Chapter 1: Finder's keepers in the games pirates play
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 1
There were just some days that had one, Donquixote Doflamingo, more than a little irritated that his ship couldn't be moved around just as fast as he could by using his Devil Fruit abilities. He wouldn't have had to deal with being soaked to the bone and hungry if it were the case. Being a very busy man with his fingers in many different pots had him having to deal with the occasional upset. He tried to see the brighter side of it all. His crew tended to hover quite a bit, so it was nice to get some time on his own sometimes. As long as it wasn't for too long.
The light blond-haired man wasn't the sort of person that enjoyed being alone either. He was the obnoxious sort of social butterfly, a total narcissistic egomaniac that loved to get under people's skin and playing god among the peons. You couldn't play god without subjects to lord over that was just some crazy guy talking at the plants and rocks after all and he wasn't quite that far gone yet.
Doflamingo was familiar with the area he was in and was glad that he knew that part of the North Blue so well. He might have been even more miserable and possibly facing hypothermia if he hadn't. It was something that would have put him in an even worse mood than he had been in as of late… Thankfully, he found an island within a few hours of the storm starting up and found a place to tuck himself away in and dry out.
The island was one that was toasty for that part of the North Blue. It was known for its rail-thin palm trees scattered about, powdery white beachfront, swanky little vacation spots and about a dozen high-end restaurants and bars. Doflamingo would have enjoyed being there for a few days of heavy indulgence if he hadn't arrived in the way that he had. Though, maybe a little vacation away from the family for a bit wouldn't hurt? After all, all work and no play made Doffy a very very bored boy and that wasn't good for anyone. Something that the locals had to be reminded of within 20 minutes of Doflamingo making land. The inn keeper's pleas for mercy had been hilarious! Gods, they had made him so incredibly hard too! If he could have that much fun within the first half-hour of making land, then he was sure he could make some fun for himself. Besides, he had already been planning on a bit of a mini-vacation for himself!... just not like this, on an island with nearly nonstop rain.
With an amused little chuckle, Doflamingo followed a trembling beanstalk of a man to a terracotta-colored villa. It had its own private little spot overlooking the beach a bit away from the rest of the vacation homes on the property. He held out his freehand with a coy little smile, loving the terrified little whimper that came out of the man and how he nearly jumped back he had flinched so hard. In his other hand, Doflamingo held an umbrella that he had taken for himself. He had liked its bold, bright pink and orange, flower-inspired pattern. He gave the umbrella a playful little spin as he watched the wreck of a man try and work up the nerve to hand over the keys. He would have to tell the others how amusing the people on that particular island were. They would need to stop by again, when the rains ended.
The teary-eyed man did eventually manage to practically throw the keys at Doflamingo and stutter out a standard 'thank you for staying with us' schpeel before scurrying off. Doflamingo, in a much better mood after his presence alone nearly had the entire inn staff shitting themselves, made his way into the reef themed villa.
Doflamingo hummed in pleasure. He was happy that he hadn't even had to lean down or sidestep to get through the door, which was a common occurrence for him as he was so tall. Being 10 ft tall was something he took great pride in. It suited a higher being such as himself. Being able to look down upon the filth around him, that is. It wasn't always easy to get around in the world of humans, though. They were usually about half his size and that meant that things such as doorways and furniture were frequently more suited to their size than that of a guy like him.
After kicking the door closed with the back of his heel, Doflamingo stripped his flamingo feather mantle from his shoulders and carefully draped it close enough to the fireplace to dry it out a bit. The people running the place had apparently been intelligent enough to have a fire started for him to mitigate any more casualties. Huh, must have learned from the last time he had been there 2 years back. So they could be taught, who would have known?
After making sure his mantle was secure, the man shucking off his shoes and striping out of his ruined suit, all but purring at the feeling of no longer being constricted and soaking wet. Doflamingo sauntered over to a bucket he spotted sitting on the pink marble countertop and grinned at the bottle of wine and chocolate-covered fruit treats within.
The blond ran his hand through damp locks and let himself sniff the air. An easy indicator of how nice a rental place really was and how well it was cared for was a good sniff test. Good scent neutralizers were very expensive, but very necessary not to piss off particular alpha typings. He himself was a rare, more dangerous typing of dominant A.
Doflamingo couldn't smell anything outside of the anxiety from the beta that had led him to the place. He must have been the one that got everything ready for him to. The young alpha laughed at that. What a perfect perfume to fuck his own hands to!
The man snatched up the handle of the bucket without much thought and flopped down on the surprisingly large coral colored coach. Large enough that it didn't look more like a chair than an actual couch to him. He could actually sprawl over it if he wanted to with only his calves and feet hanging over the end. His so-so mood quickly turned back into his normal good one as he plopped the wine glass hanging from the side of the bucket onto the coffee table. Doflamingo busied himself with deciding what piece of the beautifully shaped treats he wanted to indulge in first or if he wanted to just forgo it all and drink his lunch. Either way, he was going to have a nice hard jizz and a cat nap, airing out his water chafed cock and balls. His stomach made his decision for him.
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After the fourth day of rain, the spikey-haired blond's eternal grin had dulled quite a bit as the exhaustion and the anxiety caused by being haunted by too many memories and too little to distract him, crept in. He was extremely bored to and that never helped either. One could only masturbate so many times in plain view on a private strip of beach before it lost its luster, it wasn't any fun when no one was around to catch him after all and he had already fucked his hand in both tubs, on the couch, in the shower and in all three of the king-sized beds that could actually fit him.
Even still, sleep wasn't easy when past trauma circled one's head like biting flies! Doflamingo couldn't help but fixate on how much he missed his little brother in those moments and how much he missed his mother too. How much he longed for their unconditional familial affection and how much he hated his father for destroying all of it, for taking them away from him! The itch to go play marionettes had settled into his skin again. Maybe he should? That would be fun, hearing the screams of humans was always amusing!
A grimace twisted the man's face, an incredibly rare sight. As much as he didn't enjoy the rain, Doflamingo decided maybe getting some fresh air would do him some good. Being confined for days just wasn't his style. That, and he was sure that he could find something to keep his mind off of things. The blond was literally on a vacation island after all and the night was young! The lean man could use something to eat, yeah, that's just what he would do. He needed something worth wearing first, though.
Doflamingo was quick to get out of bed. To most, it would have been considered to be massive, practically big enough to swallow nearly half a dozen people. It was almost snug to a man like him, with incredibly long legs and arms. A man who had a tendency to sprawl out like a starfish when left without a partner to snuggle up with. Doflamingo drug his discarded dress pants up and snatched up his mantle. Lobster and scallops sounded good and maybe some drinks and a pretty brunet to screw for dessert? He licked his lips at the thought.
"Fufufufu, wonder if I can scrounge up a beauty like that pretty?" Doflamingo mused, thinking back to a man with the cutest scar across his face cheek to cheek and across the bridge of his nose he had seen in passing a few weeks beforehand on one of his favorite party islands, he had been at the casino there. It was strange for him to keep thinking about anyone in that way, but even now, thinking of the brunet had his cock twitching and his body singing with want. The man had clearly been a bit older than him and not interested in him, but he couldn't get the idea of screwing that pretty lovely silly. He was just his type with those dark eyes and hair, that defiant glare and that sexy body. If he ever saw him again, Doflamingo would most definitely be dragging him to his bed, kicking and screaming if he had to!
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Leaving with a nice new suit and a few more casual outfits more suited to his comfort and taste, the blond was eager to get something to eat. He walked bowlegged down the street, taking up as much space as possible as he stared down all that he came across. Doflamingo laughed as everyone gave him a wide berth and tried not to make eye contact as they went on their way. It made him wonder if he and his crew left that much of an impression on the people in the area or if it was like the instincts of an animal? Did they just instinctively know not to irritate him? To bow their unworthy little heads and divert their eyes from his majesty?
His grin faltered and confusion filtered in as his instincts were suddenly insisting something was wrong. Doflamingo's face scrunched up as a faint infantile wailing filled his ears. Glancing around at the few people walking around, no one even paused in their steps. Huh, oh well, what were the parents expecting keeping a kid out so late? He forcefully shook his upset away. It had nothing to do with him, he wasn't even sure why the sound of the baby bothered him.
Doflamingo grinned full power again as a high-end seafood restaurant caught his attention. The smell and colorful décor inviting to the brightly dressed young man. His tongue hung from his mouth as a song started up. Yes, this would do nicely.
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Nearly two hours later, Doflamingo was stuffed to the gills and pleasantly buzzed. The ambiance of the place, along with the beautiful company, great music, and delicious food, had the man in a far better mood. He still wasn't at 100%, but he wasn't wallowing in a ball of monotonous jacked off misery and boredom anymore; thus, he was counting that as a step in the right direction. He hadn't found anyone that matched up to his admittedly ridiculously high standards, which had been disappointing but unsurprising. He had settled for a bottle of RumChata and a boxed-up tiramisu instead… That and maybe some fun with his right hand…. But… booze and tiramisu first!
The alpha paused when he heard a faint noise… Just like last time. A wail… it.. sounded like it was coming from the same place and definitely from the same kid. Though it sounded more frantic and desperate than before. Had that kid been crying the whole time? That seemed a bit odd. It was clearly loud enough to hear… He wasn't sure why, but it was really really bothering him… Bothering him in a completely different way than he was used to. It dawned on Doflamingo that it wasn't annoyance or bloodthirst that he was feeling. It was strange to realize that the pitiful heart-wrenching sound wasn't exciting any of his sadistic tendencies in the least, not like it usually would. The hard-on that he had been sporting had even gone limp. Instead… he felt… sick.
Doflamingo needed to find that pup. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like he would lose it if he didn't! He had to find the kid that was making that sound and make it stop! Stop, stop, stop! It needed him! What the hell was wrong with all of these bastards? Couldn't they hear it? How could they ignore those cries? How could even he, with the type of man he was feel… something… and everyone else just pretended they couldn't hear it?
Walking towards the noise quickly turned into a near jog as the towering blond came closer. Listening to those desperate cries just became more and more unbearable to ignore the louder it got! The sobs of what clearly was a suffering infant and for some reason, he just had to find it! He had to! Where was it? Where? Clearly, someone had to be doing something to it for it to be crying like that for so long! Doflamingo's instincts raged, demanding they find the pup and kill whomever made it suffer.
Eventually, the sound led him to the very beach that his villa overlooked. It was a bit farther away, a little secluded, but still lit well enough by the town's lights and the full moon to see decently. Still not so secluded that someone would have trouble finding the source of the crying if they even spent more than a few minutes looking. Doflamingo's lips twitched down and his brow scrunched as something small and dark came into sight. As he got closer, understanding knitted its way across his face. The wails were coming from a little crate on the shoreline that looked more than a bit beaten up.
The moment Doflamingo caught sight of what was inside, he had to hold a hand over his heart as it did a strange sputtery thing he couldn't remember ever feeling before. Laying within the crate was the tiniest baby the man had ever seen by far. Not that he had ever seen very many before, but he was definitely small even compared to standard infants, of that Doflamingo was certain.
The child was totally naked, wrinkled and still swollen faced, he was clearly a newborn. One with skin so disconcertingly purply that it was clearly visible even in the moonlight and it… he was soaked in at least an inch of water. Bluing lips trembling as he let out another desperate mew that had Doflamingo's chest doing that strange thing again. His instincts screaming at him to make him stop crying and to keep him safe.
Without thought, the spindly limbed man quickly crouched down and scooped the tiny thing up, quickly tucking him against his side. Relief bloomed in Doflamingo's chest at the action. The pup didn't completely quiet, but he wasn't desperately shrieking anymore either and that soothed something in the young alpha.
The infant was so small he fit easily in just one of Doflamingo's hands and he was incredibly cold. It was only sprinkling out and a comfortable temperature, but Doflamingo hissed at the icy cold feeling of the soaked pup's skin. The blond couldn't help but feel a bit worried. The kid's cries had become weaker and weaker while he was trying to find him. Clearly, he had held out longer than any normal infant, let alone a newborn that age should have been able to, but it had been a while since Doflamingo had first heard his cries. It had been more than a couple of hours since the sunglasses-wearing killer had first heard him. He had impressed Doflamingo, though, thoroughly, that he had such a strong will to live. It was so much like his own but in such a puny body.
Something spotted caught Doflamingo's eyes. A blood spotted yellow blanket was stuffed into the crate like an afterthought and the light from the buildings above made it possible to see what was stitched into it. The presumed name 'Luffy' could be seen embroidered in a lovely loopy calligraphy. Smooth and perfectly stitched in the prettiest way. A metallic sheen made it easy for the man to tell that the thread was genuine gold and was used to accent the dozens of red, blue, and orange flowers stitched around the edge. Pretty and perfectly delicate on what he knew to be finely woven fabric. Something someone with money would have had made. It wasn't a hand made blanket, certainly. He contemplated taking the soaked piece of fabric for a second, but something in him curled in offense at the thought. No, Luffy wouldn't be having any reminders. He was all that this child would know!
Doflamingo was quick to start back towards the villa, umbrella in one hand while the other stayed occupied as he kept trying to keep the child caterwauling and active. He had thought about just using his strings to get there faster, but he wasn't sure if he could safely hold the umbrella and the tiny, frail infant at the same time while launching himself across the beach at such breakneck speeds.
The strange almost debilitating anxiety over the minuscule brat had him muttering encouragements as the small gasping body was clearly losing steam. Something had clicked, melting him and fulfilling a warped need of owning when a hint of those squinting baby blues met Doffy's red lenses. This pathetic little thing was his and only his and he wouldn't allow it to leave him anytime soon! He was the only one that could possibly understand Doflamingo's past pains!
"Sweetness~, where did you come from, eh?" Doflamingo purred, as he used his strings to pull the pair up to the villa's deck, which overlooked the beach. Once safely inside, Doflamingo flicked on a light and tossed his feathered mantle across the same chair he had used days beforehand to dry it out. He would need to warm up the baby immediately if he wanted him to have much of a chance of living is what had been running through Doflamingo's mind since seeing the kid.
The blond was now more than happy that he had taken the time to look in every nook and cranny of the place, the days prior. Because he had done so, Doflamingo knew precisely where the fluffiest towels were located. He grabbed the stack from a cupboard near one of the hallway bathrooms and returned to the kitchen. After that, he laid Luffy on them as carefully as he could manage. Grinning, Doflamingo began testing the temperature of the sink's water. He hadn't really got the chance to look too closely at the pup before, nor get his scent too well. He just knew that he was a male because of his most obvious bits. To say he was shocked would have been an understatement once Doflamingo got a better look at him.
Something hot and feral rippled across his whole body at the sight. Doflamingo had trouble even seeing straight as anger like a hot brand constricted his chest and dark memories threatened to spill over as he took in the sight before him. Big blotchy bruises crisscrossed across the pup's body. Horrible dark ones that would last for weeks! A vein throbbed visibly on his forehead as Doflamingo's eyes latched onto a hand-shaped bruise spanning the entire chest of the pup and part of kid's face. Luffy couldn't have even been a week old and he looked like someone had beat the hell out of him! Someone that now belonged to him! Luffy was his-his new…. His? He-he wasn't sure what he was to him yet, but he was his and whoever had dared to harm him better have hoped they were dead!
As he took in the appearance of the whimpering infant, full head of black hair, wide round eyes, lovely soft features, then… other parts.. it clicked, all making perfect sense why he felt and was behaving the way he was towards the pup. He had found such a precious little treasure! A tiny, helpless omega. He had only met a few before, Omegan males, that is. Only heard of one Dominant O before outside of Mary Geoise where they always got sent to. They were a rare precious lot. Coveted by the Celestial dragons as divine mates and were worth more than even the life of a Dragon. Doffy wondered what had happened. It wasn't just anyone who produced this sort of omega… at least that is what he had been taught as a child. Though he wasn't really sure of Luffy's exact typing, he knew any dominant O male especially, was rare and coveted. And even stranger, Luffy was the nickname of one of the 20 kings that made up the original Celestial Dragons.
"Precious boy, you are just like me, aren't you? Were you betrayed by a pathetic bastard of a father to?" Doffy mused, "Don't worry, I'll kill him if he isn't already dead! I'll kill all of them! That's right, all of those traitorous pieces of fucking shit, yes, I will! Then you won't have a single thread connected to anyone but me, no you won't!~" Doflamingo croaned, to Luffy as he began filling up the sink with heated water. He tried not to allow himself to get too panicked over Luffy's weakened state and bluish body. He didn't want to accidentally hurt him by letting himself get too worked up.
Once satisfied, Doflamingo began to carefully submerge the kid, remembering somewhere that you were supposed to support babies' heads. It took nearly two hours before Doflamingo even felt safe enough to remove Luffy without the immediate chance of him dying from hypothermia. That didn't mean that he wasn't still wary.
Glancing at the nearby clock, the blond growled under his breath. 2:40 in the morning. Doflamingo had been entertained enough by all the flashy lights and good food not to play puppeteer with the locals. Now he ached to turn the whole town into a bloodied puppet show, but held on by the skin of his teeth. Only just because he didn't want to stress the pup into full out shock, like dominant O types, were known for being more prone to than other dynamics.
Luffy was still weak and a bit raspy once bathed and dried. Though he did look much better as his skin was significantly pinker and his eyes weren't so glazed looking. He was clearly exhausted to, as he dozed in and out of sleep. He was cuddled up into a big fluffy towel Doflamingo had put him in after vigorously rubbed him down with another. He was clearly hungry, though, being warmed up and ripped from death's door had the infant back to whimpering, but this time for food. Doflamingo didn't really blame him after who knew how long he had gone without eating… if he had ever even been fed before. Of course, it had to happen after Doflamingo sat them in front of the fire he had started before leaving to eat. He, himself, having trouble staying awake with his stomach still so full and it being so pleasantly warm. Even with the pup whining, this felt… nice, right even.
Once tears began to once again make an appearance the blond was on his feet, too distressing to wait a moment longer. Doflamingo had hoped that they could wait until morning to get the pup something to eat. Still, just the thought of the infant being hungry enough to cry had the alpha wanting to rip someone's throat out in pure offense. "Alright then, let's get you something to eat… Luffy.~" Doflamingo purred, almost hoping someone would get in the way so he could hear their screams of mercy. It was probably the best he could hope for as he was pretty sure he wasn't going to get to cum anytime soon.
End Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Getting the hang of things
Notes:
So Just finished up with the corrections to chapter 2. I ended up being 5330 words without Author's notes. I hope everyone enjoys! Things should really start getting interesting and really start happening after this! I can't wait!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 2
Hearing Luffy's sad little wails was stressful. Doflamingo ran through what little he knew about infant care and products and was pretty sure you could find what he needed at your average pharmacy… Or at least that's where he remembered seeing some stuff a few years back when he needed some decent pain killers after having to get his appendix removed on the fly. Doflamingo was thankful that there was a little pharmacy not too far from the villa. The not so great thing was it had closed at midnight. That had the alpha more than a little irritated. Oh well, he would just have to figure things out for himself!
Using his strings, Doflamingo effortlessly ripped away the pharmacy's double doors and tossed them aside. "Now, what do babies need, Hmm?" The man mused, casually walking into the place with an air like he owned it.
Doflamingo crouched once he realized there were small signs on the ends of each of the shelves. Each one indicated what each isle held. This mildly annoying him with the small spelling and shelves unsuited to his height, but he was still more bothered by Luffy's crying. The blond only briefly dwelled on the fact that he had been more irritable on that day than he had been in a full several weeks, combined. That didn't really matter all that much, though, he had to remind himself once again. His Luffy's hungry little mewls and big fat tears did.
The towering blond made sure that Luffy was still tucked against his side as tightly as when he left the villa. Luffy was tucked in one arm, still in his big neon pink towel. Those great big sad pleading eyes just so full of tears that it made Doflamingo's chest do that weird fluttery pain again. Honestly, he was surprised the little thing could even continue to cry with how dehydrated he must have been! Luffy hadn't gone to the bathroom since he found him and that had to have been an awfully long time for an infant so young. Not that the young man wasn't grateful that he hadn't been pissed or crapped on but, it was a clear indication of how little he had consumed since being left in the sorry state he was in.
4 isles down, that's where he found what he needed and well… to say that young alphas was a little overwhelmed would have been an understatement. Doflamingo had never realized there were so many things to consider when taking care of an infant! Different bottles and nipple sizes for the bottles, cloth or disposable diapers, allergies, different baby medicines, health supplements, powders to prevent rashes on bottoms and so-so many different formulas! At least he found a few cans that were specifically for Omegan pups, so that cut down on at least a couple dozen different ones. But did Dominant O omegan babies need something special? He couldn't really tell what the difference was between most of them!
Doflamingo tried, he really did, carefully reading each microscopic label, but other than a few were meant specifically for newborns, pups that had trouble digestion, and pups with allergies, he couldn't really tell what was what! So many seemed pretty much the same to him, but he didn't want to give Luffy the wrong thing. He decided to just grab a few tins from a couple of different brands of the newborn formulas and would let Luffy decide what he liked best. That is, at least until he could find a better alternative. Doflamingo then grabbed a pair of heavy-duty looking glass bottles that came with a set of nipples and some weird looking brush thing… though he wasn't sure why and some disposable diapers along with a pack of wipes to tide them over until morning. The little trip ended up filling the bag he was carrying nearly to the brim. Relief filled the man at the thought of finally being able to feed the pup. That, and finally being able to get some sleep. Doflamingo was a party all night sort of guy, but just a few hours of trying to keep Luffy alive had him longing for a bed.
Doflamingo let out a rare tired sigh, subconsciously rocking on his feet in an attempt to soothe Luffy or himself, it wasn't clear as he ran a finger over the pup's feather-soft hair. He hadn't expected something so small to be able to keep up being so noisy for so long. He did still remember keenly the first time he felt true hunger before and just remember made him cringe. It made him want to get Luffy fed as soon as possible and to make sure nothing like that would happen to him again.
"Ah, here we are!" The man crowed, pleased when his eyes landed on a small shelf of books specifically catered towards caring for infants. The last thing on the list that he felt was a desperate 'must get' before leaving. Doflamingo had once been a big brother and, in his opinion, had been a wonderful one until his Rosi disappeared much to his anger and hurt. Fucking bastard father, messing everything up even in the end! Still, even so, he was more than confident in taking care of an older child…. If father hadn't distracted him, he was sure that his precious whiny little Rosi would have been wanting for nothing… But babies… seemed much more… uh… breakable and needy. Especially ones like his pretty little treasure… Doflamingo decided on getting books for not only that reason but because he hated making decisions and acting without being as informed as possible on a topic. Only an idiot did something that stupid and that wasn't something someone would ever dare to call him.
Doflamigo quickly snatched a few of the books in the section, not bothering to do more than glance at the words on the covers. Luffy was getting fussier and for good reason. Doflamingo didn't want to stay in that place any longer than necessary. Anyways, he had all the time he wanted to figure this all out. The people on the island knew better than to try and get the marines there or to irritate him in any way if the wanted to survive outside of the couple of casualties to his boredom they had already suffered on the first day. The few that had been foolish enough to make him wait for nearly 15 minutes to check into the beachside villa he was currently staying at.
Most of the most important bits had already been worked out. Doflamingo had already informed his crew the day before that he had decided to stay at the island for a while. At least until the rain had eased up. Currently, it didn't look like the storms were going to be easing up for at least another week or so. Not surprising with it being hurricane season in that particular strip of the North Blue.
Doflamingo's crew had wanted to pick him up using the ship, but by the time they got to him, it would have taken them nearly 3 times as long as it would have taken him to get to them and that was just foolish. Besides, they were nearly all devil fruit users and with the seas so violently churning, it would have been dangerous. He was now more than glad that he had decided to take the time like a mini-vacation and had stopped his family from trying to weather such dangerous conditions.
Thankfully it was rare for this particular island to get hit by the actual hurricanes, but an annoying side effect of the whole season was that there were constant downpours. It was not something Doflamingo had really thought about much when deciding to take the business trip to Bibi Shores on his own.
The young alpha and his crew rarely coming through this little strip of the North Blue outside of its calm season where an island, not far from the one he was currently on, was a favorite of theirs to vacation. It was much like the one Doflamingo was currently on. A rare warmer island for this part of the North Blue with beautiful beaches. Though it was far large and a lot more lively, sported a city with great music, a roaring nightlife, and some of the best food in the North Blue. The casino was one of his favorite spots there, themed after exotic birds. Doflamingo's favorite time to go was in the summer when they had their Seaking Lobster festival, which was pure decadence and a nonstop party for nearly a month!
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Getting back to the villa in record time, Doflamingo was quick to open the pack of diapers and figure out how to put them on his Luffy. They may have been on backward at first, but he was sure they were the right way now. This was unlike what would have likely happened if Machvise or Trebol had tried putting the diaper on the pup. Doflamingo was sure Trebol would have ended up with the uncomfortable looking thing sitting on boy's head like a hat if he had left him to try and figure things out.
After that, Doflamingo used his strings to start getting a saucepan full of water on the stove and turned it on low as he made sure he remembered the directions on how to make the formula right. He preferred to keep Luffy in the crook of his arm and rather not have to use his hands to do such menial work. He then did the same thing to clean and rinse the new bottles the best he could along with the nipples. The young alpha wasn't going to let some plebian get his treasure sick with their disgusting germy filth!
Once the little bottle was filled and Doflamingo had figured out how to check for temperature, he opened the tin in his hand. The blond gave the contents within a dubious look, grimacing at the strange-smelling powder before putting a scoop of the stuff into the bottle and then screwed the lid shut.
"So…. I just shake it?" Doflamingo murmured to himself, trying to ignore Luffy's howling. Gods, his head was killing him. A few hard shakes and the powder had dissolved and the blond was eagerly practically shoving the bottle's nipple up to the red-faced pup's mouth. He sputtered in disbelief when the caterwauling pup turned his head in refusal. "Come on," The man growled under his breath. He nearly shook with frustration as the clearly starving pup turned his head again in rejection. Doflamingo tensely sat himself down on the couch. "Why won't you eat?" The blond all but demanded, staring down at the bawling infant with unblinking eyes.
It wasn't too hot and he made sure he shook the formula up properly. What was he doing wrong? Did Luffy just not like what he was giving him?… It did have a really strong smell. Maybe it was off putting to him with its strange smell? Doflamingo didn't have anything else to offer him at the moment and he just really really wanted him to stop crying! Luffy wouldn't even try to eat! He just cried and cried and-…. Wait, Doflamingo didn't actually know how old Luffy was other than he was clearly a newborn…. Maybe he didn't know what a bottle was?…. Or he could even not understand that he was hungry and need to eat to relieve his discomfort.. Either scenario could be entirely plausible, depending on how long it had been since he was born. He was no expert on babies, so maybe someone else would have been able to look at him at a glance and tell him, but Doflamingo was just going to have to work off of assumptions.
The blond's face little up a little at the realization he came to as he carefully cupped Luffy's tiny head. He tilted Luffy's head and forced the nipple past his clenched gums, making sure a dribble of formula made its way over the infant's tongue. The response was immediate as Luffy paused mid-breath for another shriek looking as close to stunned as a newborn could. He went nearly silent much to Doflamingo's relief. His little tongue clumsily swiping against his gums. Big fat gushing tears nearly instantly stopping to just a few droplets. The tears stopped entirely once the dark-haired infant seemed to figure out how to suckle down the formula. Ugh, Doflamingo's chest did that fluttering thing again! He really needed to see a doctor if it kept doing that because surely there was no way it was good for him!
Doflamingo couldn't help but let out a laugh as he watched Luffy eagerly gulp down the bottle. "Is it that good or are you just that hungry little glutton?" He purred, feeling oddly content with how much happier the pup smelled. No more sour stress and suffering omega. Now he was beginning to smell sweet and soft and milky. It was a nice soothing scent that had Doflamingo feeling incredibly sleepy and fiercely protective and… genuinely incredibly happy… He could positively preen he was feeling so good. The blond would never allow his precious treasure to ever leave his side if just a simple thing like feeding him made him feel this calm and right. Clearly, Luffy was his prize for putting up with the hell that was this shit-stained filth humans called a world!
"Huh, you ate all of that? You really are a little glutton, Fufufufu!" Doflamingo said in a teasing voice, chuckling as the sleepy-eyed pup smacked his lips and huffed. The little thing looked like he was contemplating seconds already at less than a week old. "I think it's time for sleepy boys to go to bed, eh?" The blond said, clicking his tongue. He pulled a book from the bag he had sitting by the couch. Doflamingo then, laid Luffy near his chin and flopped his thin legs over the rest of the couch. Getting comfortable, the man ran a hand over the tiny grumbling body and flipped to the first page. Though, he wasn't more than a few pages in before he found his eyelids becoming impossibly heavy.
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Doflamingo woke to the sounds of pained crying. His head felt foggier than usual as he woke up, Feeling confused and disoriented, with incredibly numb legs. The alpha groaned, wondering what that awful sound was and why its scent had him wanting to kill someone, quickly, in the most primal and brutal of ways.
Blinking tiredly, Doflamingo paused in the middle of sitting up once he realized a book was draped across his face, something not that uncommon for him. It was then that he realized his other hand was caging something small and very much alive and clearly from the noises it was making, very unhappy. The man practically whipped the book from his face after that to get a look at Luffy. That's right. This was his Luffy, his… Doflamingo still wasn't sure what he was to him, but he at least knew that this was his Luffy and his Luffy was trembling and panting in distress. Why? What was wrong with him? Did something happen while he was sleeping and he just hadn't noticed? Not even with his observation Haki?
"Hey-hey no need to get so worked up!~" Doflamingo crooned, trying to remember something about feeding that he had been reading before falling asleep. It had been something important. Damn it, what was it? Giving up on trying to remember, Doflamingo grabbed the book and began frantically skimming it. Wait, burping babies was an actual thing? Why wasn't this common knowledge? Why wasn't that an instinctual thing that parents just knew? Why did babies have so many strange quirks?
"Alright, let's see if I can't get you feeling a bit better…. If I can't, we might have to get you some of those drops." The young alpha grumbled, using his strings to snatching up a dishtowel to drape over a shoulder. Getting thrown up on wasn't something he felt tolerant enough to deal with…. Yet. And he had a feeling it was a yet with as much as he was suddenly willing to put up with for a baby he had just met.
"Hold against a shoulder, head comfortably rested on it…. Firm pats on the back until he burps…." It was hard to imagine his mother needing to do something like this to he or Rosi… Did gods need to be treated in such a way? But Luffy was a god to, right? There was no way that he would ever be able to be so taken with some brat otherwise.
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Nearly two and a half weeks in and Doflamingo had devoured every book that he had taken and then some. He had returned to the same pharmacy down the road 6 days in. Getting a few more packs of diapers along with the rest of the books available on infant care he could find and every can of the newborn formula that Luffy seemed to favor. Not a single one of the books he read could explain why the tiny infant was eating as much as a pup literally months older than he was, should have been. He was always ravenous and feeding him always left Doflamingo in a good mood. The young alpha had become more than a little attached to the pup. Luffy may have been hard the first few days, but once a routine between the pair had started up… and well Doflamingo had at least the basic understanding of how to keep a baby alive Luffy wasn't really anything like his first impression nor was he nearly as difficult to care for as the books implied.
Even as a newborn, Luffy was pretty easy to deal with and easier to please. All he wanted was food and to be held. He liked to hold onto fingers with a surprisingly strong grip for one so young and stare up at him with those big trusting eyes, staying mostly quiet as long as he was held. He seemed happiest when given physical contact. It was something that the young man understood far too well. Doflamingo too, couldn't stand to be alone for very long. Bad memories liked to sneak up on him when he was. The young alpha liked to lay Luffy against the hollow of his throat, keeping the little omegan pup warm and safe and Luffy smelled especially happy when he did so. Making little croons and mewls that had something in the blond's instincts positively preening.
Doflamingo found himself completely uninterested in doing any of the sorts of things he usually would have been up to in such a place. Not playing puppets with the locals, no partying all day and night, nor finding himself a pretty brunet to screw.. Not that he found a pretty worth screwing more than once in a blue moon. He didn't want to even go outside. Not in a place that wasn't his home territory. Not in a place that he wasn't familiar with the tiniest of nooks and crannies. Not with his precious little treasure whom, he had begun to catch himself rocking and cuddling and petting and feeling so so much happier for, with him. Even Doflamingo's thoughts about his past blood family weren't so consuming when he had Luffy to focus on because Luffy belonged to him in a way that they never did, that they never could.
Cuddled up in bed while reading and petting the sleepy pup, sprawled across his neck, was heavenly. Doflamingo couldn't remember ever really purring before. That is, until Luffy came into his life. It was a strange sensation, purring, that is. So much so that it had startled the alpha the first time it happened. Now only a few days after the first time doing so, Doflamingo knew there was no way that he could ever accept not feeling this level of contentment ever again.
Doflamingo had thought he had enjoyed life before, but he was so very wrong! Even still, he knew that in the next day or so, the rains would be eased up enough for a bit to leave the area. That he should be getting ready to leave…. But, he didn't want to. He wanted to keep Luffy totally to himself for as long as possible. The two of them, in this makeshift den where he could keep him safe and his. The crew was Doflamingo's family and going back meant that the family would insist on meeting Luffy…. Something that had the young alpha feeling incredibly reluctant. Doflamingo had become even more so as Luffy had developed a bit of a mild chest infection from being in the rain so long. He didn't want to take any chances and make Luffy's illness even worse.
After feeding Luffy his ridiculous bottle portion and burping him, Doflamingo made sure to feed his Den-den Mushi a few apple slices. He, himself, had eaten half of a large gourmet surf and turf pizza with chunks of lobster, crab, mushroom, and high-quality beef steak on top that he had delivered from a place two roads down. The leftovers had been put in the refrigerator. Doflamingo was still unsure how and when he suddenly was willing to contemplate eating leftovers. It made him feel as if he was some starving little brat again. Doflamingo couldn't believe the things he did to make sure his Luffy wasn't exposed to people.
Even the thought of taking Luffy to the doctor had been horrible for Doflamingo. He had felt incredibly irritated and reluctant, even though he had known something was wrong. The man had known that he had to make sure there was no leftover damage from the way he found Luffy. The visit had been extremely tense, 3 days prior, the doctor clearly ready to piss himself while being loomed over by a very possessive and protective 10ft tall prime dominant A typing alpha. Luffy was Doflamingo's little treasure. He didn't want anyone to get to see his sweet little baby doll, especially people that weren't even a part of his found family! Thankfully, through some miracle, Luffy's chest infection was mild enough that he didn't need much extra care outside of some drops twice a day for 14 days and careful monitoring along with plenty of rest.
Knowing that he would need to wake up in a few hours to feed Luffy again, Doflamingo made sure to have everything ready before laying back down. Sure he was still taking care of the big things when it came to business, vie, den-den mushi, but other than that, he had mostly just been reading, caring for Luffy, and taking naps a few times a day. A routine like this would usually drive him nuts after so long. After all, the blond wasn't the sort that usually enjoyed monotony. Doflamingo found himself not as bothered as he expected. He suspected it was because he hadn't had even a hint of a nightmare since finding Luffy, something Doflamingo thought impossible! It felt amazing and the novelty was far from wearing off.
Luffy didn't seem to get the memo that it was clearly time for sleeping. Instead, the pup was trying his best to look around with those massive peepers that had Doflamingo's heart doing weird things. Smelling perfectly happy and content as he fumbling with the blond's massive fingers. While doing so, making little breathy huffs. Those cute baby blues were wide as they could be and very much alert. The blond had to force down a purr.
"Nah-uh, Fufufu, it's time for good boys to sleep! I don't want you all pissed off at me later on!" Doflamingo exclaimed, unable to help chuckle a bit at the almost offended merp Luffy made when he took his hand away from those clumsy fingers and laid him to rest against his neck. He practically drugged the pup with his own sleepy calm scent to settle him. When that didn't quite work, Doflamingo easily got his way once he began rubbing the infant's back in a circler motion. He had figured out on day 5 that doing so was pretty much a secret weapon of sleep against the tiny omega. It hadn't failed once in making the brat conk out in minutes much to the man's amusement.
"See? Aren't I such a good daddy? Now we can both sleep."
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The young alpha was awoken with an unpleasant bang that rattled the windows so violently they looked ready to fall out of their frames. Doflamingo growled under his breath at the racket but wasn't feeling particularly worried. He wasn't focusing all that hard, but his Haki hadn't indicated any danger to them. Something felt familiar, but he didn't bother with trying to focus enough to figure out why. Instead, the man closed his eyes and gave Luffy a few pets before letting his groggy mind start to drift again. Clearly, Luffy wasn't all that bothered either as he let out a content little sigh and wiggled a bit before settling again. Whatever the issue was, it wasn't a threat to them, after all.
It could have been a couple of minutes later or even an hour when he was woken up again. Cursing up a storm, Doflamingo shot straight up. Even disoriented and groggy, the hand resting over Luffy automatically shifted to support and protectively cradle the tiny omega, pressing him carefully against the man's chest. What was that noise? Why did it sound like people were yelling right outside the house? Didn't they have any idea who the hell he was? Who the fuck they had just pissed off?
The blond snatched up his sunglasses, throwing his legs over the side of the mattress with a smile that would have even the most brutal of criminals pissing themselves. The veins in his forehead positively throbbing as loud banging rattled his sleepy brain. "If they make you cry.~" Doflamingo half sang half growled under his breath, pinching his nose as he stormed his way through the villa. "I'll make 'em a pretty red splotch where all the worms can feast for months." He grumbled the last bit under his breath as he scratched behind an ear.
Doflamingo stomped from the master bedroom, muttering to himself and Just as the irritated blond went to deal with the annoyance, the front door was nearly ripped off of its hinges and several people came piling in.
"What the-" Well that explained why his Haki had insisted that something familiar was nearby…. Ugh, maybe he should have paid attention.
"Hey-hey Doffy, Doffy! Why did you make us worry like that, huh? Huh, Doffy? We were really worried that something happened to you when you barely talked to us for so long! Is everything alright Doffy? Eh, are you listening?" A towering unkept looking man with rivers of snot oozing from his nose whined, sputtering when Doflamingo barely gave him a glance before plopping down on the couch on the other side of the room. "Doffy! Aren't you happy with your surprise? We all came to pick you up!"
"Yeah, we all thought it would be nice to come and get you." A man's voice cut in, "We had to make sure our Doffy was doing alright! It isn't like you to talk to us so little… Knowing that you're actually okay and you didn't answer, you'll hurt our feelings!" An incredibly tall, slender man with brown hair and exposed washboard abs wearing a stereotypical pirate's hat heckled, from the door.
"I've been busy," Doflamingo said, stifling a yawn.
"Ne-ne Doffy, what do you mean?" The man with snot hanging from his nose prompted, moving to stand uncomfortably close to the blond, choking on a strand of his own snot and nearly falling on his ass when his eyes caught sight of a pair of wide sleepy baby blues cuddled up in Doflamingo's massive hand. "Hey-hey, Doffy! Why are you holding a baby?"
"A baby?" A tall, somewhat slender woman with wild hair that went from bright blond to bright orange guffed.
"Yeah-yeah! A baby! See?" The unkept man exclaimed.
"You are standing very close." Doflamingo pointed out, leaning back a bit as the other man leaned so close their faces were nearly touching.
"He does, but why would our young master have a baby?" A short older man wearing a strange spandex suit and what looked to be a hat with a pair of dark blue rabbit ears sticking out of it grumbled.
Doflamingo pursed his lips for a moment. Trying his best not to get irritated with his family. They were just concerned after all and as much as he would rather not have to share his Luffy they would eventually have to meet him. It would also be safer to sail back to Spider's Mill with an infant over his preferred method of travel, which he only started being able to do well, recently.
"I….. found him on the beach in a crate, he would have died with all of that rain.-"
"Young master is so merciful!" The woman shouted, cutting Doflamingo off unintentionally. She eagerly came closer and held her arms out expectantly. "Don't worry young master, if you want them to live; I'll raise them up right for you!" She insisted, she wouldn't have him lowering himself for caring for an unwanted child and she, herself, liked children very much! Maybe the young master had even thought of her when finding the pup? Oh, how wonderful it would be to have a younger member on the crew to properly dote on! They hadn't found a single child that hung around as of yet, that stuck around for very long.
Everyone went ridged out of fright when the blond let out a deep guttural growl, completely frozen in place. All they could do was tremble and feel confused. What had she said that had upset their young master so?
"I don't think I said anything about him being for anyone else, did I? Luffy's my little treasure," Doflamingo said in a tone that left no room for argument, nuzzling a cheek against feathery soft baby hair to calm down before grinning at his family. "But….. you may help me care for him…. Sometimes… You will be his only auntie after all in a sea of uncles and although you're an alpha, like the rest of us…. You do carry a more maternal touch, yes?" Doflamingo purred, his tongue hanging from his mouth as he leaned back, spreading his legs a bit to get more comfortable. "A womanly one and being a dominant O typing of Omega surrounded by us alphas…. Well, he could use a softer touch. Don't you agree? Fufufu!" The blond smirked playfully at the flabbergasted looks all around him and snickered as the woman, Jora, nodded with a dazed expression. They all now understood how special his little glutton really was, good.
Now that was all settled, Doflamingo was sure his Luffy would be grouching over being fed any second and he himself was a bit peckish. He was sure that his dear family would like to get to know his sweetie better. He was oh, so lovable after all!
Yes, a family lunch sounded just right! He was in the mood for pasta…. Maybe with a nice white sauce and some freshly baked croissants and thick marmalade jams. They would have a special family lunch to celebrate his Luffy. What a fun time they would have! He knew just the place he wanted it all delivered from! He would have all of his family eating together, just like a real family should.
End Chapter 2
Notes:
I hope everyone liked the second chapter! I am currently working on the 3rd at the moment. I am having a bit of trouble coming up with things to write about while Luffy is a baby, so ideas are more than welcome! I can't wait until he is old enough that he can run the crew ragged! I already have some pretty amusing ideas of a few things I want him to do then! Luffy will likely only stay a baby for a few chapters, then we get to have him meet his uncle and eventually meet Law! Then eventually Ace and Sabo and although Doffy probably wouldn't agree, it's going to be great!
By the way, I know it is early, but tell me who you want Luffy paired with so I know what direction to go with the story! I have a poll on fanfiction if people want to vote that way, but I will just keep track of everything on excel for those that vote in the comments. 😊
Anyways, please review and I'm always happy to answer questions and things and exchange ideas! I'll see everyone again soon! (Hopefully in a week or less)
Chapter 3: First trip: Norwick 5
Notes:
So this chapter ended up being 6342 words without the Author's notes…. About 2800 words longer than it was supposed to be, so it took me a few more days than I had expected. I hope everyone enjoys!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 3
"Hey-hey Doffy…. We've all been talking and we think… something's wrong with Lu-Lu? Shouldn't he be getting bigger or gain weight or something Doffy?" The man with snot hanging out of his nose, Trebol, said with furrowed eyebrows. "He eats way more than any baby I've ever heard of too!" Trebol exclaimed, shuffling over to hover over the sleeping infant. "Ne, he sprawls out like you, doesn't he Doffy?" Trebol said, sounding amused.
Doflamingo frowned at what the man pointed out. He, himself, had actually been thinking the same thing even though doing so upset him. Luffy was his perfect little treasure, after all. The blond's most beloved treasure he ever found and the little omega needed to stay at Spider's Mill, to keep close always. It was the young alpha's safe place, though even if it was surrounded by a metal scrap yard. Doflamingo knew that he would have to eventually go to other islands again and he even missed doing so, terribly. He may have missed going to places outside of their island, but Doflamingo still didn't want to leave his safe place with or without his Luffy at this point. It wasn't safe.
Spider's Mill was where the young alpha was most comfortable with his control and he needed for his Luffy to stay protected so incredibly badly. Just the idea he might not be, nearly sent Doflamingo into a feral fury. Luffy was his to love and to own completely! The man would eviscerate anyone that even thought in opposition to his devoted claim on his sweet pup! How could he expose his darling boy to the vile filth that was the world of humans? Just thinking about it…. Spider's Mill was his… their… 'den.'
It still disquieted the man that somehow, for once, his crew was making more sense than Doflamingo would have usually liked. He suspected it was probably the work of Vergo and maybe even possibly Senior Pink talking. Still, they were right and he wasn't one to disregard something like, one pointing out medical problems needing to be looked at from those in his family. The man was many things, but he was also the type to give credit where credit was due and to not underestimate illness or injury. Only a total moron would do such a thing. The only real hang-up for Doflamingo taking Luffy to a doctor, and had been, was that there wasn't a hospital on the island. Just a doctor's office with an old man that had once been a pretty decent pirate ship's surgeon. One that they used to get patched up when needed.
The old doctor wasn't any help when it came to children or anything past traumatic injuries and minor things like basic infections and colds that were usually none life-threatening. Apparently, whoever trained him hadn't taught him much of anything to do with illness or medications outside of the operating room. The man was totally in their crew's debt, meaning under the young alpha's control. Doflamingo had enough trust in him, but that was useless for the situation at hand and he knew it and had dwelled on it the last several weeks. Although the blond had a large territory and significant influence and control throughout that part of the North Blue Doflamingo still didn't feel comfortable dragging Luffy to another island even if it felt inevitable to happen soon. Was it really something he needed to dwell on, though? Luffy was acting fine and besides, the order of baby things he had made a few weeks prior, was scheduled to be there within the week.
As if reading his mind, Trebol continued, "He hasn't seen a doctor since we got home and that was a couple of months ago… Aren't babies 'posed to get shots and check-ups, huh Doffy? But, Doc Spitz doesn't take kids does he?"
"No… he doesn't."
"Ne-nyeh, what are we going to do then?"
"I… Guess… We'll head to Norwick 5, It's the closest Island with a decent hospital under our control…" As much as Doflamingo didn't trust anything to do with leaving Spider's Mill for the time being, his brain sure was doing its best to bring up all of the best reasons for going. The hospital was located in a large town with some nice shops where he and the others could have plenty of fun and maybe even find some baby shops where he could browse for something worth taking for his Luffy. Not only was it a good opportunity to shop for his Sweetness, but Doflamingo was sure that the rest of them could find something as well.
The town was known for its beautifully made leather goods. Custom embroidered gloves and glamorous handmade high-end dress shoes were their most famous available purchases. The young alpha could definitely use a new pair of both, especially when he was supposed to be meeting a new potential business partner from the Grandline in less than a month. With Luffy being so small and young, Doflamingo, still felt uncomfortable heading back to there yet. Not until he was at least a couple of years old. He wasn't like all of the rest of the kids hanging around, wanting to become part of his crew. Doflamingo actually cared if something happened to him. This is why the blond felt a little grateful for the man's agreement with his request.
"Yay! We're going on a trip! Maybe we can find Lu-Lu a nice crib you'll like so you don't have to sleep with him anymore? I want to get a new hat while we're there! Behehehe!" Trebol cheerfully exclaimed, laughing idiotically as he thought about the fun they would all have terrifying the locals and getting shiny new stuff to show off. "I'm gonna go tell everyone to get ready!" The hunchback stated.
"No, the things I ordered for Luffy aren't here yet. I want to make sure everything is brought in right away and where I want it before we leave."
"Ugh, come on Doffy! You haven't been yourself since we got Lu-Lu! Just leave Machvise to deal with it! Lu doesn't like him anyway! He always cries when he even looks at him with that ugly face of his!" Trebol complained.
Doflamingo couldn't help but smile at that. "Fufufufufu! It may be true, but do we have to be so cruel?" He teased, the grin on his face positively wicked.
"Ne, Doffy, you know it's not cruel if it's true!"
"Alright. You win Trebol. We'll go. It's getting so stuffy, just doing nothing after all! I'll take Lu to the doctor once we get to Norwick 5 and we'll stay for a few days." The blond began to plan out loud, "As long as the stuff I have coming is brought in, I can get it all sorted when we get back." Doflamingo finally relented, sitting back from his desk and Trebol's hovering face. "We can have some much-deserved fun and I'm sure some fresh air would do my treasure some good anyways!" Doflamingo purred, running a finger through Luffy's soft fluffy hair, whom he had sleeping on a thick folded up blanket near the center of his desk. "Go….. tell everyone we'll be heading off in the next day or so. Alright? I have a call to make and the ship needs to get stocked. It's a 3-day journey so we won't be back for at least a week. I don't want to be stopping on any of the islands along the way. Also…. You may tell Machvise that he's drawn the short straw!~"
Trebol let out an excited noise, snot practically poured from his nose as he eagerly shuffled from the room chanting a little diddy about 'Machvise having to stay home because he was so ugly all of the babies would cry'.
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"Behehehe! I think Lu-Lu likes the water!" Trebol exclaimed, grinning as Luffy let out a whine from Senior Pink's arms anytime the man went to move away from his spot, rocking him near the ship's railing, propped up just enough that he could catch a glimpse.
Senior Pink made an agreeable noise, unable to help but smile a little. He watched that sweet face, those great big eyes that were becoming less and less blue every day, fixated on the calm sea around them with more focus than a child that age should have been able to have. The little pup looked and smelled content. The brunet wasn't a guy that would say he loved kids, but Luffy had really grown on him. Senior Pink just had a feeling he was going to be a good kid, even with the worse of their influence. The man was glad he had found a way to hold the little master without him crying, even if it only lasted as long as they were on the ship.
Luffy didn't like to be away from Doflamingo for a second and the same could be said about the Young Master, who seldom put the pup down. The only reason Luffy wasn't cuddled up to his favorite spot against Doflamingo's neck that very moment was because of the abrupt infuriating Den-den Mushi call the man had gotten. Even then, the only reason Luffy was with the executives of the crew was because of Diamante's quick thinking. The man had convinced Doflamingo to let him take Luffy for a bit since there was a lot of yelling, mostly on the other end of the call, but it was plenty loud enough to be heard even from the deck. Once Vergo came in, he managed to help convince the young man to allow them to take Luffy until the call was over.
Of course, the moment Luffy realized he couldn't smell Doflamingo, right there, any more, nor could he hear the very familiar voice of the man, he realized he was being held by someone that wasn't his daddy without him even standing there and became a very unhappy baby. Sobbing uncontrollably once the realization hit. Doflamingo always grabbed for him right away if Luffy was even the slightest bit upset, which, him not doing so, made the pup even more stressed.
Diamante had been offended when Senior Pink immediately held out his arms and insisted that he would take over. The towering blue-eyed man had said that he could soothe Luffy himself, even as he floundered to do so. Diamante hadn't considered the fact that he knew absolutely nothing about soothing an already upset and frazzled pup, who was still sensitive from hearing a bunch of loud, angry screaming.
Senior Pink wouldn't voice it, but he had read some of the books that Doffy had gained about childcare. He understood and agreed with them that the man's constant smothering probably wasn't good for Luffy…. Though the rest of them couldn't be considered to be much better, especially himself, with the way everyone hovered around the pup.
Anyways, Diamante had been quick to hand Luffy over to Senior Pink after Doflamingo let out a testy yell to the group, demanding to know why he heard his treasure's crying. Vergo had clearly tried to redirect their captain's anger at the people on the other side of the den-den mushi as he didn't storm out and snatch his pup. Out of desperation, Senior Pink began humming to Luffy and even tried showing him the ocean, hoping that it would startle or distract him long enough for Doflamingo to get done. Thankfully it had worked. The kid was enthralled.
Senior Pink ignored Diamante's pouting and Jora's not so subtle hints at wanting to hold Luffy. A man didn't play hot potato with his own baby nephew so, they would just have to continue to sulk. Trebol was doing his normal hovering, seeming like he didn't really know how to quite act around Luffy, but fawned in his own strange unbecoming way. Thankfully, he hadn't bothered Senior Pink about wanting to hold the pup because he wasn't in the mood for foolish arguments.
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Doflamingo had clearly been eager to get his Luffy back when he came to grab him and didn't do anything to hide it. Vergo had looked more than a little put out when he saw Senior Pink with a calm Luffy. Their captain was very obviously still infuriated by the strong, aggressive scent coming from him alone. The fact that the veins in his forehead were still positively throbbing and he had an incredibly pinched smile made it clear, no annoying him in any way. Doflamingo practically snatched his pup away from the shorter brunet and cuddled Luffy close. He began muttering under his breath and nuzzling Luffy's incredibly cute face.
"We're going to kill that parasitic little fucker aren't we, my sweet little treasure?~ No useless demanding little bastards are going to fly under your daddy's flag, no they're not! He tried saying I had to meet up with him like he was important and you know how your daddy feels about little fish trying to demand things.~" Doflamingo cooed, he let out a jagged little laugh as his head cooled a bit. The urge to play puppeteer and make that whole crew rip each other to pieces as they screamed for forgiveness, still thrumming almost unbearably under his skin. The comfort of Luffy, did make, not rushing out fulfill such potent urges…. just ever so bearable that he could ignore the crawling need that felt almost like insects skittering over his fingers and ribs, carving their way into his muscles and organs and blood.
Luffy was beginning to get that look he always got on his face when he was starting to get grouchy about being hungry. That tightness that the blond had long gotten used to, the strangled pitter-pattering of his heart when his gaze met those trusting eyes, had the alpha's desire to run off and kill that crew that very moment, nearly extinguished. Doflamingo carried Luffy back to their rooms without paying much attention to his crew, completely taken with the task of calming himself and taking care of his Luffy.
Even boiling with rage, Doflamingo's scent didn't deter the infant, like it did even full-grown adult alphas. The blond wasn't feeling threatened, just angry and disgusted, Luffy trusted that the man was no threat to him, so there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. It made the young alpha even more fiercely fixated. Luffy was such a perfect pup. He knew who he belonged to and made Doflamingo's heart swell with such happiness! Such possessiveness and ownership, the alpha felt like he would burst! "Such a good-good boy!~ Yes, you can only trust me! Such a sweet boy. You know who loves you more than anyone else ever could!~"
Once back inside of the ship, the blond automatically prepared a bottle for Luffy. Doflamingo could have done it with his eyes closed after months of practice. He had found the task, although below him, to be a soothing type of monotony that Doflamingo enjoyed on a primal level, clearly. Preparing sustenance for his pup had latched onto some sort of instincts that had to do with caring for Luffy and he found himself feeling all the more content when Luffy was clearly satisfied after a meal…. Or at least for the hour or two before he was just as ravenous.
Two full large bottles, sometimes three, had to be prepared for the infant who was only a little more than two and a half months old, each feeding. Everyone had carefully pointed out, more than a few dozen times, between them. He had to agree that it was strange that, from what Doflamingo could tell, the pup hadn't grown an inch nor gained more than the bare minimum weight in that entire time.
Luffy wasn't bone-thin anymore, but Doflamingo wouldn't say his pup was one of those normal chubby looking babies either. He was slender with bare minimum fat on his body, the only bit of baby fat was in his cheeks and with his face being so naturally round and soft that it probably gave the illusion of more fat in those cheeks than there actually being some. Doflamingo would never admit it, but he had been nervous that something was wrong long before the others. He had suspected only a few weeks after finding Luffy. Now that it was being addressed, the man just hoped whatever it was had an easy fix and wondered if it was because of the pieces of shit that had hurt and abandoned his perfect little angel.
Doflamingo, still smiling, sauntered over to his custom hot pink recliner and sprawled over it. Putting the foot rest up, and then offered his cute little glutton his bottle. Luffy greedily latched on, gulping down his third lunch of the day and making what Doflamingo was pretty sure at this point to be happy little noises.
At nearly 3 months old, one could already tell Luffy was going to be chatty. When he ate, he was noisy, when he wanted to eat he was noisy, if Luffy wasn't being held he let everyone know how he felt, and when he was cuddled up the pup let everyone know that he was happy. Being an incredibly chatty guy himself, the young alpha chose to see it as further proof that Luffy was mean to be his all along. It was endearing to the man, hearing those sounds that would soon turn in to definite coos and squeaks and merps of happiness and grumbles and growls of the opposite. He couldn't wait until his Sweetness hit the critical milestone for purring too! Just hearing the cute little sounds, Luffy was able to produce now had his heart doing weird things he was sure his pup purring would turn him into a puddle of goo or maybe even stop his poor overworked heart completely!
"Is that good, little glutton? Fufu, I bet you're already making plans for dinner, aren't you sweetness?" The man said in a teasing tone of voice. Doflamingo pet through Luffy's hair with careful fingers and chuckled when the pup tilted his head a bit, leaning into those carefully carding pads. Luffy was always happiest smelling when given affection. The pup was like a sponge for it, just like himself. "Such a sweet little treasure!~ You flatter me so!"
It was just one more day until they got to Norwick 5 and Doflamingo was enjoying getting to spend time with his Luffy on the open ocean. Norwick 5 was a good first stop away from home for such a young pup. The Island was called Norwick 5 because 'conquerer,' Baron Dribbet T. Norwick had named a number of uninhabited islands, or nearly uninhabited after himself over 320 years ago. One in each Blue, 11 times in the North Blue, and then one on both sides of the Grandline. Quite the feat for any age, let alone back then, when it was thought close to impossible to leave the Grandline once someone from one of the Blues entered.
Norwick's home Blue was the North Blue, where he had wanted to make the cluster of islands, he had named, a kingdom. This didn't pan out after the citizens turned on him within the first 5 years after he tried forcing everyone to name their children, pets, and even rename themselves after him and demanded everyone provide ridiculous tributes and that they all had to live off of blue cheeses, radishes, cabbage, and beets because these were the only foods he liked.
Much like Noland the Liar, Norwick was publicly humiliated and executed. However, unlike Noland, it was rumored, but never proven, that he was cannibalized by his starving subjects after his death as before his dethronement, he had banned anyone from consuming anything but his three favorite foods under threat of death. Stories, similar to Noland the Liar, were written about him that were still incredibly popular as cautionary tales for children.
The island of Norwick 5 was considered to be just a step below the big money island in power and influence and this was because it was more of a trade center and where all the main businesses were. It didn't have a lot of people actually living on the island to bolster it. Still, it had a teaching hospital with a decent reputation. The head of the hospital supposedly was a physician of good reputation from the famed, Drum kingdom. Those that were a 'somebody' outside of the medical profession, lived on Norwick 9, which was restricted to only those who had enough money to live like money grew on trees.
The islands may not have done well in Norwick's time, mostly due to him being an idiot, but they had flourished to a respectable level in the last 120 years or so. This was when it was discovered by medical professionals that the soil and conditions were perfect for easily growing different types of cold weather medicinal plants. The area's popularity then, exploded when it was discovered that the areas around the group of Norwick islands, located in the North Blue, were an unending hot spot for massive amounts of crabs and cold water oysters.
"Ne-ne, are you still mad Doffy? Huh, Doffy?" Trebol asked, barging in without asking. Not that unusual of an occurrence, but it irritated Doflamingo as he had calmed to an almost zen state at that point.
"Is it safe to see Lu-Lu now?" The man pestered, hovering around the younger alpha. "Jora wants to hold him now! She won't shut up about it! I think Vergo's jealous too! Lu-Lu never lets anyone hold him, It's no fair Doffy! Behe~" Trebol insisted, even as he snickered at the expense of the other's hurt feelings.
"You are standing so close…." Doflamingo couldn't help but point out, frowning at the other man. He just wanted to feed his son in peace, what was so difficult about that? Ugh, the things he tolerated for his family! "Tell them that it's time for Luffy's nap so they will have to see him later. If we want him to stay healthy, he needs as much rest and food as possible. You don't want him to get sick, right? Baby's get sick so easily.~" The blond purred persuasively. He just wanted to spend a whole afternoon, he wasn't even asking for an entire day, without them trying to take his and Luffy's alone time away!
Couldn't they see that his Luffy wanted them to find something else to do? Not that he blamed him! His Luffy never wanted to be shared with everyone else! Why would he possibly want to be held or fawned over by anyone, but his wonderful loving daddy who never wanted him to ever leave his sight or arms? Couldn't they see that Luffy felt so much safer with him? That the sweet pup would be afraid someone might start to replace him if he was carried around by those bumbling fools all of the time? That if he thought something like that may be happening that he would become very, very angry and may have to do something he may regret later?
"Behehe- Of course, Doffy! I'm not stupid like them! They just wouldn't leave me alone about it since I'm not some wussy little chicken shit! Behe, I'll go tell 'em that Lu-Lu has to sleep 'cuz he'll be grouchy if he doesn't." Trebol exclaimed tone surprisingly agreeable, snot running a river down his chin.
"Good~ I'll see you later on then. I think I'll take a nap to. Just so… he doesn't get upset if I'm not here." Doflamingo said, using his strings to retrieve a pillow from the bed.
Trebol made a noise of agreement after pausing to give Doflamingo a look like he had assessed and approved whatever he had read off of him. It was a bit disconcerting to see such a look on the usually idiotic acting man's face. The blond didn't really know how he should feel about it. It wasn't even a full moment after that when the hunchback sniffled and let out another peal of amused snickering before he left. Why couldn't any of them be more like Vergo? At least he tried not to hover as much when he was clearly irritated!
The young alpha was quick to use his strings to lock the door behind Trebol. Glad to be able to prevent any more disturbances. Everyone knew not to bother him unless there was a dire emergency when he had his door locked. Doflamingo berated himself for not doing so days sooner, but he really enjoyed having his family come in to visit and talk. He liked to be as available as possible. He usually enjoyed it, but they hadn't given him and Luffy a moment of peace since the mini-voyage began. Even Lao G had shown some concern and hovered a bit and the man practically acted like Luffy didn't exist most of the time.
The whole group acted like it was the first time Luffy had ever even been on the ship and acted like it was some great big deal, when only a few months beforehand, Luffy had been on the very same ship in the very same room. The ship hadn't really been changed outside of a redesign of his room, they weren't trying to escape from terrible storms, (hell, the weather had been perfectly wonderful!) and Luffy wasn't teetering on the edge of looking like he was being starved this time around even if he was still a little string bean. Yet the whole lot of them had to hover around their faces every two seconds and whined about wanting to hold Doflamingo's precious little treasure! It was beginning to drive even an incredibly extroverted guy, like him, bonkers! The man who was more than used to his family's off the wall, personality quirks!
"Hopefully, they will calm down some once this doctor's visit is over, eh?" Doflamingo mused out loud. Noticing that Luffy was about finished up with his bottle, the blond grabbed a frayed towel from the side table next to his chair. Sitting Luffy's now second bottle, aside, he folded back the footrest and fluidly stood from the chair, and threw the towel over one shoulder. After that, Doflamingo, laid Luffy against it in a smooth practiced manner. He hardly even had to glance at the pup before knowing he was pressed against his shoulder in the right way. He then, began to bounce on his heels and rocked a little as he gave the infant firm pats on the back.
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The next day Doflamingo had managed to keep Luffy mostly to himself. He had already figured out most of what needed to be done or that he wanted to do once they had made land and had taken care of all of his most important business calls the day before. It gave him the perfect excuse to sleep in and keep his little treasure cuddled into the crook of his neck. He had also taken that time to get a little more caught up on the backlog of books he had pilled up in Spider's Mill. Having a pup kept Doflamingo busy, but he had actually gotten through more than a third of his 'I will die without these, but will never get around to reading them' collection.
Thankfully, Luffy was a very agreeable pup and as long as he wasn't hungry or being bothered by other people. That and he was laying comfortably, Luffy was perfectly content to just make his talkative tiny infant pup noises and look around if he was too awake to doze or sometimes he would chew on things like his own fingers. It made reading time an easy thing to pick up. It was cozy to Doflamingo and he liked it a lot more now, that he was in his own space in his own bed…. Or well nest, as he had started nesting the moment he had returned to Spider's Mill.
It was an impulse that had been an itch before Luffy came to be Doflamingo's pup that turned into a full out obsession. Nesting, that is! The blond had known that alphas, especially those of his particular typing, often ended up building elaborate nests/dens to try and attract a mate. Doflamingo hadn't known that the instinct to nest in an alpha could also be triggered by becoming a parent. He had thought it was mostly just an omega and the occasional beta thing. Either way, everything was now pinker than ever, if that was even possible!
Everything now, had to have big plush rugs. They were only a few shades lighter than Doflamingo's beloved mantle. There were also, lots and lots of thick, soft blankets which were of course in various shades of pink. Bright sunset colored curtains with hot pink flamingo patterns were a must, even his room both on the ship and back in Spider's Mill had been repainted from their bright tropical floral and water patterns to a color that made most people's eyes nearly melt from the shear intensity of the pink's shade. One wall on the ship had a similar flamingo pattern as the curtains on it. However, the flamingos were about the same shade as the rugs, but the background stayed the same color as the other walls.
The alpha's love of bright colors had been completely swept away and replaced with a total obsession with his favorite color, pink. That is at least when it came to in his den. Doflamingo hadn't had any urges outside of making his rooms comfortable, safe feeling places for him and his Luffy. The blond positively loved how everything turned out and completely disregarded Gladius' and Vergo's complaints of severe eye strain. Their whining was ridiculous; his rooms were beautiful, warm and cheery!
Doflamingo growled under his breath when someone began pounding on his door. He just had a chapter left and now Luffy had that look on his face like he might cry!
"Sorry to bother you, young master, but we are practically right on top of Norwick 5! We'll be there in less than half an hour!" Jora's voice called from the other side of the door.
"Huh? Alright, thank you for warning us. I'll…. get ready and join you in a few minutes." Doflamingo called, rubbing Luffy's back, he let out a purr to calm the weepy-eyed pup. Once that was under control, the blond laid Luffy on his blanket desk nest and walked across the room, straight to his closet.
Doflamingo grimaced at the idea of having to get dressed, preferring to let his man bits stay free and the feel of his super soft blankets all over his naked body as he relaxed with his cute little pup cuddled to his chin. After a few minutes of perusing before choosing his favorite black button-up and a blood-red tie with a solid gold tie clip to go with it. After that, he grabbed a white pair of pants that's length reached a few inches below his knee and had flames around their cuffs.
Doflamingo got dressed, making sure to keep an eye on Luffy. The pup may not be moving on his own much, yet, but he had started lifting his head himself a little over a week after the blond found him. He had a firm grip with those cute little hands and Luffy's little legs had quite a bit more strength in them than was probably considered normal. It made Doflamingo nervous that he may end up deciding to try to roll and the young alpha didn't want that happening without him right there to catch him.
Doflamingo grinned at himself in the floor to ceiling mirror, he had sitting next to his closet, once he got the whole look together. Gods, he was so good at this. Only a god could ever look this sexy all the time! Before he had found Luffy, Doflamingo would have definitely fucked his hand for hours in front of that mirror after seeing himself look that good.
One thing having a pup had done, was somehow made it so the young alpha suddenly had significantly more control over his libido. Doflamingo was still not sure how he felt about that new aspect of himself. He had barely been able to touch himself more than a few times a week since becoming a dad. It would have been pure torture before his sex-drive had suddenly calmed significantly, as long as Luffy was within scenting distance. Gods, he really wanted to see his cock spray pretty pearly white all over that new mirror and break it in…. The things one did for parenthood! Though, Doflamingo absolutely didn't regret finding his treasure, never! He adored his boy and really… he could do something like that later…. Eventually…. Hopefully? Ugh, he really needed a rub off!
The man shook away his sex-driven thoughts when he began to hear a familiar commotion outside of his rooms. Their ship was a very large one and it was always a bit of a production to get it docked. Everyone was getting into place for docking procedures. This also meant that It was about time he and Luffy made their appearances then.
First, though, Doflamingo looked through the small box of clothes that he had brought for Luffy and pulled out a simple red onesie with long sleeves and grabbed the cute little white hat with bright orange and red flower-patterned Vergo had found for Luffy a little over a week before they left for Norwick. Much cuter than the washed-out pastel purple and blue baseball cap that Jora had tried getting him to have his Lu wear! After that, Doflamingo remembered to put the teeny-tiny knee-length socks on the pup that Senior Pink had thought to get Luffy, in case he got chilly at home. Looking through what he had for Luffy made the blond realize he really really, needed to get some more clothing for his Sweetness. Other than 4 pairs of those practical little black socks, the blond didn't have anything to cover Luffy's lower extremities up.
It was still summer, so it wasn't terrible, but the North Blue had a lot of cold weather in most places during the winter. That…. and he didn't exactly look presentable. Doflamingo usually wouldn't be too worried about stuff like that, but Luffy was his pup and he wanted him to be as pampered and lavished as he, himself was. 3 onesies and a couple of hats….. that wouldn't cut it. Doflamingo had another dilemma, as well. He had forgotten to bring any size appropriate blankets. He was so used to just wrapping part of a blanket around himself and making a nest in his arms for Luffy with the ends of the blankets. The tiny pup would be swallowed up in the blankets he had if he tried properly swaddling him with any of them. Doflamingo grabbed up a fresh blush-colored hand towel from his bathroom with a smile. Who cares what the locals thought? He had a whole itinerary all on its own planned out to have his own fun with the locals before they left.
"Time for good boys to get dressed! Fufu," The man exclaimed. He snickered at the disgruntled look he got from the pup once he was done. Luffy was clearly not pleased with this new change, being used to lounging in just a diaper, most of the time, as the young alpha's body heat kept him more than adequately warmed. Doflamingo had honestly never really thought about clothes for him yet…. At nearly 3 months old….. huh….. wasn't that typically one of the first things people thought about when bringing home a baby? No, probably not! Why would he think about that when his floor at Spider's Mill and his rooms in the ship had obviously needed to be completely renovated? Luffy would have been so unhappy in his old rooms! A good parent made sure their pup was comfortable and lived as luxuriously as possible!
Doflamingo wrapped a scowling Luffy up snuggly, the book bag he used as a diaper bag over one shoulder and grabbed his sunglasses before he left the room. Deckhands were running all over the place, shouting to each other as they carefully began docking procedures. Vergo stood in the middle of it all, watching as he ate from a bag of potato chips. "You have something on your face." The blond pointed out. Several large chips and a half a waffle to be exact.
"Oh, thank you! It was from the cake we ate together earlier." The man said, pulling the food pieces from his beard and tossing them into his mouth.
"We… didn't have cake together… and there is no cake on the ship." Doflamingo state with a raised brow.
"Huh, are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Must have slipped my mind." Vergo accepted, looking rather bewildered before his eyes landed on the grouchy looking little bundle in the blond's arms. "So… I'm assuming the doctor's first? Lu looks like he might start crying any minute, do you think somethings wrong?"
"Fufufu! He's fine, just mad because he doesn't like being constricted by clothing, like his daddy!~" Doflamingo laughed, "and yes. I think we should get the doctor out of the way. I want to know if there really is anything wrong with my treasure or we're worrying for nothing."
The brunet gave his captain an accepting nod. "Yes, that does sound like the thing to do. We all want our Lu healthy."
Doflamingo chuckled under his breath as he adjusted Luffy. Tongue hanging from his mouth in gleeful anticipation. In and out. This would be fast and easy, then they could all have such a fun time together, as a family!
End Chapter 3
Notes:
I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I think once this next one is done, I am going to start having things really take off. We will finally get to see way more interaction between Luffy and his auntie and uncles! Also, Crocodile will be joining us soon! I hope I wrote Trebol's behavior around Luffy believably.
If anyone has a fun, cute, or an amusing idea of what you want to happen next or of Luffy's interactions with his family, I'm all ears! I also would love to know how everyone would think they would behave around Luffy or how Luffy would feel about them to because I am having a little trouble figuring that bit out.
Anyways, please tell me what you think! I hope everyone enjoyed and please tell me who you want Luffy to eventually pair with, so I can write accordingly! I've had some great feedback that has really motivated me to stick with this story and has given me a lot of good ideas, so thank you so much!
I'll try to get the next chapter up within a few days since college is starting again the 31st.
Chapter 4: No fun at the Doctor's
Notes:
Alright, so here is the next chapter! It ended up way longer than I was planning… again. I honestly kind of just wanted to get this island out of the way though so we could actually start with the major part of the story! After this chapter, things are going to become a lot more fun! I hope everyone enjoys! This chapter ended up 8935 words without Author's notes.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 4
Going to the Doctor hadn't been nearly as straightforward or as easy as Doflamingo had thought it would be. Not even close! First, he had felt so much anxiety that he almost turned around and headed straight back to the ship. That wasn't going to get this all over with, though. Then, when he walked into the hospital, the blond wasn't waited on right away like he had expected. The nurse running the check-in desk made a big deal about him not having an appointment, then insisted that he had to fill out a stack of paperwork before a doctor could even see them.
Doflamingo hadn't exactly appreciated the tone of voice she was using with him… Like she was an equal if not above him, him. A human above a god. The alpha made sure she knew exactly who she was talking to after that. Looking a sickly green and literally shaking head to foot, she was at least a quick learner and had immediately led him to an unoccupied patient's room. She hadn't been as intelligent as Doflamingo had hoped though much to his irritation, she had still insisted that he needed to fill out the paperwork. The only reason the towering man hadn't lost his temper with the woman at that point was because she had pointed out that all patients had to fill them out. This was to make sure that the Doctor had the right information to go off of because that it could be dangerous if they didn't…. The other reason Doflamingo had controlled himself was, he knew that he may need them alive in the future if something ever happened that Dr. Spitz couldn't handle.
The pen he was given was irritatingly tiny for his large hands and the clipboard Doflamingo was using wasn't even quite as big as his hand, making it difficult to even try to fill in the forms. Even worse, it felt like his dick was threatening to drag on the floor; the chair he was given was so short. The cushion was good, though, so the overly tall man was glad that he could at least sit in it relatively comfortably otherwise. Doflamingo didn't understand why the hell the chairs were so short in a room that had obviously been built specifically to be used for those of larger stature. The spot where patients were supposed to sit down to be examined was plenty big and looked to be able to be elevated to be tall enough for someone even Diamante's size, to sit and lay comfortably.
The young alpha had to squint to see the practically microscopic writing that was meant to help jam as many questions on the forms as possible…. Mostly questions that Doflamingo wasn't sure about…. Diseases that parents had, birth date, food allergies, grandparents. First off, how was he supposed to know if Luffy had any medication or food allergies when he wasn't even 3 months old yet? The pup consumed formula, the formula didn't make him swell up like a balloon or kill him what else was he able to say? Did some morons grind up shrimp and fruit and penicillin or something when their brats were at his son's age and stuff them down their gullet? Did they rub their pups down with wool and make perfumes out of peanuts? Like how would you even know what your kid was allergic to at that age? What a stupid question!
Doflamingo had no idea who the egg and sperm donors were, so he couldn't say what they may have had. Just being reminded that Luffy wasn't actually made from his own cum sat painfully heavy in his chest. It wasn't right and it sure as hell wasn't fair that as much as he loved and totally devoted himself to his Luffy, as much as he owned him, that he was his, that Doflamingo's perfect precious wonderful little Treasure had pieces of someone else in him. Someone that threw him away or possibly did something as foolish and shameful as his own father and nearly got his Luffy killed… Killed in a horrible suffering sort of death. The alpha hated them, so so much! Whoever made his pup. Whoever had been lucky enough to produce his Sweetness.
Luffy had clearly been born to the wrong individuals. It was easy for anyone to see they had been destined to find each other. Doflamingo was certain that his instincts must have just known and that was why he couldn't ignore those heart wrenching cries. He still wasn't sure what he hoped more, if Luffy's donors were alive so he could torture them in the worst ways possible and forcibly wrench every last bit of despair from them, making sure that they and all the rest of the world knew that Luffy was his, not their's. That he was never their's, to begin with, or if he wished they were dead. Wanting them dead so Luffy would never ever have a chance of finding out that he wasn't the blond's by blood even though he was Doflamingo's by everything else that mattered.
After filling out the little that he could, Doflamingo sat the board onto the desk next to his seat and dabbed a little hand sanitizer on his hands from a pump, also on the desk. He hated the idea of being in someplace full of disgusting sick people. This was especially true with his Luffy being so small and vulnerable. He hadn't had any shots yet and vaccinating one's child wasn't the most common practice amongst more impoverished populations, at least not in the North Blue.
As the hospital was one meant for training prominent doctors, the rich in the area donated plenty of money, wanting their faces plastered all over the hospital. This left more time and money for encouraging the public to come in for a vaccinating program. It likely still wasn't super common to get through to them. Norwick 1,3, and 4's populations consisting mostly of undereducated fishermen and farmers that were descendants of the extremely superstitious tribes from nearby islands forcibly moved to the islands. This made many of the families unwilling to learn from or trust the general public of the islands.
Still, because of the extra money, it was doable for ordinary people to have routine things taken care of free of charge… This also meant that Doflamingo and his Sweetness could potentially be exposed to deadly viruses that may be rare or unusual do to the conditions some individuals desperate for medical care may have come from.
Doflamingo had heard an unnerving rumor only weeks before that a particularly aggressive form of Snaily Peak-Poxs became an epidemic that had whipped out nearly half of the child population on a small island a few hundred miles to the south. It had happened only a few months beforehand if the rumors were to be trusted. The strain of pox had been so bad that even many of those that survived had ended up with some degree of permanent blindness and or deafness and some had been left as vegetables.
The thought of something like that happening to Doflamingo's Luffy more than made the man a little nervous and a lot nauseated feeling. One little kid or unaware adult exposing or handling their Den-den Mushi after even touching something an infected wild and ill spotted high-peak Den-den Mushi and a whole population of children would suffer terrible deaths.
Trying to get his mind away from dark, unlikely occurrences, Doflamingo began to focus his attention entirely on his son again. His lips twitched up as those still developing eyes did their best to take everything in. "Hmmm, what do you think of this new place? You're doing an awful lot of looking around Sweetness ~," Doflamingo crooned, repositioning Luffy so he was sprawled over his lap. Those darkening peepers were focusing on the great big fingers that began petting down his forehead and up the bridge of his nose teasingly, getting a little merp from the pup. "This place does look a lot different from home, doesn't it? It's not nearly as beautifully decorated like you're used to.. It smells differently to, right? Unpleasant, not like the nest…" The man continued to speak, gently messaging his pup's temples. The alpha then ran fingers through Luffy's soft, thick tufts of wild black hair. Doflamingo couldn't help but snicker as Luffy let out a happy little huff, leaning into his touch. The blond was so engrossed with making endeared alphan chuffs and trills back at his pup that he hardly even lifted his eyes when the Doctor came in.
"Mr. Donquixote sir…. I- My name is Dr. Lapahn. I have been told that you have come here because you are having some concerns with your… um son?" A nearly 7 foot tall, older graying man with thick sideburns and a thinning soul patch, large splotchy freckles that took over most of his right cheek, and an almost painfully tight looking ropey scar that tugged his mouth up a bit strangely, said. After barely being acknowledged, the man seemed to take a calming breath before going to wash his hands in a sink near the door. After that, he sat on the rolling stool next to Doflamingo and picked up clipboard the blond had sat down.
Doflamingo continued to croon and pet Luffy, though he was clearly far more tense and his smile wasn't nearly as open or welcome feeling.
"So… your son… Luffy, he's adopted? It says here that you are his only parent, but you also say that you don't know of any familiar diseases that he may carry? Is this correct? Is there any way that you could possibly get in contact to find out what he may-"
Doflamingo's semi-relaxed expression twisted up into an incredibly pinched smile as he finally looked away from Luffy to stare the man down. Starting to feel the prickles of irritation, his Haki must have leaked a bit as the man suddenly shut up and started sweating. "I am Luffy's only parent, his family. He is my precious little Treasure!" The blond hissed between his teeth. "They weren't his parents, they left him to die on a beach, soaking wet in a box. He's mine, and my Luffy was covered in bruises clearly made by hands for nearly a month! I had to teach him how to even eat because he was so young. Those people are trash and I'll kill them if I ever find out they're still breathing somewhere." The young alpha growled with absolute finality.
"Yes sir… I understand…. " The man froze up for a moment before clearly forcing a smile onto his face. "Before we get started, what symptoms brought you in today?" Dr. Lapahn asked, grabbing up the discarded pen that the blond had laid next to the clipboard and opened up a new looking folder.
Doflamingo eyed the man for a moment, hands still petting the nodding pup. Subconsciously guarding him from view. "Luffy is nearly 3 months old and…. my crew and I agree that he hasn't really grown any…. When I found him, he was very thin. I'm unsure if he was born that way or not…. But he has gained enough that he isn't bones anymore… Still, he's underweight." The man said, his tone a bit tarse.
"Huh, I would say that some pups grow slower than others, but three months is an awfully long time….. Especially if he is having trouble with weight as well. And… after going through such a hard start in life…. What do you feed him? Uh. How many times a day? You said 7-10 times a day, 2-3 bottles each, but that can't be right unless the bottles are very small….?"
Doflamingo scowled at that point and pulled out the large glass baby bottle he used. At the very sight of the bottle, Luffy began to fuss, just knowing it was out had him grouching for a meal. Doflamingo was glad he had thought to prepare a few bottles and kept them in a warming pouch before leaving. "This is what I use." The alpha said pointedly, then made a crooning noise in his throat at the hungry merps his pup was making. "Oh, are you hungry again, Sweetness? I just fed you an hour ago! All of this new activity must have made you ravenous!~" The man said, lighting up a bit as Luffy latched on with gusto and tried grabbing at the blond's stray fingers. The happy scent the pup gave off had Doflamingo wanting to nuzzle him and cuddle him so close.
"He… really does pack that all away, doesn't he?" The older alpha muttered in pure disbelief after Doflamingo lowered his legs just enough that the other man was allowed to see his pup guzzle every last drop in record time before holding his mouth open for more like a baby bird, making pitiful cries, until the next bottle's nipple was placed withing latching distance.
"Since day 1, he's been constantly ravenous." Doflamingo agreed, trying not to show his nerves once the other man began to frown intensely and smell concerned.
"Your.. scent is a bit intense on him. It's hard for me to tell what he is… What is his secondary gender?"
Something in the blond positively preened at the man's words. He was such a good loving daddy keeping Luffy so cocooned in his protective scent! "He's an Omega…. Dominant O typed." Doflamingo said, nearly rolling his eyes behind his shade when the man looked like he was about to pass out.
"He's a-"
"You won't be reporting this."
"No, no, of course not! Just I've only ever seen one other before, in my whole life and that was when I was just a child starting my apprenticeship… so it…. surprised me is all." The man exclaimed, looking at Doflamingo with both understanding and nerves.
The older man fiddled with his pen before forcing himself back into professional mode. "He needs an even higher calorie diet then a normal omega would then, but it still doesn't explain why he eats as much as he does, let alone why he hasn't been getting any larger or gaining weight. Even seeing him from here, I can tell he is very small….. Neither of you will like it, but I will have to take some blood to check on some things once I have got him measured and weighed…. You have also indicated that little Luffy here hasn't gotten any of his vaccinations yet due to being ill when you fo-became his father. So as long as he is looking well enough, we'll get those out of the way to. We want to make sure he stays nice and healthy after all!" The man explained, getting to his feet. "By the way, what formula have you been using? I mean… uh, if I may ask? It was formula, right?" The man quickly amended, the scent coming off of the alpha in front of him was giving his instincts all sorts of fits. Screaming at him that this man was incredibly dangerous and sliding closer and closer towards doing some time to him if he didn't act carefully.
Doflamingo bobbed his head and pulled a tin out and handed it over, reminding himself to comply and not give into his boredom for Luffy's sake. "It's one that Luffy seems to enjoy the best. I was careful with making sure it had a similar ratios of fat, vitamins, and formula make up to what I read was best for omegan pups."
"Huh, this is….. exactly what I would normally recommend for omegas. I'd say the calorie intake would even be spot on for most types of Dominant O typed omegan males from what I know of them. I guess he's a bit of a mystery pup, huh?" The man said with a nervous chuckle, handing the tin back over. The man then, explaining how Luffy would now need to be weighed and measured.
The Doctor held out his hands, expectantly. He took a swift step back with a look that was a mixture between mild confusion and protest when the much taller blond alpha got to his feet and walked over to a baby scale sitting on a counter across the room. Doflamingo then carefully laid down the now mildly bloated looking pup. He ignored the sputtering of the Doctor and raised a non-existent brow. "You need to weigh him, don't you?"
"Uh, yes, I-" The Doctor cut himself off mid-sentence with an audible clatter of teeth. Likely realizing it probably wasn't a good idea to point out their roles in the situation. That Lapahn was the Doctor and the towering murderous blond was the parent. Nor how the dangerous alpha would be right there the whole time while Lapahn held and handled his son. Something like that would most definitely get him killed, the Doctor suspected.
Why did one of the most terrifying and violent pirates in the whole North Blue have to find and possibly imprinted on a possibly sickly infant of all things? Even worse, at least for the safety of himself and the others of Norwick 5, the pup was some variety of dominant O omega being cared for by some clearly very possessive, very volatile typing of Dominant A typed Alpha. Technically a genetic jackpot for a the pup to be found by, especially if the alpha was the A dominant typing the Doctor was suspecting he may be.
There were few in the very small branch that made up what was nicknamed the 'Impassioned Branch' and also known as the 'Celestial's honey songers' Only 2 of the 5 known variants of genetics involved in that particular A Dominant branching were known to exist anymore to those outside of the Celestial Dragons and only in incredibly rare and ancient royal families since the void century. Dr. Lapahn suspected that there may have been more at play though, as it was quite unusual for something like that to just die out. Especially as the Celestial Dragon's were recorded as having them in their sacred bloodlines. Maybe they were afraid of them? After all, calling them impassioned was a nice way of saying the branch was known for having issues with incredible aggression, intense emotions and behaviors, possessiveness, and had a tendency to be extremely over the top obsessive. Once they decided that something was theirs, they would guard and fixate on it to the most extreme levels. Finding an O dominant Omega was a disaster waiting to happen to everyone around the pup. Fixating all of that intensity on it…. Unstable and warped as Doflamingo likely was, his imprint upon Omegan pup was dangerous. The child was clearly fiercely and lovingly protected and cared for to the point of excess. One little upset of the cute little pup could and likely would have him brutally killed.
Luffy made a discontent sound, face starting to scrunch up at the feeling of being away from his Daddy and his warm towel. He hadn't been cold since being saved from the crate months ago. Luffy was more than a little upset at the sudden sensation he gained from laying on the cool metal of the scale he had been placed on. Hearing and seeing his Treasure's discontent, Doflamingo tensed. "Didn't you say you needed to measure and weigh him?" The man reminded the Doctor testily. "I need to burp him or he's going to have a stomach ache."
The man got the message. If it happened, he was very likely a dead man.
"Of course! Sorry, I apologize! Right now is no time to allow myself distractions!" The Doctor quickly amended, getting right to work. He wrote down Luffy's weight, keeping in mind how much the pup had ate. Then pulled out a measuring tape, allowing Doflamingo to step in without a peep to help him keep the wriggling grouching pup still as he wrote his length down to. He was fearful that the young alpha may rip his head off when he began palpating Luffy's full little belly, which strangely seemed to have gone down a little already and began checking his ears, mouth and eyes. Going as fast as he could while still being thorough and began checking his limbs. The massive blond was practically gnashing his teeth by the time he was done with the physical portion of his exam. Doflamingo had the grumbling pup wrapped back up and began burping him before the older alpha could even step out of the way for him to take him. The blond very pointedly chinned the pup and nuzzled his tiny body thoroughly, not even accepting the scent of the man's gloves on the infant.
Dr. Lapahn coughed into his fist to politely get the alpha's attention and carefully sat back down on his rolling stool. "F-from what I can see so far, Luffy is far stronger than what would be normal even in most A Dominant alpha pups anywhere near his age, which surprises me, especially with his size and weight. He's definitely even for his age, very small and pretty underweight even for his size." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck and began nibbling at his lip. "With as much as he eats I suspect that he either has absorption problems or he has a metabolic disorder… Either way, we're going to have to get some blood from him to run some tests and…. He isn't going to like it. If we don't though…. Well, these sorts of things can be very serious, even deadly." The man carefully explained, emphasizing that it was essential to take the blood.
"Do what you need to. Just get everything you need to, done all at once, so my Treasure doesn't have to hurt unnecessarily. I won't tolerate that." Doflamingo said with a smile that promised pain.
"Of course not sir! I became a doctor to prevent pain and suffering not to cause it. I promise I'm just doing what I must to make sure your child is as healthy and pain-free as possible in the future!... I must warn that he may not feel very well for a few days after his vaccines, though. Some can cause so flu-like symptoms and soreness! Because-"
"I already know all of that. You seem to think I'm some uninformed, irresponsible parent, eh?"
"No! Of course not sir! I just always try to explain these things to my patients!" The man insisted, his chest tightening more and more with every time the man showed any irritation. Gods, much more and he might end up a dead man! What would happen to his family? His father and the hospital?
Of course, Luffy ended up crying big fat, miserable tears when he got his blood taken and full out began to bawl once he got his shots. Wailing pitifully into Doflamingo's neck as the man crooned and purred and petted in his best attempts to comfort, looking like he was barely holding onto his restraint. The Doctor never felt so close to death in his life and was glad for the excuse to leave the room. He had left his least-liked intern to check in on them every 20 minutes just to make sure Luffy didn't have any adverse reactions.
Lapahn seriously hated that kid. He was one of the most uppity and full of himself interns he had ever gotten. He also got vibes from him that made his skin crawl, but he tried not thinking on that too much. He couldn't get rid of the boy either, because he had also not actually done anything that would warrant being able to do so. At least not when the boy's family funded the prenatal department, giving those with less money and resources the ability to have their high-risk pregnancies well monitored and cared for in a way many in the North Blue would never be able to.
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After nearly 3 hours, Doflamingo's forehead was positively throbbing, but he hadn't played puppet with a single person. The blond had even managed not to kill the cocky little jerk that had come in to make sure Luffy wasn't having any allergic reactions to the shots, which he hadn't. Even Luffy seemed to hate the boy, letting out disgruntled nervous little noises that had the man growling at the teen anytime he got near his pup. Luffy also was sporting the grouchiest look Doflamingo had thought he had ever seen, making little unhappy huffs into the alpha's neck when the idiot thought he could just try to walk right up to him. Doflamingo was so happy that he had thought to bring a book with, just in case.
"Fufufufufufu! You were hoping I'd kill that arrogant little prick for ya' didn't you? Sly old dog!" Was the first thing that greeted Dr. Lapahn as he walked back into the room. Doflamingo's cheeky smile aimed full power at the older man as the young alpha chuckled.
Dr. Lapahn froze, not sure what he should do or say.
"Don't worry!~ I can see why you want that little shit dead. He's going to start giving you trouble soon… You can see that, can't you? He's a fucking creepy bastard that shouldn't be anywhere near pups. Don't worry though, I've been itching to play a bit…. We can call me having fun with that little puke your payment, hmm?~ I'm such a nice guy, aren't I?" Doflamingo purred, licking his lips eagerly.
The man didn't dare say anything and instead focused on Luffy's results. Clearing his throat, he began. Explaining that Luffy did have an unusual metabolic disorder. It seemed to share similarities to, but was far more severe and aggressive than one that had been extensively recorded to be in the well known, at least in the medical community, Trafalger family, which at one point in the past had been a clan.(He hadn't actually mentioned the families name though for privacy/not wanting Doflamingo to kill them reasons) Luffy's disorder showed up as different enough that the Doctor didn't think it was the same nor did he think the pup was related, but it still at least was similar enough that it gave the man a general idea to work with. What Luffy had was much worse, though, very dangerous even. The poor thing really must have been just starving all of the time with as fast as he burned through everything!
He explained how Luffy would need to be on supplements and specialty formula because Luffy would never be able to get enough calories from any standard formulas. Also, enough protein, as according to the Trafalger family, those with their particular metabolic issues required very large amounts of protein(Not carbs, they didn't do much for them) to gain weight and to stay healthy enough to stay off of medications as much and long as possible.
The pup would eventually have to go on medications for his disorder, but the Doctor wanted to keep him off of them as long as possible. This is because once he was on them, Luffy would have to continue on taking them consistently for the rest of his life or the effects of his disorder would become far more dangerous and likely kill him. As long as he was able to keep up with his body's needed intake, then he would be able to live a normal life, have kids, the works. (Not something Doflamingo wanted to even think about) The Doctor explained that he was hoping that they would be able to wait until Luffy was at least a young adult before needing to give him medications, but it wasn't a guarantee.
Doflamingo was subdued after the explanation. An intense pensive expression on his face. No more snarky comments or snide jokes. Luffy was pressed close as the man pet him, more to comfort himself than the pup, Lapahn suspected. Giving the towering blond such news made his guts burn. The man was an evil, vicious pirate with a dangerous, unpredictable typing and personality. A narcissistic psychopath with a sadistic streak a mile long, most likely, on top of it all.
Dr. Lapahn was terrified for himself and his home, but it also made him feel scared for the pup. He had met a lot of people with that same cruel entitled type of personality. Who expected everything to just go their way just because they said so and when it didn't… when their kids weren't the perfect dolls that they had willed them to be… well, bad things often happened to them. Really horrible, heartbreaking things that kept the Doctor up at night even years after they happened. He just hoped that the young alpha decided to leave the pup at the hospital, especially if the world government were to ever find out about the pup and that he was the Doctor that had been treating him and the Dominant O Omegan pup had died under his care.
"So you're saying…. That I haven't been providing my Luffy with nearly enough nutrition since I found him? Do you have notes or something you can give me, so I understand exactly how I need to care for him and what he has?" Doflamingo finally said after seeming to mull the man's words over for a bit. The man's fear doing nothing to excite him like it usually would and had been earlier. He just felt sort of sick to his stomach. Anxiety almost choked him at the thought that he had left his Sweetness hungry for so long. It was his fault his sweet, sweet baby doll was so small and underweight….. but-but it was that other Doctor's fault as well! That Doctor on the island, he had become a father on.
Dr. Vettl had done a full check, blood work and everything and hadn't said a thing about anything like this! The man had made the blond be a bad daddy to his poor wonderful, perfect little pup! How dare he? The man would pay for making him hurt his own baby! Disgusting piece of shit bastard, he would hurt, hurt for months and months for what he made him do! The sick fuck!
"Of course, sir! It will only take me a few minutes to get a few things copied for you…. If you are okay with waiting for a day or so, I can get everything done and see if I can get any more information that could be helpful from some colleagues at other hospitals. We also, still have a few more results we are waiting for to be done. Unless there are major problems, which I suspect there aren't, with how healthy Luffy seems outside of his rather strange, out of control metabolism, you won't have to come in." The man explained.
"It will also take us a couple of days to get his formula completely figured out and made up for you as well. I want him to be on a very high calorie, very high protein-based blend. We may need to tweak it a bit as he gets older, but I expect him to start gaining weight within a few weeks. Your son won't ever be a very big or chubby pup, though. Being an omega doesn't help in this regard either as most O typings dominant or not tend to be smaller than their beta and alpha counterparts. He'll be healthy and not constantly hungry, which is what is most important." The Doctor leaned forward. "But he's going to have to eat a lot, all of the time. He's going to have to eat like a family of 5 by the time he's a kid and I have no idea how much once he's older." The man insisted, trying to convey how much work Luffy would end up being to the other man.
"He will also need to have regular check-ups. If you live very far away, we can probably make due with Den-den Mushi calls every week or so until appointments. If possible, I would like to see him every other week for the next few months, if not then once a month. For the next 2 months then possibly once every other month if his levels are looking right and he's gaining weight. He will also eventually need to get his next set of shots and boosters." The man explained, writing everything down as he spoke. It sounded more like he was trying to convince the man to give Luffy up, after Doflamingo showed no interest in doing so, like the Doctor had expected. The blond didn't like it one bit.
"We can stay around here until his next appointment, but after that, we'll have to try and see if we can come back once a month until we know how he's doing. I have a budding empire to run after all! Fufufu, We will need as much of that formula made up as you can give us just in case we need to leave the area for a while." Doflamingo explained, all business at that point. "My Luffy eats over 20 bottles a day. I'm going to be very upset if he's even a little hungry because I had to not feed him when he wants food."
"Y-yes, of course! We can do that and I will give you the ratio recipe we will be using once it is completely decided upon so it can be made elsewhere. So if you are too far away from here, you can get more made!" The elder alpha all but squeaked. He could more than tell that the blond was at the cusp of his limits. The man's scent was become a choking miasma the longer this all went on.
After a few more tense minutes of going back and forth, everything had been planned out as far as it could be. It was agreed that as long as Luffy didn't have anything significant happen Doflamingo would be back in 3 days for the formula. The blond was glad to leave the smelly depressing place. He hadn't been an idiot. He could tell that the older alpha had wanted his pup left behind. The blond wasn't exactly sure why, since the man didn't seem interested in calling up the world government and he didn't seem to be the type that wanted Luffy for himself either. Doflamingo would most definitely be keeping a close eye on the man. But for now, as long as he kept his precious sweet boy happy and healthy and kept his mits away from his good boy, the man could live. It was irritating that it would be 3 days before he could adequately feed his darling Lu. It hurt him that he would continue on having to give him just enough to get by until then, but at least it wouldn't be for much longer and his pup was finally vaccinated.
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It was nearly 7 by the time Doflamingo had gotten back to the ship and he was tired and hungry. Luffy clearly was to if the grouchy look and irritated sniffles were anything to go by. Though his sweet baby's tiny arm and shoulder probably weren't feeling too hot either. The young man had said he wanted to go out and have some fun right after going to the Doctor's, but he hadn't expected it to take literally hours to get everything figured out, nor had he expected to get such distressing news. Not that he wasn't expecting something to be wrong, but the blond had maybe possibly convinced himself Luffy could be given some quick magic pill for a week or something and he would be fixed. Still, he was glad it was something that could be managed and that his Sweetness should be fine as long as he was careful to monitor and properly feed his Lu-Lu. Something he was already doing, now he just understood what to look for and how to keep his good boy healthy.
Doflamingo had thought ahead, calling his executives and explaining that the Doctor's had taken longer than he would like and that he planned to take a nap for about an hour with his Sweetness. He was told to heading out to meet them at a gourmet Burgers and smoked meats place that Vergo and Trebol had wanted to try out badly, after they had rested. The place had been recommended by several shop owners for those that liked those sorts of things and even better, it also had a beautiful bakery just right next door with artfully plated desserts, which, of course, had Jora swooning.
Pica, a tall very muscular man with spikes coming out of his shoulders and pale, almost white purple hair, had wanted to go somewhere else, but the squeaky-voiced man had been outvoted. The blond could hear his complaints filtering through the Den-den Mushi even as Vergo reassured him that had already gotten ahold of a menu and insisted the man would still be happy with the place as it wasn't just burgers and smoked meats. Doflamingo was hopeful that Pica really would be happy and that he wouldn't have to hear any whining that night from anyone because he had to live with them and he had a lot to think about.
Because they were currently on an island, Doflamingo would be stuck with listening to them whine since they usually moped on the ship if any of them got upset while away from home and more than one had to come to him to complain. He loved his family but, he was more than a little exhausted in every way possible. He was sure Luffy wouldn't enjoy hearing everyone complaining and not getting along after spending a lot of the day poked and prodded, especially when he was in public for only the second time. The man was just hoping at that point that it wasn't going to turn into a circus act.
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Thankfully outside of being rambunctious, the family was in good spirits and well behaved. The noise in the restaurant outside of the young alpha's found family was pretty quiet. Doflamingo suspected it was because everyone was afraid to annoy them. But he didn't really care and the scent of nervous people sparked lust and amusement in the man and, strangely enough, relief. The blond had been afraid that too much noise would stress Luffy out. The new smells were probably stressful enough. He also didn't like the idea of too many people being near Luffy not only because he was his and he was a very protective possessive man, but also, because the pup was still an infant that could easily get sick from unknown people. On top of that, Luffy still hadn't had the time to have his body gain any immunity afforded to him by his newly given vaccines.
The alpha was pretty sure his boy was going to get some of those flu-like symptoms from the vaccines like he had been warned about. Doflamingo suspected they were making the pup not feel that great already because Luffy was sporting the grouchiest scowl and making sounds that all rang as uncomfortable and unhappy to Doflamingo's well trained 'daddy alpha' instincts. Though the man suspected that half of Luffy's irritation just came from the man refusing to let the infant have even the littlest taste of his food, something more than reasonable for the pup's age.
The alpha swore that every time Luffy smell any kind of meat or fish, he started making his desperate yowl that Doflamingo had learned pretty much meant, 'I'm wasting away to nothing please please feed me, daddy, I'm starving to death!' which even in the situation Doflamingo now understood Luffy was in, health-wise, he knew wasn't true. The infant had been fed as much as he wanted just before arriving. His Lu-Lu's body was being a lying little glutton. Even as fast as Luffy went through a meal, there was no way in hell, the infant was going to be able to get another drop of anything down for at least another half an hour.
Doflamingo had expected his crew to at least ask about the trip to the Doctor. Especially as long as it had taken. Besides a quick once over by a few family members, none had even shown concern and that irritated the young alpha. He, himself, hadn't said much of anything yet, wanting to wait until they all got back to the ship to explain what was going on. He would have refused to say anything in the restaurant, but still, they hadn't asked at all! The blond's family was usually all over him for details when they actually cared about something. They should have been asking if his Treasure was alright and obnoxiously pestering him! Instead, they were smiling and bickering fondly between each other, even as Doflamingo's Sweetness was clearly showing signs of being unhappy. He didn't like it at all…. But he would give them all a chance to make amends once they got back to the ship. But they would have to do so without prompting. If not, well… he would be very agitated.
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It seemed like, once again, Doflamingo didn't have to worry about anything and may have been overreacting a bit. He was pleased by this, preening even. It had also meant that he and his crew were on the same page and that made the young alpha incredibly happy! The blond loved when they thought about things in a family context and what was best for their family. One didn't air their laundry in public spaces. Just like Doflamingo, they had thought that it hadn't been appropriate to talk about such sensitive family matters in public. They had recognized Luffy's 'I want to eat even though I'm not actually hungry' sounds as well at that point and had thought that he was just super grouchy because of he smelled food, since his arms were covered. Seeing his arm now, Doflamingo didn't blame him for being in such a terrible mood! His little Treasure's arm was bruised to hell! The other's had looked just as shocked as he had felt, gape-mouthed and looking anywhere from upset and sympathetic to ready to raze the town to the ground.
Reassured by his family's loving concern Doflamingo relaxed and rubbed at Luffy's back to try and soothe the miserable pup to sleep. While doing so, the alpha began to explain what was going on before his family did go off to set fire to the tiny city. They were all, of course, concerned but seemed pleased that as long as they kept up with a ridged feeding schedule and fed him what the Doctor prescribed that Luffy should be fine.
"See Doffy? See, it's a good thing we bugged you about our Lu-Lu! Now he's gonna be healthier 'cuz we know what's wrong now and we got to have an extra-long vacation to so we can celebrate Lu getting better! Behehehe! It's going to be so much fun Doffy! Maybe by the time we get back home, Lu-Lu will start to try and do stuff on his own!" Trebol exclaimed, snot running rivers down his chin.
"I'm just glad the condition is manageable and Doffy ignored me about feeding only at certain times instead of when Luffy was hungry," Vergo stated, distracting Doflamingo with the completely untouched Macaroon latched onto the brunet's sideburn.
"Our young master followed his instincts as an alpha and a budding father and a man can't go wrong when he follows his instincts." Senior Pink said, tone implying what he said was just how things were and gave his captain a respectful nod.
Doflamingo loved having such a caring family.
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"No, Luffy doesn't like that color or any of the others you found!" Doflamingo insisted, keeping the hideous puke green disaster of a dress gown at arm's length while Jora tried to convince him of how cute it would be. The color was positively nauseating! Who would hate their own child enough to ever even think of getting them something that vile?
Diamante was next, trying to get him to have Luffy try on a pair of shiny leather pants of all things! Another veto, much to the man's disappointment.
Doflamingo completely ignored Trebol's suggestions before even seeing them. He saw how the man dressed, he may be a dear member of his found family, but the man was a disaster.
Pica's clothing choices, his tendency to wear almost only bordering on fetish wear, also prevented his suggestions from being given any thought. Doflamingo, of course, loved him for who he was and how he was and had fully accepted all of his family's quirks and choices long ago but… that didn't mean that he was going to be dressing his Sweetness in anything the man could come up with.
Clothing shopping for an infant was a lot harder than the young alpha had expected it to be. It didn't help all that much that Luffy was fussy from the mild fever he had the night before and hated clothes with a passion, so he was a squirmy grouchy pouty little gremlin to deal with. His, seemingly sunny personality starting to develop, was nowhere to be seen. Doflamingo had quickly learned that tight things were an absolute no. However, most things that he found practically had his pup swimming since he was so tiny. Long sleeves were also something the blond's pup didn't like all that much though whether he liked it or not, Luffy would need to bundle up once mid-fall hit so the infant would need to get used to such things now rather than later. Doflamingo wondered if he would end up near desensitized to Luffy's new, 'I don't like this thing on me' crying, by the time winter hit…. He really doubted it.
Doflamingo just wanted to be done. No, for the 10th time, he would not be dressing his son as a burrito or a dinosaur or any other themed thing they could find! At this point, it was by principle with how annoying they had all been about it! Yes, his Sweetness most definitely needed the 87,500 Berry suit that may or may not have matched Doflamingo's new red suit that went so beautifully with his set of black silk dress shirts and favorite red tie. Yes, the matching dress shirts were necessary even if Luffy never even end up wearing them! Just like the hot pink onesie, he found with the cutest tropical pattern on it and the little shirt the blond found with bright flowers and the red ones to. The shorts he found were especially cute! Socks that looked like cat paws and ones that had flamingos on them, bright orange ones and pink ones with streaks of blue. He had to have all of it!
Gladius was especially keen on getting Luffy a velvety soft stuffed sabertoothed tiger wearing a nicely stitched red vest. While Senior Pink pointed out a light, almost bubble gum pink colored changing station and crib set that he thought would be a good idea to have for the ship. Lao G wasn't in sight and Doflamingo was pretty sure the older man was still in the front of the store, rocking away on the various chairs like some old geezer.
Doflamingo would readily admit he was pretty taken with the shade of pink that the set Senior Pink had pointed out, but he knew that Luffy wouldn't like the set. Just like the 4 others that had been pointed out that had also caught the blond's eyes. They made Luffy very anxious! A crib would lead to expectations of sleeping away from his daddy that, of course, the man would have to enforce. Then Luffy would end up sad and lonely and cold without his daddy. Of course, then Doflamingo may get too used to not having Luffy there and then he would get scared that he wouldn't care as much or would forget how important he was to him and want to be cared for by someone else. What if he he got hurt by getting an arm caught in an opening between wrungs or what if he was hungry or sick or a fox tried to get him while the young alpha was asleep or what if he left the room without Luffy? He would be heartbroken! No, Doflamingo couldn't let his Sweetness go through such a stressful situation that would cause his Treasure such fears!
Vergo and Trebol complained loudly when he rejected the set, but he didn't feel the need to justify himself. Vergo pointing out that it was safer for a baby to sleep in a crib, Doflamingo didn't care what the books said. He had observation haki and completely disagreed. Trebol pointed out that he had found some reason not to like the other sets even though they were just as nice, if not nicer and that he was just trying to find something to hate about all of them. Diamante piped in, holding up some sort of carrier meant for holding a pup and reminded Doflamingo that he couldn't have Luffy with him during the planned meeting with the new potential partner. The man wasn't so interested in shopping after that and spent most of the rest of the day, not sulking, in his rooms cuddling and grumbling to his little Treasure.
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The first impression Doflamingo got of the new formula was that it somehow smelled better and weirder all at the same time. When he mixed it up for Luffy, the liquid was thicker and had an almost heavy cream-like consistency to it. Its color was more yellow to, like good buttermilk. He was nervous Luffy may reject it since the formula was definitely different from what the pup was used to. At first, Luffy seemed a bit shocked and unsure, gnashing his little gums together and that little tongue working after quickly letting go of the nipple. Another try, a little slower and Luffy let go to make a high pitch chirpy little sound that Doflamingo didn't think he would be hearing until at least the 5-month mark. Making the man's heart feel like it wanted to explode out of his chest!
The young alpha let out a delighted involuntary chuff and kissed all over that precious little face. His perfect sweet boy, knowing who he belonged to so well! Who made him happy! Ugh, he was so so cute! Doflamingo didn't think he could feel any more pleased as the pup let out another chirpy sound at being nuzzled and kissed, forcing a trill from the man's throat. Then the pup enthusiastically latched back on and gripped at Doflamingo's fingers, making the happiest little sounds and his scent became almost dizzying; it was so content after finishing up his first bottle. It didn't take more than a minute for the pup to demandingly merp for another one, which Doflamingo eagerly complied with. Enthralled with Luffy being so lively and happy, eating so well for him.
"My good lovely little glutton, eating your new formula so well for daddy!~" The man purred, delighted. Much to the man's surprise and from what it looked like, Luffy's to, a little more than 2/3 way through, the pup let go. A dribble of milk trickling down his chin as he stared at the bottle. He latched back on a few more times for only a few moments each time before seeming to give up. Luffy's face was totally covered in the buttery colored liquid that he let dribbled, each drag. "Was that tasty Lu?" Doflamingo crooned, grinning ear to ear, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.
After that, The man cleaned his pup's face up and burped him, the heavier liquid had Luffy sluggish and sleepy. For the first time since finding him, Luffy slept nearly 4 hours straight that first night and he didn't wail desperately to be fed every hour or so the next day either. Although the pup slept more soundly, he quickly became more inquisitive and alert.
The day that the second appointment had finally come around, Luffy smiled at Doflamingo. It wasn't one from reflex, which already had the man's heart do crazy things anytime he saw him do it. No, it was a real smile! A smile for him that had the man feel like he was burning alive in the best way possible and melting into a puddle of pure euphoria. It was his, a smile only for him, beautiful and sweet and brighter than the sun. His most precious Treasure knew who his daddy was! In that moment, Doflamingo knew, he knew that he loved Luffy more than he ever had his mother or his brother or anything else he had ever cared for. How he loved his sweet sweet son so much! He would surely burn the whole world to the ground and boil the whole of the oceans as retribution if Luffy was ever taken from him! Oh, he would damn every last soul alive just to get his boy back safe and sound and to keep him, his lovely happy boy because that's what any good daddy would do, right?
End Chapter 4
Notes:
So here is the new chapter and Doffy's further descent into parenthood, Doffy style. I hope everyone enjoyed. I can't wait until Doffy gets to meet his new potential Grandline partner! Any guess who?
Craziness is starting soon, so tell me some of your fun ideas for Luffy's interactions with his family and possibly Croco and his crew! Also, who you would like me to pair him up with later on when he's older! If anyone has any questions or head cannons they want to discuss, I'm all ears!
Chapter 5: Lovin' at first Bite
Notes:
So done with the new chapter it ended up being 5280 words long without Author's notes. I hope everyone enjoys!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 5
Doflamingo felt like he was on a high that no drug could ever top. Just in the few weeks that they had been away from Norwick, Luffy had advanced so much. The sunniest gummy smile lit up that precious little face all the time now and the pup would make the happiest little coos and chirps when his Daddy came in sight, specifically! He only made those extra special noises for the alpha and would eagerly, though clumsily, nuzzle the blond back now! Luffy's eyes were becoming even darker, prettier in Doflamingo's opinion, and more focused. Best of all, he really was gaining weight! Even if it was a slow process, he was still gaining, unlike before, and that made the man incredibly happy.
"Doffy, it's time for you to go to your meeting." Vergo pointed out as he stood up and sat the paperwork he had been going through, on the nearby desk.
Doflamingo was dressed to the nines in his favorite and newest red suit that went so beautifully with his lean body and beloved feathered mantle. He had been eager to show it off, but the idea of leaving his Treasure had him reluctant to leave.
Doflamingo pouted at Vergo, still carefully holding Luffy up and trying to encourage him to put weight on his legs and do little froggy hops on his chest as he leaned back in his recliner. It was so cute and although he was quickly tiring, Luffy was clearly having so much fun! Now that he could hold his head up for a bit, they could have a lot more fun together. Luffy's high pitched little guffs turned the man to melted butter and had him grinning and laughing too. Doflamingo didn't want to leave Lu! He hadn't ever been more than 100ft away from him for more than a half-hour before and that was with him still on the ship, only once! He had never ever actually left him before and that made him terribly anxious. What if something happened and he wasn't there? What if Luffy got scared because his Daddy wasn't there?
"Ne, Ne Lu-Lu! Look at you! Behehe! He's getting so much stronger now!" Trebol exclaimed, shuffling into the room without any invitation, like usual. He went straight over to watch Doflamingo help the pup frog hop up and down a few more times as he sulked at Vergo. The blond practically trying to will him with his pup's cuteness to convince the bearded Brunet that it would be a good idea to take his sweet Treasure along. Doflamingo completely regretting his own agreement with the strict plans that had been recited around the ship for weeks now. They had been about not taking Luffy along to go to the nearby island, just in case the situation proved to be too dangerous. Though the blond had agreed that it would be best to take Vergo with him since he didn't know what sort of person his potential business partner may be.
"Vergo doesn't get to watch Lu-Lu! Behehe! We get to play with Lu-Lu and you don't!~" Trebol teased, at a now scowling Vergo.
"Well, I may have to battle some powerful Grandliners with Doffy…." Vergo muttered petulantly.
"So? We get to have a slumber party with our Lu-Lu for the first time and you don't!"
"He's going to cry." Vergo pointed with a flat look on his face, crossing his arms.
"He always cries when Doffy isn't at arm's length, but you don't have to jinx Lu! You're a mean mean uncle, Vergo!" Trebol huffed as he leaned into the other man's face and wagged a finger.
Neither man noticed the evident existential crisis that their captain was having. Not the clearly stricken look on Doflamingo's face as they bickered back and forth between each other. The pair hadn't even picked up on the blond's distress as the man's scent soured and Doflamingo's skin became slightly paler at the thought of his Treasure crying and being away from him for a whole night! It was horrible, something his Luffy couldn't handle! What was he thinking of, agreeing to the plan to leave his Luffy on the ship? Only a terrible Daddy would do something like that! He wasn't a bad father; Doflamingo refused to be! Not like- He was a good, good Daddy! Doflamingo cuddled his pup, desperately scenting him and showering him in all the affection he could muster. He couldn't leave his Luffy! He just couldn't. Maybe if he just-
"Are you trying to put Luffy in your….. jacket's feathers?" Gladius' incredulous bark practically echoed around the room. The other two turned from their petty fight, startled quiet. The spiky white-haired man stood by the door, a Doffy themed bright red Den-Den Mushi in his hand as he gawked.
"No….?"
The three stared Doflamingo down with various levels of disbelief on their faces. All three eying the pup mid-descent into the bright pink fluff.
"Doffy."
"Maybe?" Doflamingo relented after a few more awkward minutes. Hoping they wouldn't notice that his hand was still moving.
"Your hand is still moving."
"Um, I think you are seeing things," Vergo said, tone entirely distracted.
"His lower body is gone. He's moving him!"
"How would that even work?" Vergo mused, eying his captain in bafflement.
"He needs me!" Doflamingo grumbled sulkily.
"Seriously, how does that even work?"
"Gladius, what's taking so long? What are you even looking- What am I seeing? How would that even work?"
"Your hand is still moving!" Trebol accused.
"Because he needs me!"
"Lu-Lu can't be carried around using the fluffiness of your mantle, that isn't how it works!... at least I'm pretty sure? I don't know what's going on…. What did I even walk in on?" Diamante exclaimed.
"I'm a good dad!" Doflamingo shouted defensively.
"None of you are making any sense!"
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After literally over an hour of arguing and dealing with Doflamingo's apparently, extremely severe separation anxiety, that honestly even the most oblivious of the crew could tell you he had involving Luffy, they finally finally convinced him to leave. The catch was that he would get to talk to Luffy over the Den-Den Mushi as much as he wanted (After he got on the island). They had to call him if even something minuscule ended up happening. (Not that they actually planned to do that) It had been hell just trying to get Luffy to not get fussy over Doflamingo leaving. It had been even worse when he realized his Daddy wasn't there anymore, that sunny smile faded. At first, he let out questioning chirps that quickly faded to mewls for the man. His little eyebrows furrowed while he looked around, with quivering lips. Great big eyes getting dewy as they unsteadily darted around.
"Hey, hey, Lu-Lu! Don't get sad, neh!" Trebol exclaimed, hovering around Jora, who was doing her best to shush and comfort the distressed pup. "Jora, you dumbie! You aren't doing it right, Lu doesn't like being held that way! You're gonna traumatize him with your tits!" Trebol shouted.
"What do you mean?! I'm his only Auntie! He loves being held like this!" The woman exclaimed, using both of her arms to practically bearhug the pup to her breasts.
"You are making him cry with your yelling!"
"Yeah, and you're being too rough with him!" Pica screeched, rattling everyone's brain's with his squeaky voice.
"Uhuh! Lu-Lu's gonna be strangled! Give Lu to Pink, stupid! He holds Lu right and he makes him not cry!" Trebol insisted, stomping a foot in irritation as Luffy's cries started to pick up. "Stop making him cry!" The man demanded as the woman continued to cling to Luffy, who at that point was wailing.
Diamante of all people stepped in. Teeth bared and pale blue eyes narrowed and an uncharacteristic full chested growl rattled the giant man's whole body. All 16 feet of him was curled forward as he stepped in Trebol's way before he could lunge forward, like he clearly had been about to do. "Give him here, now, you dimwitted woman! Upsetting Luffy is hurting Doffy!" The man snarled, glaring down with all of his might at the selfishly acting woman. "Besides, he clearly doesn't like you and uncle Diamante hasn't got to hold him in days!" The man growled, practically snatching the sniffling pup from the woman and held him close, purring and doing what he could to try and soothe his nephew. Who was still crying his little lungs out. However, the towering light brunet was glad that he at least wasn't screaming so loud anymore.
"Hey, hey! Give him to Pink!" Trebol barked, pointing at the shorter brunet, gritting his teeth.
"No! I never get to spend time with my Lu-Lu! He stole him from me last time so I get his turn!" Diamante insisted even as he began to grimace at the noise Luffy was making. "Come on Lu-Lu! If you'd just stop crying, you could be enjoying some outside time with Uncle Diamante!" The man pled.
"Just give him to Pink already!" Pica squawked, exasperated and entirely in agreement with Trebol at that point. He would rather Luffy not be upset enough to cry, then get to spend any personal time with his nephew. Especially, as Pica didn't want to be the one that Doflamingo got angry with. If the man found out they had gotten Luffy to that level of upset less than a full 2 hours in and they had neglected to call him on top of it, things wouldn't turn out well. The pastel purple haired man was sure of it. Things were even worse, since Luffy rarely got upset enough to ball his eyes out. He was the rare sort of infant that had such an incredibly sunny, easy-going personality….. One had to really set him off to get him so worked up.
Everyone cringed as the sounds of Doflamingo's favorite hot pink Den-Den Mushi began making its unique bur-bur sounds in the most demanding way it possibly could. Trying to get their attention. Luffy actually quieted significantly more at the sound, much to everyone's relief, though he hadn't completely stopped. The pup made a curious peep back, recognizing the sound to a certain extent and Doflamingo had conditioned him to be quieter when he heard it.
"Don't you dare answer that!" Pica insisted, glaring Trebol down as the man went to reach for the receiver.
"Shit, we're dead! Dead I tell you! Young Master's going to be so upset if he hears Lu! Fucking idiots, idiots, all of you! Can't even keep the happiest baby alive smiling until at least lunchtime! At least we would have an excuse as to why he would be upset then!" Gladius hissed.
"Hey, hey! I told them to give Lu-Lu to Pink!"
"I just wanted to show him my art and explain to him why Lavender is really his color!" Jora insisted.
"That doesn't even make any sense! He's a baby! He won't know what you are even saying!" Diamante huffed, rocking Luffy, who was mostly down to sniffling.
"That, and Luffy looks like he has jaundice anytime you try to dress him in those ridiculous get-ups you call clothes. He's an omega, but he's also a man, so stop trying to dress him like he's a Mini-you, woman! He'll decide who he is, like a real man, once he's old enough." Senior Pink exclaimed, arms crossed as he inched his way closer and closer to Diamante. With the most impassive expression he could muster he peered up at the tiny pup cupped in the other man's hand.
Caught up in their bickering, everyone forgot all about the Den-Den Mushi, who had called out to them repeatedly, sounding more desperate and upset each time it was recalled. Only after the 4th time did Lao G make his way into the navigation/hangout area to see why there was so much noise. Noticing the distressed Den-Den Mushi, the man snatched the creature up and left the room, deciding that it probably wasn't the best time for the young Master to hear them.
"This is Lao GGGGG! What can I do for ya'?" The muscular middle-aged man plopped down in one of the 4 new rocking chairs he had around the ship, this one on the far end of the deck from Doflamingo's quarters and the clowns that were still caterwauling. Though the group of executives plus Luffy were not nearly as loudly anymore.
"It's Vergo….. You should really pick up sooner. What if it was a major emergency? Anyway, I'm just calling to tell everyone that Doffy has decided that he will be going on ahead so he can shorten the trip… He was pretty anxious, so don't be surprised if he shows back up unexpectantly. I'm just hoping he'll finish everything up that needs finishing before heading back for Lu." Vergo explained. The Den-Den Mushi's face twisting up into and exasperated expression, "Though, I don't really blame him. A sad Luffy is like the sun going out. Especially, now, that he's old enough to start to really show a personality." Vergo grumbled. "Anyway, if he calls or comes back early, don't be surprised and try not to make Luffy upset. Doffy's in a really sour mood and he's going to disregard everything if he thinks Luffy isn't being watched properly."
Lao G grimaced. "Yeah, I'll try to get everything to calm down. Hopefully, the young Master is headinGGGG toward the island. Even if he isn't, there aren't any clouds around this spot, just like we planned, it will be hard for him to return without you."
"I hope so… Because….. I'm sure, he wouldn't like hearing all of that crying. What's going on anyway? Why is Lu upset?" Vergo asked clearly, trying to sound calm and curious even though the Den-Den's face warped into a dangerous frown and his tone of voice had an unmistakable edge to it.
"How should I know? I was sleepinGGG in my new chair one minute, then I was hearing them all shriekinGGG at each other about who the favorite was and Jora's terrible clothinGGGG choices for him." The older man grumbled, emphasizing his Gs even as he sounded less than enthusiastic about what was going on.
"Ih, so…. The usual…?"
"Yup, pretty much."
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Doflamingo was irritated. No, more than irritated, he just wanted to turn back and pretend he never made this stupid deal to meet up in the first place! How had his crew even manage to bully him into this? The alpha swore it would never happen again! Well, at least until Luffy was big enough to fend for himself for a while…. Meaning… probably never, but maybe someday.
Doflamingo didn't even need to call to know his Sweetness was probably balling his eyes out at that very minute. It was just obvious that he would be. Luffy loved his Daddy and he always cried when they were separated. They both just hated being apart, so of course, Lu was crying! This little trip was supposed to be fun and he hated it already!
The blond was supposed to meet his contact on a lesser known island that he enjoyed. It was an island known for it's gambling halls even if none were nearly as high class as one could find in the Grandline, nor were they nearly as grand as the casino at Blackjack Coastal, but they were worth visiting. Doflamingo was sure that Alliganta could become just as popular as Blackjack Coastal if they had a proper casino built to.
Normally Doflamingo would be excited to visit, but he couldn't muster up the slightest amount of enthusiasm. He should have insisted on Luffy coming with him. What was he thinking leaving his Treasure with his found family? They didn't know how to take care of his boy! If he had taken Luffy with the blond would have been able to enjoy himself with his Treasure safe and sound! He was sure there was no way in hell he would be able to enjoy himself in any way now!
Doflamingo couldn't even be destructive because that would leave a bad impression and he couldn't whine either because that to, wouldn't leave a great impression. He also didn't want to potentially have someone going after his son, so the alpha would have to bottle up all he was feeling. Something the blond wasn't very good at doing. Even thinking about it made the man grouchier.
Doflamingo knew that he wasn't supposed to meet the man until around 5pm, when the ship they were using to get to the island was supposed to make land, but he just wanted to get everything over with. It wasn't even quite noon and after an hour of sulking. Then not finding anyone worth screwing, the young alpha was bored out of his mind. Why was it always so difficult to find one pretty worth wetting his dick on? It just wasn't fair! He had high standards, yes, but the level of inadequacy around him seemed to just be growing more and more as he aged out of being a teenager. It was getting to the point he could hardly find someone that he would be willing to stick his tongue down their throat let alone, pin down and rut into until they squealed like a cock hungry virgin in heat. This made the man sulk, even more. It would be nice to find himself some company he could love on. Maybe even find someone that would coddle and fawn over and love his Treasure just as much as he did!
"Hey! Don't you try swindling me, you cheating little snake! Did ya' think I wouldn't notice? Pay up or I'll turn you to dust, got it?!" A slightly gravelly growl filled Doflamingo's ears like the sweetest music.
Towering over a small bucktoothed man who was wearing slacks and a dusty button-up was the most beautiful creature Doflamingo had ever seen, (besides his Treasure, of course, though in a vastly different way) beautiful dark hair all slicked back, clear skin, beautiful dark, dark eyes, that cute scar from cheek to cheek that reminded the blond of a smile. A perfect sexy body just the right build to get the young alpha's heart pumping and his cock plumping up. The way brunet ground his foot into that slug, ugh, he was so vicious!~ The blond felt his face heat up as his previous scowl, twisted into an enthralled grin. Then the beauty smirked so prettily as he made the weakling wail. Doflamingo felt like he had been struck through the heart with a bolt of lightning in the best way possible.
This, this was his pretty from all those months ago. Doflamingo knew in that moment, he had to have him. Clearly, they were soulmates! That's why the blond hadn't been able to fuck anyone. It wasn't because he had become a dad or he couldn't find a pretty up to his standards. It was because all of the brunets he had been eyeing hadn't been his extra-special pretty!
"What the hell do you think you're looking at?" The brunet growled, calculating dark eyes staring the blond down threateningly.
Doflamingo felt like his heart was about to melt right out of his chest, ugh, he was so so cute! This trip was so worth it! There was no way that he could ever let that man get away again, ever! He wanted to tie him to his bed forever!~
"Someone I need to take out to a nice dinner.~" Doflamingo coyly purred, confidently swaggered up to the smaller man he could already tell would fit like a puzzle piece against him.
"Excuse me? I already have an appointment later on." The man snorted, a clearly unimpressed look gracing his features.
Doflamingo forced himself not to frown. Jealousy eating away at him. Who dare take the attention of his sweet sweet pretty away from him? Couldn't they see that they would be perfect together? He'd just have to kill them. Wait…. Why was pretty's voice so familiar? "Oh, really? What's… his name?"
"Actually…" The man looked Doflamingo up and down with a resigned sign, making the blond positively preen. "I'm pretty sure it's you. Donquixote Doflamingo…. Right?"
"Fufufufufu, the one and only!" Doflamingo practically sang. He was now 100% certain that he was right and fate or whatever it was out there that helped people find their mate was pointing neon signs over the brunet and shrieking at him that this was the one, one. Thank the gods, or himself, because he didn't think he could find a prettier guy if he tried! Ugh, he was so so pretty! He wanted to steal him away so bad and show him how perfect his nest was and make him cum so until he cried. Then he'd bite him just right!~
"I'll tell you what. I'll buy you lunch, anything you want and we can play a few games and wait for my crew to show up before moving on to the boring stuff, eh?" Doflamingo purred, carefully running a finger over the other man's arms in obvious flirtation. Snickering when the man's face went red and the brunet made a show of coughing into a fist.
"F-fine. That would be fine. I could use something to eat anyway." The brunet clearly, reluctantly agreed.
"I forgot to ask….. You called yourself.. Mr. Zero or something like that?… What should I actually call you? I can't be calling a 10 out of 10 a measly, Mr. Zero! That goes against all of my sensibilities." Doflamingo teased, making sure his breath ghosted across the other man's face, just right. "I mean a pretty like you-"
"I…. We should get going… I know a place." The man barked, taking off to the left.
"HEY! Don't be that way! I didn't even come on to you that strong!" The blond exclaimed, pouting as he followed the other man. Easily catching up with his much longer legs.
"You can't just-just try to seduce me! We've barely just met and I'm sober! This isn't how a one night stand works." The man hissed, tone implying that he thought that Doflamingo was nuts.
The blond snatched the other man's wrist up with a dangerous frown. "Who said I was looking for one night?"
"We may have talked on the Den-Den Mushi a few times, but we've just met!"
"So? You'll see, by the end of this trip, you'll see what I do. You'll like me!" Doflamingo crooned, tone flirtatious. "No, you'll be begging to meet my Luffy and be mine!" The blond said with absolute certainty.
"You're what? God, is that what you call your dick? I'm not letting any man fuck me that calls his dick something like that! I've got higher standards than that! I don't spread my legs for just anyone, especially weirdos like you!" The man sputtered defensively, jerking his harm away from the stunned blond.
"My dick?" Doflamingo choked. Feeling physically ill at the very thought of what the man was implying. "No! That isn't what I was talking about at all. My Luffy isn't my…. Dick….. he's my… well, you'll see once we get to know each other better, but he's absolutely not my cock!" The younger alpha exclaimed, tone completely offended. "And you'll love him as much as you're going to love me! I guarantee it!"
"'He's' not your dick?" The man said, looking at Doflamingo doubtfully.
"Of course not!" The blond guffed with a cheeky grin, trying to force away a full boded shudder, instead he focused on eying a delicious smelling restaurant dead ahead.
"Bastard, why would you think I would even want anything to do with you?" The brunet scuffed.
"Because we'll be perfect together, you'll see! Now let's get some food into you, it seems like my pretty gets grouchy when he's hungry!~" The blond purred. Eagerly snatching up the shorter man's wrist and dragging him towards the restaurant. Turning back before entering, Doflamingo's face twisted into something a bit more serious looking. "You like pups, right?" He asked, blindsiding the other man.
"What? What kind of question is that?" The brunet coughed. Going quiet until the pair were seated and the wine was poured.
Doflamingo took care of everything with a flourish. Ordering food and taking care of the seating and the wine. By the end of the lunch, the brunet, Doflamingo, now knew was named Crocodile, which he thought was an adorable name to go with such a cute scar, was reluctantly enjoying the company.
Doflamingo did most of the talking, animated and mildly annoying, but maybe it was because of the bottle's worth of wine, or the constant sincere flattery the doofy pink flamingo was spouting from that handsome mouth of his, which Crocodile was far from use to receiving, but he was starting to seriously think about at the very least sleeping with the guy.
The strange, seemingly random question still rattle around in the brunet's buzzed brain. Did he like kids? 'course he did. Not that it really mattered, a guy like him couldn't have kids. Not even with the miracle working Queen trying to help him out. Being a god damn useless freak of nature like he was, no viable reproductive system in sight. Never being born with anything but the ability to produce the proper hormones to keep him going without needing drugs. They didn't have much to work with. He was just glad they had been able to make his outside look like he felt on the inside.
Before the man could go down that rabbit hole, his brain fizzed out. Lips were suddenly on his and a tongue was shoved in his mouth, writhing and thrusting like the phantom promise of a cock and a hand was gripping him through his slacks and shit he wanted more! Doflamingo's scent was heavy and domineering and made Crocodile's cock stiffen attentively. Before he knew it, skilled hands were shoved down his pants and he was rocking and groaning into that skilled hand.
"There you go pretty, yeah, there ya' go… Feels so good, right? Don't worry, let Doffy take care of you, make you mine~ You like that, don't you? Being mine?" Doflamingo crooned something dark edging his tone as he pushed his suit collar away just enough to expose his scent glands and pressed the smaller man close, smiling as he man's eyes rolled back drunkenly.
"Bas-urd!"
Doflamingo snicker and nipped at the man's lips. "You wanna cum pretty? Alright then, give me a second." The blond insisted. Grinning, he yanked the man from his pants and forced his legs up and over his shoulders, making the other man sprawl over the booth's seating. The blond kept a firm grip on the sputtering brunet, so he didn't have even the slightest chance of cumming. The Doflamingo eagerly took the other man down to the root. Crocodile let out a strangled shout, leftover drool trickling unnoticed down his chin as the blond sucking him so hard and massaged him so aggressively he felt tears threatening to release from his eyes. The bastard definitely knew what he was doing, that was for sure!
"Oh shit, shit! Tongue! That god damn-" Crocodile couldn't think straight his back arched and an embarrassingly loud whine ripped its way from his throat at a particularly hard suck. "Ugh, asshole, restaurant! Uh, going ta'-" He yelped, tensing as the blond deep throated him again and purred, fucking purred with him down his throat! If he could, Crocodile would have humped the bastard's face. Damn, that wonderful coil released and his ears buzzed and relief and pleasure burned through every nerve in the brunet's body twitch and swallow and spasming in a feedback loop between Doflamingo eagerly slurping him down and Crocodile's body reacting until the overstimulation was so overwhelming the man struggled to get away twitching and trembling, cringing as he tried to force the blond to release him.
"Uummm, you taste so much nicer than the other's I've sucked off. Kind of sweet~ Your face is adorable when you're cumming too, so pretty!" The blond cooed, licking his lips as even with his sunglasses on, it was clear he was eying the brunet's still oversensitive dick, laying over those slacks, with want.
"D-don't say things like that!" Crocodile grumbled, cheeks still annoyingly flushed at the thought of what they had done in the restaurant. He couldn't have been more grateful for the private room they were currently in. Crocodile had a feeling the idiot flamingo would have still sucked him even in front of patrons and he may have been a bit adventurous when it came to sexual exploits, but he wasn't that adventurous.
Gods, Crocodile still couldn't believe that something like that just happened with a guy he had promised himself nothing would ever happen with! And that tongue…. The man tried his best to shake those thoughts away and focus on his dessert. "Damn it! It's ruined!" The brunet huffed. That asshat didn't even let him finish his grasshopper sundae! It was all sticky and melted. How long had they been going at it? Gods, how long had the ass sucked him after he came? His dick was still too sensitive to put away. Well, at least he probably just got the best blow job of his life, so he couldn't really complain all that much. That was until he had to cover himself with a napkin because the waiter came in and wouldn't stop yammering.
"Don't you dare!" Crocodile had to hiss under his breath when just the smile the flamingo bastard had on his face had him knowing he was up to no good. He was right when the blond tried to diddle him under the table while the oblivious waiter continued standing there. Damn, Doflamingo had magic fingers, the bastard!
Crocodile was more than happy when he could finally shove himself back in his pants, nice and secured away from spider-like fingers.
Cheeks still a little red with embarrassment, the brunet took one last swig of wine before turning to the blond. "You win."
"Huh?"
"Don't make me say it again, got it? You win! Are you happy now, asshole?"
Comprehension quickly flitted over Doflamingo's face and he lit up an almost childlike glee radiating from him. "Well I knew I'd win.~"
"Oh, shut up or I'll change my mind, you narcissistic fuck!"
"You say the nicest things, Fufufufufufu! Should we seal it all with a nice dicking? I haven't done anyone in ages, I promise!~"
"Gross. That's too much information!"
"But you enjoy it. I can smell it on you!~"
"Shit…. I do.. what the hell does that say about me? Where the fuck did my standards go? How did I even get involved in this, whatever it is?" The Brunet groaned.
The blond let out another laugh before throwing down some bills and brushed his fingers against the front of the man's slacks. "In my defense, I'm a really good lay," Doflamingo stated proudly, hardness prominent between his legs as he got up. Uncaring that others could see it.
"I've got no doubts about that." Crocodile conceded, damn this wasn't the way things were supposed to go. Well, at least if negotiations didn't work, he would end up with the best one night stand he'd ever had. It wasn't like the guy was serious about wanting to pair up or anything or at least he wouldn't be once he saw what kind of weirdo he was but at least it would be fun while it lasted.
"So…. Bushes or ship? I'm good for either."
"We're not fucking in some bushes. My standards haven't fallen that low!"
"Yet."
"Ever. You supposedly want me more than once, you better stop bringing up weird ass ideas and start thinking about comfort because I don't do back ally fucks like some cheap date. I got crap to do and I'm not doing it with a jacked up back and a possible case of something freaky. At the very least get me some scotch and a comfortable chair because you've found yourself the most expensive piece of ass you could ever hope to lay eyes on, got it?"
"Fufufu, so I'll be like a sugar daddy~"
"What? No!"
"Yes~"
"No!"
End Chapter 5
Notes:
So here is the end of the new chapter I hope everyone likes it. It didn't really end up how I wanted it. I am afraid I got crocodile too out of character. I haven't ever wrote two personalities like these doing anything like this before and it is surprisingly hard for me. I will admit I am pretty rusty with this story of stuff though. I am hoping once I have felt them out a bit more that they will be easier and more realistic seeming. Still I am super happy that I have Croco and Doffy finally meeting.
If anyone has any ideas on what should happen next with luffy and his Auntie/Uncles please tell me! Same with how I should start out his and Crocodile's interactions. I think I am going to have Luffy be at least a year old before meeting him though. I also am trying to figure out how exactly I am going to get Rosi introduced into the family. I think I want to introduce him early, so instead of when Luffy is about three maybe 2 or younger. Maybe even a year old or less.
Sorry I didn't have this chapter updated when I planned to, college is starting back up and I already was loaded with assignments that I decided that I just wanted to get ahead on so I can write more.
Anyways please review, I try to answer everyone's questions as soon as I can and I have been enjoying discussing different ideas, questions, exc. with everyone! You have all been giving me some amazing ideas that I plan to use bits and pieces of in the future! :)
I'll try to update by this time next week if I can.
Chapter 6: Apples in a Basket
Notes:
So here is the new chapter it was 6089 words long without including Author's notes. Hopefully, everyone enjoys, please tell me if anything is sounding odd because I'm exhausted (Teachers seem to think because we aren't meeting in person that they should give us way more homework than usual) and have hardly slept in days. I'm to the point I am getting pretty out of it so things that sound good and makes sense to me may not actually sound that great.
BY THE WAY, I keep forgetting to put this on here. If you want to see some of my artwork or just talk or throw around ideas with me for stories you can find me on facebook! I have a page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/625936208357179/
My Instagram name is Yuvush1
Deviantart is Yuvush
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 6
"Croco~ You promised that you'd come and visit weeks ago! When will I see you again?" Doflamingo whined into his Den-Den Mushi's receiver, a clear child-like pout on the man's face. The blond was currently laid, sprawled out, over the shaggy couch he had in the sitting area home, in Spider's Mill. Luffy was lying next to the sofa on a blanket sitting on top of the wonderfully plush shag rug.
Doflamingo's pout twitched up into a smile for a moment at the sight of the pup. Who was sleeping with his cute little hands tucked up under his chin. Above the infant was the bright dangling shapes, Vergo, had gotten for him a few weeks prior. It is what he had previously been happily batting at like an excitable kitten squealing happily up until about half an hour beforehand. Watching him had been absolutely adorable!
"You do realize it isn't easy to get out of the Grandline, right? On top of that, I'm a busy guy! You can't expect me to just pick up and leave all the time just because you wanna' fuck! I have an empire to run and build." The brunet grumbled. The Den-Den Mushi took on an annoyed expression.
"But you're not even in the Grandline right now and I want you here! It's my birthday in a few weeks! I just want us to spend it together!" Doflamingo grumbled. "It's the only thing I want this year, my cute Croco!" He insisted, eying the dozens of poster-sized pictures he had hanging up. The blond had bribed and threatened several influential individuals for those pictures of his Pretty and he cherished every single one! His family had called his collection a shrine and Pink had even tried giving him an awkward lecture on what was considered to be an obsession and what was healthy affection. The man clearly had no idea what true love was, so Doflamingo forgave his ignorance. Luffy had agreed, of course.
The Den-Den Mushi's face briefly became flustered looking before becoming somewhat neutral. "You won't stop calling me until I agree… Will you?" The man asked in a deadpanned tone of voice.
Doflamingo grinned, "Nope! The only way you'll be able to shut me up is if you come to see me!~" The man purred, letting out a snicker.
"Ugh, fine! I'll see what I can do, you clingy parasite!" Crocodile reluctantly agreed.
"That's all I ask for." Doflamingo hummed, a look of pure adoration and excitement on his face.
"Don't you try guilting me! I'm not some newbie, just getting his feet wet! I've been a pirate since the day I was born, so stuff like that won't work on me!" Crocodile growled.
"Croco~ ugh, you're so cute when you're like that!" Doflamingo half swooned.
The Den-Den Mushi's face became so incredibly flushed and flustered looking Doflamingo became mildly nervous the man on the other end would pass out. "Didn't you make fun of me like that, flamingo bastard! I'll-I'll show up just so I can beat your ass! Got it? Now tell me where the hell we have to head to!" Crocodile snarled. The Den-Den Mushi's face was still flushed.
"Fufufufufu, I look forward to the ass whooping then. I've been wanting to try out something a bit kinkier. Think you could pick up a riding crop, pretty?"
The Den-Den Mushi's face twisted to a completely scandalized expression. Doflamingo loved it. He was unable to help but grin cheekily, getting another round of curses and threats sent his way. Oh, his Croco was so so cute when he was trying to pretend he didn't like him. He was terrible at it!
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It was only a few days after his conversation with Crocodile that Doflamingo woke up to an unpleasant chill in the air and to Luffy, making distressed little burbles. His baby was doing his best to nest into the V of Doflamingo's shoulder and neck, which wasn't that unusual. Luffy being mildly chilled was.
Thankfully, the blond was a guy that naturally ran pretty hot and he was such an oversized cuddly Daddy or his poor Treasure would have been freezing! No more sleeping without at least having some socks and a onesie on. The man knew that Luffy wouldn't be happy about it. The pup was still as resistant to clothing as he was when he first started dressing him months ago. They would need to hurry up with winter preparations with such a young pup being under his care.
Doflamingo couldn't wait until he and the others had enough power and control in the Grandline that he wouldn't ever have to deal with cold weather again, he would take over a beautiful summer island and it would be wonderful!
Doflamingo sighed, scooping his pup up, who made a disgruntled huff that settled into a happy little sound at the feeling of heat that seeped into his little body from being pressed against the alpha's chest with those warm hands. The blond grimaced as he got up, the cold air prickled unpleasantly at his naked skin. The floor was exceedingly uncomfortable. Of course, the one spot in the room that didn't have any rugs over the old redone plank flooring was freezing!
"Feels nice Lu?" Doflamingo mumbled, to a snuggled up Luffy. Walking over, child in hand, to his closet and right to the dresser that he kept all of Luffy's non-hanging clothes in. The infant's clothing was so small that the man easily fit them all in one drawer.
After that, Doflamingo begrudgingly grabbed the seal themed footie pajamas someone had somehow managed to smuggle into the drawer a few weeks prior. It was the easiest thing he could find to put on the pup so they could go straight back to bed. On top of that, it was the easiest thing to keep him from wriggling out of.
Cold or not, Doflamingo was sure the pup would have everything, but his diaper off the second he could. Luffy, of course, wasn't cooperating but thankfully, being half asleep helped keep the pup too out of it to do much more than grumble a little and wiggle like a floppy noodle. "There ya' go, Sweetness, nice and warm!"
Deciding that it would probably just be easier to deal with his pup's hunger, then, instead of in an hour or two, Doflamingo trudged out of his closet and snatched up a clean bottle before heading over to the coffee maker he had sitting on an end table near his sitting area. The hassle of finding the sky island made, heat Dial ran, contraption had been well worth it. With a press of a button, the water he had put in it earlier, was heated to the perfect temperature for the alpha's treasure's bottle and the man was able to make it in record time.
"Lu, you want this?" The man crooed almost sweetly, taking a seat on his favorite recliner. One bottle should get him at least a few extra hours of sleep. Doflamingo couldn't help but purr, completely smitten when his Luffy barely cracked his eyes open, squinting up at him tiredly and wiggled his fingers half-heartedly, smacking his lips. Then Luffy made the tiniest hungry little peep. Ugh, he was almost too cute! "Oh, your so sleepy Sweetness!~ That's okay, Daddy understands. Here ya' go!" The man mumbled, pressing the bottle's nipple to the infant's lips before letting out a jaw cracking yawn and fumbled for the bleach stained towel he had laying over the armrest, like he always did. Luffy had started being able to burp by himself the last week or so, but Doflamingo found himself still keeping up with making sure he actually burped, just in case.
"I know, I know Treasure, I'm sorry! I'm tired too." Doflamingo cooed, rubbing his grumbling pup's back. Then the blond hissed as his feet touched the floor again. Ugh, in a few weeks, he'd have to wear socks to bed, something he absolutely hated! Why did his stupid father have to agree to live in such a miserable place?
"You want Tora-Tora, Sweetness?" Doflamingo asked, fishing the sabertooth plush out from the mounds of blankets arranged around his bed. Slipping under the stack, the man carefully arranged Luffy to lay over his neck with a small plush blanket draped over the pup in case he needed it, making sure that he would be nice and warm and that he could monitor the pup easier as he slept. Doflamingo grinned when Luffy made a chirpy little sound before wrapping himself around the butter-soft stuffed animal. "Night, Luffy."
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"Ne, look at you Lu-Lu! Just like Doffy, hey-hey, stop that!" Trebol exclaimed, leaning over on the couch he was sitting on to watch a scowling red-faced Luffy try to wriggle out of the cute little dress slacks he had been dressed in.
"I swear I worry that boy's going to end up a nudist. Of course, we'll love him but….." Diamante grimaced, his eyes moving to land on Pica, who was dressed up in some chain-link and leather fetishy looking thing with short shorts playing cards with Doffy, who was in nothing but some bright colored socks, a pair of hot pink boxers, and had his coat draped over his shoulders.
"Fufufu! Luffy Sweetness, no trying to get naked!~ I'll be very upset if you start crying about being cold!" Doflamingo exclaimed, snickering at the oldman-like scowl on his tiny son's face. "Such an angry boy!~"
"Behehe, even when he's giving us looks that should be ugly, he's still somehow so cute, Doffy!~" Trebol snickered, grinning at the irritated way Luffy was grumbling.
The blond positively preened, "Of course he is! He's my precious son after all.~"
"It's true, even with that scowl, he's adorable as ever!" Diamante agreed with a laugh. His face quickly twisted to panicked a few moments later, as he lunging forward after Luffy suddenly rolled sideways and kept rolling until he nearly bumped himself into the coffee table nearby.
Trebol made a startled noise and lunged in response as well. Before either could move more than an inch, Doflamingo already had his strings wrapped around Luffy and the table moved across the room.
The infant made a startled squeak, freezing with wide eyes his face no longer scrunched with that grouchy grandpa pout. He let out out a tentative confused little meep before his daddy was suddenly right there, smooching and nuzzling and cuddling him.
"Was that scary Sweetness? Ugh, you really got me going there!" The blond crooned, hugging the pup close. He chuffed happily when his pup eagerly nuzzled back and began happily babbling at the attention he was getting from the man. Forgetting all about wriggling out of the clothing for the time being. "If you had even gotten the slightest scratch.~" Doflamingo purred dangerously, Luffy's response was a happy chirpy sound and a great big gummy grin.
"Ohh, Daddy loves you to Lu!" The man exclaimed.
The other three were quite used to such behavior at that point and just let the man fawn over his baby. It was easier that way and Doflamingo was always in a better mood after cuddling the pup even if his behavior could be considered smothering. Luffy didn't seem to mind it all that much.
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Doflamingo was so excited. It had been decided that they would all meet up on Sandy White, named for its pristine white sand beaches. It was the island that Doflamingo had found Luffy on. It had a twin-island a few miles away called Sandy Palms that the man was hoping to see this time around it was known for having not a single tree outside of a bunch of tall rail-thin palms just like the few that could be seen along Sandy White's beaches. It would be a perfect quiet little romantic birthday trip with plenty of things to entertain he and his crew along the way and he would finally get to rip the doctor that had first looked Luffy over apart! Doflamingo was feeling so nostalgic! It was hard to believe in a few short weeks, it would have been 6 months since finding his most loved Treasure! It made the man look forward to staying at the same Beach villa all the more! Then, once everyone had their fun and fill of the place, they would head to the real party destination, Blackjack Coastal, where he first spotted his pretty!
The flagship was full of everything they needed, Luffy had been to the doctor's a week prior. He was finally given the okay to not need to be seen more than every few months unless something came up outside of needing a formula refill, which they would be picking up on their way. All they had to do was pack up any extras that they felt like bringing before boarding the ship. Doflamingo mostly just spent his time gathering up things that Luffy might need. Including a new coat and mittens, he was sure he would have to fight the pup on wearing. Thankfully, they had little straps around the wrists that he could tighten. He made sure to grab Tora-Tora to, the sabertoothed cat was quickly becoming something the pup had become quite fond of cuddling and sleeping with. Other than gathering up those few things, the young alpha spent most of the time playing with the pup, while he could hear the rest of his family rushing around collecting things. He didn't understand why they didn't just keep their closets filled on the ship. It made things so much easier, especially with an infant pup around.
"You like that Luffy? Oh, look at you, getting so strong and sitting up on your own!" Doflamingo cooed, grinning as his son did his best to stay balanced, leaning a bit to one side. The infant was totally dwarfed by him as he sat between the man's incredibly long legs, giggling and swatting at the soft bits and bobs that Doflamingo was dangling in front of him using his string powers. His coordination still wasn't the best, but it was steadily improving though that wasn't why the young alpha was playing with him in such a way. He just thought that it was both hilarious and cute to watch the infant swipe at things like a baby pet. Luffy's cheerful demeanor and nearly unending enthusiasm was positively infectious and never failed to put the man into a good mood. If he was already happy, an even better mood and it wasn't just Doflamingo that he had that effect on.
The man was certain the pup had the same effect on all of his family…. Except maybe Lao G, much to Doflamingo's irritation, though he liked to chose to believe that he was taking on more of the grumpy grandparent roll and was just being a Tsundure when it came to the pup because he had shown some care and worry for him. He wasn't sure what he would do to the man if he hadn't actually loved the pup. Doflamingo really didn't like thinking about it much. The idea of the man not loving his sweet precious little Treasure was overwhelmingly upsetting.
"Shouldn't you be packing, Doffy?" Vergo said, wandering into the room with a sandwich on a plate and a bun on his face.
"You missed something."
"Oh! I was wondering why my sandwich suddenly was so hard to eat. Thank you." The brunet said, absently grabbing the piece of bread from his face and putting it back on the open-faced half ate food before taking another bite, missing the way Doflamingo's mouth twitched downward before he was back to grinning at the irritated guff Luffy made when the fluffy things he had been playing with became too high up for him to even attempt to bat at.
"Eeebbbaba!" The infant shouted indignantly, nearly falling backward when he leaned his head back to pout up at his Daddy.
"Oh, Daddy's sorry for getting distracted Lu-Lu!" The blond said, tone genuinely apologetic sounding even as his grin hadn't faltered in the slightest. Doflamingo immediately began moving his hands again, easily distracting his son out of his pout as he was back to chirping and batting at the eye-catching objects with wide focused eyes and a great big grin.
Ever stoic Vergo paused to watch for a moment, lip unconsciously twisting up. Then, his face twisting up in surprise when a trio of endeared chuff left his throat.
"Fufufufu! Ah, uncle Vergo really does love our cute little Lu-Lu doesn't he?" Doflamingo teased, smirking when Luffy mewed back sweetly, the tone was in a way that had Vergo visibly melt a little bit. Oh, his sweet sweet good boy, he knew who his daddy was and he knew who was his family! Ugh, he loved his baby so much! If his Sweetness had responded in the same way to Vergo as he did him, than Doflamingo may have had to kill the other man! Thankfully, Luffy loved his Daddy so much and knew just who he belonged to.
The brunet huffed, looking a bit offended, "Of course I love him! Who couldn't, I mean. Look at him." The man insisted, gesturing at the giggly infant.
Doflamingo couldn't help but positively preen at the bearded man's praise of his perfect little Treasure.
"Wait….. Why did I come in here again? Were we having lunch together?" Vergo asked quite suddenly, looking around with a bewildered expression.
"No, you came in to ask me why I wasn't packing." Doflamingo patiently pointed out, giving Luffy an affectionate little pet on the head and caged him with the lower part of his hand after catching him from falling forward. Then let out a reassuring chirp of his own, calming the startled pup down before he could even start to get worked up.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Huh, I must have been thinking about yesterday then," Vergo muttered, still looking just as stunned as before.
Doflamingo didn't correct him. The hadn't had lunch alone together in 3 days, in his room together in for a week. Vergo was Vergo, after all.
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"Oh, Lu! I can't wait for us to see my pretty Croco! You'll love him so much, I'm sure he'll love you too. If he doesn't, then…. Well… It's fine though, because Daddy brought a very special gift for him if he refuses us, yes I did!~ He'll never ever be able to leave, not without chewing his own fucking hand off, no he won't! Fufufu, but I think your mommy understands who he belongs to. Maybe not as good as you do, Sweetness… But, he will, soon." Doflamingo nattered on, eager to see Crocodile again and this time, keep him loved and with him in any way possible. Even by force, after some not so light encouraging from the others. Though he may have taken some of their encouragement involving the relationship in the wrong way.
It wasn't like they could get the ideas out of his head now. Doflamingo was too excited by the thought of having the other man with him 24 hours a day, swooning over he and his pup, knowing what was going on every minute of every day involving the man and raising his sweet boy with the other man. He had read somewhere that nursing helped with bonding. The blond wondered if his beauty was able to lactate with his lack of proper reproduction organs and conflicting Alpha and Omegan traits? Ugh, he would be so cute loving on Luffy like a good momma! Doflamingo's heart felt like it would explode at the thought.
"Hey, hey Doffy! There's an island ahead. You want to stop and take a look? Maybe we could get something cool for your birthday!" Trebol exclaimed, eagerly shuffling into the too pink room.
"Fufufu, that sounds fun! Isn't that right, Luffy?" Doflamingo agreed, smiling at the pup on the incredibly plush carpet. He himself, was sitting on the floor with the dark haired baby, getting Luffy's play structure laid out so he could get some work done.
"Doffy! Doffy, look! He's trying again!" Trebol shouted happily, pointing insistently as he hovered around the pup who was up on shaky arms and knees mostly underneath him.
Doflamingo felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest.
"Yay, Lu-Lu! Come on, you can do it! Gotta' move those arms!" Trebol encouraged, looking like he was practically trying to will the infant to move.
Luffy made a frustrated sound as he rocked a bit, face scrunching up into a frustrated frown.
"I don't think he's ready yet," Doflamingo said, grimacing at the pair. "He's a bit young."
"If Lu's going to try, then he's probably ready."
"No.. he's not."
Trebol snorted, clearly dismissing the man and went back to focus on the frustrating pup. Making excitable chuffs that Doflamingo had never heard out of the man before, when Luffy finally lifted an arm and merped demandingly at Doflamingo, making grabby motions. Trebol snickered.
After a few more attempts at scooting, that had the pup going nowhere on the thick carpet, Luffy managed to get the other arm moved and then a leg and- then Doflamango snatched him up, looking pale and shaken.
"Hey, hey Doffy! Why'd you do that?" Trebol growled. "He was going to crawl and I would have been the first to see him do it! Vergo and Pink got to see him sit up on his own for the first time! It's not fair! They get to brag about it all the time and I want something to brag about too!"
"He wasn't ready!" The man insisted. "Did you see how he was struggling? Besides, he clearly was asking me to hold him! He can't do it yet." Doflamingo growled defensively, "I'm being a good father and good father's know when their babies are ready for things! Right Luffy?"
Trebol gave the man an unimpressed look. "Uhuh…."
The blond glared. He wasn't being overbearing! Luffy was too small and young, what if he fell on his face? What if he tried crawling when he was lying somewhere high up while Doflamingo was going to the bathroom? The man was half convinced he would die from grief if anything were to happen to his Treasure. So no, he wasn't being ridiculous! Luffy wasn't even 6 months old yet! He would be ready when Doflamingo decided he was ready and not a moment sooner!
Ignoring Trebol's eyes of judgment, Doflamingo decided that he was going to prepare Luffy a bottle. He was sure that the pup would be happy for a snack even if he had already ate less than an hour beforehand. Ugh, when did Trebol start to think that he had any right to judge him? Really, Trebol of all people?
He wasn't overreacting, he wasn't! Doflamingo was just being a good daddy! The best, Daddy! They just couldn't understand because they weren't parents.
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Doflamingo rolled his eyes and huffed at the pouty and disapproving looks his family gave him. Damn Trebol, gossiping about crap that wasn't even a thing! The only reason Luffy tried anything was because Trebol tried to force him into it! It wasn't like Luffy really wanted to move on his own or anything, he had his Daddy to carry him around after all.
"Don't worry younGGG master, Luffy will stay in the basket until I GGGo indoors. He'll be plenty warm enough. It will be GGGGood for him to GGGet a little air." Lao G said, waving a hovering Doflamingo off.
"Alright…. I'll see you in a couple of hours Lu. Make sure he doesn't get chilled." Doflamingo said, kissing the wide-eyed pup on the forehead and giving the older man clear murder dad eyes.
"He'll be fine. It isn't like he's GGGoing to GGGGet up and run away! He's just GGGGoing to be next to my chair while I do a little crochetinGGG." The man grumbled.
"Ugh, come on Doffy! Let's go have some fun on the island! You need some time to yourself even if it's only for a few hours, right?" Diamante exclaimed.
Doflamingo looked anything but enthused.
"I'm sure he will be super excited when you come back in a few hours. Maybe he will even purr for the first time? Distance makes the heart grow fonder, isn't that how the saying goes?" Vergo tempted, getting the man to light up immediately.
"Alright, let's go have a little bit of fun then!~"
" Behe, yeah, Let's go Doffy!"
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"Lao…. Lao G, where's L-Luffy?"
"Huh? Oh, I must have fallen asleep! YounGGG Master?"
"Where is my son? Where is he? Where is my Luffy?" Doflamingo half growled half choked.
"Hey-hey, old bastard, where's Lu-Lu?!" Trebol shouted, rage and anxiety twisting his face.
"Wait, Lu isn't here?" Jora yelped, near frantic looking as her head twisted every which way, scanning the deck.
"I don't know where he went! I fell asleep! I had him when I checked on the carGGGo coming in and I brought him right back here!" Lao G insisted, paling at the crazed look Doflamingo was sporting.
"D-Doffy wait…. Do you think-"
"NO! Luffy can't crawl and the baskets too perfect! Someone took him from me!"
The crew flinched, backing off.
"D-Doffy, there's… apples in the basket?"
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"Oh, what a big pirate ship! If I wasn't waiting for dad, maybe I'd try to join!" A hulking dark-haired and skinned boy with the starts of bucked teeth and ragged clothing too small for him, exclaimed longingly. As long as he didn't touch anything, maybe he could take a closer look?
He boy grinned excitedly when sitting not too far from the loading area of the bright pink flamingo themed ship, he found a whole crate full of sweet yellow apples. The kid had hardly ate a thing in days, so today was shaping into being a great day. "I'm going to eat them all!~ There's so many I'll be able to sell some to get some ramen later!" The boy cheered, greedily shoving one of the apples into his mouth. He barely paused to wipe at the juice dripping down his chin. "I have so many I'll be so full!"
It wasn't long until the boy began to hear the sounds of stacking wood and the shouts of orders, deciding that it probably would be safer to take the crate and leave, he put the lid back on the crate the best he could and turned to leave. Pausing when the sounds of whimpers and crying filled his ears. He could tell right away; it wasn't from an adult. Hiding the crate behind a stack of rope, the towering boy went back to investigate.
Sitting in a basket on a stack of barrels was the maker of all of that noise. A pup, all teary-eyed and red-faced from all of the crying. "Nnnin! Don't cry little baby! You're dad leave you for a while to? That doesn't seem all that smart. You're not big like me yet! I'm sure you can't take care of yourself yet and you're a really tiny little baby." The boy babbled, wiggling his fingers at the pup. The boy grinned when Luffy's sobs turned into barely-there sniffles. Clearly liking being talked to. "Ah, is that's what's wrong? Were you just lonely?"
The boy panicked when he heard a grouchy, man's voice, clearly approaching. The baby's little hand had a vice grip on his finger. He snatched the pup up and shoved the apples into the basket that had been in his pocket and took off in a dead run.
At first, he was afraid that maybe he was wrong and that he had possibly stolen a pup from the pirates. The baby had been well cared for, smelling strongly of an intimidating alpha, he had a blanket nicer than any the boy had ever felt before and his clothes were the same way. The pup wore a bright red coat with white stripes around the sleeves, cute little mittens and socks and some kaki looking pants. The outfit was clearly meant to be warm and look cute. But, after a couple of hours, the kid was pretty sure he had been right and the baby didn't have anyone around to take care of him. He clearly was upset, but the boy was sure that he would be fine in a few days. He, himself, had felt scared and hurt the first few days… and times… he had been left, but he got over it after awhile!… a….long long while ago.
"Don't cry, little baby! We'll go find you something to eat, Dasuyan! You'll be happy then, right?" The boy quietly pled.
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The tall boy looked around with trepidation and confusion. Holding the infant closer to himself. What was going on? Why was everyone being drug outside? Did something happen?
"WHERE IS HE?"
"Please stop! We don't know who you're even talking about! Please! He's my little brother!" A man sobbed, screaming as the sound of something wet squelched to the pavement nearby. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! No, no NO! No more please! PLEASE!"
Bone-chilling laughter filled the air and that was enough to have the boy decide it probably would be a better idea to turn right around and to head back to the dump. Being alive was what was more important it wasn't like the pup looked like he was hurting for a meal even if he wasn't one of those fat babies that the kid had seen around town sometimes. They just needed to slip down this side street and he would have a clear break out of town.
The pup's crying quite suddenly ramped up after the screams of terror started up, even louder behind them. Then the sounds of quick footsteps had the boy full out running towards a foolproof spot he had often hid from angry store owners. Panting and trembling, the boy stayed perfectly still.
"Where are you? I know you're in here somewhere!" The man hissed, clearly frantic as the pup quieted down.
The boy could hear the sounds of sniffing as the man got closer. Thankfully his spot wouldn't be easy to find by scent alone.
"Lu~ won't you talk for me Sweetness? You know how much Daddy loves his good boy's voice!" The man crooned, tone on the edge of unhinged, even as he clearly forced sweetened chuffs from his throat.
The boy felt like his heart was going to leap from his chest when the pup suddenly began making frantic little Chirpy sounds, loud and clear. The man was just there, the false floorboards thrown across the room, glaring down at him with the most terrifying grin the boy had ever seen! He was going to die! There was no way around it! Die curled up in a hole! The pup was wrenched from his hands by something sharp and the man was desperately nuzzling and kissing at its face and hair, making frantic loving chuffs and huffs that borderlined on manic as the pup mewled and chirped back at him, clearly happy to see the man as well.
"My Sweetness, my perfect little Treasure!~ Oh, daddy was so so worried!"
Trying to escape while the man, the boy quickly recognized as probably the most feared pirate in all of the North Blue, Donquixote Doflamingo, was distracted wasn't happening. The boy clawed at his throat as something sharp wrapped around it and drug him out of his hiding spot before he could even get out.
"Where do you think you are going?"
All the boy could do is cough and choke on the ground in answer. Greedily taking in much-needed air when the pressure suddenly eased up. "P-Please! I found him just sitting on some barrels, crying!" The boy managed to choke out.
Those twitching hands paused. "Go on."
"He was c-crying in a basket k-kind of out of view! It was a weird spot and I waited a couple of minutes then I heard an angry-sounding man and I was scared what might happen to a baby if the man found it, so I took him with me, Dasuyan! I thought maybe his dad was like my dad and just left… for a while, but I know that a baby can't take care of itself and-and he seemed really lonely… and I'm lonely to."
"I… see… Is… your father on the island?" Doflamingo asked, tone tight and significantly calmer as he pet his still nuzzling pup.
"No… I'm not from here, but dad… said he'd be back in…. a few days and that I would have to wait for him on the west beach…. But I got too hungry…. And it gets real cold at night now that its fall." The boy explained, his face going from fearful to tired and accepting.
"When….. was the last time you saw him?"
"Um…. I think on my birthday? It's on the 6th of April… I think? No, the 8th! I remember he said I was 10 this year!" The boy exclaimed, getting more and more comfortable in the man's presence as he no longer seemed interested in harming him. No one had talked to him in such a long time the risk felt worth the possible harm he was in.
"10?" The man repeated, sounding a bit shocked as he eyed the pup that was hardly a foot shorter than himself and looked older than 10.
"Yeah! Dad said, that I was big enough now to stay places by myself longer since I can take care of myself and look like a teenager!" The boy explained enthusiastically even as he grimaced.
Looking a bit sick to his stomach, Doflamingo sighed. He was still furious, but clearly, this kid had no proper guidance. Disgusting father, why were so many that way? Even he felt some pity for the kid. Clearly, the man had just left him to die and the fear the pup had in his voice when talking about leaving Luffy with a man that sounded angry, the kid had been physically abused too. The man had a good feeling about keeping this one around. Maybe he could use his concern for Luffy and fear and desire to be cared about and not alone to his family's advantage? That would work out nicely.
"What's your name?"
"My name? Uh, Buffalo, why?"
"Fufufufu, Because Buffalo, I want you to come with me. Become a part of my crew, maybe even a part of my family if you work hard enough!"
"Your family?"
"Yes, my found family."
Tears filled the boy's eyes, making streaks down his dirtied cheeks. "I-I'd like that."
"Fufu, me to. Now let's get you back to the ship and cleaned up. Then we'll get you and my son some food." Doflamingo said, grimacing ever so slightly at how filthy the boy was. Not surprising if he had been living on that West Beach, with it being a dump and all and the fact that he had been living there for months all on his own. He was definitely bathing his Treasure to, the thought of how many disgusting human germs were probably all over him now had the blond feeling sick.
"I get to have a real bath, Dasuyan!" Buffalo exclaimed, grinning ear to ear at the thought.
Doflamingo smiled.
The boy may have escaped his wrath, but someone had to pay for the way he was still feeling. He had a new crewmate, maybe even family member and an island to put on the market, how wonderful! Not that he would ever be willing to go through that ever again or would he show the boy such rare mercy if he tried anything.
Doflamingo was stunned when Luffy began to make a strange squeaky sound that vibrated his whole little body after Doflamingo lovingly petted and cuddled him the entire way back to the ship. Once the blond realized what it was, he melted, "Oh, Lu-Lu!~ Your that happy to see daddy again? Fufufu, you flatter me!" The man mumbled, beaming at the startled looking pup. Snickering at that cute little bewildered look, "My Sweetness purring so cutely!~"
Now today was shaping up into a good one, even if there had been a few… hiccups along the way.
End Chapter 6
Notes:
So we now have Buffalo joining the crew!
Please review and tell me what you think! I already plan to use several ideas that people have suggested to me for the story and I love answering questions and just talking in general, especially about this story.
Tell me who you want Luffy to be paired up with later on in the story!
How should things pan out with Crocodile and Doffy when they meet up? How should Crocodile react to Luffy?
I promise I will be replying to past comments either a little later today or tomorrow. I have just been too busy to do so the last week and I apologize for this.
Chapter 7: Fanart for the fic
Chapter Text
Just so everyone knows that follows this story and hasn't been on for a couple of days, I did update it and chapter 6 is the actual new chapter.
I drew this for the fanfiction called, "Loving Luffy", which was the catalyst for this fic and drawing this made me finally decided to write, "His Sunflower Smiles". It isn't at all my best, but it was fun to draw! :) Especially as I had never drawn anything like this before, also, yes, I can do better backgrounds I just got lazy by the point I got to it. I am also planning up a redo of a picture of kid Law that I drew right before this but messed up on the face with, which I am REALLY loving!
This is a drawing I got commissioned based off of a great and hilarious idea that one of my reviewers mentioned!(Sadly I probably won't be able to do this again for a long while as I am in school and there aren't any jobs where I live right now that I could get, but I think it was well worth it!) I really love 'Kiwi Panic's' stuff on DeviantArt and finally decided to get a commission from them last week! I think it turned out really well, they were really nice and cool to talk to as well! Please check out their stuff! You can find them on Instagram as well under the name, _Kiwi Peep_!
Rainyraye's comment idea that inspired this commission (Also, my first ever commission)-
"An idea: Luffy meets Rocinante because his aunt and uncles are supposed to be watching him and they turn their backs for like. 5 seconds. And he toddles off. And bumps into Roci. And Roci, being soft, picks Luffy up and takes him around the island looking for Luffy’s parents (and probably totally ignoring the fact that he’s supposed to be doing something else lol) and eventually runs into Doffy who is like “gasp. my treasure has led one of my other treasures home to me. it’s destiny.... wait. luffy’s supposed to be with the others. i left them alone for TWENTY MINUTES.”
And Roci’s internally screaming because “WHEN THE FUCK DID DOFFY GET A KID. DID HE STEAL ONE??? OH GOD WHO’S CHILD IS THIS. AAAAAA.”
(Meanwhile, the rest of the family are running around the island like headless chickens trying to find Luffy lmao)"
By the way I am thinking of making Roci an omega, but just a very tall boy.
Anyways, I just was really excited to get my commission because this comment has been haunting me and I needed it so bad! And I thought everyone else should enjoy it to! Not going to lie, probably going to use it as the background for my computer now.
Hope everyone enjoys!
By the way if you want to talk about my fanfics with me, throw around ideas for something, or just nerd out with me you can find me on facebook under the name Yazzi Day! I also have a group page where I toss all of my art and story updates. I'm currently in a comic class so I am starting to draw some comics based off of a fishman oc that I created. I also take drawing requests as long as it isn't stuff like Vore or what ever that is called. I also do a lot of animal illustrations. :)
You can find the group link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/625936208357179/
Kiwi Panic here: https://www.deviantart.com/kiwipanic
ALSO THE NEW CHAPTER IS BEING WORKED ON, I HOPE TO HAVE IT UP BY MONDAY!!!
Chapter 8: Crocodile's need love to
Notes:
Alright, this chapter ended being 8052 words long without author's notes. Sorry, it took me a few extra days to write it. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter and I have had some major school assignments that I had to work on and will again this week as well, but I will do my best to get the new chapter done soon.
I hope everyone enjoys!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 7
Buffalo had been with the crew nearly a week and a half and cleaned up nicely and fit in with his mixture of weirdness and quirky behaviors. The crew had found some pants for the boy to wear that, with some hemming, fit well enough they weren't falling off of him. They had also found few shirts around the ship that although, large, fit the boy well enough for the time being. He also trained with the rest of the crew without complaint. Unlike the other children that wanted to join the Donquixote family, Buffalo, was keeping up with the harsh training that was required to stick around.
Some aspects of the boy came off as him, being dumb. It didn't take long to figure out such assumptions weren't right. On the contrary, it didn't take long for Doflamingo to pick up on those eyes that were sharper than they first appeared. The man doubted that Buffalo was a genius or anything, but after a night of playing cards with the boy, the blond had been pleasantly surprised to discover he was far from stupid. Doflamingo was glad, so far, that he had saved the boy's life and he hoped to continue to feel that way.
After the disaster none were to speak of, Lao G was lucky he was alive. He was stripped of the privileges of ever getting to watch Luffy on his own again. Not only had he suffered that insult, to rub the salt in he had been beaten the hell out of and didn't dare interact with the rest of the family for the time being. In an incredibly rare act of mercy, Lao G hadn't been kicked out. No, Doflamingo understood once he had calmed down that the man had made a mistake, a massive one, but still, it had been a mistake. He hadn't lost Luffy through malice. But because of foolishness.
Lao G needed to understand, though, that Luffy was Doflamingo's life and that being a family meant acting like one. Doflamingo needed some time to calm down and Lao G needed some time away from all of them to properly feel the weight of his mistakes. Ones that the young alpha would never forgive happening again. Ever. Doflamingo would not have even thought to give him a second chance if even a hair on his boy's head had been hurt, the additional revenue and crewmate had softened him just the slightest amount to. Just tipping him towards mercy.
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Doflamingo was equal parts excited and nervous. In less than 3 hours, they would be making land and he would finally be able to see his Pretty again! He longed to see that beautiful face and to hear that growly voice of his. To see that cute cute face flush with embarrassment, to listen to him moan in ecstasy and to have Crocodile grumbling at him too. He missed every bit of the other man from that crocodile smile of a scar to those fuck me eyes. His Croc was perfect!
The man couldn't help but bounce his knees in impatience. Luffy was napping, all sprawled out under his favorite toy again. So Doflamingo couldn't really use him as a distraction like he usually would. Though it wasn't like the blond hadn't spent hours watching the pup sleep before. Luffy was, of course, too adorable not to. Still, Doflamingo felt entirely too jittery to be able to focus on much of anything at that time. Besides, his Sweetness needed all the sleep that he could get before making land. The day was going to be quite a bit more hectic than Doflamingo's little Treasure was used to after all! Well… more hectic in a different away than the circus that was their family.
The alpha stood up and wondered to his closet mirror. Adjusting his shirt and tie. He then grabbed his brush and ran it through his hair a few times, grimacing at himself. Why was he even brushing his hair? This was the 3rd time in an hour! He needed to find something else to distract himself with. Ugh, the man hoped Croco adored Luffy! He didn't know what he would do with himself if his Pretty didn't like his pup. The thought was unimaginable to the blond, but Doflamingo didn't want to get blindsided either and do something he may regret on reflex.
With a sigh, Doflamingo glanced around the room and decided to clean up a bit. He had become far more lenient with messiness than he ever had been before finding Luffy. The man being a bit of a neat freak after being forced to survive in a dump for a good portion of his childhood. The only things really lying around were Luffy's and for some reason, if it was the pup's toys and things, it didn't really set him on edge like clutter normally would. Doflamingo actually, usually, had a comforted feeling when surrounded by his pup's stuff. Now everything was making the alpha so anxious he could hardly sit still!
Petting absently at one of the few stuffed toys Luffy had, Doflamingo let the scent settle him and, after, put the toys in their drawer. Then, he made his way back to the couch and sprawled over it, easily reaching his Sweetness. The man pet affectionately at the sleeping infant's feathery black hair. He smiled when the pup reflexively leaned into his loving pets, making little chirpy sounds and sniffling cutely. Even asleep, his Lu-Lu knew just what to do to settle the blond's nerves and have him smiling. Oh, his boy was just so perfect! Croco would have to be a monster worse than any other not to love his Treasure!
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Doflamingo hadn't been pleased when they arrived at the island and clearly, Crocodile and his crew weren't there. Crocodile had been far closer than Doflamingo and they should have been there at least 5 days sooner. The Flamingo mantled captain's crew had been happy that they got to chose where they wanted to stay, though.
After a few hours of waiting around the Bur-Bur, sounds of a Den-den Mushi called out.
"Yes?" Doflamingo answered with a grouchy frown, like he so often was, the man was sprawled out over the comfortable couch with his Luffy. Irritation filled him at having to talk to someone. He would like to be able to cuddle and sulk in peace, thank you very much!
"Damn it, Flamingo! I've been trying to get ahold of you!" The Den-Den Mushi snarled.
"Croco!~ I was so sad when you didn't come out to greet me! You should have been here days ago." The blond exclaimed, smiling near the beginning then pouting as he finished.
"Yeah, well we had to shake off not only some marines, but not one, not two, or even three, but four different crews with probably 10 ships between them all, insisted that we were trespassing and the Donquixote family was going to be pissed off if they let us through! They were too damn stupid to get that we were invited or even to try and call you and instead, they all tried taking us out. At the very same time, we were being chased by two marine vessels one carrying Garp the fucking hero, of all people!" The Den-den Mushi ranted, face a mixture between pissed and tired.
"Thankfully, the assholes got in a skirmish and we managed to get away, but we had to head to Ma'lidde Ten-Beach for some quick repairs. Bastard, that gods damned Garp threw cannonballs at my ship with his own hands like-like be was playing dodgeball with my ship! I'm lucky no one got seriously injured, the asshole!" Crocodile huffed. The den-den Mushi's eyes narrowed. "This shindig better be worth all the trouble I've gone through, got it?"
"Of course, Pretty! I'll even pay for your ship to get a good look over and some real nice repairs! Nothing but the best for my Croco!~ The best food and the best clothes, the softest fabrics, the best ships, gold and jewels, anything my Croco wants." Doflamingo purred, smiling even as his anxiety skyrocketed over his Pretty. A vain began throbbing in his forehead at the sheer rage he was feeling. How had all of that happened and he hadn't even known? If Garp hadn't already taken care of those idiots…. Well, they would be wishing that he had, long before Doflamingo was anywhere near done with them.
"You better! Remember, I'm not just some cheap whore! I've got standards, especially after this shit show!" Crocodile grumbled, the Den-Den Mushi's face turning a bit hostile and red.
"Don't worry, your sugar daddy will make things right!~" Doflamingo crooned, tone coy.
Crocodile guffed, "Don't say crap like that! How many times do I have ta' tell you? I'm not a fucking Sugar baby! Don't call yourself stuff like that. It's creepy! I'm older than you are!"
"So? I don't mind being your daddy.~"
"Shut up, you freak! Ugh, so disturbing, why do I even put up with this?"
"Fufufu! Because I'm pretty~ and rich and I'm the best fuck you'll ever find….. and… I adore you."
"Ugh! Shut up, you Flamingo bastard! You don't even know me… I-Will be there in about maybe two or three hours. Meet me at that restaurant you were going on about… I need a good fuck after the week I've had, so you better be up for it, you pervert!" Crocodile grumbled, hanging up before Doflamingo could say another word.
"Fufufufufu! Oh, Luffy, your mommy's so easy to fluster, isn't he? Fufu, he's just so much fun to rile up! I think I love him more every time he does that, the guy that's supposed to be so aloof all the time…" Doflamingo snickered half swooning over the pissed off way the other man had spoken to him. "He's in denial!~"
Big dark eyes stared up at the blond, looking strangely focused and serious. "Don't you think he's just so cute, Treasure?~" The blond crooned, lighting up when Luffy's face lit up into a happy grin that had Doflamingo gathering him up and nuzzling all over that adorable little face, completely disregarding the drool the pup was making and had been making far more often in larger amounts as of late. Ugh, his boy was so perfect! He was such a good good pup! So cute! There wasn't a pup that could ever come close to how wonderful and perfect and adorable; his sweet little Treasure was! The young alpha was so excited to show him off to his Pretty!
"Hey, Doffy! I heard your conversation with Crocodile. Do you think that those idiots are still alive after Garp, hmm, Doffy? Do you think we'll get to deal with a few of them? That'll be fun, won't it Doffy? Bwehehehe!" Trebol exclaimed, a dark grin on his face. The Donquixote family wasn't one to disobey or to be embarrassed by some pathetic nobody underlings.
"Probably not…. But if there are any… Fufufufu, well… Once Garp's left the area… we'll have quite the good time, won't we?" Doflamingo mused, grin just as cruel on his own face at the thoughts of what he would do to the survivors for upsetting his Pretty.
"Uh, Doffy? He's on your face again."
"I know."
"He's drooling."
"He's been doing that a lot more lately."
"Just wanted to make sure you knew since you have to go on your date soon….."
"Luffy's easier to cuddle this way. You should know this by now."
Trebol gave the blond a raised eyebrow before giving up on trying to point out how weird that was even to him. HIM.
"Well, you should probably give him to Senior Pink or Vergo now so you can get ready."
"Yeah, can't have my Lu come with me if I'm going to be fucking my Pretty, can I?" Doflamingo snickered.
"No, and if you planned to, we would have stepped in anyways. Parents need time alone sometimes." Vergo grumbled, already making grabby motions.
"You just want to get to cuddle Luffy.~" Doflamingo teased.
"Maybe."
"Definitely!" Trebol snickered.
"He's very cute." The man said defensively.
"Bwehahah! Diamante and Jora are going to be so jealous!~"
"I still can't believe Diamante of all people has gotten so attached. Fufu, I expected he would to some degree, of course, Luffy's too sweet to not love, but he practically gets googly-eyed over him!"
"I think, it was more he was outraged that Luffy didn't want to be held by him at first and it eventually turned into desperation from offence and as it's Luffy he had no choice but to eventually adore him and all of that desperation and offence converted into love for our little nephew." Vergo stated, smiling a little when Doflamingo handed over his tiny pup, who let out a startled squeak and pouted up at him.
"No, you have to stay with your Auntie and Uncles for a bit Sweetness. Daddy and Mommy need to spend some alone time together." Doflamingo cooed. Grimacing at the scowl, he got from the pup then the sad whimper Luffy let loose as the man got up to go clean back up.
"Don't even think about it, young master. There are three things you don't ever do as a man, first go back on your word, secondly allow anyone to trample on your pride, and thirdly leave a beautiful lady (or in your case, man) waiting for any reason. Making your date wait or, even worse, standing him up, is worse than spitting in his face. You won't deserve him if you don't do what you can to make sure he understands how special he is to you through actions, not words. Words can be cheap, but impressions are forever." Senior Pink lectured, giving his captain a stern look. "By the way, I ordered some of those cigars you said he liked so much a few weeks ago that he complained about having such a hard time getting ahold of." The man said, sitting down a nicely polished wood box with gold leaf on the top. "I thought it would be a nice gift for you to give him. I think that this is especially true with everything that has happened to him in the last week."
"Fufu, he'll be so happy!" Doflamingo exclaimed, grinning ear to ear in happiness. He had been so busy that ordering the surprise had slipped his mind. If the others weren't careful, Pink might start to become a little favored… At least when it came to matters involving wooing, the blond's Pretty. It wasn't like the others had even the tiniest bit of experience with that department anyway. He was pretty sure more than one of them was Asexual or at least Aromantic and that wasn't exactly conducive to helping with navigating the sort of relationship he was interested in. Honestly, thank all that was the holy land when it came to Trebol. He didn't think he could handle watching any trainwreck that a relationship between the man and someone weird enough to date or mate with him would turn out being.
"Sir Crocodile will be expecting you to meet up with him in about an hour, so you should probably hurry." Vergo reminded his captain, forcing the man to ignore the indignant babbling Luffy grumbled at the blond. "We can take care of Luffy just fine while you go have fun with your… Boyfriend."
"Alright, alright, fufufu, I can get a hint.~"
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"Croco Pretty! I missed you!" Doflamingo crooned, eagerly darting over to the other man and nuzzling his face into the crook of the shorter man's shoulder.
"Get off me! I didn't give you permission to scent me! Stinking me up like we're together or something!" Crocodile huffed, crossing his arms, he glared at the blond.
Doflamingo's smile twitched ever so slightly before going full force again, almost straining as he pulled out the box of cigars Senior Pink had gotten for him to give his Croco.
"Did you literally just pull those out of your jacket's feathers?" The brunet asked, eying the pink mantle with an incredulous look.
"What? No?"
"But I just saw- "
"I have pockets."
"Uhuh….." Crocodile muttered, looking completely unconvinced, eying the pink monstrosity.
Deciding it wasn't worth the argument, Doflamingo shoved the box in the other man's face, looking entirely pleased with himself. "Look what I got for you, Pretty!"
"Oh, that's the brand I like." Crocodile muttered, his tense body language easing up ever so slightly. "These aren't easy to get."
Doflamingo preened, leading the man into the restaurant. "I told you, my Pretty wouldn't want for anything!" He snickered at the way Crocodile huffed his cute face slightly red, clearly, he was pleased.
"Huh, nicer than I was expecting."
"What, do you think I would take you somewhere trashy? I knew that you would love it here because this is my very favorite restaurant in the area! Nothing but the best for you! Fufu!" Doflamingo said, the wait staff were leading the pair to a private room, placing menus in front of them, and placing a large basket of freshly baked muffins and bread in front of them before a word had to be spoken.
"Ugh, I haven't ate all day! Stop that! Let me at least butter my muffin before you start feeling me up." Crocodile grumbled, pushing the blond way from his neck. "So damn hungry. Damn butter!" The man growled, trying his best to cut his piping hot muffin in half with only his hand. He wasn't having much luck.
"My poor Croco! Doesn't your crew feed you? Here, let me take care of that." Doflamingo crooned, buttering up the muffin in 2 seconds flat.
"Thanks…. I guess." Crocodile huffed.
"Fufu, of course! You want another one, Pretty?" Doflamingo asked, preening over so slightly as the other man eagerly wolfed down the buttered muffin with a satisfied look.
Swallowing, Crocodile nodded. "Yeah, two, actually." The man said mood seeming to be much lighter.
"Of course, whatever you like." Doflamingo agreed, nearly purring in happiness at getting to feed his cute Croco. He had to be careful with those sorts of behaviors though, his Pretty was still too skittish to be overly affectionate in a mated sort of way. But instincts were instincts and the blond was sure he could figure out a way to use Croco's to lean in his favor.
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"Well, hello, everyone! You must be the Donquixote executives! I'm Bentham, This is handsome fellow is Daz, and this beauty is Ms. Zala! Oh, I'm so excited! Our captain having a love life!" A tall, slender dark-haired man with a rounded haircut, naturally blushed cheeks, cherry red lipstick and heavy teal eyeshadow cheerfully exclaimed, cupping his hands over his heart in a swoon. A wide grin took up the man's face, giving him a friendly though, possibly somewhat crazed look. He wore a navy blue button-up with what looked to be swans embroidered into it as well, along with powder pink slacks and a pair of comfortable-looking simple black slip ons.
"Bentham, stop jumping around, you're an adult, aren't you?" The introduced, Daz, growled, scratching at his silvery hair in irritation. He sported a simple dark tunic style shirt with a long-sleeved undershirt and some loose pants.
"Daz, just leave Bentham alone. There's no point." The blue-haired woman scolded. She herself was wearing skin-tight black leather pants with a leather crop top and a biker style leather jacket.
"There's only one room left. You'll have to go next door." Jora insisted from her seat between Gladius and Lao G, eying the three, that had waltzed right in, with a frown. Especially that girl. No way she would trust her near their sweet, impressionable Lu-Lu, she was the only Auntie figure in his life and it would stay that way! Though… The angry-looking guy didn't look like he could be trusted either. The Bentham fellow at least seemed friendlier. That and he hadn't grumbled about the young master and his Crocodile being together. He seemed the most normal out of the three, so maybe she should-
"Oh! What a nice room! This will work perfectly for me, look at that, all antiques, how lovely!~ Ah, and these bed's sheets, how exquisite!" A happy voice sang out.
"Padro, Philipe, would you be dears and help me bring in my things? Tell Cricket that we'll have some of that delicious smelling Northern Blue stuffed crust Pizza and spaghetti from that lovely place we went by.~ I know everyone wanted to try some for a while, but we were just too busy before! Now we are starting our vacation, it wouldn't hurt for everyone to get to splurge a little. Though remember, we must not allow ourselves to indulge too much or all the effort we put into better ourselves would be wasted!" The man said, walking back into the kitchen area.
"Of course!" The pair, previously unnoticed, happily exclaimed. Evident admiration on the pair's faces. "We'll get enough for everyone!"
"Well, we'll just head over to the next house over if you have everything handled here," Daz grumbled, rolling his eyes at the man's antics.
"Of course! Go get a good room before the other's get the same idea!" Bentham said, amicably. Already working on grabbing his luggage.
After settling in all of his stuff and slipping off his shoes, the man walked back to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass of water, he turned back to three, still sitting at the island. "So where's everyone else? I thought that there were supposed to be more of you?"
"Busy." The bright-haired woman grumbled.
"You're just jealous that we get to spend the night with Lu while you decided to take that cute little cottage for yourself without thinking about the consequences!" The spiky white-haired, Gladius mocked.
"It's perfect for painting!" The woman huffed defensively, even as clear regret painted her face.
"Well, then, you can't complain! You don't even have to listen to Pica's snoring." Lao G grumbled. Already looking pretty exhausted as is.
"Your just lucky the young master was merciful enough that he isn't making you sleep right outside of his chambers tonight after we nearly lost poor Lu because of you!" Jora sniped.
"Hey, look at what I got!" A voice full of childish joy bellowed. Barreling through the door, Buffalo stopped in front of the group and pointing at the brand new yellow sweater he was wearing along with his new striped beanie hat, high-end sneakers, and dark green, almost black overalls. "I got some other stuff too!~ Senior Pink said I had to have something nice for Blackjack Coastal and Mr. Vergo and Diamante said I had to have some stuff of my own, so they got all this stuff for me! I'm so happy!~" The boy fidgeted, grinning proudly at the other's.
"Remember, those need to be hung our they will get all wrinkled and a man never wears a wrinkled suit less he wishes to give up on his pride completely." Senior Pink told the boy.
Buffalo nodded, "I'll put them away right now so I won't forget! Dasuyan!" He eagerly darting to his chosen room to put the stuff away nicely, just like the man said. He had never had anything so nice in his life let alone expensive so he wanted to make sure it would last as long as possible.
"Oh, who was that? Who are all of them? Bentham asked, startled by how tall everyone coming in was.
"Diamante, Senior Pink, Vergo and the one that ran by was our newest crewmate, Buffalo. He's tall, but he's just 10 still, so don't mind him too much. He can be a bit abrasive without meaning it." Jora explained, pointing out each member as they came in.
"10?" Bentham mumbled, looking and sounding a bit startled.
Everyone getting oddly tense as the Diamante fellow went to sit in the Living Room adjacent from the Kitchen, looking stressed and rocking strangely.
"Lu-Lu's been in a bad mood!~ Hehe, and Diamante's no good with him, but he won't let anyone else have him!" Buffalo snickered, peaking around the hallway's doorframe. "Huh, who's this guy? Oh, oh, someone's at the door! Dasuyan!" The boy exclaimed, nearly knocking everyone over on his way to answer the knocking.
"Hey, it's some guys with pizza boxes!" Buffalo shouted unnecessarily, moving out of the way when Bentham made his way over. "Sorry, uh… sir?... Um, we were told the Donquixote family and their guests needed some food. We could only carry this much, but we promise that we'll be back with the rest as soon as we can be! We're pretty short-staffed since the order was so large." A young man hurriedly explained, looking like a total wreck.
"Oh, don't sweat it! As long as you're trying your hardest, no one will fault you for being a little behind! I honestly wasn't expecting anything for at least another half an hour, so you all must be doing your best! Here, please split this between you all. I'm sure you'll be earning it by the end of tonight." Bentham insisted, smiling in his half-crazed half kind way as he forcibly placed a bundle of money in the young man's hand, then grabbed the Pizza's and closed the door before any protests could be made from either side.
"There we are!"
"Yay! I was getting super hungry." Buffalo said, grinning. He paused right before going to open up a small table-sized box. "I-Wait… we can all eat it…. Right?"
Bentham frowned at the boy's sudden nervous hesitation and much more subdued voice before smiling and reaching up to ruffle the boy's beany clad head. "Of course you can. It's for everyone!" The man had exclaimed, getting Buffalo's face to light up again.
"Yay! I'm gonna' eat so much I'll be so full I'll get all sleepy!" The boy cheered.
Bentham made sure to load the alpha pup's plate, so he didn't accidentally make a mess with his exuberance and insisted that he sat at the table with a napkin. It didn't take long for the others to start filling their plates, sitting down at the long table sitting across the room from the kitchen instead of parallel like the living room area… sort of did. Not only had they started to eat, but the crew had warmed up a bit to him. He was just strange enough that the whole bunch of them hadn't had him running for the hills like most adults often did. However, he hadn't met Trebol and Pica yet as both had opted to take naps before the inevitable meltdown Luffy was surely going to go through that night. Luffy rarely left Doflamingo's side after all, especially to sleep.
It was right as everyone that was awake, excluding Diamante, that had just sat down to eat their first plate full of deep dish, stuffed crust pizza, when an angry-sounding wailing sob ripped through everyone's eardrums unpleasantly. The infantile wail absolutely wasn't taking no for an answer, rattling everyone's brains and souring the pleasant, almost playful atmosphere that had previously cemented the table full of pirates in a decidedly good mood.
Bentham was on his feet before anyone could try to stop him… though a few were already too focused on their pizza to really even notice the man had left the dining corner. They were more than used to trying to wait out the pup's cries when he smelled food.
Bentham melted at the sight of a red-faced teary-eyed pup being held by a very distressed Diamante, who was trying his best to comfort and shush him.
"Come on, Lu, you know you can't have anything like that yet!" He grumbled as Luffy made hungry merps and whines, at the delicious smells of meat and cheese that filled the air, between full-bodied wails and angry arching, trying to wiggle from the man's fumbling hands. He yelped as the pup was snatched from him and let out a fierce growl that was completely ignored. Something the massive man wasn't really sure how to deal with.
"Oh, sweetie! Are you hungry?" Bentham cooed with a bright smile, securely holding the angry infant with two hands and rocking to try and soothe him. He shot a disapproving look at a hostile looking Diamante. "Why haven't you fed this precious angel? He's clearly hungry! How did you expect this sweetie to react when he smells food? Isn't that right? Oh, look at those tears, you poor little dear!" The man huffed, going into full out parental mode at the sight and scent of such an unhappy little baby.
"Excuse me, I'm his uncle, Doffy trusts us to know our Lu-Lu enough to know if he's hungry or not. It's trickery! Luffy has a Metabolic disease that makes him need to eat a lot all of the time, but it wasn't caught until he was already 3 months old, so he still doesn't understand when he's actually hungry or not when he smells food." Diamante snarled, entirely defensive at that point.
"Well, we should let him decide if he's hungry or not! Only an alpha and a man would think he could just tell someone they aren't hungry! Especially a baby, totally ridiculous!" The slender man grumbled.
Pausing a moment, Bentham's eyes went wide. "W-Wait… Doffy….. Are you saying that Doflamingo has a pup?" The brunet sputtered, the smell of dangerous, intimidating alpha/claim and possessiveness absolutely slathering the slightly calmer acting pup.
"Bwehehe! Of course, Lu-Lu's Doffy's! Huh? Why are you holding our Lu-Lu? Huh?" Trebol growled, eying Bentham with a dangerous sneer. "Why is this stranger holding Lu-Lu?"
The pup clearly only smelled of the others and the man, so it didn't seem like Doflamingo was in a relationship with anyone else and from the way he had heard him fawning over his captain, it didn't seem like the other man was only in it for the physical benefits. Doflamingo, from the little that he had heard about him and from him during his eavesdropping…. Errr, trips to grab cleaning supplies…. The man wasn't the type to give his heart easily at all and had been totally loyal to Crocodile from the moment he saw him. It was so romantic! I love at first sight sort of story.
"Yeah, and you better not ruin his chances with Crocodile with false assumptions or rumors! He's never liked anyone this way and if his heart gets broken, especially over our sweet little Lu…"
"Excuse me? Get to know me before making assumptions! I'm a fool, but I'm not stupid." Bentham guffed in clear offense. "Besides, I'm just so excited that I'm an Auntie now! Yes, I am! Your just the cutest little thing, aren't you?" Bentham babbled, stars in his eyes at the somewhat quieted, sniffling Luffy.
"What?! Your not his Aunt, I am!" Jora screeched, totally outraged that someone thought they could take her place so easily! The others had joined without those in the living space area even noticing things had started getting so intense.
"Nope, I'm his Auntie now. He can have two Aunties and we can be great friends!" Bentham insisted. "Besides, he needs me, a clear feminine energy in his life. I mean, no wonder he's all stressed out! Not a single other omega in his life! Having to deal with all of your Alpha pheromones and posturing, I'd be tense too!" Bentham exclaimed, snuggling the pup who let out a little nervous but friendly sound no longer crying all that much. "I'm so excited! I've always loved children! They're so sweet and don't have the prejudices that adults do!" The infant let out another hungry little merp, tone pleading. "Oh, sorry sweetie, Auntie Bon will get you something! Where's his bottles and formula?"
"How?"
"Right? It isn't fair!"
"How did he get Lu to stop crying? It must be a devil fruit power!"
"Now Lu's smiling! Without Doffy?"
The group looked on in fascination and jealousy. How dare this upstart just waltz on in and monetize their sweet cute little nephew's attention like that? Who did he think he was? It wasn't fair! And how could Luffy seem to like him so much? Clearly, the man was bribing him!... somehow…
Diamante 'didn't' pout at all when the others glared at him after Luffy had, indeed, been hungry and had veraciously guzzled down two bottles. He had fed the pup less than three hours beforehand. How was he supposed to know if Luffy was actually hungry or not? Doffy usually went about three sometimes even 4 hours without feeding Luffy! He would sometimes hear him talking to the pup in the middle of the night. Clearly the world was working against him on this one!
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"Croco~ Come on, let me play with it! I wanna' make you knot! Let me-let me!" Doflamingo whined, eagerly nipping at finely haired thighs.
"No! That'll hurt!" The brunet panted, "I'm too fucking worked up!"
"fufu, I'll squeeze it real nice for you. Let you screw my fist so well. Feel so good~ Fucking my hand, make you knot it while I rut you so right. Make my Pretty shudder and tighten and beg for my dick while your pretty cock spurts up all that pent up want. Won't that feel so nice? Don't you want to feel so good?" Doflamingo purred, his eyes practically glowing in the dark.
"No, no nooooo! It's-It's too much, too 'uch you bastard, bastard!" Crocodile whined, cringing as the larger man forced his defending hand away and began jerking at that purple weeping erection that twitched and drooled so cutely for him. Swirling that mushroom tip and rolling his pads against the oozing head until the brunet let out a broken sound.
"See Pretty? I'm just taking care of what's mine. If you stayed with me, you could get fucked like this all the time. Wouldn't that feel so good? Being pampered and milked anytime you like? Loved so sweetly.~ Fufufu, I'd give you the world if that's what you wanted." Doflamingo crooned, honey-sweet, nuzzling almost gently at the other man's neck.
The blond couldn't help but to eye that spot as he spoke. The little telltale bumps that helped identify where he would need to bite if they were to become a breeding, or well, mated pair. The temptation to bite was nearly overwhelming, but Doflamingo refrained, though only because his sweet lovely Pretty was being so very perfect under him. Those beautiful washboard abbs stuttering and trembling under his fingers, drool starting down the overstimulated man's chin. Those pretty pretty dark eyes so glazed and wanting, looking at him like he was salvation, he was a god at the moment to this usually aloof man. This stoic man he had so close to tears he shook with the effort to control them, being edged for so long. Unraveling so beautifully under him. Crocodile was living art. "So beautiful.~"
"Shut up, you fetishy flamingo fuck!" Crocodile tensed, suddenly trying to push Doflamingo off of him. Completely catching the young alpha off guard, though, the man didn't allow the brunet to escape him.
"I'm-I'm like a fucking cock sock! I can't have any god damn babies, I don't have anything past my goddamn hoo-haa, got a half-ass knot that can't even make cum, and wasn't even able to be born with a proper secondary gender! I am a freaky omega/alpha amalgamation! Don't you ever say I'm beautiful again! I'm not beautiful! I'm not! I'm a fucking fetish! Lying bastard!"
The stupid Flamingo really hadn't been lying the first time they met when he said he was great in the sack nor when he had told him that he could go for hours without pause. He had to be lying about really liking him, though!
Crocodile didn't know what to even think of the other man who, even after seeing him…. Properly being able to scent him, see what a mess of nature he was. How could Doflamingo still called him pretty and cute and eagerly fucked him with that damn smitten look and with an enthralled scent that clung as strongly as those handsy octopus arms! It all felt so good and it was too much! Too too much, he couldn't deal with it anymore.
Those fucking brick red eyes, with that weird kind of humanizing splash of pale, almost white blue that marbled almost cutely with the red in that left eye, looking at him like he hung the moon and the stars. Like he, Crocodile, was beautiful and like Doflamingo might actually wanted him for him. It hurt, Crocodile hated it!
The brunet let out a grunt as those hips snapped forward and the blond's beast of a cock rocked back into him before freezing. Crocodile yelped, hissing as that previously teasing hand tightened almost unbearably and suddenly, the man's whole weight was on him. He couldn't get away no matter how much he tried activating his devil fruit!
Doflamingo went stone-faced at the other man's words, his frown positively menacing. "Don't you ever say anything like that again. And don't you ever try telling me how I should or do feel about you, got it?" Doflamingo snarled quietly, a furious edge to his tone. Instead of feeling safe, like he previously found himself feeling in the man's arms, Crocodile found himself feeling caged, suffocated even. "You're not allowed to say anything like that about yourself again, EVER. If I think you're beautiful, then you are. I don't like my things, my family, being belittled or insulted…. I never liked you because of some fucked up fetish. I like you because you are you, you're beautiful and smart and ruthless. You're also the only one I've ever wanted for more than a quick fuck! I've got impeccable taste, so you insulting yourself is an insult to me, got it pretty?" The man whispered.
"You shouldn't say such mean things when you don't mean them because…. I'm not going anywhere." The Doflamingo whispered dangerously, tightening his grip to painful degrees. Scent and eyes and everything screaming love and obsession and possessiveness and his, HIS. "I might start to think you might not actually like me as much as I like you and I don't think you'll like what happens if you hurt me like that."
Leaning down, Doflamingo gave Crocodile's shoulder a sweet kiss before clamping his mouth around it with a possessive dominating growl. The blond just barely resisting putting enough pressure to pierce the man's glands. Getting a hiss from the other man. His scent clearly souring from anxiety.
"Aren't you going to finish me off, you Flamingo bastard? My dick feels like it wants to split in two!" Crocodile managed to complain. With those words, it was like a spell had broken and Doflamingo let go and he was back to cuddling instead of caging and Crocodile felt like he would get whiplash from the sudden change.
"Don't scowl like that, Pretty! Fufu, cute lovelies should smile! ~ I like you happy.~" Doflamingo purred, affectionately nuzzling the brooding brunet, then peppered the other man's cute face with kisses. Gathering those slender legs back up and playing with the other man's weeping tip. That warm wet heat between those fold, petting and kissing and squeezing him so right! In and out, in and out of that tightness. The brunet's cheeks getting nice and red again, flush with lust and those naturally heavy eyelids making his Croco look even more fuckable, giving Doflamingo the most sultry bedroom eyes he had ever seen.
"Good, good, my Croco~ So pretty an' warm, ganna burst!" Doflamingo was back to groaning in minutes, already close to cumming before the mood had been damaged, panting in the other man's ear as his groin tightened with every moan and squelch and slurp he heard grinding as deep as he could "Yes yes yes!" Doflamingo babbled, forcing more and more of his weight on the other man, instinctively pinning him in place as he felt his knot begin to fill.
Ignoring Crocodile's squirming, he forced himself crotch to crotch with the other man, eyes rolling back as he fully locked and Crocodile's insides went to town on him. "Yes yes, my good pretty, so so good! Suck it suck my cock all down, every last drop! Milk me! I'm your's. It's all for you!" Doflamingo groaned, glazed eyes focusing on that bright purple cock.
"Dof-Doffy, please! I need to, I-Let me cum! It hurts shit Please, I need it!"
Doflamingo grinned, snatching up the other man's sacks and gave them a few quick, brutal squeezes giggling, dazed at the strangled little shout the other man made, and gave the other Crocodile's tip a little twist before completely letting up on the painful looking organ.
"Gods, shit shit shit! Too much, grab it!" Crocodile squeaked, cock slapping against his belly and spurting clear fluid in a messy arch across both of their bellies.
"Good boy Croco. So good." Doflamingo praised, handing onto the other man for dear life as his insides went wild, milking and fluttering and squeezing so good until the blond became dizzy. By the time Crocodile's knot would settle, there wouldn't be a sing drop left to give in Doflamingo for hours.
By the end of it, Crocodile was an incoherent mess of instinct and wrung out hormones more omegan leaning than Alphan. Nipples red and puffy, cum and pre-ejaculate covered and completely debouched, crotch gaping and puffy, dripping thick sticky white, eyes rolling around in his skull from the hormone high Doflamingo had induced. He was beautiful. Stuffing his tongue in that slick hole, Tasting them mixed all together had the young alpha purring and Crocodile sniffling and desperately trying to close his legs.
"Fufufu, alright, alright! I'll clean you up no more tonight." Doflamingo chuckled, grabbing the bowl and washrags that he had all ready and headed to the bathroom. Coming back, he cleaned the other man and lifted him up. Using his string powers to strip away the dirty bedding and sent it down a chute to be laundered. Doflamingo smirked at clean sheets below. Already having an idea of what would happen that night, he was more than prepared for it.
The blond's Croco was so calm and sweet when he was hormone drunk!~ He hardly did more than grumble in discomfort while Doflamingo sorted everything out and adjusted everything to be nice and warm and comfortable once he laid the tuckered out man back down. Cleaning himself off with a quick shower, the blond was more than ready to go to sleep… or at least he was until he actually laid down and there was no Luffy. He'd….. just go and check on him.
Checking on the baby, of course, equaled bringing him back to the ship with him.
Doflamingo sighed happily. His Croco was purring, cuddled up to one side of him while his retrieved Treasure, fed and warm, was cuddled against the opposite side of his neck. Everything was now right in his world. At least… as right as it could be for now. The alpha forced away any thoughts that had to do with what his Pretty had shouted earlier. He would let it go for now, until he could figure out exactly how to deal with the outburst. Clearly, someone had deeply hurt he beautiful Croco if he thought of himself that way.
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Waking up, Crocodile hadn't been expecting to be staring in the dark eyes of something tiny and squirmy and entirely too close to his face. "What the hell?" The man's incredulous growl was met answered with a curious meep and some babbling. Where did a baby come from? Where did Gods damn, Flamingo bastard, go? "What are you doing here, kid?" The man grumbled, hissing a little as he adjusted the way he was lying to sit up a bit more. His everything hurt. He might need a whole iceberg to shove up his crotch! Ugh, felt like he had been rodded by a damn giant, the bastard!
The pup snuggled in, just under his chin merping and yawning cutely those eyelids getting heavy as the pup clearly struggled with staying awake. It smelled of Doflamingo and something sweet and soft under all of that and a part of him crooned in want at the little thing. Mellowed by omegan hormones still, running their course. Crocodile couldn't help but to… not…. Dislike the pup. "Whatever, we'll just deal with this latter. I'm too tired to deal with this crap." The man grumbled, getting a sweet little mewl from the pup when he ran his hand over the pup's back. If he felt his heart quiver a little bit at the display, it wasn't like it was anyone's business but his own.
After waking up again, the pup still snuggled up had Crocodile smiling a small smile. The infant was completely sprawled across his chest now, hair wild and little arms hugging his hand to its chest. Clinging like a baby monkey. "You're a strange little thing, aren't you?"
"Just like he knows and loves his daddy, he knows his mommy! Fufu, Luffy's picky, but I knew he'd love you!~" Doflamingo snickered.
"Mommy? I'm never going to be anyone's Mommy! I'm going to be a Papa!" Crocodile hissed, glaring the other man down.
Doflamingo lit up, grinning ear to ear and looked half lovesick.
"Wait, what the hell am I even saying? I don't even know this brat! I hate brats!" Crocodile snarled, face turning a little red as Doflamingo eyed him and snorted disbelievingly. Pointedly eying how the other man had seemingly subconsciously cuddled the pup closer and even had his hand rubbing up and down the pup's back soothingly. "I do you, flamingo bastard!"
"Here." The blond said, smirking and forcing the other man to hold the prepared bottle he had been holding. "If you aren't charmed, then you'll be able to feed him without any issues.~"
"Fine, you lazy bastard."
He shouldn't have agreed, he shouldn't have! The pup was bringing up all sorts of feelings better buried. Gluttonous and cheerful and so incredibly cute and so so tiny! He didn't even find himself bothered, instead, feeling strangely endeared when the pup began to curiously pat at the scar on his face. He ignored Doflamingo's clear beaming joy at seeing Luffy somehow managing to force down a lifetime worth of barriers. It wasn't like he liked the pup or anything! He just wasn't going to be mean to a kid is all. Especially an infant. Even he wasn't that much of a bastard.
"I'm not going to co-parent with a bastard like you! Urgh, besides, you can't just spring a pup on a guy like that! You at least have to buy him a drink; first, this isn't how any of this goes!" Crocodile growled out eventually. Swatting away wondering hands.
"But I just explained to you how I found him and how I had to make sure you both liked each other and made sure you were the right one. Lu clearly agrees with my choices."
"Shut up, you flamingo! I'm a seasoned pirate, you aren't going to butter me up with those sweet words of yours!" Crocodile hissed, hugging the pup and blankets closer to himself.
" I already told you, I'm not going to waste my time telling my pretty frivolously lies." Doflamingo teased. "Besides, how can anyone say no to that cute little face of his?"
"I don't care! Don't bring Luffy into this!" The brunet growled, pulling the pup defensively to himself.
"See, you do like him!"
"Shut up, you flea-bitten mongrel! I hate you!" Crocodile hissed.
"Umhum…. Well, that's too bad because I love you, Lu-Lu does too!~" Doflamingo purred. Going into a full-blown laugh at the strangled sound the other man made. He would never get tired of messing with his cute Croco. The sounds and faces he made weren't only adorable but hilarious!
End Chapter 7
Notes:
So yay, Luffy finally meets Croco and I couldn't help but add Bentham. At first, I wasn't sure, but Bentham ended up being such a great person and I really loved him! I'm calling them a he because they are oftentimes called or considered more of a he than a she in the anime. But I am 100% for genderfluid Bentham and feel like he's going to be really interesting to figure out with the secondary genders involved to. I don't know I can just see him loving kids and kind of having a weird but nurturing side to him and Luffy has such a sunny personality that I think Bentham would orbit around it pretty easily.
I have been very busy lately, so I may have to start updating Bi-Weekly and I am very sorry if I do. I am getting quite a bit of homework piled on and I am having trouble keeping up with writing so much for this story and doing all of my illustration classes. I will try to warn everyone beforehand if there are going to be any delays. These warnings will likely be over my Facebook page and through my replies to the comments that I have received.
Please review! I have gotten some of the most amazing ideas for this story from my reviewers and I have actually used these ideas and plan to. You guys have managed to motivate me to write about 6000-10000 words a week since starting this story and have really brought back my desire to write again, so thank you so much! I really appreciate it! I'm actually having fun again and I'm really loving writing this story and talking to everyone!
So we are still voting who you want Luffy with, so please tell me if you haven't voted.
By the way, I have started a Ko-Fi at the recommendation of a few people. Don’t really get it, but some people have insisted that I should create one and I finally did. I am putting the link here. Take it or leave it. It would be really nice to get even a bit of income coming in and I would really appreciate any donations, but It’s not a big deal to me either way. I'm writing for the fun of it so ya' know. If only I could stay this motivated for my original stuff! XD
https://ko-fi.com/yazziyoudaydreameryuvush
Chapter 9: The Noodle Baby (The new chapter)
Notes:
Alright, so here is the new chapter. It ended up being around 7000 words, without Author's notes. Please enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 8
"Don't you be rubbing those scratchy ass legs on me to try and get attention!" Crocodile grumbled, shoving at the other man, clearly trying to play footsy with him.
Doflamingo snickered, a clear mischievous look across his face. "You said you were feeling a bit chilly. So I was just trying to warm my pretty up.~"
"Uhuh."
"Fufu, you keep glaring at me like that and I might have the other's watch Lu for a bit, again." The blond purred, running a possessive hand over Crocodile's arm. Doflamingo laughing when he got a growl from the other man. "See? Just so cute!~"
"I'm not going to go another round with a beast like you! Besides, it's late!" Crocodile grumbled, still incredibly sore. He was literally having to half shuffle to the bathroom and back. If he had known how much pain he would have been in later, Crocodile might have at least thought on a limit or something, before letting the bastard jump him like that. Though he also hadn't known that Doflamingo had such a ridiculous, totally inhuman libido. He apparently had been holding back quite a bit last time, bigtime, the bastard!
"Humph, but what am I supposed to do when you're being such a cute Momma with Lu?"
"You're on that again? I'm never going to be any brat's mom!" Crocodile huffed and glared, even as he tightened his hold around the pup nested under the blankets and curled up against his still tender bruised chest. Scent positively daring the blond to try taking the infant from him. Damn Flamingo bastard liked to bite! As long as those teeth stayed away from his pairing glands, he wouldn't complain too much about it, though.
"Fufufu, of course! I love my Treasures getting along so well! Lu's friendly, but he doesn't take to being held by anyone else, but his daddy for very long and he's been all over you! He really likes you.~" Doflamingo purred completely disregarding the brunet's denials of ever being his Sweetness' mother. It was cute that he even tried while snuggling him like that. Such a possessive pretty!~ Clearly, the pup's growing affection was mutual. His Croco was just too stubborn to realize it yet!
"Yeah, well, your clinging to the both of us like a leech, so of course, he isn't acting up. Don't know how he isn't feeling smothered with your constant hovering." Crocodile sniped, even as his scent became slightly less biting, even hinting at affectionate and protective, though his face stayed grumpy.
"You'll learn that Luffy can't be made to like anyone or anything. I can already see our Treasure being quite the demanding little free spirit. Fufu,~" Doflamingo snickered, while giving the snoozing pup those ridiculously, absolutely not cute at all, dedicated gooey daddy eyes. Suddenly long, strong limbs were dragging Crocodile as close as they could. Long legs were latched around his waist and locked around his thighs, Crocodile's face was pressed against that washboard chest and his head was supported by an arm. At the same time, the other was possessively wrapped around the brunet and a very disgruntled looking pup who huffed indigently and let out an annoyed squeak at being both manhandled and awoken before settling back in. Crocodile felt that, deep in his icy soul.
Crocodile gave the man a warning growl. Showing his irritation before begrudgingly relaxing into the hold after a few moments of listening to Doflamingo purring sweetly and having disgustingly sweet kisses pepper his face and shoulders. He grumbled under his breath before gave the other man a skeptical look trying not to focus on how his own body relaxed against the blond.
"He's an infant." Crocodile pointed out, deciding to try and just pretend he wasn't irritated with all of the other man's clinginess. Hoping that this new tactic might ruffle a few feathers, since Doflamingo seemed to find being reactive as amusing and cute, not reacting should do the opposite... right?
Doflamingo, of course, wasn't bothered. He didn't even pout or let go like Crocodile had hoped. Instead, Doflamingo clung even more. The blond settled against the other man, happily snuggling in and rubbing his chin against the top of his Pretty's beautiful dark hair.
Crocodile smelled so so nice now! Perfect. Smelling like him and their pup. Even the Alpha's quarters had started to take on the unique scent of his pretty. Doflamingo couldn't have been any happier or more content. He was sure that his Sweetness felt the same way. This was going by how, over the last few days, Luffy had begun to clumsily rub his face into the other man's chest and around his sweet oblivious Croco's scent glands. This made the other man even more affectionate and receptive towards the pup and, in turn, Doflamingo.
His perfect good boy helping his daddy wrangle in such an unruly Tsundere mommy! Precious possessive boy, just like his mommy and daddy.~ Marking them with his scent at such a young age ugh, he was so cute!
Crocodile must have smelled really comforting and pleasant for an omegan pup. Especially one that was used to being around mostly more aggressive typings of alphas and had never encountered the scent of an omega before. Even if the brunet wasn't exactly one and didn't smell exactly like one, either he smelled close enough. Crocodile's strangely pleasant mixed scent, along with the clear dominating claim of his daddy's scent, likely had his Treasure trusting and clearly very receptive to this new person in a way he wasn't with the others. It made Doflamingo very happy.
"I'm his daddy, a good daddy can see these things. You'll see, once you've had some more time bonding with him."
"Who says I want to spend any more time with the squirt and besides…. how….. would you know if… I'd be any good at…. being a parent?"
Doflamingo rolled his eyes, unable to control himself at that point. "A good daddy can just tell." He half teased.
"Your such an ass."
"But a pretty one.~" Doflamingo crooned, giving the other man a cheeky smirk and licked his lips.
"Maybe….." Crocodile grumbled, his lips slowly twitching up into a sly look. "But you're an arrogant dick to."
Doflamingo faux pouted. "So mean! And I was going to blow you out of the goodness of my pure boy heart just because I liked to see my Pretty Croco feeling good.~ To bad my Croco can't appreciate my best charms. I guess… maybe I'll just have to settle for having a little fun with myself and my mirror?" The young alpha sighed in a woo is me tone of voice even as his tongue hung out of his mouth and his lips were split into a razor-edged grin. Those strange eyes practically twinkled at the uncomfortable flush on the other man's disgruntled face. The scent of interest, heavy and delectable. Doflamingo purred. Such a pretty pretty naughty little Croco!~ How he wanted to taste him and suck him and pet his Lovely with his tongue, make his pretty cry and moan and worship him like the god that he was. The blond gave the smaller man a coy smile, making sure to bat his pale lashes at him just right.
Crocodile immediately shot him a suspicious glare. He was sure that as great as it sounded, honestly, he could easily find himself becoming half addicted to the man's mouth. Doflamingo was literally that good, but getting blown would come at a price. The flamingo bastard had repeatedly tried sticking fingers in him and had been staring at the bruising on his chest for hours. Absolutely stinking of want. Crocodile didn't think his crotch could take another hellishly pleasurable version of what Doflamingo considered to be an average round for at least a few more days, if not a week. Besides, Luffy was sleeping and even though he definitely didn't like the pup the kid was sleeping on him. The brunet couldn't just get rid of him because the brat's dad couldn't control himself.
It was getting cold too and what kind of asshole let an infant get cold and lonely just to get laid in the middle of the night? Definitely, not him, Crocodile may have been a class A asshole sometimes, but he had standards and principals. Though it definitely helped that Luffy was such a likable little thing. Not that he liked him or anything, but he didn't… dislike him either. The man definitely wasn't getting possessive or lovey maternal feelings over the infant either! Not even when the brat nuzzled into him so sweetly burbling or when he began to smell like his.
Crocodile would never be anyone's mom and no way would he ever let himself get anchored down by an arrogant Pidgeon like Doflamingo. The guy was too clingy and crazy and said too many things that made Crocodile's stomach do weird things and his throat squeeze until he could hardly breathe and that made his eyes sore and scratchy. Crocodile was a free man, damn it, he didn't need nor want anyone!... No matter how good they made, him feel….
"I… think.. I'll pass." Crocodile eventually said, rubbing circles into Luffy's squirmy little back to try and settle him into a more peaceful sleep.
"Do it like this," Doflamingo muttered, suddenly all thoughtful sounding his face softened to looking at the pup with unstable worshipful affection. The blond reached over and grabbed Crocodile's hand in a way that had him red-faced. Carefully guiding the pressure and pattern, the hand was going in until Luffy was completely boneless and Crocodile was doing everything he could to not look directly at the man or the hand he was holding. Luffy was still far too young to be able to purr while sleeping, but it was clear he would have been going full force if he were physically capable.
"See, isn't he so cute when he settles like that?~ Fufu, makes him settle right down, doesn't it little Treasure? On the rare occasion that doesn't work, you have to put his face near your glands. He'll conk right out. Lulu loves to sleep in the crook of my neck too.~" The blond yapped, absolutely preening over the tiny pup, he clearly did his best to take the best of care of. Eyes fixated and demeanor almost mellowed out to a child-like sweetness, joyful in getting to share about the infant.
Crocodile's throat did that choky thing again and his heart may have squeezed a bit. Doflamingo, the bastard that he was, the clear monster, was a dotting loving father. Even this monster genuinely loved this pup so so much and Luffy wasn't even blood. Doflamingo was willing to risk a crook like him, holding the pup and acted like he wanted so badly to share Luffy with him, Crocodile of all people. What a stupid idiot.
"Lets just…. go back to sleep, flamingo bastard." Crocodile managed to croak as Doflamingo nuzzled the top of his head, clearly trying to stink him up with his scent, after planting a disturbingly affectionate kiss against the corner of his mouth.
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"What the hell?!" Crocodile yelped, startled from his content sleepy state. The feeling of something suckling at his nipples hadn't exactly been unpleasant, but waking up to a half dozing pup practically vacuum sealing one wasn't something that kept him mellowed for long once he was able to see past the humiliating hazy mantra of 'baby, my new baby, need to feed my pup' that made his brain sluggish and pleasantly buzzed. He hated it. Crocodile wasn't some snivvely desperate little thing. He wasn't able to have pups. He sure as hell wasn't going to be nursing one either and that was that.
The brunet was sputtering and gape mouth from sheer astonished embarrassment when he realized Doflamingo was gently rolling his tongue and teeth over the opposite nipple. Luffy was embarrassing enough. At least he had the excuse of being a constantly hungry little pup that didn't know any better. Doflamingo was just a freak!
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get off of me!" Crocodile squawked, wishing at that moment, that not only had he thought to sleep on the other side of the bed, so he wasn't vulnerable with Doflamingo laying on his handless side. He wished that the man was at least a tiny bit grossed out or bothered by it so he would maybe at least let up when Crocodile tried pushing him away. Like a normal person would.
Instead, the blond let out an enamored little sound and snatched up the stump in one of his hands. Then began gently but firmly messaging it between his massive slender fingers. What a weirdo, what a total fr…. Oh, that felt really nice. Like really really good. He hadn't realized how tender the horribly scarred limb was until Doflamingo started rubbing.
Crocodile couldn't help but let out an embarrassing little whimper as the man worked at all of his sore spots. He hardly even noticed when the blond pulled away from his nipple nor that Luffy was still pacifying himself he was so focused on the feeling of Doflamingo's firm, gentle hand, now hands, carefully working the painful appendage. Crocodile was so used to the pain by then it had become almost a part of his personality, his identity. The trauma still haunted him and left him aching for sleep most nights as electricity ran through him and the feeling of former pain ravaged a none existent hand. He hadn't even noticed, until then, that since sharing a bed… more like nest, with Luffy and Doflamingo, the unbearable pain at night hadn't flared up like it usually would and the pain in his stump had been almost to a level that he could pretend he wasn't in significant pain.
"Oh, Pretty, you poor thing! If I had known I would have been doing this sooner for you. Does this feel better?" Doflamingo crooned, staring intently at the pained relief on his Croco's face as he rubbed at lumpy scar tissue.
"Y-yeah." Crocodile very reluctantly grumbled.
Crocodile sighed, as Doflamingo rubbed a particularly painful spot. A relieved purr forcing its way out of the brunet as he allowed himself to loosen up a little. It wasn't long after, while he was teetering between being sleep and bliss when something sweet and cheerful and chirpy met his ears vibrating against his chest and against his resting hand. Then the familiar rumbling purr of Doflamingo rattled on next to him and Crocodile felt like his brains had totally been scrambled. The sound of happy relaxed pup and unthreatening affectionate alpha, along with the pain relief, was amazing. His brain tried it's best to tell him that it was weird. His reactions weren't normal for him, but he couldn't help but push those thoughts aside. His brains had been turned to mush in the best way possible and the pull to relax in a way he couldn't remember doing even as a small pup had completely crushed any and all resistance… At least until he had his wits about him again.
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"LU~ Sweetie, there you are! Oh, it's been so long since we've seen all of you! I was worried that you'd be in there for the whole time, captain!" Bentham crowed, grinning excitedly at the trio finally, after well over a week, deciding to actually leave the living quarters altogether instead of having to pick up Luffy for a few hours or Doflamingo leaving for a bit. He waved at Luffy and practically swooned when the pup tried copying him back, grinning happily from his father's hold and making high pitched trilling squeaks at the man. The motherly alpha made a delighted chuff back at the pup, getting Luffy all sorts of worked up. "Oh, aren't you the cutest little thing? Such a little angel!" The man sniffled, overwhelmed by how sweet and adorable his new nephew was.
"Bentham stop getting all worked up over the brat. You're going to make him cry again." Crocodile grumbled, rolling his eyes as the other man pouted up at him.
"We were sharing tears of joy!"
"No, you were crying in happiness or whatever you do. Luffy's an overly emotional brat and ended up crying because you started crying. He is too young to understand the difference between sad cry and that weird happy crying that you do all of the time." Crocodile said, making a vague up and down gesture with his hook, grimacing at the man.
"Those that share hearts and dreams feel each other's joys and sorrows!" Bentham insisted, his pouting even worse as he crossed his arms and pointedly looked away from his captain.
With a raised eyebrow, Crocodile decided it to just leave things be. He and Bentham were very different people. The argument could go on for the rest of their lives with how passionate the other man was about everything. He was sure that Bentham would never give in to anyone's logic that wasn't his own. It was what made the man's crew love and respect him so much.
"I'm going ta' have a smoke." Crocodile grumbled, pulling a cigar from his pocket. Suddenly getting grouchy. "You take care of the brat, flamingo bastard, since I'm not allowed to smoke around him." The brunet said, frowning. His tone clipped.
Doflamingo frowned at the other man. He didn't understand why he was suddenly acting so pissy and distant again in the last few days. He had been so calm and happy, almost affectionate acting, until the day after he had tried relieving some of the clear pain Crocodile was in on his handless side. Suddenly, he was being completely unreasonably standoffish, avoided cuddling like he would get burned from him, and wasn't being nearly as attentive with Luffy as before even though he was clearly struggling with not snatching the pup up and cuddling him for dear life.
Doflamingo couldn't understand what was going on, but he didn't like it. His Croco should never try to distance himself from them, especially his own pup. If he didn't start acting like a good mommy again, Doflamingo would have to straighten him out. Mother's should never hurt or neglect their babies! He hoped he wouldn't have to get his last resort present out. That would definitely sour the mood completely and for quite a long while.
"Ne-ne, Luffy! How is uncle's favorite boy?" Trebol shouted, eagerly shuffling up to a still distracted Doflamingo and grinned idiotically down at the tiny pup who burbled up at him. "Did you miss me Lu? Did you? Doffy, did Lulu miss me the most? He did, right?" Trebol exclaimed, leaning into the other man's personal space as he practically interrogated him.
"Your standing very close." Doflamingo pointed out, leaning away.
"Bwehe! I'm sure Lulu's hungry! Are you hungry to Doffy? Breakfast should be served in a few minutes." Trebol went on, ignoring what the blond said and ended up practically with his head on top of Luffy's as he got even closer.
"Yes, breakfast sounds nice." The blond agreed, still frowning at the closeness. Glancing over at the brunet, puffing away on a cigar sitting at the far end of the chilly deck right outside of the navigation room's window. "Could someone watch my Treasure for a few minutes?"
"Of course! Lu sweetie!~" Bentham eagerly exclaimed, grinning ear to ear as he held out his arms.
Vergo immediately was there too, trying to step in front of the man. "I'll take him Doffy. We haven't got to spend much time together since Crocodile and his crew showed up."
"No, it is quite alright I can feed him," Bentham said, raising an eyebrow at the other man's tenseness.
"No, I am his uncle. It is my responsibility to make sure my nephew is doing well." Vergo all but growled.
"I can feed him!" Bentham huffed.
Vergo knocked into the man with his hip, nearly knocking him off balance. "I insist." He said, looking and sounding calm even as, seconds later, the man practically had to bend himself in half to avoid the kick Bentham tried to plant on his passive looking face in retaliation. Causing a full out brawl between the two.
Doflamingo rolled his eyes and snickered as Diamante and Pica kicked the pair out onto the deck. The blond alpha smiling like an indulgent parent at the Vergo and Bentham's behavior. Though he hadn't seen much of the Okama yet, from what he had seen so far and heard, he was shaping up to be a perfect loving second auntie to his Sweetness, which he was pleased about he wished that maybe he was a little more level headed though. Vergo did start it, so he couldn't really get too annoyed with Bentham for fighting back.
"So….. since their fighting can I take him?" Diamante asked, expression sly as he slid right in to start off where the other two had left off. Hold out cupped hands and staring down at the tiny pup with as close to gooey eyes as a guy like him could. Luffy was now making hungry little merps and looking around with those great big dark eyes. Probably trying to figure out who had food to beg off of, even if he still wasn't eating anything but from his bottle, still.
"Why are Auntie Ben and Mr. Ver- Oh! Lu-Lu's here!" Buffalo exclaimed from the doorway. Looking a little startled. His face practically glowed as he bounced over. "Yay! Now I can show him the new stuff I helped pick out for Lu and maybe we can play! Dasuyan!" The boy said, happily rocking on the balls of his feet.
"Breakfast first, Buffalo." Senior Pink reminded the boy, getting a pout that quickly turned into a noise of agreement. Then the man turned to Doflamingo, ignoring Diamante completely and practically snatched the pup from the blond alpha, without warning. "Come here Lu. It looks like your father needs to have a talk with your mother, man to man. These things are best done in private. Once your older, you'll understand." He calmly explained to the wiggly infant even as Diamante shouted his shocked indignation.
"Go talk to Sir Crocodile young master. One should never leave their chosen partner sulking for too long. They may perceive it as you not caring about how they feel." Senior Pink said to his captain, as he took a seat, carefully sitting Luffy in his lap and trying to gently encourage Luffy to pick, chewing on Tora-Tora, over his hands. He wondered if he was the only one that had noticed how much the pup had begun to drool and chew on things.
Only a few minutes after Doflamingo left to talk to his Croco, food came piling in, which of course, had Luffy howling like a wronged banshee with gluttonous hunger and the present executives scrambling to make him a bottle. Senior Pink had almost wished that Bentham hadn't gone back to his ship to eat with his crew as at least he wouldn't have made a mess out of something they had months of practice doing already. Crocodile wouldn't have either. Why had the weird 10-year old that hadn't ever even fed the pup, been the one that had got his act together enough to give him a properly made bottle? Why was their family so dysfunctional? Why was Vergo getting to be excluded from this mess?
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About a week later and both crews were docking on BlackJack Coastal. An island with so many ships that came in on a daily basis that it had its own artificial island of sorts made up of docks and platforms for docking ships and even had its own community living on it to help maintain everything, having shops and a few restaurants peppered around.
Of course, there was the 'leave it to chance' side that you didn't have to pay for and more times than not, someone would either steal or vandalize a person's ship while they were on the actual island having fun. Then there were the exclusive areas that you had to pay for. Royal's Flush was the most exclusive and expensive part of the harbor to dock in.
Being Joker had its perks, one being a permanent docking slip for all 5 of his ships. His massive flagship and 4 smaller ones for when it was only one or two of his executives or himself going somewhere and either didn't feel like taking an entire crew of underlings or when Doflamingo had errands that needed running that were below his family he would send out a ship with some underlings on it to take care of things. No one was allowed to use the docked slips either, so it was a bit surprising to see those slips filled to the brim with what looked like a bunch of average merchant ships.
After about two minutes of chewing out the apologetic dock workers that had apparently been given some very official-looking paperwork stating that the people had permission, Doflamingo had handed off Luffy to Crocodile who's smile had nearly dimmed into an irritated grimace. Unacceptable.
It had taken him weeks of loving care to get to the point that his sweet Croco seemed genuinely in a decent at least semi-comfortable mood and his poor Pretty had really been looking forward to docking quickly and exploring the island. Everyone had been looking forward to the private gourmet buffet that Doflamingo had already gotten all set up for them as well and had barely ate all day they were so looking forward to it.
The veins in the man's forehead positively throbbed as he grinned menacingly. Doflamingo stormed over to the docked ships and pulled himself up, using the clouds overhead. Well, if they wouldn't move them, then he would just have to clear them out. Simple as that. The blond did just that, yanking the ships out of his slips and launched them as far as he could and once they were far enough away, he sliced them into tiny bits, uncaring of the screams of people within.
Landing back on the docks feeling a little calmer after the screams of dying people filled his ears with their lovely little toons, Doflamingo practically skipped over to his mildly disturbed looking Croco and planted a kiss on his Pretty's cheek then leaned down to kiss his Lu to, after the pup babbled indignantly at being left out and gave him his pouty 'I'm so neglected and never get enough love' lip warble. "Fufufu, Lu's so demanding and dramatic!~"
"That… was a little extreme." Crocodile finally pointed out after a few minutes. Still eying the now empty water as he absently began rocking Luffy. He only looked slightly perturbed.
"Nonsense Pretty, I'm not going to have my cute Croco stressing out during our vacation. Besides, they should have known to call me before letting anyone dock." Doflamingo said flippantly, while wiggling his fingers in Luffy's face with a smile as the easily distracted infant tried grabbing at them. Smirking at how red Crocodile's face had gotten.
"You know by now, I hate it when you try buttering me up like that!" Crocodile growled.
"No, you don't!~ Besides, what did you think because we're in public that I would ease up a bit or something, my gorgeous Pretty?"
"Ugh, stop that! I was a pirate before you were even born! You can't get me all stary eyed from some nice words! You hear me?" Crocodile hissed, though maybe not with as much bite as he had at the beginning of the journey.
Doflamingo counted it as a win. He would tell his Pretty how beautiful he was and how much he already loved and appreciated him until he had no choice but to give in. Crocodile was stunning. The blond would make him get this fact of life one way or another, even if it took him an eternity to do so. Crocodile would accept that he was beautiful and that he should be praised like the gorgeous slip of a beauty that the young alpha saw him as.
After that, it didn't take long for their ships to dock. Though it was long enough that Doflamingo had to be scolded a few times by Crocodile about trying to make dock workers bludgeon each other to death with his own impressionable pup being right there. He was so bored, though and such pathetic nattering people made his bloodthirst twinge uncomfortably. It wasn't fair. Why did they have to wait to go have some fun? They had Lu and his bookbag full of all of his Treasure's essentials. The pout on Luffy's face was a clear sign that his Sweetness absolutely agreed. Croco wasn't any fun at all!
Doflamingo pointedly ignored how Crocodile was grumbling and fighting the pup on keeping his cute new red long-sleeved dressy button-up onesie combo on that the brunet had 'reluctantly' picked out. Luffy's grouchiness was definitely from being bored, just like his daddy, Doflamingo was sure! A distressed sound from the pup had the blond up from his vulture-like crouch and hovering over his Croco whose brows were furrowed up in concern.
"Hey, Lu Sweetness, what's wrong?" Doflamingo crooned, not at all used to that sort of sound from his baby.
"I think it's too cold for him." Crocodile mumbled, realizing the pup was paler than he should be and beginning to look thoroughly miserable as he curled in on himself, making very distressing 'I'm suffering and uncomfortable' mewls that had Doflamingo visibly anxious. Crocodile, himself, was mildly chilled from the breeze coming straight off of the water.
Doflamingo frowned and pulled his mantle from his shoulders and draped it over Crocodile's. The blond may have hated the cold, but he was more than used to it at that point after living through the North Blue's hard winters. It wasn't anywhere near as cold in BlackJack Coastal as it was back in Spider's Mill. Crocodile was pretty used to sticking to warmer islands in the Grandline, though and Lu rarely went outside anymore since it had gotten colder out. The young alpha's mantle and nice suit had kept him plenty warm for the weather, so Doflamingo hadn't really noticed the chill in the air.
"There you go Treasures!" Doflamingo purred, making sure to pull it around the pair just right so the wind wouldn't be able to bite into them.
"I'll be right back." The blond said, using his string powers to launch himself into the air and onto his ship and returned only a few minutes later with a stunning dark green fur coat draped over an arm and a tiny puffy red and white striped coat along with some teensy mittens and a knitted hat. "for you Pretty.~ I was going to give it to you a little later on, but I think this is the right time, don't you?" Doflamingo purred, beaming at the flustered looking brunet who eyed the coat with clear appreciation and want.
The blond alpha, himself, wasn't much of a fan of the dreary coat. The color definitely wasn't his thing, but the moment Doflamingo saw the pelts being hauled into that shop, while looking for a gift for his pretty…. Well, he knew that no price would prevent him from getting the most luxurious coat made that money could buy, just for his pretty Croco. Possessiveness and obsession and affection welled up in Doflamingo to almost overwhelming levels as he helped his Pretty put his brand new butter-soft coat on.
"Thanks. It's…. nice." Crocodile mumbled, absently petting at the soft pelts with his now free hand.
"Fufu, of course, Pretty!" Doflamingo exclaimed, positively basking in the other's sudden softness. Ugh, his sweet Croco was just too cute!
"Now for you, Sweetness." Doflamingo crooned, cuddling the pup close for a few minutes, who made relieved chirps at the warmth he was able to soak up. Then, plopping down on a nearby bench and began carefully forcing his squirmy little creature into the winter things he brought with him. The man's heart totally train wrecked at how cute his Luffy ended up looking in them! Luffy, of course, looked at him like he had just been totally traumatized and violated, his little arms barely able to flex in the overstuffed oversized jacket. The blond couldn't help but trill and chuff adoringly at the pup, nuzzling and kissing at that cute little face. He pointedly ignored the redness and clear unhappiness his son was glaring him down with, doing his little angry grandpa pout the man had grown to find so endearing, full force.
"Lu~ my cutie pie~ It's not so bad."
"I swear he's going to end up a nudist….. or something close." Crocodile grumbled with a grimace. Though his lips were quirked up in amusement as he finally decided to approach the pair. As much as he tried not to show it, it was easy to tell that the man was having a similar crisis as Doflamingo had only minutes beforehand as the other man froze, wide-eyed, and an involuntary half purr half chirp rasped its way from the man's lips. Even Crocodile's eyes got distinctly intense and 'lovey' at the cute sight Though Doflamingo resolved not to mention it, less he get all weirdly distant and sulky again.
Even if Doflamingo somehow hadn't noticed those behaviors, his smell easily gave the brunet away, taking on a possessive maternal note. The blond forced back a smirk. No matter how much his Pretty fought it, there was no way that he wouldn't end up absolutely loving and worshiping his perfect little Treasure! Doflamingo, himself, only lasted maybe two days before he was so smitten he couldn't imagine life without the pup.
It had been about a month with the various stops they had made since the other man had met Luffy. Only a monster far worse than anything Doflamingo could think up could end up not loving the baby, at least a little bit, by then. There was absolutely no way a good mommy Pretty, like Croco, could have lasted even a few more days than himself. The alpha was sure, especially when it was so easy to smell how much the other man adored the infant.
Doflamingo's chest felt like it would burst when Crocodile let out an amused laugh that had the blond nearly keening at the sweet vision before him. The young alpha couldn't blame him, though, Luffy was being a ridiculous little drama queen, yowling like he was being tortured.
Only minutes after getting suited up, Luffy began to do his pathetic 'Get this off of me, help, I'm trapped and I like my freedom' squeaks and desperate merps to trying to plead his case. It was so damn adorable, especially with Luffy apparently deciding on turning into a limp noodle of utter helplessness. Ugh, his boys were going to make his heart burst if they weren't careful!
"I wonder where that came from?" Crocodile said, pointedly and smirked as Doflamingo had to hold the pup with both hands to prevent him from flopping around.
"This drama? Oh, definitely me! Fufu, my ancestors were a dramatic, passionate bunch and my Lu is no different. Isn't that right my bratty little Treasure?~ Sometimes, we just got to take a stand even if it's against such warm comfy things, silly boy!" Doflamingo teased, laughing as the pup let out the most pathetic keen yet, really trying to work him now. "Now, now Sweetness. Yes, you do to want those on. You just don't know it yet because you are being such a stubborn little thing."
"Not to interrupt, but…. can we get a move on, Doffy? We're starved." Vergo asked. Until then, the pair hadn't even noticed a majority of the executives of both crews had been standing politely to the side, waiting for them.
"Hm, yeah. That's probably a good idea." Crocodile said, side eying the crews. "We'll be able to get Luffy out of those faster too." Crocodile agreed, lips quirking up again as Luffy let out another unhappy wail.
Doflamingo snickered and made an agreeable noise, scooping a still noodly Luffy up and cradling him, still wholly amused by the sad little cries the pup was making.
"Bweehee! I swear he's never going to like clothes!" Trebol exclaimed, as his captain approached. The crew had already suspected what was going on, familiar with Luffy's indignant 'I'm wearing clothes and I hate it' cries. So everyone either didn't pay it any mind, were exasperated by the baby's stubbornness, or were amused.
A few of Crocodile's crewmates hadn't been on Doflamingo's ship enough to have learned what such sounds meant yet, on the other hand, and were incredibly tense. When they heard the other crew go on about the pup in a completely unbothered fashion, they were confused and a little upset.
"Sir?" Daz finally said, tone questioning, after a few minutes of walking and listening to the pup making clearly distressing sounds. Bentham making anxious sounds next to him even though he didn't do his usual, butting in behavior, which was odd in itself.
"He's fine. Our Lu just likes to complain a lot when he doesn't like something!" Diamante said, smirking self importantly, down at them.
Jora nodded her head and signed, looking mildly pained. "Yes, Lu-Lu just hates clothes for some reason. I just hope he grows out of that eventually."
"Especially with winter coming," Gladius said agreeably.
Machvice made an agreeable noise. More focused on the food than Luffy at that moment.
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Deciding that he didn't like the angle he was laying at with all of the new loud and shiny things all around Luffy had squirmed and babbled in irritation until Doflamingo readjusted him so he could sit up and look around. Big eyes darted everywhere as the infant eagerly took everything in. "Interesting, huh, Treasure? Lots of shiny things all over here isn't there?"
The Pup wiggled, trying to figure out how to move his arms in the big fluffy thing. Those attempts were abandoned and Luffy let out a distressed sound, merping, when the scent of freshly made food caught his attention as he was carried through the massive casino/hotel combo. "You don't need to get so worked up, Luffy.~ You'll get food soon." Doflamingo crooned soothingly… or at least in a way that was soothing to Luffy and rub at the pup's back a little, trying to calm him down.
Doflamingo had felt strangely on edge since walking into the building. Getting incredibly tense feeling when a group of cloaked people passed through. One, in particular, froze up as the blond spoke to his pup and suddenly dark eyes were staring them down, his sweet Lu, in particular, looking incredibly spooked. What had that been all about? It was a good thing that the crews' escort had shown up because a very aggressive growl was just on the tip of Doflamingo's tongue and made his chest feel tight and uncomfortably heavy. Something felt off in a way that made the blond anxious. If that person came anywhere near them, he would obliterate them.
Once they were far enough away, Doflamingo forced himself back to smiling and having a good time. Unable to help himself, he chinned his Treasure a few times for good measure, feeling significantly more relaxed once he did so. They all chatted amicably between each other, the good mood picking back up.
Buffalo, the exuberant alpha pup, happily bounced around everyone, talking a mile a second to an attentive Bentham. Happily smiling as the man agreed to take him to see the strange Zeppelin thing, that he had heard you could take a ride into the other side of the island. Doflamingo usually just let the kids following his crew run wild as he didn't really normally feel enough affection to care. This island was a lot more dangerous than most, though, with the slave trafficking that sometimes went on. That, and Crocodile, hadn't exactly been happy with the idea of allowing a kid to run around on his own, especially on an unfamiliar island.
Doflamingo was fine with that decision, though. He had invested quite a bit of time and energy into the pup already and was beginning to feel some fondness for him. The man could tell already, that the boy was going to make a good family member. Besides, Doflamingo liked seeing the previously abandoned boy happy and he was incredibly so, that is, until they met the abusive, neglectful bastard that was Buffalo's father only feet from the hotel elevator leading up to their feast.
Just seeing the man had a clear negative effect on the 10-year-old as he quickly ducked his head down and looked ready to cry, just at seeing the man. Pink easily coaxed the pup in to tell him who the man was, but Doflamingo knew right away, the very moment he saw the strong reaction. This man had hurt his found family. A pup at that. Such a person couldn't be allowed to go without Doflamingo's divine punishment, thus was the law of the Donquixote Family. Though he hadn't expected the man to end up being what he was. Doflamingo couldn't wait to utterly destroy the piece of filth. To make him cry and break him beneath his feet. The blond's smile was jagged, a toothy evil thing.
End Chapter 8
Notes:
So here is the next chapter I hope everyone enjoys. I am not 100% happy with it, but I spent a while on it and couldn't really figure out how to write it in a way that I would be 100% happy. I really enjoy writing Crocodile, Luffy, and Doflamingo's interactions. Croco needs all the love! :D
So really stuck, should I have Garp or Dragon show up soon? (It is really important)
Also, any ideas on what Shank's secondary gender should be? (Although I have a lot of people being alphas it doesn't mean that Omegas can't be either) I have been thinking about it for a while, but it is a little hard to decide. Luffy will eventually have a similar interaction as he did in the manga with him, which is his catalyst to want to eventually be a pirate on his own someday and be pirate king.
What does everyone want to see at BlackJack Coastal?
Please review, you guys/gals, give me my best ideas and really help move this story along! Thank you! 😊
Also, just so everyone knows, I may take about 2 weeks again for the next chapter because I'm swamped with school work, including a 3 page comic I have to make, but I am going to try and schedule out times that I write so we can have regular updates.
Chapter 10: Buffalo wings and crying things, aren't these things Dreams are made of
Notes:
This chapter ended up being 8002 words long without author's notes. Sorry for the long wait school has been crazy and I am going through some pretty major health issues.
I have some pretty exciting news coming up and in the notes below
I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 9
"Buffalo, you're still living, eh? Ugly little thing, like a damn cockroach!... Can't seem ta' get the hint." A man, nearly the size of Diamante, growled, swaying a little with a half-empty wash bucket-sized bottle between his meaty palms. "Can't believe that's my spawn!" He spat.
Standing before the crew was a well proportioned and very handsome man with thick glossy wiry black curls to his shoulders, pecan colored skin, and cheekbones like razor edges. He was a man that definitely stood out as exotic even in a place like Blackjack Coastal. The man had the types of looks one expected from a guy that could charm his way into getting anything he wanted. Too bad, he came off as feeling like such a slimeball. Just standing near him would have a lot of people feeling a bit sick to their stomach.
Other than the boy's dark hair and his skin being a bit darker than the usual in all but on a few isolated islands in the far southern part of the North Blue, (The North Blue being known for far colder weather than the other blues and the majority of the population being lighter-skinned blonds and lighter haired brunets with blue eyes) the two couldn't have come off as any more different. But that wasn't what had caught Doflamingo's attention. No. It was the two strange little antennae-like balls that the man clearly had tried hiding with his hair and cloak that was lumpy and tightly wound around the man's whole body. It may have fooled others, but it hadn't fooled him. The blond had thought Buffalo had smelled a bit strange, the man's sense of smell better than most, the fact the boy was absolutely obsessed with flying things made more sense to. The man was a Sky Person. Buffalo wasn't full-blooded like this man. He had no wings.
The more the man talked, the more Doflamingo's bloodthirst itched and scratch and knawed at him to the point he had trouble even thinking. Especially when the man began blatantly belittling and demanding that the absolutely destroyed looking, clearly terrified boy to leave them alone. Telling Buffalo to get his ass away from them, as apparently, he was the one that would decide if they wanted anything to do with the pup! How dare the worm insult his family and, in turn, Doflamingo himself? If he hadn't wanted the boy around, then he would have been long dead or left to the Hell he had been suffering through already! Especially after taking his Treasure.
"Excuse me? Who the Hell do you think you are, you slimy bastard? Talking to a goddamn scared kid like that, especially one you abandoned! If we didn't want the brat around, he sure as Hell wouldn't be! Now, If you don't get a' move on in the next 5 seconds, I'm going to shove my hook so far up your ass you'll be tasting shit and ass till your dying breath. Got it?" Crocodile snarled, recovering before everyone else had the chance to and stalking forward before the others could snatch up the opportunity themselves. There wasn't a shortage of takers either.
The man snorted, a disgusted grimace twisting up his face and rage tore jagged lines down his chin. "Boy, you been telling these people lies about me?! I kept you alive out of the goodness of my heart, I fed you, clothed you, had to look at…. That," The man-made an up and down gesture at the boy, "for 8 whole years all on my own because you were the last piece of my beautiful Chickina. Then you had to just keep getting uglier and uglier and now I've raised such an ungrateful bastard that he lies about his own father?!" The cruel smirk that had been twisting up the man's face, growing larger and larger with each sniffle and trembling suppressed sob the boy made quickly screwed up into terror and agony as that promised hook was suddenly in his mouth. It threatened to pierce him through like a caught fish and the taste of blood had him sitting perfectly still even while his body screamed with pain as he was forced to the ground, Crocodile grinding his heel into his groin, gleefully.
"What did I just tell you, you slimy little puke? If I say something, you better listen, got it? I tell you to leave, you leave, I tell you to bark, you bark, if I tell you to jump you say yes sir and thank you so much because your god damned happy to do it even if I tell you to do it till the day you die or to jump in a fucking pit full of hungry gators, got it? You arrogant prick, I'm your fucking god and savior and anything else a sleazy little worm like you can come up with. I'm not some simpering little bastard that rolls belly up for you just because you've got a pretty face and a bad attitude cuz' a wimp like you doesn't have what it takes to breathe the same air as me, let alone do you have any right to ignore me." Crocodile hissed.
The man squeaked, snot and tears freely flowing from his face as Crocodile gave the man another sharp jab of his heels.
"Don't you be looking at that boy with those poison eyes!" The brunet sniped, snapping his fingers in front of the man's face to get his attention. "Not the smartest, is he brat?" Crocodile snorted, flashing Buffalo a snarky grin. The boy gave him a look between bewildered and starstruck as he hunched, being cuddled by a crooning Bentham, who was over 2 feet shorter.
Like the other adults in the group, Bentham was watching his captain with bulging eyes. His fingers paused their soothing circling motion on the alpha pup's back before he remembers to start up again. The only one not eyeing the surly man in shock was, of course, well, Doflamingo, who was grinning ear to ear and looking like he was ready to jump his Croco's bones. Positively stinking of want and blood lust. Then just murder, once Buffalo's father let out a particularly pathetic squeal that had Luffy bursting out into tears and had the infant merping out demands of reassurance, burying his face into Doflamingo's favorite suit.
"Oh, it's okay, Sweetness! No, no, It's just mommy being his gorgeous, wonderful self protecting our family—nothing to get worked up about Treasure.~" Doflamingo crooned, cupping Luffy to his face just like he knew the pup loved and nuzzled his chin against him. "Yes, Mamma's going to kill that filthy piece of dog shit, yes he is!~" The man cooed, letting out a chuff for good measure. "He'll rip him into itty bitty pieces!"
"Don't you be stinking of wanting dick while holding the brat, creepy Flamingo bastard!" Crocodile hissed, glaring threateningly at the blond. They'd need to have a conversation about what was appropriate to say around and to children once he had finished up as well. No way was that man going to warp that angel of a baby anymore that the poor thing already would be just by being raised by the crazy bastard!
Seeing the positively depraved grin Doflamingo flashed Crocodile, Senior Pink cleared his throat and spoke up, realizing no one else, but, maybe the new Bentham fellow would end up saying anything. And he had stepped up to settle Buffalo down. "There are children present. Maybe we should get them fed before dealing with the trash and…. Not involving my nephew in bedroom talk, sirs?"
That immediately had Crocodile growling under his breath and shooting daggered looks at Doflamingo. Bedroom talk? What kind of shit was that? He just didn't want the bird's disgusting lust stink all over his cute-urg-the cute little brat is all! Cuddl-holding him and the pup smelling like that. He'd have to knock some teeth out of the smiling fool! Stinking poor Luffy up in such a gross way, Probably completely covering up Crocodile's, clearly, much better smell…. Not that he cared about stupid things like that or that he would ever scent the needy little squirt. That's something parents did and he definitely wasn't in the market to be anyone's mother…. He-he really wasn't and wouldn't ever be! He was an independent man that didn't need any baby or some overly affectionate mate! He was totally happy by himself!
Now more focused on Doflamingo's pouting face and Luffy's affronted realization that he was still very hungry, Crocodile realized that they had a whole crowd of people watching while trying to act like they weren't. Dozens of people walking on by for the sake of seeing what was going on and that irritated him to no end. That and he, to, had just realized that he was equally as hungry as the sniffling pup who was clearly ready to throw a fit of epic proportions if they didn't feed him quickly.
Starting to look irritated himself, all Doflamingo had to do was flick his wrist and a pair of muscly men were standing very proper like at his side. Wearing crisp canary yellow suits and ridiculous looking bowler hats far too small for their heads. Crocodile couldn't believe he hadn't noticed them before. Where had they even been hiding?
The men immediately gathered up the bastard at Crocodile's feet and politely explained that he would be waiting for them whenever they were ready in Doflamingo's exclusive suite for unwanted guests. Whatever that was… Not that it wasn't easy to infer… How many people pissed the guy off enough to have his own torture room at a casino weeks from home? The brunet felt that maybe he should be feeling more concerned than he was, but Luffy's old man pout and hungry merps and the pink idiot's sweet-talking was hard not to focus on. The guy making such a dumbass of himself snuggling and crooning to that brat so lovingly. Someone that wasn't Crocodile, maybe would have even called it cute.
After that, some weird hooded people nearly had to be threatened to scram after they lingered longer than Crocodile was willing to tolerate. He didn't say anything, but made sure to stare them down so they knew that he knew they were there and very much unappreciated. Especially when one of them was clearly staring at Luffy. Well, that just ruffled him all wrong and it wasn't because he was feeling anything short of normal adult protectiveness over a helpless familiar pup or anything. Luffy wasn't his baby! Besides, what kind of creep stared at an infant like that anyway?
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The family practically dove into the plush maroon seating once they finally managed to get to the private eating area. Eagerly piling plates full of food from the smorgasbord of food that sat in the middle of the incredibly long table that they had been presented with. Luffy was in a full out fit at that point. Something that had everyone on edge. The infant seldom got to that level of upset. Wailing angrily about being genuinely very hungry. Something he wasn't used to.
"Lu, oh, Sweetness, Daddy's so so sorry!" Doflamingo crooned, his face no longer lit up in the shit-eating grin he was so well known for. He positively stunk of irritation and anxiety as he frowned at his pup. "Where is the water I ordered?" Doflamingo snarled, tone edging on dangerous as he eyed the trembling man bringing in a tray with a bucket of wines, some Scotch, and Whiskey.
Why were they bringing that crap? He hadn't ordered any alcohol!…. He hadn't ordered any alcohol?… When was the last time he had ever done that? Had he ever? Ugh, that didn't matter. What mattered was his poor sweet boy was upset and hungry and sad and emotions Doflamingo rather not feel were getting quite the grip on him.
Memories that the blond rather keep long-buried were trying to dig right up through his brain matter and seep into his eyes like a Den Den Mushi projector, flashes of horrible hunger and terrible cold and memories of a disgusting garbage-filled dump prickling at him. The more anxious Luffy became, the worse it got until it had the blond alpha gritting his teeth so hard they hurt and his dangerous scent had the others around the room trembling, looking ready to duck and dive at a seconds notice. Eying the man with large fearful eyes.
Instead of the young beta that had brought in the drinks with trembling hands coming back, an alpha replaced him. One that would usually have peaked Doflamingo's lust at the very least. Around 7 and a half foot tall, shiny wavy black hair, a handsome face, and heavily lidded almost charcoal-colored gray eyes, a good bit of muscle and a smooth perfect face except for a small scar across the man's lips. Carrying a whole pitcher of water and pretending that he hadn't even noticed the shrieking of a clearly upset and hungry omegan infant as he smiled in clear flirtation at Doflamingo and ignoring all of the warning signs.
This would usually get the Blond all sorts of worked up and hungry for a good time. Grinning and ready to pull himself out there and then, but a lot had changed in the near year's time since he had been back to Blackjack Coastal and Doflamingo wasn't the least happy with the display. How dare this bastard even think to try enticing him when his sweet little angel was bawling his perfect little eyes out? When his clearly gorgeous perfect Pretty marked by him, so obviously, was right there? What kind of person could do that? Not one he even wanted to be wiping shit off his shoes on, let alone to have looking at him like that, that's for sure! What an asshole!
The blond didn't even give the man a second glance as he darted over to the pitchers of steaming water, quickly pouring a bottle from the book bag that he held Luffy's baby things in, pausing only when he felt a hand on his arm and Croco's scent hit his nose.
"Hey, just…. try to calm down a bit. Take some… uh.. deep breaths…. Alright, Flamingo bastard? Your pheromones are stressing out more than just us." Crocodile said, swallowing, "Remember how Luffy cries if Bentham does, even though….. you know Bentham's happy?" Crocodile said, subconsciously rubbing the blond's trembling arm while looking and sounding painfully awkward. He was so not a comforter. What the Hell was he even doing? Was he doing this, right? Crocodile's scent, although a bit odd, was pumping out calming 'mamma' pheromones like crazy without even realizing it.
Doflamingo found himself not as tense as he took in the other man's smell and saw the concerned look he was flashing the pup….. and him. He felt himself melt a bit at the man's attempt at being comforting. "He's so hungry, but-but I'm a good father!" Doflamingo emphasized. Tone anxious.
"Damn it, you weirdo! Why would you even think that someone was going to accuse you of not being a good dad? You're stressed out because you are a good dad, idiot! I was just going to steal the brat from you so you could make the bottle easier. I'd be pissed if you dropped him while you're so damn worked up. He'd whine even worse!" Crocodile grumbled. That was exactly why he wanted the pup and not because the blond and the pup's combined stress was nearly sending him into an anxiety attack or anything.
Doflamingo's ridged shoulders relaxed ever so slightly and his deadly sneer softened into a somewhat tense affectionate look. His Croco was so so sweet! That's right, Croco was his Lu's new mommy. That meant that he was there to help love and take care of his Sweetness when he was having a hard time. "Being upset when Lu is already so unhappy probably isn't the best." The alpha agreed after a few moments, reluctantly handing the pup over. His ears still ringing from those loud sorrowful cries that seemed never ending.
The pup hungrily rooted as Doflamingo began making his bottle. Getting an embarrassed huff from Crocodile when he nuzzled at the man's chest with a demanding cry. "Shh, it's alright Lu. I know, I know." He brunet signed, rearranging the still bundled infant away from chest level and closer to his scent glands. Trying his best to ignore the painful squeezing in his chest at the hungry cries the pup was making.
"This is too hot!" Doflamingo snarled, barely controlling himself from the urge to throw the bottle at the awkwardly standing attendant.
"I-Sir I was just told that I was supposed to bring water that was heated for drinking. I-I thought it was for tea or something!" The man hurriedly explained, looking completely out of his element.
"I said it needed to be body temperature! Not so hot I'd burn my own mouth on it! Are you trying to kill my Luffy?" Doflamingo snarled.
The man yelped as he felt himself suddenly walking on his own and reaching out for the pitcher of heated water. "What-I-I please stop!"
"Young Master, we can just add some cold water from this pitcher over here," Jora said, grimacing as she held up the crystal clear pitcher.
Seeing everything getting totally out of control, Crocodile made a noise of agreement. Before the brunet alpha could start screaming in terror like he clearly was about to do, he needed to get that shit show under control. He was starving and clearly, Doflamingo wasn't thinking straight. "Yeah, let's just let this one slide….. We're all starving and tired. Let's just make him leave and feed poor Luffy. Good parents focus on their kid's needs right?" Crocodile said, wanting to deescalate things before the whole trip could blow up and a man could end up splattered across everyone or end up screaming on the floor. It wasn't only unnerving and annoying for something like that to happen, but there were kids in the room. He wasn't going to let any more torture and bludgeoning occur in front of those boys if he could help it. They were pirates, yes, but Luffy couldn't even walk yet, so it was more than a bit much. Even as awful as the crew he grew up with could be, they tried keeping stuff at that level to a minimum for at least his first couple of years…. And well, he still wouldn't call himself a shining example of mental health or anything. Crocodile's words immediately got Doflamingo's attention and a delighted, almost love-struck grin stretched its way across the blond's face.
"Taking care of our baby together!~" Doflamingo purred, his stress and rage quickly getting under control enough that he completely forgot about the man and did just as Jora suggested, mixing some cold water in with the warm that he already had in the bottle. His poor sweet baby's cries getting so loud everyone felt almost dizzy from the horrible noise.
"Here you go, Treasure." Doflamingo crooned. Shoving the tit into the pup's mouth over a frazzled looking Crocodile's shoulder. Everyone signed in relief as the pup settled and the blond acted like a near murder and nervous breakdown hadn't happened at all. No one was willing to bring up the topic, so they went on with eating like nothing had even happened at all. The man was set free after some reminding from Diamante and the food was quickly passed around.
"Is that better little glutton?" Doflamingo cooed sweetly as he took Luffy back, cradling him in one arm as he guzzled his bottle down with hungry sucks and expertly ate with his free hand purring at the much-improved scent of a happy pup wafted from the infant.
"See? He's fine. He was just a bit crabby, is all." Crocodile grumbled and leaned over to watch Luffy smiling a little. His eyes quickly turned to daggers and snapped over to Bentham when he heard an audible Awwwing and caught the man gushing over the three of them. Damn traitor! Acting like he'd gone soft just because he wasn't being a total ass! Him being nicer didn't mean anything! He could be nice! He could! It didn't mean anything special!
"I don't like him unhappy. Lu-Lu's such a sweet thing I just want to kill anything that upsets him even a little! Fufu~" Doflamingo exclaimed, giving the infant a kiss on the cheek before taking another bite of steak. He lit up when the pup lazily pulled away from his nearly empty bottle and beamed up at him, making a chirpy little burble that had the man positively melting. "My Sweetness, happy now that you aren't starving? Fufu, my poor Treasure, so hungry and made to wear clothes and just so manhandled today. So trying wasn't it? Daddy'll make sure to make up for it all.~" The man crooned, wiping at his son's face before he could rub his formula coated mouth on him just like he was sure the pup was planning on doing. He was such a little sneak when messy. "Do you need some help with that, Pretty?" Doflamingo asked, eyeing a frustrated looking Crocodile trying to work open a roll.
The man grimaced, glancing over at the others that he knew were all too interested in watching them. Before giving a quick reluctant nod. Sputtering and growling a 'not here' when the blond chuffed and planted a kiss on his forehead with a sly smirk before plopping Luffy in his lap, being careful to cage him in with his legs, then grabbed the basket of rolls and began buttering them with more zeal then necessary.
Luffy, of course, made an alarmed little squeak at suddenly no longer being able to see his family anymore, surrounded by legs on either side. He didn't like it! Luffy liked being high up in his daddy's arms and being able to see all of his Uncles and Auntie and his new people, especially his super special safe smelling nice one with the rumbly voice! Where was he? He could hear them all and smell them, all of his most favorite people, but all he saw was his daddy and he wasn't cuddling him right! Luffy let out an insistent merp for attention, trying to figure out where everyone was, then a questioning peep when he continued on being ignored, big dark eyes looking around the best they could. Then he heard someone say his name, the loud one that talked to him a lot, grumbled at Daddy who made the nice noises that shook his body and a warm hand patted his head for a moment before leaving him.
Luffy pouted, irritated at that point by the lack of affection. Then daddy began to say things to him, using his name and words he knew like Good-boy and His and Daddy and Love and the new good word he used when talking about his new person that Luffy loved so much, Mommy, but he still didn't pick him up like he wanted and his 'mommy' person didn't either and Luffy still couldn't see his special people.
The dark-haired infant shrunk in on himself a little at all of the unfamiliar smells and the lack of attention quickly began to feel isolating and lonely and the pup couldn't stand either of those feelings. A warbly mewl making it's way out of Luffy and he was suddenly being scooped up by hands smaller than daddy's and was petted and cuddled just right. Now incredibly happy Luffy mewed and enthusiastically nuzzled his head into the man's soothing patting hand. Realizing that he no longer smelled like him, Luffy butted his head against the man's buttoned suit jacket. All of his special people should always smell like him, especially this one! His uncle, that smelled of interesting good things and wore smooth, comfy things. Luffy liked him a lot. Especially when he showed him the pretty swirly blue stuff. He was so happy that the man had picked him up. The pup had begun to feel so sad and lonely when his daddy hadn't paid attention to him. Not even his new special person hadn't listened to him! It had really hurt his feelings!
"Pink, you didn't have to take him away! I just wanted you to hold him for a second, so he wasn't feeling so anxious. You know how he gets if someone isn't holding him." Doflamingo pouted. Eying the infant enthusiastically rubbing his perfect little face on the other man. Luffy was just the sweetest cutest little thing. It wasn't fair that Pink would get to have all of that love focused on him just because he had to stop cuddling Luffy for a few minutes to help his Pretty butter and cut some things up! Though as long as he didn't chirp at the other man, then he could maybe tolerate it.
The blond watched on as the pup made a happy little sound as Pink gave in and swiftly chinned his insistent nephew back. Doflamingo was positively sulking once Pink's lips turning up into the slightest smile at Luffy's delighted little mews and squeaks. Doflamingo was very happy that Luffy loved all of his family so much and he loved that his found family positively adored his Treasure so so much but he wasn't supposed to nuzzling and cuddling them right now and especially not wanting to be scent marked or to be scent marking anyone but his daddy after the drama that had happened earlier!
"He doesn't smell like any of us anymore. Let us love on our only nephew before you hog him again!" Diamante insisted, smirking at the sulky looks he was getting from not only a very openly pouting Doflamingo, but a glaring Crocodile, to. Didn't love their Lu-Lu, his ass! No one with any semblance of emotion could resist such an adorable, precious face, not even Vergo could resist and that guy was as expressive as a tree stump! Crocodile clearly was in denial. Diamante may have been doubtful of having the other man and his crew join their family and to have that man anywhere near their Lu, especially when Doffy began calling him the pup's mother, but he was more than convinced after the display earlier that their captain and the man were soulmates! He made not only Doffy so incredibly happy but Lu to. Crocodile needed to just give up resisting and submit to Doffy's rule.
Surely, seeing the way they lived and how much they enjoy themselves and how happy they all were, Crocodile had to realize he would be so much happier himself if he just gave in! And clearly, Luffy liked him. He even let Crocodile carry him around without Doffy nearby! The man positively reeked of maternal pheromones anytime he even glanced at the pup, not that he would know that, but he did. Clearly, they all needed to do their part in helping their Doffy and Lu chain him down if Doffy wasn't going to do it himself.
Doflamingo was too in love for his own good. If he didn't assert his dominance, then how did he expect to keep Crocodile from heading back to the Grandline? Both Lu and Doffy would be so devastated and they wouldn't have that happen. Not only that, but they had all grown quite attached to Bentham, the man was a perfect addition to the family and was so good with Lu. Which although irritating, Diamante couldn't stand the idea of Lu-Lu calling for his new auntie and getting hurt because he didn't understand why the young man wasn't there. Waiting to scoop the infant up and pepper his face with kisses while smiling that idiotic smile of his. On top of all of that, Daz was so much fun to spar against!
"Yeah, Doffy! You're both hogging him too much now! I want to see my Lu-Lu more!" Trebol exclaimed, wagging his finger at the blond scoldingly before he snatched up a brat with some tongs and practically drown it in spoonfuls of spiced mustard.
Bentham made a noise of agreement, watching Luffy's enthusiastic looking snuggling and reassured, looking around at his family. Giving the boy a melted expression. He felt like he was struck through the heart when the pup focused on him then gave him one of his precious full-faced grins, all full of gums and shiny adoring trusting eyes. Both pups crying earlier had absolutely broken his heart and he was glad that they were both now in such good moods. They were such good babies!
"I want to take Lu with us to see the Zeppelin!" Buffalo insisted between bites, beaming at the thought and rocking in his seat.
"That would be fun, getting to spend time with my wonderful nephews! Maybe we can get a treat to? Perhaps an ice cream? I'm sure a place like this has to have some good ice cream! I heard that this island also has a museum dedicated Flying contraptions and warships and it has a race track that you can drive those car things around on and win money from. I'm not that into gambling but doesn't that sound fun?" Bentham said, grinning just as happily as Luffy as he thought about all of the fun things he could do with the pups in the next few days. Though…. Maybe not the racing thing, at least not with Luffy, but it would be fun to watch with Buffalo, who practically vibrated in his seat eagerly exclaiming that they had to see all of it. He more than felt that Buffalo needed and deserved the extra love and attention after what he had been put through earlier.
"Bringing Luffy on one of those flying bags of air?! Crocodile guffed, smelling incredibly stressed. He huffed as he watched Luffy grab at Vergo's wiggling finger. The pup making that strangely endearing huffing laugh of his that sounded more like a mischievous snicker and he was suddenly feeling irritated. The brunet narrowed his eyes, ugh, Luffy was going to stink like them! "He's too young. What if something happens? Besides, wouldn't it be best if I kept watch of him? I'm a Logia type, in case anything happens, I'm less likely to get injured and he doesn't like the bird or I away from him for long." Crocodile grumbled.
"Oh, well, I'm sure he would be alright for a few hours, captain!" Bentham said, fully knowing he was stirring the pot at that point as he forced himself not to smile at the man's terrible attempt at pretending he wasn't painfully possessive of the pup already….. and didn't already practically love the infant more than life itself. Clearly, Doflamingo didn't have such issues as he nearly swooned next to the man. Though Crocodile was too busy with glaring jealously over the infant not loving on and fawning over him. Bentham suspected his captain didn't even realize he was doing it.
Ugh, to have a love like that, so cute!~ Annoying his captain was for his own good. Hopefully, he would embrace this family that Doflamingo wanted so badly for them. He may not have been a good guy and not exactly to Bentham's liking, but he treated his captain with so much genuine love, even if it was sort of obsessive. Doflamingo may not have known him long, but he loved and trusted and respected Bentham's captain enough that he wanted to be a real family with him. Insisting that Crocodile was his son's mother and was patient and more than willing to put up with his tendency to lash out and his coldness.
The man treated Bentham's captain as someone beautiful and like a normal person, like a beloved mate, not a freak or sex object like so many people would have. Doflamingo and his crew treated all of them like normal people. He was just Bentham or Bon to them. He was the fun aunt and Bon was proud of who he was and refused to change who he was as a person just because of convention's sake, he didn't give a crap what others said or thought of him even if they hadn't liked him. Life wasn't worth living if you couldn't be yourself is what the man believed with all of his heart and soul. It was still nice to be treated like he wasn't some perverse freak for being himself, though. Like he and the rest of the crew were what they were, normal people with some things that set them apart from the general public simply because they weren't a bunch of cookie-cutter people. Well… Zala could be a little…. Eehh, but he wasn't going to judge as long as he didn't have to see her bedroom habits. It wasn't his place to judge.
"We are going to the room once we're done here. Luffy will probably want a nap and I could use one too. We can start to do stuff tomorrow…. After dealing with our other issue." Crocodile all but ordered the pink mantle wearing man, though he was still eying pink holding Luffy. "If we are going to stay here for more than a couple of days, I'm going to need some warmer clothes. Luffy will need a few more things to. Maybe dressing him in layers will be easier than something like that jacket of his since he hates being constrained so much?" Crocodile pointed out, his lips quirking up as memories of Luffy's indignant caterwauling and his impression of an overcooked noodle flashed through his head. The urge to snatch him up becoming even stronger.
"Fufufu, Whatever you like Croco!~" Doflamingo readily agreed, eager to get to spend time with and show off their new little family unit. Luffy and his lovely Crocodile and himself. It was so so perfect and he was so happy to have both of them all to himself. Belonging to him, loving him just like he loved them! He dreamed about having a family of his very own since he was a boy trapped in this scum filled Hell with the humans. As much as it pained him, it was doubtful that his Croco was quite as in love with Doflamingo as he was with his Pretty, yet. With his cold and conscious nature, though surely he had to be getting there after his sweetness earlier. Even his complaints were starting to feel more like grouchy old man grumbles and less like the man was actually bothered by what he was going on about. Though that was just another thing that was so endearing about the man to the alpha!
Doflamingo couldn't think of anything he didn't find cute or bewitching about him other than maybe his self-image issues. Which just made him angry and hurt for him. If he ever found whoever hurt his Pretty like that, they would long beg for death before he would even consider allowing it.
The satisfied look on Crocodile's face and scent he emitted told Doflamingo that he had said exactly the right thing. Which, of course, made Doflamingo incredibly happy. Giving Crocodile the illusion of total control helped to keep him calm and comfortable and more receptive to him and Luffy. If he got so much in return for letting his Pretty order him around sometimes, something Doflamingo hadn't even really minded in the first place so far, then why wouldn't he? Besides, the blond was very picky about smells and sleeping places. It would take at least a few hours of scenting the place again after so long before he would feel comfortable.
Although The young alpha hadn't acted like he was paying much attention, he had observed Crocodile plenty already to be able to tell that he was just as bad if not worse about it. Even Luffy was starting to develop the trait. Just another thing that Doflamingo found incredibly endearing about the infant. Smelling so much like his daddy even after baths. It was like his scent was soaked into the infant's skin. Knowing that Luffy wasn't his. He was so happy to have Crocodile's scent mixing so perfectly with his own now. To fantasize that their precious boy was birthed by his Pretty. Looking so much like him with those big dark eyes and pretty dark hair and lovely soft features. Even when Luffy got grouchy and annoyed, it reminded Doflamingo of the man.
"You about finished?" Crocodile grouched, wanting Luffy back in his arms instead of passed around like a bowl of good potato salad. He had gone from Senior Pink to Vergo and now was being held by Diamante, who had stolen him away from a very confused looking Vergo. This all going on in a span of only a few minutes.
Doflamingo snickered under his breath before deliberately taking the slowest bite possible of his steak.
"Don't you be messing with me like that! You have two bites left! Eat them like an adult before I steal the brat and banish you to the ships for the whole trip!" Crocodile scolded.
"Fufu, you wouldn't do that!~" Doflamingo said, smirking at the other man his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.
"You wanna' try me?" Crocodile growled, raising an eyebrow at the other man.
Doflamingo's smirk dimmed quite a bit after that, along with the smug look he was wearing.
"That's what I thought!" Crocodile said almost playfully as he watched the blond plop both bites of meat into his mouth and hardly swipe his mouth with his napkin before standing up. Immediately guffing and going red-faced as Doflamingo took the opportunity to give him a peck on the lips all sweet like. The bastard!
"What are we waiting for Pretty? I thought that if I didn't start acting like an adult and hurry up that I'd have to sleep on the ship? Kissing my Pretty is very adult-like, isn't it? Fufu, Or did I need to add some more tongue?" Doflamingo asked, tone sweet almost innocent-sounding, but the grin on his face and swiping tongue were wicked as they came and grin sharper than any razor.
Crocodile growled under his breath. Growing redder when Bentham scolded them about children being present. "Alright, alright, Luffy'll be up all night if we don't get him settled now. Especially with his weird scenting thing he does. I mean, what pup that can't even walk yet, has to scent mark all the time? I mean, the needing to always be marked was odd enough on it's own, but the kid marks everything in sight!" Crocodile pointed out, trying to ignore the disgustingly endeared fluttery feeling he got even thinking about it. Someone else may have thought the quirky trait was adorable, but he wasn't that person.
"Not anything! Our Lu has reasonable standards! He just marks things and people that he adores and loves most.~" Doflamingo scuffed, sounding almost offended that the brunet would imply that his little Treasure would show that much possessiveness and affection to just anyone or anything. He didn't need to cheapen the wonderful bond that Luffy had with either of them. Especially him. The pup was his pride and joy and life! Destined to be his perfect little son before he was even born!
Luffy let out an affronted squeak when Jora tried to take him from Bentham, happily snuggling with the enthusiastic man who had managed to snatch him from Diamante before anyone else when the man got up to go to the restroom. The woman then went on about how the man had stolen the love of her nephew from her in an overly dramatic fashion that no one was particularly impressed with. Thankfully, they didn't have to listen to it for long as Crocodile demandingly held his hand out for the pup, ignoring the pouts of the other crewmates. He swore; even Daz looked a bit disappointed! Ugh, grown men getting all pathetic and gooey-eyed over an infant, how embarrassing!
Once Luffy realized his new special person was there and wanting to hold him, he made eager grabby hands, chirping and trilling excitedly, urging the man to pick him up and to show him affection. The table instantly went quiet as everyone eyed the grinning pup with bulging eyes.
"Did little master just?-" Jora sputtered, eying the pup then a shocked looking Crocodile. "For Master Crocodile?"
Luffy looked around, confusion clear as day in those wide eyes as he looked around at his suddenly quiet family, all looking at him with expressions he didn't recognize. He let out an amused huffing giggle at the silly looks, then focus back on 'mommy' as 'daddy' called him. Letting out an affectionate trilling chirp, eager to get his, nice, safe smelling person to cuddle him.
Crocodile's face went about 5 shades of red even as at least a dozen delighted raspy chirps and half chuffs rattled his chest, his scent possessive and adoring and incredibly maternal in all the most dangerous ways. "I-I think it's time for a nap Lu." The man managed to choke out. Not even irritated with himself for stuttering. He scooped the pup up and, ignoring Doflamingo's half-surprised half swooning, storming past him to the hallway where their escort was waiting and barked orders to take him to Doflamingo's suite, absently nuzzling at the ecstatic smelling pup.
Once he got to the suite, he commanded the man to head back to wait for the rest of the family and to leave him be. He laid Luffy on the massive plush bed in the middle of the bedroom, ignoring the annoyed grunt the pup made at being set down so quickly and worked on removing his hook. An instinct he hadn't given into for years was too strong to ignore and as much as he tried to calm down, Crocodile couldn't help but feel like he was floating on cloud 9. His Sweet little brat making him feel all of those sickening pathetic things. Making those wonderfully horrible, 'I love you, I'm your baby, don't you love me to?,' Sounds. His smell reflecting that sentiment. Smelling like he was his and claimed and of trusting adoration. The man felt half emotionally wrecked.
Crocodile knew he was such a bastard and a freak and completely unsuited to be a parent, but the thought of never seeing the Luffy again, to having the pup want nothing to do with him. He forced those thoughts away and carefully sat his Mace and hook aside. It hadn't even two months since he met the pup and it had only been about 3 since meeting Doflamingo and it already felt like a lifetime. Before Crocodile's thoughts could devolve, Luffy caught his attention again, rolling onto his belly and letting out an irritated squeak that his person wasn't being loving like he had wanted. Why were his favorite people being so negligent today? Couldn't they hear him? He wanted to love on them and everyone paid attention to everything but him! Did he do something wrong?
Crocodile let out an amused huff, "Give me a second kid." He chided. Slipping off his nice shoes and carefully draping his new fur coat over the back of a nearby chair. Undoing his ascot and doing the same, then his vest. Talking about random things to the pup. He had noticed over the time he had traveled with Doflamingo that the other man did so, especially when Luffy was being particularly needy. The noisy bird was such a nonstop talker that Crocodile suspected that the other man had actually caused the issue with Luffy constantly needing to be talked to if he wasn't being fawned over. The pup had settled right down and was making much calmer attentive little burbles and mews in response to being talked to. It definitely wasn't something that melted a guy like Crocodile's heart.
"Alright, now to find that Flamingo weirdo's stash." Crocodile announced. Looking through each drawer and cabinet in the room until he found a whole cubby full of various kinds of bright colored blankets and pillows. He rolled his eyes at his find. Crocodile had been nearly positive that the other man would have some kind of nesting collection somewhere. Crocodile grimaced at the neon monstrosities that most of them were, but honestly, it was better than literally everything being various shades of blinding pinks. At least there were some nice orange pieces and some white and reds too.
He gathered up as much as he could and tossed it all on the side of the bed Luffy wasn't wiggling around on, like the squirmy little thing he was. Crocodile was unable to help himself when he snickered at the wide-eyed startled 'oof' Luffy made. It was easier to let his guard down when it was just him and Lu. He wondered if that was how Doflamingo felt? Once he grabbed every last thing in the closet the man carefully set to work, carefully layering things and building up the sides to his nest and making sure the softest and most attractive of the neon monstrosities were on full view, carefully rubbing his throat and chin and wrists against the fabric. He made sure to lay Luffy near himself as he moved him around as needed while building until he was finally done.
By the time he was nearly done Crocodile was feeling incredibly calm, calmer than he had without Doflamingo in a long time, not that he would ever admit that the man could ever settle him. He couldn't help but purr near the end of his nest-building and he felt strangely affectionate. Luffy, of course, on hands and knees, had very happily and enthusiastically did all he could to help scent and build the nest. Rubbing his face into the fluffy fabrics and kneading his little hands into the various pieces while letting out delighted chirps while his whole body vibrated with the power of his squeaky purring.
Once that was done Crocodile scooped the pup up and began to thoroughly scent the squirt. Getting rid of the nasty stink of anyone but him on the infant… Well, and Doflamingo, but that stink just wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried removing it. It was so firmly ingrained into the kid's pores that it wouldn't even go away with a bath, it was honestly kind of weird, but he could… tolerate the bastard's smell at least.
Luffy, of course, eagerly chinned him back, always happy to mark all of his favorite people as his. It wasn't long though, before Doflamingo had to show up. That disgusting heart melted look on his face. Then the horrible bastard had to start fawning over the nest he built, praising him and coming inside without being invited once he stripped down. Draping that damn ugly mantle over his new coat, like Crocodile wouldn't realize that he was trying to scent his coat with that ugly thing, and cuddling up to Crocodile and Luffy like they were a mated pair or something! Stinking up his hard made nest with that, 'I'm so happy and I worship you/your mine and mine alone/Protective loving paternal' stink he wouldn't stop letting off. Trying to butter him up like that, the nerve!
It may have only taken Crocodile a few minutes to fall asleep with the brat snuggled into his neck and those annoying octopi limbs all over the place from Doflamingo, but that didn't mean he loved it or was going to gain comfort from them. Not that he even like it, not at all! He hated it, all of it! He was a cold-hearted bastard after all…. Right?
End Chapter 9
So this is one of two main characters for my future Webcomic. I did mess up on his chin and mouth a bit but he was a crappy pencil doodle before this so I think he turned out decent and I have most of the kinks of drawing him figured out now.
Here are my two main characters together in a super quickly drawn digital doodle. Not loving the hair on either of them in this but I just wanted to show them to everyone! :) I love them they are good beans even if Sabaday is practically a feral cat around anyone that he hasn't known for like 10 plus years. I also have some tight sketches of a bunch of the panels done.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/625936208357179 - My group
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/yazzi_daydream/
Notes:
So sorry, this chapter didn't go more in-depth, but I plan to really get into Blackjack Coastal next chapter. Also, Croco floundering over his instincts regarding Luffy just gives me life. They're both such precious beans! Who are the mystery hooded people? Also, can't wait for people to get to see the name I have for Buffalo's dad.
IMPORTANT-Also, did anyone pick up on my little hidden hints for something a bit strange?
Alright, now what would everyone like to see happen? I love suggestions and use them a lot.
IMPORTANT-By the way I apologize for not updating lately. I have had a crazy amount of homework and on top of that I have been having some major health problems recently and I haven't really been talking about much. They are neurological and cause me to have very shaky hands, dizziness, eye issues, weakness, exhaustion and quite a few other issues and it comes and goes and was pretty bad the last few weeks though eased up a bit the last few days. I am getting tests done.
IMPORTANT-I will try to update as much as possible but I just kind of have to go with what my body and schedule allows. I will try to have another chapter up around Thanksgiving. I am excited for December though, because in December, I will definitely have at least one chapter out, I won't promise two because I am starting on a Webcomic and want to at least have 2-3 chapters of it drawn if possible by the end of December(My break starts I think the 14th of December this year and it ends the 11th of January I believe). Still, I am hoping for at least 2 chapters for, 'His Sunflower Smiles' done and suspect without a bunch of homework that I can probably write that much pretty easily.
IMPORTANT-The Webcomic will be about Pirates/the high seas, of course, as One Piece was a big inspiration for the webcomic. I have noticed that there hasn't been nearly enough stuff about pirates. I am thinking about having it be O/B/A with the same kind of dynamics and treatment of the dynamics that I have in this story.
If anyone wants to help me come up with some ideas for it or want to help me with deciding on some of the designs for some of my characters, please visit my Instagram, facebook or even comment ideas on here. If enough people want to vote or comment on them I would be willing to do a poll on who gets in as final designs and who doesn't. As I have said before, ideas are more than welcome on all of my works. Right now, I am trying to figure out how my beans will survive being on a deserted island all alone after being taught pretty much nothing.
Please review you guys/gals really help motivate me and give me the most amazing ideas for my stories and see you all next time!
Chapter 11: Smile like a Crocodile
Notes:
So sorry it took so long to update this. I have been having a lot of health issues that have really been kicking my but the last few months. I also had some writer's block about halfway through and was foolish enough to add an extra class this semester so I am having even more issues with keeping up than I was before with College.
The chapter ended up being 15,018 words, (not including author's notes, so pretty long), so not quite twice the length of what I usually write, but that was giving me issues too. Anyway, Hope everyone enjoys! Also, sorry to anyone I forgot to message back. I was looking through everything today and did notice that I did end up doing that with a few people that were kind enough to give me some feedback on this chapter when I had writer's block.
I did take things that people said to me into account while writing this chapter, though. I had interned to message back and I really wasn't feeling great for about a week and honestly totally forgot. I will write these things down in the future to remind myself. I really appreciated all of the input and help I was given! I really don't want any of you to think that I didn't so Thank you all so much!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 10
Crocodile woke muggy-headed and pleasantly warm, though confused as to why he had woke up. The man rubbed his eyes and smiled a little at how good he felt. Even his stump wasn't feeling too bad and the pain was usually at Its worse as for the brunet as he was going to sleep and right as he was waking up. As the first one up, for once, Crocodile expertly detangled himself from the surrounding blankets and sat up, his arms automatically going to wrap themselves around Luffy.
The man's eyes jerked open when his arms met nothing but naked torso. His pup wasn't nestled into him anymore. How did that even happen? He wasn't exactly the heaviest sleeper in the world. "What the-" Crocodile grumbled under his breath. Why was he even freaking out like that? He'd just snatch him back from the stupid bird. Who did that idiot think he was, stealing the brat from him like that?! Huffing under his breath, the man turned to where Doflamingo was laying or… well, should have been laying. All that was laying in the blond's place was an oversized, ugh, flamingo-shaped pillow saturated in the alpha's scent. It had clearly been drenched to 'comfort' Crocodile. The nerve of that bird bastard! Like he needed or wanted anything like that! Where was Luffy? That's who he…. Needed to sooth… something? Anxiety spiked through the brunet in a way he couldn't remember feeling since he was a young, insecure pup. Where was he? Where was he?! Where was his-his where was Luffy?
Crocodile immediately dug through the blankets, instincts demanding he do so and no one was there to judge. Where was Doflamingo? The guy practically had baby radar when it came to Luffy! Why was he feeling so damn overwhelmed? He hadn't had an episode in ages! Grabbing the blankets, Crocodile decided to just toss them feeling more and more frantic in his search as his instincts insisted the pup was still there and rapid-fire thoughts of possibly accidentally dropping or squishing the infant wouldn't leave his mind. Had someone taken the pup? Doflamingo would have at least left a note if he planned to leave with Lu for a bit. Crocodile's observation Haki was far from the best, but it, just like his instincts, kept insisting that the infant was right there. Clearly, that wasn't right, though! Throwing some of the blankets aside with a growl, the brunet froze when he heard an alarmed squeak. Relief hit the man so hard if he let out a shuddered, overwhelmingly happy chirp… well, who was Lu going to tell?
Curled up in the very corner of the nest, near the end of the bed, was a blurry-eyed Luffy. He had apparently been under the main layer of covers. How the hell had he got over there, though? Under there? Doflamingo would have never placed him that far from either of them and if he ever even thought about it, Crocodile would have most definitely have kicked his ass. Anxiety spiked through the man as the realization that Luffy was lucky, especially at his age that he hadn't suffocated under those layers. It could have been a very real possibility and he had just been snoozing away just outside of touching distance from him!
"Lu, what are you doing all the way over there?" Crocodile huffed, calming down a bit as the infant made a needy little burble for the man and immediately aimed tiny grabby hands at his fellow brunet. The moment Luffy was scooped up, he was desperately clinging and nuzzling into the man's chest and trying his best to rub himself against the underside of the older brunet's chin. Making desperate little 'love me' mewls.
"It's alright, Lu. I'm here." Crocodile rasped, rubbing comforting circles against the infant's back. He really wished the pup could tell him how the hell he got over there and where his asshole daddy was. He sighed, "Your so damn demanding and loud 99% of the time and you couldn't have spoken up a bit? Not even a little?" Crocodile grumbled, tone mildly scolding as he pulled the pup away to eye him, getting confused wide, trusting eyes and a questioning little peep. If he were anyone else, Crocodile's heart may have stuttered in his chest, but he wasn't that sort of sentimental weak-willed person, not at all! Maybe…
"Ugh, your attempts at buttering me up don't work! Not at all!" Crocodile mumbled, red-faced as he tucked the pup against himself and ran his chin over the infant's head. To take away the flamingo's stink, of course! It was not at all because he may have suddenly had an even stronger urge to scent him than before or anything…. And Chirping/chuffing was just a totally normal side-effect of interacting with a happy chirpy baby was all! How was the man supposed to resist when Luffy was back to being a criminally adorable chirpy and smiley pup again? Of course, Crocodile's hand was tied! He had no choice but to chirp right back at Lu, only a monster of the worst kind could have resisted the urge!
Luffy let out a content little sound, wiggling a bit before he decided he was comfortably nestled with his head in the crock of the brunet's neck. "You a little sleepy still, Lu? Alright, we can sleep a little longer. Just you and me without that annoying dad of yours stinking us up and trying to take your attention away or doing anything weird to me." The man said, his voice a content rumble. Crocodile smiled as Luffy sleepily snuggled into him. Clearly sniffing at his glands, making pleased little sounds.
"You like my smell Lu?" Crocodile chuckled. He laid himself back into his nest and pulling the blankets back over himself. Careful to not let Luffy slide off as he settled back in. The brunet then tucked the blankets to be just under his chin. Crocodile preferred to sleep that way and it made it easier to be able to cover Luffy's naked little back.
It was far from freezing in the room, thankfully. However, the man still preferred to be practically boiling and Crocodile didn't like keeping the infant uncovered, even if Luffy seemed comfortable. It wasn't that hard to keep the pup from rejecting the blankets as long as he was free to wiggle about and as long as they were at least covering part of his head. The man was very careful to keep the blanket from covering the pup's face. Honestly, an easy task when the infant was always so busy nuzzling beneath one's chin or practically suffocating himself vai shoving his nose into a scent gland. Lovey little thing that he was.
In the last few weeks, Luffy had begun to show a particular love for having his whole body completely covered in blankets and other soft fluffy things, especially if he was completely covered in them with just enough of an air hole he was lucky he didn't suffocate. He probably would have if Doflamingo wasn't such a diligent or well obsessive helicopter parent that hardly put the infant down, to be honest. Crocodile had an inkling that the pup would likely be a burrowing sort of nester. It left both Doflamingo and himself half-amused at the cuteness and half terrified the infant would suffocate to death if they didn't carefully watch him, especially when he got around to moving on his own. No matter what, the situation was unusual. Burrowing nesters weren't exactly common.
Crocodile just hoped that the bird idiot didn't have too many hid'e'holes at his home base for the brat to nest in! The man's ship was already a maze and a half and absolutely massive. They'd never find him and then he'd have to hear the bird bitch about it and worst of all, Crocodile himself, might end up having a heart attack over the runt!
The infant squirmed a little rubbing his face against Crocodile's bare shoulder and let out a lethargic little chirp that was quickly followed up by his signature squeaky purr that started and ended on repeat, signifying that not only was he incredibly content but fading in and out of sleep.
"That's a good pup." Crocodile rasped, rubbing circles on Luffy's back, just like Doflamingo had taught him. He continued rubbing gentle but firm circles until the pup went still and his purrs petered out completely. Then that soft comforting breathing hit his ears like a sleeping spell.
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The next time Crocodile woke up, it was to the familiar sounds of Luffy's insistent merps and the now familiar feeling of a face rooting around. He groaned, supporting the pup as he sat up. Why was that brat so obsessed with his tits? He was the only one that the infant did it to and it wasn't like Crocodile was producing or anything. He wasn't even a proper omega and the kid had been on a bottle since he was born!
"No sucking those, there's nothing in there!" The man grumbled, holding the pup up to eye level so he could scold him. Crocodile sighed and absolutely didn't melt or smile at the utterly puzzled look he got and indigent squeak Luffy made at being forced away from his chest seconds before he could latch on.
"Don't get all grumpy with me Mr. or I might not want to feed ya'!" Crocodile mocked, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and got up. He thought about getting dressed before heading out into the shared common space, opposed to the private apartment-like space set up for Doflamingo. If anyone knew where the dumbass was, it would be his crew. It seemed like the lot of them were long since trained on keeping track of the idiot.
Crocodile wrapped Luffy up the best he could and laid him back on the bed. His rolling around made the man nervous to turn his back for long if the pup wasn't sitting with someone. Luffy had begun to try and roll around when he wasn't being held or cuddled up with. After that, the brunet tossed on a pair of sleep pants and draped his new jacket over his shoulders.
"Alright, brat, time to see that weirdo family of yours. I'm sure they'll have your formula out there somewhere." Crocodile told the infant, getting an irritated huff from the pup. "Don't be sassing me! Normal babies like to be all bundled up like this," Luffy made a disgusted squeak and began squirming but was too tightly burritoed to get free. "It's true, your just weird! Now don't take that tone of voice with me brat!" Crocodile teasingly scolded, an unconscious grin lighting up his face at the pouty little glare he got. Ugh, why did his chest do all of those annoying squirmy things anytime he got a reaction from Lu?
"Hey, hey! Crocy! You're finally awake! Bwehehe, I was starting to get worried! Doffy said you get up early as him, but it's already noon! Doffy fed Lu-Lu a few hours ago and he said you didn't move an inch, so he was going to let you sleep a bit longer." Trebol explained, though didn't get up from his spot at the table he and a few other executives were eating at, like he usually would have.
"Noon?" Crocodile sputtered. "Why didn't the moron wake me up? I wanted to get that unwanted guest taken care of before we left for the day! I had the whole morning planned out." The man huffed. Seeing the book bag full of Luffy's things sitting near the end of the table Crocodile shifted Luffy to his left side and reached forward. He squawked and thrashed when he was wrenched into a familiar lap.
"God damned bastard! I'll rip your throat out in your sleep for this!" Crocodile snarled, his face went red as the rest of the executives laughed their asses off at his expense. Assholes, the whole lot of them! And he was actually thinking he might be able to tolerate being around them for a little bit longer than planned! God, he despised this man! He had actually thought the bastard might just…-
"Get off of me, you slimy prick!" Crocodile barked, trying to worm his way out of the other man's lap and out of those grabby hands without accidentally dropping a very startled Luffy.
"Settle down, Pretty.~ Fufu, I was getting worried you and our Sweet little Treasure were sick or something! Are you feeling alright? I ordered some soup for you Lovely. Do you want some soup?~ I got you some more pretty blankets to and I ordered a surprise I think you are really going to like for your hook!" Doflamingo fussed. Nuzzling his face against Crocodile's and sniffed at the man before moving to Luffy, who was still a bit bewildered-looking. "Hummm, you both still smell fine, just like last time I checked."
"You were sniffing me in my sleep?"
"Of course, Pretty! Don't worry, I wouldn't ever do that with anyone but you and Luffy or our dear family!~"
Crocodile gave the other man the whale eye, growling under his breath when the long-limbed blond continued to positively beam at him. God, he was so frign' nuts and inappropriate and somehow, in that moment, the weirdo came off as some sweet, socially inept thing. Ugh, being around the bastard was doing the weirdest things to him! He couldn't be thinking the pink moron was being, god forbid, sweet…. Or cute or anything ridiculous and irritating like that! He was a man and didn't do cute or sweet or cuddly…. As if reading Crocodile's broody thoughts, Luffy let out one of his demanding 'pay attention to me' merps that had Crocodile running fingers through the pup's fluffy hair. Well… he wasn't a total ass. He made exceptions for infants. Er… Luffy in particular. But the brunet swore, only the worst monster alive couldn't love that kid.
"Can I sit up now?"
"But you fit in my lap so nice Pretty! Fufu!"
"Well, you're pissing off Luffy and I don't want to have to listen to another hunger fit today."
Doflamingo grimaced, helping the other man up at that. Though he wrapped an arm around his brunet to force him to stay seated in his lap, much to the other man's clear irritation. "Well then, we can't have that! Our poor hungry boy~ It's a good thing my Devil fruit's so handy or you or your gorgeous Mommy might have had to leave my lap." Doflamingo purred, flexing his fingers a bottle full of water zipped across the room. "Thankfully, that didn't have to happen because Daddy would be so sad then!"
"Here we are, Sweetness!" The man cooed, snickering when Luffy's volume immediately picked up and his merps become all about being hungry instead of wanting attention. Those great big peepers zeroed in on the bottle in his father's hand as Doflamingo began putting his formula in the bottle and thoroughly shaking it. Luffy's meal was taken care of and he was guzzling down his first portion seconds later as the infant eagerly latched on.
"So Pretty… What would you like to do first? We could go and gamble a bit, there's a spa~ and private hot springs… We could go to the race track or see a concert? Then we can wreak a little havoc and end our day with Luffy's aunties and uncles getting to spend some quality time with him~ Bon and Buffalo were talking about how much they wanted to play with our sweet boy later!" Doflamingo purred, running a finger down Crocodile's cutely scarred nose, getting an unimpressed look.
"Neh, neh, Crocy! It says here that they have a new exhibit house at the zoo! Bwehehehe, your name's Crocodile and the new exhibit is Crocodilians of the world, isn't that funny Crocy?" Trebol exclaimed, waving the flyer he had in his hand at the red-faced brunet.
"Oh, Crocy~ That's a super cute nickname! I think I'll use it sometimes to!" Doflamingo cooed, rubbing his face against the smaller man's neck.
"Let me see that." Crocodile demanded, trying to pretend he hadn't even heard what the bird had said.
"Bwehe, you could say please, ya know!" Trebol pointed out, though his tone of voice was good-humored as he went to hand the flyer over anyway.
Crocodile Elbowed Doflamingo. "Be useful and grab that for me."
"Fufufu, you don't have to be so mean Crocy I'd do it anyways."
"This, this is what I want to do. I wanna' go here! Then we can bring Lu to. It says here that it's open until 6. If we hurry up, we could get nearly 5 hours in. Plenty of time to see the main exhibits." Crocodile insisted speaking with more enthusiasm than one would think possible for the usually aloof man after just a few minutes of the brunet looking over the flyer.
"Go to the zoo?" Doflamingo asked, nonexistent eyebrow raised.
"Yeah! It's a great family activity, don't you think?" Crocodile said, knowing that Doflamingo would melt in a second if he worded his demand in such a way.
Doflamingo let out a chuff and eagerly kissed at the other man's face, ignoring the annoyed look he got in return. "Of course, Croco! You and me and our sweet little baby~ Get to show the both of my Lovelies off!" Doflamingo purred, utterly enamored by the idea. Doing stereotypical family things with his 'mate' and baby. Showing off his gorgeous perfect budding family to everyone possible. The thought made him so so happy! It was just weird that Croco decided on such a mundane thing when they could do absolutely anything that they wanted. Though the young alpha was just happy that his Pretty was accepting him and their Lu so much better now. It was a dream come true!
Crocodile went red but was too happy that he got his way to get too irritated, especially when he wanted to leave right away. The brunet snatched up a piece of pizza from one of the platters sitting in the middle of the table and practically inhaled it before getting up, Luffy in arms, and carrying the pup back to the bedroom. The man finished up dressing after that and picked out a comfortable but tasteful-looking outfit for Luffy. If only Luffy agreed.
"Flamingo, get your ass in here and help me!" Crocodile shouted after probably a good 5 to 10 minutes of struggling against the pup's frantic squirming.
"Not until you call me by my name~"
Crocodile growled under his breath, "Alright then, Doflamingo, get your lazy ass in here!"
Doflamingo came through the door, arms crossed and pouting like a wronged child. "No, that's not it either! Fufu, I call you Croco and you call me Doffy!"
Crocodile sputtered, glaring at the other man. "I'm not calling you some-some pet name!"
"It's not a pet name, it's what my family calls me~"
Luffy made a disgusted squeak pushing at Crocodile with all of his strength.
"Ugh, whatever! Doffy help me get him in these," Crocodile sighed, holding up a maroon-colored sweatshirt and a pair of tiny khakis and a cute little pair of red socks with dinosaurs on them.
Doflamingo grimaced, "Why don't we put the pink onesie on him? Those ones are making Luffy sad with how dark and boring they are!"
"We are the adults here. I don't care if 'Luffy' thinks they're boring. Do you want Luffy cold and miserable just because 'he' prefers that pink thing? I don't!" Crocodile pointed out, rolled his eyes. "That reminds me, after the zoo, I want us to find a few things for Lu. He doesn't have nearly enough warm stuff for this sort of climate. I know he stays inside a lot, but that isn't an excuse to not be prepared. Luffy's just a pup and isn't a particularly chunky one, so he'll get colder easier than we do." Crocodile said, ignoring the way Doflamingo continued to pout even as the man did as he was told and dressed the glaring infant.
"Thanks… I guess… now you're the only one left. Go get your ass snazzied up. You have 10 minutes or we're leaving without you." Crocodile insisted, laying back on the bed with Luffy pressed against his shoulder to try and calm the fussing, clearly furious infant.
"30, there is no way I can get ready so quickly! I mean, look at me!" Doflamingo insisted, making an up and down gesture at himself. "Perfection takes time!"
"I got dressed in 10 and I'm missing a hand, sorry if I'm not feelin' pity for you!"
"20 then!"
"I've seen your version of perfection, 10's plenty."
Doflamingo sputtered, frowning at his Croco, offended. He wouldn't even get to take a shower! The blond grumbled to himself, Doffy was gorgeous! The tone of voice his Pretty was using was clearly sarcastic. The blond huffed. Clearly, Croco was just being ornery again. That had to be it because Doflamingo was most definitely an absolutely a fashion icon!
"Fine-fine Pretty! I'll make it work… I guess." Doflamingo sighed out dramatically. Stripping there and then.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Crocodile shouted, quickly quieting down and rubbed at Luffy's back after the pup let out an annoyed sound. Though, he still gave the other man death eyes to make sure he knew he was still judging him.
"Getting dressed Pretty~" Doflamingo purred, the grin on his face teasing. "You've had me in you plenty, don't tell me that seeing all of me is making you flustered my Croco? Fufufufufu!"
Crocodile decided not to react to the other man's teasing. Honestly, it just wasn't worth the further embarrassment the man would cause. Crocodile cringed when the blond clearly was eying some neon pink thing with bright orange and red flames all over it. "Not that one! Wear that black button-up! Yeah, that one with that red tie! I like when you wear that one." Crocodile exclaimed, tone pleased when the blond alpha held up the items the brunet had insisted upon. Actually listening to him.
Doflamingo preened, eager to do as the his pretty brunet asked, spinning in a circle for the other man, no bottoms on. "My Croco thinks I look good in this one? That I'm especially handsome? Fufufu, or do I look distinguished?~"
"Put some pants on."
"Of course, pretty~ What else do you want me to wear?"
"What am I playing, 'lets dress the full grown man' with you now?" Crocodile grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"I like being pretty for you Pretty~." Doflamingo purred, his strange eyes practically sparkling with child-like delight and a less appropriate excitement, "Being your sexy boy toy dress-up doll~ Makes me feel like I belong to my Crocy even more! Now, tell me what else you like on me, my Croco. Let me be pretty for you~."
"Oh, gods! We're just heading to the zoo!"
"So? Is it wrong to want to look good for my Crocodile?"
"Ugh, Don't say things like that!" Crocodile sputtered, face once again bright red as he covered it with his hand. "I li-Those black dress pants you have or those red ones with the black designs on them, the ones that are the same color as the tie! And put on some damn boxers while you're at it!" Crocodile barked, pointedly focusing on Luffy, who was nuzzling at his covered glands with wide confused eyes and a determined expression on his face.
"You want to smell more like me Lu?" Crocodile murmured, slipping his arm from his jacket and pulling his sleeve down with his teeth to present his wrist gland to Luffy getting several delighted chirps and squeaky trills when he began rubbing it over the pup's face and neck. The infant more than happy to be marked by the man eagerly nuzzled into the wrist and let out a happy little purr, himself.
"Fufufu, My lovelies are so cute together!~" The young alpha purred, grinning ear to ear as he slipped something into his pocket. "I guess I'm ready my Pretty." Doflamingo exclaimed, throwing his mantle over his shoulders. His shoes already on and a more decorative set of his signature shades were already picked out and perching on his nose. "I had Pica fill up some bottles and had him take some of Lu's toys and clothes from his bag to make it easier. Apparently, Bentham and his crew made some carry sling things for Lu that Pink insists that Lu-Lu doesn't seem to mind being in. I don't know about doing that though… I mean if it comes down to it I have pockets so…."
"First off, you are not putting my so-kid…KID, the kid in your damn pocket! How many times do we have to go over this? Secondly, I don't care what you keep insisting. You and I, both know, there isn't any damn pockets in that thing!"
Crocodile grimaced at the full-out beaming that the other man was doing at him. So excited and happy that he didn't even try to defend that monstrosity that he wore like he usually would. Ugh! That was a super disturbing look on Doflamingo's face; seriously, he needed to stop!
"Croco~' Doflamingo cooed, the vibrating undertones of an enamored purr rumbling through his words. "Such a good momma for our Lu-Lu, look at our Sweetness. He loves you so much, already! Fufu, I'm so happy! My Croco loving and accepting our baby!" Doflamingo murmured, making his way over to his sweet lovelies and nuzzled his cheek against Crocodile's. The blond then, pecked kisses all over his pretty's adorable scar. He managed to ignore Crocodile's fussing and flustered behavior and even managed to resist Luffy's indignant squeaks and demands to be included in being kissed and scented as well. Looking into Croco's big beautiful dark eyes, Doflamingo's heart swelled with absolute adoration. His perfect beautiful Crocodile, the loveliest man he'd ever laid eyes on! With that stunning cruelty and ferocity and cunning that could rival his own, the body of a god, and the fierce and vicious love of a mother Crocodile guarding his eggs when it came to those he cared for. The smaller man's namesake suited him perfectly. He couldn't have been more perfect if Doflamingo had built him with his own two hands to be his ideal mate.
"S-Shut up! Let's get going before it's not even worth going!" Crocodile grumbled, though it was far more a half-hearted thing than Doflamingo had expected, his Croco even sounded a little pleased in his opinion. Was he finally wearing his pretty down?!
The blond couldn't resist scenting his Lu a bit and peppering his face with kisses before relenting and letting his Pretty get up. The blond ignored Crocodile's annoyed growl as the young alpha snatched up Luffy.
Doflamingo had begun to feel a bit anxious. Crocodile had been holding his pup far more than Doflamingo permitted the others to do. It had been more tolerable before when they mostly laid in bed. The thought of taking Luffy out in public was stressful and his tolerance for others holding his precious Treasure was thin. Especially after the day before.
The young alpha grinned happily as Luffy let out a pleased little mewl, happily rubbing his face against the feathers from the man's mantle draping around him. Doflamingo loosely wrapped one of the soft yarned baby blankets that he had made for the pup. This was after, Philipe(One of Bentham's crewmates, thus his sweet Croco's), had shown him the pattern to make it. This was after Doflamingo himself and Lao G(who had taken up knitting after attending Bentham's crew's craft Saturdays) had gone to one of the crafting days. As long as the man kept Luffy's arms free, the infant would be reasonably complacent with being wrapped up. That reminded him, Doffy needed to find a high-quality craft store so they could get some more yarn that wouldn't bother his sweet boy's sensitive omegan skin. Of course, he could make some sort of material that he could use, having the string fruit, but it just wasn't the same.
Doflamingo hadn't yet had the chance to show the pup what he had made him. Thankfully, much to the man's delight, Luffy let out a delighted burble as he kneaded the soft thing with curious fingers, making the blond practically swoon in happiness that his boy liked the blanket he had made for him so much. Feeling completely flattered when the infant eagerly nuzzled his face into the soft fabric and made eager little chirps at the man. Practically saying, 'look at this soft fluffy thing I have! I love it so much, isn't this fluffy thing just the best thing ever?' It had Doffy struggling not to keen in melted adoration. His sweet boy was just so so cute!
"Why is he fine with you wrapping him up but not me? That isn't even the proper way to wrap a baby up! You've got to swaddle them like a burrito!" Crocodile guffed, totally outraged looking.
"Fufu, Pretty, you've got to give Lu-Lu the illusion of having some freedom and choice or he'll bluster and complain to the end of time! Isn't that right Sweetness?~ My silly fussy boy, so opinionated! Do you like the fluffy blanket Daddy made for you Treasure?" Doflamingo crooned, grinning ear to ear as he playfully rubbed noses with Luffy, who let out a delighted squeal as he did so. "Oh, you flatter me so! Fufu, My cute little free-spirited sweetie pie!~ Yes you are, so cute and sweet and so so stubborn! Just like your Mommy and Daddy!~ Such a good boy, Daddy loves you so much! Yes, I do!"
Crocodile huffed, not at all fighting down a purr or endeared sounds! Maybe someone else may have, but he wasn't absolutely melting at the sight of Doflamingo and their-the pup being all sweet and lovey-dovey with each other! Especially with the bird's half chuffed words or even when the man let off an incredibly parental protective/devoted adoring scent! His cheeks just felt hot because he was getting so annoyed by how long they were taking, that's all! A man like him didn't get all doughy and soft anred-cheeked like some prepubescent omegan boy going through his first real crush and watching that crush cooing over a pup or something all sweet like! Crocodile especially didn't envy or feel the slightest bit of insecurity or jealousy when Doffy was nuzzled so enthusiastically or delightedly squeaked and chirped and trilled at while being grinned at with Lu's special sunshine smile either, not at all!
The brunet grabbed his hook and mace and carefully secured them over his stump, feeling safer after he was done. So what if he was maybe watching Doflamingo being fawned over by Luffy the whole time? "Come on, Flamingo bastard, stop stalling already! I wanna' get there while it's still worth it!" Crocodile barked, not at all pouting when Luffy happily snuggled into the bastard's hideous feathered mantle. Nor did he get all mushy and flustered when the pair beamed at him, not at all!
"Oh! Look at how happy the masters are! Little master's back to being his normal self, so smiley and darling!~" Jora cooed.
"Awe, Lu-Lu! Back to being his cute happy self!~ Bwehehe, Not being hungry or stressed out, making our adorable little nephew all wide-eyed and chirpy again!" Trebol exclaimed, "Ne-Neh, Isn't that right, Lu-Lu? So happy and cute!" Trebol chuffed and grinned as Luffy trilled happily back at him. Then the man glared in clear jealousy at the others as they began to let out familial chuffs and distracted his adorable nephew's attention from him! How could they?! Taking away his special moment with his adorable nephew! Clearly, they were doing their best to usurp him as favorite uncle!
The pup letting out delighted mews and squeaks and burbles in response to the other executives at the table making affectionate possessive chuffs to him. Luffy absolutely preened. Practically basking in the loving attention, he was getting from his most special favorite people!
Diamante and Jora were quick to get up to join the little family to the zoo getting Crocodile to let out an annoyed growl. This trip was supposed to just be the Flamingo bastard and their-the pup! The three of them, not them and then some tag alongs!
The grouchy brunet scooped up the backpack with a curt thanks to Pica. After that, he gave Doflamingo a pointed look, who was of course too busy preening over Luffy's own delighted preening to notice. The Pink monstrosity wearing alpha positively stank of parental adoration and pride. Crocodile grumbled under his breath. He didn't want them to come with too! This was just supposed to be a trip with his- with the doofy idiot and sweet little Lu. Doflamingo and Luffy and Crocodile as a f- t-together! They were going to ruin the whole outing! Crocodile growled under his breath, annoyed with himself when he realized he felt more upset than angry or annoyed. When did he suddenly get so damn emotional?
"If you don't hurry up I'll leave you behind, flamingo!" Crocodile snarled, crossing his arms as he stormed towards the door.
"Croco!" Doflamingo guffed, easily catching up to the brunet in only a couple of quick strides, "alright-alright, I won't make my lovely wait any longer." The alpha crooned almost apologetically. He started petting his Lu-Lu's fluffy hair when the pup made a bewildered squeak at their quick departure from his Auntie and Uncles making sweet sounds at him.
"Not like it matters!" Crocodile grumbled, suddenly feeling like an emotional wreck. The lump in his throat felt like it was crushing him and his eyes were suddenly feeling exceptionally moist. The man hadn't hid the way he was feeling nearly as well as he thought he had as Doflamingo quite suddenly yanked the door closed before either Diamante or Jora could follow the trio.
"Hey, what's wrong Pretty? Are you still not feeling well?" Doflamingo fussed, immediately sniffing at the man.
"No! I-I'm fine! Why would you think anything was wrong?" Crocodile huffed.
Doflamingo frowned, "CrocodileCrocodile." He pressed, tone dead serious.
Crocodile stiffened as the blond carefully pulled him into an embrace, tucking him under his chin and nuzzled affectionately, like one would do to gentle their mate. The brunet went red-faced but still found himself relaxing into the hold, especially after Luffy chirped so sweetly for him, seeming to thoroughly enjoy having the pair so close to him. The infant going from looking mildly stressed to making his strange adorable huffing laughter that sounded more like cheeky snickers.
"Now, what has you in such a snit Croco?~ Hum?" Doflamingo asked, tone commanding yet honey-sweet. The younger man sighed, planting a kiss on Crocodile's hair, ignoring the flustered protests. "Come on, what has my lovely pretty so upset?"
"You'll laugh!" Crocodile grumbled, rubbing a finger over Luffy's nuzzling little head.
"Croco~ I just want to make you happy! What's the point of going out on your outing with our Lu-Lu if your not enjoying yourself? Tell me what's wrong so I can fix it for my beauty!~"
Crocodile unconsciously leaned into the man's affectionate embrace. "F-Fine! A grown man begging me like that," Crocodile huffed, absolutely not pouting up at the other man. "I'll tell ya'!"
Doflamingo happily peppered kisses over his pretty's lovely face, making sure to pay special attention to his cute scar. Letting out affectionate chuffs that had Luffy eagerly reciprocating with bubbly chirps.
Crocodile couldn't help but to chuckle under his breath at how absolutely delighted sounding and enthusiastic the pup was. Sweet little thing, Luffy was pure sunshine. The infant absolutely didn't soften the grouchy man from the rant he was practicing in his head, not at all! No one could butter him up so easily. Yet when he spoke the most embarrassing mushy, painfully insecure bit of drivel poured its way from his mouth.
"I wanted it to be just us…. No one else… I wanted us to go as a-a together…. I just wanted you… and me to see the Crocodiles with Lu." The older brunet managed to choke out. Cheeks almost florescent they were so red. He refused to make any eye contacted with the absolutely enthralled looking alpha.
"Croco!~ Pretty, we adore you too! Love my lovelies so much~!" Doflamingo crooned enthusiastically, chuffing, letting out an endeared trill at the end and pulling his collar aside so he could frantically rub his scent glands all over the faint-looking brunet. Luffy, of course, helped the best he could from his position until he decided that he, too, needed to be scented and that it was a travesty that he didn't positively stink of the man's strong possessive protective smelling scent gland oils like he loved to so much nor was his daddy nuzzling him like he was his special 'mommy' person and if he got to be loved on like that then Luffy absolutely should be to! Luffy let out a loud pathetic squeak.
Crocodile snorted, "needy little thing." He grumbled good-naturedly. "Go on then, take care of Mr. Clingy. I'm sure everyone within a mile's ganna be able to smell this stink! Get that one all stunk up to, before he gets all pouty." The brunet said, rolling his eyes as Luffy let a more annoyed sounding huff then began to trill and chirp in delight as Doflamingo began carefully but eagerly nuzzle Luffy and began running his oils through Luffy's hair and over the pup's developing neck and wrist glands. "My good boy!~" Doflamingo practically sang, having to force down the urge to drag both of his pretty's back to their room to cuddle and feed and groom the pair.
"Ugh, Doffy! Are the both of you done talking? Can we come in yet? Are we not still going to go?" Diamante's impatient-sounding voice called, only slightly muffled by the heavy mahogany and gold door between them.
Doflamingo snickered under his breath before opening the door, grinning ear to ear at the pair of executives. "Aunties and Uncles will have to entertain themselves for a little while, I'm afraid. Fufu, we're going to go on a cute Mommy and Daddy date with Lu!~" The blond exclaimed, fidgeting excitedly. The 'like a mated pair showing off their pup on their own for the first time in public' heavily implied.
Jora awwed, eyes practically sparkling at the thought of her young master going on a date with his Crocodile and the pair spending time with and showing off her adorable nephew. Everyone on the island would be jealous of how handsome the pair was and how incomparably perfect and lovely and cute Lu was!
Diamante wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about the idea of the pair taking his cute nephew on his first major kiddy trip without him. He wanted to take pictures and-and to spend the rest of the day cuddling and fawning and watching his precious little nephew seeing animals for the first time, damn it! He was sure it was going to be positively heart-melting! Besides, they hadn't got to have Lu-Lu to themselves in ages! He should definitely be allowed to come along and who was going to help guard his sweet little nephew if he didn't?
Already able to tell that Diamante was going to be nothing but a pouting downer, Doflamingo reassured him. "Don't worry, Uncle Diamante~ we'll all do something together later."
The man huffed, clearly not thrilled with the idea.
"Why don't you go to the basement? I was told they have that fighting ring all set up now~ with your talent, you could win easily!" Doflamingo practically purred, smirking as the other man's eyes lit up and he got all bashful and pink-cheeked.
Diamante waved the other man away, "I'm not that good! I'm sure someone there would be better than me!" He insisted.
"No, no Diamante! Even before you got your devil fruit, your sword skills had always been incredibly impressive to me! I doubt that anyone within 100 miles could best you, hell I'd say no one in all of the North Blue could best you!" Doflamingo insisted.
Diamante squawked, covering his face with one hand while shyly waving the other man's words of praise away even as he looked incredibly flattered, "You are giving me far too much credit flattering me like this!"
"Fine then, I guess you're not the best?" Doflamingo signed out, sounding disappointed as he spoke his words more in a questioning tone of voice, playing the other man with years worth of practiced ease.
"Okay okay! You are absolutely right! I am the best and I will prove it!" The much taller man crowed a pleased grin and a look of clear delighted flattery on his face as he preened and stood up stick straight.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course Doffy! You and Crocodile go ahead with Lu-Lu! I'll go win it all easily in the name of my adorable nephew of course, as I am the best uncle!" The man insisted, trying to shoo the pair to the door as he practically trembled with anticipation, mumbling about grabbing his sword and being the best uncle ever.
"You played him like a fiddle." Crocodile said once they were finally able to get out of the door. He tried not to pay much attention to the outraged shouts after he had heard Diamante's claims of being the best uncle before the snick of the door fully closing could be heard. The brunet looked like he was half-amused, half concerned.
Luffy let out an excitable sound as the pair walked down the twisting and turning hallways, Doflamingo easily navigating the place. The infant looked around with wide attentive eyes seeming to be enthralled by the change of scenery. It got a chuckle from both Doflamingo and Crocodile.
"Yes, well, Diamante's my family. We've all been together since I was a boy, so of course, I know all of the best ways to butter him up!" The alpha explained, tone and grin cheeky. His attention quickly getting caught by their Luffy's happy babbles and his slight leaning to try and get a better look around.
"Do you like seeing all of the new stuff Lu? Just like when Daddy redid the ship? Fufufu! My adventurous boy~ being all brave and curious!" Doflamingo kissed the pup's cheek when Luffy let out a happy little shriek in reply, then babbled up at him, grinning ear to ear. His sweet sweet precious boy not being anxious or cautious, made the blond feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Signs that his Treasure was a very happy, well cared for, secure feeling pup and he was a good good daddy that made his boy feel safe and loved. Especially as Luffy was behaving in such a way at such a young age as he was some sort of O dominant Omega, making him more prone to being sensitive to those sorts of things in a negative way.
Crocodile couldn't help but smile, amused, and not at all mushy at the sight of Doflamingo fawning over the Pup. No, he was only being influenced by the fact that the boy was so happy and excited sounding and smelling. The brunet absolutely wasn't melted at the sight of Doffy being a sweet father. Only the worst kind of person wouldn't be moved in some way by such a sweet pup being so content and happy smelling, making those wonderfully delighted babbles!
Luffy let out an interested sound as they stepped into the gold-gilded elevator. The dings went off for every floor they went past, looking this way and that trying to figure out where the strange sound was coming from, getting chuckles from both adults. As they left the elevator, the pup looked a little overwhelmed by all of the people that came into view for about the first 5 seconds until his daddy and Mommy made reassuring sounds. After that, he was back to wanting to see everything! Wide-eyed and curiously peeping at all of the strange sounds and sights, letting out excitable trills as he became more confident again. Get all worked up when his eyes landed on all of the pretty shiny stuff again, making a grabby little hand at a pillar of it when they got close.
"Kukuku- Lu has expensive taste!" Crocodile teased, eying the perfectly polished gold veneered pillar that Luffy was so fixated on.
"Of course he does! What kind of Pirate prince would such a sweetie be if he didn't have such good tastes? Isn't that right Treasure? Gold is just so pretty isn't it? Fufu," The blond crooned, lifting Luffy to eye level and planting a kiss on the crown of the burbling pup's head. "Such a good little Donquixote prince we have, yes you are~ Daddy's little prince~" Doffy cooed, turning a mischievous smile on Crocodile, then held the pup eye level with the other man. "Isn't that right, mommy croccy? He's our perfect lil' prince, isn't he?"
Crocodile huffed, going a little red as the other man practically pushed the pup in his face. "Yeah, yeah, he's a good pup."
"And-" Doflamingo pressed, pouting as the other man leaned away a little from the now wiggly Luffy who had let out an instant, 'I'm your baby and I love you and want your affection' chirp at the brunet. "Croco loving mommy's are supposed to kiss their cute babies, so they know mommy loves them to!"
"Ugh, you know how I feel about being buttered up around people!" Crocodile grumbled, about to step away until Luffy let out a shuddering little breath, getting all watery-eyed when he didn't respond in any way. It was the anxious, almost heartbroken sounding little peep that had the man's heart feeling like someone had stepped on it, though and the little sound had Doflamingo looking incredibly hurt maybe even more so than Luffy.
Before the Blond was able to respond in any way the older Brunet was fixing things. Doing whatever he could to comfort the pup. Crocodile planted a kiss to the pup's nose almost compulsively, never ever wanting the pup to make a sound like that in regards to him ever again. Then something clicked like it had the night before. Making Crocodile feel compelled to love on the pup. Kissing his rosy little cheeks and his forehead, then the crown of his floofy haired little head feelings welling up to the point that the man was feeling entirely overwhelmed and far too vulnerable.
Crocodile wanted to steal Luffy away and cuddle and kiss all of that anxious uncertainty he may have created away. He wanted to make sure Lu knew he was sorry a thousand times over for even possibly making Luffy feel even the tiniest bit uncertain about his lo-care for him. Crocodile's childhood was bad enough. He wouldn't ever make his… a kid ever feel the way he had, especially not his sweet boy! Gods, he was such a bastard. To make that sweet little brat respond that way at all, Doflamingo too!
Crocodile wanted to snatch Lu away from the man. Suddenly scared that Doflamingo might not let him see the infant after upsetting Luffy enough that he got that worked up. That sweet sunshine boy had been pushed to the point…. He began to react like a pup would if his own momma was rejecting him. Like… like Crocodile really was his-like Crocodile was rejecting him.
"M'sorry, I-I didn't mean to hurt ya' like that, sweet boy." The man mumbled, a bit of a trill tapering at the end of his speech as he carefully leaned against Doffy. Maybe the slightest bit nervous with the stone-faced look that Doffy still sported.
Doflamingo had Luffy cuddled to himself at that point. Still eying the brunet with clear caution as Crocodile carefully and gently scratched at Luffy's scalp. The older man maybe melting a little when the infant eagerly nuzzled back into his hand making desperately happy 'love you' 'love me-love on me' sounds at the man. After that, it was like all had gone back to being right with the world.
Doflamingo settled, pulling his pretty against his side. He made sure the smaller man could easily continue to pet and love on their Treasure. He had been on the edge of being incredibly upset and angry with his Croco, but the man clearly hadn't meant to upset their Lu by the way his good momma Pretty reacted! Their poor boy, such a sensitive little sweetness. The scene nearly broke his heart! Doffy was so glad that his pretty was being such a good mommy now, though. If his Croco hadn't reacted the way that he had…. Well, Doflamingo honestly wasn't sure what he would have done to him. The blond ran a hand over the other man's cheek in an affectionate manner, ignoring the staring group of bystanders. It was a good thing his lovely Crocodile hadn't pushed him. Doflamingo mused. He may have ended up with a broken heart and the little misunderstanding may have ended up with his beauty eventually trying to gnaw his own hand off.
Doffy's pretty fixed his mistakes, though. Just like the wonderful, perfect Mommy that he was and Luffy was all cute and happy and chirpy and just like he should always be. To the young alpha, that's what really mattered! Ugh, his lovelies were so cute together. The way that they smiled at each other so adorably and chirping and chuffing and trilling, like that! It made Doflamingo so incredibly happy! His cute oblivious Croco, not even realizing he was being such an adorable, sweet mommy, trying to make up for upsetting their Treasure. Such a good mother focusing on their baby so much that he no longer even noticed the other people that had made him so reluctant and shy before!~ His scent was so nice too, all maternal and lovey, adoring and viciously protective. The alpha loved it.
"So my Croco," Doflamingo started, subtly guiding the other man from the Casino and to the main road that would lead to the zoo a little more than 10 minutes walk away. It also thankfully would lead them away from that weird band of cloaked weirdos. In particular, that weird cloaked guy that just wouldn't stop trying to follow them around. "What do you want to see first? I've heard they have a huge aviary with lots of pretty birds! They even have a breeding pair of south birds~" The man purred, smiling ear to ear at the thought of getting to see lots of beautiful wild-colored feathery creatures.
Crocodile rolled his eyes, "Of course, a noisy bird brain would like to see a bunch of noisy birds."
"Fufufu, of course! Birds are fun! They're smart and can be all sorts of bright colors, like to talk and socialize and even though the females may not always look as wild and colorful, they have an attitude and are so clever!" Doffy exclaimed, bouncing a little. He let out a chuckle when Luffy, feeding off of his energy, let out a loud bubbly laugh and tried bouncing to, giggling when the man began rocking him.
Crocodile, despite himself, smiled at the man's boisterous behavior. Damn it, the stupid bird and Lu laughing and being all happy like that might actually be kind of…. Ugh, cute. Just a little, though. Damn flamingo bastard! "I guess they're not so bad."
Doflamingo beamed. His pretty was so sweet and so so adorable! He felt like his chest would burst from the affection he felt for the other, his Croco finally letting himself loosen up and be all sweet like that in public. He hoped that Croco would continue being comfortable enough to behave that way, his perfect pretty~. The blond forced himself not to comment on what the other man had said. His beauty was shy and defensive when it came to allowing through any of his vulnerability in both a friend and familial way, making him snippy and incredibly defensive.
Doffy's poor gorgeous Pretty, the young alpha wished he knew who had hurt him so he could rip them apart and crush not only their bodies but very souls and will to live for making his beauty so uncomfortable with being openly affectionate with his own incredibly wonderful loving mate and perfect adorable little son!
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After getting to the zoo. The pair were informed that because the new exhibit had become available to the 'public' that week, that the entire place was staying open an extra two hours for the entire week. The news had Crocodile smiling and allowing Doffy to plant a kiss to his cheek with far less protest than he had expected. He even openly crooned and laughed at the wide-eyed fascinated looks Luffy was giving everything around them. His nonstop curious, delighted babbles and chirps had the pair on cloud 9, practically drugged by the endorphins flooding their systems at the constant barrage of happy sounds and because of the cloy smell of their pup feeling so safe and excited. The infant not showing even the slightest bit of fear as the pair took him from exhibit to exhibit.
What really seemed to have broken the ice around the brunet was when Doflamingo had been used as an oversized perch for the hundreds of exotic birds within one of the massive tropical greenhouses. The man positively beaming with child-like glee as he looked like he belonged in the place and demanding that his Croco used the photo making Den-Den Mushi that he had brought with to take pictures while he fed the noisy things. Doflamingo had so much fun that it had been hard to even convince him to move on after the three had stayed for nearly an hour, just in that area. Luffy seemed to have been equally as disappointed as the pup, being carefully guarded, had cooed and babbled and squeaked so happily over the funny colorful fluffy loud things.
By the time they had gotten to the Crocodilian building, Crocodile was grinning, smelling of being completely relaxed and excited. Once they entered the building, a completely different side to the man came out that Doffy wasn't expecting. If he had thought he was cute before… Well, his Crocodile began grinning like a child who had seen a puppy as the first pool came into view. On it's edges were a handful of pearly white gators with splotches of almost freckle-like black spots across their muzzles, slender bodies, and almost transparent paddle-like tails. Most of the creatures were sprawled out on the silky looking black sand that cupped the main pool.
"Spotted Opal Ladies! They're from the West Blue! You can only find them on the Glossi White Isles. I haven't seen one of these since I was a teen!" Crocodile exclaimed, sounding thoroughly impressed.
Was his Croco…. Fawning over these creatures like an excited kid? Doflamingo had to force himself, using all of his willpower not to croon and dot on the other man.
"They have-have fucking Bananawani?! Look at her Doffy!" Crocodile insisted, gesturing at the massive creature, grinning ear to ear. Not even noticing that his tone was getting a chirpy coo to it as he gave the creature his 'mommy eyes'. It seemed like reptiles or maybe just crocodilians had the same love for Crocodile as he did for them as time and time again, the creatures came up to the barriers to be cooed at and fawned over. Even a couple of the massive Bananawani came over and flopped their massive heads over the protective barrier.(Giving Doflamingo a bit of a heart attack at first, to be honest, with his tiny pup with them.) The young female, about half the size of the others yet, had Crocodile especially enamored. "She's so damn gorgeous! Look at you!" The man crooned, ignoring the signs all around that warned against going anywhere off of the path or near any barriers and began scratching at the beast's massive head.
Doflamingo's face went red as his cute brunet cooed at the creature, smelling even stronger of more maternal hormones than earlier and he already was pumping it out so much that he had trouble not snuggling him and mounting him. Ugh, his heart! How could he have such a perfect cute mate and baby? He would have to take Croco to see animals more often after seeing the way he acted around them. His brunet was so so cute with them! That and the man became so sweet and lovey after being around them! The blond loved seeing his Croco all relaxed and smiling so prettily.
Doflamingo had put his foot down when it came to his Croco's insistence at introducing their Treasure to the crocodilians. No way was it safe for his baby to be around such large carnivores that could gobble him down like a chip-sized snack, even managing to hold up against his pretty, giving him that disgruntled look. Their Sweetness had stayed firmly put in his arms, shielded from any potential dangers.
The day had been perfect otherwise, though and Luffy had clearly inherited his love of animals from his momma, enjoying every minute. The pup had been so happy, purring and chirpy the whole time that Doflamingo was definitely getting a cloud 9 sort of happy buzz from the mixture of the infant's strong scent and his own alpha instincts on a loop telling him how great a parent he was and that his baby was incredibly content and safe feeling. Whether Croco knew it or not Lu-Lu had clearly been affecting him the same way, if not even more so than Doflamingo with the way he was gradually becoming more affectionate and smiley. The older man, smelling like a happy, content momma, just as Doffy's pretty should.
After having to practically drag Crocodile away from the aquatic reptiles, as it was getting near closing and Lu had ran out of bottles, Doflamingo managed to convince his pretty to lean into his side. Using Luffy as an excuse. While passing an ice cream stand about to close, Doflamingo saw it, the absolutely perfect gift for his Wani! It was in the window of a nearby, upscale-looking giftshop. He nearly keened at the sight.
"Oh, is that Javanese toasted coconut cream and Cinnamon chocolate cake in that ice cream? I haven't had anything like that in ages. It was my favorite as a brat, but it's so hard to come across! I wonder if it's the real deal… I mean, It's hard enough to find it in the Grandline with Mock Town becoming such a cesspool in recent years, but in the North Blue of all places?"
"Cinnamon?"
"Yeah, it's strange-sounding but really delicious. You have to try it! If it's the real deal, you'll never go back to that mass-made crap." Crocodile insisted, eying the cleaning up man almost anxiously.
The blond grinned, kissing his pretty before handing him a stack of berri. "Alright, fufu, go get yourself some ice cream while Lu and I go and see what's going on in the shop over here just in case something catches our eyes." Doflamingo cheerfully insisted, "No peaking!"
The brunet rolled his eyes and grumbled about spoiling their pup too much, planting a kiss on Luffy's now somewhat tuckered out looking face before heading over to the stand at a pace that told that the man was clearly eager, even if others may not have seen it that way. They may not have been together for a long time yet, but Doflamingo could already read the other like a book. Not that it mattered because his Croco had slipped and hadn't even reacted when he called Luffy 'their's' their's! He felt like he might puke; his stomach felt like it was so full of butterflies over the declaration. It was wonderful!
"You're momma's so cute isn't he Lu?" Doflamingo crooned, almost dreamy sounding as he grinning ear to ear. Luffy blinked up at his daddy lethargically, squinting with all of his might as he struggled to keep awake and peeped up at the man sweetly, making the blond melt as his pup nuzzled the palm that cradled his head.
"Oh, my good pup! Such an eventful day for my Sweet Treasure~ Yes, it has been. Is my little free spirit done with his adventuring for the day? Fufu, did seeing all the new stuff tucker my Sweetness out? Daddy'll try to get you to bed soon, yes I will!" The man cooed, tucking the pup's blanket a little tighter around the infant.
Doflamingo continued his happy babbling after securing his tiny boy, making sure the burrowing, sleepy-eyed infant was warm enough and comfortably resting. "We'll wait until tomorrow to do something fun with your Aunties and Uncles. We can't leave them out, after all, they're our family and we don't want them feeling neglected! No, we don't! Uncle Trebol and Vergo are feeling especially left out lately and your new Auntie Bon was very sad that we hadn't gone out to brunch with him and the rest of Croco's commanding officers today and even I know already that Auntie Bon's sadness is like a weapon in itself it's so depressing! Yes, it is.~" The blond bounced a little and scratched gently at his son's scalp, right where he loved him doing so most. Nearly swooning over his Lu's slurred chirps before focusing on his task when he had realized his Croco had already gotten to the point of pointing out what he wanted after persuading the trembling wide-eyed man into giving him the ice cream.
"Fufufu, Now let's see what we can find for your mommy before he realizes what I'm doing, alright, Lu-Lu?" The man exclaimed happily, trying his best not to get distracted by the hilarious sight he had just seen. His Croco was so hot when he wouldn't take no for an answer though~ Doflamingo wondered what his pretty had said to have such a fearful look on the worm's face, though? He would just have to make his beauty tell him later.
The staff within the boutique-like giftshop apparently had more smarts in their brains than the idiot outside. Quick to ask him questions in regards to what he might be looking for and even guiding him towards a comfortable-looking chair near the register. It hadn't taken long though, he had already known what he was stepping into the shop for—the adorable little Wani plush in the window. A Wani for his Wani!~ Croco would be so happy when he saw! Ugh, it was going to be so cute the way his face lit up even if he fought it and the way his cheeks would glow!~ A cute rosie red while he grumbled like he hated it, but he would love it. Doffy was certain the man was going to be thrilled! Especially as the plush wasn't just any old stuffed animal, studded with real bits of gems and what he was certain was real gold thread in the form of a golden bananawani. It was a gift worthy of his beautiful pretty!
"What do you think, Lu? Fufufu, I think your Mommy's going to love it!" Doflamingo exclaimed, examining the ostentatious plush, tongue hanging from his mouth in pleasure at finding such a perfect gift as he carefully turned the piece in his hands. Not even getting a single peep or grabby hand at such a pretty shiny thing? Doflamingo glanced down, chuckling softly at Luffy's losing battle with sleep. The pup's eyes were still open but barely. Even as he watched, the baby's blinks were becoming longer and longer as he continued to try and struggle his way into the wakeful world. "Awww, Lu! Sleepier than daddy thought, fufu, such a stubborn boy~ I bet you don't want to go to sleep just so I can't surprise you! Isn't that right, Sweetness?"
It hadn't taken too long to find a few things for his son. Finding a particularly adorable and fluffy monkey-themed hat with beautiful hand embroidery that he was hoping he might be able to convince Luffy to keep on. It was incredibly soft and felt like it would keep him warm, two things that the pup really enjoyed and the attendant assured the alpha that it was made from materials from his mental list of what Luffy liked and hadn't shown any discomfort with after snuggling. Omegan infant safe materials.
Doflamingo nearly walked away from the rack before spotting one he was sure Buffalo would love. A warm-colored Owl-themed hat from the same collection, but in adult sizes. The long-limbed alpha stood indecisively for a few moments. It wasn't like Buffalo was his son. The boy wasn't his beautiful perfect little Lu…. But he had been such a good pup since accepting him onto the crew and he was becoming family and he was so so sweet with his Treasure, like an excitable older cousin. Luffy really liked the boy…. Oh, What the hell, Buffalo deserved something cute too! Doffy was sure it would make the boy happy and he loved to see his found family happy.
Doffy was sure Bentham was doing a great job of cheering the boy up, but that didn't mean he couldn't do his part too. That was especially true after the day before, being such a shit show for the poor thing. Happy with his decision Doflamingo pointed out the pair of hats for the attendant to take to the front to be wrapped up and picked up the cute tye-dyed looking sock monkey he had been eying.
It was feather-soft with fluff carefully sewn around the head in a way that made it look like a macaque. The face was embroidered by hand with big blue eyes and a friendly-looking smile. To round the look off it wore a beautiful little cheery yellow vest with small flowers embroidered in different colors on it and a pair of black pants with a hole for its tail to come through. Doflamingo's heart melted at the thought of his Lu cuddling it and loving on it, squeaking so happily with his new cuddle toy!
He glanced around a bit, making sure what he had chosen for his pup was the very best, of course. There was a cat version too, but it was all dull pastel and a frog but not nearly as cute and the horse one was a horrible greyish brown. His boy wasn't going to have anything so dull and boring! Of course, he had chosen the best plush from the start and not only was it the cutest and brightest, it also would go perfectly with Luffy's new hat! And hopefully, his sweet Lu-Lu would love it so much that it would distract him long enough from Tora-Tora that he could actually get washed without Luffy getting too upset to separate from his favorite plush for too long, as it was air dry only and well definitely needed to be washed more than it was… Doffy's love for cleanliness aside, Tora-Tora was getting pretty stinky. Doffy loved Luffy and his stuff positively reeking of him and the others, but Tora-Tora was definitely starting to smell a bit like recently unclogged scent glands and general pup funk.
"Is this all sir?" The young beta attendant asked, tone polite though she was clearly nervous when he walked back to the front of the shop.
"Fufu, yeah, I don't think we need to get anything else. Do we Sweetness?" The towering alpha cooed to a sound asleep Luffy. He snickered at the weirded-out look the girl clearly didn't realize she was sporting at the man's clearly very lovey-dovey dotting behavior and well, the fact he had a pup.
"Would you like your gifts to be sent to the 'Golden Medallion,' sir?" The girl asked. Knowing, just like anyone else that hadn't lived under a rock and maybe even most of those folks to, if they had been in the North Blue more than a week, who the Donquixote family were on sight. That was especially true for Doflamingo himself, everyone knew what he looked like and anyone that knew anything knew that the crew not only had their own personal permanent ship slips in the most influential and coveted dock on BlackJack coastal, 'The Royal Flush,' but that they had their own suite in the 'Golden Medallion'. Which was the largest Casino in the whole of the North Blue. The Donquixote Pirates had not only helped in the creation of Casino but had really made Blackjack coastal as a whole. 5 years before, it had been no more than a ramshackled backwater.
"Hmm, the hats and my pup's new plush can be sent. I want to keep the Crocodile to surprise my Croco!~ fufufu!"
"Alright, sir, I'll need your security code. As you know, it was announced that someone had somehow gotten into Royal Flush using false information, so everyone was told that we will need to verify with the security codes given out to the Donquixote family's members. We aren't allowed to deliver anything without them for the safety and privacy of your crew sir." The girl quickly explained.
Doflamingo nodded, already knowing and approving of such methods. He was excited to learn who had the gull to do such a thing and hoped they screwed up soon. "Yup, I remember." The man said, cheerfully popping this 'P' as he spoke. Digging around for his wallet Doflamingo pouted when it wasn't where he thought it was. Luffy let out a half startled, half irritated merp, not appreciating being woken in such a manner.
"I'm sorry sweetness, Daddy didn't mean to wake you up, no I didn't!" Trying to be more careful, the man attempted reaching over for his wallet again and got a sharp, indigent squeak for his troubles. Luffy clearly very much did not appreciate his beauty rest being disturbed, especially after being so tuckered out and his daddy's arms being so warm and comfy and safe feeling in an unfamiliar place. Doflamingo grimaced at the unhappy sound. The blond carefully repositioned the grumbling pup and rubbed at his back, making soothing sounds as he automatically rocked back and forth. "Did too much adventuring today make my sweet cheerful boy all sleepy and grouchy? That's okay. You can sleep all you like Treasure!~" The man crooned, uncaring of the anxious young lady standing in front of him. "When we get back, we'll get out all the best nesting blankets and make an even fluffier, bigger nest for my lovelies!~" Doflamingo grinned as his son, in literally only moments, fell right back to sleep, mewing sweetly as he rubbed his face into the soft feathers of the man's jacket.
Once again, the man tried reaching over to grab his wallet and ended up with a very huffy pup, who squirmed and let out a series of cranky merps, his angry grandpa pout on and powered to maximum. "Alright, alright, I'll sit you down in that comfy chair, then I'll start digging around. Fufu, Such an angry boy!" Doflamingo pouted, not liking the idea of sitting his pup down anywhere that wasn't in a place he regularly enjoyed nesting in. It made him nervous, but the place was immaculate and upscale and he was just standing right there….. He was right there, no more than 10 ft away. It was fine… Besides, he really really didn't want to work his exhausted Sweetness into crying.
Doflamingo carefully wrapped his Luffy up in the way that he knew would have his pup comfortable. Then the blond waited until the infant settled and carefully sat the bundled baby onto the fluffy cushioned chair. He didn't care how much time he was taking. His boy was more important than anything or anyone. It wasn't right by the register, but it was close, easily within sight, even if Doflamingo's Observation Haki was plenty good enough to keep an eye on his pup without even actually having to see him. Not having his Sweetness in his arms and within his eye line made him a wreck. Even when the blond was in a place he deemed safe and his, let alone in such a public place.
"Here," Doflamingo said, holding out the card with the required numbers on it, feeling a little antsy. He could sense his Croco sitting not too far away. Thankfully, his beauty wasn't feeling particularly agitated like the blond had been worried may happen after he was in the shop for more than a couple of minutes. Must really be enjoying that ice cream. Thank Marijou for delicious distractions.
"Alright, sir, I have everything in order. Since everything is closing up for the night, I can deliver this myself." The girl explained, carefully placing the wrapped packages into 3 separate gift bags, just like she had been instructed to do as the man had been handing the items to her before.
"Great! I can't wait to see the kids' faces!~" The man chirped, smile getting slightly less wild and jagged and slightly softer and definitely excited as he clearly was imagining just that.
Doflamingo frowned, hair suddenly standing on end as he noticed a presence that he hadn't heard or seen entering the store. One that was clearly trying to be sneaky and then he jumped, whirling around with bared teeth. Instantly ready to shed blood and rip out the bastard's throat that dared to get close, as he felt the guy purposely approach his pup! The alpha Barely noticing the alarmed yelp from the girl behind the counter as his ears were filled with not a merp or a squeak or a grumble from his pup but a distinct bark that he had never heard before. He was ready to kill! His eyes narrowed in on the presence that his pup wanted absolutely nothing to do with and snarled as a cloaked figure went to reach for his Treasure, who was leaning away from the hand with a look of pure offence and terror on his sweet face, letting out a second more urgent bark before the hand could even touch him.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Doflamingo growled, fingers outstretched threateningly as he readied his power to lop the bastard's arm off. It was the same one that had been in the casino lobby before, he was certain of it!
The other froze for a second, his dark eyes glaring at him from beneath the hood.
"I-I'll call Don Kim if-if you don't leave that child alone and get out of here this moment sir!" The young woman managed to squeak out. She had never heard a noise like that from a pup before. What kind of person could make a baby that scared and distrustful just by being near them?
Even if the man's enforcers had shown up the alpha most definitely planned to rip the other limb from limb no matter what. Luffy's reaction wasn't a normal fear or stress reaction for a pup to have to someone, especially as well adjusted and friendly as his Sweetness was with others as long as a family member was around. Doffy being there would have been plenty of assurance for making new friends. The pup had beamed for over a week when Crocodile's crew had first been introduced, eager to get to know so many new faces. Luffy had even gone so far as to squeak in greetings at a few of the people they had passed earlier and had gotten a bit pouty when they didn't come over to say hi to him. He was developing into a social butterfly and very clearly adored meeting new people. So it was most definitely not some fear of the fact that the guy was new to him and even then, the infant would have never made a noise like that just because someone made him nervous or a little fearful.
Pups, especially Omegas, didn't just bark at or around anyone. That type of sound was only saved for the most extreme emergencies, especially when so young. It was only really used in the absolutely most dire of situations like a pup was convinced they were in extremely life-threatening levels of danger. There was only one explanation that made any sense, other than the bastard was trying to snatch his Lu-Lu away and that was that the disgusting fucker was a monster!
"What the hell is going on in here?" The familiar gruff drawl snapped from Doflamingo's right. Not that he was paying that much attention, nearly feral at that point over the safety of his pup.
Luffy letting out another traumatized sounding bark and a series of fearful squeaks. The sounds had the brunet still at the door, so spitting mad that he was turning to sand and barreling at the detected threat before he even really understood what was happening. His pup was terrified and he was going to gut the threat! That's all he needed to know. Snarling like a wild beast, the brunet had the slightly larger man pinned in seconds. He hissed as he was drug off, stumbling to gain his balance and to throw whomever that had him by the shoulders off. Doffy clearly had recovered from the shock. The person trying to wrestle Crocodile down with Haki-covered arms, suddenly slumping forward, like a puppet with its strings cut. By the time all the disorientation was gone, the bastard had somehow managed to make a runner. It was incredibly disappointing, gone before either Crocodile or Doflamingo could even start the hours of torture that both's bloodlust and parental instincts were howling for.
It was easy to redirect their protective energy on their pup though, as Luffy made desperately needy 'Love on me, comfort me, protect me! I'm your baby I love you!' chirps and merps. The poor sweet infant was absolutely terrified, trembling head to foot with big fat tears in his eyes as he was scooped up by Doffy, who immediately was crooning and cooing and chuffing at his pup, nuzzling and kissing and rocking his sweet boy who clung to him just as much, leaning heavily into Doflamingo's cuddling and frantically nuzzling back and making grabby hands. "It's okay, it's okay. We're here. Mommy and daddy are right here! We're gonna' gut that fucker, yes we are! He's never going to come anywhere near my Treasure again, daddy promises! My poor poor Sweetness! Daddy will never do that again, Never ever!" The alpha vowed.
Crocodile was clearly still just as on edge as Doffy, even if he was still baffled about the whole situation. He was quick to make his way over to the trembling pair once he was sure the guy Doflamingo had taken out, although alive, was very much unable to move even a single finger. "You alright Lu?" He crooned, not even noticing his normally gruff tone sweetening. Everything in him demanding he protect and comfort his baby as his maternal instincts were still barely being controlled. Luffy made an anxious squeak making grabby hands at the other brunet, demanding reassurance from his 'momma'.
It had Crocodile wanting so badly to hunt that bastard down like a feral pig even more! Him and that group of hooded freaks that had been with him, watching them like vultures. He should have done something about them the second he noticed them eyeing their boy. It made him so so angry, their wonderful day being totally destroyed forever! Luffy's first big outing. He had been so happy and excited and full of curiosity, all sweet smiles and that bastard ruined it! Maybe even traumatized the poor kid for life! He sure wasn't going to be sleeping sound for a while and Doffy sure the hell wasn't. He already had enough issues with nightmares and attachment issues. If Luffy didn't end up scarred over the situation, Doffy would surely remember it for the rest of his days. Lu would be lucky if he was ever allowed to go to the bathroom on his own later on in life with the way the man was trembling and muttering and clinging to the pup, nearly in tears.
"It's alright Lu, We're here."
All three ignored the very uncomfortably and awkwardly girl looking a mixture between shell shocked, terrified, and unsure of herself. She was still holding her Den-den Mushi, almost cuddling the creature to herself at that point. It was long past closing time. Should she even call Don Kim's enforcers? This was an attack on the Donquixote pirates, after all. If they didn't see anyone doing anything to help out, that could end up in retribution against the island and its inhabitance. At the same time, the main issue had left and well…. This weird moment seemed kind of private and what if they didn't like other people seeing them cuddling and kissing on their uh, baby? Who was still clearly freaked out? The three smelling so stressed out, particularly the pup and his father, that she felt half sick and half a step from a panic attack herself. It might end up with a lot of dead people and Don Kim not so pleased with her…. Which, of course, could end up with her death. But there was an obviously dangerous person still on the floor, staring right at her too… Doflamingo took the decision out of the cashier's hands.
Pulling a rosy pink Den-Den from…. Somewhere in that feathered mantle? The towering alpha called someone up with trembling hands. Crocodile at that point was entirely overtaken by his more maternal instincts and fawning over Luffy, who was still not at all settled down. A few sharp anxiety-laden anger filled barks of orders over the Den-Den Mushi and Doflamingo was back to cooing at his pup. Nothing but comfort and love in his tone.
Not that something about that wasn't just terrifying to the poor girl that had just decided to pretend she was a living statue behind the counter. Feeling much safer not bring any attention to herself. If it wouldn't bring attention to her, as she had a strong feeling that it would, she probably would have eased herself to the floor behind the counter and would have tried her luck at hiding in one of the cubbies and maybe even would have cried a little bit. Out of all of the people that could have been there for such a crazy-ass rollercoaster ride of an evening, it had to be her. She wasn't even supposed to be working that night! She was just a fill-in.
"We'll head back soon, Lu-sweetness. I promise! We just have to wait for someone to clean up that mess in the corner, yes we do! We don't want our little rat ruining the rest of our day, no we don't! He'll get to stay with Buffalo's sperm donor, yes he will! I think Mommy and daddy'll have fun with him while you spend time with your aunties and uncles tomorrow, won't that be nice?" Crocodile's grin was just as malicious as Doflamingo's was unhinged at the thought of beating answers out of the pair. Apparently, Doffy remembered how much he had wanted to be the one that finished off the bastard that had tormented that poor pup. There wasn't any way in hell he wasn't participating in getting some answers out of their newest unwelcome guest, either.
It didn't take more than a few minutes before half a dozen men in canary yellow suits were bustling into the shop, wrapping uncomfortable-looking seastone chains around the captured man and putting a heavy-looking collar around the dazed man's neck. They then immediately asked questions, a pair stood to the side taking notes before asking exactly what Doflamingo wanted to be done to the man.
Clothes shopping at that point for Luffy was absolutely a no-go. Everyone was too stressed out for that. Luffy was still an absolute wreck that would clearly benefit from being somewhere that had been established as safe and 'nest' and both Crocodile and Doflamingo were feeling the same way. Not wanting the infant to potentially be caught in the crossfire if the ass that got away decided to start a fight. There would be no eating as a family at the place the blond had excitedly hyped up to his Pretty that night. They would instead be ordering in, their family around them, planning the agonizing deaths of the whole group that had the gull to try and steal their adorable little Donquixote princeling from them.
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"Hey, hey, Doffy! I thought you planned to meet us at Rosemona's! Why'd you have Pink cancel? Huh, Doffy?" Trebol grumbled the moment the three got through the suite door. "Why did you call us all back, Doffy? Did something happen?" The man froze once he got a proper look at his captain's face, seeing the man frowning in a way that was incredibly rare. On top of that, Crocy was pressed into his side protectively, not putting up that fussy act that everyone was so used to in the least. The man was stubborn and kind of emotionally constipated sometimes, so there was no way that he would change to behave that way so suddenly without a major cause. Both absolutely stinking of aggression and protective parental smells and comfort. The scent of anxious and terrified pup nearly choked a whine from usually unkempt man. Luffy was positively clinging to Doflamingo, sniffling and still nuzzling the man, trying to bath himself in as much of his daddy's safe, comforting scent as he possibly could. "What happened?! Why is Lu-Lu so upset?!"
"Get everyone to the table. We have some rats gut!" Doflamingo hissed.
"Young Master?" Pink exclaimed, concerned as the three's scents positively clogged the air throughout the Suite. He was quick to join Trebol.
"Get everyone at the table! Now." The blond growled, walking past the pair as he went to collect a bottle and some formula for his pup. Crocodile busied himself with collecting Tora-Tora and calling up room service to order some food for the group. They weren't going to be leaving that table until something was figured out after all and that had a likelihood of taking quite a while.
No one under any circumstance tried acting against the Donquixote family and ever got away with it. Trying to steal their sweet little Luffy, well, they better pray long and hard for a heart attack before they managed to get ahold of them. The Donquixote family weren't the forgiving or merciful types on a good day, let alone when it came to their beloved little Donquixote prince! Especially when they heard what had happened and that their poor Sweetness had been so terrified that he had barked, barked and not just once or twice for them. Doffy wanted blood!
The blond made a distressed whine as Luffy didn't even merp or squeak for food like he usually would the moment one of his bottles even came into view. Instead, the pup was practically trying to bury himself in the man's mantel. Ugh, his poor sweet boy! How dare that human scum stress him out like that? His boy should be loudly demanding food right now! Spunky and demanding and squeaking their ears off, not whimpering and trembling and looking so lifeless and scared! He hated it, so so much! It felt like when he first- when they had-had- Doflamingo tried to force the smell of burning hair and flesh from his mind and nose. Trying not to gag as the taste and smell and noise filled his every sense again.
"Hey… hey, Doffy…. It-it's okay, it's just me. Not one's going to do anything to you or Lu-Lu or Crocy or anyone of us! Everyone's safe! Vergo and Pica are nearly back. Bentham will be back with Buffalo soon to. He stopped by the docks with most of his crew to check on things. Jora, Lao G, and Zala said they were at some art thing and would leave immediately while Daz was dealing with things downstairs with Diamante and both are in the elevator, on their way back up. No matter what's going on, it will be taken care of real soon. Alright, Doffy? Now, ya' have to settle down so Lu-Lu will too. He needs to eat." Trebol said, voice surprisingly considerate and calming as he spoke to his captain. What was the world coming to when even Trebol was more put together and with it than literally a single other person alive? Ugh, and he was right! Luffy fed off of other people's reactions and Doffy was a major influencer for the pup.
Everything was fine. His pup and Croco were okay…. His family was okay. Everyone was okay. They were all okay. They were all okay. He had family and he wasn't all alone. He was fine. He had money and power and a family that loved him. A family he made… He was okay. But…. Then why did he feel like that scared little boy that had lost his whole family again?
"Come on Lu, it's time for good boys to eat!~ Alright, my Sweet little glutton? Did you hear your uncle Trebol, Luffy? Soon all of your aunties and uncles will be back with us. That's because just like Mommy and Daddy, our great big family loves you so so much!~ "
End Chapter 10
Notes:
So hopefully, everyone enjoyed. I'm sure at this point, people are knowing what was going on, right? Or maybe not really. :D Also poor Doffy, Trebol of all people more put together than him!
By the way, in 1-3 chapters, we will be having a little bit of a time skip where our Baby Lu gets to finally meet our sweetie pie Rosi! I'm super excited about it! I have huge inspiration from a comment someone left and I can't wait to write about it in the chapter. 😊
So for people wondering why I disappeared when I am normally really good about keeping everyone up to date with what will be going on with updates and stuff. I have been having some pretty severe neurological issues since last summer and for some reason, I have been feeling a lot worse since early December. On top of weakness and vertigo and shaky hands and other stuff I have been having, I also have been having severe headaches a lot, light sensitivity, and issues with my eyes and vision. School is definitely not helping these symptoms and on top of it all, they now believe I have narcolepsy.
Which…. I mean makes sense since I literally am able to go to sleep anywhere at any time and I am never not, pass out exhausted so…. Me joking with people that I had narcolepsy in college because people would comment and get concerned about me literally pretty much passing out all of the time wasn't actually a joke….. Ooops….`:D Guess I'm a D….. Which the hilarious thing is that if you write my name with our family name in the way that one piece does, my initials would be B.D.M.H. So actually, a D. Anyway, I'm doing my best and am starting to go a little more back to my usual levels of feeling like crap, so I should be able to write more again.
Please tell me what you think! I would love to read everyone's theories and I love when people share ideas and thoughts about my stories with me. I usually take a lot of inspiration for my stories from reviews and I get a lot of my motivation from them too! Especially when I am tired and not feeling great.
Chapter 12: Is this Rejection?
Notes:
This chapter ended up being 9117 words long without author's notes. Sorry for taking so long I took an extra college class for spring semester and so homework and finals kicked my ass. I did alright though, managed to get a 3.14 for the semester. Not as good as my usual grades, but not bad.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 11
Just as Trebol had promised, it didn't take long for people to start piling back into the Donquixote suite. Doflamingo hardly even noticed, though. Too focused on trying to calm…. Himse-Luffy down. Making cooing and crooning sounds as he encouraged his pup to eat. Poor thing, his Lu-Lu was so rattled! He had never even given his bottle a second thought, not once since he had learned how to eat!
"There you are, sweet boy! My good little Glutton, Daddy, knew you were so hungry poor Treasure!~" The man cooed, trying his best to smile and encourage his Sweetness. Doflamingo wanted to just go back to the ship and curl up around his Croco and pup, like before. The more he tried calming down, the more unsafe he felt in this place. A place he had previously never had anything but good memories and had felt nearly as safe at as Spider's Mill. His baby needed to be protected! His Lu-Lu was too small, too fragile and young still to be outside of their safe place, their home. What was he thinking? Luffy wasn't even a year old yet! Where was his Pretty? He needed his Croco! What if someone tried taking his Croco away too? His Pretty was in the bedroom, but why? Croco should be right there with him and their pup and staying safe and in his sight at all times! Lu wasn't in view for less than 2 minutes, and look what nearly happened to him!
"Neh, Doffy, you're getting all panicky again! You have to calm your breathing, 'kay, Doffy?" Trebol reminded his captain, even as he, himself, was getting nervous. "You want Crocy, right? I'll get your Crocy and Pink will stay here, right Pink?"
The man nodded, "Of course!" Pink agreed, sitting down a tray with a silver tea set. "But he's probably just finished up a call with some contacts. Like the respectable man that he is shaping up to be, Sir Crocodile said he was going to try and find out where the bastards that were a threat to our little master are hiding out."
"Wait? What! Who threatened our Lu-Lu?! What kind of threat? What did they try to do to our nephew?" Trebol growled, tone indigent.
"I don't know. Crocodile smelled close to becoming feral, so I decided it was probably safer to leave him be so he could calm down for a few minutes." Pink explained, pouring a cup of tea for Doffy, making sure it had a spoonful of sugar and had plenty of cream just like he knew the man liked. "Here you go, young master! I replenished the stocks while you were out today…. I wanted it to be a surprise.. for your birthday…. It's your favorite…." The man explained, clearly a little upset that the day had turned out to be a lousy occasion for the younger alpha.
At first, Doffy seemed to be staring into space. But he eventually carefully laid Luffy's bottle against his shoulder and then used his free hand to pick up the cup full of steaming delicious tea. Hints of citrus filling his nose, too tempting to ignore. He hoped that maybe having something to fidget with would calm him down a bit. Where were minions to play with when a guy needed them?
"Thanks, Pink." Doflamingo murmured, entirely too subdued for the other two. It just wasn't right! Doffy just wasn't…. this.
Trebol and Pink exchanged uncomfortable looks before the towering hunchback sniffled up a long string of snot and shuffled his way to Doflamingo's newly shared suite.
Luffy whimpered, pushing his only half-finished bottle away and turned to nuzzle his tear-tracked face into his daddy's suit. Mewling anxiously.
"It's alright, Little master," Pink said, frowning at the way Doffy tensed up and began to breath harder and at how the blond's bottom lip began to tremble.
"Shhhh, It's alright. Daddy's here. I'll never let anyone or thing take you from me. No, not ever Sweetness.~" Luffy wouldn't ever leave him. He loved him so so much. Nothing was more important to Doflamingo than his Little Treasure. His son, someone tried stealing him away! His-HIS EVERYTHING! He was in love with Croco, his pretty, but his love for Luffy. Luffy was his, his baby.
"That's right Lu-Lu, daddy's just a little stressed still. I'm sorry if I'm making you anxious too. Now let's try to eat a little more, hmm?" Doflamingo had, had the pup since likely only hours after he was born. He nursed him back to health and he cared for him and loved him and saw all of his milestones…. Their bond was incredibly special to the man and it was just Luffy was born to be his baby… Even when his Treasure was in some unloving bitch's belly, he was Doffy's. No love the man could ever feel for someone else could ever outshine the utter devotion and fatherly love he held for his son and right now, it was kicking the man in the guts for daring to sit down his sweet helpless son for even a second. "Come on now Sweetness, I know you can eat more than that." The man cooed, sitting his nearly finished tea down and pressing Luffy's bottle's teet to the pup's lips letting the liquid dribble over the infant's gums temptingly.
"Doffy! What happened? Why did you call us back here? Did something happen?" Diamante demanded rapid-fire as he all but ran into the room. The man went wide-eyed at Luffy's red face and clenched gums. Luffy never rejected food! "Is Lu sick?! Pink doesn't know how to deal with baby illnesses! I'll go-"
"What are you going on about?" Crocodile grumbled, eying the panicked-looking man. His frown deepened as he realized, like the others, that his pup was being fussy about eating. Something that just felt totally wrong. Luffy was a hearty eater. Hell, the pup could probably keep up with kids 3-4 times his age and probably still feel a bit hungry. Luffy not wanting food was like Trebol without a snotty nose; it just didn't happen.
"-And I told him that I would kick his ass and burn down his shop if I ever heard another suggestion on what kind of haircut I should get again. A bowl cut is easy to maintain and practical. Besides, I think it frames my eyes nicely and helps show off my sideburns."
"Don't you dare kill that old man! That's where I get my favorite custom haircare products from! If I had known you would cause such a scene, I would have left you here! I just wanted a nice relaxing day where I could get my hair cared for by my favorite stylist and get myself a pedicure! Because of you, I didn't even get past the haircut! I knew I should have waited for Zala and Gladius! Even Bentham would have been a better option, at least he cares about his appearance and he's actually fun!" Pica snarled, squeaky voice practically rattling everyone's brains in his irritation.
"Can you both not start a fight the moment you get back here? There is clearly a situation going on. Why don't we focus on what may have happened that had us being called back on such short notice?" Daz growled at the pair coming in. Giving the pair an irritated glare, joining Pink and a sneering Trebol. The room positively stunk of anxiety and fear and protective rage. It was nearly choking. How in the hell were those two able to argue about dumb crap like that when something big and bad was or had clearly been going on?
Thankfully as soon as the scent and aura of the room settled on the pair, they were just as on alert and became just as serious and ready to kill someone as the rest of the group. Taking their seats with quiet apologies to their captain and eyeing a fussing Luffy with great concern.
It wasn't long after that when Marchvice and Gladius came back. Gladius stomping into the room, looking positively livid and muttering about blowing everything up that may have scared his nephew. He immediately went to grab Tora-Tora as Crocodile was doing his best to settle both Doffy and Luffy down along with Vergo(Who was more fussing over Luffy refusing to eat) and Trebol and the man had clearly forgotten Luffy's plush. After handing the plush over, he went to his room for a bit to calm down. He felt like it was the best option as Luffy seemed to be getting more and more upset the more worked up everyone was around him, being the sweet, empathetic little thing that he was. The silver-haired man wasn't know for having the best control of his temper.
It wasn't long before everyone was back and both Jora and Bentham were fussing. Bentham more over, everyone and was upset that they all were clearly on edge. Jora over Luffy and Doffy in particular. Zala, herself, had started serving out tea and pieces of one of the cakes that she and the other's had picked up, only minutes after being called. At the same time, Pink quickly got up to assist her, clearly wanting to help settle everyone down so his nephew would feel calm enough to eat some more and Doffy and Crocodile would feel safe enough to stop hovering over the pup and actually tell them what happened. Especially poor young master who seemed to have been having one of his…. Bad moments again. Reacting in such a way that Pink didn't think he had seen the other man have an episode that bad since he was maybe 13? Maybe 14 years old?
As his friend and found family, it was Pink's duty as a man and as an uncle to protect and avenge his family. Just like it was to help provide safety and comfort. He was just as angry as the rest, but they need to control themselves. They had a set of traumatized parents in the room and their clearly very affected nephew. Luffy was too young to understand the difference between them being angry at each other or angry with someone outside of the family. It was clearly incredibly stressful for the infant with how sensitive he was. The young master wasn't up to dealing with that sort of aggressive and hostile scents either after such a bad episode. Zala and Bentham seemed to get that. Bentham especially as he began scolding everyone and guilting at least a few of them into sitting down quietly.
The man had gotten incredibly irritable with their behavior when Pica had become particularly snippy and had clearly been about to get pissy with Buffalo, who was bouncing around with a mixture of anxious and excitable energy. Crocodile had become just as much scolding the other man for getting irritated with the pup when he wasn't doing any kind of misbehaving. The boy clearly understanding that something was very wrong, but also still being a child, he was ready to burst with all the things he wanted to tell everyone about his clearly, by the gift bags and windmill hat, fun day he had with Bentham and some of the man's crew.
"Buffalo, let's show Doffy boy and sweet Lu-Lu the presents we got them! I think that should help cheer things up, don't you? Right, Croco-sir?" Bentham encouraged, smiling when Doflamingo actually turned his head from staring at Luffy and Buffalo perked up, immediately getting up from his assigned seat and nervously held up a bag to the blond. "I-I thought even though Luffy sleeps with you guys that he'd like to play with it…. And he'd like the colors." The boy said, fidgeting.
Without saying a word, The blond alpha carefully pulled the thing from it's bag. The other's in the room had gone silent at that point. Almost desperate to see their captain and their nephew back to being their playful, cheeky, and confident selves. Them being upset in any way was just so wrong!
Doflamingo's frown slowly faded into a soft, thoughtful smile as the item in the bag came into view. It was a beautifully crafted mobile with about a dozen different little carved birds on it, all colorful and of different species and sizes looking to be in mid-flight.
The moment Luffy's eyes caught the colorful thing, he let out a curious squeak.
"Oh, you like the pretty bird's Lu-Lu?" The blond exclaimed excited that his pup wasn't making fearful sounds at the sight. He immediately went to dangle the mobile over his pup and was back to grinning in real pleasure when Luffy's eyes seemed to almost be fixated. The pup letting out a cautious but excited little sound, then a wanting little merp that was slightly more confident-sounding as he reached for the pretty things before the infant let out a string of quiet babbling. "Yeah, see the birdies Luffy? You like 'em don't you Sweetness? Such a good pup! My smart boy talking so much!" Doflamingo crooned, lighting up and eagerly encouraging his pup's positive reactions to his new toy. Happy that the infant wasn't so stressed out or stinking nearly as badly of terror or stress as the minutes ticked by. The scent and sounds of his pup so distressed had been paralyzingly traumatizing for the man.
"You both feeling a little better now Doffy?" Crocodile asked, leaning in to run his fingers over Luffy's head and smiling subconsciously as the infant almost desperately leaned into his hand, making his 'Love on me I love you love me' squeaks and merps for attention. Although Crocodile wasn't liking how anxious and insecure the pup was still sounding, it was a significant improvement on his mood and comfort level from even 10 minutes beforehand when he was having a meltdown level loop that he had been sharing with his father and the rest of the family over the stress that was being felt.
The moment the pair had started to significantly calm down, Trebol, Jora, and Pica looked ready to burst again, being more outspoken when it came to their outrage. They were incredibly anxious to know what had caused such a mood change with their found family members.
Crocodile sat himself down, still petting at Luffy's nuzzling head and lightly chewing at an unlit cigar Daz had so thoughtfully placed in his teeth before taking his own seat. The familiar calming presence and the taste of fine tobacco were a familiar grounding comfort for him.
"Alright, let's get this meeting started! Around 6, Doffy and I were finishing up with the Zoo. I…. went to grab an ice cream at his insistence while he browsed the gold medalian's gift shop, over there. I figured he probably wanted me to wait outside for him, so I was taking my time. Since he was taking a bit longer than I had expected, I decided to check to see what was going on. Something just felt… off, ya' know? I barely got up and I could hear Doffy growling real protective like and I-I thought… I heard a pup's fear bark…. I was sure that I had to be hearing things, but…. well, I got to the door and there was someone…. An alpha male, I think, in a dark green robe with his hood up and he was trying to grab my Luffy!" Crocodile explained, gnashing a bit harder at his cigar as he tried to force himself to stay as calm as he could. It was difficult though, the emotional wounds were fresh and incredibly painful. He at least felt vilified as the others stiffened at his words, smelling protective and ready to rip out some throats.
.
"It's okay Pretty, Lu-Lu's safe! His good vicious momma, Pretty, and protective daddy made sure of that!~" Doflamingo crooned, the slightest purr to his tone of voice. He then leaned down and peppered a few kisses over the man's cute scar. Feeling endeared as the brunet let out a string of embarrassed denials. He was just too cute, even slipping and calling Luffy his pup, his sweet sweet Pretty! Such a loving mommy Crocodile!~
The brunet continued after giving himself time to breathe and calm down for a few moments. "Doffy was freaking out, lip almost curled even and nearly feral! The bastard lunged at Lu again and he was so damn scared! So fucking terrified! I've never seen a pup that young that scared in my whole life. He was convinced the bastard was going to kill him, I'm sure of it! Acted like he was going to beat him within an inch of his life! I- Luffy barked, BARKED! Full-on fear barked and I was just on the bastard…" Crocodile snarled.
"I didn't even have to think. The moment I heard my brat like that…. and then some other ass, the one we got, covered his arms in Haki so he could grab me off of the monster! Came up from behind." Crocodile explained, forcing his voice from crackling like the hard, painful lump in his throat threatened to do to him. His Luffy, his Baby had been scared enough to bark, bark and he hadn't been right there like a good parent should have been! Luffy was just a helpless, trusting infant, he relied entirely on him and Doffy to love him and comfort him and keep him happy and safe. He was a bad parent, a horrible horrible mother! Eating ice cream and getting grouchy when his boy needed him! The brunet's instincts, head, and even his ice-cold heart had berated him this way since the moment the incident happened
Several of the executives made sounds of horror or disbelief, while others sucked in distressed breaths, looking nauseated at the thought of their sweet, cheerful little nephew being scared enough to actually bark. No wonder he and his parents had been such wrecks and why Doffy had such a bad episode. It probably reminded him of the day he and his brother and father had gotten strung up. It had been the only time besides when he had killed his father that the man had ever heard his beloved missing brother bark after all. His crew knew that he still completely blamed his father with all of his heart for both of Rosi's barks of pure terror and especially the first feelings of pain both brothers had ever experienced.
"Lu-Lu was super grumpy and tired… I put my wallet in the wrong pocket and anytime I tried getting it, I kept accidentally waking him up. Poor Sweetness was all tuckered out after getting to see all the animals. It was so cute how much they made him light up…. And… I didn't even think about using my strings…. Instead, I sat Luffy down on a chair. I just had to give the kid at the Register that ID card. You know, the one the casino gave us because of the fake papers issue. It-It wasn't even a full 2 minutes." Doflamingo said, swallowing hard.
"Suddenly, I felt someone trying to hide from my observation Haki… Before I could do anything…. Lu was scared and barking and beggin' me to get that bastard away from him!" The blond's face twisted back down to a deep understanding frown, one that even had his own found family unnerved. "He recognized him." The young alpha said, eying his exhausted half-asleep pup. "He recognized him!" Doflamingo said with a seething certainty. Apparently, seeing the puzzle pieces before anyone else.
"Doffy?" Vergo prompted.
"Him, he knew my Luffy from the moment he saw my Treasure… He froze and stared like he'd seen a ghost. Went… all ridged after I said Lu's name. That bastard in green…. I think-no-I'm certain he's Luffy's sperm donor. He's the one that hurt him! I got a whiff of the fucker! He hurt my boy and then all these months later tried to steal him away to finish what he already thought had been ended! I want him. I want him. When we get him, I'm going to make him wish he'd died when he thought he'd offed my Treasure." Doflamingo hissed, decidedly demonic feeling in that moment, beautiful and terrifying as bits of his conquerors haki escaped from him. His sweet boy burbled with utter contentment nuzzling him sleepily, positively melting into him. The pup clearly feeling as safe as he possibly could. The other's around the table, although outraged and with clear murder in their eyes were sweating and trembling, on the other hand.
Doffy melted at his sweetness' reaction. His special sweet, perfect little Treasure! His good good pup! He knew just who he belonged to~ that he would never ever hurt his boy! "Oh Lu, isn't he a cutie Croco?~" The blond positively purred, getting minutely sidetracked by his Luffy peeping and cuddling his father's hand to himself, nuzzling his head against the man's still stroking fingers. It didn't take long for his protective thoughts to come back full force. How could a bastard ever be so cruel as to even think about harming a single hair on the head of such a precious little angel?! Doflamingo's little angel? His destined son!
"I want that guy brought in. He tried to hurt our sweet boy and wants to finish the job." Doflamingo said, dead serious as he eyed his family.
"Of course, Doffy! Hey-hey, do you think we'd let anything happen to our Lu-Lu?!" Trebol exclaimed, tone insulted.
"I don't know how to express how angry I am right now! Making our bubbly little master…. B-bark, he must have been so scared! It's despicable! I'll turn that beast into a piece of art worthy of putting up in Spider's Mill and I won't be so merciful when he suffocates like I usually would! I'll make sure it's slow and agonizing!" Jora exclaimed, fists clenched and lip trembling like the woman was fighting angry tears.
Bentham, on the other hand, was allowing himself to openly cry at the thought of Luffy being so terrified and from his and Doffy's display of extreme anxiety earlier. His poor captain and his mate and baby had been in such a horrible scary situation! And poor Luffy being so terrified by that monster! Jora and Pink had spoken a bit about Luffy not being in good shape when Doffy found him, but they hadn't elaborated that a newborn pup had actually been hurt! What had that demon done to the pup? What kind of monster father-no sperm donor or not could do anything to a newborn infant? The thoughts made him feel sick! He couldn't imagine, nor did he want to imagine ever hurting a child! That was a type of evil that needed the deepest darkest pit one could find and to be left to suffer a long agonizing death.
"Is Luffy going to be okay?" Buffalo asked quietly, nervous and alarmed sounding as he tried to look the pup over the best that he could from his seat.
"He's fine Buffalo. Just a little freaked out." Pink assured the older pup.
"My crew specializes in espionage and assassinations. Bentham and his division make for excellent spies. Zala's my best stealth assassin though she's pretty talented in espionage as well. Daz is one of the best assassins and bounty hunters I've ever met in all of the blues."
"Ah, good idea sir! I was thinking the same thing and I was itching to check out the underbelly of this place anyway. You know how much I love playing bartender.~ Bentham, Cricket, Philipe, and Daz and I'll need to discuss how we plan to do this. It would be…. Irritating if that group managed to slip away before we found them because we accidentally brought suspicion on ourselves." Zala said, a razor edge smile twisting her lips.
The smile that lit up Crocodile's face at his fourth in command's words was even more barbed and chilling, positively sadistic and delighted than her own. He hoped she played with the bastard cold dead heart and speared it right through. "Sounds perfect, Kukukuku!"
"Hey, hey! What about us Crocy?" Trebol exclaimed, sniffling as his nose began to run in his excitement. "Huh, huh?! That's not fair! Lu-Lu's our nephew to and don't forget they upset Doffy! We can't just stand by after an insult like that! Right, Doffy?!"
"Of course, there are plenty of those rats to stomp, don't any of you worry!" Doflamingo purred, snickering at the thought of trapping the whole lot of those hooded figures he had seen before.
"Yeah, there's plenty to go around, by the looks of 'em. Don't worry, we won't start the fun without any of you. Just forgive an angry…. Mother if a fist slips a couple of times once we wring the guy up by his ears." Crocodile said, giving the group a coy little grin.
Trebol looking equal parts unnerved and darkly amused. "Of course, Croccy!"
"Accidents happen after all." Vergo agreed as the other's made amused noises and confirmation of agreement.
"Rude bastards that are a threat to the family walk right into people's fists all of the time! We'd think nothing of the beast having a clumsy little stumble." Diamante said, eyes positively gleaming at the thought. He was so happy that Crocodile was finally starting to come around. He and the other's would be none too pleased if that had to step in and force the issue. He hoped that the trauma of the incident stuck to the man and helped glue him to Doffy's side and to continue on mothering and loving on his adorable little nephew the way he deserved. He preferred not to have to do anything that would burn out that spark though they would, all of them if he dare ever hurt their captain or precious nephew.
After a few more minutes of discussion, everyone, although aching to beat the group of hooded figures skulls in, were far more relaxed and in far better moods. The edge would never truly melt away until they had taken revenge, but between Luffy, Crocodile, and Doffy calming down significantly and the promises of getting to mangle those that had not only threatened but had insulted the pride of the Donquixote family, everyone was in a significantly better mood. Doffy and Luffy seemed affected considerably by the calmer atmosphere. Both still were irritatingly not quite as bright and confident as they usually would be. Luffy still was a bit anxious and fearful, but they were doing far better than before. Near the end of the conversation, he had dozed in and out of sleep, smelling more like himself. It wasn't long after that when an annoying buzzing followed by knocking pulled the group away from their discussion.
Gladius, who had joined everyone once they deemed everyone calm enough to keep themselves in check. Him to, if needed, with his explosive temper to go with his explosive Devil fruit abilities. Dealing with his anger over the situation hadn't been fun. He thankfully was mindful enough of the residual scent of his captain's earlier stress-induced Panic attack and of Luffy to keep himself mostly under control. It didn't mean he wasn't going to blow something up later, though. He was practically blowing blood vessels at the knocking, still on edge. "What the hell's going to happen next?" He growled, stomping out of the room. Pica grimaced and immediately got up to follow him, flexing his hands as he went looking over his captain and nephew as if to reassure himself before meeting eyes with Trebol, who was stiff and suddenly stinking of protectiveness as he got to his feet and all but guarded the door.
Doffy was his and Lu-Lu was his and Doffy had hurt because someone dared to try to hurt what belonged to him! He was suspicious of anything that got anywhere near them or by anyone that wasn't a part of their combined crews at that point.
"Sir Crocodile! We got the food you asked for! We were really looking forward to that Rosamona's restaurant, but we didn't feel like with there being a threat to our little Angel prince and Doflamingo that it would be the safest option. Carlos and Cricket convinced Avery and Katri to help them whip up a meal I'm sure that can make up for it a bit!" Philipe called. The man's voice was quickly followed by him pushing a cart filled to the brim with delicious smelling food into the room and followed by a few other men also pushing carts into the room.
"How did you get those two to even walk in a kitchen without flippin' out?" Crocodile sputtered, the other man's words easily getting his attention. He never thought they would cook again after the crap they went through.
"Our captain's date was ruined, of course, they're going to want to make things better!" Was the man's annoyingly vague and off-topic reply.
Doffy made a sad little sound and pouted at hearing Philipe's words. He had really been looking forward to finishing off their day on a good note. It would have been so perfect….
"That still doesn't answer my question. Those two would rather scrub a toilet with their tongues than step foot in a kitchen again after going through that!" Crocodile grumbled, even as he perked up at the sight and smell of the high-class food that had started to be sat on the table. He was a glutton for fine food and alcohol. Carlos, another man, named Bartoll McStattle, and Cricket were his main cooks and were all trained professional chefs, good ones, but Avery and Katri were in their own league, once upon a time.
"Going through what? Doflamingo questioned.
"Yeah, Crocy! What happened?" Trebol asked, more than a little curious himself now that he felt significantly calmer seeing familiar faces and smelling familiar scents. He wasn't one to hang around lesser crewmates, they weren't family after all, but he recognized them as belonging to Crocodile at least. Bentham had a tendency to hang out with his crew quite a bit, too so even as little as he cared for them, he recognized the men coming in.
"Oh, you don't know?" Crocodile asked, giving the men a cheeky smirk.
"Croco, no teasing!" Doffy whined. "Tell us!~" He insisted.
"You've heard of Big Momma, right?" Crocodile purred, nearly laughing at the instant grimaces and looks of dread on Doffy and the other executive's faces. He was sure they were thinking up all sorts of horrible things.
"Big Momma….?" Diamante hissed like a curse.
"Umhum…. They were forced into Toto land by Compote, Big Momma's first daughter after she was apparently dating their captain. She loved their food so much that she forced them to go with her when the guy broke it off with her. Apparently, the experience was so traumatic that the second they managed to escape, they faked their own deaths and swore off cooking again. Katri told me once that Big Momma ate a boyfriend of his, a Horse Mink, right in front of 'em just because she was curious about how one would taste. That and apparently he was spending too much time with him instead of on baking." Crocodile explained. "And that was mild compared to some of the shit that happened."
Getting grimaces and eews from around the table.
"What's a Horse mink?" Buffalo asked, a little confused by the extreme reactions from the adults around the table. A mink was like a weasel, right?
Pink groaned into his hand. Not sure if a kid that young should really understand the extreme nature of what the woman had done. Ugh, that was like-like eating a human! Practically cannibalism, at least to him it was! She really was a monster.
"They're like devil fruit users that are permanently in they're hybrid form if they have a Zoan fruit." Vergo blurted, not seeming to read the mood.
Buffalo, of course, went pasty when he heard Vergo's words. The North Blue had a lot more devil fruit users than the East Blue. Devil fruits weren't super common but being around devil fruit users and having a little bit of experience around a couple of Zoan types from before becoming part of the Donquixote family had the boy understanding far more than he would have liked to have. "B-but that means that they're people then! She-she eats people? Like G.O.D. from the place my d… from where He's from?" Buffalo sputtered, looking more than a little green at the thought.
"God?" Daz snorted, eyebrow raised.
"I think that's what sky people call their leaders?…. It might be specific to the Grand White-White sea though, I'm not too clear about the details." Pink explained.
"Nah, it's an all sky ocean thing. It's weird as hell. Most treat them more like godly figures to it's a whole weird cultural thing. Got some weird as hell crap going on up there. Whole island up there of just cannibal Omegas that keep alphas in cages like pets, had the whole Amazonian thing going on. I wouldn't even compare it to Amazon Lily, though, way too fucked up, and Amazon Lily's just females. The alphas and betas aren't being ridden around on like some fet-freaky uh, shit.
These omegas were built like fring' she giants crossed with 'roided out bears or something because of some freaky fungus that they ate. They were scary as hell! When they decided they wanted a kid, the poor sucker that had to deal with that…." Crocodile glanced over at Buffalo, realizing that the pup was well, very much a child still…
"Well, let's just say the poor sucker's pelvis was lucky if it wasn't totally pulverized. They tried catching part of my crew, thankfully they absolutely terrified them and no one wanted to stay long. There was a whole string of islands dedicated to cannibalism and live sacrifices and stuff in that area, not an area you want to need to ask for directions in. Olympus was pretty cool, though. Had to be careful not to piss the wrong person off since poison was a pretty big thing there…. That and everyone wanting to jump everyone's bones.. so they were big-time into…. Uh…. You know and revenge for stupid shit, but they had indoor plumbing and the city was gorgeous… Food and shopping were great too! I still use a bunch of the dials I got from there." The brunet went on.
"Wait, you've been to that sky place I keep hearing bits and pieces about?" Daz exclaimed, actually looking surprised for once.
"You're focusing on that when we were just told Olympus is sort of a thing and he's actually been there?! Jora pointed out using an incredibly incredulous tone of voice as she eyed the man, thinking about all of the history and art and culture that Crocodile must have had the luck to have seen and experience with his own two eyes.
"Oh, thank you, this looks, scrumptious darling!" Jora exclaimed, getting easily distracted by the beautifully decorated dessert layered with cake and different colorful fruits and homemade fruit sauce, creams and crumbles and topped with ladyfingers cut into flower, star and heart shapes.
"Carlos and Ti-Ti made it! She's getting so good! He picked such a good apprentice! She came up with your desert and made a great chocolate raspberry mousse for the filling in those ladyfingers!" Philipe exclaimed proudly, grinning ear to ear as he specifically sat one of the beautiful desserts in front of the woman that had a few extra ladyfingers and some shaved chocolate on it. "I'll admit we may have eaten more than a couple while getting everything ready." The man said with a cheeky grin as the woman fawned.
"It's a work of art! Already knowing me so well and remembered I like to be able to look at my beautiful treat while I eat my dinner!~ Tell her if everything she makes keeps tasting as good as they look, I may have to steal her!" The woman exclaimed, utterly delighted.
"-We were lost up there for nearly 6 months once. It's weird as hell up there. Lots of cults. Soils real rare too. I sold my crew mate's herb garden for 10 great quality dials and about the equivalent of 2 million 450 thousand Berris in cash!" Crocodile said, a wistful smirk crossing his lips, "The cooks were pissed…. I think I was 11 maybe 12?"
"You never told me any of this!" Bentham pouted, crossing his arms.
"I told you I've been up there a few times."
"But not like that!"
"It was a long time ago, in a totally different lifetime! You know how I feel about talking mushy about my shitty childhood!" Crocodile grumbled, starting to edge away from his improved mood, thinking about the pure excitement and adventure that had once filled his heart and soul to the brim. What an idiot he was, thinking that one-day things would change, that they would get better for him. Running off had been the smartest thing he had ever done. The best thing he had ever done for himself. Without realizing it he had visibly curled into himself, retreating his petting hand from Luffy's fluffy hair and clearly cutting himself off from everyone around him.
"I'm sorry," Bentham said, subdued. He visibly wilted as the air suddenly felt heavy and awkward and less open than it had been before. His captain was retreating again, quickly going from his cheeky, charismatic, more open self he had started to become as of late back to his cold and distant unreachable self.
"Croco?" Doffy questioned, tone calm, careful.
"Leave it." Crocodile hissed, not even looking at the blond beside him before addressing Bentham's ship's second in command. "Where's the food, Phil? I'm getting pretty tired. I just want to eat and turn in, alright? I don't really care about any rolls or dessert or anything tonight."
"Sorry, boss! The casino insisted on inspecting everything before it got up here." The man explained, sounding a little puzzled himself.
"It's fine. I'm just going to head to my quarters then." Crocodile said, getting to his feet and starting to the door. The wrong one. "Remember to talk it all out between each other." He said pointedly at his crew before standing aside to let a few more of his crewmates, pushing food through.
"Wait, Croco! You can't get to our bedroom from there! What are you doing Pretty?~" Doflamingo said, tone teasing even as anxiety spiked through him and his face was quickly twisting into something dangerous.
"I'm…. going back to my ship for the night, I want to be alone for a bit." Crocodile explained, forcing himself from taking a step back when Doflamingo was suddenly just there, towering menacingly over him a cold prickly frown on his face. Even for a man like Crocodile, it was unnerving. The fact that Doflamingo was gently petting over Luffy's head so carefully made the alarm bells that had been going off in Crocodile's head blare even worse as somehow it made the situation feel even more oppressive and dangerous.
"Luffy could have died and you're leaving?" Doflamingo growled, the 'How could you! I thought you loved us!' implied as plainly as a line in the dirt.
Crocodile gritted his teeth together, "You don't think I know that?! I'm telling you I am not going ta' be good company! I can't be around anyone, not just you!" The man sniped. Trying his best not to completely blow up or break down. He needed to be alone. He wanted to be surrounded by the stuff he had collected himself and to build his walls back up for the night and to pretend that all of those painful feels that had rushed back to him were never even a thing. It hurt too much. He was a pathetic weak freak of a thing and he'd never change and nothing would ever change and what if being around Luffy somehow cursed the pup to the same sort of misery and broken hopes and dreams? What if it was his rotten luck that nearly got him…..-
Doflamingo straightened his back, "my suite has a couple of guest bedrooms that I've never used. You can be….. alone in one of those." He said, unwilling to let his Pretty out of his sight. What if he left? What if that group of hooded figures went after his Croco and he wasn't there? Why would his Croco want to-
Before the situation escalated because it clearly was going to terribly and fast, Pink, sweating slightly, mustered up his courage and forced himself to intervene.
"Young Master, you need to let him chose what he's most comfortable doing. It's your duty as a alpha and a man to respect his mate's needs and wishes. It's been a stressful evening. He probably needs some time to himself to calm down. Besides, think of this as practice for when Sir Crocodile has to take a business trip or even if you would need to. He said he would be back in the morning. Besides, his executives will be staying here tonight." Pink calmly pointed out, knowing his captain would be able to read between the lines.
Crocodile was a very independent prideful man who clearly had some deep-rooted issues and insecurities that he had been keeping under lock and key from others' eyes for a long time. Doflamingo may have been starting to win him over and it was clear that Crocodile may have even been starting to have feelings for the other man, but they had only been together for a few months now, actually traveling with the crew for not even a full 2 months he wouldn't be willing to open up overnight about his insecurities and anxieties. He and Pink were the same in some ways. Both were still in a highly emotional state. He, as the only one that seemed to know anything about relationships out of the Donquixote family, needed to help guide them before either made a terrible unrepairable mistake that would devastate his captain, nephew and also the crew. Crocodile's second, third, and 4th in command quickly on their way to becoming beloved family members, even some of Bentham's crewmates, becoming fast fixtures.
Doflamingo needed to keep in mind that Crocodile was a runner he wouldn't allow anyone to control him. If the young master came on too strong and got too demanding and pushy, he would lose him. Even if the others put the backup plan into motion, he would never want anything to do with his blond captain. Pink was sure if that were to happen, it would destroy his young master for the rest of his days. He needed to make his captain understand that giving the brunet his space at that moment was the best move he could possibly make and would actually likely bring the pair closer, endearing his captain to Crocodile.
Doffy was very afraid of being alone and being abandoned, those that he deemed family getting hurt or killed. If he felt like he was being abandoned or that Crocodile was intentionally putting himself at risk, it was very likely he would lash out. Especially if Crocodile showed any sign of not only rejecting Doflamingo, but any sign of not being positively enamored with Luffy could end up being dangerous for the brunet. Pink didn't want anything bad to go down on either end. He liked Crocodile and Doflamingo and his little nephew was so happy with him. Crocodile fit in so well and was so good with both of them. His crew was great too and everyone was so happy in this new arrangement.
Pink didn't want anything to do with the backup plan. Of course, he cared deeply for his captain and wanted him to be happy, but the other's didn't seem to understand that you couldn't just force someone to love you as much as you loved them and even then, it took time to form a real, strong, intimate relationship with someone. Especially someone as reserved as the one-handed brunet. He knew that they all had issues and so some of his crewmates far more than others and they may not have really understood the repercussions or how warped their thoughts and catering really was. The others desire to make Doffy happy using any means necessary and strongly encouraged his less than appropriate behaviors. Which could end up destroying the young alpha's possibly best chance to have a real relationship, likely his only chance ever and possibly actually take him as a mate.
Not too many others would have stuck around as long as Crocodile already had, nor would they have been genuinely willing to or even cared to try and understand the blond or to comfort and care for the man and his concern and affection for Luffy were clearly just as genuine, likely even more so. It was practically impossible to pretend maternal scents. One would have to be a next-level well-practiced Sociopath to be able to do something like that. Even with all of the seedy wackos that Pink and the crew had met, he was almost positive that they had never come close to encountering someone that was that messed up and that was coming from a man that came from a crew of nothing but questionable sanity and plenty of instability.
"But Pink!" Doffy whined, pouting at the shorter man as he used both of his arms to cuddle Luffy closer to himself to self soothe. When the man continued staring him down the blond huffed, already planning to give in, reluctantly, though. "Fine, fine, we'll see you first thing tomorrow morning, pretty." The man announced, still pouting at Crocodile. He then drug him into a needy hug, nuzzling against covered scent glands before chinning the other man and planting a rather desperate kiss on his lips. "We'll miss you every second!" The alpha insisted while reluctantly letting the other man go.
"It's just for the night, Flamingo bastard!" Crocodile grumbled, cheeks red.
Doflamingo knew that he was being manipulative at that point but didn't care. Croco was his. He wanted their separation for even a second to hurt his pretty as much as it upset him. He understood what Pink was getting at and fully agreed and approved, but he hated to be parted from his beauty. He was sure his sweet little Treasure would be just as upset. His perfect little Lu-Lu was just as possessive as his daddy, after all.~
The young alpha was also a wreck over his Croco being away from him after his sweet boy had been attacked. What if someone went after his pretty too? But Pink was right, to make them closer, he needed to make sure his pretty regretted being away from him. The distance would help him solidify his Crocodile's attachment and understanding that they were clearly soulmates. Doflamingo was confident that once his scent faded some and with Luffy not being right there with him, his Pretty would be right back in his arms where he belonged. "If you say so…. Crocodile." Doflamingo said, tone calm and suddenly far less affectionate, almost uncaring even as he turned from him and went to sit back down.
The man became even more withdrawn after Crocodile still left. He was sure that the other man would at least pause if he didn't get all pushy and needy with him. Doflamingo refused to openly pout about it. Not with Croco's crew there to report how he was really feeling. No, if Crocodile decided that he was going to play hard to get with everything going on, then he could play that game too and he loved playing mind games. He may not enjoy the one they were playing quite as much as most, but he had far more experience with them than most twice his age and had never met someone that he couldn't twist up; however, he pleased when he was actually trying before. His pretty had no idea who's heart he was trying to poke and prod at. Doffy still couldn't believe that Pink had suggested that his Croco pretty would ever leave him for an extended amount of time, going on trips without them! Like that would ever need to happen!
The moment the blond cut into his butter-soft, melt in your mouth fillet mignon a still nearly dead to the world Luffy let out a half slurred wanting peep even as he still slept. Both amusing and melting crew members and helped to distract Doffy from his frantic thoughts and hurt planning.
"Did he really just beg you for food while he was sleeping?" Diamante snorted with a smile and raised eyebrows. Honestly, it didn't surprise him in the least.
"I believe he did," Bon said, unable to hold back his amused smile or the quick snicker that bubbled up his throat at the absurdity that was his nephew's already clear love affair with meat at the age of 6 months.
"Lu-Lu's definitely feeling a bit better, neh Doffy? Beggin' for food all cute like that!~ Bwahehe, he's big enough to start eating real food soon! I bet we'll have to fight him over eating nothing but meat with the way he whines anytime he smells some!" Trebol exclaimed, amused by his cute little nephew. That and needling Doffy a bit. He needed to start at least trying Luffy on actual food. He was 6 months old and clearly interested. With the metabolic issues, the pup had they needed to get him started on real food for the extra calories sooner rather than later. Also, he was still a bit bitter over the fact that the other man had prevented Luffy from crawling at every opportunity and, in turn, prevented him from getting to brag about getting to be part of such a milestone. Vergo and Pink still boasted about getting to be there when Luffy started sitting up all on his own! Crawling would be a thousand times more brag-worthy. They would all be so incredibly jealous if he were the only one that got the chance to see such a major milestone!
Sometimes Trebol's little Doffy drove him so crazy with his overprotectiveness when it came to his son! Not that Trebol, himself, wasn't also extremely protective of him and their adorable little Luffy, but still, he at least let Doffy walk around on his own and didn't hinder him left and right from growing up. Luffy probably wouldn't walk until he was at least 20 if Doffy had his way, which if Trebol and the rest of the family had their way, wouldn't be happening. If there was one thing that Trebol knew, it was how to get his own way when it came to Doffy, even when he was being especially stubborn. He practically raised him after all and Doffy knew who he belonged to and that Trebol had nothing, but his and Sweet little Luffy's best interest in mind. Especially his precious little Omegan nephew's. The benefit of being able to brag for the rest of his days about seeing Luffy hit major milestones before anyone else was, of course, just an added benefit. It would prove that he was the best uncle too!
Doflamingo pouted, not at all liking the idea of his precious boy growing up and maybe not needing him as much at all. What if he choked or had allergies? It was already bad enough that he had caught him five times, now, trying to crawl! What if his Sweetness got hurt? What if he fell? Just thinking of the possibilities gave the man anxiety. Those were things that were practically impossible to protect his Lu-Lu from if he didn't stop them before they had a chance from even happening! He was just doing what was best for his Treasure! Luffy's whining for food, even in his sleep, was super cute, though, so he focused on that.
"Fufufu, yeah, I think Buffalo's gift really cheered up my Luffy quite a bit!" Doflamingo agreed, grin more real than it had been since they had still been at the Zoo.
The previously nervous-looking pup lit up, grinning ear to ear and his ears turning a little red with delighted bashfulness when he realized the man not only was praising him but smiled at him.
After finishing up eating and after Bentham insisted on Buffalo needing to go to bed, then tucking the pup in himself, and discussing the plans to deal with the group that had tried to harm Luffy a bit Doflamingo was pushed into going to bed. The other's insisting that they would finish up the meeting and tell him what had been decided in the morning since he was clearly exhausted from the day's events. He had protested a little but gave in after Trebol and Diamante said they would be watching Luffy the next day if he was tired. No one would be holding or caring for his pup in any way but him for the foreseeable future! Luffy was his everything, his baby! He would never be out of his sight again if he could help it. Let alone taken care of by anyone but him!
After undressing a groggy Luffy, who he almost had to fight to get him out of the boring little sweater Crocodile had dressed him in because of the pup's shear tired grouchiness, Doffy stripped himself bare and laid in his spot. His stubborn tired boy was being so cute.~
The young alpha whined under his breath. There was no Pretty to cuddle! His Croco would get cold and lonely without them! The blond felt much better when he moved to sprawl out in his Pretty's side of the nest. The pillows smelled so nice and Luffy settled right down to. Making chirpy purrs as his two favorite scents filled his lungs "Oh, is that what you needed, Treasure? Mommy's scent to settle my good boy in?~ That's Daddy's Sweetness. I won't let them get you, no, I won't! I'll never let anyone hurt my precious boy!" Doflamingo cooed, lovingly petting at Luffy's hair as he rubbed the nearly sleeping pup's back, then planted a kiss on Luffy's fluffy head. "Daddy loves you, Sweetness."
End Chapter 11
Notes:
Alright, so this chapter didn't end up how I really wanted it to, but the next one will likely be the last one before we have a little time jump to luffy, being probably a little over a year old and Rosi will. Finally, get to be introduced! 😊 I can't wait for our precious Clumsy boy to get to meet Luffy!
Just so everyone knows I wasn't given the days that I was promised with work, not surprising, so I only have Tuesdays and Thursdays off, which are also summer class days, so I was going to try and get a chapter out every week or so, but it may have to be every 3 or so weeks. I will do my best to get one out sooner but I am going to be very busy.
IMPORTANT_ Also, I am in the middle of drawing my original One piece inspired comic. I should have the first few pages out by the end of June, maybe July. I plan to get at least a full 3 chapters completely done or 30-50ish pages completely done, whatever comes first before I post anything. I have about 7 pages done of the first chapter 16 thumbnailed out, and another 3 have their linework finished up and are ready to be illustrated. I have about 9 pages of chapter 2 done, but I think I am going to redo a few of them.
Please review! It really helps to motivate me and I come up with a lot of my best ideas for stories and chapters through your ideas and suggestions! 😊
Chapter 13: Crocodiles Beat Flamingos
Notes:
Sorry for the taking so long to update! Life has been a hellish roller coaster as of late. Health problems, bus accident, the works. I have quite a few announcements below. The chapter was 6939 words without author's notes.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 12
Doflamingo tossed and turned more than a little bit without his Croco there to cuddle during the night. He didn't sleep terribly but not nearly as well as he had been. He had grown very used to the other man's presence after all. Luffy on the other hand was grumpy and tired when his Croco-momma didn't cuddle him like he had sleepily demanded while he resituated himself. Once he realized the dark-haired man wasn't there the infant was nearly in tears. Doffy didn't blame him one bit. Poor Sweetness! His good boy didn't understand why his mommy wasn't with them. Doffy crooned sweet reassurances to his pup, their temporary separation would be worth it in the end. His Pretty wouldn't be able to stray for long.
Doffy did his best to appease his pup by giving him his stinky Tora-Tora and petted the bridge of that adorable little nose until his boy settled down enough to at least doze a little. That didn't leave both feeling particularly well rested by morning though. Honestly, Doffy felt less energized that morning than normal. Since he had gotten his precious treasure, he had been feeling incredibly chipper, refreshed, and ready to face the world by 6am- unlike his pretty Croco. He was sure Luffy wasn't feeling much better that morning. The blond let out a sad little hum and nearly allowed himself to fall back asleep, until he realized Trebol was hovering over him.
"Hey, hey Doffy! Is everything alright? You're sleeping in, you never sleep in when you have prisoners to punish!" The man asked unnecessarily loud, as he looked down at the blond with concern.
Doflamingo let out another pitiful sigh, "Just didn't sleep too well…. Poor sweet boy's all tired too! He wanted his Momma to pet him last night. Treasure got so, so sad when Pretty wasn't there to love on him!" The blond explained, looking a little miserable as he tried settling his grumbly grumpy pup who had been woken by the sounds of his uncle shuffling into the room. Where was his new special person? Why hadn't his nice smelling new person come back to him yet? He wanted his safe feeling, special mommy person!
Trebol frowned deeply, forcing down a growl. His poor Doffy and his sweet, sweet baby nephew, Lu-Lu couldn't even understand! Trebol absolutely wouldn't tolerate Crocodile hurting them anymore than he already had! The man better show up groveling on hands and knees if he knew what was good for him.
Luffy let out a demanding merp as the scent of breakfast began to waft through the partially opened bedroom door.
Trebol's face lit up at the hungry sounds the infant made. "Oh, Lu-Lu's so hungry! I'll get him his bottle and if you want we can take him for a bit, alright Doffy? Oh, hey, and when you get up breakfast is already waiting on the table." Trebol said.
Doflamingo didn't actually voice a response but gave the man a genuine smile making Trebol beam in his warped strange way as he shuffled from the room. He was happy that he had cheered up one of his most beloved and favorite possessions. Now he needed to help settle and feed his precious nephew. Neither should ever have a frown on their face!
Trebol could be an annoying weirdo at times, but he always came through and did his best to make the young blond alpha feel cared for when he was down. Moments like that made him love his found family all the more. The way that Trebol immediately just knew that he was having an off day made Doffy feel loved and understood in return. The man was also concerned with his sweet Treasure being stressed out instead of himself… Doffy had such a wonderful loving family! As odd and annoying as some of his family members could be at times… well Doflamingo would never change or exchange any single one of them for the world.
"You have such good aunties and uncles Sweetness.~" The pup grumbled disagreeably when Doffy stroked his bedraggled hair and let out a soothing chuff before continuing. "Yes you do! They love you so, so much, though they could never love you more than I do my good boy!" Doflamingo cooed, the slightest edge to his voice. "Your mommy Croco loves you so much too. I promise! Don't worry Daddy won't let him leave us, no I won't~ Your Mommy will never ever be allowed to leave us! Not ever!"
"Lu-Lu, your favorite uncle Trebol got your bottle! Bwehehe, I bet your super hungry aren't you?" The unkempt looking man exclaimed happily as he shuffled back into the room with a bottle in grinned, letting out a needy 'Love me-I love you' squeak when he caught sight of the man and smelled his protective, possessive, adoring scent. Luffy always felt so safe and loved when his special people smelled that way.
Trebol made a pleased sound, practically preening over his nephew being so sweet to him. No one would ever take him or Doffy away from him, not as long as he had breath in his body! He snickered as Luffy's eyes zeroed in on his bottle. Only a moment later, the pup made grabby hands. His ''I love you, love me' squeaks turned to eager demanding merps to be fed. It was a relief to hear Luffy sounding more like his normal gluttonous self after the scare they all had the night before. The stressed mood he and Doffy had been in because of Luffy's metabolic issues were always sitting at the back of his and everyone else's minds. No one was sure how long the pup could last without eating, but it clearly wouldn't be for very long. He did his best to not even think about the shape his sweet nephew could have been in if they hadn't got him to start eating again!
Doffy grabbed the offered bottle and grinned when uncoordinated hands eagerly latched around his fingers, tugging the bottle towards the hungry pup's mouth. The man sat up and adjusted Luffy into his arms, before allowing the bottle to be yanked to the demanding infant. "Fufu, Luffy says thank you to his best uncle Trebol!~ Don't you sweetness? Yes my good boy's so hungry aren't we?~" Doflamingo positively purred, ecstatic his good little glutton was eating so well after being stressed just the day before. He forced down a snicker when Trebol clearly could barely contain himself, he was so proud and flattered from his words.
"Yeah! That's a good Lu-Lu! Uncle Trebol wants his cute boy to eat all he wants so he gets all big and healthy!~ Neh-neh, right Doffy? All he wants!" The unkempt man exclaimed towering over the pair and sniffing up a big string of snot as he fawned over Luffy in his weird sort of uncomfortable way. Trebol was far too close to Doflamingo's face for comfort, totally ignoring the blond's protests as he chuffed at the sight of Luffy greedily gulping down his bottle.
"Young Master? Is everything alright? Would you like me to make you some of your tea or maybe something else?" Pink asked, leaning just a little past the doorway. The man was dressed in a nice burgundy button up with rolled up sleeves. Sporting a pair of ironed black slacks and shiny black loafers he looked entirely too spiffy for such an early morning. Especially after staying up late the night before. The only thing that wasn't put together that morning were several wild curls that were falling in his face, suggesting that he had just brushed his hair back instead of oiling it like he usually would have done. Doflamingo frowned as he got a good look at how the man's eyes carried sleepless bags under them, telling a clear story that poor Pink hadn't had the best night. Him being up so early was proof of that though. The man rarely got up before 9 or 10 when they weren't busy with important business.
Pink, like Pica, Jora, Lao G and Machvice wasn't an early riser. Though not nearly as bad as Jora or Pica, he still wasn't totally awake around the time Doffy or Vergo were usually up. The pair were usually the first up, however Vergo woke at least an hour before Doffy now that the blond had Luffy. Next was Trebol and a grumbly half asleep Diamante. About an hour later, a chipper Buffalo would be joining them. Gladius though, he would sometimes be out before the pup and Pink. Lastly were Machvice and Lao G, Jora and Pica, who usually didn't wake up until lunch time.
"Sounds good Pink!" Doflamingo exclaimed, getting a small relieved smile and a nod in return. "I'll be out there in a second." The blond reassured, heart feeling like it would burst at all of the loving thoughtful attention his chosen family was giving him.
"Hey, hey, I see enough of Pica hanging out all of the time! I don't want to see that at breakfast, cover up Doffy!" Trebol scolded as the blond alpha went to get up, exposing his nakedness uncaringly to the taller man.
Doflamingo snorted in an amused manner, shifting Luffy a bit as he slid himself out of bed. "It's just my cock! You've seen it all before! Fufufu, besides we have sweet impressionable babies around now!" The younger alpha teased getting an unimpressed pointed look from Trebol of all people. Doffy pouted as he slipped on a pair of hot pink boxers with one hand then tossed his mantle over his shoulders.
In the dining area, not surprisingly, Bentham was nearly done eating what looked to be a fruit salad with a veggie omelet, and a big glass of some sort of fruit juice. He was wide awake, cheerfully chatting with, or more like at, a vacantly staring Zala. She looked like she was half asleep with her barely nibbled cheese Danish. Clearly, her nearly emptied cup of straight out sludge coffee was not doing much for the poor woman. Daz only looked marginally better with a zoned out look on his face, and slow, sleepily blinking, as he cradled his own mug like one would their own child. He had actually managed to eat some of his eggs and toast.
Diamante was sitting in his normal spot near where Doffy always sat at the end of the table. He looked mostly awake, if a little grumpy, as he piled what looked to be stuffed crepes onto his plate, and poured himself a small glass of white wine next to his cup of milk. Typical of the wine loving man. Gladius was up too. He was eating some crepes as well while trying to politely point out how Vergo had a donut stuck to his sideburns. The other man was cluelessly looking around for the donut thinking that Gladius was pointing at the table, even though he was clearly pointing right at his face. The morning would have been perfect, Doflamingo thought with his growing family all around, if Croccy had been there.
"Oh, morning!" Bentham greeted, smiling as he caught sight of Doflamingo.
"Good morning my dear family!~" The blond greeted the group in return, taking his rightful seat and trying not to pout over his Pretty not being there beside him. At least he had his little treasure with him and everything was always better when his sweet boy was in his arms!
"Morning Doffy." Vergo said, though looked distractedly around.
At the same time Vergo was looking around, Gladius' eyes twitched as he eyed the donut that the other man just wasn't noticing on his face. He had said it was right there! Not over somewhere on the table, right there! On his FACE! How clear did he have to be without screeching at him that he had a damn donut velcroed onto his sideburn somehow?! How wasn't he feeling that disgusting sticky mess on his face?! His eyes caught Bentham's and they shared quick looks of mutual pain and disgust as the brunet eyed the oozing chocolate that was slowly starting to drip its way down Vergo's face. It was only then that Vergo reached up to itch his sideburn and realized that was where the donut was the entire time. Both cringed as the man made a pleased sound and took a bite out of the melted mess. Doflamingo's lips twitched down into a grimace along with the pair.
Luffy had the blond smiling only minutes later when he began to squirm, trying to right himself in those long arms, and sit up. "Oh, you want to see everyone Sweetness?" Doflamingo cooed, helping to stabilize the infant in his arms. He preened at the happy reassured sounding coos and babbles that left his good boy at being able to properly see everyone that was up so far.
His Luffy was such a social talkative little thing~ Doffy couldn't help but to melt. "Oh, Lu-Sweetness~ are you happy to see your aunties and uncles? You love our family so much don't you precious boy?!" Doflamingo exclaimed, chuffing adoringly at his treasure and kissed at the infant's perfect little face reverently. The man felt like his chest would burst when his sweet boy made half a dozen loud squeaky chirps and just as eagerly nuzzled into his father's kisses.
Bentham, of course, 'awwwed' at the sight looking totally enamored with the pair practically having stars in his eyes at the weirdly adorable sight.
After the pair settled down enough for Doflamingo to eat and juggle his determined pup out of reach from the poached eggs or prime seaking steak, the man was more than impatient to see his Pretty. Of course Luffy agreed with him, making questioning squeaks for his Croco-momma.
Doflamingo became even more impatient when Diamante pointed out the things that he had gotten for his lovelies were there and he had already had them washed by staff. He was so excited to give the pups their gifts! Buffalo would be so so excited, he was sure of it and Luffy was sure to love his new monkey plush and look so so cute in his new hat!~ The hats were perfect for the changing weather too. Especially for when they arrived back in Spider's Mill where it was far colder. Not that Luffy would be leaving the warmth of his nest much until the warmer months hit again, not with him being so young and vulnerable. Doffy, himself, liked to stay home and use the coldest months for going over his assets with a fine toothed comb and planning out the following year from the comfort of his toasty now even more comfortable nest. He could already imagine his precious boy cuddled into his neck and clinging to his newest toy, gumming happily at one of it's cute little arms or nuzzling at its super soft face fur.
A besotted keen tickled his vocal cords at the thought. Now Doffy just needed to settle his Pretty and give him his cute gift that he was sure his brunet was going to love~ and then he would have both of his lovelies to cuddle with and to care for all winter long! Two of his most favorite things to do!~
"Oh, don't be mad at daddy, Little Glutton, you are too little to eat that! Are you hungry still Sweetness? It's okay, I'll get you another bottle!" Doflamingo crooned, his adoring smile quickly turning into a childlike pouting at the way his Luffy glared up at him before turning to make pleading, wanting whines and grabby hands at his uncle Diamante's plate.
"Hey-hey, Diamante, Is our Lu-Lu wanting to eat like a big boy? Do you want some of uncle's?" Trebol exclaimed, a long line of snot gushed down his nose as he eagerly got up and grabbed a small plate.
Diamante chuffed, looking overwhelmingly pleased that Luffy wanted him for once, even if it was only for his food.
Doflamingo hugged his pup closer to himself, anxiety spiking at the thought of Luffy consuming anything but his formula. He was too tiny and young! What if he was allergic to something?! He didn't even have his teeth in yet. Yeah, according to the baby books his sweetness was plenty old enough to start eating. According to the books, once he started showing interest then it was a good idea to start on solid foods. Luffy was Doffy's though and the blond alpha knew what was best for his son! His instincts said no and he wasn't going to lose Luffy by choking to death!
Bentham and Vergo were both quick to join the other two in gathering up food from around the table and their own plates for the pup. Bentham gathered fruits and veggies and Vergo tried to add a cheeseburger and some of his fries.
Doflamingo went pale at how everyone began talking about how best to feed the food to Luffy and even paler when he saw Vergo's contributions. Were they insane? Luffy was his pup and regardless if he liked the smell of their food or not his boy wasn't going to be eating any of that!
"No fruits, just vegetables, he doesn't need any of that sugar at such a young age." Pink insisted.
"Hey-hey, you're forgetting Lu-Lu isn't your average baby! What about bananas? Those are good to start babies on and have more calories! Most veggies would make his body spend more calories digesting than he would get out of them with his condition. Lu-Lu needs protein too!" Trebol pointed out, glaring at the other man as if he had said something particularly offensive to him.
"We can mix it with his formula to help him get used to eating more solid things!" Bentham exclaimed, beaming excitably as he began mashing a banana like Trebol had suggested. Gladius hovered around him as the group got more and more excited about the thought of seeing their nephew hit such a big milestone.
"I read that it's better to start a pup on pureed meats or things like rice cereals. Fruits and vegetables should be eaten separately and given 24 hours to make sure they don't have an allergic reaction to what they ate." Vergo pointed out.
"Hey-hey, then why are you trying to shove all that down our Lu-Lu's throat, huh?!" Trebol sputtered.
Vergo gave him a totally puzzled look, "He's hungry! Besides, you are doing the same thing."
The others gave him unimpressed looks, Bentham's was particularly scathing, though he was still a little surly with the other man. Doffy was still just as convinced as most of this other family members that he and Vergo were going to fuck soon. They were holding out pretty well though. Or at least Bentham was as he had predicted. Jora and Gladius were idiots for betting against him. Doffy gave it a month not that the bet was all that important at the moment when his family was in the middle of trying to kill off his sweet Glutton!
"My Sweetness isn't going to be eating anything! He's too small!" Doflamingo grumbled, cuddling his tiny boy while giving the group a sulking glare. The man totally ignored the grumpy wanting merps as his pup eyed the pile of seaking steaks sitting on a platter near the blond's plate.
"Doffy, he's 6 months old! He's been interested in food for months, he's plenty old enough!" Diamante huffed, rolling his eyes.
"You don't know what you're talking about! Look at how tiny he is!" Doffy hissed defensively.
"He's probably always going to be small compared to all of us! He was what, about 12 pounds the last time he was weighed? He needs to eat real food eventually, Doffy." Trebol pointed out, looking at the younger blond like he was being the unreasonable one, Trebol looking at him that way.
"Yeah… Eventually, not now!"
"Hey, hey, hey! The doctor said he should start eating 2 visits ago with how interested Luffy was in food, Doffy! I remember he even said something about how meat proteins would really help him get full and maybe even help him gain some weight." Trebol lectured, what kind of backwards alternate universe had Doflamingo landed in? What was going on here?!
"Well I-
"What the hell's up with all of this arguing? I was gone one God damn night and you're all at each other's throats? Ugh, you do all realize you're adults right? The only one that should need a babysitter here's Luffy and he's probably behaving the best out of everyone outside of Zala and she's heading back to the ship right now to pick something up." A rough growl of a voice grumbled, sounding more exasperated than irritated.
Luffy immediately made excitable chirps and squeaks, head whipping around to try and see the new person. His person-his person had found him! The pup's face lit up when Crocodile came into view, leaning over Doflamingo's shoulder, with a lazy smirk tugging at his lips as he eyed Luffy who immediately began squirming, his hands made eager grabby motions at the dark-haired man. "Miss me that much already?"
"Of course he did! We were both sad all night without our pretty Momma-Crocy~ there!" Doflamingo crooned, sneaking a kiss to the side of his Pretty's mouth. The other man rolled his eyes, his focus quickly shifting back to Luffy when the pup began to make anxious, 'love me, I love you' sounds.
"Hey now, none of that!" The brunet grumbled, scooping Luffy up and sitting in the chair next to Doflamingo before he could get his panties in a bunch. As much as the blond liked to be spontaneous and wild, he was a creature of obsessive habit, at least when it came to his family and Luffy rituals, especially the Luffy ones.
Morning breakfast was important to the man just like family dinner. Mornings were daddy time with Luffy. He encouraged Crocodile to bond with Luffy usually as much as he liked outside of his nests, more in the afternoons and evenings, but mornings were his 9 out of 10 times. Doffy could be very possessive of his quality alone time with his son.
Crocodile didn't melt even the littlest bit when Luffy began doing his best to scent him making endearing 'I love you and I missed you so much momma!' chirps and excitable squeaks. Even if the pup did melt him and his throat felt like he'd swallowed a rock and maybe his eyes felt a bit of pressure as that sweet bright and gummy 'I love you' smile lit up the infant's impossibly positively precious little face it wasn't like it was anyone's business but Crocodile's own how he may be feeling. Luffy was such a little gem!
Doflamingo nearly swooned at the adorable sight his two lovely pretty's made together~ Luffy was so precious! His cute, cute perfect boy and his pretty Croco trying to act all nonchalant. The man didn't even realize how sweet and soft his smile was or that he even was smiling at their sweet pup. Crocodile was clearly just as pleased to be cuddling and scenting the pup even as he was trying his best not to show how eager. He smelled of enamored momma pheromones as he began nuzzling the infant back all sweet-like. The hurt and angry betrayed feelings towards Crocodile that Doflamingo had felt smoldering deep in his chest eased to almost nothing at the sight of his pretty loving on his Treasure.
His Croco must be one of those weird, introverted people that really preferred time completely to themselves sometimes just because they liked being alone. It wasn't something that he liked nor really understood especially since Doffy loved and wanted to have his Croco there every moment of every day. He would just have to get the other man used to being around him so much that he was trained out of such strange and upsetting behaviors, Doflamingo decided. Though Doffy was just glad that he didn't have to drag the other man back nor did he have to do anything truly drastic. That and his sweet lovelies were now both in such good moods and of course, being so cute together!~
However, the fact that it was breakfast time and Luffy was always his during breakfast time prickled at the blond unpleasantly. Routines were so important for growing babies. The blond was sure that Luffy would agree with him. He was Doffy's wonderful perfect boy after all~ and he always got cuddles at the table from daddy in the mornings. It was their special morning routine. Doflamingo pouted, fingers twitching as Crocodile settled the infant in the crook of his hooked arm before reaching for a plate of seaking meat omelet. The man was clearly taking claim over his and Lu-Lu's cuddles and morning time.
"Croco~ why did you have to steal my Treasure?" Doflamingo whined, flopping himself over the man's shoulder and lap.
"Get up! You're a grown ass man!"
"So? I just want to spend time with you!" Doflamingo crooned, even as he practically crawled into the smaller man's lap and began wiggling his fingers in his pup's face and chuffed when those big wide eyes were back to focusing on him instead of Crocodile. His perfect sweet sweet boy!~ His treasure always knew who he belonged to most.~
"No you don't! You're just trying to steal Luffy back while slobbering all over me and stinking us up with those knothead overactive glands of yours! Don't think I don't know what kind of crap you're pulling!" The brunet grumbled, tucking Luffy closer to himself and glaring down, looking unimpressed at Doflamingo, who had himself laying across his lap at that point. The look didn't waver in the slightest when the blond looked up at him with a look akin to that of a kicked puppy. Even still, Crocodile looked and smelled more exasperated than truly bothered.
"Zala, why did you leave?!" Bentham exclaimed, spotting the young woman before anyone else as she sauntered through the door, a blue messenger bag draped across her shoulder. "You could have convinced Mr. Doffy for sure, you're good at things like that!"
"Hey-hey-hey! Why are you acting like Doffy doesn't listen to his family, huh?" Trebol grumbled testily.
"What's with all the arguing again? I thought we'd gone over this already!" Crocodile growled, rocking Luffy ever so slightly as he eyed the others with clear irritation. "Sit your asses down and eat or go away, I don't give a damn! I just wanted to have a nice breakfast with my brat and to have some peace and quiet for one morning isn't that much to ask for."
"But Croco sir! Luffy needs food, bottles are clearly not enough anymore!" Bentham insisted, getting an eye roll from the brunet.
"Like I said, sit your asses down and settle down." Crocodile said, ignoring the gooey eyes and love-struck chuffs the doofy flamingo was giving him. The brunet had to hold back a snort, Doflamingo wouldn't be so smug, and lovey eyed soon enough. "Zala filled me in on the crap this idiot's been pulling." The brunet said, unable to hold back an eye roll as he flicked a startled looking Doffy's face. Crocodile's attention focused back on Luffy who was babbling happily and soaking in the attention that his parents were giving him. The pup was soothed by his Momma returning to him. The man was sure the moment he picked up his fork the pup would be swiping at his food again and caterwauling with everything he had though.
"And it isn't like I haven't noticed what's going on." Crocodile drawled, tone judging as he gave a less animated Doflamingo a pointed look. "Zala, what did they come up with?"
"Nothing fancy, Cricket said he can puree the meat if Luffy has any issues since he hasn't eaten solids before. So, he's been given the options of shredded beef or white fish and also pumpkin. They said he shouldn't have any issues with digesting them. Though, Cricket did say that it would probably be best if he stuck with one or the other when it comes to the meat just in case there are any issues and that we can go from there. Also, none of these cause allergic reactions very often." Zala informed the table. Pulling out little see-through jars with frilly pink and blue bows on top and handwritten cards labeled with what they had in them. Even though everything was easy to tell apart, especially the pumpkin.
Doflamingo went tense at the revelation of what was going on around him. No-no-no! This could not be happening!
"You hear that brat? No more trying to steal my food. You've got your own now." Crocodile said to the infant, almost teasingly. He rolled his eyes when Luffy let out a demanding squeak, completely ignoring him, and made grabby hands at the piece of omelet he had on his fork while still nuzzling at Doflamingo's now frozen fingers. Cheeky thing, being all bossy at that size and age! He definitely had everyone wrapped around those little fingers of his and knew it to.
"A highchair should be coming up any minute." Zala explained, popping open the jar of moist finely shredded beef.
"W-what?"
Just as she had said, an attendant was knocking on the door and setting up the chair within only a few moments of her explanation. It wasn't even a full 10 minutes before everything was set up and a bewildered Luffy was plopped in the highchair. His big eyes were wider and rounder than they even normally were as he tried understanding what was happening and why he wasn't being cuddled by his comfy warm mommy person and daddy. He wasn't sure about this. It wasn't nearly as comfortable or warm and didn't smell like anything and just wasn't like being held by his favorite special people at all. He could easily see all of his special people in the room though and that made him happy. Especially since they all were smiling and looking happy too. He liked when they were happy and safe feeling!
"Look at him!" Bentham half squealed, melting as Luffy's eyes met his.
"Wait, wait, wait a minute! I gotta' go get my Den-den! Don't start feeding him yet!" Trebol squawked hurrying back towards his rooms, Diamante, Gladius and strangely enough Daz on his heels.
Luffy's smile quickly turned into an irritated pout as a bib was clipped around his neck. Crocodile couldn't help but preen a little at the cute gator design on it. His boy wasn't nearly as impressed with the bit of cloth, he made sure everyone knew by letting out an irritated shriek as he tried to go full on noodle mode in protest. The infant swiped his chubby fingers down the fabric in an clumsy attempt at escape.
"None of that now!" The brunet chided, unable to hold back his amused grin at that point. "Doffy, move already! You're being a bastard and making it intentionally hard for me to situate the brat!" Crocodile growled, glaring down at the other man who was practically pinning him in place at that point. "And if you have to be an annoying useless bastard, at least start taking pictures with Primanaldo." Crocodile grumbled, pulling a honey shelled photographic den-den from one of his pockets. The creature had a weird little hairdo that spiraled into a near pompadour and ending in a stylish flip.
Doflamingo huffed, jutting out his bottom lip. "Croco~ he's just a baby!" The blond whined, nuzzling his face into Crocodile's stomach. "Look how tiny he is, Croco! He's way too small to be eating all of that stuff!" Doflamingo exclaimed, nearly to the point he sounded like he was going to throw an actual child-like fit.
"Stop whipping yourself around like that! You're an adult for Blue's sake!" Crocodile chided, eye twitching in irritation at that point.
"Croco Pretty!~" Doflamingo caterwauled, if he didn't know better Crocodile would so think that Luffy was the man's blood related son with the dramatics the pair put on.
"He's always going to seem tiny to us! You are at least 10 feet tall, idiot! I'm over 8. It's pretty damn rare that a person from the Blues gets over my height and Luffy's small even for the average omegan Blue pup. I doubt he's ever going to get anywhere near even my height let alone yours! You can't keep judging his milestones by his damn height and instead focus on his age and milestones or he'll never even be out of diapers by that weird ass standard of yours." Crocodile grumbled. "Now get off of me and let me feed Luffy before he starts freaking out because he's a mini-black hole!"
The other man looked up at Crocodile with a warbling lip.
"Don't make me use my devil Fruit on you! I'll make sure you're shitting sand if I have to do this just so I can feed my brat." Crocodile said, eyes glinting threateningly. He growled when Doflamingo, the freak that he was, let out an excitable sound and immediately began kissing at his face and mumbling about his murdery Pretty being the cutest, not what Crocodile was going for.. especially as Luffy quickly noticed his daddy cuddly with his Mommy. The pup let out squeaks demanding he join the cling session as well.
It totally annoyed the brunet, though, the position made it easier for him to push the heavy bastard off, which is just what he did. The confused alpha sputtered and reached out to Crocodile in a dramatic fashion. The squawks from Doffy's pack members for their dear captain filled the room. Crocodile calmly ignored them, taking over the blond's seat. He crossed his legs before grabbing the tiny sugar spoon his crew had found for him to feed Luffy. He scooped a little beef, surely Luffy would go wild for it.
"Here you go brat!" Crocodile crooned, grinning at the wide-eyed look Luffy was sporting as he for once, actually was offering solid food to the infant. The brunet was quick to avoid Luffy's grabby little hands as the pup made to snatch at the offered food on the spoon and pressed it to Luffy's lips. The infant made an unsure sound not opening right away like the man had expected he would and instead kept trying to grab at the spoon not seeming to actually know what to do with real food now that he didn't have to practically dive for it.
"Really? Come on Lu! You were wailing for my food earlier! You wanted it." Crocodile grumbled.
"See?! He's too little! He isn't ready for it yet!" Doffy exclaimed, looking smug.
Crocodile gave the other man an unimpressed look before turning back to the pup. "Come on Lu!"
The infant leaned away, squeaking disagreeably.
Crocodile sighed, putting the spoon to his mouth. "Ugh, fine, look, see? Yum!" A painfully flat look painted the man's face.
"Hey, hey! Crocy, do better than that! You look like some nobody Marine just died!" Trebol heckled.
Luffy clearly didn't care as he went wide-eyed while he watched Crocodile eat the food that he had just been offered. His surprised look quickly twisted up into outrage as he shrieked indignantly and jerked forward, making demanding grabby hands. The pup looked totally betrayed and disgusted.
"Oh, you want some now Lu?" Crocodile asked, tone slightly teasing as he scooped up another bite for the tiny clearly very irritated pup. Luffy huffed and opened his mouth like a starved baby bird while making a hungry merp. He froze as the man shoved the spoon full of food in his mouth before he could decide he wasn't going to accept it again.
The infant's mouth closed around the spoon and then opened a bit in shock before settling into an awed expression. Luffy eagerly swallowed down what was given to him before squeaking demandingly at Crocodile for more. A gummy grin brightened his delighted face.
"See? I told you brat! Here!" Crocodile exclaimed, offering the pup another spoon full of freshly roasted meat that was immediately wolfed down.
Crocodile ignored the rest of the crews oohing and aahing over the pair. They happily took pictures of Luffy's beaming face, eating solids for the first time. The only one that wasn't gushing over the sight was Doflamingo who was looking on at the scene with an incredibly displeased grimace. His face tightening and lips frowning even deeper with every bite that his Treasure gobbled down.
Catching Doffy's glaring Crocodile cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you be looking at me like that!" The brunet barked, "You better be taking those pictures!" He warned.
"Yeah! Doffy what do you think you're doing?!" Trebol scolded the other man. He looked more than slightly irritated. They should be collecting as many angles as possible of their cute Lu-Lu for such an important occasion!
Doflamingo refused to look at the others, behaving like a small child. It wasn't fair! Luffy was his pup, he said no so why weren't the others listening to him like they usually would?
"Pictures, idiot! I only have one hand; I can't take pictures and feed Luffy at the same time! Primanaldo isn't a species of den-den that tolerates too much sand or dryness well so I can't use my devil fruit while getting pictures. Now do your job or give him to someone else!" Crocodile sniped even as he held another spoon out for Luffy. "Ugh, and stop looking at me that way!"
Doffy huffed, knowing that he would have no choice but to give in if he caught sight of his sweet boy. A particularly delighted squeal hit his ears and he was done for. The moment his eyes caught sight of his Treasure he gave in. He may not have been happy, but Luffy was just so so cute! Especially with his cheeks all plumed out like a chipmunks. He melted, Doffy was of course still angry but not at Luffy and his boy was just too cute! He couldn't just not take pictures of such a big milestone for his perfect pup. And Croco was being cute too….. smiling like that. Not that it would change how irritated he was with the man for at least a little while but that didn't mean that his smile wasn't just the prettiest thing Doflamingo had seen in ages.
Doffy was definitely going to get back at them for this though and he knew the perfect way to do it.
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Not long after Luffy finished up and passed out from being so full, Doflamingo left. Although he wasn't exactly feeling the best about leaving Luffy, everyone was still there and the pup would be safe. He had some bastards to play with and he wasn't going to let a single other person get a chance at playing with them before they were broken and boring.
At that point the blond was uncaring of the fact that he was wearing nothing but his mantel and a pair of boxers. Doflamingo headed to the rooms where he kept the Donquixote family's unwanted guests. If his family wanted to play games of dominance with him, oh, he could play games, he loved~ games. Doffy was the very best at playing these sorts of games!~
Doflamingo's pout twisted into a feral grin as caught sight of the canary yellow wearing guards stationed around the door of his new playthings last home. His gait was imposing and bowlegged as he approached, and his tongue was hanging out of his mouth as he thought about all of the terribly fun things he would do. The guards paled and stiffened as the man let out a delighted snicker that turned into a full bellied laugh at the sight of the trembling men.
"Thanks for keeping my shiny new toys in their box where they belong!~" Doflamingo sang, mood raising.
"I-uh, of course Donquixote sir!" One of the men managed to 'eek' out, practically scrambling to get out of Doflamingo's way.
Doflamingo threw the doors to the room open and strutted in, flexing his fingers eagerly. "Fufu, how are my playthings doing today, hmm? Who wants to play first? I promise I'll be real sweet for our first time.~" The man purred, licking his lips suggestively. "Come now, don't be shy!"
"You think I'm that stupid you twisted fucker?! You can play your games with that one over there! I'm not going to be your chew toy again, n-not again!" Buffalo's father blustered, glaring at the mantel wearing man. His face was already bruised to hell and he had blood dried all over it from the dozens of razor cuts running down it.
"You'll hurt a guy's feelings~" Doflamingo teased, "Talking like that, it's almost like you don't like our time together!~"
The man whimpered, futilely struggling against the chains he was strung up by.
Doflamingo's tongue hung out as he approached. "Let's have a good time, hm? Fufufu, and after we've shown our new toy what's expected around here.. Well, It'll be their turn." The man said, giving the other person a dark look full of a promise of agonizing pain.
"Now what lil' piggy's going to market this time? Fufufufufufufufu!"
End Chapter 12
Notes:
WHY THINGS WEREN'T UPDATED- Sorry I have been gone so long. My summer was nuts, I found out that I had a bunch of liver issues and was in and out of tests the whole summer along with my full-time job so I was swamped. When I finally was about to get around to updating after coming back to college for my last year before graduation, I ended up getting in a Bus accident. I had a concussion so severe I thought that it was Wednesday for literally a month, and I only recently have recovered enough to be able to start writing again. I am still in physical therapy, and I am going into my last semester of college this spring. So yay, I guess. I am really sorry that I haven't been able to update, and I should have left a notice explaining everything that was going on. I got very overwhelmed with trying to get caught up on homework after being out of school for about a month. It was a mess. I will try my best to keep everyone updated on what was going on in the future.
I hope that everyone enjoyed this new chapter. Tell me if you think that I should have a time skip after the next chapter? Because I really want us to meet Rosi soon and I have a whole planned out idea of how it will happen at this point. :)
By the way, anyone that wants a commission for the holiday seasons I am open! All of my doctor's appointments from my bus accident have totally wiped out my savings so I am pretty negotiable on pricing. I just need enough to get through next semester.
By the way I have a website now for my illustration stuff and I will be showing my original Comic on there once I have the first chapter done on top of all of the stuff, I have on there. www.sunflowerstudio1.com
Please review it really motivates me and a lot of the ideas people have shared with me have or will be used in this story. You bring me lots of great inspiration! :)
Next Chapter Hint: Punishment and New Impel Faces
By the way, I have a new Beta, Viv!
We have been working hard on rewriting chapters to flow better and not have so many incomplete sentences. I hope that things are sounding better now! Please tell us if we are doing a decent job or if you preferred how the writing was before! If anything sounds worse blame it on the Beta XD (The rewrites will be uploaded later on as we are still working on the some)
Beta here. It's all the author's fault.~
Chapter 14: Family meetings and Cast away troubles
Notes:
This chapter ended up having 9203 words without Author's notes!
Sorry for taking so long a lot of terrible things have happened in my life recently, like being severely concussed and in a collar for months due to being severely injured by being thrown across a bus due to sitting on a side seat after foot surgery and the bus having to make a sudden stop,
I nearly died from a blood clotting disorder repeatedly and spent days at a time in the hospital and taking months and months to recover from the damage and many hospital visits and now being dead broke due to this.
Our house also recently flooding and being so badly damaged that it is unlivable and the foundation is falling in part of the house, so homeless right now.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 13
"Fufufufu, don't tell me; you're getting bored of playing with me already?" Doflamingo mocked as he flicked a finger and a string lopped off the last bit of one of Buffalo's father's fingers. White bone gleamed from the tops of all 4 stumps the man now had. He was ugly crying at that point, sobbing so hard that he was hyperventilating and choking on the spit running down his chin in rivers.
"I didn't even get to feed you your extra special treat yet!" Doflamingo sang.
"No m-more, no more, nomorenomorenomore!" The man begged, coughing as he accidentally inhaled some congealed blood.
"Are you saying you aren't enjoying our time together?" Doffy pressed, tone teetering on dangerous.
The man's response was a pitiful whine.
"Ugh, why are you so boring? Buffalo isn't boring! Just another thing the poor kid must be so disappointed in about you." The blond alpha grumbled, almost pouting.
Doflamingo had barely done anything compared to what he would usually have done by then! It was so boring! The man was already at the stage where he had given up on life and was hardly worth playing with. How hadn't Buffalo already kill the insect himself? What a disappointment of a father the man was!
Doflamingo was even happier at that point that he had found the kid and taken him into his family. What a waste otherwise! Especially if the writhing worm in front of him had eventually taken the pup back. Ugh. He didn't even want to think about it! Doffy wondered if encouraging Buffalo to kill the man would be a good present?
Doffy had killed his father at around the same age and look how he turned out. Happy, clearly perfectly well-adjusted, with power, and a great family! It may do the boy some good, might even be cathartic~.
After deciding that Buffalo's father was becoming too boring to bother with. Doflamingo decided it was time to play with his new captive. The one that was actually making his blood boil, knowing that they tried to help the one who escaped and tried harming his pup. He was sure at that point he could keep himself under control enough not to take them apart too quickly.
"Fine, fine, party pooper~ Let's play with our new friend here." Doflamingo exclaimed, an evil grin consumed his face as he turned to focus on the hooded individual. A present still all wrapped up just for him! He hadn't wanted to have the surprise taken away. It was always so satisfying to learn of a person's identity himself instead of by lackies. It was so impersonal and didn't give him the same satisfaction as ripping it out of a flesh bag himself, especially when someone had tried harming his dear family. He couldn't wait to feel the blood under his nails and the squelch of flesh and bone caving in beneath his fingers.
When was the last time he had done something like this since finding his sweet perfect boy or his gorgeous Croco? Oh, that gave him such a fun date idea!~ It would keep them plenty close enough to their cute little Treasure too! Well, as long as their family was keeping a close watch on their pup. Doffy swooned a little at the thought of his Cute Pretty Croco spewing viciousness and coated head to toe in enemy blood as he gutted the bastard~
"Fufufu, so are you going to introduce yourself? It's polite ya' know!" Doflamingo said to his new toy, tone teasing though sharp.
"You aren't getting anything out of me! We both know you don't really even care anyway, just kill me already! I'm not scared!" The person said, voice deep, masculine, male, like Doflamingo had previously thought by their build and scent.
"Fufu, that's because you've never seen such a good daddy like me, being protective of his sweet perfect pup before!~ A protective father will do anything to make sure their baby stays safe and happy… and I will tear apart anything that dares threaten what's mine! And Luffy, my sweetness, he's mine, my perfect son! I found him, I'm his only father!" Doflamingo said, tone dark and adoring, bordering on obsessive. Luffy was his! His baby!
"That bastard won't touch a hair on his precious little head, now or ever! I was going to gut him and string him up by his dick before…. After hurting what was mine and daring to try and taint my Treasure with his blood connection. Now after he tried hurting my baby boy….." Doflamingo curled his lip, a deep threatening growl reverberating as if channeled through a loudspeaker around the room.
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"Aww, doesn't he just look like such a little angel?" Bentham swooned. He was sitting next to Crocodile who was sitting on the short end of a soft pink sectional made with some sort of long soft fur.
The couch was garish in Crocodile's opinion and but at least it was comfortable, really comfortable.
Luffy was sitting in Crocodile's lap, chewing on Tora-Tora's arm, his little fingers glomming onto his Momma's pretty ring-covered fingers and his hair was stuck every which way. The infant was blinking sleepily, Crocodile's soothing pharomones and the easy going environment in the room made him calmer than normal around that time of day. While he did that, Crocodile watched the others play a lazy game of rummy. Which was apparently not a game well known in the North Blue, so his crew was having an easy time of winning.
Where was that damn doofy flamingo bastard? Getting all upset over feeding Luffy a proper first solid food meal, then running off like some pissy brat? Well, at least he had Lu to himself without the annoying bastard whining and practically latching onto the pair. Ugh, that man had such a complex and was so ridiculously clingy, especially with Luffy. If he kept that up the poor kid would end up the same way!
Luffy needed some time sitting or crawling around or whatever on his own. Yeah, he was sitting on Crocodile's lap at that moment, but he was doing his own thing without being smothered. Luffy hadn't really liked it at first, but once he realized no one was going away and his momma would let him play with the pretty shiny things on his fingers, he settled down. Crocodile was mostly convinced he was being so quiet only because he was stuffed from the solid foods and sleepy. Luffy was rarely very quiet when awake otherwise.
"Damn it! I was one card from winning this time!" Diamante grumbled, slapping down a finished collection of Jacks and 2 of the three fours he needed.
"I warned you not to play with money. Cricket has great luck with getting the cards he needs and even if you weren't playing against Cricket, Buffalo's picking up this game just as fast as the others." Zala pointed out.
"Let him learn." Vergo said, looking up from the papers he was reading through. He had already lost over a dozen games against both the unassuming cook and their own card game protégée. Buffalo was incredibly good already while Cricket was darn near unbeatable.
It didn't matter what it was as long as they played with cards, Cricket was good. Not all that surprising when he had been a professional card dealer and poker player for a good portion of his youth, as well as a professional cook.
A knock at the door had, Trebol, who had also long given up on playing against the cook in frustration, grumbling under his breath and shuffling to answer it. His tone of voice was short and snippy. He had finally figured out enough of the puzzle he found in the closet to connect all of the corners and was finally starting on the inner parts of his puzzle so he really didn't enjoy the interruption.
"HEY-HEY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S TORTURING THEM ALREADY?" Trebol guffed, outraged. He turned, looking incredibly irritated. "We gotta' go if we want any fun, Doffy's being a vengeful brat! I don't want him using up those bastards that tried hurting Lu-Lu before we get our turns! I taught him better!" The unkempt man snarled, snatching up his cane and bolting out the door. Diamante was up and following on his heels before anyone else could even comprehend what Trebol had said.
"WHAT? That damn flamingo bastard!" Crocodile hissed, having to force himself not to spring up mid-stand when Luffy nearly slipped from his lap with a startled meep. He ground his teeth together, absolutely furious, even as he forced himself to stay seated and calmed the unhappy infant. "Sorry Lu, I'm not going ta drop ya'."
"Where do you think you're going?" Crocodile spat as Vergo, Gladius, and Daz went to leave.
"Who do you think you are, thinking you have the right to beat that fu-idiots head in before me? I'm Lu's Momma right? Who says you have dibs before me?" Crocodile growled, scooping Luffy up and made sure to get out the door before the others. It was easy to find the room that Doffy held his prisoners. Trebol and Diamonte were giving off strong angry pheromones' that stunk everything up to high heaven. The pair were standing in front of a guarded door barking orders at the guards when Crocodile caught up.
Before Crocodile even said a thing Trebol whipped around looking angry and horrified. "Hey, hey, hey, don't be dragging my nephew with you!" Trebol barked, glaring daggers at Crocodile as the other, smaller man, went to move to the door.
"The flamingo bastard can be the one that puts him down for a nap, Doffy idiot will need the lay down after I'm finished kicking his ass." Crocodile exclaimed, positively livid with the blond alpha for tormenting the two captives without him. How dare he?
Luffy let out an anxious merp, confused by the sudden change of activity and at the smell of his family so angry. He didn't like it one bit. Everything was so relaxed and cuddly and warm one minute and suddenly the total opposite the next.
"Settle down, Luffy, we're just grabbing your idiot dad." Crocodile said, gruffly reassuring the pup and holding him higher so the infant could nuzzle into his neck. The brunet ignored how Diamante kept flashing him anxious disapproving looks. The man looked around suspiciously and Trebol kept hovering far too close and was clearly exhibiting aggressive guarding behavior, as well.
Crocodile raised an eyebrow as Trebol full-out possessively growled at a door guard when he stepped forward just to explain what was going on. What the hell was up with that? Luffy was totally fine. It wasn't like Crocodile would let his baby get hurt on his watch.
"Uh, um…. Master Donquixote started on the guest caught in the gift shop about 20 minutes ago, so he shouldn't be too far along yet." The tall noodly guard said, practically sweating bullets as he was stared down by the group. Master's Diamante and Trebol made him particularly nervous with their aggressive behavior. Particularly Trebol's threatening growl.
He wasn't even sure what was going on until he caught sight of an infant being held by what he assumed was the Sir Crocodile he had heard was Master Donquixote's guest. Why was a baby being carried to the torture suite? It wasn't any of his business how such terrifying pirates raised children, but bringing a baby didn't seem all that appropriate, even for the most powerful and feared group of pirates in the North Blue.
"Daz, can you hold Luffy for a few minutes? I need to have a talk with the Flamingo." Crocodile more commanded than asked.
"But I've…. I've never held a baby before, boss!" Daz said, suddenly looking incredibly uncharacteristically nervous.
Diamante made an offended sound and leaned down, his hands out to Crocodile. "I'm his favorite uncle! Not to mention that I am the one that holds him the most!" He insisted.
"Neh? No way I'm the favorite!" Trebol objected.
"I doubt that." Vergo deadpanned before turning to Crocodile, a sucker melded on his sideburn as he calmly held his arms out. "I'm clearly his favorite uncle."
Crocodile grimaced, "and this is why I wanted Daz to hold him. The lot of Ya' act like you're practically ready to go to war over my boy. It's ridiculous!"
Luffy, at that point, had had enough of everyone's bickering, even his mama's. All of his special people should be happy and should get along! Not fighting! And where was his Daddy person? He had been gone far too long and Luffy was tired and wanted his bright smiley Daddy person! He could smell him, but he couldn't see him and he wanted him. Mommy person wasn't cuddling him the way Luffy wanted or snuggling him on the soft fluffy stuff in the room that smelled of Daddy and mommy person and protective contentedness and love and safety. He loved the way their new nest smelled. Though, Luffy preferred the smells that the other nest brought more. This place didn't smell like home like the other nest did. The other place was so saturated with his Daddy's smell that it was practically impregnated into every surface.
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Doffy pouted once his observation Haki picked up the group waiting outside. His fun would have to end and he had hardly even started on the main course! At first, amusement settled threw out him as he could sense the agitation and outrage the group was feeling, but it quickly turned to irritation and anxiety once his senses settled on what he knew to be his sweet, perfect boy. The pup was clearly unhappy.
First off, why was Doffy's sweetness away from the protection of his family's temporary home? His precious boy had just had the scare of his life. Who knew how many more of that group of cloak-wearing bastards were around? Maybe even disguised? Luffy was not to leave the safety of family's den without him!
Besides, his boy should have been sleeping already. Like clockwork, Doflamingo had his son's schedule down to a science. Luffy should have been mid-nap at that point. What did Crocodile think he was doing wandering around with his pup like that? Not even trying to let his boy sleep? And his family! What did they think they were doing?! They knew better! Only a few short minutes had gone by. Still, Doflamingo could already feel the veins in his forehead begin to bulge and throb and his fingers twitch as he worked himself up. They all knew better than to do something so stupid! What did they even think they were doing? Doffy hadn't given any of them permission to go anywhere with his son, especially Crocodile. He should know better!
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"What a surprise! Croco, family…. Lu-sweetness…. Shouldn't our Treasure be sleeping right now?" Doflamingo purred, an unnerving grin on his face and an apparent, dangerous tightness to his jaw.
Crocodile grimaced, "Maybe if someone wasn't acting like a bratty kid for not getting his way over something so stupid, he'd be gettin' his nap."
Crocodile nearly sputtered when Luffy was suddenly squirming and waving his arms around demandingly towards Doflamingo. The infant chirped and squeaked for his Daddy to hold him that second, practically ready to take a dive to get to him!
Luffy was grumpy and tired and had been separated from the man far too long for his liking and no one was paying him proper attention. Daddy would cuddle him properly! Luffy loved his new special mamma person so so much, but Daddy person was his most special person! Mommy person wasn't nearly as cuddly and attentive and lovey as Daddy was with him.
"Sweet Treasure ~ oh my precious boy! Did you miss Daddy?" Doflamingo crooned, softening instantly as he snatched the wiggly pup from Crocodile and began nuzzling and kissing at the infant's face. "Oh, Daddy is so so sorry for leaving you for so long! Yes, I am!" Doffy cooed, chuffing reassuringly when Luffy made anxious, 'love you, love me' merps and squeaks that positively melted and broke the man's heart. Doffy's poor poor sweet perfect boy! He wasn't being a good daddy if his lovely was acting that way with him. Luffy had only ever done that once before when the blond alpha went on his trip to meet Crocodile for the first time. It had been devastating for Doffy.
"Daddy won't leave you. No, not ever!~" The man exclaimed, cuddling his sweet boy as close as he could. He ignored the questions and demands of those around him. Couldn't they see that Lu needed some father-son nesting time? Nothing that they had to say was of any importance to him. They could tell him everyone would get crushed by an asteroid unless he took care of it. Doffy still wouldn't give a single crap about it unless it had a chance of interrupting his time with his sweet little Treasure or harming his pup.
"Oh so sleepy sweetness!~ big yawns fufufu!" The blond alpha gushed, totally melting at Luffy, yawning and rubbing at his eyes sleepily. The tired pup then leaned back to take in his Daddy's comforting enamored possessive scent. "Such a tiny sleepy boy~ Daddy's had enough fun for the day, let's go tuck sleepy sweeties in the nest~. How does that sound, Treasure?"
"Don't you be ignoring me Flamingo bastard!" Crocodile snarled, infuriated by the man's clear dismissal of everyone, especially him. Who did he think he was acting like Crocodile wasn't there? Especially when the brunet was the one who not only had been watching the pup, but had also been allowing the blond to screw him! Which was a gods damned privilege. The brunet had sky-high standards and didn't let just anyone paw at him, let alone plow him without taking a hand or dick off! The ass should have been groveling at his feet to keep Crocodile happy with him, but instead, he was carting off his sweet brat and acting like not a single one of them existed! The nerve of that gods damned flamingo bastard!
Doflamingo waved his pretty off, not the least bit intimidated, unlike even Trebol, who was side-eying the fuming brunet. "One's still in pretty decent shape. Go play with him if you like~. I'm done for the day. Lu-Sweetness clearly needs some bonding time~ and a nice long nap, so he doesn't end up all cranky." The man cooed, kissing at Luffy's drooping eyelids. And preened when Luffy let out a slurred purr. "Fufu Isn't that right?~ Yes-my boy is so so sleepy and misses his daddy!"
"Hey-hey Doffy, you promised we'd get to have our fun to! You totally overreacted!" Trebol exclaimed. He looked positively furious with the blond even as he began to hover closer to melt as much as a man like him could over his precious nephew. Luffy was clearly exhausted at that point. Crocy needed to be sweeter with his nephew. Luffy was clearly very tired and on the verge of becoming cranky. Trebol didn't like it when his Doffy and Lu-Lu weren't at their best. Especially his cute little nephew!
"They're still alive." Doflamingo said, clearly dismissing the group at that point as he walked away. Crocodile's irritation was so pronounced that he looked like he was on the verge of strangling the other man. Even as Doflamingo left with his pup in his hand.
How dare he?! Who did he think he was stupid pink Duffy flamingo, walking away from him like that?! No one did that to Crocodile and got away with it alive! The brunet grouchily grumbled to himself. Luffy's cute face peaking at him from Doflamingo's shoulder. Ugh! Fine he wouldn't have his sorely deserved revenge yet!
"Fine, you'll be dealt with later!" Crocodile snarled, making his way to the guest suite with a flourish and aggressively yanking its massive door open. He sputtered, going pink-cheeked and growled when Doflamingo paused to look back at him with a saucy grin.
"Looking forward to every second of it Pretty~" The feathered mantel-wearing man positively purred, licking his lips at the thought of his Croco making him hurt just right. "I love it when you get that way~ So Sexy~"
Ugh, the freak!
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"Doffy, hey hey Doffy! Get up! Up! Doffy! Come on, this is bad!" Trebol barked, going so far as to shake the other man.
"Ugh, Trebol, Go away! we're sleeping!" The blond alpha grumbled, tossing a fuchsia-colored shag pillow at the other man before curling up on his side and groggily rearranging Luffy to drape across his neck and face.
"Up, Doffy! Garp the Fist is here and somehow found out about our prisoners! That one we caught for trying to go after Lu-Lu was some higher-up revolutionary or something!" Trebol snarled. Sweating from how overwhelming his anxiety was.
"Wa'? Garp? What do you mean?" Doflamingo sputtered, catching a squawking Luffy and he sat up so fast the infant went sliding off of his neck and face. He then went sliding down his chest.
"Neh, Doffy be more careful!" Trebol exclaimed, looking ready to have a heart attack.
"Trebol!"
"I told you, Garp the Fist's here! He's on his way to our guest's suite right now! You know how he doesn't give a crap about the government agreements we've made!" Trebol insisted.
"Ugh, I didn't even get a chance to show my Pretty and Treasure off!" Doflamingo pouted.
"Oh, sorry sweetness! Yes, I didn't mean to wake you up that way, I know, I know! My little Treasure's still so sleep~" The alpha cooed as Luffy made sure to let him know that he wasn't the least bit pleased or impressed with his wake-up call.
"Doffy, focus!" Trebol growled, marching around the room. He gathered up the important paperwork, a pair of den den mushi, and the bag for the gifts that Doflamingo had still not given out. "Come on Doffy! Hurry up!" The man insisted with urgency.
"Alright, alright! I'm getting ready!"
Doflamingo quickly retrieved his favorite red suit and polished black loafers using his strings. He then got Luffy ready. Doffy changed his pup's diaper before forcing his sweetness into a bright red sleeveless and pantless onesie and immediately swaddled him up into a burrito with Luffy's softest blanket and stuck him in his front pocket.
At first, Luffy looked ready to caterwaul his displeasure, but he quickly settled down after realizing he was enveloped in an ultra soft cocoon of fluffiness and was, in a sense, still cuddled up to his Daddy. Luffy was in absolute heaven. He was practically melted into the fluffy stuff, nuzzling it. The infant's happy squeaks and chirps made Doffy feel like his heart was going to explode with how cute his boy was being! The Blond alpha made sure to grab Toro-Toro and to stuff him and the rest of Luffy's stuff into one of the 2 book bags that the crew used as a diaper bag for the infant.
The moment Doffy was out of his suite, Pica, was yowling about his hair care products at him. The lavender-haired man complained how he couldn't go on without the shipment he was supposed to get in 2 days. Vergo was complaining that they didn't have nearly enough of his favorite fries aboard the ship to hold him out for a trip back home. Diamante was anxiously gathering things up and muttering fervently under his breath about how much vintage wine he had been planning to get before they left. While everyone was flipping out about their own things, Bentham was fussing over Buffalo, making sure the pup had everything he was bringing on the ship in the bookbag slung over his shoulder.
"Vergo, call the front desk. Tell them we need a quick stock of food….. And your fries. Diamante, I was going to give it to you near the end of the trip, but I had a whole case of Mary Rose Josaline 747 delivered to the ship the day we got here. Pica, your hair is gorgeous no matter what but… if it makes you feel better, I received a message right before having my fun and…. If you can get to that stylist, you love so.~ He said that he was nearly done with the shipment…. You could probably get most of it before we had to set sails. Hmm, isn't that nice Pica?~" Doflamingo practically purred, effortlessly getting the three focused and back to task.
"Now, let's calm down and figure out what the codder wants, hm? He may not even be interested in us. He's probably looking for someone specific and, remember, he hasn't gone after us before…. Perhaps he is even less of a fan of our new hooded friends."
Of course, Luffy decided that right as everything was getting back on track that he was going to go from sleepy and happily quiet and snuggled to wide awake, wiggly and chatty. Loudly squeaking, babbling, and merping at his favorite people, eager to socialize. It positively melted Doflamingo, his sweet, bubbly boy.~
"Wait….. Why is Luffy in your pocket?" Trebol exclaimed, only just noticing.
"He likes it." Doflamingo said, feeling defensive. "Isn't that right sweetness? Yes, you do!~" He cooed, nearly purring when Luffy nuzzled into his petting figures, making happy little sounds. He positively beamed at his boy's delighted gummy grin.
Diamante's brow furrowed, "I swear we've had an argument about something like this…..? Wait, did you get that suit because you didn't have any pockets in your Mantel? What is up with you putting babies in your pockets, Doffy?" The man pointed out, sounding judgmental, even as he looked like he was dying to do the same thing.
"It has pockets!" Doffy grumbled, "And only Luffy's allowed!" The blond alpha scuffed at the insinuation he would let just any riffraff in his pockets. Only his Treasure would ever be allowed the privilege! He huffed indigently, then he headed to his suite's living room.
Ugh, why were they so annoying about things sometimes?! Luffy was never that way, asking dumb questions…. Questioning Doffy about stupid things! And they wondered why he and Luffy needed time to themselves every once in a while! He loved his family, but their priorities were so skewed sometimes. They should really be focusing on important things, like Garp, how adorable Luffy looked in his pocket, how cuddly and happy he was, finding Pretty…. How perfect and cute his sweetness was being…..
Wait, where was Croco?! Ugh, where was the Pretty of his life?! The blond groaned, running a hand down his face in frustration. So now not only did they have to get Pica's hair care stuff, fries for Vergo, and their prisoners, but now he had to find Pretty in the largest Casino in the Northern hemisphere, great. Well, at least he had his perfect little Treasure being so adorable and sweet in his pocket. That at least made the situation somewhat bearable. Luffy always made everything better!~
"Let's go find your momma Lu!~" Doflamingo said, done making sure that he had everything that his pup needed before leaving the family's suite and heading to the Casino.
He had planned to leave with the family by sneaking out vie a window or the conveniently placed secret passages that led from Pica's obnoxiously large closet to the cosmetic avenue connected to the Casino. It had been built at Pica's insistence when they sanctioned the building of the casino to cover for their more insidious doings on the island.
Doffy's own secret passageway hidden in his closet led to a gentleman's club and slavers auction. Doffy was pretty sure that it wasn't right for Luffy to see tits and dicks that weren't family's, though. Even if he was still tiny… or was it because of that? Well, either way, it felt gross, like pedo stuff. And he wasn't going to let those filthy sorts around his family pups, Buffalo or Luffy, but especially his helpless infant. Just thinking about such things razzled him and made the alpha feel a little ill.
It wasn't long before Luffy was back to his usual demanding merps and squeaks, as he squirmed around in Doffy's pocket. The pup wide as his eyes caught sight of the gold pillars of the main casino lobby. Shiny things were everywhere, and it wasn't long before the scent of delectable meats invaded his nose.
"Doflamingo, sir, care for a game!?" A dapper-looking fellow dressed in the Casino's, gambling table specific staff outfit, shouted over the noise. A pretty thing Doffy had fucked on more than one occasion. Not nearly as pretty or perfect as his Croco, though. Huh, and Doffy had really thought the other alpha had been a real looker before. Who was he kidding? His Croco was as perfect as a Pretty could get! Anyone else was shit beneath his feet in comparison to Doflamingo's eyes.
"Sorry, not this time.~" Doflamingo said, still focused on his Pretty. He swore that he had just gotten a whiff of Crocodile. He gave Luffy a little head pet to try and settle him down. The blond hardly even noticed the man calling to him.
Luffy, of course was focused on the smell of food. Though he made a happy chirp at the attention, especially as his Daddy was moving closer to the nice smell he was catching.
Oh, crap what the-
"Hey! Thanks for catching that escapee!" A gruff voice called out good-humoredly. Doffy snatched his toy up one handed an annoyed frown twitching at his face that morphed to guarded and on edge.
"He nearly got away from me when I saw that buffet!" Garp the Fist laughed, a turkey leg in his hand dripping with delicious peppery-smelling gravy. "They got a great Western Goa style gravy here!" The man exclaimed, taking a huge bite of the turkey leg. He grinned happily as he licked at his grease-covered fingers and swallowed down the mess.
Doffy gritted his teeth, forcing back a protective growl. He was unsure how to handle the older man without getting into a fight. Doffy would usually be more relaxed, maybe even cheeky with the old man. He loved a good fight and was confident in his abilities. His Luffy was too easy to harm for a fight, though. He was just such a tiny, fragile thing. It had Doffy feeling extremely nervous and on guard, especially since the geezer was a… D. It left a sour taste in his mouth even being anywhere near the devil, let alone with his pup. Doffy nearly choked when he heard something he hadn't been expecting from his Treasure, ever.
Luffy was glaring from his Daddy's pocket narrow-eyed, hunched forward, and letting out a squeaky sound between an oof and a sputtering growl. His little body was still not developed enough to make the sound easily.
Doffy's sweet angel was threatening the geezer. That particular type of noise was rare, even for an alpha. It was considered to be incredibly rude. He couldn't believe it. What the hell? Pups just didn't make sounds like that! Especially infant omegas, especially his adorable cuddly needy little Luffy! Describing his feelings as flabbergasted or possibly even a little horrified didn't even touch how Doflamingo felt.
"Oh! Listen to that! You're a feisty little one! Yes you are! Sassy little brat!" Garp chuckled and grinned ear to ear at Luffy, acting almost smitten.
Doffy couldn't believe the older man's reaction. Luffy was literally making a sound at him that was considered taboo at an instinctual level and he was giggling at the infant like it was the cutest thing he had ever seen! Well, Luffy of course was the cutest thing in existence, but that wasn't what Doffy was getting at!
"I imagine my grandbaby would have looked just like you, be just as spirited to." The crazy older man exclaimed, suddenly tearing up. "He would have been about the same age too! If only he hadn't gotten knocked overboard! I didn't even get to hold him!" The man wailed.
Doflamingo cuddled his boy and tried to settle him. He sputtered when Luffy squirmed and let out another threatening oof. His boy didn't do that!
"Surprised, eh?" Garp snickered, wiping at his tears as he eyed the horrified, confused looks Doffy was shooting his own pup. Clearly, the boy didn't know the blood of the brat's mother too well. That cute little thing was exhibiting typical healthy D pup behavior. Though, he was a younger than most that started behaving that way. He was going to be such a spunky-spirited little brat if he was starting that already! "Hehe, you got some D blood in ya' don't you, cute brat?!"
Doffy was immediately disgusted and offended by the very idea of it. How dare that man say his adorable perfect boy was part…. That!
"Only a little brat with some D blood would sass me like that! Especially at that age. And an Omega at that. Aren't you just the cutest little brat~?!" The old man cooed, even gushing a bit and the positively affronted look the infant gave him when a hint of a chuff entered the gruff geezer's tone.
After the infant Gave up on threatening him, Luffy deepened his grandpa frown and made a demanding merp for food. "Definitely a D! Ha, are you a lost Monkey D. with that appetite, cute little squirt?"
Doffy growled, sick of the old man and his horrible accusations! He needed to find his Croco and get out of there! The old man was clearly the worst of influences and people for his perfect boy to be around. Damn Ds! Trying to taint his boy like that and claiming his boy was D filth!
It didn't take long for the old man to get distracted by a chocolate fountain. Doffy was quick to get back trying to find his Croco, though with more urgency. The way the old man slurped down the chocolate, Doffy doubted it would last him more than a few minutes. Garp's ability to eat was ridiculous.
Doffy threw his prisoner at some marines when they rushed forward. At that point he deciding that it was better to let them chase the man around than to have them bother him anymore. He didn't want to spend another second longer than he had to on the island with how angry he was. He might just destroy one of his best business ventures and favorite places if he stayed much longer.
The level of insult the blond alpha felt on his sweetness' behalf was nearly boiling him alive! Clearly, the old man traumatized his perfect boy into acting that way! The way he accused his poor sweet perfect son of having such filth in his blood. How dare that man?!
Doffy scooped Luffy out of his pocket and anxiously kissed at his sweet face, gentling his precious boy and cooing sweetness to him. The young alpha smiled as his Lu-Lu's face softened from its furious little scowl into a look Doffy preferred, wide-eyed and smiling. "That's better, isn't it sweetness? Daddy's so sorry for letting that geezer anywhere near you, yes, I am! Poor perfect boy, you must have an instinctive dislike of that horrible old D.~ Such a smart pup!"
It wasn't long before Doffy found his Pretty. The brunet was sitting with several different food items in front of him. He frowned at the handsome older man that sat across from his beauty. What was going on?
"God damn it doffy! That was my panini! Where the hell am I going to get another one when the marines are around?! I want my damn panini flamingo bastard! I'm hungry and I've been putting up with some next-level shit here. I deserve that thing and I'm not leaving until I get a replacement! Not even Garp the God damned Fist will prevent me from getting a replacement, you hear me?!"
"Woah, Pretty, calm down on the hanger!~ It was a little dry anyways. Besides, what is my Croco doing having lunch without us?~" Doffy pouted, dangerously eying the other alpha sitting across the table from his Pretty. The set up looked suspiciously like a date. Something, the younger alpha wasn't willing to tolerate at all. Pretty was his soul mate, only his. Doffy began to gently scratch at Luffy's scalp, trying to settle him, before he began revving up a caterwaul over his parents not sharing food with him.
It was easy to distract Luffy from his grouching with Crocodile being there. Once he realized his momma person was their he began to make happy lovey squeaks and chirps at the grouchy man from his warm cuddly tall place that he was beginning to love so much. He loved his mommy and Daddy people so so much!
"What the hell, bastard, why is my brat being carted around in your pocket? Especially with marines up your ass?" Crocodile grumbled, almost looking pained. "He couldn't get hurt!"
"I could ask the same about this." Doffy said, making a gesture at his Pretty sitting across from some handsome man with a practical buffet in front of him. His smile twisting into a deep frown that had the pair at the table feeling unnerved. Especially Crocodile, who at that point knew that Doffy frowning was something to fear.
Crocodile had to own the situation and take control of it if he didn't want to see some major consequences. So he swallowed down his nerves and let out some sass! Crocodile wasn't going to get all shrivel dicked over flirting a bit for a good meal. He was a gods damned terror of the first half of the Grandline, Sir Crocodile!
"Hey, you know, good food is good food! This guy offered me some Sabaody Blue. Do you know how hard it is to get ahold of? I told ya' I'm not a cheap date! A man of my palate isn't going to pass up on a treat like that. Especially, just because there are some nosey damn marines around!" Crocodile said, uncaring for the very anxious and confused-looking alpha that had treated him to such a spread.
"If I had known my Pretty wanted this sort of thing, I would have gotten it to you! You can ask me for anything!~ I love being your sugar daddy~" Doflamingo purred, licking his lips as his Crocodile shoved a big bite of some kind of meat in his mouth and made an appreciative sound. He didn't like his Pretty letting other men take care of him, but as long as he was using them, he didn't mind all that much.~ His Crocy was so so cute when he manipulated and used idiots! He was so vicious!~
Doffy was back to smiling, his heart pitter-pattering in his chest.
"Hey, wait I thought we-"
Doffy wanted to sit and admire his Pretty. The interloper was impeding on his and Lu's family time with his Pretty. That wasn't allowed. It was becoming more irritating than amusing after only a few short minutes of the man trying to convince Crocodile that they might make a good match.
Doffy wasn't going to put up with anyone thinking they came anywhere near matching his Crocodile and used his devil fruit to send the hopeless piggybank into a pair of marines. They had been looking at the pirate captain with twin looks of terror, not that the blond gave them more than a passing glance.
Doffy then plopped himself down, hand in his chin as he admired his cute brunet gulping alcohol and food down like no ones business. He cooed and preened over his beautiful brunet while Crocodile continued to side-eyed the doorway.
The Doffy snickered at and hushed Luffy. Who, at that point, was more than a little irritated by Crocodile's lack of lovey-dovey snuggles as greeting and seeing the man eating so much tasty smelling food in front of him. It wasn't fair!
"Hey-hey-hey! What are the both of you doing?!" Trebol barked, jogging up to the pair.
"Crocy's all cute and hangry~ so Lu and I are waiting for him to finish up," Doffy explained, absently patting Luffy's head with a finger as the pup made an angry sound.
Trebol sputtered. What were they thinking? Garp was likely looking for them right now! There was no way that someone hadn't said something about their stay in Blackjack Coastal.
"Relax, that Garp was eating in one of the buffets the last time I saw him," Doffy said, shrugging. Still far more focused on watching his pretty scarf down the strange-looking streaks he had than anything else. Ugh, Croco was just so cute when he was all chipmunk cheeked!~ He wanted to lick the streak sauce from his lips, shove his tongue down his throat like a parody of his cock thrusting~ His Croco was such a cutie!
"Hey, hey, this isn't the time for this!"
Doffy waved the other man away, sighing dreamily. "Crocy's hungry.~"
"Doffy, Garp's not the only one-"
"Hey, there you went, kid! I was looking all over for ya'. Now you know the drill. I'm ganna' have to bring you in. Nothing personal, but the sort of stuff you're little 'family's' into… Well, that ain't no place for raising pups. Rotten luck, really. I'm not really into going after folks with brats, wasn't even really into actively hunting you down…. You see, I'm supposed to be starting on vacation here after capturing that revolutionary you found for me, but since we crossed paths…. Well, I have a job to do. Don't worry, though, I'll take care of that cute little brat of yours myself, just like my own grandbrat! He'll become a fine marine under my watch.~" Garp practically cooed. Eying Luffy with a bit of a smitten expression.
"'Scuse me?" Crocodile snarled, coughing a little from the booze he accidentally inhaled. "What the hell is this? Flamingo idiot, what kind of crap did you drag my pup into?!" A possessive, bellowing growl rumbled through the brunet's chest once he swallowed down the last of the meat in his mouth. Crocodile bared his teeth at the old man and dug his hook deep into the table.
Doffy couldn't help but to swoon and keen adoringly at his adorable Croco-momma!~ He was so so cute, being all deadly and murdery for their sweet pup! Awww, he was being such a good mommy!
Luffy's previous scowl melted into a happy gummy grin, wide shiny adoring eyes and a delighted screech that quickly turned into enthusiastic lovey-dovey chirps and squeaks at the murderous looking man.
Doffy thought he might die at the cute perfection overload he was experiencing. His heart felt like it was ready to explode at the sight! His adorable murderous Pretty and perfect little son who got how perfect and cute his momma was being while everyone else, even Trebol, were giving the brunet nervous looks. Luffy just got his Daddy's love for cute stabby Pretty's so well!~ and Croco was the cutest, most murderous, stabby Pretty that anyone could ever find!
"Look who loves his momma so much Croco~! Look how cute our sweet boy is! Yes, you are~" Doflamingo purred, kissing adoringly at his Sweet boy's perfect little head.
Before Crocodile could even go at the geezer, who looked more amused than threatened, the stink of Luffy's sperm donor hit Doflamingo's nose. He let a dangerous growl loose before he even had time to comprehend what was going on.
A person, wearing a familiar dark green cape, hood pulled up, was diving at the old man.
"You bastard! You know how long I've been searching for you after what happened to my sweet little grandbaby?" Garp roared, eyes tearing up as he wacked the hooded man with a vicious punch to the nose. "I can't believe you thought you could show your face to me like that!"
"Wait, listen to me-"
"No! You lost that right!"
"Hey-hey, no Doffy! We got to go! We'll get back at them later! Get your priorities in check!" Trebol insisted, snatching the other man by the back of his feathered mantel. "Hey, don't you even think about it Crocy!" The unkempt man barked, wagging a finger at the furious brunet. His nephew wouldn't be dragged into the middle of whatever was going on.
After a few minutes of trying to drag the pair out, Trebol gave up and snatched his helpless little nephew from his misbehaving Doffy's, pocket. The pair were driving Trebol nuts, not listening like they were supposed to! They were endangering themselves and worst of all, his precious Lu-Lu! They cycled between aggression displays against the pair that were a potential threat and protective parental behaviors that kept them in a painful limbo that could be ended at any second if the other two changed targets.
Trebol nearly let out a sound of relief when the pair no longer had any interest in the annoying old guy and hooded figure and were instead all about Lu-Lu and following him. Doffy squawking at him about taking his boy from him and Crocodile yelling threats between growls. Luffy was making disturbingly delighted shrieks, clearly enjoying the high-speed getaway through the small city and docks to the ships.
It didn't take long for the group to get to the ship and wasn't long after that before the vessel cast off. Doffy was still pouting and upset that not only had Trebol taken his pup but had tricked him into not eviscerating the guy in the cloak. It was even worse that his sweet Lu-Lu was huffy over being taken from his uncle. The pup had been having a blast with the unkept man, wasn't helping either. The blond felt like his world must be near ending because there was no way that his sweet son would ever favor spending a second with one of his Auntie's or Uncle's or even Mommy Croco over him! Especially spending time with his uncle Trebol who hardly even held him and had no skills with children or babies!
The young alpha held his sweet boy to his chest and shot deadly looks at the others. He was sure that the others could more than deal with things while he spent some clearly needed nesting time alone with his son. Doffy decided that he must have been spending too much time in unfamiliar places with Luffy. That had to be why he was behaving the way that he was! He stressed out his poor little angel and Luffy was making it clear that he wasn't happy with his Daddy for neglecting his emotional needs! His poor sweetness!
That had to be it. There was no way that Luffy could ever be so happy doing something with someone else that he would get mad at his Daddy for taking him back. Awwwe, his sweet boy was already becoming a clever little manipulator!~ Just like his cute mommadile!~ His son was just the cutest, most perfect baby ever! Doffy let out an affectionate, keen, gushing at his pouting son.
Doffy rumbled happily as he kicked off his shoes and dug his toes into the plush blush carpet of his den. The strong scent of him and Luffy and now his beautiful Croco permeated the space in a thick haze, making the man want to roll around his bed naked just to imprint the scent into his skin and nose.
"I bet I can get that frown turned upside down real quick. Fufu, who wants to help Daddy make a cute little practice nest on your favorite pillow? Let's make your first nest! Won't that be fun sweetness?" Doflamingo cooed, grinning at his pup, who quickly went from grumbling and huffing to excite and chirpy when he held up a few velvety soft blankets to the infant's grabby hands. Luffy made happy burbles as Doffy sat him in the middle of a pile of some of the softest blankets he had made for his pup. He piled them on top of one of his favorite butter-soft shag pillows.
Luffy happily patted and kneaded at all the soft, warm pretty things, purring up a storm as he did his best to help his Daddy arrange the blankets into something resembling a nest.
Doffy couldn't help but gush at how cute his boy was being and how adorable he looked in the little nest he had built just for him. He nearly melted when Luffy happily burbled up at him, patting and now nuzzling at the knitted blankets he so lovingly made for the infant. It made him so happy that his pup loved what he made for him so much!
Doffy grinned and began rearranging the blankets encouraging Luffy and praising his 'help' in building the tiny nest. He needed a photographic den den stat!
After a quick photo session highlighting how adorable Luffy looked in the little baby nest Doffy had helped him build, Luffy decided that it was time for another bottle and some actual restful sleep. The blond fawned how his pup slept so easily through not only an onboard attack from the marines but also a full-blown cannon barrage. His poor Treasure was so tired from such an eventful day!~
Croco had acted all upset over Luffy sleeping through such a commotion. He growled at Doffy and got all anxious and irritated! He even woke poor Luffy up and checked him over like he thought something was wrong! Poor sleepy sweetness! His mommacroco was being so erratic and overbearing just because their sweet boy was so sleepy! Yeah, the ship may have shaken around a bit, but what happened wasn't that much louder than their dear family when they got in particularly bad arguments.
Crocodile had immediately taken over Luffy cuddles, making the younger man pout, even as he forcibly clung to his Pretty grumbling brunet. It was so nice having his baby and Croco there. Being all snuggly and cute!~ It was especially nice as the days grew colder in the North Blue. Doffy couldn't wait to den down for the winter with his growing family.
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A thump and crying had Crocodile bolting up. Doffy was already stumbling to his feet in a panic as his observation haki and parental instincts were going nuts over his pup. Luffy was nowhere to be found and Crocodile found himself lunging over the bed's edge before his brain could even catch up with what was happening.
"Lu-Lu, hey hey! He's doing it! Lu-Lu's doing it! I win!" Trebol's obnoxious voice cheered entirely too close.
"What the hell?"
"Owwwh, Lu-Lu hey come here. Uncle Trebol's got some dinner for his favorite nephew!"
"Why are you in here? And why are you so close?!" Crocodile barked.
"Lu, needed to eat!"
Crocodile sputtered when his brain finally processed what he was actually seeing. Luffy was crawling. It wasn't even the scooting thing babies did when they first learned to crawl. It wasn't like full-out coordinated crawling, but he definitely was crawling…. His face didn't totally light up when he saw it, not at all! His brat was crawling! Pride filled him to the brim and a little bit of nerves too. They would have to be more careful with him now, especially with the doors that led on deck. Gods he could hardly contain himself with the maternal pride that refused to settle down. Crocodile blushed when he realized he had chirped encouragingly at the-no his wabbly sniffling pup.
Doffy let out a panicked keen, terror and anger turning his face stone cold. He growled at Trebol and turned to give Crocodile a scathing look before he scooped his son up and frantically looked him over. He let out a stressed sound when he caught sight of a skinned knee and the starts of a bruise on the infant's cheek.
This was a nightmare, the worst thing he could think of happening! Luffy was Doffy's everything! This had to rate up there as one of his worst days ever! The bed was so high up for such a tiny pup to fall from! Luffy was too tiny and young for Doffy to be okay with him crawling! Crawling had gotten his Sweetness hurt. What if he got himself killed, what if he disappeared like his Rosi, or-or decided he didn't want his Daddy's snuggles and him carrying him around? Possessiveness and neediness filled Doffy to the brim. That couldn't ever happen. He wouldn't allow it.
The blond alpha snatched his boy up, ignoring the outraged whining of Trebol and the guttural snarl that Crocodile let out. His son would never leave him! He couldn't handle losing anyone else! Luffy was his everything, his perfect sweet sunshine pup. Couldn't his Treasure stay a tiny pup a while longer?
This was all going by too fast! Doffy didn't want his son to change, they were happy just the way he was! He didn't want the horror of the human world to harm a single hair on Luffy's sweet little head. To hurt him, like it had hurt Doffy. Luffy was his angel. He pulled him from the depths of hell. The blond loved him so much it hurt. When he lost his Sweet little Rosi, it felt like his whole reason for living had been taken away from him and if he lost his son…. He didn't think he could survive it. He didn't think he would want to survive the loss. Just seeing him hurt even just a little sent a boiling rage through Doffy's body and, at the same time, absolutely wrecked him. Whoever taught his boy to crawl would be getting a stern talking to and anyone that continued teaching him would regret it.
End Chapter 13
Notes:
I have graduated college with my degree in Illustration and have 3 almost 4 relevant minors now and doing Commissions and requests.
I am also, nearly done with a book I illustrated on Whales that once it is done, I am planning on probably putting it on kindle.
Also, by the end of the month, the first chapter of my one piece inspired comic will be out. It is called, 1000 Sunflower Seas! I am very proud of it so far!
I am very sorry I haven't been updating nearly as much as I usually do but, as I have explained in the comments above, my life has gotten really hectic. I have been in really bad shape for about half a year. Life has kind of sucked, I have almost died more than once and I am now homeless.
I am thinking about doing a few month time skip from here so I can have Luffy meet Rosi, thoughts?
Please review and tell me any ideas you may have! I have used a few suggestions and your thoughts really help me come up with some of my best ideas for my stories!
Chapter 15: Drs and Dens Sweet Winter
Chapter Text
Start Chapter 14
“Luffy, my sweetness~ what did daddy say about doing that?” Doffy sighed. He eyed the pup in a put-upon way as he ran a hand over his face. The infant only stopped his crawling for a few moments to look up at his daddy, smiling, and returned to grab the pretty shiny thing he had seen under the couch.
“Luuuu- no Treasure!” The young alpha whined, anxious over how much his pup was moving around on his own. He had barely started crawling and he was half frog-hopping, half scooting as much as he could now. The pup was clearly frustrated with his slow progress and speed, but it felt like the pup was going lightning fast to the alpha.
“Doffy idiot! Stop harassing my kid!” Crocodile snarled from an incredibly comfortable-looking nest of floor cushions and lush blankets, watching Luffy closely. A smoothie drink Bentham sat close by and readjusted a small portion of the massive nest of cushions. “Yeah, look at you, Lu! That’s a good pup!” The brunet encouraged, the usual growl in his voice was lowered to an almost soothing rumble.
“Hey-hey, yeah, Doffy! Don’t tell Lu-Lu he’s not allowed to do baby stuff!”
“He’s my son!”
“Well, he’s mine too! Now leave him alone and let him be a baby damn it!” Crocodile growled, going back to smiling and encouragingly chirping to Luffy. The pup was quick to turn and grin at his momma and chirp back in his high-pitched, squeaky way. “Good boy, Lu!”
Doflamingo grumbled to himself, crouching and sulked, he still wasn’t sure how his decision and just general authority had been trampled and totally disregarded. He was the dominant alpha in this family, damn it! Why was everyone suddenly disregarding just about everything that he decided for his son? Luffy was his sweetness first!
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A mobile Luffy had ended up being a bit more of a handful than anyone had expected. It seemed that once he realized he could move around on his own, he never slowed down and actually had more energy than anyone expected. If there was a way for him to escape the safe areas of the ship, he did it. Over the time span that it took the ships to get back to the Donquixote family’s main territory surrounding their base, Luffy had somehow ended up in the kitchen more than half a dozen times, the cargo hold twice, once gnawing on a chunk of smoked sea king bacon in a barrel, on deck more than a handful of times, once on the helm of the ship which had nearly had everyone having a heart attack, once on Bentham’s ship which no one knew how he got there, terrifying the entire crew. From then on, the pup wasn’t allowed to be watched by anyone other than Doffy or Crocco after that and Luffy still somehow ended up sleeping in Diamante’s towel cupboard. It was guaranteed pretty much the second the pup was sat down for anything, he was making a dash for it.
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Once the crew returned to their innermost territory, they made a stop at the doctor’s in Norwich for a hastily set up wellness check-up for Luffy. They had been away from the area for nearly 3 months after a few stops along the way back and 2 weeks chasing Crocodile and his crew until it became apparent that winter was making its way to the North Blue. The man didn’t want any part of heading to a colder area of that particular ocean, which was already known for being colder than the desert sun-loving man had any desire to be dealing with.
In the end, Crocodile came back on his own, unable to handle Luffy’s sorrow-filled sobs for him over DenDen while Doffy whined pitifully as time went on for him to come back to the ship to warm him and Luffy up. The dangerous edge creeping into his tone was dark and sharp enough that it had the hairs on the back of Crocodile’s neck standing on end. No way in hell did he come back for that feathered bastard, no matter how much the other man had cooed and praised him for returning on his own like he was some gods damned dog.
Doflamingo was incredibly pleased with himself after he used some of Pink’s advice again. The older man was so right! What a good way to train his pretty! He gave his lovely the sweet illusion of having a choice in going or leaving. Doffy and his crew could have easily stopped the older man. But it was so much sweeter to get him to return by himself and without having to break a single bone in anyone’s body!~ Crocodile gave in faster than expected. He was so proud of his Lu enticing his momma so well and so so proud of his beautiful good Croco!
It was the perfect scenario really. It was cold as hell, Crocodile truly was miserable and his crew wasn’t equipped for the cold at all. Luffy was a gods damned angel and Crocodile wasn’t going to be the ass who made their sweetness cry. Doffy knew it wouldn’t take much to get the other man back in his warm loving embrace and back to being his sweet mommaCrocco self with their sweetness.
After a lot of clear danger that the brunet somehow managed to temper down into something a little more lustful than originally planned, he was punished much like a child and was confined to quarters. It was humiliating living in Doffy’s quarters for a week! Crocodile wasn’t allowed his favorite cigars and was constantly supervised with Luffy. It was the supervision that had Crocodile ready to bite someone’s head off. Luffy’s his kid! It wasn’t like he had a chance to escape with Doffy constantly up his ass or the other man wouldn’t hunt him to death if he ever even thought of trying to take the pup and hide out in the grand line.
Besides, the ship wasn’t all that unbearably cold as long as you stayed indoors with the furnace going in its belly, the winter blankets that had been drug out that Crocodile still wondered where they had all come from and when the crew had suddenly switched things out. The nice new fur-lined boots, gloves, and scarf helped make Crocodile’s decision to stay even easier. Doflamingo may be an obnoxious nutcase, but he sure knew just the right things to pamper a guy with.
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Poor Dr. Lapahn, still Luffy’s primary, wasn’t sure how much more he could take when not just the captain of the Donquixote family showed up but another equally terrifying man, if not more so, came with him. The brunet sauntered in like he owned the place with deadly effortless elegance. He was a predator and knew he had claws. It was in his arms that a familiar, slightly larger Luffy was cradled, happily cuddling into the man’s fur coat. Dr. Lapahn had to hold back his shock as even when other ‘family’ members came with Doflamingo the infant had always been firmly in the blond’s anxious grasp, being fussed over and cooed at.
The brunet, taller than the older Doctor, tilted his head, scrutinizing the older man like he was eying a bug under a magnifying glass once he was introduced as Luffy’s physician.
“I’m supposed to trust this geezer with my pup?” The Crocodile said, eyes hooded as he looked at the man, half amused and half skeptical. Dr. couldn’t help but eye the gleaming hook he had in place of a hand. It looked deadly sharp and was far too close to the pup for his liking.
Doflamingo didn’t help, shrugging at the question and eying his pup like he wanted to snatch him and run. “He figured out Luffy’s issues with his weight and our sweetness has been doing so well since we started coming here.”
Crocodile’s eyebrows furrowed as he took a seat, gracefully crossing a leg as he gently bounced a giggling Luffy. “But he’s here? If he was so good, then why did you leave him?”
Doffy looked at him with confusion.
“I keep everything onboard that I find that I like enough I’d use it again. A doctor’s important. Especially one that can understand and treat my kid’s rare medical issues. I’d never let ‘em go.” Crocodile elaborated.
Dr. Lapahn paled at the line of conversation that was going on like he wasn’t even standing right there. Before it could go any farther, he decided that it would be best for him to cut in. “May I ask who this… gentleman is? Luffy is usually carried in by Mr. Donquixote, is all.” The man said, barely able to keep himself from taking a step back when the brunet’s reptilian dark, almost black yellow-green hazel eyes met his again. An unnerving grin crossed the other man’s face.
“Never saw a momma with his baby?” Crocodile said, sounding both amused and offended. “I may not be the conventional Omegan momma, but I like to think that that just makes me all the more suited to protecting my pup and keeping this one in line over here.” The brunet purred, smirking at the offended pout Doffy made at him. “Besides, Luffy seems to like me just the way I am.~” The man all but preened.
After a moment, he tilted his head and glanced at the folder in the Doctor’s hand. The wicked man’s expression was almost thoughtful as he added, “I guess you might need my name for the paperwork, right? You can put down Sir Crocodile. You may only call me Sir, got it?” Crocodile said, his voice relaxed and professional on the surface, but held the slightest gravelly bite that assured the doctor that there would be dire consequences if he didn’t listen.
There was something about the brunet that sent chills down the alpha’s back. He couldn’t believe that Donquixote didn’t seem to feel the least bit fazed by the man he had chosen as the mother(?) to his pup!
Dr. Lapahn risked the slightest glance at the blond’s face and tried his best not to openly sputter at the sight of the younger alpha nearly swooning over the other man, the scent of the man quickly filled the room. Smitten, lustful, and protective. Oh, Blues! What did he just get in the middle of?!
The poor man wasn’t a dummy and quickly realized what sort of situation he had been forced into and wasn’t happy about it, not one bit. He now had to deal with not just one unstable, incredibly protective parent, but two terrifying, viciously possessive parents!
Crocodile was somehow far more terrifying, even while he was more laid back with the doctor’s handling of their pup, than the blond alpha. The mixture between alpha size and aggressiveness, his general viciousness, and the motherly protectiveness and possessiveness and that crocodilian smile of his had the doctor nearly pissing his pants and that was after dealing with Doflamingo and his crew for months face-to face. Of course, the young alpha would pick one of the most terrifying people a person could ever meet to be his mate and of course, the brunet would imprint so strongly on the man’s pup!
At least Luffy was all smiles and happy as ever he was such a happy, sweet thing, if his family wasn’t so terrifying Dr. Lapahn would have considered him one of his favorite patients to see. The doctor may not have liked his parents much and still didn’t approve of him being raised the way he was, but he had to admit, even if reluctantly, that the infant was incredibly well cared for. Luffy was plumper, happy as could be, and healthy as possible. He didn’t think that really anyone could do a better job.
The older alpha doubted the marines wouldn’t think twice before ever trying to take the infant from the pair either. So… at least the kid had that going for him.
After going through the list of everything that Luffy had eaten so far and getting him updated on weight and measurements. They watched the infant zip around on a mat to check how well Luffy was moving around on his own. Which the infant crawled around so fast it was startling for the man.
Donquixote insisted the doctor had the mat scrubbed down with disinfectant himself before placing him down. The sound of the blond alpha anxiously complaining about his pup crawling and being out of his arms had poor Dr. Lapahn sweating bullets. He nearly felt like he was ready to have a full blown heart attack at the last thing that had to be done.
Dr. Lapahn had already taken Luffy’s blood, something that had the infant grumbling. The man still dreaded the idea of giving the pup his shots with the way Donquixote was behaving, being especially anxious and fussy over his pup. Crocodile didn’t make him feel much better with the way he scrutinized his every move with those cold sharp eyes. Alas, it had to be done.
Luffy, of course, made a big deal of getting his shots like he always did after the first, though not quite in the way that any of them were ever expecting. The pup let out an angry half hiss half squeaky growl that sounded almost like an ‘oof’ like growl. There was no way that he was making a noise like that though! Most adults never made a sound like that in their lives let alone an infant. Dr. Laphn wasn’t even sure if it was possible for an infant to produce such sounds! Clearly there was something wrong with his hearing!
It wasn’t like Luffy was fully making that sound so the older alpha couldn’t be sure. The fact that the infant was almost managing some half growl half hiss threatening sort of sound was incredibly surprising in itself. He was honestly pretty startled. Well, not just because he was able to make sounds like that but because he even was doing so as an omega and one so young. Everything about Luffy was far more advanced than he was expecting from an O dominant Omega though.
What little was known about them outside of Celestial care was that they had delayed maturing compared to other children and infants. Another was how they rarely hit any of their milestones anywhere near the same time as their peers. Luffy in many ways was easily keeping up with other pups his age if not advanced in some ways. Though in others he was still very much an omega.
Luffy was quick to demand cuddles from his father, deeply burrowing himself as much as possible into the man’s pink mantle and petting fingers. The pup was grumbling in offense and clearly complaining to the blond about how much he wasn’t enjoying his doctor visit.
Crocodile was staring at the pup with an almost comically wide-eyed look, clearly also startled by the sounds that the pup had made and unsure how to take it. That quickly turned into a grumpy possibly jealous look as his partner cooed sweet nothings and assurances at the pup and cradled him close while running his massive fingers down the baby’s back to try and calm him.
“Poor sweetness, did the mean old doctor poke you again? It’s okay, you don’t have to be poked anymore! After this Daddy’s going to bring you to that one place your auntie and uncles always like to go to then we’re going back home!~” Doflamingo explained, tone sweet as he nuzzled at his pup’s scowling little face. His sweet boy all tired and grumpy, poor Treasure! Doffy couldn’t wait to bundle his pup up and cuddle him in the comfort of his own home den!
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After getting Luffy’s blood tests back, which confirmed that he was stable and doing well the pair left with their grouchy little son to meet up with the family at the restaurant that Doflamingo’s crew insisted on heading to. It was the same one that they had gone to the first time they had brought Luffy to Norwich 5 to get checked out by the doctor’s. The place had become a favorite of the Donquixote family’s.
The family had made demands beforehand to have food made especially for the crews’ youngest member and were eager to be able to have a full circle experience and meal with their nephew.
Doffy was hopeful that all of the food would perk up his boy and put him in a better mood. He was a little glutton after all!
The staff, more than familiar with the Donquixote’s rituals, escorted Doffy and Crocodile to the private room the restaurant had added on just for the group in the last few months without a single word, pouring wine and serving Doffy’s favorite cheesy rolls the second the pair went to sit down.
Encouraging the crew to return and in good spirits was a major priority for not just the restaurant, but for the whole of Norwich 5. Doflamingo and his crew brought in major money and protection to the islands and they were incredibly close to the island that was rumored to be his main stronghold. His ships were in and out of their ports constantly. The residents of the collection of islands rich and poor knew that they got far better treatment and protection than most other places in the Donquixote territory and were grateful for the man’s patronage and protections, especially of the pirate’s sanctioned hospital which was one of the best in their part of the North Blue.
“Hey, Hey- Doffy-Croco! Finally! You took longer than we were expecting!” Trebol exclaimed before stuffing a sausage into his mouth.
“Little Master is doing well?” Jora pressed, looking up from the rainbow puke-looking, unicorn themed sundae she was gushing over.
“Yeah, everything alright Boss?” Daz asked, eying the three as if appraising them for damage. His eyes lingered at a glaring Luffy.
Crocodile snorted and took a sip of his drink. “Yeah, little bit’s healthy as a horse. He’s just got some shots. Apparently even the little bubbly brat can lose his patience when it comes to being poked and prodded.”
Doffy frowned at the other man’s lack of sympathetic wording or cooing over the pup’s misery.
“Aww, that must’ve hurt! He’s so little! Is he going to be okay? I remember when Mr. Pink took me to the doctor and I felt so sick and my arm hurt after I got shots!” Buffalo grimaced at the memories of how queasy and achy he had gotten. He couldn’t imagine a little baby like Luffy going through that.
“If there are any side effects like that he probably won’t feel them until tomorrow and if there are any they shouldn’t be as bad as yours were.” Crocodile assured the boy, frowning a little at the idea of Luffy getting anywhere near as sick as Buffalo had. Poor kid, as awful as it was, the man felt somewhat confident and reassured by the fact that the boy had been pretty overloaded on vaccinations at the time due to the fact that he hadn’t ever gotten one. At least not since he was an infant, if then. Being from an island in the Southern most part of the Northern Blues Crocodile was still surprised that he hadn’t ever caught anything deadly. The southern bits of the Northern Blue were well known for several wild Den-den carrying diseases that were known to be child killers.
Luffy was getting his shots spread out and on time. That had to make a major difference when it came to how sick he would likely get from them. Otherwise, how would the vaccines given to him be considered safe for a pup of his age?
Crocodile himself didn’t really remember ever getting sick from his shots as a child… besides that one time…. But it was more of an allergy to one of the ingredients in the vaccine than an issue with the vaccine itself. He hadn’t been the healthiest kid after all and had a tendency to react to a lot of bases of things. Thank the Blues he had mostly grown out of that!
“Hungry, sweetness?” Doffy crooned, deciding to ignore everyone as he tried encouraging his clingy infant into eating some of the mashed carrots and chicken that he had been presented for his boy.
“Where’s Bentham?” Crocodile asked, realizing the man and a few others weren’t at the table. It wasn’t like him.
Daz shrugged, “Said something about honor needing defending. Zola, Gladius, and Pink went to go check on him a few minutes before you showed up. Diamante, Pica, and Vergo went to go grab their new shoes or something before the shop closed for the night.”
Trebol bobbed his head in agreement to what Daz had said. “Hey-hey don’t worry about it! They’re fine.” He nonchalantly insisted, but the man was still a bit annoyed that they all left before they could have a proper family dinner together at one of their favorite local restaurants. Especially when their nephew was clearly unhappy, like expected. Was Trebol the only one that remembered Luffy was going to have to get some more shots and how he always acted after having to get them?
It thankfully didn’t take long to have Luffy back to being all cheered up, happily wolfing down everything that Doffy gave him even as he still demanded to be fed the sausages and freshly made meat pies on the table.
“Is that better sweet little glutton? Fufu, my poor boy, so hungry!”
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It was another week before the two crews left. It had taken a little longer than planned due to Luffy becoming a bit sick and achy after the vaccinations and the doctor wanted to make sure it wasn’t actually sickness or an allergic reaction. Thankfully it hadn’t been either, just a common but uncomfortable side effect of his shots. It was a newer vaccine developed to prevent a couple of the North blues most dangerous wild DenDen carried ailments, such as Snaily Peak fever. Young pups had a tendency to get major flu-like symptoms for a few days after taking it, though it was worth the risk with the alternative being permanent blindness, deafness, brain damage or even death.
Crocodile’s crew had decided to get cold weather clothing as the days were becoming incredibly frigid. Wisps of snowflakes and frost had become a constant by the second day on the island, bits of ice had been floating in the harbor by the fourth day, much to Crocodile’s horror. Doflamingo and his crew had made it out like it just got cold as hell and it snowed quite a bit, they didn’t say a damn thing about the ocean freezing up!
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By the time they hit land it was already deep into the night and everyone was exhausted. Crocodile was far from impressed when they stepped foot in the scrap yard that surrounded Spider’s Mill. The man was flabbergasted that the Donquixote crew was willing and even eager to come back to a shithole like that. He was incredibly reluctant to enter the property and irritated that he had no choice at that point. A massive cold front and snowstorm already starting to whip its way into existence at the crew’s back.
The inside of the building wasn’t nearly as bad as Crocodile was expecting after seeing the outside. The floors were recently oiled and the underlings had already begun replacing thin decorative rugs with thick plush skins and shag. Big thick blankets were placed on the arms of every bit of worn, high end furniture in the main living space and heavy curtains blocked the window frames while a handful of ship crew were quick to build a cozy fire in the massive fireplace that hugged the wall near the end of the main room.
Doffy and the others made contented sounds, uncaring what the others thought of them going around for a quick scenting of the space. Honestly, Crocodile hardly even cared at that point as long as the room he was sleeping in wasn’t a shithole. He’d risk the weather back to the Grandline if that was the case. The brunet was exhausted, it was late and they could figure out what was going on the next day.
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Doffy acted almost like a giddy child when he led his Pretty to his rooms. His nest took up a large corner of the room, with bright pink velvet curtains surrounding the sleeping space. There was clearly an imported teak-frame and night tables within the main nesting space.
Doffy was practically vibrating with excitement and was unable to help himself as he eagerly rearranged and added some pelts and blankets from a closet near the nest. He was so focused on making everything perfect that he only stopped when Luffy let out a disgruntled squeak of exhaustion.
Crocodile felt that. Blues was he tired! He didn’t even try to hide how exhausted he was when he kicked his shoes off and let gravity and a few sways of his hips do most of the work of slipping his pants off. “Doffy, get this crap off of me!” The brunet grumbled, gesturing to the clothing left on his upper body.
“’Course, Pretty! Stay right there Sweetness! No crawling!” Doffy exclaimed, eying his infant after bumpering Luffy with a pair of pillows. The man looked almost disappointed when Luffy just turned to cuddle up into a little ball as the pup went back to dozing immediately.
“Come on hurry up! It’s what, 2-3 in the gods damned morning? Ugh, why didn’t we just anchor a few hours out and waited things out until first light? We’re lucky the ships didn’t hit anything with how dark and windy that gods damned bay was!” Crocodile huffed, pulling his arms from his button-up as Doffy helped undress him after removing his hook and mace.
“Why would you want to suffer through that? We’ve been sailing these water’s since I was a kid, if we couldn’t maneuver a little bad weather and a little night docking than I’d be concerned about me being running a dingy let alone being the captain of a ship that’s been taken to the Grandline a fair share of times.” Doffy sniffed, sounding offended at the thought of his Pretty thinking that he couldn’t maneuver a little bad weather in his home ocean let alone around his denning island, regardless of the crags and harsh currents and loads of jagged rocks that covered all but a small bit of harbor a few miles down the coast.
“I’m not even going to argue. Just get my undershirt off and let me sleep.” Crocodile all but growled. “Hey, I didn’t tell you to strip me naked, damn it!” He sputtered.
Doffy grinned, flexing his fingers around an orange waistband and daring to slip farther with a long thin finger. “You told me to undress you pretty.~ How could I know you didn’t mean all the way?” The blond purred.
Red cheeked, Crocodile scowled, “You knew what I meant!”
“How?~” Doffy said, fingers barely grazing his Pretty’s cock.
“Cut that out!”
“Why? Don’t you want me to warm you up Crocy?” Doffy murmured, leaning in and licking a strip up the other man’s ear. Having his Pretty in his nest was such a turn on he could hardly stand the thought of not stuffing his lovely brunet’s hole full!
“I’m not fucking with our kid in the room!” Crocodile snarled, snatching Doffy’s wrist and glancing over at their dozing pup. “Besides, if you touch me right now, I’ll kick your ass. It’s at least 3 in the gods damned morning! I’m sleeping!” He growled.
“But I need you!” Doffy whined.
“Go fuck your hand if you can’t get control of that monster dick of yours!”
Doffy sighed dramatically, pouting down at Crocodile like a spoiled child.
“But Croco!”
“We’re not having sex with our kid in the room you flamingo freak!” Crocodile hissed, with a slap to the other man’s wondering hands. He walked over to the nest/bed after that and practically flopped onto it. It was significantly larger than the bed on the ship and it swallowed up the other man.
“Fine, fine! Being so mean!” Doffy grumbled, stripping down in record time to join his little family. Skittering up the nest like an eager spider ready to catch a meal. Doffy all but preened at the way Crocodile practically melted into the nest. Doffy had arranged it before leaving to meet up again, just for his Pretty!~
Doffy had been planning on bringing his beautiful brunet home with him since the first time he had seen him and had left his nest with that thought in mind. Doffy was just glad he hadn’t had to chain him up like he had worried would happen before introducing his precious boy to him. His pretty was so so cute with their pup!~
“No, touching! I’m not in the mood for you humping me like a gods damned dog! Luffy and I want to get some decent rest!” Crocodile hissed, burrowing under the blankets with a still snoozing Luffy held to his chest with his bad arm. The infant let out a garbled attempt at a purr, still too little to be able to produce a proper one while sleeping at such a young age.
“Croco, so mean! I just want to keep my lovelies warm!~” Doffy whined, wiggling closer and making grabby hands at the other man, getting a chesty warning growl from the brunet. “Cro-co!”
“Fine, just stop your caterwauling! No, funny business! No humping or any inappropriate touching! I mean it, I’m tired and we aren’t fucking with our kid in the room and we aren’t giving him to anyone for the night either!” Crocodile warned.
“Ugh, okay-okay! I can wait. Besides I like cuddling with my pretties! I miss cuddling my sweetness in my nest.” Doffy agreed, snatching a grumbling Crocodile up and pressed his lovely against his chest. He sighed happily at how perfectly the other man puzzled against him, tucked beneath his chin. Luffy was pressed comfortably between the two.
It didn’t take long for Doffy to have the pair comfortably toasty and melting into his scent and warmth. Even if reluctantly on Crocodile’s part. He couldn’t help but feel like a puddle of comfort with Doffy happily purring away, wrapped around him like a leech and their blissed out pup burrowed against his neck smelling content as possible.
The bastard! Being wrapped up in Doffy’s arms and tucked against his neck, The brunet no longer was even able to feel the cold air that had been nipping at his cheeks.
“I thought you needed some sleep Pretty?” Doffy sleepily mumbled into the other man’s hair, snickering at the irritated rumble that came from his Crocodile.
“‘Mtryin’,”
“You’re cute when you’re all sleeeepy.”
“‘Mnot.”
“Mhuhm”
“Noooo, ‘m not!”
“Go to sleep Pretty.”
“Don’ tell me what ta’ do!”
“See? Soooo cute!”
“Shut ‘p!”
“Alright, night Croco.”
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Crocodile found Spider’s Mill may have not been his ideal place to stay, but at least the inside wasn’t bad. It was large, not as big as a lot of the places he had stayed in the last few years. Maybe it was closer quarters than he would like with so many obnoxiously social, loud people, but it was bigger than the ships and most importantly, warm. Gods, he had forgotten how cold the North Blue got! He hadn’t been to the North Blue in years and hadn’t ever been around during the winter. He thought it could get miserable in the Grandline! Here in the North Blue with nonstop cold and storms, it was hell! At least in the Grandline you could move on to another island and it had a good chance of being a different season.
All Crocodile wanted to do was bundle up head to toe and curl up next to a fire with a ship load of warm blankets and a hot drink, reading and sleeping the awful chill away. Gods, did he hate the cold! It made his scars ache something fierce and burned right through him.
Everyone on the ship he grew up on had always joked that he was as cold blooded as his name sake as a child with how easily he got chilled and how much he loved the heat. But as much as he wanted to head back to the Grandline, the thought of leaving his pup was painful and the cold made it a done deal. He was trapped hanging out with a bunch of maniacs until the weather warmed up at the very least.
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Doffy was on cloud nine having his Crocodile and their joint family living with him. It was a dream come true for the man and he was happy to cater to his pretty’s every whim! He gushed at how happy his lovelies had been over finally getting their gifts from Black Jack Coastal. Something that he had forgotten to give them with all of the craziness that had been going on at the time.
Luffy hadn’t been all that interested at first, liking the fluffiness, but clearly preferring his incredibly smelly Tora-Tora. Doffy didn’t let that dishearten him though and made sure to thoroughly coat the plush with his own gland oils, an indignant Crocodile’s, and had thoroughly rubbed the plush under Luffy’s chin. The infant had thought it a game and helped by giggling and nuzzling the plush. Once the plush was well-scented Doffy re-presented the macaque plush to his pup.
The infant’s reaction to it was a total 180 degrees. Luffy was all over it, squeaking and chirping cheerfully, purring, cuddling it to his chest and eagerly displaying his new plush to anyone that would stop to look.
There were many pictures to be had as Luffy glommed on and showed off his new plush. Crocodile had adored his name sake once he saw it was covered in real gold and gems and had even given Doffy a pleased smile after grumbling about the other man giving him childish gifts. Buffalo had burst out in happy tears over his owl hat and joyfully ran around with it on his head while making excited plane vroom sounds.
Everything had been great until Buffalo had helped Luffy join the fun. He began bouncing around with the pup in his arms and had nearly had Doffy ready to rip them off when he saw what the kid was doing with his boy. Regardless of the delighted shrieks and squeaks Luffy was making the whole time Buffalo’s rough movements had the blond seeing red. Crocodile prevented anything too bad from happening to the boy, who naively declared it worth it since Luffy had been so cute and happy as they played.
Only Doffy was allowed to play with his sweetness like that! Even if that wasn’t a known rule, which it most definitely was, everyone had to have known that Doffy was the only one that could run around with his pup like that! Besides, Buffalo was kind of clumsy with his newest growth spurt. What if he slipped up and tripped with the blond’s precious boy in his arms?
Doffy would have beat him to death then and there and he really didn’t want to have to do that. Doffy really liked Buffalo. Everyone did, he wouldn’t find any pleasure or happiness in having to kill the boy for harming a single hair on his Treasure’s precious little head but he would do it without hesitation but he would sure as hell do it if a hair on his Treasure’s head was even bent out of shape let alone hurt!
Doffy ground his teeth together as Bentham encouraged the whole thing. The Okama joining in, spinning and pirouetting around with a big cheesy smile on his face and laughing exuberantly along with Buffalo and Luffy. Crippling anxiety and anger filled the blond when even Jora, who knew better, joined the three. She theatrically throwing her hands in the air and clapping to Bentham’s twirls and cheered once the man snatched Luffy up from Buffalo, then began dancing around with the pup who was shrieking even louder in delight.
Oh Mary Geoise, his Luffy! Doffy snatched his boy away after that, scared to death that the group was going to give his sweet boy whiplash or something. He cooed sweetly to his pup and protectively enveloped the infant in his arms who still thought it a game and was squirming and chirping in confusion from no longer being spun around by his favorite Auntie.
“Doffy!” Crocodile growled.
“They were being too rough!” Doffy insisted.
“But what you do with him isn’t rough? Cloud Walking with him in your front pocket, doing flips and crazy crap… That isn’t too rough?” The older man said, looking entirely unimpressed. Crocodile still had horrible anxiety even thinking about it. The last time Doffy had done that was only a few days before they had made it Norwich 5 and he was sure the man would still be doing it if it weren’t for the weather and cold.
It had been the closest that Crocodile had gotten to losing it and going at the blond in a real bare knuckle fight. Something that he was certain would have gotten both of them seriously injured and possibly Luffy. Doffy’s powerful Haki and possessive insanity were the only things that had him hesitating. The man was easily in the 5 most powerful people that he had ever met that were still living outside of the Grandline by their 20s. The blond was easily on par with most if not all that he could think of that regularly stayed in Paradise.
Doffy sniffed, “Luffy loves it when we cloud walk, besides I’m his Daddy, I know how to keep my treasure safe!”
“Right….”
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Luffy was definitely a winter nester. He loved snuggling under layer upon layers of warm cozy blankets. The infant more than ever, busied himself with ‘helping’ to rearrange and build Doffy’s nest. The man himself was particularly obsessive about nesting during the winter, more than ever now that he had a vulnerable pup and cold hating pretty to impress and build for.
Doffy nearly swooned at how cute his sweet boy was! He was still a little unsure how to react to how the infant had begun hissing at the others when they dared taking or even moving anything that he seemed to claim as his.
He about died at how endearing and adorable his boy was! The way the pup claimed his Monkey and Tora-Tora, some of the softer blankets, Doffy’s mantel, and his parents themselves as his, particularly Doffy.~ Ugh, his sweet perfect pup! It made him so so happy!
Crocodile had been trying to deter the behavior towards his favored crewmates, acting concerned. Doffy had to admit to himself that it not only flabbergasted the blond, but it also upset him a little that his pup had begun to hiss at even their family. But, Luffy was incredibly possessive for being so young and he was just being like his daddy!~ Crocodile had said that Doffy needed to tone down his possessiveness for Luffy’s sake.
Doffy hadn’t really understood how that would be good for his boy, nor what was wrong with how much he owned and loved those around him. Wouldn’t it be more unhealthy if Luffy and his Pretty weren’t shown how much they were his everything and how much he adored and needed and had to have them nearly melded with his skin he loved them so much? That he felt like he would suffocate and tear everything apart that dared take either of them from him for even a moment, especially his sweet boy? How he would kill anything that dare ever taking his perfect boys love from him or encouraged any sort of separation? He’d destroy the world just to make sure his Lu-Lu never ever left him.
Doffy’s poor Croco clearly hadn’t been loved enough or properly before the young alpha found him! It made the blond want to smother him in affection even more! Besides, didn’t children have those stages like the terrible twos thing he had heard of? Which Luffy would never have a stage like that because he was an angel! Or like Doffy’s silly little stage when he wanting to stomp the life out of anyone that didn’t bow down to him and give him whatever he deserved to have? Mental manipulation and enslavement were much crueler and profitable way to deal with insects! His Croco just didn’t understand how those sorts of things went for children! It sounded like he was never allowed to be much of one so Doffy could understand, but there was no way that Luffy wasn’t anything but perfectly adjusted and normal. He was his perfect baby after all.
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Luffy grumbled under his breath. He was having an unhappy day. Daddy person wasn’t there when he wanted him and momma person told him no and bad when he made sure zoomy sound person, Buff, understood he didn’t like him messing with his cute soft fluffy thing that had a happy smile daddy called Luffy’s monkey. The infant was upset with momma person. Luffy didn’t understand why he talked mad words at him. He just wanted to make sure that his special people understood that his stuff belonged to him and he didn’t like them messed with. Especially his Momma person and Daddy person, he loved them so much!
The pup didn’t want momma person to not be happy with him, though! It made Luffy sad when his special people weren’t happy, but daddy person told him he was being a good boy and it was all so confusing! He wasn’t sure what it was that he wasn’t supposed to be doing at that point. On top of it all his face hurt and had for a while.
“Luff, why are you being so grumpy? I get being possessive about your favorite stuff….. and people…… But I’m not letting you get all rude with me, and by the Blues will I let you get all creepy about me like that feather bastard already is! I already have enough of that brat.”
Crocodile explained as he scooped the infant up who quickly went from pouty and reluctant to desperately nuzzling into the man’s neck and clinging tight to his vest. “Sweet thing, don’t need to butter me up like that!” The man rumbled with a softened smile. “Let's get you some food, yeah? Will that settle you?” The brunet allowed himself to let out a chuckle at the enthusiastic chirps and squeaks the infant made at the mention of one of his favorite words. There wasn’t anyone else to see and Luffy’s enthusiasm may have melted him the tiniest sliver of a bit.
It wasn’t more than a few seconds after the brunet had sat a couple of tiny shredded pieces of the softer part of a loaf of bread in front of the infant when he heard a croaky squawk of distress.
“What the hell’s wrong now bird?”
“You don’t see that?!” The blond choked out, hand shaking as he pointed at his Luffy gnawing on his bread, comically hysteric levels of horror twisting up the man’s face.
“What are you talking about?” Crocodile growled, starting to sound a little worried as he quickly looked over his totally fine looking infant.
“The TOOTH!” Doffy hissed.
“Wait, what tooth?” Crocodile said, brows furrowed his eyes caught a sliver of white on his second look over his pup. Nearly slack-jawed, the man didn’t even realize his face lit up into excitement and maternal pride. “Huh, I guess he does have one in, finally, doesn’t he? It’s actually…. Kind of cute isn’t it?”
“What, no! First comes crawling than, teeth, then he’ll wander off and decide he’s going to be his own pirate after being seduced away by a useless crew that convinces him that he doesn’t need m-us and he’ll only visit on holidays!”
“What kind of logic….” Crocodile stopped himself mid-question, looking at Doffy like he didn’t want to even touch what the other had said after a second. He then forced himself to focus back on Luffy. Doffy was a nut job and a scarily possessive bastard. This should have been expected. “Okay then, I hope you…. Figure that out…. I’m going to take pictures of Luffy with his new tooth.”
“Cro-co!”
Nope nope, Crocodile wasn’t touching that man’s logic with a 50ft pole. He had a new milestone to photograph extensively.
End Chapter 14
Notes:
I think that next chapter will be luffy meeting Rosinate.
Sorry it has been so long since I updated I have been having a bunch of health issues again and the job I work rarely lets me work less than 45 hrs a week usually more like 50 so I am very tired by the time I get home.
I should have the first chapter of my original comic uploaded in the next few days so I am very excited.
I am also in the middle of starting up a sticker/commission/apparel business. I’m excited and hoping that I will be able to properly start up in the next month or so!
Chapter 16: Snow and Hostages Aren't a Good Mix
Notes:
My friend and I were working on corrections all over the place on this at the same time so I think we have everything looking nice but please tell me if there is any strangeness!
Also, please tell me how the writing sounds I allowed my friend to make some more adjustments and add and take out more to add to the story and flow than I normally do. We are kind of experimenting to see how it will work out so she can take more liberties with adjustments when it is hard to get ahold of me. She also is thinking about going back to school to be an editor.
Hey guys, sorry it took so long I just finished my first semester of grad school and lets just say it was a doozy. Loved it, but so busy and my body decided to try and off me again a few times, so I didn’t do nearly as good as I was hoping, but it is so nice to feel like I am actually doing something and learning something again!
This chapter was extra long, 15122 words without my author’s notes. I am really excited for the next chapter and am already nearly 500 words into it so I am hoping that I will have the next chapter up before I have to start next semester. I am having some major health issues, so can’t promise it, but I am having a bit of a roll so I’ll try my best!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 15
Crocodile felt like he was going crazy from being forced to stay in such cramped quarters for so long. Unlike the others, he couldn't stand the cold long enough to do more than very short walks, if he could even force himself to go out in the cold. For most of the winter, the man mostly stayed huddled up and surly as all hell, practically sitting in the fireplace. Everyone around him all the time had his already shorter social fuse fizzled to almost nothing every day, all day.
Crocodile didn't even have the ability to hide away from everyone unless they wandered around the nearby town due to most having social natures in the compound and due to the space that was far too small being used for so many people. It was just a miracle that having so many alphas together in such a space hadn’t stirred up too much turmoil. It didn’t make the place any quieter, though, especially with the lack of boundaries that the Donquixote family pirates clearly had. Crocodile didn’t like how their undesirable behaviors were rubbing off on his own crew, especially Bentham, who had already been the most significant headache of his out of his head subordinates.
Luffy was also becoming a handful with his increased mobility and his new teeth coming in. He loved chomping everything in sight, chewing on hands, chair legs, and everything else he could get his little teeth into. Even though they were just his front teeth so far, they were sharp and his bite was getting stronger every day. Much to Crocodile’s worry and displeasure the infant was still having issues with growling and hissing at the others. Doflamingo's fawning and cooing at the behavior irritated Crocodile and he was certain that the man was making the behavior worse. He just hoped that it didn't set in as a permanent thing. He knew that Luffy didn’t mean anything by it. The brat was a baby, after all, and he was still just as lovey and sweet as always. It just worried Crocodile that his sweet boy would turn into a spoiled little asshole because of the Donquxiote family’s fawning. Doffy was a prime example of what that did and he was what, 10? 12 when they got ahold of him? Crocodile dreaded to think about what type of snotty pompous tantrum-throwing man-child they could turn Luffy into without him there for some intervention.
Doffy was feeling far more laid back and content than he expected. The lack of total freedom to go about and do whatever he wanted without thinking about the consequences didn’t bother him in the least. It had been almost disturbing. It freaked him out initially, but he had settled right in. He just loved the feeling of having his little family together with him all of the time and he enjoyed the little domestic moments he had on the daily with both of them. He also loved that both crews for the most part, got along better than he could have ever dreamed. If only sweet little Rosi was with them…. He would love his little Treasure so so much! Doffy knew it was just wishful thinking and he shouldn’t dwell, but life would be perfect and complete if his Rosi were with them too.
Doffy also suspected that he was enjoying the lack of significant activity because he had always almost instinctively settled in during the winter more and the instincts were far stronger now that he had an infant to care for…. It surprised him, though it didn’t concern him as much as he thought it maybe should….. It had been less than a year and he had become so accustomed to not being able to go wherever he liked whenever he pleased. As long as Luffy and his lovely Croco were with him, it was pure heaven to be cooped up, and being home just made it all better. Every day, he and his Sweet boy were getting even closer and more bonded. Doffy couldn’t help but nearly swoon at his boy’s possessive behavior. Luffy was such a cuddly, sweet thing and Doffy, no matter what Crocodile said, had never felt so proud and loved.
And Crocodile… Crocodile was amazing. He was still so quiet and reserved, but Doffy had gotten used to that. He was such a vicious witty beauty with his silver tongue and a hell of a twisted sense of humor to go with that hell of a great ass. Their Luffy had definitely taken more after himself, though, much to Doffy’s delight. It made him so proud, he was melting anytime he thought about it! The infant had his momma’s gorgeous looks but was much more demanding and, vocal and possessive ~ It was so cute!
As long as Luffy knew he was loved and safe, Doffy didn't care if he constantly gnawed on everyone's hands or if he possessively growled and hissed over himself, Crocodile, or his favorite toys. Luffy was sweet, happy and healthy, and that was all Doffy cared about. They could figure out the rest later. He just wished that his Pretty felt the same way about the situation! He couldn’t understand why the man was so concerned. Yeah, Luffy was exhibiting behaviors that were normally seen in children 5 to 10 years his senior and even a bit much compared to most teens, but he was a special boy and he was just telling everyone how much he loved them. As long as he wasn’t feeling actual aggression towards their family, then Doffy couldn’t really see the issue. He was older than Luffy when he started exhibiting such behaviors, but he was fiercely possessive of anything he had deemed as his, including his Mother and baby brother, and he had turned out perfectly normal! He treated his family with love and respect, and he even learned to share his sweetness with them.
Croco was far grouchier than normal, so Doffy suspected that the cramped space was the real issue. His poor pretty had been all cooped up for ages and Doffy knew that the other man hated that! He’d hardly stepped foot outside of Spider’s Mill in months and he just seemed never endingly snippy and tense. The brunet snapped and snarled incessantly about the cold, spending the majority of his time swimming in layers, the plush fur coat Doffy had given him wrapped tightly around him like a second skin. Crocodile would spend most days as close as possible to the fireplace in Doffy’s room with a nest of fluffy blankets lining his lap. He even disregarded Doffy’s rules of smoking there, as he puffed cigar after cigar. A compromise was struck that when Luffy wasn’t in the room he could get away with it. The man looked ready to lose it on anyone who even contemplated disrupting him, well, other than Luffy who he was being particularly broody and fussy over. The cold environment and lack of moving around seemed to have triggered some sort of aggressive mothering behaviors in the already temperamental brunet. He already had a territorial streak a mile wide on top of that, one of Crocodile’s cutest and more attractive traits in Doffy’s opinion.
Although Luffy loved the cuddling and helping his Momma person fix the nest, the pup was actively trying to escape his mother’s instinctive attempts to keep him warm. The pup was already a little heater himself, and the room was kept plenty warm during the day. The hyper pup didn’t enjoy sitting in the fire like Crocodile, especially if he could be exploring all of the hide-e-holes around the room, or burrowing in the nest or playing with Daddy and his favorite people! Especially his spinny person and his Buff! It was hard to sit still when there were so many things to see and do now that Luffy could move independently so well. Luffy’s lack of cooperation made Crocodile even grumpier and more like his namesake as he grumbled and growled over his pup rejecting the countless layers he would drown him in and refusing to hibernate with the other man. Most often, when Crocodile wasn’t practically trying to roast himself alive, he was dozing.
At first Doffy found the behavior to be cute, endearing even, but Doffy didn’t think the amount his Croco slept and isolated himself was healthy. Crocodile liked being active, going places, being wined and dined and pampered . Clearly, he was bored and Doffy needed to cheer his Pretty up! He decided the best course of action was to get his Crocy out of the Mill for a bit. Doffy was positive once he got some fresh air and actually got to do something that he would enjoy that his mood would improve by leaps and bounds! He was in the mood to do something fun, something cute and memorable. It had been so cute when Bentham, Jora, a few of Bentham’s crew, and a stern, clearly indulgent Pink had taken Buffalo out to play in a field near town. It positively melted Doffy as he watched his family play with the boy. It reminded him of cute little winter stories about children having snowball fights, making snowmen and hot chocolate beside a fire. All sweet and melty and adorable!~ Moments that he…. sometimes wished that had indulged in with Rosi, when he still could have…. That he should have had!
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“Croco!~”
“Close that damn door !” The brunet snarled, pulling the pile of pelts he was practically buried under nearly over his head. He nuzzled against the pile of pillows his body was half sunken into.
“Gonna’ let the heat escape!” Crocodile grumbled, holding his pup hostage against him with one arm. He enjoyed the heat radiating off of his son and the sleepy morning closeness he was sharing with him. It was more than worth the whining and tantrum that Doffy had thrown over taking their son’s morning snuggles.
“ Croco ! Rise and shine, it’s almost noon! No more sleeping for my pretties.~ We have things to do today.” Doffy purred, sauntering over to the pink explosion that was his nest, grinning ear to ear as the lump in the middle curled on itself even more and hissed quiet threats. Cute !~
“Come on, pretty! You don’t want me dragging you out of here, do you? I’m not taking no for an answer this time.” Doffy said, his cheerful tone turned sharp as he continued to be ignored. He’d planned the perfect winter day. A family day. Doffy had enough of Crocodile not allowing him to love him properly. He had been patient, more than patient, just like Pink had advised, but it wasn’t working. He wasn’t going to tolerate it any longer.
“ Now .”
“Doffy…. I-“
“The whole day’s planned. Up .” Doffy said, tone clipped. The unnerving monotone of his voice had Crocodile swallowing hard.
The brunet found himself sitting up before he realized he was even doing it. “Fine! I’m up!” He sniped, forcing down the urge to tilt his head to the other man. Ugh, what was up with him lately? He needed to get off this frozen ass island. It was messing with his head!
“Oh! Sweetness, well, hello, how are you?~” Doffy exclaimed, grinning ear to ear at his pup as he threw his hands up in an exaggerated welcome to his son. Luffy eagerly crawled to the man, making happy little squeaks and shrieks as he tugged at the man’s button-up. The infant plopped down to look up at him, eyes wide and his face consumed by a bubbly grin. Doffy melted instantly, his irritation with his Croco totally forgotten as Luffy loved on him with all his might. He nuzzled enthusiastically into his palm, then practically dove onto the petting hand. It reminded Doffy of how tiny his sweet boy was and how cute and easy it was to cradle and cuddle him! “Luuuffy, my little sweet sweet Treasure!~ Look at how little you are, I missed you to, sweetness! Oh such flattery ! Yesss, I love you too! Yes, I do, my Treasure!” Doffy cooed as he scooped the pup up and kissed at Luffy’s face. A series of drawled-out blissed chuffs rumbled through the blond.
Crocodile grimaced at the heart eyes the pair were wearing for each other, not at all jealous or thinking about the trainwrecked dumpster fire his relationship had been … and still was with his own Caretaker…Parent? Nor was he sulking over his Luffy squirming free the second he realized the dumbass bird was there to threaten and torment the older man. He understood his pup not getting that the damn bird was a bastard, Luffy was an infant, after all. It still irritated the brunet that his son was loving on the other man so sweetly after he had clearly been an ass to him. Crocodile sure as hell hadn’t been finished cuddling with his pup.
“Croco, didn’t you say you were getting up? Come on Pretty, we need to get going!” Doffy chided the other man and scooped Luffy up in one hand. “Let’s get you dressed too, sweetness! Need to keep you nice and warm! Are you going to see snow? Yeah ?~”
Crocodile grimaced before forcing himself to get up. He still couldn’t believe the idiot was forcing him out in that cold! Their pup in the cold! What was the moron thinking? “Luffy’s way too young to be rolling around in the snow!” Crocodile couldn’t help but snipe, even as he did his best to get dressed on his own.
“Fufufufu! Oh, Croco, do you think I’m such a bad father that I would just chuck my Treasure into a snow mound?” Doffy exclaimed. Although his face played at being amused with the other man, his tone certainly told a different story as the blond cuddled the infant closer at the very thought of not protecting his boy from the elements. The memories of when he first found his pup and the condition the baby had been in after spending who knows how long out in the rain and cold was still as fresh as the day it had happened in his mind.
Luffy let loose a squawk of displeasure at being forced into his jacket. It had a pokey feeling around his tummy and was annoyingly tight around his shoulders and hips. Even worse, it was restrictive to his movements and Luffy hated being confined, especially now that he had become so accustomed to crawling about and being able to do as he pleased. Luffy immediately turned to Momma person and let out a disgusted merp. It was as if he were saying something along the lines of, “Do you see this? Are you going to let him make me wear this horrible thing?”
The brunet grimaced, still in the middle of shimmying his pants on. “You know he hates that coat. I don’t know why you insist on putting that thing on him. He can’t move in it. You know he hates that!”
Doffy pouted, “But it’s Iva Cutore!” He huffed, “He’s so cute in it and he’s finally fitting better… Why does he need to move anyway?” The blond grumbled, frowning down at his squirming pup.
Crocodile twisted his face up oddly before he smoothed it over and rolled his eyes, “he’s a baby . Lu’s not going to give a shit about anything like that!” Crocodile pointed out, “Besides, you’re the one that always goes on about him being your free spirit! I suspect a free spirit doesn’t like being confined and unable to move around.” The brunet said, a lazy smirk twisted up his lips almost teasingly. After that, the man sauntered up to Doffy and glanced pointedly down at the undone buttons on the nice shirt he planned to wear. He didn’t own a single outfit without them and something as simple as only having one hand wasn’t ever going to change his style! He was a button up slinging, cigar-smoking, opulent jewelry-wearing sort of guy for life. Crocodile loved indulgence and he wasn’t going to change that for anyone.
“Fufufu, I suppose you got me there, pretty! He’s just so cute in his jacket, makes me sad to think about how he’s going to outgrow it soon and yet he’s still so little. I love him this size, so perfect and cute.~” Doffy grumbled with a pout. The blond sat the infant down before letting out an enticed purr as he eyed his pretty’s, exposed chest. The brunet huffed in displeasure, tapping his foot as he puffed out his chest and waited for Doffy to do up the buttons.
“Didn’t even ask me nicely!” Doffy exclaimed, a cheeky grin on his face as he reached for the other man’s vest and began to button it. Both knew full well that Crocodile could do them on his own, at least for that particular style of shirt, but he was a spoiled bastard used to others doing it for him at that point, especially with Doffy there more than eager to take care of his Pretty.
“Like you care , needy bastard! You’d end up pouting the whole damn outing if I didn’t let you fuss over me a bit.” Crocodile grumbled, rolling his eyes.
“Fufu, so mean! Can you blame me, though? I like taking care of you so much and my Croco is so cute when I do nice things!” Doffy teased, smirking at the way the other man’s cheeks pinked as Crocodile grumbled about being too seasoned in life to be buttered up so easily. Ugh, he was so so cute!~
Luffy let out a disgruntled merp, still annoyed about the coat his Daddy person had put on him and about being ignored. The infant flailed, rocking back and forth on his back like a flipped turtle and letting out irritated little huffs as he clawed at the air.
“Oh! Lu~ Fufu look at my little turtle, such a grumpy boy!” Doffy cooed, scooping up the pup once he was done buttoning the vest he had placed over Crocodile’s button-up. The pup gave the blond a disgruntled grandpa pout after that, not impressed with his Daddy’s lack of empathy for his situation.
Doffy smirked at the other man as he pulled the infant’s jacket back down around the hips. He ignored the outraged “ BA !” the pup shouted at him, used to his son’s outrage over having to wear a jacket at that point.
“Come on Crocy! Stop trying to procrastinate we have places to be and things to do!~” The young alpha purred, as he made his way towards the door.
“Wait, I don’t even have my shoes on yet!” Crocodile irritably barked. How dare he just walk off on him like that?! Stealing his pup and dragging poor Luffy outside into that cold, ugly hellscape. That idiot! Ugh, there was no way that Crocodile could let that irresponsible idiot go alone with his brat! “Bird bastard! Don’t you ignore me!”
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“Getting me a glove isn’t going to make me not hate this, even if it is a nice one.” Crocodile grumbled, giving Doffy an unimpressed look. The fabric of the glove was thick, yet flexible, butter soft and lined in fur, but it wasn’t like a glove was going to make the brunet feel any less like he wanted to punch someone's lights out; he was so agitated by the cold. Blues, he hated it and Doffy wasn’t making him any less pissed off dragging him out there!
“Oh, is it pretty, eh, Lu-sweetness?” Doffy cooed, allowing a few snowflakes land on one of his fingers and held it close for Luffy to see. The man grinned at his awed infant. He purred lightly at the excited little sounds his boy made.
Luffy eagerly leaned forward, ignoring his confinement, and tried grabbing the flakes with tiny mittened hands as they melted away due to Doffy’s boiling hot body heat. The pup let out a confused guff and huffed as Doffy snickered at his bewilderment due to the snowflakes melting into cold wet liquid.
“Fufufu, awe, don’t get mad Sweetness!”
Crocodile snorted as Luffy arched his back and became grumbly. “Can we go back in now?” He said, his arms crossed and face burrowed into the collar of his fur coat.
“We haven’t even been out here more than 10 minutes!” Doffy whined.
“Yeah, and I’m already freezing my ass off!” Crocodile hissed, not to mention that they were still in the middle of the scrap heap.
“Fine, fine ! Your momma’s not being fun, Lu!” The blond grumbled.
“Well that’s your own Blue’s damned fault, isn’t it? I told you I hate going out in this crap and you’re still insisting on it!” Crocodile snarled. “Gods damned freezing snowy hell, of all the shit places I could get stuck wintering in!” The brunet growled. A deep, raspy, reptilian-like bellow crept up his chest into his words as he thought about all of the wonderful boiling hot desert islands he could have been relaxing on.
“Fufu, calm down pretty! Once sweetness is bigger and I have my territory properly established in the Grandline, we can spend all of the time you could ever want on a nice warm spring or summer island!” Doffy assured the other man as he trotted off with the pup in hand to continue playing with the snow.
Crocodile sharply inhaled. The piercing frigid air sliced into his nasal cavity and lungs like daggers. Glaring at Doflamingo, he let out a roar of unbridled anguish and indignant fury. In the distant horizon, an avalanche of snow fell in a rumble from the mountainside. A few steps away, Doffy hardly even reacted, his pretty was being such a dramatic brat it was cute! He wouldn’t give in and let Croco ruin their fun, though. Doffy continued manipulating the strings to play with the snow, much to the delight of the pup in his arms as he clasped his gloved hands over his Treasure’s little ears. Ah, much better!
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After being forced into participating in several activities that he would never ever allow anyone to know he had done including making a snowman, snow angel, sledding, and participating in a miserable crushing loss at a snowball fight, Crocodile felt he had more than done his duty as a mother and that it was time to go back inside. It was weird to him that it was already getting dark when it was still so early in the day. He had forgotten how it was to experience a true seasonal winter. It wasn’t like the climate of an average Grandline island that was only ever one season with variations in heat and humidity all year round. He wasn’t even sure if he had ever properly experienced a Blue's true winter outside of maybe a few short times as a very small child.
Crocodile knew that it happened, but there was a difference between knowing about it and experiencing it. The thought that people could be born in a time of such cold was a little strange to him, but so was the thought that anyone could live on a winter island. Thinking about that sort of thing had him thinking about how he didn’t have any particular island that he could ever call his birthplace. It wasn’t like it was the most unusual thing, especially as a born pirate. From the little that he knew, Crocodile had been born on a ship in the thick of a particularly bad storm somewhere in the new world. The man grimaced, he hated thinking too hard about the little tidbits he barely knew and he wished he didn’t remember…. The life he was born into… The people he was forced to spend a life time ago with… If Crocodile never saw any of them again it was too soon!
“Croco, your not listening to us!”
“It’s not my fault you’re so obnoxious I’m filtering you out.” The brunet sniped, being dragged from his thoughts so suddenly made his head spin. A prick of icy pain pelted his face
Shit, was that hail?
Instead of just snowflakes falling lazily down around them, Crocodile swore something had plonked off of his nose, giving a slight sting.
“Croco!”
More and more pieces pinged off of his face and head. He caught a marble-shaped piece of ice in his open palm, nearly as big as a quarter. Damn it!
“Doffy idiot, cover Luffy!”
The other man pouted at Crocodile. “He’s fine, you know I wouldn’t let him get too cold, Pretty.”
Crocodile rolled his eyes then flinched ever so slightly as several more, even larger bits of hail pelted him. “I’m not worried about it being too cold idiot- Owe! Damn it! I’m worried about the- Oof- Fucking snow, no, hail! The hail, you moron! Are you too much of a blockhead to feel the hail?” Crocodile hissed, vibrating with irritation at that point.
Doffy huffed looking insulted that the other man would even dare to imply he hadn’t noticed nor was he already way ahead on protecting his precious boy! He lifted his fingers and flexed them, making the threads that he had weaved around himself and his pup minutes before his pretty even spoke visible. The glistening razor sharp stings were in an almost birdcage shape over the pair and were so closely placed together they almost looked like a solid construct.
“Fufu, you have so little trust in my competence as a daddy! You’ll hurt my feelings one of these days!~”
“Bastard!” The brunet growled, doing his best to hard himself with his hook’s mace while trying not to look too desperate even as the hail and snow began to pick up and the hail began to fall in near doubloon-sized chunks.
“Shit! We need get in somewhere! Why did you lead us so far away, idiot!” Crocodile hissed, giving up on subtlety and yanked his coat over his head the best he could to shield himself with his one hand. Great, it wasn’t just snowing; it had warmed enough to sleet, that’s why everything was suddenly so painful. He had been so miserable and was already so cold and numb that he hadn’t even noticed the water running down his cheeks. He refused to let that bird know what was going on, though. Crocodile’s inability to use his logia’s defensive abilities when wet wasn’t something Doffy knew about and he was going to keep it that way. It was the brunet’s only chance of escape if things got too out of hand.
Doffy was no longer grinning or looking teasingly at his pretty. Instead, he was fussing with something on the inside of his feathered mantle, making sweet chuffs and reassuring rumbles before putting his arms through its sleeves instead of letting it hang around his shoulders and wore it properly.
“I guess I should have been paying better attention to the weather! Looks like a warm front came in from the red line.” Doffy said, having to raise his voice over the wind. He squinted up at the dark, full clouds that were quickly filling the sky and frowned. “Fufu, I sensed people not too far from here. We’d be better off checking that out than trying to get back to town from here.”
“Fine, I don’t even care anymore where you take me just get moving!”
Doffy was quick to lead the other man, grimacing as his feet sank deep into the snow he once easily walked over. Even with his abilities, the snow was riddled with too many holes and dissolved by the ice rain, failing to support anything. The slush soaked through his fine leather shoes and if he hadn’t had such good observation haki, the white-out conditions that were becoming worse as they walked would have been blinding. He had to move far slower than he would have liked to because Crocodile had a harder time than himself. Thankfully, the people he sensed led them to a large cabin.
Doffy grimaced as he ducked to get through the doorway. He ignored the startled shouts of the inhabitants as they jumped up from the couch and made sure his lovely, shivering Croco got in before leading him to a large old stuffed loveseat next to the fireplace. The blonde grimaced at the scent of another alpha’s stink on the ugly brown of the furniture as he shucked off his gloves.
“My poor Croco! Your skin is like ice Pretty!” Doffy crooned, running fingers over his Pretty’s ghostly white cheek. Crocodile’s pants were soaked to the knees. The fabric was stiff and covered in a dripping layer of partially frozen ice. His shoes weren’t faring any better, the shiny black beauties weren’t at all meant for cold or wet weather. That would have to be corrected. His poor, poor, lovely pretty! Doffy immediately got to work, removing the soggy shoes and socks. He whined at how cold and bright red the other man’s poor feet were and at the clear hiss of pain that left the other’s lips.
“-Ex-excuse me! I understand that the weather is frightful but could you at least answer me?! You didn’t even knock before barging in!”
A mediocre-looking 6ft-ish late 30’s alpha male angrily exclaimed, his chestnut beard was braided with red ribbon and he wore a simple cream button-down shirt. The beta woman stood behind him, donning a similarly styled long-sleeved burgundy dress. A cream hand towel hung on her front. She had darker, almost black hair braided in a bun and tied with another red ribbon.
Doffy gave the pair a sharp smile. They were so painfully disgustingly average. Insects daring to buzz in his ears, so forgettable, he wondered if there was a single other pitiful creature that would ever even remember they had existed if he snuffed out their wasteful lives? He would have laughed if he weren’t so worried and focused on his sweet Crocodile when he saw the pair finally realizing who he was. The sweet aroma of their terror began to permeate the room, contaminating the nauseating stench of affection, security and contentment the couple had marked onto every surface.
“I am sorry I didn’t-“ the man stuttered, taking a step back and shielding the woman behind him.
“Fufufu, get me some towels, hot water, and hang these up to dry. If you prove useful, I might let you live after that sassy little slip, eh?” Doffy said, tossing the clothing to the pair without looking. He shimmied his pretty’s pants off and removed his sweater, coat and even the mace without any argument or grumbling. It was more than a little worrying that the brunet wasn’t putting up any sort of a fuss. Doflamingo nearly laughed as the stuffy woman made a scandalized little sputter when she came trotting back into the room and saw Crocodile in his underpants, feet propped up near the fire. Doflamingo himself began to strip, uncaring of the audience. They would be lucky if he was the last thing they saw. They should be grateful to see such a perfect being as himself before death.
He snatched the towels from the woman once he was done stripping, grimacing at the thought of using something of poor quality. The blonde was reluctant to use cheap things on his sweet, suffering Pretty. He was surprised at the towels' plush quality. They were nowhere near something that he would ever use but they weren’t the practical rags he was expecting and seemed almost new, so that was at least a pleasant surprise. Still, when the storm let up and he could get them back home he would lavish his Crocy in a boiling hot bath with bubbles and exotic Alabastan hair and body oils for his troubles! They would cuddle as he massaged them dainty feet and chest and achy stump and tight hot-
The scent of an angry, horrified, and territorial alpha hit Doffy’s nose, stopping his excited thoughts in their path. His massaging fingers paused and slipped away from his dozy, sweet lovely’s scarred wrist. It clearly hurt terribly, similar to Crocodile’s feet the stump had been an angry dark red when he first removed the mace. They would need to install some sort of lining inside of his mace. Crocodile’s wrist was already chafed from it being worn too long. It clearly didn’t protect against the elements either. Crocodile was lucky the metal’s biting cold hadn’t caused some actual damage to his already mangled flesh. It was something that Doffy was grateful for in the situation, as he suspected getting the badly scared flesh to heal would be a chore. Whoever took care of the initial wounds clearly had no idea what the hell they were doing, they hadn’t healed well.
“Fufu, I don’t see you carrying any water .”
“Sir, I can’t- this isn’t appropriate!” The bearded man sputtered out, a panicked look crossing his face as an involuntary growl rumbled through his words.
Doffy straightened at that sneering down at the pissant that dared challenge him - involuntarily or not. How dare it, how dare it, how dare IT ?! The only thing that saved the man was the slight movements he felt against his chest.
The blonde instantly melted and rumbled sweetly, “Oh, Lu! Are you waking up sweetness?” Doffy smiled more genuinely and reached into the feathered mantle he was still wearing, slipping his still somewhat limp, drowsy pup from the pocket he had added, just for him. Doffy couldn’t help but to chuff adoringly when his baby looked at him all sleepy-like and made a slurred little peep. “Oh Daddy’s sorry for waking you! So sleepy still! Did you have a nice nap?” The alpha cooed easily, pressing the pup into his collarbone with one hand and rumbled when Luffy nuzzled into him and let out a lazy yawn before glancing around and merping in hunger at the scent of food wafting through from earlier.
“I can’t believe you-, ugh, did you just , how the hell didn’t I notice Luffy wasn’t-…..- Did I just see you magic my brat out of that damn pink monstrosity?”
Doffy huffed. “I’ve already told you! I have pockets ! Why is everyone so stuck on that?”
“Uhuh….. Right …” Crocodile hissed as he eyed the offending pink monstrosity skeptically.
“I do !” Doffy insisted almost defensively. He once again was easily distracted by Luffy’s increasingly insistent demand for food. “Oh, sweetness, are you hungry ? Daddy will make you something!” He crooned, pulling out a small tin and bottle.
“Hey, where’s the water?! I’ve given you plenty of time.” The blond alpha barked, glaring down the frozen alpha in front of him. Where the hell was that woman too? Even from across the room, the blonde towered over the quivering man, his figure blocked the light from the fireplace, covering the man in his long, ominous shadow as Doffy’s domineering scent choked the air.
“Uh I, yes, of course! I’ll go grab it!” The man exclaimed, eying the tiny pup in the man’s hand with badly concealed horror and confusion. Once he was out of sight, Crocodile let out a pained groan, slumping deeper into the loveseat that looked more like a stuffed chair compared to the large size of the man.
“No more Blues damned snow! Ya’ better not expect me to put up with something like this ever again! Ugh, this is why I do my best ta’ avoid winter islands. I don’t think there’s much I hate more!” Crocodile groaned, the cold had sunk deep into his bones, smothering every inch of him. He couldn’t move a muscle. He felt powerless, weak.
“Not another flake! I don’ want ta’ even see outside again until that shit’s melted away!” He demanded, the accent that hardly showed through most of the time became thicker as the brunet made sure Doffy understood how much he would NOT put up with any more discomfort. He wasn’t some cheap simpering date damn it! He shouldn’t have to put up with this sort of crap!
“I’m not havin’ my pup out in tha’ either!” The brunet snarled threateningly through gritted teeth at the young alpha, the love seat creaked from strain as he feebly pounded the armrest for emphasis.
“Crocy!~” Doflamingo purred, beaming at his surly lovely. Such a good good momma caring so much for their little Treasure’s wellbeing! He felt like his heart would burst from his chest with how cute his Pretty was being!
“Stop looking at me like that !” Crocodile grumbled defensively, eyes darting away from the beaming man.
“But you’re being so cute!~” Doffy whined as he did his best to ignore Luffy’s annoyed merp even as he ran an affectionate finger through the pup’s hair.
That bastard! “Don’t you try buttering me up you bird bastard! I’m not that easy!” Crocodile shouted as he felt his cheeks burn. Baring his sharp fangs at the other man proved meaningless as the idiot blond began to make what Crocodile prayed wasn’t a cooing sound before giggling disturbingly, reminiscent of a smitten teenage schoolgirl. Instead of his threats having the effect the brunet wanted, it was clear the blond alpha looked even more endeared if that was even possible.
Luffy had apparently had enough of being excluded on top of being hungry and made a sharp irritated shriek, ensuring the pair couldn’t ignore him before making demanding merps and grabby hands at his Momma person. He didn’t understand why Daddy person hadn’t fed him yet and why the place they were in smelled weird. It made Luffy irritable. He wanted his Momma person who wasn’t smelling enough of him anymore and had already gotten Daddy person’s cuddles and reassurance. Now he needed his Momma person. Momma person was clearly not feeling good and wasn’t happy and Luffy liked it when his Momma person was happy, so he would make sure Momma person got lots of smelling like him and cuddles so he would be happy again! Daddy person would make the stinky people go away and get him and Momma person food.
“Give him here!” Crocodile demanded, snatching the pup with stiff limbs from the now pouting man. The brunet swiftly pressed the grouchy infant under his chin, already used to the demanding little thing insisting on being able to rub his head and face all over the glands in Crocodile’s chin and the scent glands along the curve of his neck. Possessive little brat!
“Better brat?” he half snorted, half chuffed as the infant immediately began rubbing his little face all over. He couldn’t help but let out an amused chuckle at the happy, squeaky little purr that vibrated the kid’s whole body after a few minutes. He wished he was so easy to distract. Just a handful of minutes cuddling and scenting had Luffy so happy the brat was purring and smelling sunshine happy.
Luffy let out a cheerful chirp, happy that his momma’s smell was more comfortable and more relaxed.
“M-my dear! Let me take him, my husband- he’s getting some.. uh, more wood!” The woman said from the doorway. She had a look of panic on her face and was positively fixated on the pup held against Crocodile’s naked chest. The beta brunet’s heart was banging out of her chest when she saw the tiny helpless pup trapped between the pair and scented remnants of the pup’s stress. She’d heard the pup’s cries of neglect while in the kitchen and had panicked at the sounds of a child in the house. The situation worsened in her mind as the pup changed to smelling happy and content with the pair, too small to understand the danger he was in. She felt like her lungs were being suffocated watching the interactions between the couple and with the child. This had to be some kind of sick way to pass the time for them!
The beta woman couldn’t take her eyes away from the brunet’s stump. Her stomach rolled as the patchy, discolored blob of deformed, lumpy spiderwebbed tissue actually petted at the pup and let wandering baby hands lightly grip and pet over the mess . It was-was just so disgusting just looking at it made her want to cry and throw up!
“Stop that stop that!” she’d wanted to scream as she’d watched frozen in the hallway. Normal people shouldn’t have to be subjected to such a disgusting sight, forget encouraging a baby to play with-with that ball of fleshy deformity?! The woman’s eyes teared up and she could taste bile when the man dismissed her with hardly a look and moved the stump towards the pup in a back-and-forth gesture. Like the man was encouraging the pup to play with the deformity as he held the baby up in his one good hand by his bottom, his hand so large compared to the infant that he was able to cradle its head easily. The baby was so, so tiny compared to the pair, hell, he was just small in general. Either man could crush that poor thing like a tomato, splattering him at any second in an effortless one-handed grip! The thought had her swallowing hard. She didn’t want to see that, she couldn’t!
The woman had entirely focused her worry on the baby… consumed by the thought of what would happen to it that would end up haunting her for the rest of her days, she hadn’t noticed herself boldly approaching, that she had moved to a reachable distance towards the infant. She remained in a trance even when Doflamingo was no longer interested in seeing what she would end up doing and his amusement dropped like a stone, leaving him clearly aggressive and growling, nor when Crocodile’s scent went from mildly irritated but calm and amused to dangerous and practically stinking of a very protective and ready to strike Crocomomma. Only then did she pause with wide confused eyes and let out a startled yelp when Luffy oofed at her before Crocodile or a very irritated Doffy acted out. The infant stunned even the pair when he let out a very disagreeing quick succession of squeaky bark-like sounds that sounded closer to a small dog’s yaps, mixed with mouthy little merps and irritable guffs when she didn’t move back fast enough for his liking.
Luffy clung possessively to his momma person. How dare that weird smelling stinky new person try to steal his momma person from him?! That was his momma person! That person wasn’t going to get any chances to steal him away! Besides, his Momma person only let Luffy and Daddy person cuddles. He wouldn’t accept any cuddling from anyone else! They wern’t one of Luffy’s special people, so they needed to just back off from his momma person and daddy person and go away! The grumpiness that he was feeling reminded the infant of how hungry he was too and considerably soured his previously bubbly mood.
“What the-”
Doflamingo snatched the woman up by her throat, possessiveness and protectiveness boiling over as he released a vicious snarl and throttled her, hardly even noticing her pathetic attempts at clawing at his fingers.
“Fufufu, my baby doesn’t seem to like what you were doing too much…. What were you doing anyway?” The man’s grip tightened to unbearable levels as he grinned down at her, making the woman feel like an insignificant little ragdoll that could be snapped and shredded to dust at any second he chose to end her. She fruitlessly gulped for air the best she could as the malevolence gleaming in Doflamingo's glasses felt like it might burn right through her if he looked at her any harder.
"Crocodile, pretty, cut, gut or hang ?" Doflamingo purred, his tongue hung from his mouth as his his face radiated cruel, sadistic pleasure.
Crocodile grimaced, eying the relatively small space as the woman struggled. Her attempts to break free were pitiful, utterly useless. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Doffy doing something like that in front of his infant, even if he didn’t really care much about what Doffy was doing or the situation with the woman exhibiting such audacious, blood-boiling behavior. He was still a little stunned that she had been bold and stupid enough to even approach them in such a way. Crazy arrogant bitch !
"I... I- he’s so little! I was-scared for him!" The brunette choked out after taking in a desperate wheezing breath. She was sure Doflamingo was toying around, hardly trying with her. It was just-just terrifying! She felt like he could snap her in two with the slightest twitch of his pinky and he was so, so tall! It felt like being in the grip of an oppressive spider while she was hardly a gnat in comparison. It was really starting to set in; if she didn’t figure out how to get out of this, she probably wouldn’t make it. Why her?! She was a good normal girl, her husband was a good normal man that paid their dues, this wasn’t supposed to happen to them! To her !
Doflamingo snorted, his face falling as his expression became cold as ice. He glanced down at her, more than a little irritated and done, edging towards boredom already. The woman felt the terror in her soul rise higher and her heart fall even lower as she watched. If anyone knew anything about Doflamingo, it was that the easiest way to die an incredibly horrible death was by losing the blond’s interest and or causing him to stop smiling altogether. Being boring was a death sentence.
Everyone on the island knew keeping Doflamingo smiling but not laughing gave a person the best chance of living…. and if not living, at least not living through a long, excruciating ending. It was Rules 101 for dealing with Doflamingo. Keep him smiling or entertained. At least if you did so and got killed, you weren’t usually cut into little cubes one by one as you screamed your throat bloody. It was usually a one-and-done, hardly even aware that you were dying. The woman would rather that sort of death any day over what she knew she would end up with if she couldn’t keep Doflamingo from getting too annoyed with her or got him too excited and sadistic feeling.
The woman had thought showing concern for the baby, whom both men were obviously protective and cared about, would have them at least softer with her? These damn monsters didn’t make any sense if she was honest with herself. She knew for a fact that Doflamingo wasn’t some nice guy; he’d killed more than his fair share of average joes just because. Sadistic freaks like that made her nauseous, and the fact that they had dragged a baby into it didn’t make her desire to throw up all over the bastard's shoes any less.
She wasn’t even sure why he was choking her out! Yeah, she maybe got a bit close, but she just said she was worried about the kid! She shouldn’t be getting punished for that. It wasn’t an unusual and wrong thing to do when one was worried for a child, after all!
The grip on her neck tightened, her head bulged from the pressure. Frantic, she scanned the room until the woman’s eyes caught the dark, unimpressed gaze of the brunet man. His sharp knowing look was horribly cold and intelligent, completely heartless. She internally shuddered as his yellow-green eyes pinned her in place. He could have been so handsome if he hadn’t had that ugly patchwork mess splitting his face. God the guy was so GROSS ! DISGUSTING ! She couldn’t believe that someone as objectively good-looking as Doflamingo was into…. That .
“Crocy you aren’t being any fun! I asked a question!”
“Don’t drag me into this!” Crocodile grumbled, the pair completely uncaring of the woman that was being choked out in the middle of Doflamingo’s whining that Crocodile wasn’t playing along like he had wanted. She gasped in relief as the man eased his grip to prolong her suffering as they bickered.
She barely took a breath when the woman jerked, fighting down her gag reflex as the brunet’s stump came back into view again and ran over the infant's back. So, so gross! He was so revolting! Blues she’d hack that thing off at the shoulder with a rusty axe so she didn’t have to see that pitted wormy texture for another second if she had the chance! Sitting there like he owned her place. Did he have no shame? Clearly not if he thought it was appropriate to even think he was allowed out in the public eye. Let alone look down at her all condescending and thinking that not only was he fine or that he had any right to do anything but to apologize to people for having to suffer through catching a glimpse of him. She couldn’t believe he was arrogant enough to not be profusely begging for forgiveness for people having to actually look at that !
Crocodile sneered at the naked resentment and disgust in the woman’s glare. It wasn’t the first time he was considered a monster to society, people were usually not so open about their issues with his physical deficiencies as they were about him just existing as a person born into the life of a pirate. Whether it had been true, they considered him to be evil from his first breath over being born under the Jolly Roger. He’d grown a tough skin early on because of people like her. He pulled Luffy closer to his chest, the pup was still growling equally as upset at the offending person. Doffy saw the hate in the woman’s eyes just as clearly, the slimy judgmental bitch was criticizing his pretty’s cutest most vulnerable features! She probably hadn’t suffered a day in her life, but now he was going to fix that. The beta gagged and flailed as Doflamingo squeezed so tightly she was genuinely afraid her eyes would pop from their sockets as spittle ran down her chin.
“Fufufufufu, Let me get this straight… You thought…. it was okay-you- something I wouldn’t think twice about whipping shit from the street on…. thought it would be okay to just waltz up to my Croco and what, snatch up my boy? Steal him from us? I’d say you forgot where your existence is on the food chain and how lucky something like you was ever even allowed to steal my air. Fufu…” Doflamingo’s eyes caught something on the floor and his smile twisted into something particularly mean.
“You don’t seem to be getting it so i’ll give you an easy explanation…” He tilted his head, a mighty god beholding the lowly ant in his palm, “My existence, it’s up here in the grand scheme of things.” Doffy said, gesturing with his free hand above his head, nearly touching the high ceiling. “And you, well fufufu, you're the little shit eater in the dirt all the way down here !~” The man snickered, slamming his foot down on a tiny pale spider trying to skitter on by. He rattled the entire house without even meaning to. “Get it?”
“Fufufufu, and my boy…. My sweet boy is worth a thousand times more to me than even myself."
Luffy had quieted at the tension in the room. He was still being securely held by Crocodile and the infant was squirming uncomfortably, mirroring the strained atmosphere. The woman, now trembling, far too afraid to look at Doflamingo in any way, instead cast a lingering gaze at Crocodile's mutilated stump that the man was using to cradle the infant more firmly to himself again. God it was disgusting! How was that a higher-value individual than her? At least she didn’t look like some gross freak. Where had her husband gone anyway? Why wasn’t he here and trying to defend her at this point? Doflamingo, noticing her unsettling focus, couldn't resist the urge to toy with her further.
"Admiring my Pretty Croco's cute little scars, are you?" Doflamingo asked. He nearly sounded like he could have been teasing the woman if his hand on her neck hadn’t tightened ever so slightly. If something about the man hadn’t felt that bit more biting as he spoke, she could have easily fallen into believing that he was feeling nothing more than a twisted form of amusement instead of being insulted on the other man’s behalf at her unwelcomed staring. God she couldn’t tell what was going to happen to her at this point, it was an emotional whiplash all over the place, jerking her around like a puppet!
Luffy clearly sensed the unease practically smothering everyone in the room. It was making him tense. The suffocating feeling hadn’t even begun to ease after a few minutes of the twisted half-game half stand-off his Daddy person seemed to be playing with the woman and Luffy was already sick of it and the lady. The unimpressed and still very hungry infant emitted a displeased whine, echoing the disdain of his special favorite people, particularly his Momma person with the whole ordeal. Doffy was so into playing around with the woman and would have been unable to resist his pup’s demands of attention being refocused on him if he wasn’t already being cared for. Crocodile was finally being a good, sweet momma after all, protecting their pup.~
The woman, realizing Doflamingo was none too pleased with her prejudice, begged for the mercy, something that the blonde never felt much of.
"Please, I beg you! I didn't mean harm. I just wanted to make sure the child was okay!"
Doflamingo's grin widened, the possessive delight evident in his eyes. "Make sure that MY son Is okay with me? That our son was properly cared about and for!? Presumptuous aren’t we?"
Luffy, shifting in Crocodile's arms and shot a disgruntled look at the woman, as if conveying his solidarity with his daddy regardless of whether he actually understood a thing that was being said, let alone what was even going on.
The woman, her fixation broken by Doflamingo's unnerving comment, stammered, "I promise- I-I won't bother you again. Just let me go! I’ll go far away from here, I'll go off to a different blue if need be! Just please let me live !"
Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with an unstable mix of possessive pleasure and dark amusement. "Well, well, Crocodile, our guest has finally started to realize her place in all of this. How fortunate for her. Or It would have been fortunate for her if she fully understood how little keeping insects alive meant to me and how much the presumptiveness and squeals of vermin pisses me off!~" The blond cooed, a large shark-like grin taking up his face as his fingers began to twitch at the thought of bleeding her out. He hadn’t got to kill anything in such a long time! Months even, and the way she looked at his sweet, beautiful Crocy…. Well, it made his blood sing for screams of agony.
The room descended into a chilling silence. Crocodile's gaze remained fixed on the woman, weighing the threat she posed, less to their physical wellbeing. He could clearly turn the bitch into a pretzel with his blue’s damned pinky with minimal difficulty. She might be a threat more to their reputation and control. Would letting go of such a weak uncouth bitch cause issues for them later down the road? Calling up Marines to their proverbial doorsteps… possibly even to Doflamingo’s trash heap due to it getting out that the woman got away with disrespectful and obnoxious begging behaviors by the crew. That’s what happened when you control a base through nothing but fear and violence, though if you give an inch, they may take a mile. Luffy let out a grumpy merp, tugging irritably at a loose strand of Crocodile’s hair. Shit… But it wasn’t right to have their boy, not even walking yet, be around this sort of thing so much. Even Crocodile was shielded from it a bit for his first couple of years! It made some pretty messed up monsters, Ugh, like Kaido or quite a few of Big Momma’s older children. After a tense pause, Crocodile let out an annoyed groan and barked, "Release her, bird."
Doflamingo's possessive blood hungry grin faltered. “Release?” he sputtered as his jaw dropped, not at all expecting the other man to even contemplate doing something like that.
“Ya’ deaf? Why the hell should we lift a finger when we have perfectly good mules for that? Unless you’re deciding I need to start doing that shit and you know how I feel about that. I may be the best fuck you’ll ever get, but I’ll proudly say I’m sure as hell the highest maintenance bastard you're going to ever find and that means I don’t do shit I don’t want to, especially when I have a nosey bitch just sitting around that can do things for me. Luffy’s been waiting for that bottle for hours.”
Doflamingo pouted and let out a put-out huff before agreeing with the other man.
“Yeah, that’s….. True. Fine fine ! Where is that scared little piss ant anyways? My boy shouldn’t have to wait so long! And what about us? We were never even offered anything! Little missus here is such a lousy hostess! Zero stars, whouldn’t come back to take a piss on her table!” Doffy complained, grumbling like a small child. He made a show of reluctantly loosening his grip on the woman's throat. She staggered backward, gasping for breath and stumbling from how hard the hacking coughs she was having from being choked for so long. She dropped to the hardwood floor, her eyes glassy with fear and oxygen deprivation.
“Now, what do you say?” Doffy purred, fingers twitching and already missing the sensation of her rapid fluttery pulse in his hand.
“I’ll g-go check on the water!” the woman scrambled to her feet, strands of dark hair flying loose from her once neat bun.
“ No !…. You say thank you so much Sir Crocodile!~ I , as nothing more than a worthless piece of human waste am soooo grateful to you, who is so so much more beautiful and merciful than I could ever be!…. Blah Blah Blah some more pretty sounding platitudes- it would be an honor to offer you and your dashingly handsome and charismatic alpha all the alcohol and food. If I act like an entitled bitch again please step on me daddy !~” Doffy said, voice high pitched and mocking.
“Wha- No ! Don’t you dare say that shit!” Crocodile sputtered, “I’ll fucking murder you right here if you say anything like that! Bird bastard, don’t ever tell someone to say something like that to me ever again, hear me never !” Crocodile shouted, his face bright red. He forced out a calming breath and gave not only the woman but Doflamingo a final warning glare. "Now get my boy that damn water and don’t listen to that simpering shit the bird bastard said."
“You’re no fun Crocy!” Doflamingo teased before turning to the retreating woman, “Oh, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the little ones upstairs, ummm? If either of you try any sneaking around or ignoring us very patient kind guests… fufufufufu well.. I’m starting to get bored as it is.”
The woman shook, smelling of panic and desperation at that point, “Of-of course!” She squeaked, tone incredibly tensed as she actually went to do what she and her husband had been claiming to do the entire time.
As the woman nearly ran from the room, Doflamingo let out a dissatisfied huff. "Cro~co, you’re being such a party-pooper! I’m so bored and that bitch was so annoying and acted like such whiny demanding thing! My fun’s all ruined .~” He pouted, flopping onto the couch sitting next to the loveseat Crocodile was currently hogging. The blond alpha completely ignored the screeching groan the piece of furniture made. Leaning back, he kicked his legs in the air like an impatient child and threw his hands in the air as he continued complaining.
“And the audacity of her! Even thinking of touching what's mine . I should do something to them just for neglecting you and not even trying to get poor Lu’s water for his bottle! It takes, what, 10 minutes tops without the dials I have? I mean even with a wood-burning stove, they had just started on food when we got here, so it had to have been hot still or at least lit! And how stupid did they think I was? They couldn’t have made it any more obvious they were trying to hide some brats in here!”
Crocodile snorted, going so far as to roll his eyes at the childish complaints of the other man. He himself had suspected, due to the strange extra scents in the air that didn’t seem to match either person and just everything was feeling very off but feeling so poorly when he had first came in and still not being very good with Observation Haki had made him not 100% sure how many other people were around except that there had been at least someone that didn’t wasn’t being shown to them in the home.
“-And the way she kept looking at your adorable scars, too! Makes me want to cut both of her hands off and fuck her with ‘em!" Doffy snarled, ringing his hands.
Crocodile bouncing a grouching Luffy a little gave the other man a disgusted grimace at the mental image that sprang up. For a split second, he wondered if the other man had ever been depraved enough to do something that messed up to someone before. He may be a cold-blooded bastard that enjoyed inflicting pain, torture and humiliation on others, but he sure as hell wasn’t that sort of fucked up. He forced down a sick feeling as a memory he would rather die than let play through his mind tried to spring up. Even if it had the bird bastard turning on him….. Luffy never, he would NEVER see that sort of messed up shit either.
Ugh he needed a cigar. “I’m not saying you can’t get rid of them after this is all done and over with. I was never suggesting that. But why the hell should we have to lift a finger when we have them to do all the dirty work?” Crocodile waved his hand in frustration.
Doffy’s face lit up like a child who’s parents agreed to buy them a puppy.
Doflamingo's face took on a darker, more thoughtful look after a few moments of silence. His possessive gaze fixated on Luffy, then slid to Crocodile’s absently patting stump and his excitable smile slid closer to somewhat irritable and sadistic. "They'll regret it. We'll make sure of that, won't we, Croco? Being so rude to my Pretties." The younger alpha licked his lips in anticipation.
Crocodile forced back the grimace and uncomfortable tightening in his stomach. When he finally spoke it was with a blend of fatigue and finality. "We're not alone, you can't obliterate everything that’s irritating."
“Crocodile.” Doflamingo all but growled, bordering on dangerous. Before he could get too angry or worked up though, Crocodile was quick to elaborate and try to fix the situation.
“I’m just saying not in front of Luffy! I don’t give a shit whatever you do, just not in front of him! He’s already all stressed out and fussing and I don’t want him getting freaked out!” Crocodile explained.
Doffy gave him a put-upon pout but then cooed about his Crocy being such a sweet soft momma and somehow didn’t end up throwing a terrifying fit like the brunet was nervous might happen. He even let Doffy coo about how tired out his Crocodile must have been if he felt like he needed to make up reasons as why he didn’t want to participate in the fun with minimal complaints.
The woman came bustling in moments after that whole thing had been settled with a pitcher full of warm water on a tray with baked muffins still warm to the touch and two large bowls of creamy white soup with some type of roasted fowl in it, likely a local snowdrop pheasant.
The birds gained gray and white feathers in frozen cold environments and often ventured out onto the ice sheets at a spot near the island. During the harshest periods of winter they fed on specialized kelp that clumped in ribbons on the surface of the ocean waters surrounding the island. The pheasants were considered a treat that only had good flavor during the winter.
Large chunks of potatoes and carrots floated in the soup, and was served along with a loaf of bread accompanied with a surprisingly good quality bottle of rum. Doffy had also noticed that the house was strangely big and nice enough for a couple that looked like a supposed logging family, not only was the food of high quality. Even if it wasn’t anything that Doflamingo would usually touch the muffins smelled of orange and lemon even a hint of nutmeg. The rum was at least a 24,000 beri bottle of alcohol without counting how much it would have been to get it imported. The bottle was a brand Crocodile had been familiar with and was fermented at an island he had visited a few times in Paradise. So it wasn’t an easy thing to get.
Where the hell did they get anything of this quality? Especially being supposed normal civilians. There wasn’t anyone out there who should have been making anywhere near enough money to live like this. Someone clearly had been getting away with not paying proper dues. Just another reason to get rid of them. The food was just as good as the smell, and the ingredients were indeed a higher quality as Doffy had suspected. It was nice to have something warm in his belly he wondered if the oranges were relatively fresh and if they had any more rum? He was a little excited at the idea of being able to pillage the home of any other niceties that it may have hidden.
Getting fresh stuff in during the winter was very difficult. Unless in the southern parts of the North blue, which was usually pretty winter-free, it was best to just try and hunker down and wait things out in a well-stocked warm place. Maybe they would even discover how a supply line had gotten through and why the little bastards were providing for these useless fuckers instead of Doffy and his crew!
Although they were still eating like kings and were still able to get the occasional shipment of niceties through for themselves, it wasn’t easy to get anything out of the region without an icebreaker, which also wasn’t easy to get, was cumbersome in battles and didn’t suit the crew’s fighting style. Their ship also had to have great flexibility in how it could be maneuvered and for the different challenges that it would face when out on the grandline. A ship was a home and as much thought and money they had put in getting the ship built they wanted it to be with them for the long haul.
However, because of the difficulties that the winters of the Northern Blue brought to a majority of it’s islands it also meant that it was easier and safer to nestle in until the ice break. Being unwilling to move their base of operations farther south due to convenience and them all becoming a family in Spider’s Mill and not having everything in place to move in and take over Dressrosa meant that they, like most other’s got iced in. That meant that they had to rely on shipments of mostly more mid-northern, if they were really lucky, southern North Blue winter fruits, salmon, more domesticated meats and vegetables until the ice sheets started breaking up. About the only decent alcohol they were able to get at the moment was Vodka, something Senior Pink loved but not too many others on the crew including Doffy himself, not that he was drinking nearly as heavily as he once had.
“Poor sweetness! You were so so hungry my poor baby!~” Doffy crooned apologetically, as the infant made happy sounds as he kept a tight hold of his bottle and gulped the formula down like his life depended on it. The pup was not even done yet and Luffy already began to grumble for another. “Fufufu, such a cute little glutton my sweet boy is becoming! So demanding too!”
Crocodile flexed his toes near the fire and yawned before taking another sip of his rum. Doffy behaved in an equally as comfortable manner sprawled over the couch, with his legs laying over the pillows piled over all of the side furniture. They’d made the woman drag them around for him so he could lounge more comfortably. He was lounging sideways with Luffy cuddled up in one of his hands near his chin so he could scent and cuddle with his son. Neither men even acknowledged the woman standing in the corner of the room trembling with her arms hanging limp in front of her hands clasped together and her thumbs worrying at her apron.
The man had quickly come to heel, sweating bullets. The pair wouldn’t have been suprised if the couple had a little chat about his wife’s behavior earlier. The storm was still raging when he went outside to grab as much wood as he could to stack near the fireplace, making sure to fill it nice and high at Crocodile’s orders. The pair then, irritated with the snow and wet floors, demanded that they be cleaned up. When they were shown where the bathroom was, neither was pleased by the size, but it was still significantly nicer and larger than expected, and it even had indoor plumbing. Both were very happy with the indoor toilet and had even surprised Doffy.
It was not all that common in colder, more remote areas of the North Blue not to have an indoor toilet due to the cold bursting pipes. It was often considered unclean to have one in the house, not that he thought the same way, but that was a common belief of many rural peasants of the more northern North Blue islands. That just added to the mystery of the people in Doffy’s mind. Then the fact that they had not only a shower but also what would have been a nice-sized soaking tub for an average person. They were decidedly not coming off as authentic North Blue residents in his mind or at least they weren’t any sort of simple forest-dwelling peasants, that’s for sure.
Still, Doffy pouted at the tub when he saw it. He would be lucky if the water did more than cover his nuts while sitting as normally as he could in it. He’d have to squeeze in and sit with his legs like a frog if he wanted to actually bathe, but the shower was over a foot shorter than what he could do anything with and the stall was too small for him to even attempt to crouch. He pouted as he had wanted a nice hot bath so badly. He had to opt for a quick scrub. The pair demanded the couple heat the water for the bathtub as it wasn’t nearly as warm as they had liked. After they were done, Doffy got a solid ‘No you weirdo!’ by Crocodile for suggesting a tongue bath for Luffy. The blonde had turned into a pouty ball of mild anxiety as he was worried about the products being used in the home not being explicitly baby-safe, the possibility of no water filter, and it still being drafty outside of the main area. Luffy was allowed to splash in the water a bit before being dried and anxiously monitored until his hair didn’t have a single strand that was even slightly damp by Doffy.
By the time they had returned to the living room area a long table had been brought into the room. It was short, not much taller than the coffee and end tables that Doffy had been using and looked like it was meant for a meeting room. Now Doffy knew they weren’t from this part of the North Blue. There was no way in hell.
The blond didn’t know as much as he would like about the other Blues in that aspect, but that sure as hell wasn’t a table you would typically see in the North Blue. He remembered seeing some tables just like that in some books and catalogs from the East Blue, though and he was pretty sure the South Blue too. But the pair didn’t appear as powerful to him, even with his observation haki.
It was true; Doffy was certain the man was definitely not some totally useless weak thing like he behaved as, but he was still nothing but a fly. The others in the house were definitely not a threat either. Doffy wondered if a maker's mark was on the table but decided he was too lazy and didn’t care enough about some weaklings trying to swindle him enough to even do anything. They would all be dead in the morning anyway no matter what the couple seemed to think.
The table was as close to the couch as they could make it and had 2 twin mattresses already with sheets pulled over them on it side by side and a futon hanging a bit across the foot area with gap spots here and there filled in with pillows and cushions. They had similarly tried to spruce up Crocodile’s spot, adding the end tables and coffee table and a futon that was both a bit too short and wide for the loveseat bed they had made for him. Crocodile just raised an eyebrow at the mess, wondering why they hadn’t just cleared everything so they could have made a comfortable nest on the floor in front of the fire…. Not that Luffy needed to be within crawling distance of fire or tempted by crawling. That get-up looked like it was going to be hell on his back if they had to stay any more than one miserable night. Why the hell did they have such a large table too?
Doffy was initially hesitant to lay down, not only disgusted with what he was provided with but also nervous about the scents on the mattresses. He may have been able to sleep pretty much anywhere and when necessary on practically any surface, but he was particular about scents. The mattresses were strangely smelling little of people and not in the way high-end hotels and such were with the mostly beta attendants and specialized scent neutralizing sprays but in a relatively freshly bought and hasn’t been used in ages nor hardly at all way. He had thought it was just a fluke that the blankets had smelled similar when they were first brought out to them, but the new ones and the new pillows smelled like they had never been used at all… Luffy made it clear as Doffy was arranging things that he did not like it at all and didn’t want anything to do with the makeshift bed as he began fussing.
“Poor sweetness! Daddy is sorry I can’t bring you home to our nest!” The man cooed, before arranging his mantle onto the groaning table, only momentarily did he wonder if it could handle his weight. Ugh, he wanted his pretty with them too! So close, but so far…
Already sensing the other man’s neediness Crocodile huffed. “Don’t you dare! There is no way in hell that thing is going to hold the both of us, hell, it barely holds you! If you weren’t all cock-eyed using that couch there would be no way for you to even lay on it anything but completely sideways! Now give me my brat so I can try to pass out for the next few hours.”
“What! No ! My Lu-Lu needs his daddy!~ He’s been through a trying day and is very nervous to be away from me when in such a strange place with such annoying, grabby people!” Doffy insisted, encouraging the pup to settle in by chinning the infant and making sure his mantle was within reaching distance for the pup, particularly the shoulder parts that were especially strong-smelling from years of being exposed to his most potent scent gland oils. He grinned as the pup calmed enough to limply stay there. Eyelids already hooded, he quietly practically huffed his scent in. Doffy almost felt a little bad at how clearly exhausted his son was. Poor thing!
Neither man was the least bit swayed or felt guilty when the pair eventually came down. Two teens were wrapped in blankets and asked if they could please bring some futons out and sleep there as it was too cold to sleep comfortably in their rooms. No thanks. Not only were they clearly being deceptive in some way… not that they had been any good at it, but they didn’t want these strangers around them while they slept, especially around their pup. The pair already hated the bitch of the house and why the hell would they care if they were uncomfortable? They would be dead in the morning. Annoying bastards! Doffy didn’t even laugh at the absurdity, instead, he asked if they thought they were looking at a man that wouldn’t kill them in a second for a cheese stick, preferably bounced off a hot piece of ass but still a cheese stick. He just didn’t care about their lives so much and they just couldn’t seem to get it. What annoying idiots!
Still, although the day had ended up sucking so bad wasn’t all that bad. Even with some poorly camouflaged morons to serve them, it was nice having time for just the three of them and Doffy suspected that he would think back on the memory with some amusement and fondness. He had to share his Pretties with both crews so much and it was exhausting sometimes. By pretending the wimps in the place didn’t exist, this was pretty nice.
Soon, spring would come and they could go back out plundering and building up their networks and a few short months after that…. It would be Luffy’s birthday. It made something fluttery and bubbly fill Doffy at the thought that his boy had been his almost a year now. It was so strange to think that his angel had been in his life for nearly 9 months now and Crocodile for almost 6 if he counted when they first met. It felt like they had been with him for a lifetime and yet also a blink of an eye.
Luffy had long since fallen asleep when Crocodile finally did as well. It was only then that Doflamingo was able to settle in completely to. He lifted his fingers to lazily flick a few extra logs in the fire to make sure it stayed strong as they all slept. He then yawned a big toothy yawn, showing his knife-like canines, before letting loose a rumble of affection at how sweet his boy was looking, all snuggled into his coat with his little hands tucked against his chin.
Doflamingo's protective scent lingered, silently threatening the other people in the house that they better not even dare think about doing anything.
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In the morning, everyone was awakened by obnoxious banging and hissing arguments in the kitchen. No one was pleased with the sounds, especially Doffy, who hadn’t been having the best dreams and had woken up feeling particularly territorial and anxious. He had been able to push it down the day before, but today was another day and he didn’t even really care to try anymore as…. Well…. today was death day and that meant he got to play with them! There was no fanfare or anything special about the situation. After checking to make sure the weather was better, and it was, Doffy almost gleefully approached the kitchen.
“The Den-den is sick I don’t know what to tell you! I don’t even think it managed to get a single message out yesterday and it’s getting even worse today! I’m not a veterinarian, so I’m literally doing everything I can think of, but for all I know, I could be making it worse at this point…. I doubt it’s going to even survive!”
“But-so…. How are we going to get out of this then? They’re definitely suspicious! I can’t even figure out why though, other than you were taking your sweet-ass time with those two and that damn Den-den! They could handle trying to make calls while you helped me! Do you have any idea how terrifying that was? I got choked within an inch of my life by that psycho! And it was so damn cold last night!”
A younger, nervous voice spoke up with a more familiar accent than the pair, he was probably from around Joramoda, a chain of islands about 2 weeks Northwest of Blackjack Coastal. They had a distinctive difficult-to-replicate heavier accent. “Well…. I don’t know anything much about the Crocodile guy, but Donquxiote’s from the North Blue at least that’s what’s been known. I warned sir that this place would tip off folks most o’ us aren’t North Bluers. Especially that bathroom. We ain’t seen dead with an indoor wastebox, err toilet inside. It’s too big a risk! I hadn’t ever even saw nothing like one until I moved south for that while. The washtub’s strange too for this neck of the woods. I only ever known richblood having one so big indoors though they maybe perhaps been being seen in cities and such. So the bathroom may have triggered the suspicion…. Food too, even most people with money don’t see such fresh citrus so far into the ice over times.”
“Really?” The woman snorted, nearly sounding like she was going to laugh. “Blues, maybe I'm just way overreacting! Those sorts of things triggering suspicions? That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard. Ugh, of course this backwater iceberg makes oranges suspicious! Who gets all triggered and weird about someone having an indoor bathroom or some fruit to work with? I could have just froze it or something! Who would know the difference? And honestly, why would they care? I mean, none of us had to go outside during that blizzard, so that was a good thing right? I also doubt two guys like that have ever been without an indoor shitpot! I mean, I’d just be happy that I had an indoor bathroom, I wouldn’t question it.”
“Sorry ma’am I wasn’t trying to cause a scuff. You asked, so I told you what might most be the issue if they seem to be suspicious.” the voice meekly replied.
The older man cleared his throat, sounding like he was trying to get the conversation back under control. “Either way, they seemed pretty set on leaving this morning if it cleared up, so as long as we can get them up and going on a happier note, we should probably be fine, right? I mean, I know it is Donquixote, but they have a kid with them and it isn’t like we are physically much of a threat. As long as we keep our heads down I am sure we should be fine. I mean everyone is okay so far and yeah, it wasn’t a great night, but we’re all okay for the most part! So let's just keep up the pleasantries, get them breakfast and try to get them out of here as soon as possible without pissing them off by rushing them. Everyone do their best to keep everything calm. Once they are gone, we can try to get in contact with Sir, alright?”
The others made sounds of agreement.
But the bitch had to butt in….. “What are we going to do with the kid, though? We can’t just leave it with them!”
“You really think any of us have a chance of saving that kid?” The older man scoffed.
“We already would have yesterday if you hadn’t vetoed the poison in the food!”
“I told you that was a stupid idea! Donquixote is some form of super dangerous rare A dominant Alpha, he probably could have smelled it before it got anywhere near his mouth and then all of us would be dead and even if he didn’t smell it, do you think they wouldn’t have noticed? Donquixote may be young, but he is already quite the seasoned pirate and he’s known for being damn smart! He’s not going to fall for easy stuff and that other guy…. I think he’s that desert menace from Paradise. Even if he isn’t, he’s clearly just as seasoned, if not more so and quick as a whip too!”
“It’s scentless and tasteless. They would never know!”
“Yeah, well, I saw that baby being fed bits of those muffins and some of that soup, you could have killed him too!”
“Well… I- either way it would have been better ! Two pirates down, a shitload of money for us and a kid raised by that monster won’t grow up as another monster?”
It was after those words that Doffy was truly seeing red. Poison? Pathetic, why not scream I’m an incompetent shitless little coward from the rooftops? The man was right. There was no way that he would have fallen for it. Or hell, Crocodile honestly was even less like than himself with his naturally paranoid nature. The blond had been curious and even a bit amused by the clueless idiots chatting it up for the world to hear until they started threatening his Croco and sweet little Treasure. One second, they were all standing there gaping at him as he turned the corner; the next, the sounds of something jello-ee slopping to the ground and several quick splashes full of red filled the air, painting every bit of ceiling and wall and fixture in the space. Oops. Doffy reached up and wiped at his face, staring down at the bright red that dripped down his fingers and over his palm.
He didn’t even get to find out who precisely that ‘sir’ was…. And the food was all soaked, too. Ugh and those muffins were honestly so good! Doffy took a deep breath; accidents happened. Welp, he guessed they were going out to eat…. That or he could get the crew to make them something. Either way, he needed a moist towelette and a nice relaxing vellum so he didn’t burn down the entire damned island. 0 out of 5 stars on that wake up call, worst hostage room service ever.
To Crocodile's credit, he internally shrugged his shoulders, muttered an “Okay then.” to himself under his breath, got dressed and was ready to leave within 5 minutes of seeing the mess that was caused by Doffy. No questions, no lecture, no trying to take a look at what happened. It was clear what happened and he wanted no part of it. He wasn’t a saint or the next holy mother, as long as the crew were able to take that high-end antique floor clock he had seen in the corner he was perfectly happy to let sleeping dogs lie.
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It still wasn’t clear what they were doing, but they sure as hell had a lot of booze, guns, higher-end food supplies,and had 3 dead animals. It was likely something to do with the illegal white den-den mushi trade. The loot was all marked with marine insignia, so probably smuggled out or stolen. The four predictably were total gods damned idiots.
The last den-den that was found was barely holding on and everyone was scared it was carrying some horrible pathogen. Instead, it was dying due to severe dehydration as they apparently didn’t think to keep a water dish in with it in the middle of the winter in a dry house heated with wood…. and because the morons thought they could feed it nothing but salted peanuts, spicy snack cakes, and jerky. An entirely obligate herbivorous super-specialized animal. Ugh… as said before, idiots. That also meant that Doffy now had an extremely difficult to get, white Den-den of pretty above-average bloodlines that he could add to the gene pool of his beloved den-den collection that he was breeding.
Crocodile would give the outing a 2.5 because they both got something nice out of the deal. The brunet had gotten an incredibly rare vintage clock he had only managed to see twice and had lost at auction 2 years beforehand.
Doffy… well…. got the snail, and Luffy… uh he got shit for his end of the deal, shit , no… he got to spend some time!- ….. outside in a blizzard …. wait…then he was confined in an unfamiliar space, hungry for a bit and with not much to entertain him. Eww… was the best time Luffy had once the blizzard started up being stuffed in and sleeping in some weird ass feather dimension pocket? Fucking hell, a 2.5 was being pretty generous…. The guns and such were pretty nice, the clock and snail a major bonus for a dogshit outing, but Crocodile would have to be reasonable, and give the outing a 1.5 out of 5.
Crocodile guessed, or at least hoped that somehow, in some distant future, he might be able to look back fondly at the time… or at least it wouldn’t be an event that was totally hell and misery. He was pretty sure with the shit the bird put him through, that had to count for something… really anything at that point?... He just hoped Luffy wasn’t going to drag him into crazy and or stupid crap nearly as bad as his father. Doffy was his own bottle of crazy and chaotic hell, enough to fill an entire vat and then a whole damn’s ocean worth over. Though the brunet doubted that his sweet brat, or really anyone, could best the idiot, Crocodile just hoped that Luffy would end up growing up into a sensible boy and make calmer, more levelheaded decisions than that idiot father of his.
End Chapter 15
Notes:
I hope everyone enjoyed it! I don’t know why, but I had absolutely horrible writer’s block forever around the time it was supposed to start to hail in the chapter and I literally couldn’t figure out how to write one paragraph that helped up the whole process. Most of this chapter was written in the last 2 days.
I am so excited that I can finally start to work on the chapter where our boy Rosinate comes in! I have been dying to write this since probably chapter 3 or 4. Especially after getting some really good introduction suggestions!
Guess who has such weird and worrying illness symptoms their doctor is trying to find a way for them to get admitted to the big kahuna of medical facilities, Mayo Clinic and is now spazing out because this critter has state insurance which is no longer accepted from most states! I am pretty sure she thinks I am totally insane at this point because I literally just laughed at the whole situation. Not even 30 yet…..
Anyways, better news I am actually truly nearly done with the first chapter of my comic that is inspired by one piece. It is an original story and comic, and Harrison finally gets to be his own original character in his own story! It’s really sweet and messed up and emotional. There is found family, super dark themes, adventure, and lots of undealt with trauma stuff…. Harrison may or may not end up accidentally offing and destroying an entire island and being messed up from it for life… But he gets a bff for life so all is good! Anyways, I’ll be posting the first chapter around mid-January at the latest. It is like fully ready for print quality highly detailed and colored illustrations. I’m excited about finally being able to get it visible to everyone.
Can anyone figure out what is going on with this new chapter?
(Beta has a note: have fun waiting guys)
By the way, please review! I get some of my best ideas from discussions and reviews and stuff and honestly, the one I am going with for next chapter was from a reviewer!
Chapter 17: Wine and Dine and Treasured Finds: Part 1
Notes:
Hi, sorry it has been so long. I have had both some super major burnout and major health issues that made me too exhausted for a long while to force myself to write much. I am still very tired, but starting to get used to the new meds I am on and I am feeling super motivated to write! This chapter is actually going to be 4 parts I believe. I had to split it up to make it easier to correct as what I already originally had was over 18k words for one chapter and I was only about half done with what I planned for this chapter, as it was supposed to be the one where Rosinante was introduced. I underestimated how long the chapter would need to be to write what I needed to for him.
Chapter 16 Part 1 is 8068 words long without Author’s notes. I will start working on correcting part 2 either tomorrow or the next day. I hope everyone enjoys!
Chapter Text
Chapter 16 Part 1
After months of cold and dealing with an incredibly surly Crocodile, the entirety of both pirate crews practically gave a sigh of relief at spring finally showing itself. Everyone was much happier when the ice began to break up and the snow began to melt away. During that time of year, it was always a bit of a tense time with the dangers that came with the ice breaking up and for the locals due to the increased restlessness of the Doflamingo family, but that winter had been an especially brutal and nerve-wracking one for the residents. The Donquixote family, plus some new crew, which seemed to have some type of allyship with the Donquixote, had wandered all over the island, which wasn’t that common during the winter months. Though unknown to the civilians on the island, the pirates were wandering around having their fun far more often than normal in an attempt to avoid the irritable grandline pirate that had been staying with them. Crocodile had been more and more volatile as of late. It seemed like the closer spring became and warmer that it became the meaner and more impatient Doffy’s guest had become. Like an actual reptile newly warmed up in the sun and ready to go out hunting with all of the extra energy it now had but couldn’t do anything with yet.
The warming of the North Blue usually put everyone in a good mood. It should have been a good thing but it just seemed to make Crocodile more temperamental than ever. It was very clear that the gruff man was more than ready to get out and about again and to be able to pick back up on business, especially since he had been far too exhausted and sluggish to do much work during the winter. During that time, Crocodile’s crew had done most of the maintenance of his underground empire and growing connections via Denden Mushi. It had rankled the man the wrong way. He absolutely hated relying on others and having to have anyone do any of the important informational gathering and ground work, but him and Crocodile couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and disgusted by his own show of weakness. He would never allow himself to be unprepared again, nor tricked into being trapped in the cold while he was so vulnerable! Only an absolute idiot would let something like that happen again and he may have been many things but an idiot wasn’t one of them.
A week prior the ocean around the island Spider’s Mill resided on had finally broken up enough that Doffy and his crew felt it was safe enough to head out. They were quick to load up the needed supplies and charter a way to somewhere south. The idiot bird had insisted that the destination would be a surprise. The trip had been mostly smooth sailing. As much as Crocodile would like to say the Donquixote pirates were incompetent morons, they had proven again and again that, much to his irritation, they were more than competent and knowledgeable when it came to navigating bad weather and leftover ice. They were able to navigate near effortlessly and just watching them had the brunet realize, begrudgingly, that the crew was more skilled than a lot of born paradisers.
The broody brunet rumbled happily from his spot lazing in the sun next to a window on the Donquixote family’s obnoxiously pink flagship. It had an even more obnoxious name, the Numancia Flamingo of all things. They still weren’t going to be traveling super far, but that didn’t matter to Crocodile. He was just happy that they had actually lifted anchor after months of waiting out winter ice, which had trapped them in one place for so long. The irritating waste of water prevented a safe voyage anywhere at all, not just to head back to the Grandline, but had cut them off from going to any other Northern Blue islands as well. Not only did Crocodile despise the cold, but he wasn’t used to not being able to up and leave a place whenever he liked, so the familiar routine of hitting ocean waters had him in a particularly pleasant mode. Being stuck somewhere too long as a grandline pirate could equal one's death if one wasn’t careful after all. The brunet may have been powerful and well-connected now, but he definitely hadn’t been when he was younger, and he couldn’t help but fixate on what life had taught him at a young age, when he was brave and foolish and full of too many stupid, useless dreams.
It had been over a month since the land began to warm significantly and the ice had begun to break up, but it took forever before they went anywhere. The native Northern blue group had still refused to leave, insisting the conditions weren’t quite right yet. Crocodile couldn’t stand it and had been as surly as a reptile basking on Arabastian shores in high summer. He had wanted to go back to sea immediately. The new energy he had thrumming through him, due to finally having more light and better weather, made the man very unfun to deal with as he barked out his displeasure, irrational irritation, and irritably paced around until the others became nervous and jumpy around him. Even the highest-ranking members of each crew were nervous around him and his explosive temper. Crocodile wasn’t a man that was meant to be cooped up in less than ideal conditions for long.
Crocodile hummed and waved his leg back and forth to the sophisticated music that was quietly playing in the background. It was like a suffocating weight had been lifted from him and now he felt so much lighter, calmer, and like he was now where he belonged far more than on Spider’s Mill. If given the chance, he would never again deal with the snow of the North Blue!
Now he just needed to figure out how to convince Doffy or at least do what he could to make it so the psycho didn’t hunt him down on the way to the grandline again. He wanted out, he needed out, but he wasn’t even sure how that would work with the crazy blond bastard. Crocodile frowned to himself as he thought about how he had also allowed himself to get far too attached to Luffy. He ugh, loved that pup so much. Like he was the child’s very own blood Momma at that point. It stressed him out thinking about leaving the pup, especially with that group of wackos. He felt a frustrating tightness in his throat anytime he thought about leaving his Luffy and he was becoming concerned with how he would be able to deal with no longer being with the infant all of the time….
The brunet also worried about how Doffy would behave, what he might do…. Crocodile was already sure the man would absolutely lose his mind if Crocodile escaped him, but he also knew there was no way he could get Luffy and ever hope to escape either. Doffy may totally lose his mind and go on a rampage over Crocodile escaping him, but he was sure that Doflamingo would chase him to the ends of the world for the rest of their days, without rest, until he got the pup back if Crocodile ever became insane and stupid enough to try and take the omegan infant. It hurt, but it was what it was. Leaving Doffy was leaving Luffy.
Not to say Crocodile didn’t have some sort of conflicted feelings involving Doffy. Some stupid, irrational lov-affection for the bird bastard after spending months and months with him… but the brunet had an empire to build and run. On top of that, he wasn’t so blind as not to absolutely be aware that the relationship was probably ill-advised and toxic as hell. Crocodile had no interest in being caged by anyone, even if he might… enjoy their company sometimes…. or if it would…. hurt… his heart by being separated from the child he loved like his own. Doflamingo may have loved him or thought he loved him at least, but he was absolutely a dangerous and controlling psychopath as well and Crocodile wasn’t sharing his brand and criminal empire with anyone, let alone someone like that. Crocodile had grown up on a ship with plenty of that and he had seen what that could do. He wasn’t a coward, no, he just had a healthy wariness of those with unstable moods.
Crocodile even found himself fantasising about figuring out some kind of way to convince Doffy to do some kind of custody schedule; it would be amazing, but he knew that was impossible. He kept hitting that dead end of all or nothing with every plan he tried to devise. It was either Doffy and Luffy at the same time or no one or thing at all…. Probably with the bastard still chasing him down because the bird was convinced they were soulmates or something. Like those existed!
Crocodile groaned and ran his hand through his neatly slicked back hair. What to do, what to do…. He sucked down a drag from the cigar held firmly between his barred teeth and glanced towards the door. As much as Doflamingo liked pleasing and pampering him as long as he didn’t try leaving him, he had become a stickler for no smoking inside. It was fine when out on the town, but anywhere that Luffy might be was a big fat no . especially after the short cold the pup had a few weeks back. It had only had the boy coughing and sniffling a bit, but he had been just as active and hungry as ever after the first 2 days. Crocodile thought the fool was going to have a full-blown stroke over the situation when it genuinely hadn’t become anything worth getting too worried about. Though one thing that Crocodile didn’t like about the whole situation was how obvious it made it that Doffy needed to get a proper doctor. What kind of bigwig crew didn’t have a doctor who could actually treat illnesses on board? That was just asking for something serious to come up when they didn’t have Norwich available to them. How hadn’t one of the fools died already? The one-armed man knew that he should have snatched up that doctor from the hospital when they had a chance, if something’s that useful, you keep it after all.
It was still chilly out, especially back on Spider’s Mill, so Crocodile hadn’t been allowed to smoke much. Which had brought out a whole other sort of grouchy in the man. Crocodile all but purred as he let another deep, long drag of smoke release from his lips. It was nice to be able to have a proper smoke after so long. Crocodile exhaled another plume of smoke that curled around his face with a sigh and leaned farther back into his chair. Oh, did a logia fruit give its advantages, or at least his did! He could smoke all he liked and it didn’t do a lick of damage to his lungs. In his opinion, one of the best advantages of his fruit.
Crocodile's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the cabin door swinging open. He didn't bother turning around; the familiar heavy footfalls and the domineering scent of spice and amber and pure over top domineering possessive alpha musk told him exactly who had entered. The bastard was territorial as hell and had to positively own every space he walked into.
"There you are, my pretty!~" Doflamingo cooed in an irritating singsong tone that made Crocodile's eye twitch involuntarily. "I've been looking all over for you!"
"Well, I’m sure it didn’t take long… and… You found me," Crocodile muttered, taking another long drag from his cigar. "Congratulations." He ignored the disapproving look the blond was giving the cigar.
Doffy strode across the cabin, his feathered mantle swishing dramatically behind him. In his arms, bundled up tighter than a casino bank vault, despite the warming weather, was Luffy. The infant was squirming and making little disgruntled noises at his confinement.
"Someone's been missing his momma ," Doffy cooed, holding Luffy out toward Crocodile. "Been crying for you for the last twenty minutes."
Crocodile felt a warmth spread through his chest at the sight of Luffy's face lighting up upon seeing him. The pup immediately made grabby hands in his direction, or at least did his best to in the ridiculous layers he was bundled up in, letting out an excited series of chirps. The look on the pup’s face was one of a desperate hostage pleading for a rescue.
"Give him here," Crocodile demanded gruffly, stubbing out his cigar and reaching for the baby. He tried to keep his tone neutral, but he couldn't help the softness that crept into it whenever Luffy was involved.
Doffy handed the wriggling infant over, grinning as Luffy immediately snuggled into Crocodile's chest with contented little sounds. The baby's tiny hands clutched at the fabric of Crocodile's shirt, his face nuzzling insistently against the scent glands at the base of the older man's neck.
"See? Told you he was missing you," Doffy said, flopping down into a couch near Crocodile, grinning at the pair. "What are you doing all alone in here anyway, Crocy? Been’ brooding again, pretty?"
Crocodile rolled his eyes, absently stroking Luffy's back. "I'm not brooding. I'm thinking ."
"Fufufu, if that’s what you want to call it.~” Doffy teased and leaned forward, his grin widening. "What's got you all wound up this time, Croco? Still mad at your poor loving sugar daddy about being cooped up?"
Crocodile huffed and shifted Luffy to a more comfortable position, the infant already settling in for what looked like a nap. "Don’t call yourself that!” the brunet growled, “We should have left three weeks ago. The ice was clear enough." He said, trying to steer the conversation towards a subject he actually cared about that didn’t involve his embarrassment or discomfort.
"Eh, the North Blue’s different. It wasn’t safe. Even when the waters look clear, that doesn’t mean they’re actually cleared. The North Blue, especially this far north, doesn’t have just a normal surface level of ice. It’s even worse up near Spider’s Mill and Norwich. Ships get shredded all the time by impatient idiots and newbies!~ I’ve lived it long enough to know I would have been risking my flagship if we’d left even just a few days earlier, Crocy." Doffy replied, waving a dismissive hand. "Besides, you weren't exactly in top form, pretty. All sleepy and adorably grumpy like a bear coming out of hibernation.~ Though, you were ve~ry cute cuddling with sweetness!" Doffy teased. “Being such a good good momma.~” The man all but cooed, cheeks pinking a little and the stink of lust quickly starting to clog up the air as he thought about his gorgeous, pretty being so attentive to their cute little pup, keeping him warm and building comfy nests like a good mommadile should.
"I wasn't—" Crocodile started to snap, then caught himself when Luffy huffed and squirmed around a bit. He glared at the blond, making sure it was clear he didn’t agree with the idiot in the least.
Suddenly, Doffy’s amused smile turned into a slight frown, putting Crocodile on alert. "Pretty, it stinks so strong of smoke in here. I can smell it all over," He prompted, wrinkling his nose. "I thought we discussed this, Croco. Not around Lu, he’s delicate right now. You can’t be smoking in enclosed places or it can hurt our sweetness!"
Crocodile signed and couldn’t hold back an eye roll. “I put it out the second you got in the room, you saw me. I have the window cracked." Crocodile retorted, gesturing with his hook. "Besides, I'm a sand logia. It's not like it affects me."
"It's not about you," Doffy said, his voice taking on a slightly harder edge. "It's about our Treasure's little lungs, what if its causing damage ? A good momma and daddy make sacrifices for their babies. He’s so little and he already has health issues. We don’t need to cause any more issues for our Treasure. Especially with the scare he gave us a few weeks ago, right ?" His tone of voice made Crocodile feel his hair stand on end.
Crocodile sighed but didn't argue further, though that prickling was still there that made him very aware of Doffy’s edges showing. Instead, he changed the subject and focused on unwrapping Luffy from his excessive layers of clothing. "Why is he bundled up like we're still in the dead of winter? It's practically spring."
Doflamingo either didn’t notice the change of subject, so focused on mooning over his pup and playing house, or didn’t care to comment on it enough to show that it had been noticed. "Fufufu, can't be too careful with our little prince,~" Doffy purred, as he got up from the spot he was sitting in and then carelessly draped himself across the chair opposite Crocodile. "Besides, the wind on deck is still so chilly for my sweetness! Far too harsh for such a tiny sweet boy, regardless of what he may tell us!"
Finally freed from his confining jacket, Luffy let out a happy shriek and began bouncing on Crocodile's lap. The infant had grown noticeably in the past months, his movements more coordinated, his expressions more complex. He babbled excitedly, a stream of nonsensical sounds, cheerful and demanding again now that he was freed from that awful prison!
"Blibalaaaba!" Luffy declared, his tiny fist thumping against Crocodile's chest as he passionately squealed his joy. Then turned to his father with a pouty expression and shouted an offended "Da-bah!" at the blond man.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you, brat," Crocodile muttered, his lips twitching upward despite himself. The pup was getting more vocal by the day, stringing together sounds that weren't quite words but seemed to carry clear meaning to the infant himself.
Doflamingo leaned forward, eyes bright with excitement behind his glasses. "Did you hear that, Crocy? He's trying to say 'daddy' !" He insisted, melting at his sweet boy’s attempts to tell him how much he loved him! He was sure of it! His Treasure knew who he belonged to after all and who loved him more than anything else!
"He's making noise, bird brain. Not forming words," Crocodile retorted, though he couldn't help the rabbity leap of his heart in his chest. Luffy wasn’t really talking yet, but even as easily distracted as he was and sassy, he was definitely developing quickly and was ahead of many developmental markers that Pink, Bentham and strangely enough Diamante had been tracking in his meticulous records of the pup's growth. Though he still seemed behind when it came to the speaking part for some odd reason. “Besides, with that sassy as all hell tone, he definitely was insulting you for not letting him run around with his bits freezing off not saying anything sweet to ya’.” Crocodile said with a snort.
Doflamingo let out a scandalized sound and pouted at the other man. His sweet boy may be a free spirit and have a lot of personality, but he would never ! His sweet boy was a perfect pup that would never say anything bad against his adoring daddy! He couldn’t believe that Crocodile would think of, let alone believe , Luffy to be anything but an adorable little angel ! "Ugh, you're just jealous he's trying to say 'daddy' before 'mommy.' Lu loves his daddy and knows I’m doing what’s best for my treasure," Doffy grumbled. As if to make his point, he reached over to playfully wriggle his fingers at Luffy.
Luffy, being Luffy, was quick to get distracted from his grumpy grandpa face and disgust with his daddy and was squealing in delight in only a few seconds, grabbing for Doffy's finger with surprising strength for one so small. It took both of his tiny hands to wrap around the digit. He immediately tried to bring it to his mouth.
"Blues, everything goes straight to the mouth these days," Crocodile grumbled in a scolding sort of voice, gently redirecting Luffy's efforts and ignoring the scoff Doffy made. "What? He's going to catch something disgusting from those filthy things!”
The blond man gasped dramatically, pulling his hands to himself for inspection first, his palms facing himself, where he seemed to laser focus over them, then flipped them, inspecting nails and fingers and every crease of his hands before leaning over and shoving them in Crocodile’s face. “They are not !” He insisted, “I so happen to keep my hands immaculate ! This good daddy makes sure to stay nice and clean before handling his precious treasure, I assure you!” Doffy exclaimed with a dramatic sniff. Crocodile was sure that if he put it on any thicker, the stupid bird would have been clutching pearls… So damn ridiculous…
Crocodile huffed. He could tell that he was going to get nowhere with the man, so he decided to bring up something that had been on his mind since they left. “So…. You said the place we are going to is someplace I would…. like. So… what exactly is the reason you think it will reach my standards?” He prompted.
Doffy lit up at the question, chest puffing up a bit as a grin filled his face. “Ah, ah, Croco, I told you that it would be a surprise!
“Ah, but you said the location was a surprise, not why I might enjoy it.” Crocodile pointed out, bouncing Luffy a bit. Doffy’s grin got a little sharper and somehow a bit more smitten-looking when the other man pointed out that glaring loophole.
“Fufufu, such a clever, lovely my Crocy is!” Doffy swooned before leaning back a bit in his chair. Luffy didn’t seem all that impressed with his daddy person no longer totally focused on him while wiggling his fingers. “Hmmm, well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give my pretty something to look forward to, would it? " Doffy's grin widened. "Hmmmm, they're knoooown for their world-class vineyards. It’s a bit of a hidden secret but, this island produces some of the best wine in the Northern Hemisphere. East Blue and North Blue!~ They don’t produce nearly as many bottles a year as some places but it is tippy-top shelf stuff. The grapes they use can’t be grown outside of a few islands in the North Blue due to the way the climate cycles, but that also means that the growing season is short and delicate.~ and… the wine produced is very rare.”
"Wine, hmm?" Crocodile couldn't help the interest that crept into his voice. He was mostly a hard stuff sort of guy, Whiskey and Scotch being his favorites, but a good wine wasn’t something he would reject either. Actually, after months of being cooped up with limited options, the prospect of quality wine was genuinely enticing. "I suppose that's something to look forward to." He conceded.
"Fufufu, I knew that would catch your attention!" Doffy's grin widened impossibly further. "And there's more, pretty. They have quite the collection of exotic furs too, some of the softest you'll ever feel. Perfect for our nest."
Luffy, apparently bored with the conversation, decided that Doffy's finger was no longer satisfactory since he wasn’t even actually trying to play with him properly and even Crocodile’s bouncing was no longer entertaining. He began squirming in Crocodile's lap, making insistent little noises that clearly communicated his desire to be put down.
"Alright, alright," Crocodile muttered, setting the infant on the floor. Luffy immediately took off, crawling with impressive speed toward a pile of colorful cushions in the corner. The pup's mobility had improved dramatically over the winter months, much to Doffy's simultaneous delight and horror. Nothing was safe anymore, and the blond had taken to "baby-proofing" every room with an almost manic intensity. Blues help them all if Luffy got so much as a paper cut or bump!
"Careful, sweetness!" Doffy called, half-rising from his seat, before Crocodile shot him a warning look.
"Doffy, he’s fine . I don’t think he could even concuss himself if he wanted to at this point with how over the top you went with this damn room."
"But what if—"
"I swear to the four Blues, if you don’t leave him alone, I’m throwing you overboard!” Crocodile growled, waving his hook at the idiot alpha threateningly, even as he rolled his eyes at the dramatic pout the gangly blond man was already sporting.
“Croco! But-but he’s such a tiny precious little sweetness!” Doffy insisted in a childish whiny drawl. "He also climbs on furniture now! What if he falls ? And he's putting everything in his mouth! What if he eats something poisonous ?" Doffy rambled, fingers twitching with the urge to scoop his precious boy up and look him over.
"First off, he isn’t even tall enough to get on any of this stuff alone. Secondly why the fuck would there even be something poisonous in here let alone in reaching distance when most of us are at least 6ft tall? Now… can we go back to rationality and to behaving like competent adults? You need to losen up the reins bird bastard, he’s literally less than 10ft from us in plain sight. Get ahold of yourself! He's supposed to explore, that's how babies learn ," Crocodile grumbled, watching as Luffy toppled a pillow and chirped victoriously.
“But!”
"You've already removed anything remotely dangerous from every room he's allowed in. There isn't a sharp edge or loose object in this entire ship that he could reach." Crocodile growled, annoyed at that point with such a stupid conversation.
"But—"
"For Blues' sake , Doffy," Crocodile snapped, "you can't keep him swaddled against your chest for the rest of his life!"
The blond's face fell into a pout so exaggerated it would have been comical if Crocodile didn't already find it so irritating. "He’s my perfect boy, of course I can !" he insisted, tone reminding Crocodile of a spoiled, possessive little boy unwilling to share his favorite toy.
Crocodile opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort when Luffy let out a delighted squeal from beneath the pillow pile. The infant’s head popped out as he looked up at his parents excitedly. Reminding Crocodile a bit amusingly, like a mole or gopher looking out of its hiding spot. A moment later, a familiar plush's head had popped out as well. Ah, Luffy had found Tora, the sabretooth plush. No one had been able to find that thing since they left the dock. The pup must have hidden it there not long after leaving. Either way, Luffy seemed very happy as he cheerfully showed off his find.
"Taaah! Trrrr!" Luffy declared, crawling back toward them with his prize, dragging behind him its leg clutched in chubby fingers.
"Oh!! Yes, come here my sweetness! Look how cute you’re being, daddy’s perfect boy!~ Awwe, my tiny boy found his Tiger! Yes he did!!~" Doffy crooned, giving his son a series of smitten chuffs and exuding love, love, love, mine, mine, mine! The alpha was absolutely melting at how excited and happy his pup smelled and looked. His Luffy’s cheer brightened his souring mood instantly. The man’s earlier concerns were immediately forgotten. "Aren’t you being such a cute cute pup, sweetness~!"
Luffy crawled over to the blond. His big eyes practically shining love beams at the alpha as he approached, making excited little chirps at his clearly very happy daddy and babbled at him, excitedly lifting an arm in a clear sign of demanding to be picked up. Doffy was quick to scoop up his adorable boy and ooh and aah over the toy while nuzzling into the baby.
"Oh, what a wonderful treasure hunter my Lu-Lu is!" Doffy cooed, petting messy black hair. "Finding hidden treasures just like a true pirate! Daddy is so proud of his clever sweetness!"
The pup squealed with delight at the attention, bouncing energetically in the man’s hold and waving the plush with even more enthusiasm.
Crocodile couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he saw just how pleased his pup was.
Luffy beamed up at Doffy, seeming to soak up his praise like a sponge and then turned to Crocodile, clearly expecting similar praise. The little brat even gave a gutsy, demanding squeak when he didn’t fawn over him in the way he deemed appropriate.
Crocodile was sure at that point that their kid was going to end up having some type of super-inflated ego or complex at this rate. Especially with the way everyone praised him over every little thing. Hell, the pup expected swooning over him at that point, or he would pout. Still, Doffy even allowing Luffy to crawl around and burrow without hovering within body snatching reach was quite the improvement. It was almost an amazing improvement for the overly protective and clingy blond, especially since the pup had started walking. Crocodile still thought it would do Luffy some good to be encouraged to continue becoming stubbornly independent and knowing that Luffy was so happy about such a silly thing definitely didn’t hurt. "Good job, brat," he said.
A knock at the door interrupted the moment. Doffy's head snapped up, his expression instantly shifting from doting father to dangerously annoyed notorious pirate captain.
"Come in," he called, his voice losing all its playful lilt.
The door creaked open to reveal Lao G, looking a little nervous. He had started working his way back into the family dynamic and the warped and confusing ‘family’ hierarchy and was what seemed to be mostly in the crew’s good graces again, but he still seemed a bit unsure when faced with Doffy and Luffy alone. The older man’s weathered face set in its usual stern expression as he straightened up. "Young Master," Lao G said with a slight bow of his head. "We're making gggggreat time. We should see land by tomorrow afternoon. Ggggladius thinks we should be docking around early to mid-afternoon tomorrow and have plenty of time to settle in before nightfall."
Doffy immediately loosened up at those words, looking a bit eager. "Excellent," Doffy sing-songed, rising to his full height, Luffy easily held with one hand. "Any word from our contacts there?"
"Of course! Everythinggggg's being set up as requested. The villa is prepared, and the local authorities have been... informed of our visit." Lao G adjusted his sunglasses with a small smirk.
"Perfect!" Doffy chirped, his demeanor instantly shifting back to radiating full child-like cheer. "Make sure everyone's ready for arrival. I want to get my Pretties settled in as quickly as possible once we’re there.~"
Lao G's gaze dropped to Luffy, who was now trying to fit the entire head of his plush into his mouth. The older man nodded. "Of course, Young Master. I've also taken the liberty of havinggggg the villa's staff prepare appropriate precautions for the little master as well."
"Fufufu, you see Crocy? Even my Lao G knows how important it is to have everything perfect for our Treasure!" Doffy turned to gloat, only to find Crocodile already gathering his coat, clearly eager to go back on deck and supervise what was going on even though they were still a day away from land.
"Yeah, yeah ," Crocodile muttered before standing. "Let's just get off this damn ship as soon as possible. I've been cooped up long enough."
Lao G grimaced, "Uggggh, well, there is just one more thinggggg. There have been reports of a Marine vessel…. sighted… near the eastern coastline."
Crocodile straightened, instantly alert. "Which division?"
"Unknown, but it doesn't appear to be a high-rankingggg officer's ship," Lao G replied, shrugging, not particularly concerned. "Likely jjjjust a patrol."
"Keep an eye on it," Doffy said contemplatively, his tone also not all that concerned-sounding but still with an underlying edge. "I don't want our little vacation interrupted by hungry little ants."
Lao G nodded and withdrew, closing the door behind him.
"Marines," Crocodile muttered, his expression darkening. "Just what we need."
"Fufufu, don't worry, pretty. They won't be a problem." Doffy waved a dismissive hand. "This island knows better than to welcome Marines when I'm visiting. Besides, they're probably just passing through. It wouldn’t suprise me if some marine ship got itself stranded on one of the islands around here for the winter and they were trying to get out of the North Blue before they might have a chance of getting iced back in, especially if they aren’t particularly familiar with the weather patterns here."
Luffy, oblivious to the tension in the air, squeaked at his momma person, annoyed that he wasn’t paying as much attention to him as he wanted. He huffed and decided to try and climb his daddy person, letting out a demanding merp for affection.
"Careful precious!” Doffy squawked, gently removing the pup clinging to his vest. Before lifting Luffy to face height and chuckling. “Oh! Is Lu mad at momma for not paying attention to his sassy boy? Fufufu, see that? Our Treasure doesn’t like when his momma's being all grumpy and distracted," Doffy cooed, and nuzzled the boy with an enamored chuff. The infant was back to happy chirps after that, immediately snuggled against his father, even as he still made talkative little grumbles every so often about how rude they had been to ignore him. “Yes, yes, I know sweetness! Sooooo rude of us! Ignoring our precocious little prince! Fufu!~” It didn’t take more than a little more reassurances and cuddles before Luffy’s high-pitched full-body purrs vibrated his tiny body and into the hollow of Doflamingo’s throat. “Oh! You flatter me so! Yes you do, such a sweet little treasure I have!~” The blond crooned, positively melting.
Crocodile scowled, forcing back a growl. It wasn’t like he was jealous, not a bit ! The man glared as Luffy let out a happy squeak while Doffy nuzzled his cheek with the pup’s. Ugh, sickening! Damn bird bastard swaying his brat away like that when the blond had already had Luffy all the day before! His fingers itched to snatch the pup to himself, but the older man made no move to claim the child. "I'm not grumpy. I'm concerned. Unlike some people, I don't consider Marines to be a minor inconvenience."
"Oh pleeeeea~se, Crocy," Doffy clearly rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "When was the last time any Marine posed a real threat to either of us? The officers worth worrying about are all busy in the Grand Line or New World. These are all a bunch of bumbling little insects too far from home to have a brain and too pathetic to survive even a day in the Grand line! Embarrassing really that they keep sending that cannon fodder to my sea. East Bluers, wouldn’t have any issues with them they are so pathetic." Doffy grumbled, almost insulted-sounding, then he suddenly let out a cruel laugh, “I swear they just send them all out here to cull the weak and the stupid these days! Honestly, it’s inhuman, Fufufu!”
"That's not the point," Crocodile growled, pacing the length of the cabin, grumbling under his breath. "They're going to be a pain! I don’t want to spend what's supposed to be a relaxing trip looking over my shoulder for white-caped idiots with tiny pricks and big guns mooning over becoming some sort of big shot in a fight that’s going to be more swatting flies on our end than anything. It’s obnoxious ! And what if they whine to someone that can actually be a problem?" Crocodile said with a put-upon scowl. “I’ve been locked up for too long, I sure as hell better not have to sacrifice my first time out and about in months to deal with that sort of shit!”
Luffy, sensing the tension, squirmed in Doffy's arms and let out a disgruntled sound. The blond bounced him gently, making soft chuffing noises until the infant settled again.
"Pretty, pretty , fufu," Doffy singsonged, his voice deliberately light. "You're overthinking this! We don’t have to deal with any of it. That’s what underlings are for! Fufufu, We'll be at a private villa with both our crews standing guard. Even if some low-level Marines did wander too close, they'd be dealt with before they could say 'justice.' But if it makes my dear Croccy happier, well, I always enjoy playing the little boy with a magnified glass on an anthill!~ Burning the little fuckers until they are writhing ~ and screaming ~ under my curious little fingers.~"
Crocodile paused his pacing, his brow furrowed, grimacing a little at the image that came to mind. He had already seen how he dealt with….. annoyances and inconveniences when they went to BlackJack Coastal. After a moment, he sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Ugh, whatever! You better make sure Luffy and I don’t have to deal with any of that annoying mess… I want a stiff drink, some decent ambiance and you better take me somewhere worth going for dinner! I deserve to be wined and dined proper like after putting up with all of this shit for months. I’ve absolutely been couped up for far too long and you only got away with it because we were snowed in. I’m not so cheap as to role over and spread them just because you fed and housed me for a bit!"
"Fufu, of course my feisty pretty! Being my cute Croco’s sugar daddy is my favorite ~," Doffy assured him, a purr to his voice that had the other man go red and grumble about not being his sugar daddy and him not being able to be buttered up so easily by a perverse flamingo bastard.
Doflamingo’s attention was diverted from admiring his cute cute spirited Croco’s little fit when he suddenly had a plush shoved against his mouth. He let out a charmed laugh as he realized his little treasure was being so sweet, trying to share his toy with him. The blond man cooed, totally turning to a puddle of goo when Luffy insistently squawked at him. "Ah-ah, sweetness, Daddy doesn't eat Stinky little kitties.~" The alpha joked.
"Taf!" Luffy insisted, patting his daddy’s face with one hand and shoving the drool-soaked plush against Doffy's lips again.
Doffy snorted, bearing his fangs playfully and kissed at his pup’s chubby cheeks. "Fufufu, my treasure, you flatter me so!~ So demanding, just like your momma when he’s trying to be all sweet like!" Doffy all but swooned over his boy’s sweetness. Another merp from the pup and the man ended up pretending to nibble at the toy, which sent Luffy into a fit of delighted giggles. The pup’s drool not bothering him as much as it would if it were someone else's stinky little plush. His repulsion to filth would most definitely have kicked in otherwise.
Despite himself, Crocodile felt the tension in his body ease at the sound of his son's laughter. He'd never admit it aloud, but the pup's happiness had become something of a barometer for his own mood these days and a happy Luffy was an absolute must if they didn’t want a disaster-level Doffy stomping around ready to torment everything in sight.
"I'm going up on deck," Crocodile announced unnecessarily, striding toward the door after watching Doffy tickle Luffy’s plump little belly and pretending to eat it.
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After a surprisingly quiet and uneventful night and waiting impatiently for most of the morning, Crocodile all but bolted the second it was announced that the island was finally in sight and they would be close enough to dock in a couple of short hours.
"I want to see this island for myself before we dock." Was the first thing out of the brunet’s mouth the second they had been informed of the sighting.
The blond paused and looked over, the side of his mouth still pressed into luffy’s onesie-cald belly. Blowing raspberries against the infant's skin had become a favorite game of the pair as of late and Doffy seemed to take it as a challenge to get Luffy laughing as hard and loud as possible. "Oh…. you making sure its up to standards are we, pretty? Fufufu, we'll come too!" Doffy chirped, already lowering Luffy and gently pressing the confused pup into the hollow of his shoulder again, following. "Won't we, Lu-Lu? Want to see the island? Yeah, sweetness? See the pretty island?"
"Iwaa!" Luffy agreed enthusiastically once he realized they were going back outside without a thousand layers on. Something the Alpha seemed to almost never let up on unless the pup was in one of the warmer rooms of the ship. Instead, Doffy paused and grabbed a soft plush blanket and burritoed his pup with it.
As they made their way up to the deck, Crocodile couldn't help but notice the way the crew members immediately straightened when Doffy appeared. Even after all these months, the blond's presence commanded instant attention and respect. Or fear. Probably fear, if Crocodile was being honest. Not that his own underlings in his crew weren’t also scared of him, but at least his didn’t look ready to throw themselves overboard or like they would piss themselves the second he got within 50ft of them.
The fresh sea air hit Crocodile’s face in a relieving salty perfume more comforting and familiar than anything else in his life. He had been born to it and he would die with cradled in the scent and bosom of the oceans if he had any say in how he went. He inhaled deeply, savoring the breeze. After months of being trapped indoors, even the simple act of breathing unfiltered air felt like a luxury.
Crocodile had to admit he was impressed despite himself, not that he would ever give the stupid flamingo the satisfaction of knowing how much what he could see of the island already had met his standards. It would inflate the bastard's ego far too much and it was already at least the size of a mountain. The island ahead was a stark contrast to the harsh, grey of the wet and slop and still bits of stark snow-covered landscape they'd left behind. This island had rolling green hills dotted with clusters of grapevines stretched as far as the eye could see, punctuated by elegant stone buildings with terracotta roofs. The harbor was bustling with activity, but not the chaotic scramble of a major port, instead, this had the organized efficiency of a place that knew exactly how to handle important visitors.
"Well?" Doffy asked, bouncing Luffy gently as the infant babbled excitedly at the new sights. "Meet your standards, your majesty?"
Crocodile grunted noncommittally, but his eyes were already cataloging the finer details. The docks were well-maintained, the buildings showed obvious wealth but in a more tasteful way, and he could see what looked like a rather impressive villa perched on a hill overlooking the harbor. Most importantly, there were no Marine flags visible anywhere.
"It'll do," he said finally, which from Crocodile was practically gushing praise.
"Fufufu, such enthusiasm!" Doffy teased. "Try not to contain your excitement, pretty."
Luffy chose that moment to let out a particularly loud shriek of delight, pointing at a flock of seabirds wheeling overhead. His enthusiasm was infectious enough that even some of the crew members were grinning.
"Biii! Ba-bi-ba!" Luffy chattered, waving his free hand at the birds while keeping a death grip on his plush sea king with the other.
"Yes, sweetness, those are birdies!" Doffy cooed. "Covered in feathers, Just like daddy! But daddy's much more clever and handsome, isn't he?"
Crocodile snorted. "Don't compare yourself to actual birds, flamingo. You'll give the kid unrealistic expectations about the failings of avian intelligence."
"So cruel , Crocy!" Doffy gasped dramatically. "And in front of our son, too!"
But his mock outrage was interrupted by excited shouts from the crew as they began the docking procedures. The organized chaos of mooring a ship this size was something Crocodile had always found oddly soothing. Everyone knew their role, working in practiced synchronization and he no longer had to help out like he had to do when he was just a brat, so he could stand there and enjoy the show.
What wasn't soothing was the sweatiest welcoming party that Crocodile had the displeasure of seeing in years. The group of them either looked ready to shit their pants or had awful constipated expressions on their faces. Standing in plain view were several well-dressed figures already waiting on the dock, clearly local officials ready to greet them. Ugh, the brunet could smell the pathetic simpering from the ship, they were so damn pathetic that a gentle wind could have likely killed the lot of them off. Hopefully, they weren’t waiting for them and if they were, they were just there for a quick briefing. Crocodile's expression darkened as he spotted what looked suspiciously like a harbormaster's uniform among them. He looked back at Doffy, who was straightening his mantle and had carefully placed Luffy into his suit’s front pocket, adjusting the stylishly folded pocket square behind the pup and then put on a pair of quality black leather gloves while muttering something about his boy looking so perfect and pretty for the party…. What party?
Crocodile’s more mellowed-out expression turned into a flat frown. "Ugh, please don’t tell me you plan to have me sit through some whimpering nobles and businessmen’s lunchin. I can already tell by the way they all look ready to shit themselves, this is going to be obnoxious! Forcing me to deal with some anemic pompous welcome ceremony with some snobbish pea brained pukes that thing far too much of themselves and are too far up their own asses to realize just how fucked they are if they step a toe out of line," he growled, looking entirely unimpressed at Doffy, who pouted very tellingly at the displeased brunet.
"Well…. It’s not going to be anything too elaborate… or a lunchin… more like a dinner," Doffy assured him, though the grin his face twisted up into suggested he was rather looking forward to whatever pageantry awaited. "Just the local authorities paying tribute as they should. It's good for maintaining…. our… ‘business’ relationships, Crocy.~"
"Mmph," Luffy added helpfully, gnawing on the little black mitten Doffy had somehow wrangled onto his chubby, squirmy little hands.
Crocodile grunted in displeasure and rolled his eyes at Doffy's thinly veiled enthusiasm for the pomp and circumstance. It wasn’t that Crocodile disliked a good high-class party and he even enjoyed interacting with people, a select few that were of real taste and class and were actually interesting and didn’t piss themselves the second he looked at them. Unlike Crocodile, the blond thrived on adoration and fear in equal measure, strutting about like royalty whenever possible. And he seemed to especially enjoy watching those he deemed less than him or his ‘family’, which seemed to be pretty much everyone other than Crocodile and his crew, squirm, and simper, and cower like muck-soaked worms. It was exhausting to Crocodile to put himself in situations like that.
Seeing the clear sadistic excitement radiating from the alpha, the brunet decided that it wasn’t worth fighting over. He’d just be pouty and whiny if he didn’t let the bastard take a few years off the lifespans of the fools from intimidation alone. Crocodile suspected he would be especially obnoxious if he denied the sadistic idiot the chance to show Luffy off before the pup managed to escape the ridiculous the over-the-top outfit the man probably planned to torment the infant with for the very unwelcome dinner.
"Fine, but let’s not make it too long," Crocodile finally muttered, straightening his cravat, then he ran his hand through his slicked back hair. "I want to get to the villa before I end up changing my mind about this whole excursion." He hissed. Why did he feel like this was going to be a long, long first day on the island? Ugh, the wine better have been worth the suffering and fuss. He would be so pissed if it wasn’t.
End Chapter 16 Part 1
So I hope everyone enjoyed part 2 will be done soon! I am pretty happy with this so far, but please tell me if anything needs correcting I am super tired and staying up late before a neurologist appointment tomorrow morning to get this done and uploaded.
I think either Gluttonous void or the Black Paramour stories will be updated before this one again, but not positive. Both are close to having new chapters finished. The next chapter of this story is at over 10k so far, just needs corrections.
I am also working on several original stories in an original book series that I am writing and need to start doing corrections on book one so I do need to make time for those corrections while I am trying to update my fanfictions. I haven’t done any corrections for them yet and I have over 200pgs so far for one of the books, so I will eventually have to focus on that for a bit. If anyone is interested in learning more it has nothing to do with my normal subjects and is about dinosaurs escaping labs around the world and invading the modern native environment and how people, the environment and modern society at large learn to cope and deal with this, especially when these animals would now be considered extremely out of place and invasive in this day and age. It is kind of how I wish Jurassic World would have been/addressed dinosaurs being released into a modern world.
My leg is permanently messed up and in pain. I did what I could and I was told I am walking way better than expected, but my foot is still messed up, I have to use a cane a lot of times and I will likely always limp pretty badly and be in a lot of pain. I also likely have POTS, which has gotten worse so that's fun to deal with. I have started figuring out things that seem to help, though. Does anyone else get a really bad migraine everytime within 24hrs of getting major POTS symptoms?
Please review it really helps me come up with ideas for my stories and I often use suggestions from people for my stories and it gives me motivation when my energy is low!
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Last Edited Tue 18 Aug 2020 10:44PM UTC
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