a thing, little mouse. I prefer you the way you were designed to be, my little whore that was made especially for me, hm?”
He grew smug, pupils slitting at the idea now taking hold. He ws going to slaughter this pirate crew of yours and take you for himself. You were going to join him on every mission and be his little housespouse, doing whatever it took to keep him happy and satisfied. He licked his lips, facing Luffy once more and grinning.
Feral.
“You’re going to have to come get them. You’ll have to kill me before you get your hands on them, you’ve already fucked up their little head already. They can’t think too much, you know, they’ll get confused with so many ideas in their head. They might even think they’re a pirate.”
Zoro snarled, teeth bared and already reaching for his swords hanging by his sides. Kaku waved his hands frantically, laughing awkwardly and trying to diffuse the tension.
“C-Come on, Lucci! Surely, you don’t mean that! They’re a lovely-”
The ravenette ignored his peer, pushing him away and towards the door.
“You will cease that attitude, Lucci. Treat Kaku nicely. He’s a sweet boy, a nice little brother. He’s done nothing wrong to you. So drop it.”
He stilled. He owned you, yes of course, but he didn’t want you to hate him. He liked you as you were, feral and wild in the best ways, but he never wanted you to actually despise him. So he nodded minutely, making a note not to harm the brat no matter how much he annoyed him. Satisfied, you looked back down at the crew you came to care for. Nami raised her Climatact, sparks igniting from the staff as she waved it around. Usopp, dressed strangely, was already aiming at the man behind you until Luffy muttered something. His aim switched to the flag hanging over all of you. You stilled, breath ceasing as you comprehended where he had aimed so steadily.
It was the flag belonging to the World Government. The very establishment that had enslaved you as a child and made you into what you are now. What it had made out of Kaku and Lucci as babes, now turned into trained assasins created to devastate entire countries.
Spandam made his sudden dramatic appearance, pointing and shouting words you couldn’t hear. You were locked onto Luffy, only able to see him as he nodded at Usopp, a smug smile as he laughed cheerfully. The projectile hit the waving flag, lighting the fabric on fire and erupting into flames just as fast. The air was still and there wasn’t a word in response. You heaved a breath, unbelieving of the action that just took place.
“We’re going to get our Sailsmaster back, and you aren’t going to make them do anything they don’t want to.”
The day you had left with Kuma Doflamingo was in a slump. The minutes after your farewell had him already needing you back by his side. He stared longingly after Kuma’s vessel as you departed into the sea. He didn’t know how long it would be until you met again and in what condition you might be in. The two of you hadn’t been separated since you joined his side, never leaving for more than a few hours due to his responsibilities in the public eye. The moment he had you in his grasp he was determined to never let go. He had thought you would have fought harder to escape him, but you settled in easily and without trouble. You leaned into his touch the second you had felt his palm, no regret even as he swept you from the Celestial Dragon’s residence and into his own twisted captivity. He would think about it later this evening, the nights he had you chained and collared in a cage on the other side of the room. The constant awe you expressed without speaking and your gratitude never ending. You thanked him constantly, always referring to him with an honorific. (Even if your eyes were distrusting and cold.) He couldn’t remember what exactly he had said to you to make you brighten, to make you stand straighter and with a purpose. Worthy to be by his side. The night had been like any other until he had opened the door to your cage. You had refused to move until he nodded, sitting down against the bed frame on the floor to look at you better. You moved silently, crawling out of the metal enclosure and coming to plant yourself across from him. You had ceased your approach a few feet from him, not getting too close in case he didn’t want you to. Neither of you can remember who moved first, a desperate frenzy for each other. A clash of unbridled lust and a desire so strong there was no end to one's body and the start of another.
In the end, he didn’t put you back in that damned crate. He kept you close and refused to let go. Not that you minded, you had done your best to convince him to let you out. Even if the reverence he showed you had changed your mind on leaving him. There was nothing you wanted more than to be his deity and to be worshipped by him. In turn, you gave him the same, treating him like god and giving him whatever he desired.
Doflamingo was missing you like crazy, an ache in his chest the longer you were gone. He had gotten cruel in your absence, treating the citizens who came to him in peril ruthlessly. He had no shame about it either, not bothering to hide his change in attitude.
The Family noticed immediately, the man from before your arrival returning with a vengeance. Dellinger grew anxious around the man, but he had never raised a hand or shouted at him like in the past. It was a change he wasn’t expecting.
It was a few weeks since you had left that Dellinger had opened his mouth at the table. He had said something offhandedly, but it made the rest of the table freeze. Trebol had laughed to himself as quietly as he could. Dellinger had nervously flicked his eyes to the man at the head of the table, only to see him twirling his fork and glaring at Trebol.
“What’s so funny?”
He had stopped as soon as the first syllable came from his lips, stiffening. Doflamingo looked to Dellinger and he thought he might die. Even more so when the blonde stood and made his way to him. He paused.
And playfully flicked his forehead before leaving the dining room.
“Play nice, boy, your other parent will be hearing about this tonight.”
Dellinger almost wished the King had killed him instead.
The voyage to Water 7 felt short, the journey full of laughter and chaos. There was just something about Luffy that drew people to him, more so than you had ever seen. The only thing that could come close were the stories about Gol D. Roger, you only hoped Luffy didn’t meet the same fate. A few more calls with Doffy and you were emboldened by his praise of your success thus far. Promiscuous promises uttered so softly into the receiver that you had to hang up once it got too much. He never minded your sudden fluster, achingly missing it if anything else. He wanted you back as soon as possible, and you continued to reassure him.
Even so, Water 7 was growing closer by the second and Luffy was basically salivating at the sight. You hadn’t thought it had been that long since land, but perhaps you were wrong. Even Robin was starting to fidget in her chair, tapping her fingers against the dewy glass. Shrugging it off, you helped Nami and Zoro dock the damaged Merry, tying knots in rigging and folding sails. The harbor was in full swing and busy even as pirates came into their borders. Not one person spared them a glance, but a look at the other ships here was telling enough. This was the greatest ship building island in the GrandLine, famous for constructing the Oro Jackson itself. There was no excuse for pirates not to dock here, eager to meet the shipwrights and wanting to recruit their own in the process.
Usopp grabbed a case of cash and Luffy ran off in a different direction, Sanji headed to the markets and then wanted to come back to the Merry as soon as possible. There was something in his gut that was telling him to remain, and you didn’t have the heart to ask such a delicate question of why he felt like that. Robin remained in the Crow’s Nest, reading a book while simultaneously looking out for potential suspicious arrivals. She wanted to protect the ship until it was her turn to meet land once again, even if her feet ached to be on solid land.
Zoro looked at you and you shrugged. It seemed the both of you were going to head out together. Landing on the wood below, you held out a hand to the swordsman. You knew he didn’t need it, but you felt it polite for the younger man. You were older than him and you felt the same pull to him as you did for Luffy, wanting to keep him safe after getting to know him the best on the crew. He was the one you ‘opened’ up to the most, spending many nights sipping alcohol and discussing everything under the stars. You learned the more private things about him, the secret behind Wado Ichimonji and the girl she was once wielded by. You told him about the times under the Celestial Dragon that you pretended was Doflamingo. There was a sense of understanding since then, never straying far from the other. You even told him of the times you had met Dracule Mihawk, giving him tidbits of information that made no difference. Just the little things you noticed about him and Yoru. Still, he listened without speaking, eyes locked onto your face the entire time without his attention being diverted. It had been a long time since someone other than Doffy had paid that much attention to you, allowing you to care more about the boy the longer you stayed near him.
He scoffed at your attempt to help him, the upturn of the corner of his lips telling you he meant no harm. You rolled your eyes, following him as the two of you wandered. You stood by him, side by side and spoke.
“So this is Water 7, I’ve never been here before. A lot more lively than I expected.”
“Really? I would have thought you'd come here before. I've heard it's popular.”
You shook your head, standing closer to him as someone bumped into you. A quiet apology before they walked off. Zoro watched and held out his arm, not once looking at you directly. You took his arm, walking with him further into the market.
“No, the Young Master never lets me travel with him. Said it was too dangerous.”
He hummed before correcting you.
“Let you. You’re not with him anymore, remember.”
“Ah, right, sorry. He never let me go anywhere with him. He took others with him instead. Disposable ones, he said.”
"What a dick.”
You laughed.
“I know. You’re preaching to the choir, pendejo.”
“Uh-huh. Hey, you said you were gonna teach me some of those words you say. When ya gonna do that?”
He raised a brow, tilting his head and letting his earrings hit each other. The twinkling was pleasant, allowing you to close your eyes for a moment. Opening your eyes, you side-eyed him.
“But then I wouldn’t be able to get away with calling you such things.”
“Something tells me some of those nicknames of yours aren’t all sweet like Usopp thinks.”
“How rude…”
You mumbled.
“The majority are kind.”
He threw his head back and laughed.
You went about the streets like that, shooting comebacks back and forth until the sun started to burn your skin. It was Zoro that spotted a bar, dragging you that way in a hurry. You didn’t get a chance to see the name, but the second Zoro entered the establishment your stomach filled with dread.
Eyes wide, you caught sight of one of the men under the Celestial Dragon you had once killed- Blueno.
He had barely changed since then, still standing tall and glaring down at everyone at his impressive height. You paled without knowing, eyes fluttering about the entire vicinity and unintentionally holding back Zoro. He stopped and looked back at you, confused and a retort on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he took in the genuine distress you were in and came to hover in front of you.
“H-Hey! What’s wrong all of a sudden, huh?”
You paused in your fright, sucking in a breath and meeting Blueno’s gaze head on. His eyes focused, a knowing light flashing before promptly dulling.
He recognized you.
You smiled at Zoro.
“Nothing, sorry, thought I saw a dead man for a second. Silly me!”
You laughed, tense. Zoro eyed you, your face still shockingly pale. Even so you approached the bar and he made no move to leave, coming to follow you closer than before. You settled into the bar stool, not relaxing even as your friend sat beside you, scooting his stool closer to your own. Blueno approached, no rush in his step.
“What can I get you two to drink?”
“Whiskey, please.”
“Sake is fine.”
He was back faster than any bartender you had met. His steps purposeful and movements without blunder. He was steady in his actions but his eyes always came back to rest on you. Telling despite his training as an assassin. You laughed to yourself. Your drinks kept coming as you and Zoro talked, but you weren’t really paying much attention. Humming and nodding your responses more than speaking back. He noticed, of course he did, but he didn’t say a word. Instead he noted the signs you were displaying indicating your unease. Not once did your eyes leave the bartender, you didn’t take a drink from your cup, and your foot tapped relentlessly on the floor. From the amount of time he had known you not once were you not attentive to your surroundings, but here you were honing in on one man in the entire building. It was unlike you.
Seeing you did not drink, he did not sip at his glass. Instead after an hour of loitering, he offered his arm.
“Ready?”
You hummed, lifting your glass and pouring it onto the bar. You watched as the rank smelling alcohol flowed over the counter. You had noticed it as soon as the drink was placed in front of you, a test of sorts. It was obviously tampered with, the nauseous scent underlying the whiskey. Smiling, you nodded at Blueno before standing.
“Espadachin, I wish to stay here a little longer. Go on back to the ship, I’m sure the others have returned by now.”
He stood, eyeing you from the corner of his eye. Hesitating. You pushed something into his hands, his fingers instinctively curling around it without a glance.
You shook your head, tilting towards the door.
You mouthed at him. ‘Go.’
He left. You blinked and honed in on his Haki, his body remaining nearby but not going anywhere near the Merry.
You watched as Blueno shut down the bar, ushering out the surrounding guests and finally turning the sign.
He took your arm, guiding you to the back room and sitting you in a chair. Rope soon dug into your skin, binding you to the chair. Humming, you grinned as he finished.
“Why should I not kill you.”
“I have information for you on a certain Warlord.”
“You? Some runaway slave? I highly doubt it.”
“And if I should tell you the locations of SMILE Fruit factories?”
He glared, getting into your face and frowning. His breath was hot and wet, causing your nose to curl.
“How do you know about those?”
You hummed, shrugging.
“I don’t know, I’m just a runaway slave. Right?”
Blinking innocently, you leaned toward him and spit at his feet.
He stood straight, fishing his own snail from his sleeve and dialing a number. The man stood there with you for fifteen minutes before others started to knock on the back door. It was a rhythm, unique and one unheard. You tried to imitate it on your palms behind your back, just in case such a thing came in handy later. Two men and a woman walked in. You knew the one in charge, the pride and joy of the World Government and Celestial Dragons alike. The other two were unknown to you, they must be newer. You smiled at the leading man.
“Rob Lucci. You’ve done well for yourself.”
He locked eyes with you, pupils slitting. That was new.
“Ah, the little concubine that slayed Roswald. How strange, I thought you had died.”
He came closer to you, looming over your form and looking at you entirely. He took in your features, ones he had memorized numerous times in the night and under the light of the stars. It had been a while since he had seen you, the little comfort he had when he had to speak to those disgusting Dragons. They had allowed him to indulge in you thanks to his continuous success, and he had found himself solemn when you had departed. He had thought you were killed in the aftermath of your actions. It seems he was wrong.
His hand curled around your neck, forcing your head up to meet his eyes. He absentmindedly stroked your skin with his thumb, not at all missing the collar in favor of getting to feel you. Hattori flew to his shoulder, staying there and looking down at you in wonder. He had always been fond of you. The little slave that fed him your spare crackers, it was endearing.
“Pray tell why you’re all the way in Water 7. You knew Blueno, why walk into the bar with his name on it?”
You grinned, teeth gleaming in the overhead light. You refused to back down from such an obvious challenge. That they might think you a dumb fool.
“I have information for you.”
The woman stepped in, confused at the familiarity shared between her boss and this random person.
“Lucci, who is this?”
She pushed up her glasses, blonde hair falling into her eyes.
“I don’t see how they’re important to our current mission.”
He ignored her, turning his back to her once more.
“Why didn’t Blueno kill you as soon as he saw you? What do you know, topina?”
“Those annoying SMILE Fruit factories. I can give you locations of several off the top of my head. More if I have a map.”
“How do you know such information.”
“I’m close with the one in charge. There are a few factories that ‘ave been giving them trouble. It would do both of you a favor.”
“And they trusted you with such things?”
“Hm, in truth I wasn’t expecting to run into CP9 here, but this is perfect. I was going to give it to one of the Admirals, but this is better.”
Lucci licked his teeth, narrowing his eyes and contemplating the offer.
“You're coming with us to Enies Lobby then. We’ll figure out what to do with you afterwards.”
You bared your teeth, scowling.
“Not with that ignorant boss of yours, like hell I’ll give it to Spandem of all people!”
Lucci tightened his grip, choking you briefly before loosening it. He held your entire being in his palm, and you all knew it. You pretended it was Doflamingo’s larger hand, faking a surprised moan to encourage his decision. He paused, eyes hazy before he released you.
“Fine. We’ll take you to Enies Lobby and you’ll give the information to me. What happens after is between me and you.”
You shivered, not wanting to comply so easily to a man’s sudden demands. Still, there was nothing else you could do but nod.
“Excellent.”
A smug smirk crossed his lips, predatory glint overcoming his features. Once, you had admired him, adoring him in the prison you existed in. He was the only relief you had when up against Roswald, the only break you got from all of them and their version of sadism. Lucci’s was more pleasurable, more comfortable and familiar. Now it reminded you of Doffy, a fact you pushed down into your chest. Lucci had made to walk away until he noticed a shine in the light.
He honed in on it, turning around and jerking your tied hands into his grasp. A cruel grin and brandishing your finger into the light.
“Ah, my topina has a ring. Now who would desire a former slave such as yourself, hm? Surely they’ve never seen the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon on your back have they? Otherwise they wouldn’t have gifted you such a luxurious item.”
You winced at his grip, shame flooding your chest and causing you to flush under the gaze of the other two unknowns.
“After all, there’s only one person who would ever want you. We both know, don’t we?”
Your skin crawled, the possessive tone not passing your senses. You closed your eyes before relaxing. Only to stiffen again once the ring was plucked from your finger and tossed to the floor, promptly stomped on and shattered under his heel.
“Now…”
Backing up, the man released your hand and smirked.
“Put them downstairs until it’s time to leave. We have something to do first before heading to Enies Lobby.”
Zoro knew he shouldn’t have left you. Knew deep in his heart that you weren’t going to leave that bar on your own. As soon as he left the area and ducked into an alley he opened his palm.
Laying there was an albino baby snail, a private DenDen line and a number scribbled onto a napkin.
‘Tell him CP9 are on Water 7.’
His eyebrows furrowed, not quite comprehending what was being conveyed. Still, you had given him a job and he’d be damned if he failed. Pushing in the numbers, he waited until the other side picked up.
“Hey.”
A tense silence overcame the line, the snail portraying a tense smile and a pair of gaudy sunglasses.
“Who is this.”
“They said to call you and handed me this snail. I’m Roronoa Zoro, swordsman of Monkey D. Luffy’s crew. They said that CP9 is on Water 7. Nothing else was written on the napkin, ‘ts all I got.”
“Water 7?”
“Yeah.”
And the line went dead. Zoro looked at the snail in his hands, not wanting to know why the newer crew member had something so rare. Or who exactly they were in contact with.
Nevertheless, he was jerked from his thinking as Luffy’s voice was heard from the corner. Stepping closer, he watched as his captain pulled down a mangled body from a water fountain. Only to gasp as he realized that nose from anywhere.
TRIGGER WARNINGS!!!: SA, Slavery, suggestive content, murder, kinda graphic depictions of said murder, Doflamingo, obsessive thoughts, unhealthy relationships!!!
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When you had met Doflamingo, you were a Celestial Dragon slave. Years had passed since you had started your captivity, but you played the Dragons as best you could. You would suck up to them, make them think you were adoring, loving, and cared about them as people. You took orders that were given, made sure others did as they were told. It was this way of living that gained you the right to move up in the hierarchy. You turned in other troublesome slaves, telling on them and providing well thought out evidence that oftentimes didn’t exist prior. The Dragon you were under promoted you time and time again until you were the head of the pack: in charge of every servant and slave in their empire. You were taught Haki and other government techniques to ensure everything ran smoothly.
You got close to the Dragon.
And then the night he tried to bed you, like so many others, you had finally given in and killed him.
Taking a knife, your hands were trembling in anticipation, his back turned to you as he undressed as fast as he could. You had personally already stripped of your outerwear, standing only in your undergarments. You cloaked your Haki around the room as tightly as you could, preventing anyone from sensing what was going on. It was amazingly stupid at the fact that Celestial Dragons were taught nothing of how to protect themselves, always relying on someone else. They were above getting their hands dirty.
But you weren’t.
The moment he tried to turn around you advanced, pushing him down from behind and straddling his waist. He hadn’t expected it, but he still didn’t understand what was going on.
“Oh, excited are we? I don’t blame you, I would be too-”
His voice made you sick, made your blood boil in your veins and fingers twitch. You pulled the atrocious topknot on his head and pulled his skull backwards, exposing his throat. You bent your head down and nuzzled the area in between his neck and shoulder, he smelled of pine and lavender. You took in the scent and quickly brought the weapon down as fast as you could as his eyes were closed. The blade slit his throat, spraying his blood across the floor. He gurgled, eyes wide and staring in disbelief and betrayal, completely in shock of your actions. The blade fell from your hand and clattered onto the wooden floorboards. His eyes finally rolled back into his head after a horrifying few seconds. And then there was a pause where you took in your situation.
Rather than feel guilt or petrified of your actions, you were calm. As a naturally anxious individual, you were more surprised at your lack of emotion than anything else. The Celestial Dragon’s body lay limp under your own, his blood seeping from his neck and onto the wood. Your hands were coated in it as well, something you were just now realizing after coming back into your body. A period of disassociation passed and then you were standing. You kicked the Dragon in the side, testing for any kind of movement or sign of life. Seeing none, you redressed yourself and stood in the middle of the room. Looking around, you were met with the livelihood of the man you had just killed. Pictures of his wife and children were scattered across the walls in delicate golden frames, paintings of various relatives joining in the collection. A mirror hung over a dresser, ornate and bejeweled. The walls were painted an off-white that completed the clean look of the overall room. The bed sheets were freshly pressed and pillows fluffed. The smell of detergent still fresh in the air.
It was quickly overcome by iron.
The DenDen on the inntable closest to the bed started to ring. Stiffening, you were met with an unexpected scenario that you had not planned for in your years of plotting. Breathing started to speed up, you walked closer to the snail to see if you could tell who was calling. Luckily, it was a man you recognized from posters and from afar. A previous prince of MarieJois and now a pirate on the Blue Sea rising in infamy.
You hesitated but the snail continued to ring. There was a moment where you thought you had imagined this entire evening, that it was all a dream you had conjured up in your sleep.
You stepped forward and picked up the receiver, placing it delicately against your ear.
“Roswald.”
“Ah, was that his name?”
You had never heard him called that before, always something else or a title instead. There was a pause on the line before the man started to laugh.
“Fuhuhu, how curious. Who are you and what have you done to my associate?”
“Dead. Who I am means nothing, I’ll be executed for my crime.”
“Hm, you sound familiar though. Let me think…”
He trailed off. It was curious to you that he was not panicking or angry with you. He honestly sounded more amused than anything else.
“Ah! You must be that little slave that he had follow him around everywhere. The one who was in charge of things?”
“You would be correct, sir.”
“Ah, now, none of that. Call me Doflamingo.”
“Doflamingo then. Well, it was nice to speak with you, but-”
“You’ve piqued my interest.”
“How so, sir?”
“You killed Roswald.”
“Others would too if given the chance.”
“Yes, but you actually managed to do it, didn’t you? I admire that.”
“I only did so due to the hatred I had for him, there is nothing honorable about my actions.”
The snail smiled menacingly, eyebrows furrowing in the process.
“Isn’t that the only strong enough emotion to do something like that? I’ll let you in on a little secret, amorcito.”
You ignored the unknown word, hearing it used so condescendingly was grating your nerves. You had been spoken to like that long enough, you refused to let it happen any longer even if you died in the process. You were practically already dead anyways at this point.
“I am not a child, speak to me properly, sir.”
A chuckle for your insolence, but there was not a reprimand for your behavior. He took it in stride.
“Of course, my apologies. But, I will still like to tell you something.”
“Hm.”
“I killed a Celestial Dragon as well, so I know what you’re going through right now. Tell me, how liberated do you feel?”
Your breathing was shaky as you answered.
“I wish I could do it again, but the way he deserved instead. His death was too fast, too painless.”
The man groaned on the other end of the line.
“Tell you what, cariño, where are you?”
“In the Master’s bedroom.”
“I see. I shall be there in twenty minutes. I’ll knock on the door thrice before whistling.”
“What do you get out of coming here.”
“I’m interested in you is all. Is there any reason else to do what pleases me?”
“No, sir, I suppose not. Do as you wish.”
The snail’s face disappeared, the line going dead. You waited with the end still in your hand, contemplating waiting here or getting the fuck out. You didn’t know the man personally, so who said his word was worth anything? Either way, you supposed there wasn’t much choice. It was either this or exit the room and immediately be executed. His blood still stained your hands and the floor, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to clean up the mess. You wanted his family to find him like this, to suffer almost as much as you have. But nothing would ever amount to that, and this was the best you could do with your resources.
The blood was starting to dry on your hands, the liquid flaking off if you moved a certain way. You couldn’t help but stare at the sight, entranced at such a sight. It was thrilling to have his blood on your hands, to know that you ended his life- that you had control if for even a moment. The second he had looked up at you in shock, it was something you would remember for the rest of our life. Deciding you had to clean up despite the joy you had, you walked to the bathroom and washed the dried liquid away. The water ran red as soon as you put a finger underneath it. You shuddered at the sight before going to properly wash your hands.
You sat on the bed as you waited, eyeing the corpse laying on the floor. He was deathly pale and his entire body looked to be strung tight. His body was rigid and unmoving. You leaned in closer, coming to kneel beside his body as you noticed every little thing you could. His body was already cooler than before, but not ice cold. You had expected him to immediately cool, but you supposed that was rather unrealistic. You raised his arm, letting it fall. You watched as the elbow remained locked and fell without bending. It was fascinating to see and experience. You wondered how your own body would look in death, how long it would take to bloat and your flesh to eat itself away.
One knock.
And another.
A third.
You stood up, waiting for the final cue before going to open the door. And you were not disappointed, the whistle you were waiting for occurring only a second after the final knock. You crept to the door, footsteps light as you opened the door.
He was looming above you, body hunched over as he stepped through the doorway. He was an eyesore in itself, bright pink striped pants at eye height and a gaudy orange belt. Looking up further you saw a white ruffled button up with lace intricacies detailing the wrists and the sides of the torso. A pale pink feathered coat hung from his shoulders, making him appear bigger than he really was. Further up there was a face with harsh lines defining his jaw and cheekbones, wide smile in the center. White framed sunglasses with orange lenses reflected your smaller frame back to you. His hair was short too, cropped blonde hair framing his forehead.
He pushed past you, quickly closing the door softly behind him. He looked down at you, studying before turning to look at the scene behind you. Unexpectedly, he laughed a loud laugh, shaking the room itself and your entire body. He pressed a hand to his mouth as his head leaned back, trying to stop the noise but it still leaked through. You stood there, staring.
He stopped and lifted his glasses for a brief moment only to wipe his eyes. His face came back to face you.
“What a sight! I haven’t seen something this inspiring in a long time, chiquita.”
His hand came to rest on your head, ruffling your hair. Had it been anyone else, you would have taken it to be demeaning, but you found yourself relaxing under his palm. You had taken care of yourself for so long and worried constantly. It was freeing to give in to affection on your own terms. All too soon his hand retreated and came to rest on his hip. Looking up, your face remained blank as you waited for your sentence. His fingers came to frame his chin as he contemplated the room, still smiling wildly at the Dragon behind you.
“Hm, I gotta say, it would be a shame to let you die so early. Come with me, I’ll get this taken care of for you.”
“That seems like a lot for just an interest you have in me, sir.”
“You may be right, but what exactly do you have to lose? What else will you do, or where will you go?”
“Nowhere, I thought I was going to die alongside him. The plan was to kill myself after I dealt with him, but you called instead. It was incredibly rude of you, sir, to interrupt my plans.”
He chuckled, a more genuine sound than the booming laugh from earlier.
“The more you speak the more I find myself enraptured with you.”
“I’m a slave that you just now met personally, that’s a little forward of you.”
His hand reached out, palm facing up and waiting on you. It was another moment you were unprepared for. Already this man that had interjected into your life was screwing up your plans and perceived reality. You had never been given a choice before this, so to have him offer one so blatantly was throwing you off. You blinked at his palm and then at him, confused on what to do. Would you rather die here and pay for your actions, or…?
Your body made its choice before your head caught up, latching onto his hand and pulling yourself into his side.
“I leave my life in your hands then, Donquixote.”
You shook yourself awake, shivering under the sudden wind. The lot of you and your new associates had just left Skypiea, gaining a new understanding of the world around you. Robin had flourished in the sight of new knowledge and revealing hidden history. It was wonderful to watch her come into herself. Now you were hiding away from the crew as nami redirected the ship out of the Navy base they somehow managed to land in. Deciding to become more involved so they came to trust you more for later, you emerged from the figurehead and onto the deck of the ship.
Usopp caught your eyes first, the boy smiling at your arrival and waving you over to the rest of the crew.
“Hey! We were wondering where you were!”
You flushed, rubbing the back of your neck in the process.
“There’s no need to worry about me, I was just thinking about everything until this point.”
You came to sit next to the boy, watching as he dealt out cards to him, Luffy, Zoro, and Robin. Nami was in the map room where she was finishing up the drawing of the Sky Island, insistent on finishing before she forgot a single detail. Sanji was preparing for lunch, hearing him and the silverware even on deck. Luffy laughed at something Chopper said to the side, the child cleaning his equipment after having to use it to fix up the captain and Usopp. The resident liar of the ship was now covered in lichtenberg scars, the worst of them being near the center of his chest. It was hard to look at, the screams of the boy still rang in your ears. You knew not to get too attached, but it was hard not to. They were all endearing in their own ways, and you had to force yourself to hide on the ship so as to not give yourself away. Even so the stench of burnt flesh and the screams of the younger members of the crew had hurt your soul.
“Still, it’s nice to see you out on deck for once!”
You smiled, nodding.
“I’ll try to do it more often then.”
Luffy perked up, still bright as ever and hard to ignore.
“Really!?”
You bit back a grin and nodded, watching as they started to play their card game. No one seemed to know the rules and it was definitely not something you recognized. The hours you spent spectating the Family to ensure no one killed another was wasted as you watched now.
In the midst of the card game, the Vinsmoke came twirling out of the kitchen with a tray of drinks. It looked as if he had made one for every person on deck considering the sun beating down on everyone. Nami emerged from her room at the sound Luffy had somehow emitted. He had almost tackled Sanji before the cook kicked him away. Eyes wide, you waited for the boy to come up and punish the cook for his behavior, but nothing happened. In fact, the boy only whined as the cook went about providing drinks to the others first on purpose. You had never seen a crew dynamic quite like this one, nor seen an instance where the captain was not served first. The boy was a Monkey D. after all, and he required more food and sustenance than anyone on the Seas. Not to mention he quite literally would give his life for any one of his crew.
Sanji came to the card table, nonchalantly tossing the men their drinks before bowing playfully in front of Robin. She smiled and thanked him easily, taking the drink and sipping politely. She offered her thanks and the boy looked as if he was going to faint. He finally dismissed himself and stood in front of you. A softer look passed his face before he bowed in your presence.
“Mon cœur, for you.”
You took in the sight before you, a pang of homesickness passing before you forced yourself to indulge. You took the glass and sniffed it, habit taking you by force. There was no hidden scent underlying the other fragrances, but you knew other poisons had no such scent. You caught yourself and shook your head. You sipped at the liquid and sighed at the coolness. It really was much too hot outside, it was incredibly aggravating.
“Thank you, Mr. Sanji, it’s fantastic. It’s a wonder you make these for fun. I know there are some who would kill for such a thing.”
The blonde blushed, sniffing hard before turning the other way.
“O-Of course! I put my entire heart into my cooking!”
You closed your eyes, drinking more.
“I know, you can tell, you know.”
“Hm? How can you tell?”
Zoro but in, choosing to tease the cook later. You tilted your head, tongue darting out to catch the liquid that had spilled a little earlier.
“Well…I knew a few chefs in the castle who cooked because it was either do so or die. The food always lacked…something. But you always-”
Facing Sanji once more, you took in the boy standing in front of you. Unlike before he was now focused on you and your words. You struggled under the sudden stare. You waved your hand before coughing into your fist.
“Nevermind me. Your food is delectable, Mr. Sanji. Thank you.”
He deflated a tad, enough to where the others noticed. He still tried to pretend he wasn’t aching to hear your words and opinion, but you were obviously done speaking.
The card game finished and Nami finally completed her maps. Seeing her walk out of the room, you stood up and stretched. Your shirt rode up, your stomach and hips exposed to the air. You ignored Zoro’s sudden inhalation.
Luffy stared, trying to connect something by the looks of it. His fist connected with his open palm and he grinned.
“Hey!”
He shouted as you started towards Nami. You turned around, eyebrow raised in question.
“Yes?”
“You need new clothes! You’re still wearing the ones you came from that castle in!”
“Oh.”
You looked down, seeing the blood and dirt stained clothing you currently wore. The old slave garb one you had unintentionally gotten attached to. You had kept them for this long after all. You paused, grabbing at the shirt and holding onto it.
“I…”
“You don’t have to get rid of them.”
It was Robin who noticed the conflict in your eyes. You opened your mouth but nothing came from you, not having any words to describe why you would want to keep such things.
“You could still use something new though. Perhaps me or Zoro could provide you with something?”
“Ah, that’s kind of you all. I don’t know, I don’t want to impose.”
“It is not imposing if we are offering.”
“What clothes would you prefer?”
“I must admit, I don’t know.”
“Then let’s go have a look. Zoro.”
The man looked over to Robin, already having a guess as to what she wanted.
“Go and grab a few spare clothes you think they might enjoy. Who knows, maybe they’ll be able to make something work.”
She was teasing, the lilt in her voice captivating. You turned away from her and began to walk in the direction of the figurehead before Nami stopped you.
“You can change in the girl’s room or the bathroom if you want. You don’t have to stay in your little hiding spot all the time.”
Your shoulders fell.
“Alright then. Lead the way, Ms. Nami.”
She nodded, smiling and taking your hand. You were never bothered by her touch, always finding it grounding in your harder moments. You did not see her like you saw Doffy, and you knew she thought the same of you. It was more of her adopting you as some kind of sibling more than anything else. So you had no issues with her touching you.
Nami pushed you to sit on her bed as Robin started to go through her collection of clothes. Zoro knocked before popping in, throwing down some items before leaning against the wall.
“You can pick through any one of those, I can’t see any blood on ‘em but lemme know if there is.”
“Thank you, Ser Zoro.”
He waved you off, rolling his eyes at the given title. The boy was more of a knight than those in Dressrosa, stronger by them by miles too. He deserved the title whether he accepted it or not.
You stood and wandered to the pile, haphazardly thrown on the mattress. You honed in on the blue tank top you had seen him wear on the Sky Island. You picked it up without another thought and tossed it over your shoulder. Skimming once more through the pile, you chose a pair of boots that looked worn down and threw them to the floor. You were stuck on pants, not seeing anything either of them wore that caught your eye.
Sanji peeked through the door, opening it gently before tossing his own pieces inside before hurriedly fleeing. You sputtered a laugh, endeared by the young prince’s actions. You chose his black dress pants without another thought, already knowing it would go with the top.
“So, anything else ya lookin’ for?”
Zoro asked, seeing that you were still waiting to change.
“I would prefer a sash to tie around my waist. Did you have something in mind, espadachín?”
He hummed, leaning back on the wall. He kicked off the wall and held up a finger in your direction, a knowing glint flashing in his eye.
“Gimme a sec.”
He left for only a moment before he re-entered the room. In his hand he thrusted a golden sash in your direction. A smug grin on his face as he did so.
“Here. Knew he had it somewhere.”
“Uh-huh, whose is it, Zoro?”
Nami accused, glaring at the man. He grinned, fangs bared.
“Usopp. Sure he won’t mind, go ahead, take it.”
You laughed and did as told, moving to strip before they all shouted.
“Hm? Is there something the matter?”
Zoro and Nami’s faces were beet red, flushed so hard it traveled down their necks.
“Y-YOU CAN’T JUST STRIP IN FRONT OF US!”
Robin chuckled, shaking her head before dragging the two of them out. She nodded at you before shutting the door. You quickly got dressed and stepped out, already feeling freer in your movements. As you came out on deck, Luffy rushed your way and shoved something in your hands.
“Huh? What’s this, Mr. Luffy?”
He giggled, not saying a word and motioning for you to open your palm. Doing as such, you saw two golden hoop earrings glinting in the sun. You smiled, appreciating the gesture wholeheartedly. He really understood the aesthetic you appreciated. How kind of him.
You quickly put them in, combing away stray hairs that had escaped your hairstyle in the process.
“How do I look then, Mr. Captain?”
He beamed, laughing and nodding as fast as he could.
“Now you really look like one of us!”
You paused, taking in the sentiment. Your heart constricted in your chest, warming in a way it hadn’t since you had seen Dellinger last. You had heard the claim in Conqueror's Haki, the fact not escaping your notice. It looked as if he had done so without realizing, cueing you in to his lack of knowledge and just what he had done.
This boy was going to be your son whether he knew it or not. You wanted to protect him and his happiness, refused for him to ever get hurt while you were alive and by his side. The thoughts ran rampant and you couldn’t stop yourself from reaching out and pulling his head to your chest. Stroking his hair, you murmured.
“How kind of you, Captain. You really are something else, solecito.”
He laughed all the same, not at all put off by your sudden affection. You leaned your head onto him further, embracing him as best you could in this position. You were going to kill for this kid one day, you felt it in your chest. Just as you felt it as you fell in love with Doffy. You would murder anyone who tried to tear him away from you, to take away his freedom or happiness. Whoever dimmed that sparkle in his eyes and the warmth in his heart.
Forcing yourself to step back, you planted a chaste kiss to his forehead before looking to the others. They were all looking at you differently now, thoughtful. You nodded before making eye contact with Nami.
“So, Ms. Navigator, where are we headed next?”
She smiled wide, pulling a map from seemingly nowhere.
“Water 7! It’s an island known for its shipwrights. The Merry has needed a little extra something after Sky Island so it's perfect!”
Usopp nodded furiously, agreeing happily.
“Yeah! Kaya would be sad if we didn’t take care of Merry, so we have to fix her up!”
You weren’t the only one out of the loop, both Chopper and Robin not knowing the name. You paid no attention to it, not seeing any importance in knowing anyways.
“Alright then. To Water 7.”
The crew cheered, excited at the idea of a new adventure with you by their side. You felt a foreboding in your stomach, but decided to ignore it. You would later wish you hadn’t, hauntings of you past just an island away.
Who knew that government officials would be on Water 7. Ones that knew who you were.
A thresher shark Fishman previously in charge of executions on Fishman Island, Noriko leaves and finds themselves on Jaya. The Strawhats come to find them due to their knowledge of the Grandline as they are a resident. The truth is though, Noriko doesn't see themselves joining their pirate crew after their time together. So what do they do now?
TRIGGER WARNINGS: unhealthy relationship, Doflamingo, mentioned slavery, previous SA
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Robin had managed to be someone you were comfortable around. If these pirates were okay with a former assistant to the dictator of Alabsta then you would be fine. Or maybe they were just overlooking such a detail since she was so valuable. You really didn’t know how to feel about it. They were so trusting of her, other than Zoro as he was the only one who looked at her longer than the others. Usopp was skittish but was quickly warming up to her, never staying away from her long since he was around Luffy and Chopper more often than not. And the former two were constantly fluttering by her and asking questions.
And then there was you. Playing the runaway slave that was terrified of their previous master. Nami had been the one to attach herself to you, always by your side and asking if you needed anything. You told her no every time, but she constantly checked on you. Sanji wasn’t much better, bringing you meals that were smaller but packed with nutrients that you needed. You refused to eat much, not wanting to gorge yourself on the delicacies that the North Blue chef cooked. His accent had stood out, telling you of his true nationality and where he reigned from. Even more noticeable were the eyebrows he tried so hard to hide. You had seen those before on five others, and one of them had died. Or so you thought, perhaps only one had passed and the young boy had survived. Judge Vinsmoke was an avid visitor of Dressrosa, the man making you sick to even think about. His sons weren’t much better, but you could tolerate Reiju and Yonji. The older two of the brothers were insufferable, annoying on the best occasions But Sanji was nothing like them, kind in ways you would have never expected considering he came from Judge of all people. But Sora, from what you’ve heard, was an amazing woman who was strong enough to go against the King. She was kind and headstrong, brave in the ways that mattered. You could see her in the boy as he catered to his new found family. He was thriving here.
Away from your thoughts, you watched as the crew ate at the table. They had spots that they preferred, but sometimes Luffy would switch it up and randomly sit in another spot. He also never made himself head of the table, very intentionally removing chairs if they happened to be there. He refused to have anyone sit there, adamant of the fact without saying it outright. It was odd, yourself and Doffy taking those seats without another thought, it was just how it worked. Even so, you enjoyed the change in this smaller crew as no one fought for dominance or planned a coup against their easygoing captain. You stayed outside the door, watching as the crew ate together. You didn’t want to ruin the scene, choosing to instead observe their habits. You wanted to know more about them all, but you didn’t want to get too close. You had an awful habit of getting attached rather easily, and you didn’t want to jeopardize your mission.
Luffy’s head perked up as you stepped back, the wood creaking under your subtle weight change. His eyes were in your direction, wide and intense. He caught your eye and smiled wide, pausing as he thought for a moment. He stood without much time passing, quietly opening the door and shutting it behind him. You could no longer see the others, not able to see how they reacted at such an unusual motion. Luffy never left food unattended to.
“You're hungry.”
“Yes.”
His head tilted, not quite understanding what was going on. He could never truly understand you, that he knew without a doubt. There was something about you that he couldn’t quite place, but that was why he had taken you along with him. Despite the stories you told and the way you acted, there was something just under the surface. It was wild yet tamed, feral but kind. It was intriguing.
“Then come eat with us, no one’s gonna hurt you on the Merry, promise.”
He was serious, not a hint of amusement on his face. You softened.
“I know, I just don’t want to intrude, Mr. Luffy.”
He groaned, outwardly frowning.
“‘M not a Mr., I told you to just call me Luffy!”
“I can try, it’s a habit.”
You tried to bypass the conversation, not wanting to speak anymore. But Luffy was pushy.
“That’s okay, you just keep trying, okay? But come on, I want you to come sit by me!”
He turned back around to face the door before reaching out his hand. His eyes locking in on how your hands were shaking at the very idea of being around all of them at once. You really didn’t want to be around people more than necessary, especially with those you didn’t understand just yet. Still, he was waiting so patiently and letting you make your own decision, he was not forcing you to do anything you truly felt uncomfortable with. You gave in, hand gently taking his own and giving your choice to him.
He smiled, bright but subdued, comforting in his bold encouragement. The door flew open, the captain emerging with you in tow. A week on the ship and you still had yet to eat with all of them. You spent more time by yourself than anything, not letting yourself be in an open space for longer than needed. They had given you your space, letting you take it on your own time.
The girls parked up at your arrival, Sanji and Chopper doing the same. Usopp smiled, inviting. Zoro nodded at you, making no big deal of you finally joining them. He had actually rather you have done so on your own, but he knew how Luff could be, how convincing he could be when he really wanted. There was no saying ‘no’ to the guy, and that was coming from him of all people. He shook his head with a smirk, gulping down the sake in the process.
Luffy ushered you to sit down beside him, having you closest to the door and facing the entire room. The chef jumped up and grabbed a plate, quickly plating the food he had served tonight with a thoughtful look on his face. He paused before scanning it once more and then finally placing it on the table in front of you. You muttered your appreciation before looking to the side. You hesitated, noting how the silverware wasn’t in a specific order or the way it was supposed to be. Doffy had made sure you knew the basics before you took to his side at the table in front of the family. It was ingrained in you by now, not being able to function properly without things being a certain way. Eye unconsciously twitching, you breathed deep before picking up the closest matching utensil you could find. Robin noted the action, paying close attention to the little ticks of yours. She was fascinated by you, having not met someone of your status personally before. But even without having done so, there was something that wasn’t adding up. Your demeanor was timid, yes, but there were other things you did that tipped her off. But she couldn’t put her finger on it just yet.
You ate as expected, not listening to the conversation that had started to flow again. It wasn’t until you were finished that you finally tuned in and the others noticed. It was kind of them to be patient with you, but you could see the way they eyed you from afar, wanting to know about whatever you would tell them.
It was, of course, Luffy who managed to speak up first.
“So, where are you from!?”
His eyes were sparkling, wide and bright. It was hard to deny him of things when he asked like that, and you were already starting to want to keep this boy, wanting to treat him much like you do Baby 5 and Dellinger. Clearing your throat and dismissing the invasive thought, you put the utensil down and folded your hands in your lap. Closing your eyes, you pretended to think of an appropriate response.
“Well, the man I was serving was the captain of a huge pirate crew as well as the king of the island of Dressrosa residing in the New World.”
Opening your eyes, you nodded to Luffy. He looked at you but didn’t yet understand how far away it truly was. So he looked to Nami.
She was already gaping, eyes wide and mouth wide. Her voice trembled.
“The New World!? How the hell did you manage to end up in Alabasta of all places, it’s at the beginning of the Grandline!”
You flushed, eyed averting her own as the others leaned in in interest.
“W-well, while I was under the Young Master I came into contact with one of his…associates. You see, the Young Master is… never mind.”
You trailed off, allowing them to become invested in the story before you gave the big reveal.
Robin leaned further, intrigue sparking. She could tell you were playing them, could see how you manipulated the conversation. But she gave in either way, curiosity flaring brighter than her care for that at the moment.
“This Young Master, he was more than just a pirate captain, wasn’t he? If I can remember there’s a certain man that has his followers call him such a title that my prior boss pretended he wasn’t fond of. Would I be correct in my assumption?”
A knowing glint was all you needed, pretending to reluctantly nod.
“Y-yes ma’am-”
“Who is it then!?”
The table chorused, Zoro included in the exasperation. It was starting to become tense and he was needing some elaboration to understand the conversation. He wasn’t the only one, the others just as lost.
“The Young Master is also a fellow Warlord of the Sea, associate of Sir Crocodile. They were known to become intimate in the past so it’s not surprising that Ms. Nico Robin knows of him.”
“You’re telling me that you were a slave for a Warlord??? How the fuck did you manage to escape that?!”
Usopp interjected, unable to keep his mouth shut. You curled into yourself, arms holding onto each other.
“That leads me back to the associate I mentioned before. Another Warlord, Bartholomew Kuma, has a teleportation Devil Fruit and he took pity on me. In a moment of weakness I broke in front of him and begged for him to send me anywhere else in the Grandline. I woke up on Alabasta, somewhere in Nanohana.”
“That’s where you met Luffy then.”
You nodded, confirming the statement.
“Yes, that’s where I met your captain. He was the first person I saw that didn’t seem to be from the island. I had also seen a Wanted poster with his face on it, so I knew he would be on the move.”
“Why didn’t you go to the Marines straight away? Surely they would’ve taken you in?”
Robin asked, playing along with your narrative. She was trying to poke holes in your explanation, but you had spent many nights thinking about every possible scenario.
“I could’ve, but the chances that someone would recognize me were high considering my duties under the Young Master. I came into contact frequently with guests to Dressrosa, more of a…comforting presence so to speak.”
And that was more truthful than any other word you had said, Robin seeing the hesitance to admit such. You were used in the same way under another, having been a warm body for others to find solace in. You were combining your real experiences with your imagined one under Doflamingo. Hopefully that way there were some hard truths in there they couldn’t deny. Chopper had seen the very real wounds and scars from such a past, so there was nothing they could accuse that he wouldn’t refute with evidence.
Nami quieted her own questions, moth forming a harsh line at hearing the statement. She had thought of her own time under Arlong as soon as she had seen the jolly roger on your back. The memories came hard and fast causing her to cringe.
“So what’s his name? You keep saying ‘Young Master’ but you aren’t his slave anymore.”
You shook your head, genuine in your next words.
“You don’t understand. The Young Master is Donquixote Doflamingo, King of Dressrosa and Captain of the Donquixote pirates. Owner of slave houses, auctions, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and artificial Devil Fruit manufacturers. Not to mention the counts of mass murder, genocide, patricide, fratricide, torture, and enslavement.”
You let the list linger in the air as they took in the information.
“That man has branded my skin implying that he owns me. And he does- body and mind. The scars will last my entire life and I find myself constantly in a state of fear of his arrival, that he’ll somehow find me or his allies will. I can’t escape him, his reach is further than any other pirate I personally know. He’s even got the Navy on his side.”
Tears welled up in your eyes.
“Nah, he can’t own anybody. You can’t do that.”
Your head rose, snapping to look in Luffy’s direction.
“You don’t understand-”
“Don’t need to. No one can own another person. You still have your personality, your dreams…”
He trailed off, eyes growing distant before promptly refocusing. He turned toward you, question lingering.
“What’s your dream?”
Your mouth opened and closed, searching for an answer. You truthfully didn’t have one, not like you knew they had. The tears in your eyes fell, damn you were a good actor. You mentally patted your own back.
“I don’t have one.”
“Then we’ll help you find one. First, we have to get rid of that Mingo guy, right? Cuz you’re scared of him so you can’t be free.”
You sputtered, eyes widening in legitimate disbelief. You rose from your chair, hands planting on the table.
“Y-You’re out of your depth here, kid! The Young Master is stronger than everyone on this fucking ship, stronger than the majority of the Warlords and more cunning too! I-I can’t even think of a time someone went up against the man and won! When you fight Donquixote Doflamingo you either survive and live a horrible rest of your short life or die! Y-you can’t-”
You cut yourself off, backing away from the table and shutting yourself up. Their eyes were wide, every single one of them looking at you differently. You had gotten passionate, too into the conversation and lost yourself for a moment. You flinched as Nami reached out from across the table trying to bring you back, but you took a step back. Your head faced the ground as you pushed in your chair.
“Forgive me, it seems as if it’s getting late. I’ll be retiring for the night.”
You turned your back, rushing out of the door.
Or attempting to.
Zoro caught your hand, the first person on the ship to touch you without prior confirmation. You tensed, not at all enjoying the feeling of his hand on your skin. It made your skin crawl, anyone touching you that wasn’t Doflamingo. You withheld your reaction, already given in too much tonight to your genuine emotions.
“How strong is he. Do we stand even a chance against him as we are now?”
He was serious, but he wasn’t really asking. There was something else he was looking for in your answer.
“No. Nothing you try to attack him with will make a difference, especially since none of you even use Haki. You would die as soon as he met eyes with you all.”
His grip loosened but still stayed.
“Haki. Do you know how to use it?”
You thought of how to respond, but you decided you already enjoyed their captain’s presence and his attitude. You would do them a favor it seemed.
“Yes. I was one of the higher slaves, one that was coveted.”
Another truth that made your hair raise.
“I was taught things to keep the other slaves in line and safe.”
You already knew what he was going to ask, especially after seeing Luffy pay more attention. You didn’t want this boy to die, not the one who ensured freedom of all his nakama.
“Teach us.”
Robin leaned in, eyes narrowed in thought and not of distrust. She had heard of a slave that was well-behaved and trustworthy of being a keeper of sorts for the others. But it was a hierarchy more often seen in Celestial Dragon’s captivity. She pondered the thought before pushing it away, she would think more on it later.
“We’ll start in the morning then. And the only way I know how to teach it is how I learned it, so that is how I will be doing it. Prepare yourself for dawn.”
You left the room, shaking off Zoro’s hand and fleeing as the chance arrived. They let you leave, letting you run from the situation and back into your safe space. They had yet to find where you stowed yourself away and from everyone on board. In truth, you hid your Haki presence and jumped overboard and into the mouth of the figurehead. You curled up tight in your hole and closed your eyes, listening to the waves crash on the ship. Feeling for anyone around or on top of the goat head as Luffy sometimes did, you relaxed as everyone was still in the Galley. You fished out the baby DenDen that was hidden in your boot. Dialing the number you knew by heart and waited, anxiety stirring heavy in your chest.
One ring.
And then another.
He picked up on the third ring, much too long to wait in your opinion.
“Mi amor?”
He breathed, his voice deep. You didn’t know how much the time difference was, but you could hear the sleep still heavy in his voice. It spurred something in you, the raspiness of his tone thrilling. It reminded you of when he was angry and those were always times you looked forward to…he was never angry at you after all.
“I should make you be like a dog for making me wait so long to hear your voice.”
He sighed, smiling wistfully at your attitude. He had missed every part of you, even the one where you smarted off at him and gave him what he deserved. He shuddered at the look you must be making right now, the frustration in your eyes and the scowl on your face. Doflamingo so desperately wanted to see you face to face. The month you had been gone (both on Alabasta and now the Merry) was too much, a day was too much. But he held strong, knowing how determined you could get when in the right mindset. And he knew how badly you wanted Law to join the Donquixote pirates, to be in the Heart Seat you thought he belonged.
“I would love nothing more. But that’s not the reason you called, was it?”
“Hm, I suppose not.”
“So what are you so excited to tell me then?”
“Well, since our last talk I have successfully boarded the Going Merry, the caravel belonging to StrawHat Luffy.”
An intake of breath.
“You’re unbelievable, you know that? I thought it would take a lot more to convince rookie pirates of their caliber. Especially considering the lineage of Monkey D. Luffy.”
“I thought so too, you would think Garp would teach his grandkid about taking in strangers.”
“On the other hand, they have also managed to recruit Nico Robin, Sir Crocodile’s former second hand.”
The line went quiet as your lover took it in. You knew how much he had loved the man, had adored him before you. But even you could admit you didn’t know what had happened to the man in the aftermath.
“And-?”
“I don’t know, my love. “
And the conversation came back. He told you of everything going on in Dressrosa, about how Dellinger and Baby were behaving so far. But of course their daily arguments continued. You hadn’t expected anything less, pleased at having them not try to kill each other.
Dawn was on the rise as you finished talking, wavering in your stance and wanting to stay on the line with him. But you had let go after sensing the others starting to rise.
“I’ll speak to you later, mi rey. I have to go, the others are waking up.”
“Be careful, not that you need it. Make sure you let me know if things go downhill, I’ll be there in minutes, I swear it.”
Your heart fluttered, the affection not unnoticed or unappreciated.
“I know.”
And the line went dead just as a ship came into the horizon. It seemed as if your impromptu Haki lesson would have to wait.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Doflamingo, slavery, implied SA (not from Doffy), yandere tendencies, obsessive and unhealthy relationships , suggestive content
POSTED ONLY ON TUMBLR UNDER ACEANDURMOM <3
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Scrambling from the ground, you cried out as the entire island shook. Running from the bar, you managed to spot the person you had been searching for for a few weeks now. The straw hat was an eyesore, but you desperately followed its wearer as best you could. He was being chased down by what looked like an entire fleet of Marines, but he dodged every single one of them until another man stepped in to assist. He was older than the boy, wearing an orange cowboy hat. He quickly revealed his identity as he shot up a wall of flames.
Portgas D. Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Great.
The strawhat ran off, and you ignored the Navy and the pirate behind you. Dashing into the alleyway, you tailed the boy. As much as you wanted to get the show on the road, you wanted to see if the boy had any semblance of Haki or sense of observation skills in general, intrigued by the amount of chaos he had already brought upon Alabasta. The longer you followed the less pleased you were, you had hoped he had at least Observation, but the theory was quickly thrown out. Sighing, disappointed, you dashed to another alley that you knew connected to this one up ahead. You had called in a favor from Kuma and got him to transport you to Alabasta before the strawhats did to scout the area. Crocodile had so very generously allowed you to stay with him in secret until they managed to reach the kingdom, already knowing the plan having called with Doffy the night before. Purposefully tripping, you yelped as you fell to the stone. Putting on the waterworks, you started to sob hopelessly in front of the pirate captain.
He paused, looking at you before his eyes widened. You looked up at him, making yourself flinch back and hiccup over your tears.
“P-Please, I don’t have anything!”
He stepped forward, crouching to look over you properly. You were sure you made quite a sight. You had made Doffy rough you up after branding your flesh. Despite the few weeks you had been waiting for these Rookie pirates, the wounds continued to mark your flesh. They weren’t as severe as they were before, giving the illusion that you had been on the run for a while now. The only injury still tender was the carved skin.
Your hair was tangled and frazzled, having been pulled by the man himself in ecstasy. Bruises coated your wrists and ankles, cuff marks clearly identifiable. Your clothes were old ones from before you had met your husband, genuine slave garb that presented you as one of the ones others coveted. Still, you made him cut them up so you looked appropriate. Bandages were crudely wrapped around your exposed shoulder, hiding the back of your shoulder blades. Breathing heavily, you pushed your nails into your palms and waited.
“Who did that to you?”
You shook your head frantically, sobbing.
“Y-You can’t! I-I…Please you look like a pirate, like one of those I’ve seen on those Wanted posters. Let me board your ship, just until the next island! I’ll get out of your hair then, I swear it, but I can’t stay here!”
Fingers curled around strands of your hair and tugged, an anxious habit you had done away with in the past. Now you pulled it out to sell your act, genuinely using it to ground yourself in the moment. You hoped to Nika that this would work, not thrilled by the blank stare the captain was currently giving you.
He stood, head cocked to the side as he hummed. Shrugging, he let out a laugh before reaching down. Surprisingly, he locked eyes with you before making contact, pausing in his actions. He wasn’t what you expected. You nodded, pleading with him under your breath. He gave in, scooping you into his arms and running off in the direction of the harbor. He was much more gentle than you thought he would be, hands in the right places without touching anything he wasn’t supposed to. His hat shaded your eyes and he glances at you every now and then. He smiled the entire time, surveying the area and ensuring it was clear before moving. He moved differently with you in his arms than before when you watched him, when he was by himself he was instinctive and took no breaks. With you he watched the surrounding area closely and took moments to look out for anything he might have missed. Eyes watched constantly without pause and it was odd to see such a dramatic change in him.
You muttered something under your breath, prompting him to perk up and look at you.
“Hm, what’d you say?”
“What’s y-your name?”
He beamed, smile brighter than anything you had ever witnessed in your entire life. Your stomach flipped in response, shocked into silence.
“I’m Monkey D. Luffy, and I’m going to be King of the Pirates!”
Normally when you heard such a claim you would scoff and roll your eyes. You didn’t believe in the One Piece or that anyone could become King after finding it. Becoming King of the Seas took work and effort, not just finding some random piece of shit on an unknown island somewhere. But Luffy’s answer had resonated with you in a way it never had before.
And you fucking believed him.
It terrified you.
The ship you arrived near was small, more of a caravel than a pirate ship. But even better was the fact that it was already set out and quite a ways into the ocean. You looked to see how Luffy was going to get to it, the man not stopping or braking once. Whatever was about to happen was going to be fate, and you only hoped that Doflaminog remembered you in your passing.
One of his arms stretched back onto the dock rail, anchoring himself before continuing to sprint forward. Somehow you managed to hold onto him tighter, refusing to slip for even a second as the both of you launched into the air. Had you not been with Doffy soaring through the air by his threads, you would have screamed in legitimate terror. But being who you are, you only held onto him tighter, not knowing him well enough to completely trust your life in his hands. Even less so considering you also had a Devil Fruit.
As much as you want to say you're surprised, you really weren’t whenever you two managed to crash land onto the deck. It was the first time you had seen plant life thriving on a pirate ship and you were getting ideas for Doffy’s entire fleet. Either way, you panted as Luffy stood and placed your feet onto the wood below. His arm stayed around your waist, holding you close as you looked around the ship.
There was only one woman on the crew, Cat Burglar Nami. She was a gorgeous lady, cropped orange hair and a distrusting glare thrown at her captain. The only other two with bounties on the crew so far were Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro and Blackleg Sanj. The blonde was currently smoking a cigarette and looking at you in confusion and intrigue. The swordsman groaned before popping his back, head coming back down and looking straight through you.
There were two others you had yet to recognize, not ever seeing them before in the list of Luffy’s nakama. Choosing to ignore them for a moment, no matter how hard it was to do so considering the reindeer, you made yourself tremble. Legs shaking, you collapsed onto the deck. Luffy followed you down, eyebrows furrowed.
“Hey, it’s all okay now, ya know! You’re gonna be safe on the Merry, promise!”
You shook your head, tears resurfacing. The reindeer from before was shouting something before focusing in on you. The animal rushed over and pushed Luffy out of the way.
“Move, Luffy, they need a doctor!”
Turning to face you, the little thing nodded before becoming serious.
“My name is Chopper and I’m a doctor, please allow me to look at your wounds!”
You withdrew from the little animal, making sure you appeared distrusting. Luffy, seeing your perceived hesitance, nudged your shoulder and grinned wide.
“Yeah! He’s a really good doctor, the best I’ve ever seen even! He can cure anything, so let him patch you up!”
The boy wiggled, an awkward dance and flush on his face. (Somehow)
“Ah! That doesn't make me happy at all, you bastard!”
The others rolled their eyes fondly, laughing low so as to not embarrass him. You nodded, allowing him to move closer and not freaking out about him doing so.
“O-okay, just…just don’t…”
You trailed off, not knowing what to say for a moment. The doctor only nodded, reassuring you despite the hard time he thought you were having.
“It’s all right, I’ll be as fast as possible. Since I just joined the crew at the last island we still don’t have an office for me to work. So I’m going to ask if it’s okay if we move into the galley?”
“Y-yeah, whatever is easiest for you, sir.”
You rose with Luffy’s assistance, leaning on him more than you probably needed to. The rest of the crew followed the three of you into the dining room, not letting someone alone with the captain no matter how much they may have trusted him. They were nosy for one, and the other reason was that they were awfully paranoid. It had been too many times Luffy had trusted the wrong person, who knows what might happen.
‘Alright so-”
A startled scream escaped the little doctor as he turned to find you already stripping yourself of your shirt. Confused, genuinely so, you tilted your head in question.
“What’s wrong? You need to be able to see my wounds, correct?”
“W-W-Well yeah, but-”
You waved the reindeer off, shaking your head as he worriedly glanced around the room to his crew. They were all in varying states of disbelief, not really comprehending that this really didn’t bother you the way it should. Your husband was one for blatant exhibitionism, and you could never say no to him. You couldn’t count on both of your hands the amount of times one of the crew had caught you and the man, sometimes even on purpose. So to strip off only your shirt in front of them for medical reasons seemed to be of no issue, especially since you could play up your story in the process.
Turning your back to Chopper, you exposed the bloodied bandages that were already fraying. They wound around your shoulder before going to the other, protecting the skin of your shoulder blades and obscuring them from view.
“If you all are going to kill me, then do it now. I would have killed myself anyways had your friend not brought me here. It makes no difference to me what you do.”
There was an uncomfortable silence as the newly formed crew watched as their resident doctor removed the bandages. Whoever had done it clearly had zero medical experience, the fabric itself poor quality and torn. Looking closer the things that had once covered your body were actually torn clothes, the pattern and texture indicating as such. The moment they fell to the floor Nami was the first to react. Her shoulders shook as she shakily inhaled, shuddering in the process. Her eyes grew wet as she immediately recognized that a Jolly Roger had been torn into your skin. Her hand grasped at her shoulder, nails tearing into her own skin. The other unnamed pirate pulled her hand away, choosing to instead hold hers as they both watched with bated breath. The blonde sucked in harshly on his cigarette, eyes glazing over and looking away as you glanced over at him. Roronoa coughed into his fist, making sure you weren’t looking his way as he looked closer at the emblem. He had seen it before but couldn’t remember the name, somehow knowing it was a bigger crew despite not paying much attention to certain things.
Grabbing a bottle of whiskey, the reindeer warned you in a whisper before pouring it over the wound. Without meaning to, you moaned, the feeling taking you off guard. The others took it as a sign of your unease and pain, but you knew what it really was.
The second Doflamingo agreed to the idea he had been on you. Flipping you over and pressing your body down into the mattress, he straddled your hips. Fingers twitching, the man unthreaded your shirt seams and flung the remains onto the floor. His breath caught as he leaned forward, subtly grinding into the small of your back. He reached over to his nightstand and fumbled for the second drawer, quickly pulling a switchblade out. It sure as hell wasn’t the first time you two had experimented with your masochism nor his sadism, sometimes even flipping the roles and doing the opposite. Still the sight of the item caused you to shiver, excitement thrumming in your veins as he flicked open the blade. The blonde was panting, sweat starting to bead on his temples as he imagined the desired picture finally complete on your skin. To claim you completely with his Jolly Roger was more than he deserved, but your angelic ass was willingly letting the devil himself do whatever he pleased. He would say it time and time again: he did not deserve you.
You waited the best you could, but the anticipation started to burn. Pushing your head up, you went to look behind you before the man’s hand pushed you back down.
“D-Don’t look at me yet, mi amor.”
You huffed, pushing your hips back into him. He gave into your desires, never able to tell you no, and dragged the blade against your skin teasingly. Doffy didn’t yet let it pierce your skin, instead letting the metal to lightly press and drag. His other hand let go of your head, nail planning out the design against your shoulder blade.
“How long have you wanted me to do this?”He sounded out of breath as he questioned, blade starting to press down enough to start building pressure.
“Hm?”
He hummed, desperately needing the answer. He wanted you to scream it, to devote yourself to him even more than you already were. Of course he knew you desired him, you were married after all. But to commit yourself to his side for the rest of your entire lives and even in death? There was nothing he would trade in this entire world for you, not even the chance to restart his life and fix the things that were wrong. Stars above he wanted to sink his teeth into you.
And so he did.
And at the same time the knife bit into your skin and into the layers beneath, lighting the area on fire. The sensation was intense, but his presence was all you needed to soothe yourself enough to enjoy it. He was the only person you would ever let your guard down enough to ever do something like this. He was the only person you ever wanted to hear, to see, and feel. There was nothing that could tear you from his side, not even the gods as your mortal body was permanently altered to accommodate him.
You relished every second of it.
Coming back to the present, you tried to avoid the fluster that was starting to build. Even thinking about him was dangerous, not wanting to start blushing or to publicly swoon. You took a breath and paid attention as the room came back into focus.
Luffy was hovering in front of you, concerned as your eyes re-focused. You had worried him, zoning out as soon as the alcohol burned into your skin. Chopper had promptly freaked out before steadying himself. He carefully rebandaged the brand, making sure it wasn’t too tight as he tied it off. The other wounds he was starting to notice being so close, they were concerning him. He opened his mouth before shutting it, not wanting today anything sensitive in a room full of people. You noticed it, hearing the intake of breath before he cut it off.
“There’s no point in trying to be gentle about it, and it’s not like not everyone else is going to know anyways. S-Say what you need to, sir.”
Chopper’s ears perked up, hearing the muttering and deciding it was okay.
“R-right. Well, you see. “
He stammered before closing his eyes, reopening them after gathering his thoughts.
“It’s just that…some of your injuries appear to be…more…intimate?”
He asked, voice coming out as a whimper the longer he went on.
Nami promptly left the room, looking sick. The pirate with her left by her side, not faring well either. The only others that remained were the Monster Trio and the doctor, all looking uncomfortable or appalled.
Luffy, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.
“What does it matter what the circumstances were, they’re wounds all the same.”
“It matters a lot!”
Chopper exclaimed, bewildered at such nonchalance.
“I-”
“It’s fine.”
“No-
“It’s fine. I’ve already gotten over it-”
But you really hadn’t. Before you had met Doflamingo, you were someone else completely. You were someone else’s. And the wounds they had inflicted still lingered, sometimes burning brighter some days than others. You struggled to overcome the intrusive thinking, shaking your head.
“It’s okay.”
Your voice was softer then, stopping Chopper from continuing.
“Am I all done, doc?”
“Yeah.”
You were forced to stay on Merry as they fought for Alabasta, deemed too mentally unstable and traumatized to join them on their excursion. You were perfectly fine with that, not wanting to give yourself away so early by having Crocodile speak to you in front of them. But the second you felt another Haki on the ship other than the ones you familiarized yourself with you paid attention. It was someone you didn’t know personally, but you had seen her in passing. She was someone you weren’t expecting to be on the ship, and the ease of Luffy had you tensing up yourself. She had somehow managed to leave Crocodile in favor of this rookie.
Oh Nika above, what happened to the man then!?
Peeking from behind the Galley door, you watched as Nico Robin settled into a lawn chair without remorse. She leaned back and immediately opened a book, head propped up by a hand as she started to read. The crew were weary, even after the minimal effort Robin had put in to sway their decision. You cracked the door open further, cursing as the hinge squeaked in response. Heads flew in your direction, gazes steeled until you wobbled forward.
“S-Sorry, um…I..I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Robin hummed, eyeing you up and down. You had managed to avoid everyone on Crocodile’s crew during your stay, still there was an anxious burn in your chest that refused to leave under her gaze.
“I didn’t see you in Alabasta. Who are you, little thing?”
You forced your shoulders to curl inwards to look weak, but there was still the flush on your cheeks that gave you away. Nami pointed and whispered to the man still unknown to you. He made eye contact and snickered, shoulder silently shaking. Scowling, you forced yourself to push down the flush and look at her again before ‘nervously’ averting your eyes.
“A passenger is all. I’ll be out of your way at the next island.”
Her eyes partially closed as she smiled. Luffy watched the interaction, letting it play out. Before long the blonde chef was twirling his way past Robin before hesitantly stopping in front of you. Blinking you stuttered an apology before moving from the door to the Galley.
“S-S-Sorry! I didn’t even think about-”
He waved his hands, making sure they stayed in your field of vision.
“No, no! It’s fine, I was just going to make some refreshments for everyone. Would you like to watch? I know how overwhelmed things can get on the Merry.”
You deflated, grateful for any kind of reprieve from social interaction. Doffy had kept you a secret from everyone for a long long time before he ever introduced you to the Family. Then even now you were still unknown to the rest of the world. To interact with people for so long was exhausting and you weren’t exactly a people person before that either.
“Please.”
You breathed, silently pleading with him to take you away from here. He nodded, a gentle smile upon his lips as he whisked the both of you away from the deck.
As the two of you entered Sanji’s domain, nami started to shout orders from her post. It seems as if the Log Pose has reset, determining the upcoming voyage.
You hoped these pirates knew what they were doing.
“So, care to tell me why exactly I did not know as soon as this meeting of yours was scheduled?”
Doflamingo paused, sunglasses still in your robe. There was nothing to hide behind as you stared him down, irritated still at the fact you were kept in the dark.
“Mi amor-”
He started, voice taking on that light purr it always did when he was trying to keep in your good graces.
“Stop that. I want an answer, Doffy.”
He deflated, bringing his forehead to your knees and dragging his palms up your calves.
“Forgive me, mi reina, I only wished to keep you away from them as long as possible. Should you forget, I am a selfish man.”
Laughing to yourself, you brought his head up so you could see him once more.
“Hm, still I see no excuse. Should you have told me as such I would have stayed out of it, but here we are with both of us unsatisfied with the turnout. You know more than anyone else that I would bend however you would like, I would kill myself should you desire it. And yet you kept it from me.”
He whined in the back of throat, eyes flitting about the room.
“I apologize.”
And there was nothing else he could say to sate you. What’s done was done, and both of you knew of such.
“Alright then, there is nothing to pout about, my love. Stand up, you're the King of Dressrosa, tonto.”
He did as told, hand coming to wipe his face and reset himself. You remained on the bed, pulling at the sash holding the robe together. Standing, you tossed the robe onto the bed and walked to the closet he had devoted entirely to you. He groaned as he took in the sight of you, still mesmerized by the hold you manage to have on him. How long had it been since you had given yourself to him entirely, and yet he still responded to you as if he was a teenage boy.
You felt his eyes on you, hearing as he rummaged through the discarded robe for his glasses. He pushed them where they belonged and came up behind you. Hands found your smaller waist, encircling your entire torso and thumbs caressing your skin. You pushed through the various clothing options, opting for something that complimented his own choices.
Sifting through the hangers, you tugged on the pink button up. It had the same pattern as his pants, the stripes once being an eyesore for you. Now you found his atrocious choices endearing, adoring how he dressed. You pulled out the white dress pants, freshly ironed and washed from yesterday. You quickly got dressed, playfully pushing the hovering man away in order to do so. You kept a few buttons undone in order to show off some of your chest, it made you feel cuter, no matter how much Doffy hated it in public. Turning around, you hummed and thought of what shoes to pair with the outfit.
The blonde saw your struggle and reached for his personal favorite. They were thick orange heels, a strap coming across the ankle when on your feet. He dangled them in front of your gaze, still contemplative. Upon seeing the pair, you sighed good naturedly. You should have known he would pick something like this, already knowing of his personal preferences. Still, you couldn’t find it in yourself to decline such a request. Nodding, you plucked them from his hand and sat down to adjust them. He allowed you to do no such thing.
Sitting across from you in a lounge chair, he gently took your ankle and lifted it. Picking up a heel, he pressed in onto your foot and situated the strap, buckling into place without having to think too hard on it. Once done, he pressed a chaste kiss to your foot and did the same motions for the other.
Standing up, he followed you out of the door. You were much more calm than the first time you had done this this morning. It should have started out like this the first time, but you paid it no mind. If you think too hard on it you would only get aggravated again. The poor guy was already trying so hard to make up for it, so there was nothing else to do. The servant from before stood in the hallway, halfway through knocking when you emerged with the King in tow. He calmed himself before bowing his head. He gestured to the stairwell and up with a nod of his head, he had directed the Warlords and the Admirals to the guest rooms upstairs then. Good.
“Perfect. I shall go fetch them for breakfast. Go set the table, criado.”
He nodded, rushing out to the stairs and running down two at a time.
You leaned back into Doffy for a minute, watching the man go in silence.
“You’re awfully quiet. Usually you like to torment him a bit more.”
“I have someone else I can aggravate now, I need to focus on that dick instead.”
“Lead the way then, mi amor.”
It took only a minute to be in front of the first door, knocking politely while Doflamingo made arrangements downstairs. It took a bit of convincing but you managed to usher him away, reassuring him you would be fine by yourself. You didn’t want the man to constantly hover for once, having no problem with it any other time. But you felt as if you should prove that you did not need the man to be respected.
Dracule emerged, his hat left on the inn table and coat neatly folded away. He had foregone the dramatic attire and instead wore a white button up. It suits the man.
“Espadachin, I hope everything is to your liking?”
“It is suitable, thank you for your hospitality. I know Doflamingo would have us stay elsewhere.”
“Indeed, he had planned to have you all housed somewhere else on the premises, but you all are Warlords too, are you not. I think you deserve a little bit more than a hotel stay.”
“It is appreciated, truly.”
“Of course. Breakfast is ready, you can follow me or wait here for me to come back with the others. Do as you wish.”
You did not stay and wait to hear a response, instead moving down and knocking on the next door.
“Ah, Mx. Donquixote, I was not expecting you yet. That was rather fast.”
You smiled, relaxing around the fishman. He was always so polite. Had you not been with Doffy you could see yourself with the man in another life.
“Mr. Jinbe. I apologize if I caught you off guard, you can take however much time you need. There is no hurry.”
“Nonsense, I will be with you in just a second. Go ahead and get the others.”
Turning on your heel, you crossed the hall to fetch the others.
Boa Hancock had accepted you eagerly, eyes calculating as she followed behind you on your task. She said nothing as you gathered the rest, but she never strayed far from your side. Another person you found incredibly attractive and intelligent, it took a lot for a woman to get to where she is now. You respected her.
The rest of the Warlords had congregated down the hall, loitering where Mihawk had situated himself by his own door. They were discussing something in hushed tones, but you paid no mind.
“Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I hope everything is acceptable?”
He nodded but said nothing else to you, bypassing you entirely to stand next to the others. Scoffing, you knocked on the next door. Kizaru had been kind, thanking you and heading on his way. Aokiji was kind as well, offering you a nod in recognition. Finally, you stood in front of Akainu’s door. You knew he could sense you outside in the hall, but it seemed as if he was waiting for you come to him.
“Admiral Sakazuki, breakfast is ready.”
You did not knock or attempt to open the door. Instead, you spoke through the door and waited for him to respond. Not waiting on him to answer, you walked back to where the rest were, Boa on your heels. She stood directly behind you instead of beside like before, she was protecting your back as you walked away from Akainu. Something you noticed immediately. It seems as if the man had pissed off several people then.
Stepping in front of the little huddle, you broke them up and grinned.
“If you’d follow me I’ll show you to the dining room. Forgive me but I do not know whether the officers are going to be present. If they are then I must warn you, they are rather lively.”
“As much as we appreciate the honesty, it is nothing we haven’t dealt with before.”
“If you say so, do not say I did not warn you.”
The walk down to the dining room was a long one. It took twelve flights of stairs to reach the designated floor, and then five more to reach the ground floor. It had taken getting used to, but now it was a time for you to gather your own thoughts. Normally, they centered around Doflamingo and how much you adored the man, picturing him covered in blood as he massacred those who had annoyed you. Now your mind was plagued with worries of your crew somehow pissing off one of the people now following you. You hoped everyone would be on their best behavior, if they managed to somehow do something then not even Doflamingo would stop you from killing one of them.
Your descent of the stairs ceased as you reached the floor. You held out your hand to Boa to help her back onto stable ground. Her palms were soft, but that was to be expected since she fought with her legs more often than not. Not to mention that Devil Fruit of hers. You made eye contact with her and winked, not letting go of her hand until you reached the entrance to the dining room.
“Sit wherever you would like, I’m sure the Young Master has already spoken to the officers. If he hasn’t, then I will do so instead.”
You opened the door for them, allowing them to enter before you. You paid no mind to the flush on Hancock’s face, ignoring the pride you felt upon your influence on her. The rest filed in after her, some giving you thanks and others ignoring you completely. You ignored the rush of irritation as best as you could, knowing some were doing it on purpose. Before the last walked in, he looked down at you and smirked.
“Seems odd to have a royal such as yourself opening doors for us, allow me.”
Sir Crocodile took the door from you, hook holding open the door as he pressed a hand to the small of your back. You did as directed, not putting up much of a fight. If the man wanted to act a gentleman then that was fine by you, but there was something else in his eyes as he watched. It was a look you had seen in your lover’s eyes numerous times, and you brushed it away before you thought on it too hard, already feeling your chest swarm with emotions you hsouldn;t be feeling.
You knew of Sir Crocodile and Doflamingo’s previous trists, your husband telling you everything about himself the night before you married. Of course, nothing he said swayed your decision, but you thought of the things he said often. Only admiring him more after hearing of all the things he endured at such a young age. Crocodile was handsome, and from what you heard from others he was cunning as well. Brutal in the best of times. There’s no question as to what attracted Doffy to him, as you felt the same pull even now. The scent of sweet cigar smoke flooding your senses in the best way. Blinking hard, you forced a delicate smile as you officially entered the room.
Despite your best wishes and prayers to Nika, the officers of the Family were all present. Fortunately, they had remained quiet in their discussion as the Warlords filed in. They picked a spot together and the Navy officials distanced themselves, all except Aokiji. The man was lingering next to Kuma and was across from Diamante. Trebol sat next to Doflamingo, seat intricately carved with clubs indicating his title. Diamante’s seat was filled with diamond insignias per his title.
And the heart seat remained empty.
Doflamingo had told you all about his family, about his father and his brother. The deaths of both caused by him.
But you couldn’t hold the death of his father against him. To willingly bring his family down from Mariejois and then to a town and boldly declaring to the world who they were. When he knew how hated Celestial Dragons were and how much people loathed them. Enough so to kill even children.
Then there was his brother. You were conflicted about that one. You understood the hurt of being betrayed, you had never blamed him for acting out as such. The only thing you didn’t appreciate was the loss of Trafalgar D Water Law. The boy could have been a part of the family, and a damned good addition at that. But you knew the boy lived, the both of you in the bedroom when his wanted poster had been seen. The air had stilled and he gasped, the paper drifting to the floor. You had never met the boy, having come across Doffy shortly afterwards. Still, the man had been only a boy, and you were sure you would have adored him. You had told Doflamingo you wanted him back, he would be a perfect addition as the newest Corazon. Especially after hearing all about the Devil Fruit he had obtained in order to survive. He would be a good healer by now, an asset you desperately needed in your close circle.
You would baby him as soon as he joined the crew, you could see it now. Him a part of the family you knew he knew he belonged. You would make him comfortable here, he could be a son to you. Someone for you to nurture, someone for you to protect. You had revealed all of these feelings to Doffy, telling him everything that came to mind.
He remembered it all.
And so the Heart Seat remained open until the man you knew it belonged to arrived. You would do anything to make it happen.
You dismissed the hopes you’ve been constantly dreaming about. You approached Doflamingo’s side, laying a hand on his shoulder.
“Everyone from upstairs has arrived, Young Master.”
“So it seems. Thank you, mi amor, you’re as dedicated as always.”
You stood as you waited, noticing two chairs unfilled. Growing impatient, you tapped your foot. You ignored the curious glances thrown your way. Still, you remained as you were as the waiters filled plates of the food- Dressrosian delicacies some would kill to get their hands on.
Your designated servant approached timidly, hand waving in your peripherals to your chair. It was directly across from Doflamingo’s and at the head of the table. You usually sat with the man himself, but the chair remained in case diplomats or potential alliances visited. But that wasn’t what you were contemplating at the moment.
“My dear, where are the kids?”
Crocodile blinked, looking between you and the man. Sengoku choked before covering it up as best as he could.
Trebol cackled, clearing the air.
“Don’t get any ideas, the Young Master doesn’t have biological children, and neither do they.”
“Doflamingo, I sincerely hope you haven’t forced children into this crew of yours.”
It was a muttered answer, but a threat nonetheless. Doffy shook his head, waving his hand.
“They’ll come in time, you know how those two are.”
“It is imperative that they are here. Their tardiness is not to be ignored. You cannot take up for them all the time, mi rey.”
“Doflamingo taking up for kids, huh? How out of character.”
Borsalino commented, chuckling into his glass.
As if hearing the disapproval in your voice, the two mentioned ‘kids’ came running into the door looking frazzled.
“S-Sorry! We didn’t mean ta be late, Ma!”
Despite the kids not being your own, they still very much treated you as if they were. Doflamingo had been dubbed their father, and they very quickly came to call you mother no matter your gender. It was something they had done for years and you refused to make them stop now.
“Hm.”
You eyed the both of them, watching as Dellinger scrambled to his chair and Baby 5 did the same. Baby was always closer to Doffy, benign a daddy’s girl at heart the moment she had been taken in. On the other hand Dellinger had quickly gotten attached to you. Even if Doffy had been the one to take him in, you had always had a soft spot for the boy. And he clearly felt the same. The boy was sweating under your gaze, feeling chastised and humiliated. He hadn’t meant to be late, truly, but Baby and him had gotten into an argument.
Seeing the table now full of the appropriate people, you then let yourself sit across from Doffy.
“I’m grateful they aren’t literal children. I do think it’s funny they call you such a thing, majested.”
Mihawk had been the one to speak, but you had no response. Boa nodded her head, continuing for you.
“Agreed, you definitely don’t strike me as a motherly type.”
Truthfully, that had hurt your feelings. You made no face to indicate this though, refusing to show even a hint of weakness. Even so, Doflamingo made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat.
Breakfast continued in silence, everyone tense. Even if you were the last to sit, you were first to finish.
“Excuse me, I must see to some business. Feel free to send for me by one of the servants if you need to speak with me. I will be going now.”
“And what exactly do you do, I wonder. None of us have heard of you and yet you seem to be rather important here. How odd.”
“What I do and what I don’t is none of your business, Admiral. Technically I’m not even a part of my husband’s crew, so whatever you might be thinking, dispel it now.”
And you left, leaving them to themselves as you thought of all the things to be done.
–
By the time the meeting was done, you hadn’t seen a single Warlord since your abrupt exit. You purposefully avoided a few of them when you caught sight of them in the castle, even if Boa or Crocodile looked like they wanted to speak to you. You did nothing to allow them the honor, going back to flitting about and completing necessary tasks for the kingdom.
The week ended and you found yourself not remembering very many details. You remained busy and preferred it that way. Even Doflamingo had seen less of you than normal, a fact that he did not appreciate in the slightest. It was time to retire for the night, and he had caught you before you had fallen asleep. Awake and writing away on the desk, he hovered for a moment.
“Mi amor, have I done something to upset you?”
“No, I am just busy. There a few things you have left unattended in Dressrosa for too long and now require my attention.”
“And pray tell what exactly I left.”
“Well for one, Viola is still out and about without proper supervision. Her running wild is something to correct, there is nothing good that can come out of her freedom. Two-”
“Si, si, mi amor. Lo siento, you’re right.”
Doflamingo moved in, removing your sweater from your shoulders and pressing a kiss to each one before stilling. He spoke against your flesh, goosebumps rising in the process.
“I wish to discuss something with you.”
You put down your quill, leaning back into him to hear him out. His mouth moved from your shoulder slowly up your neck and to your earlobe.
“One of the others were talking of Strawhat Luffy.”
“Okay?”
“And they mentioned that it wouldn’t be very long now until he and Trafalgar Law crossed paths.”
You perked up, pushing away the papers you were editing and turning in your chair. The blonde met your eyes through his glasses, smug at your sudden attention.
“I have an idea.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“I want you to infiltrate the Strawhats. It looks like they’re approaching Alabasta soon, and they’re about to go against dear Croccy. I want you to join their crew and set the stage for them meeting Law and coming to Dressrosa.”
“And you think that I can last that long without you by my side?”
He groaned lowly, his eyes fluttering shut at the thought.
“We will find a way to stay in contact, even if that means I give you a personal baby DenDen that you hide at all times. I cannot have you stray from my side for so long without hearing at least your voice. I would go mad without that at the least. Best case scenario it will not take too long.”
“Worst case scenario they find where my loyalties truly lie.”
“Fuhuhu, we both know you are smarter than that.”
“And what if they hear of my connection to you, what then?”
“I have a plan.”
“Hm, even for this?”
“Yes.”
He paused, kissing your forehead before doing the same to your lips. He pushed his forehead to your own and whispered.
“You will pretend I have you trapped or enslaved. If the Strawhats don’t figure it out then I want you to reveal it to Law on purpose. Maybe both at the same time, but make it an accident.”
“And how will they know it is not a trick?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
You both separated and laid down, holding each other and slowly falling asleep. Words of devotion pressed into your hair as he held you tight.
It was the middle of the night.
Waking abruptly, you shot up and turned towards Doffy with a wild and self-satisfied grin.
He woke as soon as you moved, jerking up and hands hovering over you, not knowing whether to comfort or kill someone.
“Brand me.”
His own grin grew unhinged.
“What an idea. Are you sure you would carry such a mark?”
“There’s no other way to ensure the plan will succeed, and it will endear me to them faster. I have experience acting as a slave so it will be easy. They will believe it, but this will be foolproof.”
“And you would bear my mark for the rest of your life?”
“I would wear your mark for the rest of my life without question. I desire to have your brand on my flesh so that the entire Blue knows who has my heart and soul. There is nothing more that I want than to be chained to you in every way. The plan we are to execute is the perfect reason to finally do so, I will keep my ring with you so this is the solution. Brand me, mi vida.”
He breathed heavily, shaking even under the covers. His eyes rolled back in his head in pure bliss, your words providing such ecstasy on their own. His eyelids fluttered before he focused back on you.
“I would love nothing more. You're perfect in every way, I’ve wanted to carve my name into your skin since the moment I met you. In turn you should do the same, I want your name written into my veins.”
You breathed into his mouth, drawing closer the longer he spoke.
“I want you to do it by hand, though. No branding like you do to your slaves, I want you to carve it in my back with a knife. I want to watch you do it.”
Waking up, there was nothing in particular that caught your attention. The pale pink duvet was the only thing in your field of vision, your hand reaching out to feel for your lover. Growling when your hand comes into contact with the mattress, you throw the blankets away. Feet coming out from the side, you planted your legs onto the wooden floor. Your hands came up and rubbed the sleep from your eyes, blinking aggressively against the bright light of the morning. The sun was only partially in the sky, much too early for you to be awake. Whining and throwing a brief pity party, you rose from the bed. Shivering under the morning air, you wrapped the silk robe around your naked form. Deciding to not wait a second longer, you slipped into a pair of slippers and walked across the soft rug. The door loomed over you, the height of the thing could be intimidating had it been anyone else, but it was normal now.
Looking into the hallway, it was quiet. The only time that had ever happened was when the Young Master was in the room with you or in the vicinity. When he was gone from the premise the castle was bursting with life, laughter and taunting heard in every corner. It was especially odd not to see Baby 5 or Dellinger, either one of the always the first to greet you. Growing paranoid, the sense of longing only grew stronger. Tying the robe together, not wanting to be exposed, you walked out of the door and slowly shut it behind you. Not wanting to make any kind of noise in case something was happening. You were the Young Master’s lover, so it was obvious you knew how to take care of yourself in case something were to ever occur.
That didn’t mean that he wanted you to, though. So whatever might be happening was important, enough so that every one of his officers were involved before the morning even began.
It took several flights of stairs before you managed to reach the meeting room. The muffled yelling telling you all you needed to know. Pinching the bridge of your nose, you knocked once for politeness before opening it anyways.
The noise had ceased the moment your Haki had been sensed by Doflamingo. He had let his guard down, too caught up in the current argument he had been trying to keep from you in the first place. The door had opened with force, signalling that you were annoyed at the very least, something that the man tried to avoid at all costs. You were everything to him, any semblance of an inkling of your discomfort was reason enough to massacre an entire population, but for him to be the cause of it was unbearable- unacceptable. He hushed the room as fast as he could, veins throbbing furiously at the thought of your expression. It did nothing now, the damage already done.
Your form emerged in a beautiful robe he had handpicked for you himself, causing him to pause and simply admire you. It was clear you were wearing nothing underneath, pissing him off even more so considering who exactly was in the room with him.
It was his turn in Dressrosa to host the bi-annual Warlord meeting, the destination alternating each time. The last time it had been Mihawk’s turn, every Warlord bearing witness to the private man and seeing his home island. Ever since they had destroyed the meeting room at Marineford the Fleet Admiral had decided to force them to host, done with having his own property defaced and ruined. It was the first time they were meeting at the castle, and he so desperately wanted to keep it from you for as long as possible. Best case scenario you would never know that high ranking Marines and pirates were in your home. But when had things ever gone to plan when you were involved?
And now his little lover was revealed to the people he wanted to know the least, every single pair of eyes honing in on you. Doflamingo was a confident man, one who bragged about everything under the sun. But he had kept you to himself, not wanting anyone other than his Family to have such sensitive knowledge. Now you were practically revealed to the world at his distaste.
No.
To his horror.
Leaning against the door frame, you made eye contact with everyone in the room once before facing the Young Master. Eyebrow raised, you questioned him with a look.
And right before the eyes of the most powerful pirates of the seas and Marine officials, he bent to your will. Body curling into himself, he rushed to your side and kneeled in front of you. He pushed what little hair he had back and quickly pushed his glasses on his head so you could see his every thought. Looking down you admired the man, you relished in being the only one he bared his everything to. One of his eyes was blind, the dull and milky gaze telling enough, but his other eye was red, piercing. He looked up at you, eyes pleading without yet speaking a word.
“Mi amor, I apologize! I thought you would be asleep much longer, I did not think you would wake so early.”
Grunting, you gritted your teeth. You were frustrated, rightfully so. The love of your life purposefully hid a meeting behind your back and decided not to tell you that literal Navy Admirals and the Fleet Admiral himself would be in your domain. He usually told you everything that occurred and why it was happening, so to be in the dark for once was upsetting. You thought you had made it abundantly clear that secrecy and lying was your pet peeve, no it was more than that. You loathed lying at all.
“And pray tell, Young Master, why we are hosting a meeting in our castle without my being present. I would willingly be by your side and cater to our guests, I sincerely doubt that you are being a gracious host. I will see to it that our guests have refreshments and whatever else they might need while they’re docked. Would you introduce me to your…companions mi rey.”
There was no question in your voice telling the man to do so or you would continue to be furious. The emphasis on certain words telling the man your mood had worsened the longer you thought on it.
He stiffened before relaxing in defeat. His hands drew in one of yours and placed a kiss on your knuckles. He gave in to your demands, rising to his feet. He opened his mouth to begin when the Admiral he despised the most spoke up. Speaking such nonsense that he was frozen once he finally shut his atrocious mouth.
“I don’t know who the hell ya are but ya don’t need to be anywhere near this room. This is man business-”
A hiss from Ms. Hancock.
“And your ass should be away from this. Go back to whoring about, we have things to discuss.”
There was nothing for you to do except laugh at the audacity that the man had just expressed. The words infuriated you, causing your hands to curl into themselves and nails to dig into your palms. Doflamingo came back to his senses the moment the word ‘whore’ had been thrown out. You stood up fully from the doorway, stepping into the room fully and shrugging one shoulder out of your robe. You maintained eye contact with Sakazuki while walking around the table. When reaching his side, you mosied between him and Kizaru and propped up against the table. Fiddling with the sash tied around your waist holding the robe together, you leaned into the man’s space.
“Ah, Admiral Akainu Sakazuki. I’ve heard a lot about you, sir, but I doubt the stories I’ve heard have emulated how truly disgusting you are.”
You chuckled to yourself once more, appalled at seeing the man in person. You had hoped you would never lay eyes on him and you had made that clear to anyone who discussed him. Perhaps that was why your lover had kept this meeting such a secret, bringing down your annoyance with the man.
His eye twitched, hands coming to slam against the table and rise. Only for Doflamingo to throw out his strings in the process, causing the entire room to pause. They tied around Sakazuki’s hands, watching from behind glasses as his intent made it clear he wanted to hurt you.
Sengoku rose.
“Doflamingo.”
The Warlord glanced at him but made no motion to move.
Sir Crocodile laughed, the sound reverberating around the room.
“How amusing. To think the Flamingo secretly had something like you waiting for him at the castle. I’m jealous.”
The tension dissipated, Doflamingo’s strings coming back to his fingertips and Sakazuki settling down. You moved away from the Admiral’s side of the table, coming to stand beside your lover once more. Smiling warmly to the rest of the people in the room, you purposefully ignored the offending piece of shit.
“Yes, well, what can I get for you all-?”
Doflamingo scoffed, scooping you into his arms and setting you down as gently as possible into his own chair.
“Nonsense, you will do no such thing. I’ll call for the servants.”
He pulled his feather coat away from his shoulders and around your own smaller body. You paid no mind to the action, being used to such things from him. He catered to your every whim without you even saying anything the majority of the time. You allowed him to do as he pleased.
Every Warlord looked at you, sitting at the head of the table across from Sengoku himself. Crossing your legs, you nodded.
“Well, I am the Young Master’s spouse, and it is lovely to meet…the majority of you.”
Mihawk rose, taking off his hat and bowing to you.
“I am Dracule Mihawk, Warlord and World’s Strongest Swordsman. It’s lovely to meet your acquaintance, Majested.”
He sat back down, hat replaced and attention kept on you. He knew what it meant for Doflamingo to hold someone dear, the man one of the more cruel in the age of pirates. None of them were ignorant of what he’s done in Dressrosa nor the atrocities he’s committed. It would be foolish to piss him off by not respecting you.
“I am Boa Hancock, Warlord and Empress of Amazon Lily. I must say you are stunning, how exactly are you with Doflamingo of all people?”
You laughed, good naturedly of course. You were not about to disclose the bloodshed behind your meeting and the obsession that lingered even still.
“Bartholomew Kuma.”
“Jimbei, Knight of the Sea and Warlord.”
Sengoku groaned, throwing his hands up as the meeting went off track as he normally does. Having no say as each Warlord was more interested in you and learning whatever they could about this new submissive side of Doflamingo.
“Sir Crocodile. Protector of Alabasta and Warlord.”
“Gecko Moria.”
“Aokiji Kuzan, Admiral of the Navy.”
“Kizaru Borsalino, Admiral of the Navy. And it seems as if you need no introduction to Akainu, huh?”
The man chuckled, leaning back in his chair as he took in the room.
A servant came into the room, the man providing wine to the attendees without a sound. Of course, this was one that you knew personally, clearing your throat as he dashed around. He made eye contact with you and paled, quickly coming to your side and giving you a glass as well. Smiling, you nodded at him as he ran off, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Hm, interesting.”
An eyebrow raised, you drank from the glass and enjoyed its contents.
“It seems as if you are not as you seem either, Majested.”
Humming you closed your eyes.
“I have no idea what you might be referring to, espadachin.”
Tired of being ignored, Doflamingo made himself the center of attention again,
“Well, as lovely as it is to see everyone getting along, this meeting is clearly going nowhere. We can continue tomorrow.”
And no one could argue as the meeting had been derailed before you even entered. Finishing your wine, you held it to the side and waited for the prior servant to do his job.
“Alright then, my love?”
Doflamingo rose before you stood, already taking his coat from your body and putting it back in its place. He reached down and pulled you into his arms, settling you into the crook of his elbow.
“My friend here will guide you to rooms for you to stay in, I will search you all out once breakfast is finished. Please make yourselves at home until then.”
The servant made no sound, but the dread was clear as day.
Doflamingo whisked you away back into your shared room. Wasting no time as the both of you entered into the threshold. The man set you down on the mattress and kneeled in front of you. Pressing a kiss to your forehead, he hummed.
“Your confidence is something to be admired, mi amor, but please never approach Akainu ever again. That man sickens me and the words he spoke to you were appalling. If we weren’t in a meeting-”
“I know, mi vida. Calm yourself. I’d love to watch you tear that man apart, but you have plans that need to be completed, do not waste your breath on things such as him.”
He relaxed under your words. You pressed your forehead against his, hand reaching up to smooth away the frownlines.
“I adore you and everything you do, but do not forget about the things you have planned. I would resent for all your hard work to be for not.”
“I guarantee that everything will go accordingly with you by my side. No one matches me quite like you do.”
You pulled away, taking his glasses with you as you leaned back. Putting the shades in the folds of your robe, you smiled.
“You’ll do well to remember that, mi amor. I would kill anyone you even look at you, spit at those who might covet you. There is nothing I would not do for you.”
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ONLY ON TUMBLR UNDER ACEANDURMOM///////////////////
League of Villains Spy infiltrates UA under the guise of being an assistant to help with the onslaught of oncoming villain attacks against hero students. Becoming an assistant for Class1A sounded perfect...but is it all that it's cracked up to be?
WORD COUNT- 3,529
It was odd. UA was such a prestigious school to get into, so how was it this easy for someone like you to infiltrate the establishment like this?
Tomura had informed you of a new mission that All For One had assigned you. A task he believed only you could perform efficiently. You had denied Shigaraki his request for your assistance for the USJ attack, and so the students had not seen your face. But you questioned the Supervillain’s sanity on this one. The staff was entirely comprised of ProHeroes, so there was no way someone like yourself could get in. Not to mention the fact that you weren’t exactly a 15 year old child, and the target was obviously the students of Class 1A, under Eraserhead himself- the idol of Shigaraki despite his known hatred to Pro's.
So how exactly had you ended up exactly where you were assigned to be under such circumstances?
Here was someone in the League of Villains and being introduced to the entire class of troublesome kids as their new assistant. Apparently, the school was desperate for some kind of relief against the offending villains. So Nezu had been on the lookout for someone capable of defending the 40 some students. The ProHeroes were at a loss, and so, here you were. The saving grace of the heroes themselves.
Standing awkwardly in front of judgemental teenagers, you waved with the most convincing smile you could muster. There were a few faces that caught your attention, two in particular were ones that AFO had pointed out to you. The other one was your own curiosity peeking.
There was a teen sitting near the back of the class, wild purple hair flying in every direction. His eyes were tired, bags resting below his lids and he was very clearly staring right through you. He was suspicious, confused as to why you were here. It was not at all common for people just to show up unannounced at UA of all places.
Eraserhead looked at you before gesturing to his class.
“This is..”
He blanked, turning to face you with a furrow in his brows. Aware he had not asked an important question.
“I apologize, I didn’t ask for the name you wanted to be addressed by.”
“Oh! Um- Exposure, please!”
He nodded, tired gaze picking up the wringing of your hands even behind your back.
“Right. This is Exposure, they will be both my assistant and your guard. Due to the uptick in the frequency of villain attacks, they will be on duty 24/7 in order to ensure your safety….and make my job easier.”
He mumbled the last part, huffing under his breath. Refusing to allow your annoyance make a scene, you simply nodded, once again smiling to the heathens glaring at you.
Before anyone could start firing question after question, a hand shakily made its way into the air.
“May I ask what your quirk is…?”
His voice was hesitant, but the determined glint shining behind his demeanor told you everything. This was one AFO had shown you, the priority of you being here- Izuku Midoriya, successor of All Might. To find out whatever you could of All Might through this small boy was the ultimate goal here.
You were not meant to cause chaos, just collect information during your stay. But the intensity of Midoriya’s eyes were throwing you. The urge to simply gouge out the eyes that were pinning you to the spot was overwhelming. Gulping the thought away, you opened your arms before bowing.
“Well, that would ruin the surprise! I wish to spar with all of you before revealing too much information about myself.”
Eraserhead side eyes your form, an eyebrow raised. Even he was unaware of the quirk you possessed. Apparently Nezu thought it would be entertaining to withhold the info until you revealed it yourself.
He caught your eyes before nodding his approval to your silent question.
“Alright then. Thank you, Exposure. That will transition us into our Homeroom activity. Get dressed in your hero outfits and meet us at Ground Beta.”
Thank god for that decision of his. Unknowingly, Eraserhead had just secured your victory over these brats.
–
The Training Grounds were beyond your expectations. The city was vast, spreading in every direction you turned. Eyes wide, you turned sharply to face the student and Eraserhead. Throwing out your arms, you gesture wildly while explaining the exercise.
“In this exercise, you students will all be going up against me! 20 v 1! To win, all you need to do is target me and apprehend me with those faux quirk-suppressing handcuffs.”
Most of the class gaped, mouths dropped at such an idea for an assignment. It was normal for the students to train against Pros, but to have all of them against one was new.
Eraserhead had made to ask you a question, but a blonde and abrasive child interrupted him. He was the other teen to keep an eye on, but by the looks of it…he may be harder to convince than the League had originally thought.
“Alright then! What the hell are we waiting for then!?”
Pushing down the unhinged grin that threatened to reveal itself, you simply nodded at the boy.
“You all will have 5 minutes to discuss a strategy. Once the time is up, you will be let in the city and your goal is to detain me.”
Saluting to the stunned students, you disappeared through the gates of Ground Beta.
–
The time ran through fast, just getting the others to calm down enough to talk took up two minutes of their allotted time. Bakugo groaned, frustration building at the time flying by. Before he was able to speak up, Iida had stepped up.
“It is not the time to be arguing!”
His voice echoed through the lobby, not leaving any student able to speak against him.
“Now, let’s discuss what we should do. Realistically, we should be able to find them before time runs out. There are too many of us and they do not know our attacks or patterns.”
Midoriya cut in, interjecting with a confident tone.
“That may be true, but the confidence they have with going against all of us tells otherwise. Plus, the same goes the other way. We don’t know anything about them either, or what their quirk may be.”
Izuku thought out loud, thumb and pointer finger holding his chin up.
Bakuo piped up.
“Idiots! We have a clue!”
Heads turned to the rough voice, the blonde’s arms crossed and face determined.
“And that would be..?”
Todoroki questioned.
“Their name.”
Momo’s eyebrows rose, an excited lilt to her voice.
“That’s right! Exposure! Now, what could that possibly tell us though?”
For the next minute, they discussed what they might be up against, not even hitting the most important topic of conversation before the buzzer sounded.
Kaminari groaned, a crestfallen look falling across his face. Hands coming to cover his face, he moaned.
“We’re so screwed, man.”
The door into the training ground opened.
As the students ran out of the lobby, Aizawa was soon met with the steps of a smaller being.
Turning around, the homeroom teacher was met with the sight of Nezu. The small principal was followed by some of his other colleagues, specifically the other teachers of Class 1A.
Ectoplasm, Midnight, Present Mic, and Nezu had come into the room. And Aizawa was not caught off guard by their appearance, especially when concerning the curious nature of the rat. What did surprise him was the man lingering behind the rest of the them.
Vlad.
The man stepped in behind the rest, and Aizawa couldn’t help but scowl at his presence.
“What are you doing here.”
Nezu chittered, a sound meant to indicate his cheer, but it only created goosebumps in its wake on every hero in the room. Even Vlad shuddered.
“Nezu said that if the need arises that the assistant would also be popping in to help with my kids.”
An eyebrow raised, Aizawa glanced at Nezu. The rat only swaying back and forth.
What an absolute joke.
“Fine. Come in then. They wanted to see what the kids were capable of themselves, so they decided against a 20 v 1, their goal is to simply detain them with handcuffs.”
“Huh.”
Vlad uttered like the dumbass he was. Aizawa was a patient man, but Vlad King had a way to push past that and just…rub him in the every wrong direction possible.
“Nezu, do you know their quirk?”
“I do.”
“And..?”
Yamada intervened, trying to pull the answer from him.
Only for Nezu to smile.
Huffing, the heroes only turned to face the cameras showcasing the city. A thoughtful look passed Midnight’s face, Aizawa knew she was smart but there was no telling what the assistant’s quirk may be.
Nemuri turned to him.
“What was the name they decided to go by then?”
“Exposure.”
Nezu perked up, an evil laugh trying to keep hidden.
Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the rat.
“You’re pleased. I’m assuming the name is incredibly relevant then?”
“The name is perfect. I chose it after all.”
And wasn't that telling enough.
–
The timer was up, and you were flitting through the city. Building to building you searched through the Training Grounds that UA was semi-known for. It was enthralling to see the buildings that were created only to be inevitably destroyed. The fact that UA was training hero students to be destructive and not care much for their surroundings was mind blowing. Though…the fact that even current heroes would continuously cause extensive property damage wasn’t all that surprising when looking at UA. Pulling together your thoughts, you found a building on the outskirts of the good parts of the city. The skyscraper was average, nothing different about it or special. Climbing through the elevator shaft, you made your way to a space between floors.
Then, you tapped into the quirk that everyone was so curious about.
Closing our eyes and opening them, you flitted through the cameras and scanned through them as quickly as you could. Your quirk?
Camera. Every camera popped up in your field of vision within a mile of you, cycling through 12 cameras in a pane. If there was a specific camera you wanted to gain access into, then you very much could, all you had to do was focus a little harder. Technically, the max cameras you could look at at once was 12, but you could cycle through 12 at a time.
Flitting through all of them closest to you, you saw that none of the students were even near you. Stretching your quirk further out, you finally managed to lay eyes on the students. In truth, you knew more than you should about them and their quirks. Between your own research, anxious about the mission, and Tomura’s ramblings, you knew of every quirk and name in the class.
The ones you were most worried about in the current situation were Jirou’s, Koda’s, Tokoyami’s. Those three were the ones most suited for trying to find you at the moment.
10 minutes passed before one of them managed to come close to your designated building. You had seen them near the entrance. Of course, it had been Midoriya. The kid managed to surpass every expectation anyone ever had, and here he was doing just that once again.
He seemed to have a feeling, so, he called out to Jirou, Yaoyarozu, Todorki, and Bakugo. For some reason they had been the ones that Midoriya had decided to team with. A genius idea in itself.
Once the team stepped into the building, you tried to stop breathing as best you could, not wanting to be heard in any capacity. Unfortunately, there was nothing you could do about your heart thumping erratically in both excitement and anxiety. You were thrilled to put them to the test, to see what exactly the League had struggled against during the USJ.
And Jirou had heard you, leading the rest of them into the elevator. Unable to hide your excitement any further, you lept at them once the elevator had faced your floor. The girl had tried to warn them, but there was nothing to say once you were already in their face.
You jumped at the blonde, already seeing him flex his fingers in preparation of firing off his quirk. Having your own cuffs, you got the blonde disqualified and then quickly escaped the elevator. You fled to the window, locking eyes with Midoriya and jumping out. The glass shattered on impact, allowing you to flee from the building and out into the city below with minimal damage.
The black gloves covering your hands were normally used to conceal your fingerprints, but they did have multiple functions. The perks of such gloves were demonstrated by Tomura. Only too eager to asist in helping you destry UA brats. One of which was the metal that now clawed at the structure you were once inside. You clutched at the building before scanning through the cameras once more. There were students scattered through the city, all scouring every inch to try to seek you out.
The thrill returned, an excitement climbing up our throat and threatening to release in the form of a delighted laugh.
It seems as if you were distracted for too long, as Iida had caught sight of you from below.
He shouted, his voice carrying through the silent city and alerting the rest of his class of your location. By the time you went to jump to another fixture, you were surrounded. Heaving a breath, you couldn’t help the smile finally breaking through.
And Yamada locked on to it. Focusing on the grin that made up of half your face. A sinister gleam shining through and desperately asking to be paid attention to.
Yamada noticed.
And his stomach clenched, and there was no denying the flush that spread across his face.
–
The assignment ended before anyone could get their hands on the other…not including Bakugo.
Who was very angrily screeching still stuck in the elevator. Left behind after the rest of his team had gone to find you. The entire class made it back to lobby, where the pros were lingering.
Choosing to ignore them for now, you turned to the kids.
“First off, Bakugo’s team.”
The students in question perked up, eager to hear the praise they were so expecting.
Only to be sorely disappointed. Your frown telling enough. With the way the group had ignored Bakugo, you tried to draw out the negative emotions surrounding the event, trying to pry into that weakness that the class had shown. Maybe the way the others treat the blonde would turn him more towards you and the League-
“The fact that you all abandoned your comrade in action was surprising to me. The fact that you all are heroes in training is baffling to me when you don’t even care about those you work with everyday of your life.”
Bakugo’s head whipped up, mouth open to retort before Momo answered. He may have been the one to be left behind, but he wasn't surprised that it had happened. This was what had been taught to happen. To go after the villain in every case to prevent further damage.
“I apologize! You see, we’ve been taught to prioritize apprehending the villain before anything else”
Not expecting the answer, you gaped. Appalled at the behaviors that were occuring, hell, that were encouraged.
“I…What about your comrades, the civilians!?”
You were shocked, but it made sense. The way the heroes acted and performed were suddenly explained, and you were disgusted. You ad originally thought it to be the Hero Commission itself, but the truth was more concerning.
A glare passed your face, turning to direct it to Nezu.
He only shrugged.
“Are you fucking kidding me!?”
Yamada was intrigued. And oh so enraptured at the sudden emotion coming from you in the moment.
From the interview where you had to meet and answer questions, you were met with Yamada, Nezu, Vlad, and Aizawa. You had been nervous for a split second, but there was nothing that could curb your excitement. To be face to face with Shiggy’s idol was enough for you to be smug about. So you honed in on the emotion, ignoring the nerves that continued to shake your entire being.
And not once had the pro hero seen you do anything other than smile politely or frantically shake your hands in- faux- worry.
And he had been fascinated by you, everything about you had grabbed his attention. Your demeanor, your smile, the way you interacted with those around you. It had been a while before you had stopped stuttering, but that only endeared him to you even more.
To see you now in such a rage over ignoring your hurt comrades, it was flustering him. There was affection for you brimming to the surface, but he had to push it down, shove it even. Loyalty was huge for him, and to see someone share the sentiment...
And Aizawa noticed. Because of course he did. Shota and him had been friends since they had met in middle school, sticking close to each other from that day on.
To see him blushing and watching you so intently was honestly unexpected.
–
The day was over.
Fucking finally.
Other than this morning in homeroom, you were pushed around like a little servant. Getting this, grading that, making coffee, getting someone lunch. God, you don’t think you could do this everyday until AFO decides to make a move.
Texting your coordinates to Kurogiri on the burner phone, you walked to the nearest alley to wait for the man.
And ever efficient, he was there as soon as you entered into the shadows.
Warping to the bar, you finally relaxed. Dropping straight to the floor, you flopped down and sighed. Relishing the feeling of being home after such a long day.
You heard laughter coming from beside the bar, and refusing to face anyone yet, you pushed your face further into the bloodied carpet.
Only for your plan to be decimated by another blonde. She lept from her spot on the ruined couch and flopped onto your back. Breath stuck in your lungs you couldn’t exhale the air there once she began jumping up and down and asking questions.
A dark chuckle came from the couch where Toga had come from, and by the sound of it, the bastard did not feel bad for you at all. A glare formed once more, this time you directed it to Dabi. Only for him to laugh even harder.
The only one that was a decent person at the moment was Compress, who oh so graciously lifted Toga from your back and deposited her back where she came from. Signing a quick thank you, you lifted from your position and angrily stomped to the computer screen that was forever stationed at the bar counter.
You pointed, a scowl overcoming your lovely features.
“I absolutely hate UA. I cannot go back there, sir. There is absolutely no way. They ran me like a slave, nothing like a guard like they so advertised. The only time I interacted with the students was during homeroom.”
His voice was heard reverberating and staticky. AFO’s face appeared in the screen after weeks of his absence. The air was sucked from the room. Every head was turned and a serious look replaced the joyful ones moments before.
“I understand the hatred of being stuck with heroes for so long, let alone students aspiring to be one. But you must understand, my dear, you are the only one who can accomplish this task.”
It was know AFO was a master manipulator, but god, he was fucking good at it. No matter how much you tried to ignore the pretty words he spewed to lure you further in.
There was nothing you could do to stop the delight that passed beneath your skin. To be needed. To be wanted. To be useful to someone.
That’s all you wanted.
And AFO knew that.
Dabi approached behind you, hand scorching the small of your back. He returned you to the current time, back to the present and inside your own head again. No longer lost in the past.
You tried to deny the man, to explain you really wouldn’t be able to stay composed at such a place. But he left as soon as he appeared.
Shigaraki reached out, hand reaching to cover yours. The artist glove on his right hand was appreciated. But at the moment, you only wanted him to decay your skin and kill you in your dread.
Dabi’s hand retreated, but it was soon replaced by Shiggy’s other hand. Embracing you, Tomura pet your hair, trying to soothe you after the frustrating day. Knowing that emotions tend to run wild in your head, they all did. Every single one of them bearing witness at least once to the horrors you happened to conjure up in throes of such...passion.
