Summary: In One Piece universe and Strong universe, but one year before Strong events.

Silver Blood visits Alabasta and hence Crocodile once more, only to sense Doflamingo in the island as well.

Things end badly. Poor Silver Blood.

Doflamingo x Silver Blood x Crocodile

Mature Dark Content and Not Canon to Strong. Just a What If.

May have triggers of various types. You have been warned.

This will be a TwoShot. For reasons.

Happy Late Valentine's Day~

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Silver Blood (Y/N) came to Alabasta like you always have every few months since you decided based on a whim that Crocodile was interesting.

He was a conniving, sharp, and an arrogant reptile. He would have that stare in his expression constantly that he doesn't care what you're saying or what's happening around him is beneath him. A total grump.

But a conversation of dreams and ambitions showed that that he isn't just a tempest seeking to destroy to show.

That, and you're pretty sure what's been happening in Alabasta involves him somehow. It just smelled funny.

You'll use that excuse.

You and your tiny boat went through the Sandora River upstream to dock to the closest shores to Rainbase. You're just assuming he was there, he always seems to be unless a pirate crew decides to be stupid. You only noticed one ship in the distance by Nanohana but you didn't really pay attention to it, it was probably nobodies again. After you docked, you called for the Giant Sandora Lizard you tamed as the sun was giving heat atop your head. So freakin hot to do all this yelling, but eventually him and his partner came, Mando and Twy with their purple scales with a reddish tint. You got on Mando and rode him until you got close enough to Rainbase. You waving off at them before using Geppo to find that food stall you like in the south of the gambling oasis.

Crocodile can wait, you thought spotting the stall and landing where there was empty space in the streets. The people calling in surprise at how a woman fell out the sky. I need some of that food before I deal with him!

(Fav. Middle Eastern cuisine) here you go!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Awww, come on Crocoman! Why so stubborn about pushing a helping hand away? You would have this country in no time if you just accept!"

"I don't want any part of you even near me, flamingo. What makes you think I'll accept you even near here?"

"Fufufufu~! Playing hard to get again I see~!"

Crocodile's patience was at the brink. The stupid flamingo man decided it would be funny to just drop into his casino unannounced and causing a hassle. Nico Robin informing him of the other Warlord's presence before he had to send her away so the foolish man won't see her. It would be troublesome if that man knew he had that key to find one of the Ancient Weapons. This took away his main messenger of information, him now forced to use a DenDen Mushi despite the risk of it being traced but he must.

He planned another riot earlier in the month and he still needs to receive updates about the country's civilians views and how they are faring due to the mounting chaos.

Thankfully he had Nico Robin have the Billions know code words for different actions or happenings as a precaution if the denden did get traced. If it was tapped, the stupid dogs will just bark in confusion and run in circles chasing their tails.

But, this whole scene is giving him a headache.

He had the assistant manager of Raindinners escort the pink atrocity to the doors of the lower levels of Raindinners, where Crocodile did all his Baroque Works planning. He himself sat at the head of the white stone executive table with the denden Mushi next to him as well as the heavily used ash tray that already had three used cigars since the bastard came. Said bastard not having any manners to even properly sit in a chair like any well-mannered person would. Just crouched on top of the table in the middle with his ever stretching grin on his face, an abomination asking to become a mummy.

Crocodile's eyes narrowed into slits, silver eyes flashing.

"Did you really come here just for this nonsense? Making a scene at the casino and now acting like a spoiled child." Crocodile's jaw tightened around his cigar as he glared at that grinning man. "Leave before I turn you into a speck of dust that you already embody."

"You and that mouth of yours, Crocoman." Doflamingo's grin seemed to widen as he crouch walked towards him until he was a mere foot away, his head above Crocodile's as Crocodile didn't turn his sharp gaze away. Spotting the flamboyant plague's vein on his head. He absentmindedly counted two. "I'm getting kinda hurt you know~? First you say that stuff in our last Warlord meeting with each other not too long ago about me playing with the marines isn't as funny as I think—" It isn't, Crocodile affirmed. "—and now you're just going to ignore my forgiving gesture and try to kick me out. That's quite...rude~"

Crocodile dully noted the bird nuisance's voice turned menacing at the end but he didn't really focus on that.

Three veins now, Crocodile observed lazily before his lips formed into a mocking grin around his cigar as he looked up at the man.

"So that's what this is about? I didn't find you so petty to take a comment to heart but it seems once more I overestimated you."

Doflamingo's grin, if possible, seemed to stretch even farther. Perhaps he could tear his own skin like that, Crocodile hoped.

"You...and that mouth..."

Silver eyes stared at bespectacled glasses as a beat passed.

A hooked arm and a leg moved just as the denden Mushi began to ring.

"Purupurupuru."

A golden hook was an inch away from a slightly pointed black shoes. A uninterested expression on himself while the pink torment finally dropped his smile as they stared.

"Purupurupuru."

Doflamingo lowered his leg slowly, his grin back on his face as he crouched once more.

"You gonna get that? Might be important."

Crocodile's brows furrowed slightly before straightening back to their usual position as he lowered his hook arm, using his hand to pick up the receiver as the snail made a "Kachack". His eyes not directly on the flamingo anymore but still in his field as he stared at the snail, taking a puff of his cigar.

"Report."

"Yes, another shipment of silver came." Crocodile clenched his bejeweled hand around the receiver slightly. " It's near the dancing rain."

Damn it all, Crocodile thought as he controlled his expression as he prepared to give his answer. What is Silver Blood doing here?! The last thing I need is a wild biting dog with the annoying flamingo together here!

And he can't have Nico Robin get you either because it will show his whole hand to you about what he's achieving and that he can.

"Ah, understood," Crocodile stated, bored. "Make sure to move it at my signal."

He hopes this random Billion subordinate wasn't an idiot.

The DenDen Mushi blinked up at him, a sweat going down it's neck as it's brows furrowed.

"...er. When you mean move it, do you mean actually moving it?"

The flamingo chuckled, clearly amused as he listened like the nosy man he was.

Crocodile contemplated for a moment to ask the subordinate their name so he can off them himself later on.

"No," he practically growled but he held back and hung up. Taking another deep puff of his cigar and breathing out the smoke into the air before glancing at the bird man who had his grin back on his face. "Can you leave? I'm busy."

"Hmmmm...yes. Something about silver was it?" The bird man seemed to be in thought which is never a good sign. "What an odd thing to call about. Must be important to be reported directly to you, the big boss man. Code?"

He really hated that the fool was sharp.

And to have another so close by that pokes and prods due to sharp (e/c) eyes was not helping.

"It's not something that pertains to you."Crocodile stood from his chair, and walked towards the stairs, his coat moving behind him at the movement. He turned his gaze over his shoulder at the still crouched Mingo. "Now leave. I'll drag you by my hook if need be if you don't."

The pink bird chuckled, standing atop the table before hopping down. His hands in those ridiculous orange pants of his as he hobbled in that odd gait until he stood next to him.

"My, my. Really must be important than? Makes me a bit curious..."

Crocodile glowered.

"Purupurupuru," a DenDen Mushi rang inside Doflamingo's shirt. The poor snail.

Pink nuisance took it out from under his shirt, expression now somewhat more subdued than before. The snail made a "kachack".

"I'm coming back now to the ship," Doflamingo stated, his gaze turning towards Crocodile with a close lipped grin. "It got boring over here."

"Nene~, Doffy! Guess what I saw?" A nasally voice answered. Crocodile recognizes the voice and can picture the man due to how some Warlords come to meetings on their own ships. He never cared for the man's name. The man looked putrid.

But Crocodile focused on his words, his eyes sharpening slightly as smoke curled up from his mouth.

Flamingo turned towards the snail with an interested hum and a rose brow.

"Oh? What is it? Thought you were just missing me~."

The nasally man laughed, excited. Crocodile's jaw twitched.

"I saw Silver Blood (Y/N) land on Alabasta in the direction you are, Young Master!"

This is getting annoying, Crocodile thought as the Mingo's expression changed into an odd mix of what he could guess as excitement, curiosity and anger from the vein on his forehead as his sunglasses glinted up towards him. Hopefully she decided to wear those Alabasta garbs again. Although it's not likely.

"Well, well, well. I think I figured it out~. Thank you, Trebol."

"Ne, no problem Young Master!"

The snail drooped, the atrocity putting it back under his shirt without looking away from Crocodile's face.

"Fufufufu...so the little marine is here in your soon to be country, Crocoman. I wondered how she knew of you. Who would've thought she actually visits this place? Why is that?"

"I have no control over that woman nor am I a mind reader," Crocodile answered in a drawl. "I'm not particularly shocked that you've been keeping track of her but I wasn't aware you two were close enough for my name to be brought up."

Mingo moved up, now standing in front of the stairs with him but still several feet away as he tilted his head in interest.

"My~, is that jealousy? You shouldn't feel that." The Mingo's brows furrowed down as he grinned. "I'm the one that's feeling jealous right now."

Crocodile's lips twitched at that, one brow rising.

"Is that so? Not that close than?"

"Fufufu, someone is feeling confident." Crocodile noted the bird's arm shifted right when his grin widened. "Let's see who's close to who than~. Race ya, Crocoman!" The bird's strings appeared, attaching him to the ceiling as he quickly moved up the stairs due to his swinging.

Crocodile scowled as he turned his form into sand, moving as well up the cracks of his building to beat the pink abomination from locating you.

You better pay attention to your surroundings, Gin Chi. The last thing I need is another idiot in the way when it comes to you.

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You were walking past the Royals hotel and the Loose Belli Slots, chewing on the (meat/veggie) kebab you got. You couldn't help but get two of them, they were just so good! These sticks were pure magic, magical with its spices and how the flavors just pop around your mouth.

You sighed in bliss as you took another bite. Sparkles seeming to come off your face as you walked around the streets of Rainbase that always seem to be busy and had people greedy for Belli. You were twenty minutes away from Raindinners if you still kept this leisurely pace, which you are planning on keeping.

Not only because you really wanna enjoy the amazingly delicious stick in your hands, but—your eyes were kept straight as your ears twitched as you listened to the chatter of what's been happening in Alabasta—also because you get to hear what has occurred since the last time you were here.

When you were in the food stall and getting your (fav. Middle eastern cuisine) before you got the kebabs, you heard two citizens talking about the riot that occurred in Katorea. Something about the demand for the use of dance powder in the other cities and the king shouldn't be privy to its use. The riot apparently destroyed shops and some debris even fell into the oasis that was in the perfume town.

You frowned as you listened. The riot just sounded odd. True that the citizens will naturally be angry if the king truly used the dance powder in Aluburna two years ago, but the ones at an oasis that won't suffer? Perhaps it was the ones who transferred from Yuba? Tensions possibly high at the move. But it doesn't explain the demand for dance powder, the citizens should know since the king was discovered using the illegal powder that using it will just cause more damage.

Events continue to not match up. Both the apparent evidence towards the king that most citizens believe in and have trusted before the mess two years ago, sounding like a just king but also since you started sensing that other energy that seemed to be near Crocodile is where things started to escalate.

You know Crocodile is at the center. You're just confused on what he could possibly want from all of this. What you knew from the man, Crocodile isn't like other men where their desires are easy to guess. Not like those who you've killed both as a CP9 agent or throughout your years as a free woman. You are also lost on what fits with what.

Your brows furrowed as you groaned. Choosing to try to hide it by taking a large bite out of your kebab once more, your face quickly forming back into one of happiness.

Ah, that's better!

But man you need water...you wonder how mad Crocodile will be if you jumped in the oasis to cool off. Maybe play with the Bananadiles too.

He's gonna look at me like a child again, you thought with a pout around food filled cheeks, making your cheeks look like a chipmunk. What a grump, he's going to make me change into different clothes again too. I better not...but it'll be fun!

You shook yourself, taking the final bite of the kebab before sticking the stick into your mouth. Lazily moving it around in your mouth as you moved your arms to hold behind your head as you started walking up the stairs passed the jockey field for the dog gambling.

You'll just decide when you arrive to Raindinners, although you do think you might just jump in anyways. Although Crocodile made a weird expression the last time you were in there when you noticed he looked like he made the bottom of the building look like an aquarium—

Deafening shouts.

You almost choked on your stick, darting into the closest building which was the small casino called Get Gold that had a red and yellow color theme inside and only had slot machines. You leaned against the wall by the door, a panicked expression on your face as your mind raced.

What's the pinkie doing here?! I thought Crocy didn't like him!

Your jaw tightened around the stick, moving away from the door and more towards the back where there were windows and less people on the slot machines.

This isn't good. You came here for one cocky man, not two. You can't handle two! They're already too much to handle by themselves, you can't imagine having both of them near you.

You imagined for a moment your small form compared to their tall figures in the middle, the pinkie with that annoying grin and Crocy with that smirk he does.

You blanched.

You don't want this at all! But...

Your brows furrowed.

Doflamingo's energy felt angry...? It was odd compared to what you normally feel from him. And it felt so strong to you, it flared your senses in alarm after all. Guess he doesn't like Crocodile either, but he didn't make it seem like that the last time you saw him. From what it sounded, Mingo likes to mess with Crocodile a lot. To the annoyance of Crocodile.

You placed a hand to your chin as you tilted your head exaggeratedly, frowning deeply around the stick.

Is that what they call flirting?

...nah.

Crocodile doesn't seem to like Doflamingo at all. But why is Doflamingo angry in the first place here? He's the one that came all the way over to Alabasta. Did he really just come here to annoy Crocodile, only to be the one annoyed?

Crocodile probably said something. He tends to say stuff that kinda pisses you off too.

"Chasing a dream is a fool's path. Power is everything in this world Silver Blood."

Your mouth twisted.

Crocodile is smart but he can be an idiot too. Doesn't even realize.

Anyways, you better stay here until the coast is clear. Your senses flared to track Doflamingo's to make sure he was leaving Rainbase...

Your eyes widened, you quickly opening the window of the place and jumping out. Ignoring the complaining exclaims as you used Soryu throughout Rainbase, your Haki flaring to dodge to the right so you did so. You not looking back to see string fall onto the ground. You escalated your speed and entered the second biggest casino in Rainbase which was Golden Slots that focused on gold and light green similar to Raindinners but not quite; entering through the doors. The civilians in the building looking around in bewilderment as they felt a sudden breeze inside. Another one making an exclaim of surprise, their robe suddenly gone from their person as his date gasped and everyone around him called him a pervert at the indecent exposure.

You were upstairs in Golden Slots, heart pounding and brown robe covering your person. A hood over your head hiding the famous cap as you breathed calmly, looking around at the poker tables and picking one to sit in that had two other people playing. You leaning against the table as you took out the entering bid of 100 Belli and taking your cards, but still focused on a pinkie's whereabouts.

He's inside here, you sensed with a drop of sweat going down your head, unease. He knows I'm here in Alabasta. And desperately wants to grab me. But why? He always grabs me sure, but I don't like this weird energy he has right now. It's different.

You don't know what to do. Just confront him in an alleyway? Ask what his deal is?

You can't run. He can travel through the sky if you leave Rainbase and use Mando the Sandora Lizard as an easy way to find you. So that's out.

The dealer of the table dealt the cards, you checking quickly what they were but not really and just bet 50 Belli while the other two in the table decided what to do.

Go to Raindinners? What will that do? He doesn't care about making a scene in places. But will he scour the whole casino hotel for you?

You made a face behind your hood.

Yes, he will. The dick.

But will Crocodile stop him?

You paused, lifting your two cards to cover your mouth in thought as the dealer showed the river. You checking while the one next to you bet 50 belli with the other matching and you doing the same.

This brings up another issue. If Doflamingo knows than Crocodile knows you're here as well. Is Crocodile trying to search for you as well? Are their attitudes being caused by each other or by your presence?

Wait...you haven't sensed Crocodile yet.

You flared your senses and searched, keeping an eye on Doflamingo's energy as well who is still on the first floor.

Reckoning.

Your brow twitched in mild surprise, the final card of this round being revealed and you throwing a 100 belli as the bet. The other two staring at you in confusion at your wishy washy plays.

Crocodile is upset too. But more annoyed than anything.

Your lips pressed together as you thought about how bad it will look to have two Warlords that are connected to the World Government scouring for you and making a scene to everyone in the country.

This doesn't look good. Especially for Crocodile.

So you decided. You'll follow your gut like you always do and just meet Doflamingo outside in an alley.

The other two in the table matched your bet and everyone showed their cards. You stood from your chair as the two and the dealer's eyes bulged out their sockets at your straight flush with an Ace and Queen of Hearts, clearly matching the cards on the table with the hearts and going in order. You pocketed the money as you lowered your hood, and walked towards the window before opening it and jumping down from the second floor to the streets.

Guess your gamble today wasn't you playing to play. You're just following your gut like you always should.

Although, you looked down with a concerned frown, the stick still in your mouth. You put a hand to your abdomen. Your gut is really roiling around. This really doesn't feel good...but you have no other options. For now.

You openly leaned against the building behind you with crossed arms and a foot on the wall, moving the stick around your mouth as you waited. It took only a few moments for Doflamingo to turn the corner, blocking one entrance to the alley you were in.

"Well, that was a fun chase!" Doflamingo sang, walking towards you in his odd gait before stopping a few feet away from you as you looked up at him curiously and also with slight annoyance. He had his orange pants with those curved design again, his white blouse with the red curved designs and his chest being slightly open with his feathery coat over his shoulders like always. "Though, I'm wondering why it had to be a chase at all~. And also why you're here of all places. Visiting Crocoman's place of residence and not mine? Fufufufu~!" His glasses flashed and you felt at unease again and the fact you did made you angry. "What a naughty little marine..."

Your eyes narrowed slightly at him.

"I'm wondering the same thing, Pinkie! What's up with you always trying to grab me like that and not just come up to me like a normal person?" You asked, accusing. "Of course I'm gonna bolt! What are you even doing here? You made it seem like Crocy doesn't like you."

You saw Doflamingo mouth 'Crocy' with a genuine crook of his lips and a rose brow before going back to his shit eating grin.

"My little marine~ it's always fun to grab you! Your reactions are always..." He paused for a moment, grin still on his face as he slightly tilted his head at you and tone low. "Charming."

You looked at him in a confused slightly flushed scowl. You don't know what he's talking about. You either yell at him or smack his head. He said it weird too!

"What are you saying?!"

"Fufufu~, you're avoiding my questions. How rude. You hinted you knew Crocoman but I didn't expect you to actually visit the guy. I'm shocked that he seems to actually have a whole plan for each time you come, which must be often." Doflamingo's grin dropped slightly and you took note of his narrowed eyes behind his glasses. "Now I'm wondering about those rumors..."

You rose a brow. Taking note of what he said about a whole plan.

"Rumors? Look Mingo, we may be..." You paused frowning as you looked up and scratched your head before looking back at him. "You may have made that offer to me, but what I do and what I'm doing here is none of your business."

It really wasn't. But you're not sure you'll be able to say out loud that you actually like visiting Crocodile despite how he is. And also you don't know if it's wise to just outwardly say to everyone you know and  are...close, for the lack of a better word, to a Warlord when you're not seen as a subordinate of them and hence should not be hanging around them. Even if Doflamingo himself is a Warlord being aware of it. But he mentioned something about rumors...

Water and Blood.

You straightened, looking at Doflamingo's tight face and posture at your words. You felt at unease again. You're wondering if your gut made the right call...something's wrong.

"Err, are you okay?" You asked, brows furrowed. And if some concern was laced in there than by all means.

"Mmm...don't mind me...I'm just thinking..."

"Don't hurt yourself," A voice rumbled from the other side of the alley as the sand shifted and formed into Crocodile. His impassive expression there but you could spot his normally furrowed brows bringing more wrinkles between his brows than normal. A cigar was on his lips, smoke curling and silver eyes moved towards you. "You're gonna choke on that stick again, Silver Blood. Spit it out."

You scowled around your trusty stick, affronted.

"No I'm not! That was just one time—"

"More than once."

"—it just happens okay?! I'm not gonna choke on this. Just let me chew on it and—"

You felt string on your right wrist and you choked on the stick in surprise. Moving in a panic as you coughed and hacked until it eventually landed onto the sand into a saliva filled mess. You're sure the inside of your mouth is bleeding somewhere.

You turned towards Doflamingo with an angry tick.

"What was that?! You almost killed me!"

Doflamingo just grinned at you, his hand out in that position to keep his hold on you. You noticed he took a box that was in the alleyway and was sitting with legs open. But his grin looked thoughtful and was close lipped.

"Fufufu, technically the stick would've killed you. Something you seem to have trouble with according to Crocoman. You guys must be close..."

You noticed that Crocodile made it open that you come here often so perhaps he just didn't care if Doflamingo knew. If Crocy didn't mind for Mingo to know than maybe they're closer than you thought?

Your feeling of unease didn't go away.

And it didn't help that Crocodile walked towards you and was now around three feet away, towering over you with your head only up to just below his hip.

"You really are the nosy type, flamingo bastard." Crocodile pointed out lazily. "Where did this chase of yours lead you? Having to grab Silver Blood randomly for her to look at you?"

You were literally in between Doflamingo and Crocodile.

"My, my. Someone might be a little sore from losing the game. And you losing hasn't mellowed that mouth of yours at all."

You think you were about to cry. You could feel tears prick your eyes as you hung your head with depressed lines coming down over you. What is happening with you in the middle?! This is your worst nightmare!

"Hmph. Not sore at all. Merely unimpressed. You must have something better to do than loiter around in Rainbase. Don't you have a country to bother?"

"Heh," Doflamingo's sunglasses flashed and his grin widened. "The real question is, don't you?"

You and Crocodile tensed. Your eyes moving up towards Doflamingo as you frowned.

Doflamingo is aware.

Doflamingo's eyes flitted towards you and he chuckled openly.

"My little marine, he didn't say?" You had an idea of what Crocodile didn't say, your eyes moving towards Crocodile who was glowering at Doflamingo. "Well, it doesn't matter. I have an idea on how to teach him some manners. By starting to show what exactly I'm planning to do."

You felt a tug on your wrist, making you land on the pinkie's lap.

You flushed and scrambled to bonk his head.

"WHAT ARE YOU—?!"

You felt his strings tighten painfully, making you flinch slightly and look back towards Mingo with an angry expression. You took notice of his grin and his head was slightly tilted down towards you but he kept his gaze straight ahead towards Crocodile. Your hand was up awkwardly against Doflamingo's shoulder and your other hand was fisted around his shirt when you tried to hit him.

"Mingo, let go!"

"No," he said cooly, calmly. No playful lilt in sight despite the small grin on his face. "I don't feel like playing with you today, little (Y/N). I don't feel like playing with Crocoman either."

"Flamingo," Crocodile practically growled, you turning your gaze at him despite you having a confirmation of your suspicions of what he's been doing. "I knew you were a fool but one to do this is another matter entirely."

"I frankly don't care. Not when I have all the cards and can give the World Government a call about what exactly you've been doing over here, Crocoman. And hiding a wanted woman like the little marine at the same time."

You froze, eyes wide as you turned towards Doflamingo. Disbelieving as your mouth moved on it's own.

"Oi, your joke is a little too cruel Mingo. Crocy hasn't been hiding me—."

Doflamingo eyes turned towards you and the unease you felt seemed to triple as your senses were going haywire.

"I'm not joking."

A shot rang out.

He's...not joking.

"Gin Chi is right, Mingo." Crocodile stated after a few beats of silence as your mind ran. "You won't benefit from this. What's in it for you to report it? You're not the type to butt in but prefer to watch cause you find it interesting like you always spout."

Doflamingo isn't joking, you realized, your gut churning. He's not joking.

He doesn't care. Something snapped.

Despite Doflamingo's confirmation that your suspicions must've been true, you don't want to be the reason yourself of why Crocodile lost his status of a Warlord. Crocodile didn't have to keep meeting you and feeding you and entertaining you with talks of dreams, treasures, and ambitions each time you came. He could've reported you the second time you came to Alabasta to the World Government despite him stating he hates them.

He's done a lot for you. You know you're annoying. Just like you know he's a grump. But you kept coming back and he would let you. He's successfully distracted you from his plans and machinations but he would match each suspicion you said outwardly to him head on. Didn't shy away. Never outwardly lied to you, but definitely deceived. One is not better than the other but Crocodile is a confusing man.

A confusing man who's been nice. And if his title could possibly get revoked cause of you...and you alone...

Your demeanor changed, one eye shadowed under your cap as one lone narrowed (e/c) eye stared at Doflamingo. Doflamingo taking notice, his grin widening.

"Why, what a face~. I think you know I'm not joking, little (Y/N). You should stop looking at me like that though...I might do something."

You felt his other hand that wasn't controlling your wrist, previously on your waist to hold you down to his body move downwards. You felt his hand graze the area right above your rear.

Your Haki flared. Buso Haki on your wrist as you quickly tugged your hand away, jumping away from the pinkie as your Conqueror's roared. You cutting the string when you quickly unsheathed Karasu, the sword glinting as you stood in front of Crocodile.

Your glare was heated, the same with your Conqueror's as it whipped about in a rage while Doflamingo calmly sat on the box. Unfazed.

"You." You hissed, coldly. You taking small note of Crocodile shifting behind you slightly. "I have misjudged you, Doflamingo. Tell me why I can't just kill you right here before you even have time to reach for the snail?"

"Fufufu, I doubt you will. Why don't you explain Crocoman?"

You kept your gaze on the bird man even as Crocodile stepped beside you. You felt his glance but still didn't turn away.

"...I have a distinct feeling you and Gin Chi (Y/N) aren't as close as you thought."

The Mingo frowned at him.

"That wasn't what I was looking for. See, little marine." Doflamingo turned back towards you, a cruel smirk on his face. "I know despite all those talks saying otherwise, you're soft. You've killed. But never an innocent," your jaw tightened at that which Doflamingo took note of. "Fufufu, or maybe you have. When you were a marine. But never since you've left. If you tried to kill me now, well...there's a lot of people around isn't there? My strings, one wrong move and all the buildings will go down. Just like if you went full strength you would do the same with your slashes. Would you take the risk of the lives here just to kill little ol me~?"

Your hand tightened around Karasu, your lone eye under your cap in a slitted glare.

"You are manipulating me."

Doflamingo's smirk widened.

"Is it working?"

"What are you getting out of this, flamingo?" Crocodile questioned before you could retort, your nostrils flaring as you cursed yourself in your thoughts. "There's something you want for you to go this far. This," Crocodile's lips lifted into a mocking smirk, "Can't all be due to a childish outburst of my words earlier and in the last meeting. Gin Chi has more control than you."

"Oh," Doflamingo said, voice light yet promising something cruel. "You know what I want, Crocoman. The same as you. Just like how I've been wanting to fix that mouth of yours."

You noticed Crocodile's form tense from the corner of your eye. Distinctly hearing him mutter "two-faced bastard".

"That didn't answer the question," You said tightly. Distantly you wondered where all the people went, it's only late afternoon unless your Haki scared everyone away. Doesn't matter now. "What do you want?"

Doflamingo took a moment to stare at you in surprise before bursting out into fits of laughter. He kept on going too. You suddenly felt a close kinship with Lucci at that moment, wanting to tear the man before you for mocking you and reading you so easily.

"Leave it alone, Gin Chi." Crocodile said lowly next to you. His hook grazing your side as he did. Strangely enough, it didn't tickle you that time. But brought you a comfort. "We can't give him what he wants. He's being overconfident in this play of his."

"But...your title..."

"With his big mouth, you've connected the dots. Your suspicions have been confirmed of what's been going on. Whether it by him or by you, I'll lose it. I rather have a choice," Crocodile finished calmly, almost resigned. But he doesn't get it.

The tempest moves.

He's so smart but so slow.

You bit your lip and tightened your hold on Karasu. Karasu wanting to shriek along with you.

"There's a difference." You stated as your eyes were shadowed under your cap. You felt Crocodile's gaze on you. Your lip tearing as a drop of blood went down your chin. "There's a difference, between his and mine. I...I do not want to...my own actions should not and presence...you have been..." you lifted your head, eye peering up at him as your head kept at Doflamingo. "Me being here should not be a factor in you losing it!"

You finally spat out. Seeing Crocodile's silver eyes widen in surprise before an emotion passed over them too quick for you to catch. You just hoped he understood.

You felt the hook graze you once more and the sand beneath slightly shift.

"Fufufufufu~!" You focused back on Doflamingo, lone eye looking at him under your cap. "My, what loyalty. How cute little marine~. You two are fucking than?"

You started while the hook dropped.

"Wh-what the fuck are you talking about?!"

"Mingo..." Crocodile warned, taut.

"Ah, you're not?" Doflamingo said midly surprised but not really due to how wide his grin was. "Which one is it than? It's either all, none, or one."

"You really don't know Gin Chi, do you?"

You felt frazzled and lost, an angry flush on your cheeks due to Doflamingo's dirty phrasing. Doflamingo caught your confusion and gave a laugh once more.

"There's rumors about you, little marine." Doflamingo clarified but not really since your brows furrowed. Feeling like you were getting caught in his pace although you made sure you kept your hold on your weapon and were watching him sharply. "Red-Hair, Hawk-Eyes, and Crocoman here. That you're their lovers. Or fuck buddy. You pick." Your jaw loosened. "The most popular one is with the Yonko though. You like power than? Not shocking. Fufufufu, everyone does. Even you. Though I wonder how it can work since he only has one arm. Came back without one when he left the weakest sea. Mustn't be that great than."

"Shut up." You commanded, Conqueror's back in full force. Crackling with energy down towards Doflamingo and only him and you really wished you were more like Lucci than and there.

Just go for the attack. Karasu could do it. Kuroi ten'nosabaki does not deserve to have this man's blood on its metal sheen.

You would tear his throat open with your sword instead of powerful jaws though. The blood would go everywhere if you did that but you wouldn't care. You would feel only blood lust.

You don't think you've ever been this angry. Not since the mission you think, not since the purple snot uttered those words.

But someone who would manipulate you like this. Who would utter such disgusting words, someone you clearly misjudged. Who would insult Shanks. Shanks! Shanks of all people!

Shanks would probably just shrug off the words. They weren't true after all. He likes to avoid unnecessary conflict by any means. He wouldn't feel insulted on his behalf. Only for others.

So you'll feel insulted on his behalf. Since he's not here.

"You don't know Shanks." You said coldly, your throat feeling odd as Conqueror's went through it. Commanding and menacing. Doflamingo quiet ever since you said shut up and Crocodile observing next to you. "He's under no one. Unlike you." You lifted your head, and glared at him. Looking at him like he was beneath you and you knew he would hate it cause he bristled. "You're just someone with clipped wings. You'll never rise back to Godhood. Much less a king. You'll never be Pirate King."

It was silent. A pin could be dropped and the tension would fold and explode. A risk of taking this town with it.

Doflamingo stared at you, grin gone and actually serious.

You felt Crocodile do the same.

You stood ramrod straight, a hand tight on your sword and with towering men much taller than you. And yet you are not the one who shall bow.

Doflamingo stood from the box, hand in his pockets. You noticed he had veins on his forehead. Some on his neck too. He was still a few feet away from you and Crocodile.

"...you and your Observation Haki had more power than I thought." Doflamingo mused, but you sensed the tension. "I don't recall telling you I wanted to be Pirate King."

"I sensed something was wrong with you the moment I sensed you." You confessed, not caring anymore. They can know. "Your energy was off. Crocodile's was too but not as much as you. Depending on what someone is feeling or thinking at the moment, I get flashes from the past. Or just generally what you're feeling or thinking. Sometimes I go too deep and feel the emotions I'm sensing strongly and have to pull back. That, and it's rude to look too deeply."

"You can sense intentions?" Crocodile asked, curious as he moved a hand to his hook. You gave a slight shake of your head.

"No not really. It's hard to describe. I get an echo of words and those words hold feelings and thoughts. Everyone has a base energy that I can generally sense. The ones I have become more familiar with however, their thoughts and feelings at the moment jump at me more. But who cares about that?" You stared up at Doflamingo, your lone sharp narrowed (e/c) piercing. "What do you want? You didn't say. Just spouted ridiculous statements."

"...you really are oblivious aren't you?" Doflamingo seemed to purr in delight, his grin back on with some veins lessening but still present. "Fufufufu~, it was just as I suspected than. You didn't seem the type to sleep around but I was open either way."

"Pink trash," Crocodile called, his deep set eyes narrowed as silver flashed dangerously. "What you're asking is impossible. It won't happen."

Doflamingo hummed.

"Won't it? Unless you directly call little (Y/N) a subordinate of yours as a Warlord, than all your hard work will go down the drain. So much for that patience you love so much, hm~?" Doflamingo's lips stretched as he displayed his hands outwards towards them, releasing a shrug. "What are you going to do?"

"Not interested."

"No. I don't take orders from anybody anymore."

The both of you answered without looking at each other, looking at the flamingo with gazes of defiance, loathing, and condescending.

Doflamingo openly laughed, a hand coming to cover his face.

"Fufufufu~, both of you act alike. No wonder little (Y/N)'s words reminded me of yours, Crocoman...play hard to get too."

You couldn't take it anymore. Your patience is running out.

"Spit it out already! What's the deal you want? Stop talking in riddles!"

"Fufufu~, I don't know how to be more clearer but alright." Doflamingo held his pointer finger up, his face behind it as he grinned as your brows slightly furrowed. "I ask for one night. With both of you. That's it. And you won't see me near here ever again."

Make others dance, but I will lead.

Your jaw loosened and you slackened the hold of your sword slightly in surprise, staring up wide eyed at the highly amused and deranged man.

"Horny bird. That's what you want?" Crocodile asked, incredulous and disgusted but manages to mostly keep his impassive face on. You only lowering your head as your gut churned, you putting a fisted hand to your chest as you gritted your teeth. "You could've chosen anything else. But you chose to want to fuck and have your way."

Doflamingo gave a one armed shrug, uncaring.

"It's not that hard. Not much to ask really. It's only one time, well," Doflamingo licked his lips as his gaze flitted towards Crocodile and to you, a sly grin. "Hopefully not just one time. I have a lot of stamina to spare. Don't want to push you too far, old Crocoman. Your age might not handle it. So one night is good enough. You can last one night can't you?"

Crocodile ignored him.

You distantly felt Crocodile's eyes on you. Your head still bowed as you bit your lip once more, making blood dribble down. Landing silently onto the sand.

His eyes turned away to look back at Doflamingo.

"You don't have anything else?"

"Nope~. That's all I want."

"How do we know you won't hold this over our heads at a later date if we agree? That you won't demand another instance of this from either one of us?"

"Aww, come on! You think I'm that heartless?"

"That doesn't deserve a response."

"Fufufufu~! I won't. You just have to trust my word."

"Your word is as useless as a Devil Fruit user in the ocean."

"...he's telling the truth."

Doflamingo and Crocodile turned towards you. A determined glint on your eyes, you sheathing Karasu as you wiped the blood from your chin.

"What a nice ability to have, indeed. Should've accepted my offer." Doflamingo idly said.

You glanced at Crocodile before turning towards Doflamingo, your expression hard to read.

"It has to be both of us?"

"...fufufufu~, you're truly a kind marine aren't you?" Doflamingo easily read you, Crocodile doing the same as his expression tightened. "Yes! It has to be both. Or I'll just give a call to the World Government and it's over for both of you."

You stared. You gave a nod. You turned your back towards them.

"Where?"

"...fufufu~, where indeed." Doflamingo glanced at Crocodile who was staring at your straight back, but your shoulders hunched in defeat as you had a hand to the hilt of Karasu. "Well, Crocoman? Ideas?"

Crocodile was silent for a moment as you stared straight ahead but looked at nothing.

"Raindinners. Lower Levels. Let's do 10 o'clock."

"That works for me~. I have to make a few calls anyways and stop by my ship." Doflamingo turned towards you. "Good for you, little marine?"

He's asking as if you have a choice.

You've never felt smaller.

You felt yourself nod before you used Soryu away from the two men.

Crocodile moved his eyes towards Doflamingo when you disappeared.

"All this, from a petty comment?"

Doflamingo grinned, walking up to Crocodile and leaned forward as Crocodile kept his feet planted and head straight. Despite how the Doflamingo got near to the side of his head.

"All this, from imagining those two loud mouths doing something else besides talking back." Doflamingo corrected, breath fanning Crocodile's ear with the golden hoop. "What's one more time going to do to you?"

Crocodile scoffed, silver eyes meeting the light blue hidden under sunglasses.

"Make me suffer from hearing you make those sounds for one." Crocodile turned into sand, slowly leaving. "Bring the heavy drinks if you have any good ones." Crocodile disappeared, leaving Doflamingo alone in the alleyway with glinting glasses.

"Fufufu~, was already planning on it. There's one who will need it the most out of the three of us."

Doflamingo left to go check on his ship, idly looking at the sun. Four o'clock. Six hours to kill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You went into Raindinners immediately after. You grabbed the key the assistant manager saves for you for your VIP room that you always stay in.

When you entered your room, the king sized bed with red covers in the middle of it with a large mahogany desk to the left next to the nice bathroom that functioned as a shower and tub. The glass door to a small balcony at the back of the room, letting the red sun of the desert shine in. You walked and closed the curtains of the glass door to hide it. You laid Kuroi ten'nosabaki by the left bed stand table.

You sat on the comfortable firm bed, elbows on your knees as you looked down.

You looked down for a long time.

You took off your hat, releasing your messy hair that Shanks always ruffled with a teasing laugh when you let your hair free from your cap. You held your cap by the rim and stared at it.

You stared at your treasure for even longer than that.

Feeling Smoker push your head down with the cap on your head as he scowled and called you an idiot. Which, you really are.

You're an idiot.

A drop of salt fell on your hat. You laid your cap on the bed stand table when you noticed a few more fell.

You unbuckled Karasu's belt from your hip and unsheathed it some to stare at your reflection. If you imagined, you could see eyes of amber gold staring at you instead of your own. Mihawk would ask for you to fully unsheathe your sword, his Yoru up as he stared at you in challenge and pride as you were able to finally meet a few of his blows head on.

You sheathed Karasu and laid it next to you on the bed. A hand to your left scarred cheek due to feeling an itch.

You already knew what Lucci would do. What he would say. He wouldn't be smirking down at you like he always did when mocking you and made your blood boil. It would be that horrible cold expression of his with an equally cold tone, Hattori not chirping on his shoulder but beady eyes also staring. What he would look at you with when you first arrived in CP9. Like a worm, wriggling uselessly and eating scum. A worm is worse than scum.

You punched down on your right side onto the bed. It easily bouncing back as salt that was burning and hot fell onto the floor.

You hated when you were angry and cried.

You cried for a long time, but not as long as you stared at your hat.

You rubbed your face with the back of your hand and went to the bathroom to clean yourself up. You decided against showering.  You idly remembering Hina's words to you as a teenager for the reason why it should be after and not before.

Or was it peeing?

You don't quite remember. You don't think you can hold your pee for that long.

Your senses flared just as a knock resounded on your door.

The feeling when you open a new book.

You opened the door and finally met the one with the sad yet calming energy.

Nico Robin stared at you with glittering blue ocean for eyes under her purple cowboy hat, a white fur coat over her person with a purple crop top and black skirt that went above her knees. Her smile slightly faltered when she looked at you but rose up again quickly.

"The boss said you knew. He saw no point in hiding me anymore." You continued to stare, and Robin gracefully continued. "May I come in? I've always wanted to talk to you, Silver of the Molten Metal's daughter. You've made a name for yourself."

You opened the door for her and let her in, silently closing it shut. You sitting in the corner of the bed to the right as Robin sat in the large black lounge chair by the glass door. Robin made a cross with her arms, palms up and you noticed the light in the room was turned on. Guess it was dark.

"You don't look surprised," Nico Robin said with an interested calm smile. But you only thought of a child being accused of destruction. "I have the Hana Hana No Mi fruit. I can make appendages appear anywhere as long as I can see my intended target. It's quite a handy trick you would say. Although I've used it more for cracking necks or backs quite forcefully so I do not think it helps others as much."

A sinful life.

"...you're worthy."

Nico Robin, who thinks sunsets look like an explosion, blinked. A confused smile on her lips now. It looked more genuine.

You looked up at her and (e/c) eyes that melt and see through connected to ocean blue that can swallow history.

"If I'm worthy to live as a pirate's daughter, you're worthy to live as a historian."

Nico Robin's eyes widened and her chin did an odd thing before her lips straightened.

Ah, you thought. It's taking her a bit too.

But you want to help. Like she has been wanting to talk to you, you've been wanting to talk to the one with the energy that felt tragic yet beautiful.

Sometimes helping someone else's pain can help your own.

"You don't believe me," you said and Nico Robin gave you no answer. Eyes serious and vast just like the color it encompasses does. "That's fine. I've been wanting to meet you too. We were the same age when Ohara happened." Her face tightened but you kept going as you looked down your combat boots. "I didn't get it. Old man Garp tried to explain it to me but he sounded like he didn't either. I...can't imagine being alone for so long...I" you smiled a crumpled smile. "I got really lucky, I thought. I wasn't alone." You looked back up and stared at her, connecting your gazes once more. "You won't be either. There's people out there who'll see you."

Nico Robin stared. You saw her seem to bite the inside of her lip.

You showed her off a sheepish grin you didn't quite feel as you scratched the back of your head.

"I can be one of those people to start it off if ya want? Although I can be a lousy friend...I'm pretty loud and we're practically opposites."

Slowly, as beats passed, Nico Robin's lips formed into a smile that looked real on her face as her eyes turned half lidded. She put a hand elegantly to her cheek, seeming to hide the real smile on her face.

"Another reason I wanted to meet you, Gin Chi (Y/N)," You slowly blinked. "Is that I always saw you as kind. It seems I wasn't wrong."

You flushed slightly as she gave you a close eyed smile, you looking down and scratching your cheek nervously.

"O-oh. You too...that you seemed nice I mean. Or I guess seem. Are?"

Her smile widened a tad bit more as she opened her eyes, and you felt a bit better at having a sad soul brighten more thanks to you.

The both of you talked for a time. You feeling the appreciation for history as the both of you conversed. You still felt kinda distant at times in the conversation but Robin filled the silence when you were supposed to. Eventually the clock turned to seven, Robin taking note of it on the wall before serious eyes turned towards you. But still with that serene smile.

"I'm afraid I have to go now." Your lips down turned slightly as Robin stood from the large black leather lounge chair. You standing up with her. "But I want to give you some advise before I leave."

Your brows furrowed and Robin motioned for you to come near her.

You did so, confused as she cupped her mouth and whispered to your ear. Your eyes widening and face flushing at what she was saying.

"Wh-why are y-you—what the heck kind of advise was that?"

Robin merely smiled.

"It'll help. Trust me."

"B-but, how do you—"

"I've been watching afar for some time," Robin winked and moved towards the door as she gave your shoulder a small pat in passing. "I can see how boss is around you. Men like what I told you. Good luck!" She shut the door and you looked at it red faced in embarrassment at what she said.

Before your expression dropping as you sat down. Thinking on the circumstances that you're in.

You don't know how you're gonna do this... you should've asked Robin about some of this stuff but it would be embarrassing. You just started talking to her!

You can't just ask: Hey! So this sex thing, I get what you do but what about the other stuff?

You groaned, starting to feel more like yourself as you laid down snow angel style on the bed as you scowled at the ceiling.

You never focused on romance or the other stuff much. All you knew was that your mother only had your dad, her talking about she can't imagine someone else taking his place.

You can't imagine not holding love for one person as you have sex with them. It felt wrong.

You know Hina seemed to be fine with it, and educated you that not everyone does it for love but cause it felt good. You remembered asking her did it really feel that good to not want to wait for the person you love to do it with. Hina giving a reply that not everyone may be capable of love.

So you know some people do it for fun. Others do it for love, that was the way you wanted but now that this isn't the case...

You don't know much besides the basics. Some stray sentences you've caught Kalifa say here and there. Jabra doing the same. Lucci making you leave the conversation when he left, looking irritated in those cold eyes.

You know where what goes where. You know that preparation may be needed before the what goes to woohoo. There's different ways, by mouth or your butt. You rather not have anything go in your butt where excretions is meant to come out of it.

"URK!" You couldn't help but shout, moving to face plant on your very soft pillows.

You're at a complete loss.

You've only known fighting, training, and killing for the longest. Other skills being acquired with a lot of hard work and trial and error. You're someone who doesn't do anything by halves, but always gives it their all.

But how can you at least try when you have no idea how?

The tempest that swallows and destroys to show.

A knock resounded on your door, two strong raps to it. You straightened, checking the clock that it was only 7:15 PM before looking down at yourself for a moment before shrugging. He'll just have to deal with looking at your messy hair. You told him to come in, you moving to sit cross legged in the middle of the bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crocodile opened the door when you said the words, you must be aware it was him due to your Haki. He noticed you sitting on the bed with your boots still on, your hair a mess and thus your cap off, clothes wrinkled but he spent a moment more looking at the area around your eyes.

When he closed the door behind him after leaning down slightly to enter the room, he took a puff of his cigar as he lazily glanced around. Him moving towards the lounge chair in the corner and sitting. Putting an ankle atop his knee as he leaned back and blew a puff of smoke. Your gaze on him as you frowned at him with a tilted head, your neck being exposed at the movement.

You must've noticed his new clothes. He changed from his previous attire. He still had his fur coat around his shoulders but he only had his white buttoned long sleeved shirt on instead of an additional vest. Him also still retaining his sleek dress pants and dress buckled shoes on his person. Scarf also absent so it left his own neck exposed.

He saw no point in leaving his previous vest and long sleeved on.

Especially with what he's going to ask you and what will occur later.

"You look like crap," he drawled idly. Your face twisting into a scowl that made your brows meet tightly and your mouth in a snarl. The normal expression made his lips twitch up into a smirk for a moment.

"What kind of greeting is that?! That's not how you greet people, Crocy!"

His smirk dropped at the dreadful nickname as he took a puff of his cigar, holding it between his fingers as he leaned his arm against the armrest. Blowing the smoke out once more.

"You certainly have a lot of nerve about what's a proper way to greet others, Gin Chi. You know not to call me that in public."

You looked at him oddly, eyes squinting. He rose a brow in question.

"...I—are you saying that in private it's okay? I thought you hated it either way." Your eyes sparked in mischief, a playful smirk pulling on your lips at the question.

He's tired.

"I'm tired," he said aloud, putting his cigar back between his teeth and rubbing the space between his brows. "I don't need to repeat myself on how I feel about the name. You're already aware. And don't say it in front of that man especially."

Your lips turned down at the reminder of what will occur later, you head bowing in sync before looking up at him again through your lashes.

Crocodile never sees any point in not being blunt with his words unless for deceit like he's been doing to you for the past few years. But perhaps he can hold back a little. Only a tad. It's best to be honest on what will occur which is why he's here, but first—he dropped his hand from his face and laid it against the armrest.

"How was meeting the infamous Nico Robin?"

He was curious. You would know his goal now with that reveal. The only one left in the world that can read Poneglyphs.

You lifted your head slightly as your mouth formed a small smile.

"She's nice. I like her."

Crocodile scoffed, lips lifting.

"Of course that's all you say. Don't know what you see, she's clearly two faced."

You frowned at him, looking at him in disappointment.

"She's nice. Maybe treat her more as a friend than a tool for your plans and you'll see." He scoffed again and your brows furrowed at him. It only made you look like you were pouting now. "I see something in you too, ya know. You're nice too."

At that, he openly laughed.

Him? Nice?

You must've hit your head along the way to Raindinners. You've never given him an inclination you saw him as such. With your glares and scowls and comments about his attitude towards the civilians of Alabasta, Crocodile knows you see him as ruthless and ambitious. Which he is, and he is also many others things. Cold, calculating, pragmatic, willing to use any means necessary to achieve what he wants. And he will.

He stopped laughing and peered over at you, your face back into a scowl due to him openly mocking you due to your words. His mind's eye picturing your face into a much more cold and intimidating expression. One he's felt at times but only for a moment before you would jump back easily into the lady idiot. Not as focused as you did earlier, and not as much bloodlust.

Too bad you were soft and that they were in Rainbase. He would've gladly joined you in getting rid of the abomination that's trapped them due to childish pettiness. He wouldn't have cared if civilians were in the way, but his public image would take a hit and that would put a damper into his careful planning that he's planned for almost a decade. Which you chose to stand with.

Crocodile observed you, your posture slouched as you leaned forward and continued to rant to him about something or other. He wasn't quite listening.

He only thought about your words to him

"There's a difference." You stated as your eyes were shadowed under your cap. Crocodile stared down at you, analyzing as you bit your lip so hard you drew blood. "There's a difference, between his and mine. I...I do not want to...my own actions should not and presence...you have been..." you lifted your head, eye peering up at him as your head kept at the pink abomination. "Me being here should not be a factor in you losing it!"

He never would imagine that you honestly cared how he lost his title. You only seemed to want to sniff around as you caught suspicion in the air and looked for anything to put on Crocodile to have his Warlord status revoked.

The fact you were doing all this, just because you did not want him housing you on a mere whim without reporting you to be the reason his status was gone.

It was odd. It was prideful.

It was completely soft.

It showcased that you saw him as a friend. How else would he explain your willingness for the deal? He didn't expect such loyalty. Anyone who knows you, and not how the pink nuisance said, is aware of how easily flustered you are. And that you were clearly a virgin. An odd trait for a normally loud mouthed rambunctious woman, but one nonetheless. This deal was not something he expected for you to accept. He found it impossible. And the fact you were also willing to not have himself into the deal and just have yourself and Doflamingo, despite it all. Despite your clear loathing and reluctance.

The bird man truly didn't know you or knew how to handle you at all.

And loyalty needs to be rewarded.

"Gin Chi," he cut you off, your face twisting before recognizing his serious tone. You stared at him and waited in attention. His lips curled slightly around his cigar. He liked it when you listened. "You know what will occur later, yes?" You nodded, brows furrowing. "And you are aware that due to your words earlier and just how he is, he won't be kind." He didn't frame this as a question. You gave a slower nod, frowning deeply. "I won't be kind either. No matter what you may say. I am not the type to be soft and giving empty sweet words." He spotted your hands clench around the silk sheets below you, he paused as he released a low sigh.

He motioned his hand in a come here motion. You looked at the hand and back to him, before deeming it alright as you stood and walked to him and stood in front of him. Your head being able to meet his chest now due to him sitting in the leather chair, he observed. He could see the area around your eyes easier. As well as see the exact color of your (h/c) hair upon your head, wild and messy as it looked. His hand twitched to fix it but he stayed it, instead lowering his ankle that was atop his knee.

"You have two options. You're a virgin," your  face flushed prettily at his casualness and you made a sputtering noise which he ignored. "You can either have it be taken away by him later on which is likely. He is childish and will want to take it away from you himself and no one else. He'll get off on it. Or," he lifted his hooked hand and grazed your smooth cheek, your face twitching all about like it always does due to you finding his dangerous weapon ticklish. Your face making his lips curl up. "We can be ahead of him and I'll do it myself right now. I'll be able to show you what to expect later on instead of you just diving in. I can show you what you need to know."

Crocodile stared as you bit your lip in thought before looking up at him, eyes open and trusting.

"You promise you will train me in everything to the best of your ability?"

What an odd question, Crocodile noted with a rose brow before he nodded.

"With the time we have available, yes."

"You...you won't go e-easy on me?"

Crocodile swallowed at your sincere flustered expression, instead just grazed his hook along your cheek. The point of it down.

"No," he answered, voice husky to his own ears. "I won't. Kindness is not something I give so don't expect any."

Your eyes flashed for a moment at his words before your eyes flitted towards his hook. Your right hand lifting to touch it as you stared.

"The hook is staying," Crocodile said.

You blinked, looking at him funny before both your hands grabbed the bottom of his hook. Your right hand touching his covered wrist, squeezing and your warmth seeping.

"I don't want it to leave. It needs to stay."

Crocodile gazed at you, his jaw loosening and feeling his cigar move out of his mouth before he fixed his surprised expression. You still holding onto his hook protectively and a glint in your eyes. He recalled your shoulders relaxing when he grazed your arm with his hook earlier.

Only you could feel comfort from something that can easily gut you.

"What's your answer than?"

(E/c) eyes that can pierce any hard metal connected to silver that promised a reckoning.

Your hand flexed against his wrist, you jutting your chin out in mock bravery as you swallowed.

"I choose you, Crocodile."

He breathed through his nose, carefully removing the cigar from his mouth. He reached his hand to the desk next to him, your eyes following the movement. Blinking and not seeming to ever notice there was an ash tray in this room atop the desk on the side, where he put out the cigar with his bejeweled hand. You looking at the tray in suspicion, not noticing Crocodile hand moving to grab your chin. Turning your eyes back towards him. His smirk was wide and pleased.

"Good girl," he rumbled lowly, your eyes widening and he felt the heat going to your face through his fingers at the words. Crocodile quietly taking note of it before retracting his hook from your hold. "Now kneel."

You blinked, confused. Crocodile tightened the hold of your chin.

"Kneel," he repeated, eyes narrowed and lips in a straight line. "The next time you make me repeat myself you'll get a punishment."

Your eyes turned defiant at that. Crocodile recalling you do not like taking orders at all since you've left the marines. You have to learn though, which you will.

You frowned before looking down, Crocodile releasing his hold on your chin when you seemed to understand. The only space you could really kneel is between his legs, which he purposely opened after he lowered his ankle down from atop his knee. You flushed in realization but nonetheless, you kneeled. Your arms awkwardly by your sides as you looked up at him, waiting on what to do.

The fact he has to spell it out is charming.

Crocodile smirked, reaching his hand out to grab your small one before guiding it to his already hard pelvis.

You flushed. He could practically feel the heat of your hand through his clothes. His cock twitched and your eyes bulged.

"WHA—?!"

"First we have to make sure you know how to suck. This is how it usually may start out," Crocodile explained as he kept your hand there. "We're gonna do it the hard way though. You need to learn how to use your mouth for other purposes. I'm sure you can guess what they are."

Your face did an odd thing. Embarrassed at his words clearly before understanding dawned, biting your lip and pulling with your teeth.

He paused, thinking. He slowly released his hold on your hand from his pelvis. You moved to snatch it away so Crocodile grabbed your hand once more as he tsked at you.

"You're going to have to use your hands to touch me. You can't shy away or just lay there and take it. You want to learn don't you?" He challenged you, and it seemed to have worked because you strongly nodded. Your hand flexing in his own. "Use your sharp eyes and watch than. See what works." You stared up at him before you gave him another nod, slower this time.

He released his hold and you kept your hand in the air for a moment, deciding. Your other hand than joining and moving to the button and zip of his pants, your eyes focused as he looked down at you. You unbuttoned and zipped down, fumbling as you did so and with shaking hands pulled down his pants slightly as much as you could. You glanced at him, asking. He only rose a thin brow.

You'll receive no help from me, Crocodile thought with an amused glint. Your eyes are much too open as well...

You huffed at him, turning your gaze back to his pelvis. Your hand touched the last barrier between you and his cock, fingers scraping against his lower abdomen as you lowered his briefs. Your nails scrapping slightly against his skin. He gripped the arm chair for a moment, his cock being released as he watched you with heavy lidded eyes.

Your eyes had gone round and your jaw slack as you looked at it, already half hard despite how little you've done. Your hand still holding down the briefs as you openly stared.

"It's big..." you breathed, eyes dancing up and down at it. You than made a face. "It looks weird."

Crocodile laughed lightly at that, grinning smugly despite your other comment. He guesses it would be strange for someone who doesn't have one.

"You look nervous." He raised his hand, moving a piece of your hair and fixing it. Your eyes turning to look up at him at the gesture. "You never have seen one? I would expect that your eyes would catch a few glances here and there throughout your life."

Your eyes flicked with a memory before you turned back to look down at his cock.

"Not...not this close, no. The...the other times were more l-like accidents." Your jaw tightened, as well as your hand holding his briefs down. Looking frustrated. "How exactly am I going to...?" You trailed off but he understood.

He moved his hand that was still by your head once more, cupping the back of your neck. Your hair tickling it as you looked back up at him.

"It'll work," he said lowly, his eyes roving over your face before stopping at your parted lips. He could see the abuse you gave it from earlier, red still stained upon them. His lips quirked up, your eyes following it. "Don't tell me that you're scared of something like this? The famous Gin Chi can't handle it?"

Your eyes glinted, pride hit like he thought it would before you turned back to his cock. You rose your other hand and wrapped around it, fingers curling. He kept his breath even, although he did take a quick inhale. You leaned your head down until you were an inch away from it, and hesitated.

He gently put pressure on your neck, his fingers scraping the back of your scalp. The sensation seemed to please you if your eyes turning half lidded was anything to go by. He took note of this as well.

"Don't run away," he said, commanding. "Just put your mouth around it and use your hand." He continued to scrape the back of your scalp slightly and you leaned into his touch. "And don't dawdle. You're wasting time." He stopped and just kept his hand on your neck, your eyes focusing through your haze at his cock. It seems your face will be permanently heated, if the temperature of your neck was anything to go by.

You were easy to fluster, he wonders how wet you could become.

He inhaled when you took an experimental lick along the slit, saliva mixing in with precum as you made a face at the taste. Your eyes glinting hard once more before you ever so slowly wrapped those lips around his member, the wet walls of your mouth being a tease to him for later on as your tongue flicked about. His hand tightening around your neck as he felt his member pulse, Crocodile keeping his eyes on you as your hand started pumping at the base as you continued to suck.

"Look at me," he said hoarsely. You did so, only moving your eyes up at him as your mouth paused along with your hand, waiting. Your eyes flicking around his face, observing as Crocodile could only think that your expression shouldn't affect him this much. "You...haven't done this before?" You moved back to answer but Crocodile kept you there. You scowled at him around his cock, your teeth gently scraping the skin as you did so. You shaking your head instead. Crocodile hummed at that, heated eyes taking you in, appraising. "Keep looking at me as you do so. And swallow when I say."

You rose a brow at him but you slowly did so, your vibrant (e/c) eyes that showed embarrassment as they met his. Your hand pumping and your mouth sucking. You did something with your teeth and tongue which made him buck his hips forward. You gagged when his cock must've hit the back of your throat, looking at him with eyes teary and in a glare. He only grinned.

"I'm not kind." He reminded, making you huff around his engorgement. Eyes taking that defiant look as you tightened your hold slightly around his member and pumped more roughly, teeth scraping more. It made something start to build at your continued ministrations and your eyes looking up at him like that. Him tightening his hold on your neck and pushing you down more slightly, making you take more as you gagged once more around it. "A girl shouldn't play with fire."

Your eyes flashed when he called you a girl, taking it as a slight. You deciding to do the maneuver with your tongue and teeth and sucked, making him inhale deep and grab a fistful of your hair as you continually repeated it until Crocodile felt it.

"Swallow," he tightly said as your only warning before his release, him giving out a strangled groan.  Your eyes widening as it hit, some of the liquid dribbling down your chin out the corner of your lips. You took some time to swallow it but you eventually did, releasing his member with a pop as you made a face at it. Looked affronted as if it insulted you in some way.

"That was...it tasted nasty. That won't kill me will it?"

He huffed, amused. Silver taking in the cum on the corner of your lip. Moving his hand to cup your jaw instead, his thumb swiping away the mess. Your eyes turning towards Crocodile's face, as he looked in thought and made sure to keep this in his memory.

Shame how we arrived here. Crocodile thought, thumbing the bottom of your lips and making them part as you stared wide eyed. The epitome of innocence looking at him like that with one hand still around him. But you're willing.

"No," he simply stated. Moving your hand off from his member with his hook, you understanding and you dropping both of your hands as Crocodile tucked back in but still had his pants unbuttoned. You still kneeling between his knees as you watched with a tilted head and brows furrowed, still looking concerned as you licked your lips unconsciously. Crocodile's eyes honing in on it before giving you an order, "Go to the bed. Take off those shoes." You swallowed nervously before standing up and turning towards the bed and doing as he ordered. Crocodile smirking in pleasure at you listening before he took off his own shoes, practice of doing so with one hand and afterwards he stood. Taking his fur coat off his shoulders and leaving it on the chair. He turned his gaze back towards you, seeing you moving your cap and buster sword to the desk instead. Since it was away from the bed.

He watched as you did so, spotting the muscles below your clothes flexing as you laid the sword down next to the desk.

"I don't want stuff to get on it," you simply answered at his look before moving your sword on the bed to the mahogany desk as well. "They'll get dirty."

Crocodile lips quirked up at your bold words.

"Someone is confident that there will be a mess to be had. How do you think that will occur?" He idly asked, while expertly unbuttoning his white long sleeved by three. "That wet for drops to fall?"

You turned to look at him, brows furrowed.

"Huh? I was talking about you. If I didn't swallow that stuff, it would've went everywhere." You crawled towards the middle of the bed, before sitting in the middle cross legged like when he came in as you looked down. "Man...my face would've been sticky."

Crocodile paused, his mind picturing his cum all over your face as you stared up at him in confusion on what to do next. Awaiting his next order.

His cock slightly rose.

"So I'm the messy one than?" He chose to reply instead, amused by your words as he walked towards the bed and towered over you on the bed. "Wanna make a gamble if you're so positive?" You looked at him in interest so he continued as he placed a knee upon the bed, placing his hand on your shoulder and pushed you down on the mattress. Your expression flustered but your eyes not straying from his as he leaned his body over you, his knee between your legs. "I bet the messy one out of the two of us here will be you. You may bet on the opposite." He leaned closer till your noses brushed, your hands coming up upon his chest. Your skin touching his and he noticed you were breathing quick. "What do you say?" He said roughly, eyes taking in your face, and his skin touching yours as he laid over you.

"I..." You moved your hand to touch his shirt, gripping on it as you bit your lip, glancing away before his meeting his gaze. "What's the prize?"

Crocodile idly hummed, hook trailing from your neck to your abdomen which clenched as he kept his hand by your head. He noticed you shuddered.

"We can decide that after words." He stated, moving to your lips only for your hands to press on his chest. He rose a brow at you, frowning and wondering if you want to be difficult.

"A-anywhere but the lips," you said in a stuttering breath, looking at him pleading. "Let anything else get taken away but...I don't want him to have this."

Crocodile's forehead wrinkled as he thought. Analyzing.

You want to have something for yourself.

"If that's the only place you'll deny, I believe he will accept." Crocodile answered, your shoulders relaxing at his words and your hands lessening the pressure on his chest. "Anywhere else is fine?" You nodded, Crocodile giving a small nod of his own.

And he moved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were trying to hold back all types of sounds, and failing.

Crocodile immediately pressing his hot lips upon your jaw as his hand unbuttoned your shirt. Your black bindings being shown as well as your stomach, his hand leaving warm touches all over you. His knee pressing against your core that was pounding and pulsing at the rate of your heart beat, which was going so fast you thought you will die on this bed from having a heart attack. Each time you writhed for one sensation or the other, it made his knee press more into you and a pressure in your gut increasing and felt nice and you were feeling confused. Crocodile nipping as he went down from your jaw to your neck, you able feel his smirk, him signaling with his hook behind your head for you to sit up as he sat up with you. His hand on your hip and his hook on your back.

You reading what he was asking as you bit your lip, taking off off your long sleeved blouse and leaving you in your black bindings being the only thing left to cover your chest. You rose your gaze and froze, spotting Crocodile's hungry gaze and he looked like he was literally going to eat you.

You felt like you will have a heat stroke, an inappropriate thought passing through you of Crocodile licking down there.

"You and your expression..." Crocodile rumbled, his deep set eyes on you. Your skin on your jaw and neck still hot from his ministrations, your hip growing hot as well due to his large hand. Your hand still on his open chest, hard and chiseled while the other one gripped his shirt on his upper abdomen. He moved slightly and you made an odd noise, his knee on your core pressing once more as you tightened your hold on his shirt and bowed your head, leaning it against his chest as you breathed. "So sensitive." You heard the amusement in his tone, his hand moving from your hip to grab your chin to have you look back up at him, your eyes half lidded as you stared at the scarred man whose lips were quirked. But not into a smirk...his eyes roved and you stared, analyzing. Silver eyes that were hard and cruel instead looked what you could only read as soft, his own eyes lidded as his thumb touched your bottom lip once more. "You'll lose at this rate."

Your eyes sharpened as it focused on Crocodile.

You don't want to lose but you don't really know how to win. You have no experience whatsoever—your mind flashed to you and Lucci when he somehow made a bite to your ear pleasurable. Recalling how pleased he was when you called his name, your voice high as you said it and your rear to his groin. It only turned hard when you followed what he wanted. You thought of when your hand grazed his scarred back and how he reacted, as well as his other reactions each time you touched him casually. Sometimes grazing accidentally against him and his looks towards you as you wondered his problem.

You remembered Hina's words one day at the cafeteria, talking to the other marine women about how exactly she made a man groan so loudly he woke up the mates next door. You recalled what little you could from hearing Kalifa and Jabra. As well as every other instance your eyes would catch a couple in the corner being a little too frisky in public.

You thought of Crocodile's face was when you did one piece of advice that was given to you by Robin, your mouth on his. You don't think you ever heard make a noise or look like that. You thought of Robin's other piece of advise, her smile teasing and knowing.

"Be bold."

You don't like losing. You don't want to play to play. You need to follow your gut. So you let instinct take over. Your hand that fisted around his shirt, lowered—grazing him as you cupped his groin which felt hard like earlier. Eyes analyzing as he took a deep breath, your lips in a thin line as your other hand moved from his chest to the back of his neck. Feeling his silky black locks for the first time.

"No," You said, watching carefully as his jaw clenched as you pressed your hand into his groin and met his eyes that flickered with what you read as pride before it went back to hungry. "I'm going to win."

You were suddenly laying down on the bed once more, head on a pillow as you looked up to see Crocodile give his cocky grin that you noticed made him look youthful.

The tempest moves.

"How confident," he leaned over you, hand by your head and hook playing with your face, the point of it slightly pulling your lip. "How long will that last?"

Your heart pounded as instinct took over, biting your lip in embarrassment, your hand gripping his hair and giving a slight pull before you did what you never expected to do. Your legs wrapped around his waist and you pulled him down, both your pelvis's meeting.

He hissed, fisting the sheet by you just like you moaned. Your face hiding against the crook of his neck as your breath fanned his ear, the gold hoop seeming to twinkle at you in interest as you distantly felt blood form on your lips. Cut by your sudden movement with the hook there which was behind you with Crocodile having his forearm on the bed over your head, but you didn't pay much attention to it. You darted your tongue out to lick your lips, it grazing Crocodile's ear. You felt Crocodile tense before relaxing, his chest rumbling and you realized he released a chuckle, pleased as he slightly turned his head towards your own ear.

"Naughty girl," you shuddered as he said it, not really knowing why you liked when he also called you a good girl. "Let's see how far you'll go then."

With his hook forearm still holding him up, he moved his hand to your right breast and cupped it over your bindings, his thumb finding your nipple and rubbed. It made your back arch towards his touch unconsciously, making your clothes groins rub together as you breathed hard against his neck, nails scrapping the back of his neck as your other hand that previously cupped his hardness was under his shirt and at his tense back.

"Impatient," Crocodile commented tensely by your neck, giving a hard nip to it as if to punish you from your movement. His hand still rubbing your breast before pinching it, making your breath hitch at the pain, you distantly noting he started tugging at the bindings to let your breasts free. But you thought it had to be fair. "Wait for it."

You kept your legs still around his person but moved your hands to unbutton his blouse that was still on him, fumbling a bit each time Crocodile did an odd thing to your neck with his teeth and tongue as he continued to tug at your bindings. Him eventually succeeding just when you unbuttoned the last one on his shirt, making you move to cover them. Crocodile pulled back and rose a brow at you.

"Embarrassed?" He questioned, not seeming to understand. Not with your legs still around his waist and pelvis' touching. You not being able to answer as you glanced away. You felt a hand on your forearm, you peering up at Crocodile once more at the touch. His eyes were comforting as he tugged at your arm, you letting him as you stared at the look in thought before letting your other arm move down to your side.

Crocodile stared for a moment, which made you squirm and you felt Crocodile's hardness at your core. He grabbed your hip in warning as silver roved, looking as if he wanted to memorize your body while you stared openly at his face. His brows for once not furrowed deep and causing lines to appear on his forehead, instead being smooth while his mouth was in that thin line but jaw not tense from his distrust, and his eyes that were narrowed and made his scarred face appear more severe were instead fully open and...

He looked at you like you were his personal treasure.

It made your heart skip a beat, chest warm and slightly giddy when a conversation of dreams and treasures appeared in your head. Remembering his words on what exactly he thought of treasures, which was something he looked down on. Now look, he's—

Your eyes went round as you connected something extremely important, Crocodile moving himself down and took your hardened bud into his mouth—hot and heavy just like you were feeling now. Your hands moving back to the back of his neck, fingers weaving through his soft hair as your eyes closed at the sensation he was creating. The warmth in your chest quickly moving down somewhere else and was building as your back arched once more, unconsciously into his touch as you breathed deeply and trying to control your sounds.

Crocodile's hand on your hip stopped you from creating friction against them once more, his teeth scrapping against your breast in warning as well. His hand than moving towards the button of your shorts and you froze, nervous about what's coming next. Him sensing it as he released his mouth from your breast and moved towards your ear, his nose grazing your hair.

"Breathe," he said softly. You took a shuddering breath, hands flexing on his neck. His lips kissed your jaw, mouth murmuring "Good girl" along your skin before moving back to your chest, instead onto your other breast. His hand moving back to your shorts to take them. You instinctively moving your hands to help him, you distinctly noticing his mouth pausing around your bud at that before continuing his ministrations—hot and wet around your breast as you focused on tugging down your shorts. Crocodile's hand moving and grazing up from your abdomen to your breast, cupping and massaging and squeezing in a pattern with his suck to your opposite breast.

You making a mewling noise, having to take a breath before you dropped your legs from his waist to kick off your shorts. You distantly wondering and trying to focus if you're capable of taking off your underwear yourself too. Only for Crocodile to make the decision for you, his hand moving to beside your head to hold him up, his cold hook grazing down along your skin that made goosebumps appear as it traveled from your bare shoulder, the side of your breast, your stomach to finally at your hip. His hook cut your underwear and you looked down, disbelieving.

"You..." you shuddered as Crocodile's tongue flicked your bud just as you were trying to talk. Which he totally did on purpose. "My...underwear..."

Crocodile shifted, his hooked forearm going back to over your head to hold his weight. His hand going down to your hips as he released his mouth from around your breast, but keeping it right over it to answer shortly.

"I'll buy you another one," his lips grazing as he spoke over the perked nipple, silver eyes glancing up at you before turning his attention elsewhere. His hand touching your skin at your waist and to tug ripped cloth off you only for your hand to cover his own, halting him. He glanced up to see you were frowning at him, his brow rising.

"Still dressed," you pointed out, annoyed as your other hand tugged at his pants. Him fully clothed while you weren't isn't fair. Crocodile lips quirking up in amusement as he looked at your face that was basically pouting. "It's not fair."

"Nothing is fair," he smoothly retorted, moving up to your neck, giving a nip to the side of it as you sighed before he leaned back to stare at you as you did the same through half-lidded flustered eyes. "Think of it as punishment." He concluded, his hand moving once more when you tried to process what he said, your hand falling to lay on his chest as a question mark appeared over your head as he dipped back to your neck, mouth kissing along it and to your shoulder. You thought you needed to do something wrong to be punished but you didn't do—

His hand took away your underwear, and you were fully exposed now. You immediately locking your legs together. Crocodile taking notice when his hand felt along your upper thighs, his mouth nipping at the skin of your neck harshly. You wincing, pulling your lip between your teeth and pulled out all your courage too as you loosened your legs, his hand touching your inner thigh and really close to where it was pulsing. His mouth trailing down back to your breasts and taking it in just as a finger touched your folds, making you tense and trap his hand where it was which made it worse. Crocodile chuckling around your breast, making it vibrate and your bud even harden even more as the hand trapped with your thighs slotted a finger inside.

You jolted, brows furrowed as your mouth felt shaky. Starting to feel very overwhelmed at the hotness around your chest and a finger moving around inside you as the warmth started to build even higher.

Crocodile pulled back, dark eyes amused as his finger curled as he stared at you, your head tilting up to the ceiling against the pillow.

"Breathe, Gin Chi," he repeated from before, his other fingers that weren't in your folds moving between your thighs to have you loosen up. "This part is necessary for the real thing." You took a shallow breath, hands covering your face as you did so, loosening your legs and allowing his hand to move freely, him adding another finger and it seemed to stretch as his two fingers moved and felt like a pinch. You took another breath, you being able to handle pain but it just felt funny and strange. "Look at me." You took your hands away and stared up at him through your lashes, his eyes flickering before turning back to being pleased. "You've never touched yourself before?"

You bit your lip before answering through tense lips as Crocodile continued to stretch you out as well as go in and out in a lazy but controlled pace that made you feel all sorts of things. The warmth building up and it was starting to make you uncomfortable which made you confused. You felt like you needed to chase the warmth that was building, like it was a pressure that needed to be released.

"O-once...or twice. I wasn't—" Your breath hitched when he put in a third, Crocodile looking at you expectantly as he waited for you to finish with a slight rose brow. As if he wasn't the reason you stopped. Your eyes narrowing at him before you continued, your mouth just moving on its accord as you hesitantly confessed through your shaky breaths. "I...was young...always focused...on...on training...or missions...I became—" You cried out, hands reaching out upon his collar and gripping it tightly as you hid in his neck after lifting yourself up and chest meeting his—clenching around his hand and bucking your hips towards it, his fingers curled around a spot that made your pulse fasten everywhere.

Crocodile chuckled, low and deep next to your ear.

"Became?" He asked, fingers curling and uncurling and moving in and out in a faster pace, your breaths just as fast fanning his neck. Still clenching around his hand but you used all your self control to not move with his hand, only squirming and writhing. "Became curious did you? I wonder how that came to be...and how wet you made yourself compared to what I'm doing now." The permanent heat on your cheeks warmed more at his words, tone confident as his lips brushed against your ear as he spoke with a clear smirk. "You'll come to me in no time with just this. More tight than I imagined but clenching around my hand with juices pouring out—clearly wanting. Who knew you would be so naughty? Naughty girl." At his last statement, his thumb rolled your clit just as his fingers curled once more around that spot. And his words did that thing that made your stomach flop and clench with the pressure at a crescendo and than—.

You saw stars, shudders moving your body as you felt the wetness on your inner thighs and around his hand and you couldn't hold back the loud moan that was released from your lips next to Crocodile's ear. You quickly pressing your mouth to his neck to muffle the sound.

Crocodile took his hand away, reaching around your back to look upon it. Humming before he turned his head more towards you, nose tickling your ear and his own lips to your neck.

"Weak against my hand?" His voice was husky and proud, breath on your ear and your stomach did odd things once more at it when normally you would want to smack him. You wanted to turn to look at him to openly glare at him for interrupting you again by doing that but you were still trying to recover with panted breaths so you just weakly glared at his neck, tugging at his open collar in annoyance and hoped he could feel it. You don't think he did, because he chuckled once more, his chest vibrating against your own as he did so. "Mute?" He sounded amused at that before adding, lips moving against your ear and hand moving back to the bed on your side. "I'll make sure to have that loud mouth of yours scream my name soon."

Your eyes widened and you flushed once more, but you didn't miss his implications. Him implying and sounding surprised at your silence, while you're normally apparently shouting about this or that. Your eyes narrowed at his arrogant words, eyeing his ear with the gold earring in determination.

That's it! You thought, moving your hands from his collar to his neck and back under the shirt as your nails grazed skin. You extended your neck and did what Lucci has always done—biting Crocodile's ear lobe right above his earring with your tongue moving upon it, feeling Crocodile tense and inhale. The one hand on his neck, fingers weaving and gripping his hair while the other travelled from the hard muscles of his back to his chest than to his tense abdomen and cupped the hardness in his pants and rubbed as you continued to lick and nip the scarred man's ear in retaliation.

Crocodile groaned, the same sound he made when you had his shaft in your mouth.  A sound you never hear from the hard to read indifferent man. It made you grin as you continued, mouth and teeth and tongue moving as your palm kneaded his groin through his pants.

That's what he gets for being cocky!

A flying wind traveling.

Crocodile's hand moved to your hip, pushing you down back onto the bed. You releasing your hold of his ear from the movement in surprise, hand now trapped between your bodies and the only barrier as he leaned on you—foreheads now touching. You moved your eyes towards Crocodile's, wondering what his problem was only for your eyes to widen.

Hungry silver eyes that promised to devour stared hard at you atop his scar that ran across his face, lips in a thin line.

"Who taught you that?" At your confused look, he went on, voice tight due to what you did and your hand still on him. "It's impossible you did that without some sort of experience. Someone showed you."

You weren't sure if he was talking about the bite or the rubbing. You were just doing what Lucci has done in the past to Crocodile, since it did feel nice when Lucci used his tongue. The rubbing you just thought since you used your hand before and Crocodile seemed to like it that it would work even through clothes. He liked it when you just cupped it, you could tell.

You weren't sure what to say so you just said, "Instinct."

He looked at you, doubtful. His hand tightening your hip as if in warning, you idly noticing the hook's pointed tip in the corner of your eye behind you. Able to feel the cold press of the metal atop your head, and you felt the tip graze your ear.

You shivered at the feeling. Crocodile taking note of it, one brow arching as he brought the hook's tip closer to your ear and giving a slight pull.

"That wasn't all instinct."

You scowled at his accusation and just how doubtful he sounded.

"You're the one that said to see what works!" You clenched your hand between your bodies as if to show, Crocodile taking a deep inhale as dilated silver eyes stared at your defiant (e/c) ones. His breath releasing and fanning your face, particularly your lips since it tingled. "See? Besides," your eyes narrowed as you gripped his hair at the back of his neck, you idly noticing a strand was in front of his face as you did so, "I'm trying to win."

Crocodile stared at you in thought, different emotions passing through them. Doubt, impressed, analyzing, pleased, pride, hungry, and finally amused. Lips quirked as he let out an amused "Oh", but those hungry eyes seemed to return as the hand in your hip moved to your upper thigh giving it a appreciative squeeze before putting his hand to your wrist that was between them. Tugging at it for you to take it, you eventually doing it with a frown, curious what he's going to do. He then moved down, his hook forearm going to your side as he used his hand to separate your legs apart as you grew confused on what he's going to do as you still had a hand to the back of his head.

Your eyes widened and you made a sputtering noise when Crocodile's head moved to between your legs. You began to call out for him to wait, unbelieving that your thought earlier was going to happen but he only squeezed your outer thigh before his tongue flicked out towards your center.

You gasped, gripping his hair hard as he pressed his lips and tongue inside you. Moving around and tasting and humming, the vibrations passing through his lips making you feel that pressure once more, increasing as he continued and making you release high mewls. Your legs wrapping around his head and bringing him closer as it grew and you could feel him chuckle, hot air at your center making it worse as you breathed quickly.

"Wet," Crocodile commented, pleased. "And sweet..." He added idly, before moving his ministrations to the bundle of nerves that ruined you the first time, the warmth high and just right there and—Crocodile's hook tip dragged downwards adding a sting. A drop of pain mixed with the pleasure and damn it—.

Your body shuddered once more, legs around his head tightening even more as you pulled slightly at Crocodile's hair and your eyes glazed as you looked up to the ceiling, and you bucked at his face with a cry before body going limp. The tension leaving as you stared at the ceiling in a daze and wondering what the heck just happened.

You peered down when you felt Crocodile move his head up, you freezing as your jaw loosened.

The scarred man lips and around his mouth and chin dripped with your juices, him having a smug grin as his tongue swiped around. Strands of raven black hair in front of his face, unkempt and making him look wild. You could even spot some juices by his scar, you eyeing the movement of his tongue before meeting his eyes which penetrated you.

You felt your face grow hot staring at the normally smooth and neat man being anything but right now.

That was cause of me...

You swallowed dryly, lips parting and hand flexing at his neck.

Crocodile's eyes darkened.

"You're staring lewdly," your eyes widened, flushing more at his bluntness and his deep tone and growing when he moved his face back towards you. Hook atop your head once more as he gripped your chin, a look in his eyes that read he can do what he did again. "You shouldn't be this open with the bird. He could take advantage. Or anyone else for that matter."

You frowned, raising your other hand to cup his cheek.

"I don't want to talk about him."

Crocodile's brow arched, his lips twitching and looking like he was about to say something but you concentrated on his face, using your thumb to swipe at his scarred cheek. Clearing it of your juices, doing the same on the other parts of his face, your other hand to his neck traveling down to cup his other cheek as you cleaned. Muttering a "Sorry" due to all of this but him looking so messy did something to you, a warmth back and deep despite you still pulsing in your core due to all the attention. Crocodile silent as you did this, eyes searching and his own hand moving to grip your jaw, touching lightly upon your scar. It felt nice, you thought as his smooth hand was upon your face as you swiped your thumb at the corner of lips to clear the last of your mess before Crocodile's hand froze. You automatically looking up and giving an apology once more but he only smirked.

"Don't apologize. I was happy to clean your mess," your face did an odd thing and Crocodile noticed, his thumb pulling down at your lower lip as you swallowed and his smirk widened. "Such a face...perhaps you like your juices all over me?" His tone was suggestive but he was speaking facts and that fact made you flustered. His brows rose, a charming grin appearing at the dirty knowledge that you just learned yourself. "Gin Chi (Y/N), I never thought you'd be a minx. No wonder you had such an expression." He commented idly, hand still on your cheek and thumb to the corner of your lips while your hands still held his face. "You did well. Now the real thing."

Your lips quirked at the praise but than you tensed at his last statement, his hand moving to drop his already unbuttoned and unzipped pants, your hands falling due to him leaning back slightly to get a good angle. Tugging them down as well as his underwear, letting the risen member free—you spotting precum at the tip but all you felt was a bundle of nerves as you bit your lip and wondered how it could fit inside you. It looked like it could be a foot, it was so huge.

You're pretty sure you're not a black hole being able to suck up anything, so how?!

When Crocodile kicked his clothes off his legs, he looked back towards you and saw your nervous gaze and you just began to babble.

"How is that gonna fit? I don't think my baggage is that deep to fit all that. How do people do this?! This is intimidating and I've been through some shit. Like I can handle pain but I never exactly got stabbed down there so I don't know if it would hurt more or not. I mean—I feel like it would, it's all fleshy inside there and I actually heard a story of a girl just deciding to do a split when jumping into the ocean and she needed stitches down there cause it's so sensitive and—"

"Calm down. You're talking too fast for me able to understand whatever you're trying to say." Crocodile cut you off in a drawl, leaning back down with hand back to your chin. You tensing at the feel of the hardness at your inner thigh, and you distantly noticed you were sweating due to everything that's occurred. "Look at me," he commanded and you did. Heavy lidded eyes staring in understanding and looked like there was a touch of comforting within. "...do something while I do this. And open your legs more. It'll be easier."

You frowned, hesitantly doing so while asking, "Do what?"

"Follow that instinct." He replied simply.

Said instinct motioned for your eyes to meet his mouth but you shook yourself. You want to reserve that. So you instead moved your hands up to his chiseled chest, deciding to distract yourself by exploring his body. You've never touched a man just to feel. You've touched others freely but just innocent casual touches, never to just feel around. So you did so, fingers grazing upon muscles and Crocodile releasing his hold upon your chin and moving down to position himself towards your center as his mouth moved down to the left side of your neck—ravishing it. But your hand froze at the right side of his neck, the other upon his chest as you hid your face to his collarbone when you felt him press forward slightly.

"Cr-Crocodile," You whimpered, feeling weak and out of depth. Taking deep breaths as he slowly, ever so slowly went in with Crocodile hissing you were tight to your neck. "I—I don't—"

"You're Gin Chi." He reminded stiffly in a harsh breath before continuing to devour your neck with sucks and laps.

Your eyes widening at what he meant.

You can handle anything.

You moved your hands back to his back below his shirt and placed your own lips upon the side of his neck, in a thankful kiss and trailing down to his shoulder only to give him a harsh bite hiding your cry and scratching his back when Crocodile plunged in quickly—fully inside and hand tight on your hip and his own teeth around upon your neck but not as harsh as you did. Him giving it a lap before releasing and turning towards your ear as you kept your mouth and grip on him tightly. Your muscles in your core tight and throbbing similar to how you would exercise tired muscles asking for rest while training.

"Relax," He stated to your ear, calm and collected with you only hearing the smallest of deep inhales. He moved his hand on his hip to your thigh, lifting it before you understood what he wanted. You easing the tightness of your legs as you took a deep breath, wrapping your legs back around his hips—making you flinch since it brought Crocodile in deeper, nails digging in deeper upon his tense back. He moved his hand to the back of your head, fingers weaving in your hair and scraping your scalp making you loosen your teeth on his neck and just hiding your head instead with closed eyes. "I'm going to start moving. Match my pace when you can."

You took a steadying breath, reminding yourself you've dealt with worse, and nodded.

Crocodile gave one last scrape against your scalp before moving his hand back down to your hip, starting to move in a slow pace.

You scrunched your face as he went in and out of you, hands still to his coiled back as if he was restraining himself while your breath fanned his neck. Trying to control the sounds escaping your lips at the odd sensation. Trying to be patient for the wave of happiness everyone seems to get during this act and why people can become addicted to it. Both your chests meeting with each slow thrust that increased in speed with each movement—still controlled and your warmth in your gut started to increase as well, the feeling that came when you released twice.

You felt your jaw loosen, mouth parted as you started to pant, your center clenching around him. Legs tightening around Crocodile to bring him closer and jerking your hips sloppily to meet his, chasing the feeling that was building and felt different compared to the last two—nails upon his back to keep your grip.

You could feel Crocodile's breathing increase to your neck—hot and heavy and not at all how he normally sounds—the thrusts increasing as you eventually timed it right for both of them to meet just like one would meet with swords. Except with this there's a special little spot that can un make you with just a curl of a finger—you adjusted your legs again, stretching due to your flexibility with one leg moving to his lower back and the other lowering to his backside—opening yourself up more and bringing Crocodile even closer as he released a low groan from the back of his throat and than you felt it. He started hitting it—that spot.

Your breath hitching, the thrusting turning into more of pounding and messy. Lost was the steady controlled rhythm Crocodile was maintaining, body just meeting body as they moved with your hands tight on his back and his hand practically in a vice grip around your hip.

"Look," Crocodile said hoarsely, his nose grazing your temple as he continued to groan. "Look at me."

Your eyes stay closed to his neck, flustered even with him inside you as the thrusts just got wilder and wilder and the pressure was right there—but you don't think you could follow this command. Despite all the other ones you followed easily since you spotted that fond look in his eye, you don't think you could look at him like this. With your jaw loose, mouth open as breaths went and out with your tongue basically out, sweat down your face with cheeks hot like how it's been this whole time and brows furrowed—and your eyes surely looking glassy and desperate.

Your expression is just entirely too weird! You haven't died yet but you surely will from all this!

You felt this energy only for a moment, just a second—barely there but it made your eyes open and round and for that fraction of a second—proud.

A determined gale.

"(Y/N). Now." Crocodile growled, your name upon his lips as he rammed roughly once as if to punish you for not following

You leaned your head back, both your foreheads now touching, and met his dark eyes with your embarrassed ones as the both of you continued to move—breaths fanning each other's faces.

Your half lidded eyes took in his state while he did the same to you. Taking in the raven locks in front of his face, not like his normal slicked back hair, his mouth ajar below his scar—face just tight but sharp vibrant silver eyes focused on you and only you.

At once, you thought of the look he had earlier, to what you just felt, to Crocodile's arrogant words and what you have observed men seemed to like.

I'll give him this. You thought, as you felt yourself getting tighter as the pace went short and fast as you moaned, feeling needy—leaning more with nose's now touching along with their foreheads—you able to feel his lips almost but not quite brush against your own. This was nice.

"Crocodile," you sighed against his lips through a whine, your mouth moving against his own as you said his name while staring deeply into his eyes. You felt your lips twitch up when Crocodile's eyes slightly widened as his breath quickened on how you said his name.

But I'm still planning to win.

You darted your tongue out, licking your lips but also grazing his own making his eyes flash.

"Crocodile," You called, breathy and through a mewl—somehow keeping it even but saying it drawn out through each syllable—a glint in your eyes. "Say my name."

You clenched and met a hard rough thrust, Crocodile pinning you down to the bed as he hissed and you heard a crack above your head and than—.

Your walls clamped down against his member, body shuddering and trembling and you breathing harshly when you came with Crocodile quickly pulling out from you—you feeling something hot come across you. A splintering sound above your head and Crocodile fell to your side, his hand pulling you to his chest by your waist as the both of you laid there for a moment with heavy breaths.

After collecting yourself and processing what you just experienced as your center still throbbed, you felt yourself feeling sticky. You lifted a hand to your stomach than to your face, you looking at it and feeling it. You blinked, your face morphing into one of childish disgust before you took note just how much exactly was on you.

You grinned, lifting yourself by your arms and leaning towards Crocodile's face that had his eyes closed—his breath starting to steady and his hand still hot on your waist but you didn't care about that!

"Crocy~, guess who won~?" Crocodile's eyes opened in annoyance before pausing to stare at you, your grin wide and smug as you pointed at the white fluid on your face, chest and stomach. "You made the most mess out of the two of us I think! Heck, you got it all over me while I just had it in one spot." You frowned, flushing at the remembrance of Crocodile with your own juices. "W-we-well, two spots...I-I guess. But that's not the point!" You finished, staring at him as Crocodile's dark eyes roved your form before stopping at your proud face.

Crocodile stared for another moment or two, before reaching around behind his head and than you only saw darkness as something hit your face.

"WHA?!" You took the pillow off your face, but his hand moved to keep it there.

"Don't look at me like that with all that on you." Crocodile said dully, almost too dully cause it sounded tight with something. "Your expression is too open."

You moved his hand off of you, the pillow dropping on your lap as you glared at him.

"Who's fault is the mess huh?! Say that I won!"

Crocodile was pointedly not looking at you and was on his fur coat on the lounge chair, but his lips were up into an amused smirk.

"You didn't win. You came three times. You lose."

"That wasn't the bet! It's not who came more, it's who made the most mess!" At Crocodile seeming concentrated using his sand to grab at his fur coat pockets for one cigar and lighter, succeeding as he brought it into his hand. Placing the cigar between his teeth with a pleased thin smile and totally ignoring you as he began to light it! Well heck no! You moved to go on top of him, determined and not thinking as you straddled on top of him. Him pausing in surprise from lighting and hand automatically coming upon your waist as you leaned with a scowl. "You're ignoring me! Look at the mess you made, Cocky Crocy. Say that I won! Because I did!"

Crocodile stared, cigar between his teeth before he motioned his hook towards the center of the bed with a humorous chuckle.

"Check and compare than."

You frowned, turning your body towards the bed to see what he could be talking about. Missing Crocodile lighting his cigar but not taking his eyes off your body that was straddling him, your hands flat against his abdomen and your ass being very close to a dangerous position.

You looked and spotted the red mixed in with your juices, hard to do due to the red sheets on your bed. But it was barely anything you think. Heck, you swallowed a lot when you had him around your mouth. That was a lot of salty liquid going down your throat. Now that you're thinking about it, he did say that won't kill you right? Ah, whatever! You know the mix of you having to swallow all of that and now all this over you.

You turned back towards him about to tell him off again, only to take notice that Crocodile's face looks sort of close.

"Well?" He asked, one brow arching and cigar now lit. The spices reverberating around the room as the smoke curled as he grinned. "What do you think?"

Your brows furrowed, feeling his breath on you.

Definitely close.

Your eyes went back and forth to the bed to where you were, to the bed, to where you were. To the bed. To where you—

Your face flushed, realizing your position as you felt skin on your skin. Your hands quickly releasing off of Crocodile and scurrying to under the covers next to him with an embarrassed sputter as Crocodile gave you an unimpressed stare.

"You just realized where you were?"

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" You shouted from under the covers, steam seeming to come out and rise from your side of the bed as Crocodile puffed his cigar with a roll of his eyes.

"I've already seen all of you. Why are you flustered?" Crocodile moved to lift the covers off of you with his hook, lifting it a few inches before you snatched them back over as your form looked like it was in a ball.  He let out an unbelieving huff. "This must be an act. You were acting like a conniving minx just minutes before."

You poked your face out the covers, looking like a red burrito due to the sheets and your hot face. More clean due to your rubbing under the covers.

"I was trying to win! Which I did by the way!" You defended, scowling. "I want the prize, I won the gamble this time Crocy."

"I thought I told you not to call me that." Crocodile said before waving you off. "Fine. I'll give it to you. Now what do you want?"

Your face formed into a happy toothy grin as you sat up in a kneel, your hands raising up as you shouted a cheer.

"Ha! I knew it! I even had you say my—"

You suddenly felt cold, your hands in the air not holding the sheets that are now by your bare legs and below your bare everything else.

Your eyes peered over at Crocodile who was staring at you.

You darted back under the covers with a whine.

"I've already seen you." Crocodile pointed out once more, hand coming to rub his face in exasperation. "You're making it seem like we didn't fu—"

You quickly scurried over under the covers to his side, your hands popping out to place on his mouth while being careful of his cigar. Him looking down at your flustered expression with surprise.

"Shhh! Don't say that word. I don't want to call it that."

Crocodile grabbed a wrist, you putting the other one down by his side as he took your hand away from his mouth.

"I recall you saying that word before, although perhaps not in the same context of what occurred." You nodded at that. Crocodile sighed through his nose. "What do you want to call it than? Because this wasn't formed due to love but convenience and a way to go around that annoying man."

Your face was an odd mix of an angry scowl and a pathetic pout, looking down.

"I...I don't know what to call it. But..." You stared up at Crocodile, who paused at your earnest expression as you bit your lip. "We're...I know you don't trust anyone, Crocodile...but we're...we're friends right?"

...

Crocodile took a large puff of his cigar and blew off to the side, fingers around your wrist gentle as he stared at you with an unreadable look on his face.

"...friends don't do what we just did." He pointed out, obvious.

Your brows furrowed.

"I know but...you didn't have to show me—w-well, ya know. That. You chose to teach me instead of me having to literally drop in and figure it out with Doflamingo there."

"You were the one that agreed to it," Crocodile replied, hand tensing around your wrist and eyes narrowing. "You're making it seem and like to believe that I saved you from that other fate out of the kindness of my heart. May I remind you," He tugged at you, your sides now pressing to each other making you flush and use your other hand to maintain the covers on your back as you stared at him. "I am not kind. You're naive to think a man like myself wouldn't take my chance with you by ourselves and have you in many ways."

Why is he being difficult?! What's this all of a sudden?

Your eyes narrowed at him.

"And you were the one that decided to not snitch on me to the World Government each time I came." You sharply retorted. "I didn't ask you to do that. Just like you didn't have to ask me to do this, you expected for me to just let you get in trouble when I was the one coming over here." Crocodile opened his mouth to comment but you didn't let him as you continued. "And I didn't ask you to come here and help, which is what you did. You're pissed at this whole thing as I am." You lifted yourself slightly and leaned towards his face, smoke curling in front of you as you kept confident stormy eyes on him, the sheet falling slightly and showcasing your chest but Crocodile's eyes didn't stray. "You call me naive? Than I should call you an idiot."

Crocodile's forehead wrinkled at that last part. You don't know why. He's stupid.

A stupid cocky Crocy.

"You seem to be hard of hearing. You truly believe the reasoning I said earlier was true?" his lips quirked into one of those smirks he does that makes you want to smack him. You're really close right now. "A man like myself will lie to get what I want. And I don't believe a fool would be able to achieve what I am accomplishing in Alabasta. Did you forget?" Your frown deepened in response, him taking it a different way as he chuckled darkly. "You need to be more careful with who you put your trust in, Gin Chi (Y/N). Look what happened with the pink abomination." He took a puff of his cigar as you continued to frown at him, him blowing away from your face but to the side.

"Crocy-Aho."

Crocodile's brows twitched.

"What did you just say?"

You scowled.

"Crocy-teme!"

Crocodile gave his own scowl at you around his cigar, annoyed.

"You need to stop—"

"No!" You shouted, bumping your forehead slightly at Crocodile's but enough to cause a twitch of pain as your hands moved towards his shoulders. You feeling the base of his hook around your waist, tip on your skin with his hand on your hip, gripping in warning. "You're being an idiot! The fact you think I'm an idiot makes you an idiot if you think words like that work on me!"

"I never called you an idiot—" Crocodile attempted to correct, irritation in his tone but you cut him off cause he needs to listen.
He needs to understand something about you, get it through his thick stubborn skull. Cause apparently he still doesn't understand you after all these years.

"I don't care, Crocy-Aho!" You pressed your foreheads tighter, your narrowed eyes boring down on his own. "'A man like myself' would do this, a 'man like myself' would do that. You can't even say 'I would do it'! A man like yourself? Those men aren't you, Crocy-teme, cause you're the only Crocodile I know!" Silver eyes widened, grip on your bare hip loosening just like his jaw but he kept his cigar in his mouth somehow as you continued. "You're not like other men, Crocy! If you don't want to trust me, fine! But I see you as a friend and I think you see me something close to it too. Today proved it even though I thought I would never admit it. So why don't you choose what we are if you don't want to call our relationship that?!"

Crocodile had his wide eyes relax, clenching his teeth around his cigar as his hand flexed and loosened on your hip as he looked at your open expression, your eyes still narrowed and mouth twisted in a scowl at how ridiculous he's being. Or was. You don't know, he needs to decide.

Jeez. This all started when you just asked him if they were friends.

Who knew the word friend was such a trigger for him.

You probably triggered him again with that last statement, he's so silent. What is he thinking so intensely about anyways?

Crocodile really is stupid if he takes this long to think on what to call this whole thing. He's double stupid for trying to fool you. After everything he's done since the alley, with that look coming upon his face and feeling those emotions jump at you from him while he was teaching you—he really thought he could fool you.

What is he, a tsundere?

Has to be. That's the only explanation. But you're having a hard time seeing Crocodile blush. Maybe him lashing out like that is his version of blushing? 

Ugh, he's just stupid, stupid, stupid! He's lucky you didn't mention what you saw in his expression earlier! But you feel like you have to ask him about your discovery. It's important. You don't know how he'll answer. And you don't know how you'll answer his answer.

Maybe if what you saw is true, that's why he's acting like an idiot?

You came back from your thoughts when you felt Crocodile thumb rub your waist as he held your hip. You noticed he was staring straight ahead, in deep thought. You glanced down at the hook that was on the other side of your waist, the cold metal making you shiver, goosebumps rising on your skin due to it.

Wha, it's cold! Why is it cold?!

Crocodile glanced up at your shiver, and noticed your skin. He moved his hook from you, his hand lingering for a moment before following suit—lifting the sheet to cover your shoulders with a soft "here" before sitting up. Your hands dropping from his shoulders as you stared with brows furrowed, too confused at the moment to realize you were showing off your body again as your hands moved to hold the sheets tight to your form. Crocodile moving his legs from the bed and laying them upon the floor, sitting on the side while enjoying his cigar and your eyes widened as you gasped slightly.

His strong and large back was covered with scratches. Many of them along the back of his shoulders and below his neck. You can also spot your bite mark upon his neck, you wincing at how deep it looked. You think you spot you actually broke skin.

You scooted closer, sheets still around you as you now kneeled in front of Crocodile's back. His head only giving the slightest tilt before straightening as he continued to puff and blow on his cigar, the rich smoothness with the spice that could tickle your nose.

You stared at the back of his head with brows furrowing, you getting a little concerned. You didn't expect this kind of reaction from him, you expected him wanting to keep arguing cause he never wants to be wrong or him saying something that will most likely have you hide back under the covers. This thoughtful and silent reaction...you're getting worried if he perhaps didn't understand what you meant.

But you don't know how to be clearer? Unless you actually managed to shock him into silence.

You internally scoffed at that.

Yeah, just no way. But you're sort of worried.

You looked back down at the marks on his body, marks by your hand. You lifting a hand to test if it hurts him by slightly grazing under a scratch.

"It can't be helped." Crocodile spoke up, you turning your eyes towards him to see he had his head turned towards you, silver peering down over his shoulder to meet your eyes. "It was your first time after all. No need to make that face."

You looked back towards his back with a muttered "okay" with a bitten lip.

Crocodile's head turned back towards the front, so you couldn't see his expression.

"Although, we made it rather obvious of what occurred." Crocodile added, using his sand to bring the ash tray on the desk to the bed stand table beside him and tapping on it with his cigar before bringing it back to his mouth. "We both left marks to one another and the bird will connect the clear dots when we meet with him later on." You tensed, looking up at the back of his head, understanding dawning on you. "He'll have a spat and squawk about it but there's not much he can do. It's already been done. What he will do is get rough and get sick ideas. He will know how this came to be as well which I can care less about. That man is so childish..." Crocodile's tone took to one of pure loathing at that last part but your suspicions from earlier in the day came back. It feels so far away now.

"You seem to have a very good read on what he's going to do...thought you hated him."

Crocodile released a dry chuckle.

"Never loathed someone yet be able to know them?" You thought of the man that was your superior just in name and not in anything else. You answered Crocodile with a tense yes as you stared at his back, turning his head to spot your expression before releasing a thoughtful hum and turning back. "Your suspicion isn't that far off though. Due to your obliviousness, I didn't think you would catch it. Of all things, you're able to see this...we fucked once. Years ago."

...

...

...

Crocodile turned towards you once more and he regretted it.

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!" You yelled in his ear, making him wince and cigar tight, your eyes bulged out and jaw dropped completely to the bed. "YOU GUYS WERE FLIRTING?!?! I WAS RIGHT?!?! I THOUGHT YOU HATED HIM! NO, YOU DO HATE HIM! THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY—"

Crocodile reached around and grabbed you, pulling you to his side with the sheet still around you as your face planted on him and hence shutting your mouth.

"You're gonna make me deaf!" He hissed, keeping his hand on your waist to make sure  you stayed muffled to his side as your mind was still shell shocked and reeling on how the hell that happened. So you didn't hear Crocodile take a deep exasperated sigh that just sounded a lot like he was wondering how he reached to this point and that this may be the oddest postcoital talk he may have experienced. "I don't know whether or not you were actually suspicious of this or just generally naive to this side of the topic. It may be both since it's you." You moved your head slightly to tell him off on what exactly that could mean but he put you back down with a press to your hip. "Listen. You won't understand but I do loathe the man. He acts like a fool and has that fake smile on his face to hide his true intentions so he can be hard to read. He also spouts constant nonsense, chattering and squawking like the bird he looks like but not as much grace. It was a hate fuck and all it was. Ever could be. It was to teach him a lesson. The sick freak took it another way." He finished coldly, taking a deep inhale of his cigar with that and shifting his forearm hook to lay on his bare knee.

Crocodile was right.

You don't get it at all.

But he's talking again and he's not quiet anymore and not looking deep in thought from your question and words, so you're fine with it. You won't force him to answer the question. Besides, he did show off Nico Robin to you. You can guess with that.

But you really don't get what he's saying here.

You opened your mouth to tell him just that but it came out muffled due to your mouth being pressed at the side of Crocodile's chest. With Crocodile stating for you to not yell, before relaxing his hold on your hip and allowing you look at him with your chin laying on his chest in a confused frown.

"If you hate someone why...? I thought this was something to do for—" You cut yourself off at Crocodile's brow arch and switched it. "...fun. How would it teach a lesson?"

Crocodile only smirked darkly at you and shook his head.

"It was fun. Found a way to shut him up. And make him look weak." Crocodile's smirk than dropped as he moved his gaze ahead. "It seems he now has similar ideas however."

Your brows furrowed.

"I don't get it. Weren't you teaching me too? You didn't shut me up." You're not sure about the weak part though, you felt like a fish out of water due to your inexperience but having Crocodile look like he does now with scratches and marks and hair wild and how he looked between your legs didn't make you feel weak either. You flushed and moved your head to hide your face in Croc's chest. "I-it just doesn't make any sense."

You felt Crocodile's chest rumble as he chuckled, hand flexing on your hip that was still covered with the sheet. His hook coming your way and lifting your chin to meet his amused eyes.

"Didn't I?"

He must be asking about the shut up part, you thought, frowning. Trying to recall when and failing. Unless he's talking about when  you had his...ahem. But he was just showing you what to expect. Although making me gag was unnecessary.

"Errr, no?" You answered, bewildered.

Crocodile gave out a small laugh at that, releasing his hold on your chin with his hook and placing it back on his knee but you still looked at him.

"The lessons are incomparable with one another. You'll most likely see the differences later on." Crocodile's expression straightened, him turning his head to the clock over the desk. "Hmmm...it's almost time as well." Crocodile turned his eyes back towards you, seeming to be in deep thought as you stared back. You saw his jaw slightly clench before he turned away and he nodded towards the bathroom. "Fill the bath and wash yourself up. You're a mess."

You scowled and were about to retort back that he is too but than you blinked. Thinking this is the best chance to ask those questions you were thinking earlier.

"Hey," Crocodile peered down at you as he took a puff. "So do I pee after or before?"

Crocodile took a deep inhale and stared at you blankly for a moment.

"What?"

You frowned at him. Does he not know either?

"Pee." You stated plainly. "After you...we...w-well...what we d-did. Is it good to pee before or after? I don't think I can hold on till than. That's a long time. But I did pee before you came." You made a panicked expression as you looked up at him. "Will I get sick cause I did that?!"

Crocodile stared.

"...do marines give poor sex education?"

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"After," Crocodile answered matter-of-factly and looking at you that could only be read as mild concern as he spoke his next words slowly. Unbelieving that he has to explain. "It helps with bacteria. No you won't get sick, the bath will help with that. Do I have to explain why there's blood?"

"After?" Your brows furrowed, ignoring his question as you turned towards the clock to see it was right and you were disbelieving at how long you have to wait as the clock said eight o'clock. "Whaaaaaa?! I have to wait like three hours before I get to use the bathroom?"

Crocodile lifted his hand from your hip and pinched his nose, his arm now on your shoulder as he did so.

"No. You can use it before we meet as long as it's not right before at the last second." He lowered his hand and spotted your relieved expression as you uttered a small "oh" and that you were glad you didn't have to hold on for so long, keeping his arm on your shoulder before lowering it to flatten it behind you on the bed. "And don't expect for it to last only one hour." You blinked and lifted your eyes back towards him, wondering what he could mean. "With the bird. If you think he's going to make it that easy, you're being far too hopeful. He'll make you beg for it."

You tilted your head at him, Crocodile seeing you didn't understand, keeps going.

"When you came for me," You flushed at his bluntness and his lips lifted at your expression before he kept going. "I'm sure you felt it when it was coming. Your expression being so open allowed me to see as well. It was quite lewd, along with the noises you were making. Who knew the infamous Gin Chi can look like that?" This is so embarrassing, why is he saying this stuff? Crocodile's lips than straightened around his cigar, tone changing. "He won't have you feel that. Not till he wants you to."

He's making it sound like it was a big deal. You felt nice yes, a feeling completely different than you've ever experienced. You were even chasing it and matched your pace with Crocodile's to get it, trying to get it faster.

Your face was growing hot at your thoughts but you tried to understand.

"You're making it sound like it's torture or something."

Crocodile gave you a small thin smile.

"It is. I would know. I've done it to him before. And many others." His hook went under your chin as his smile turned to a smug smirk, eyes dark and voice low. "In the palm of my hand, right at the precipice of release only to stop and with eyes pleading. Practically dripping but not what they want. Not until they open their mouths and say they want me to fuck them to oblivion." He ended, your face long gone hot due to his words and tone. His smirk widening as his hand behind you moved to lay his hand back on your hip but lower as he gave a light squeeze making your flush grow as your eyes went round. Crocodile hummed as he stared, tipping your chin more as he leaned his head closer till he was an inch away. "Your face being similar. But you're a good girl aren't you?"

Your mouth did a shaky little thing at those words, your stomach flopping. But something about his words pricked at you. He said he would teach you and that he wasn't kind, but is advising you what Doflamingo would do and what Crocodile would normally do it seems. But didn't.

He sure says a lot of things that he doesn't mean.

You blinked at the realization before throwing him a small smile his way, making Crocodile's brows furrow.

"I'm glad it was you, Crocodile."

You saw Crocodile inhale in surprise, his eyes having that unreadable look that he had earlier when you asked him the question. His fingers on your rear twitched before it fell along with his hook as he turned away.

"Prep the bath," He ordered dully, grabbing his cigar to tap it on the ash tray before sending you an unimpressed stare. "You're wasting time by saying such things. I don't like repeating myself that your expression is too open. Now go."

Your expression quickly morphed into a scowl, huffing at him.

You take it back! He's stupid!

You held the sheets around and stood to go to the bathroom and wash all this gunk off you only to fall right on your face when your center throbbed painfully and your legs shook, making you yelp. You lifted your head, wondering what just happened and looked towards Crocodile in confusion. Spotting his smirk between his lips, smoothly asking you if you could stand. You let out a small growl.

It's cause of him! You take back everything you said!

Urk, he's so cocky and proud that he's the cause too.

You turned back, one hand still fisted around the sheets to keep your modesty even though Crocy kept saying he's already seen you. Well, you don't care! This is embarrassing!

You used your other hand to lift yourself up, using your legs as well as you stood. You almost stumbling but a hand to your back made you stop your fall. You managed to control your shaky legs before you turned your head.

"Don't fall," Crocodile simply stated, a smirk before looking down towards the sheet with lips falling. "And that's not helping. If you manage to not fall, you'll slip. No need to act so flustered."

"I don't care!" Your cheeks were flushed as you said it, your fists tightening on the sheet protectively. "And I'll be fine. I've walked with greater injuries like cuts and stabs before. This is nothing!"

Crocodile only giving a distracted hum before his hand fell away, you managing to maintain your standing form as you walked. Wincing at the new foreign pain but managing to keep your pace. Your foot meeting a sheet and you were up in the air before falling on your bare back, the sheet slowly falling down in the air as you glared to the ceiling and pointedly did not look at Crocodile who cocked a brow.

"What did I say?"

"I don't—look—I—" You stopped, frustrated before sitting up and seeing how far you are from the bathroom before turning towards Crocodile. "You're not always ri—GAH!" You covered your hands with your face, steam coming from your skin when you met Crocodile's naked lower form right there.

"You've already seen me as well." He deadpanned as you were sputtering and muttering that it didn't matter and it's too much for one day and you might die. Crocodile scoffed. "You're being ridiculous."

You moved your hands to scowl at him and tell him off before the same sight filled you, making you yelp and just decided to scurry off quickly to the bathroom and shutting the door with a slam. If you happened to just leave the sheet on the floor and finally decided to take Crocodile's advice, you didn't think about it much.

If Crocodile was left with the image of your ass in the air as you finally listened, he was left with other images coming to mind as he smoked his cigar with a pleased grin.

He looked down at the bed briefly, thinking that it's best if he has someone to clean your room up and moving to call to do just that.

On the other side of the door, after you managed to calm yourself down, you turned on the tap for the large black rectangle tub and shower to fill with water. You looked down at yourself at all the secretions over you but you paid most attention to between your legs, your own secretions dried but also blood being there as well which signifies that your virginity was officially taken away. By Crocodile.

But you chose to do this and you meant what you said so shrugged it off. Although he is still a jerk wad and bastard. You turned to look yourself in the mirror and let out a sound of surprise leave your throat at all the markings.

A bite mark to your own neck, but not as harsh as the one you left to him. A litter of what you believed were hickeys on your neck as well as your jaw where he kissed you, spotting some on your breasts too. You spotted the side of your hip he grabbed having a mark and you suspected that it will cause bruising. You than turning towards the other side of your hip and waist, which had a scratch and cut respectively due to his hook, you recalling the pain that was mixed with pleasure.

So embarrassing...I can't believe I came to that.

You flushed at the remembrance, you obviously can't believe anything that you did.

You turned your attention back to focusing on your reflection. You could still spot a similar cut to your lip from the hook when you moved and caught him by surprise. You don't think he meant to do that and that was more your fault but oh well.

You turned back towards the tub and seeing it was basically full, going to turn the tap off and entering in and laying down. You hissed at the sensation between your legs, before moving to grab the gray washcloth you have in the corner bath rack that also held the shampoo, conditioner, and soap. You wetting it before rubbing the soap on it and decided to clean the blood off, moving to other parts of your body to try to distract yourself from thinking too much of what occurred. And what will occur later on.

You still feel out of depth. But you don't wanna feel that with Mingo. He'll tease you mercilessly. Something you didn't mind before, but since he's done this you very much do mind.

You can't believe he actually did this. Did you know he was capable of it? Yes. You're no fool. You know what Doflamingo does.

But you know his habit of teasing and finding things interesting, preferring to observe the fun and what will happen than forcing himself on it.

You got that from your first time meeting him. As well as your second.

This just seemed so out of character...he was so angry. You've never felt that cold ruthless anger before.

You're more surprised that your gut told you this was the best course of action. Although the others were or would end in bloodshed, so perhaps it was the best course of action you could take for everyone involved, including the civilians of Rainbase. So your gut was probably right. It always is.

You than thought of Crocodile's advise, that you shouldn't make such an open expression when it's time.

Your face turning thoughtful on how you could achieve that. Perhaps just think about how you reached this position? Let your cold rage flow? You still don't get how Crocodile and Doflamingo did it if Crocodile hates him, but maybe you can do it too? Make him feel your feelings through your actions? But you don't really know how to do that... Crocodile said that he stopped people from their release, something he did for you three times. You slightly flushed before continuing, you're running out of time so you have no room to be embarrassed about what already occurred.

What already occurred...

You slowly lowered yourself under the water until it was just your nose over the water, you glaring at the wall in front of you as you felt hot.

Ugh! Focus!

Maybe you can think of this like a mission? Crocodile trained and now you have to do?

Your mind briefly flashed you your past missions before you firmly pushed them down, not wanting to feel more upset than you already were.

The door clicked open and a naked Crocodile stepped through, making you splash around in surprise as you wound yourself in a ball.

"WHA—" Crocodile closed the door, brows furrowing as you yelled. "W-WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! I'M NAKED!"

He rolled his eyes at you.

"I know. Stop yelling. And did you expect I won't need a bath too?" Crocodile asked, with a rose brow and you didn't know what to say to that as you tried to keep your eyes on his face and only his face. You only making an odd noise in the back of your throat as you turned away, and muttering that he could've waited. "There's no time for that. Besides, you need to help." Crocodile said, opening the sliding door on your other side and coming in making your eyes widened.

"W-wait, I—I don't think—." You kept yourself in the ball and scurried off to the other end of the tub, which didn't really help. The man's long legs appearing on your sides and trapping you in as he slid the door back closed and you were just overwhelmed. Your eyes moving before you paused, your mouth parting. Crocodile's hook wasn't there, only his amputated wrist that held the scar of what was once a hand. You moving your gaze towards Crocodile who was staring at you hard. "Your..."

"My what?"

"Your hook...I've never seen you without it." You answered, glancing at his limb arm that was resting on the side of the tub before glancing back at him. "And you're..."

You stopped.

You're in the water.

Crocodile's face seemed to relax but was still looking at you sternly.

"It's a day of firsts it seems." He motioned his hand in a come here motion. "Come. We need to clean each other's messes. You didn't exactly get everything with your hands and you're still filthy."

You scowled at his bluntness, before straightening. Hand tight around your washcloth and frowning in thought as you looked at him before turning towards the bath rack to your side and grabbing the other washcloth you had there. You wetting it and using soap, before turning back towards Crocodile, both your hands with washcloths and flexing.

Crocodile looked like he was getting irritated but you took a steadying breath and focused on his face, before you moved towards him. His eyes blinking before he relaxed at your approach, leaning against the sides of the large and long tub.

When you were directly in front of him, you gave him the washcloth and he took it, hand lingering on yours before fully grabbing it. Him lowly saying for you to turn around, you throwing him a suspicious flustered look before thinking about what this means, you did so. But carefully to not have something brush against you, only for it to mean nothing. His limbed arm moving to wrap around your waist and tug you closer making you tense when you felt it.

"Relax," his voice said calmly in your ear, and you tried to do so as you felt hot. "Nothing you haven't felt before. Just wash." He kept his arm on your waist, his hand moving to the side where another smaller bath rack was held with other choices of bathing products. You unable to see what he's doing so you just moved your washcloth to wash your legs and getting any other stray blood you may have missed in your inner thigh.

You felt water dripping on your head, you turning around to see Crocodile wetting your hair with the small bath bucket.

"Your hair is a mess." Crocodile said simply at your questioning stare, you staring at him for a moment before turning back around with your face in deep thought. You felt his hands than coming upon your hair, having product on it due to the cool sensation on rubbing your hair, washing it with scrapes of his nails and weaving his fingers through it. You not being able to resist to lean into the comforting touch only to feel him again, freezing once more and pulling away only for his arm to not let you as he gave a small huff. "Stop thinking and just do." He stated as he continued his ministrations upon your head.

You...have been thinking.

But not exactly about his body close to yours like before but the why on it's close here.

Your eyes glinted, determined. Deciding to take his advise as you leaned fully against him, back on his wide chest as he washed your hair with his hand. And not focusing on his pelvis touching your rear, only at what he's doing as you moved to wash your arms.

It was like that for a few moments before Crocodile rinsed your head, water of the bucket coming down on you as you yourself put your hands on your hair to make sure all the product was gone. His hand tapped your waist for you to turn around again, while saying "Be careful" softly as you did so, the water sloshing around as you carefully placed them between his legs and as close as possible to his pelvis region without hurting him, you having to place your hands on his broad shoulders due to the shakiness of your legs as you kneeled with his limbed forearm on your lower back to steady you. You automatically moved for the bath bucket to gather water, your eyes meeting his if this was alright.

"Not the face." He said, before his eyes turned towards your front, grabbing the washcloth you were using and putting soap on it.

You quickly turned your attention back, biting your lip and trying to relax and not think about what's happening and just letting it happen. It did feel nice. And so you just focused on that and concentrated on the task in front of you, gently pouring the water on Crocodile's hair as you distantly felt him wash your abdomen. You managed to avoid his face with only a few drops falling down before turning to your left and reaching towards the shampoo there, flushing when you realized you leaned too far and just moved to snatch the shampoo bottle and giving Crocodile a cautious glare when you backed up—feeling the trace of warmth at your chest. Crocodile only chuckling lowly at your look before continuing his task, giving your hip a gentle squeeze. You blinked down at him, before internally shaking your head and tried to focus.

You realized you're going to have to lean forward again to help keep you up lest Crocodile having to carry you fully. Your face doing an odd embarrassed expression before you just did so, feeling his face right in the middle of your chest with his hand washing it as well. You rubbed shampoo in your hands and began to rub, scratch, and weave your fingers through his hair that is normally always slicked back. You can't believe you're actually touching it. You can't believe he's letting you, he seeming to like it since he let out a distant small hum from the back of his throat—feeling the washcloth on your chest rub over your bud a certain way making your breath hitch. You glared at his hair, giving it a gentle tug in warning. You feeling the smug grin upon your skin due to how close he was.

You continued rubbing his hair, trying to get the gel you feel off of it till you felt the natural texture of soft hair but still having narrowed eyes as you did so. He needs to stop teasing. You can't take much more of it, despite the warmth at your stomach.

You felt the forearm behind your lower back move to under your rear, you basically sitting atop his arm making you tense. Fingers in his hair curling.

"Hey!" You looked down but couldn't see his face due to your positions, you tensing more when he fully leaned his head on your chest. "O-Oi."

"Shush," You could feel his breath upon your skin, his lips grazing along as well with his quiet order. "I have eyes. You need to rest before we involve ourselves with the bird. Stop tensing and get comfortable with what I'm doing. Or are you only bold when there's a prize like a child?"

You scowled down at that last sentence before you tried to read what he meant. You really are using your muscles a lot, which only made your lower parts throb more due to your constant tensing. You need to save your energy for later on, you may have a lot of stamina but you have never used the muscles in your center. Not only that, but if you can't get comfortable with Crocodile just grazing you and touching you, you're not sure how you will be able to handle Doflamingo. And that's with you and Crocodile already...you can't act like this in front of Mingo, you reminded yourself.

Crocodile's right, you acquiesced. I need to try harder. Besides, I can just keep focusing on simply washing him. This is...he's still a bastard but he sure is doing a lot.

"You're right," you agreed with a sigh, uncurling your fingers around his hair and continuing to wash it absently as you talked. "I just...I'm confident in my sword but stuff like this... I hear ya when you say all that stuff. I'm just...this is just hard to get used to quickly. I'm used to chasing a goal... I guess they help my focus."

You felt Crocodile's hand on your hip move to your inner thigh, deeper in the water before moving to your outer thigh—it felt more comforting you guess you would say. Crocodile released a huff, you feeling his mouth upturn as he did.

"Your instinct as you said seems to know for you," Your own lips quirked at that. "If you need a goal, make one for later. One you think you can achieve but is difficult enough you actually have to make an attempt instead of halfassing it." His hand moved back to press lightly on your hip but his head stayed at your chest, you moving yourself to grab the bath bucket to rinse him off as you thought about those words before nodding, determination as you said "okay" and carefully poured the water as best you could and not get his face, although with this position it's hard since the water from his hair will just roll down. So you started at the ends, one hand pouring and the other rubbing the shampoo off. "...partners."

You stopped, looking down only to of course be met with the back of his head.

"Huh?"

"Your question," Crocodile clarified dryly. "We're partners. We both have done equal exchange of mutual interests for the other's benefit but also for our own. It was showcased the most today."

You tried to process his words but frowned.

"I won't help you with Alabasta, Crocy. You know I don't like it. So if you mean me being Miss Happy Hanukkah or something—"

Crocodile flexed his hand on your hip.

"No. Not like that." Crocodile rose and tipped his head back to the edge of the tub and finally met your eyes once more. Silver steady and piercing into your confused narrowed (e/c) orbs. "I would have claimed you as a subordinate to that man otherwise. I made a realization that despite said fact of my plans for Alabasta and your awareness of it, you have not portrayed...the exact reaction I would've expected. Whether it's due to your naïveté or something else, you made a choice that ultimately gave me a benefit despite the tasteless part of the deal." Crocodile's hand moved from the water to grabbing your chin and bringing you closer, you able to see his eyes were analyzing and dilated as your noses grazed. "And I gave you a choice, one ultimately better than the other so you chose correctly," he smirked darkly and proudly at that and you were actually confused on whether to smack him or laugh at how smug he sounded. His thumb than touching your lower lip and pulling it down slightly, his eyes staring as he did so before looking back up with a calm grin and continuing cooly, you flushing at the look. "Which also benefitted you—as well as myself, but ultimately you learned about yourself as an awakened woman with your own desires." He released your chin than, only to wrap his arm around you with his forearm lifting and tugging you towards him. You now straddling him and feeling his member near your rear, your hands on his shoulders as you took a breath with his arms around you and holding you up—your head right over Crocodile's who was obviously being very pleased with this as he stared up at you and your flustered expression—eyes dark. "Like that. You need to control that expression, I may have the wrong idea with such a face. So, is this sufficient?" He ended as you kept your grip on his shoulders as your eyes narrowed at him, but it came out weak and glazed.

You unable to think properly, moved your head and pressed it against his neck as you took a breath and exhaled. Trying to process.

But his touch and his body all on you with you on top is distracting—focus!

From what you understand...since he apparently hates the word friends, he turned it into something he would rather admit. The word reminds you of Lucci. Although, you saw him more personable with the word comrade. Cause that's what he was. So maybe the word partner is okay if that's what Crocy wants.

But really. You let out a small amused huff at his neck, lips lifting. He really hates using the words friends and trust.

"What are you laughing about?" Crocodile rose a brow, voice stern yet searching.

"No. Nothing. Sure, let's call it that." You said with a teasing smirk to his neck that he might be feeling due to how gave an unamused hum but you didn't quite care. "Whatever ya want, Crocy."

You felt his turned head towards you, mouth to your ear as his chest rumbled under you.

"Don't say such things if you can't back them up, Gin Chi (Y/N). I'm sure you know and are aware how close you are to me." He squeezed a hand to your backside as if to show, making your face drop and flush as you hid your face further into the crook of his neck with a nuzzle. Crocodile chuckled, releasing his hand and pulling you down to look at you. "Calm down. Like I said, you need rest. Now hurry up and finish. The water is getting cold." He ended, moving his hand to grab the washcloth for your body and moving towards your back like he didn't tease you.

You scowled at him.

The nerve of this guy! Saying all that stuff and than saying that the water is getting cold!

Isn't it his fault for having to explain why the word partners instead of friends?!

Ugh!

Either way, you finished rinsing Crocodile's hair while Crocodile focused on your shoulders with the washcloth, sometimes lingering for a moment before continuing. You moving the washcloth for him and washing your face after you gave him a questioning glance with him only saying for you to do it quickly. You making a few swipes after wringing the washcloth of water to have him not be too nervous as you cleaned his face before moving to his chest, Crocodile moving down to the back of your thighs but you were too focused on your actions as you washed him before dipping under the water to his abdomen. Crocodile pausing and glancing at you and your focused gaze and lips pursed before continuing, washing your other thigh but attention peaked.

After the abdomen, you went to push your hand to keep going before hesitating. Wondering if he can just do it himself.

Crocodile moved his hand back between your bodies and placed his hand over yours with the washcloth under the water. You taking a breath when he laid it upon his shaft.

"Finish what you started." Crocodile said to your ear, moving his hand back and finishing with you since you already cleaned yourself some before he came in. "And hurry up, but don't be rough."

You bit your lip, flushed before reminding yourself that this is just to clean him and you need to try harder in getting comfortable with a man's body.

You moved the washcloth to the base, gently wrapping your fingers around it before moving up and down as clinically as you could although curiosity was taking over since this was more of an exploration compared to before, since you just took him in his mouth but didn't really get to explore and touch with your hand. You wouldn't let go of the washcloth though. Not doing that. You went back to the tip and cleaned the opening gently, Crocodile taking a breath making you turn towards him in confusion. Weren't you being gentle?

Crocodile lowered you back down and shook his head at you, expression tight.

"You're washed. I'll finish up here quickly. Get dried and wait for me outside."

You rose a brow before telling him okay, going to the other side of the tub and opening the door before getting out, your legs still shaky. You grabbed your towel and wrapped it around you while leaning against the wall and taking a breath before you opened the door and closing it behind you. Your eyes widening when you saw the bed was fixed, and your discarded clothes folded on top. Although the headboard had a hole in it, you distinctly recalling a crack noise which was from the hook.

Someone must've came in and cleaned it, you rationalized before flushing and putting a hand to your face.

They probably could see what happened! This is too embarrassing. You've actually become one of those people who use hotel rooms for these types of things.

The horror the housekeeper must've felt when entering the room.

You let out a groan at the image.

You moved to the desk, seeing your cap was still on top and Karasu as well as Kuroi ten'nosabaki next to it on the wall. Crocodile had his golden hook there too, near Karasu. Your shoulder relaxing seeing your treasure and your third limb before moving to your clothes. Spotting your blouse and bindings being rolled up along with your shorts and...

You squinted down in the bed. Blinking. Than blinking again.

Atop your shorts was a gray lace thong. You think it was supposed to be underwear but you're not wearing that. You picked it up and blanched.

It had a string for the back that barely covered your butt!

What the heck is this?!

Did the housekeeper leave this too?! Did Crocodile call them to buy this since he tore your other one?

Depressed lines came over you and you felt like you could cry as you held your towel knot.

Why didn't he just take it off?

Why didn't you just take it off yourself?!

"Ahhh man..." You couldn't help but say. Wondering what you're gonna do. You don't wanna wear that, you want your boy shorts back. They were comfy and covered enough. These look totally the opposite of comfy and barely covers.

You dropped the underwear that won't go under anywhere near you and turned your gaze towards the ash tray that Crocodile was using. An ash tray that has always been in your room apparently on the mahogany desk. You never noticed cause you only used the desk to place stuff on top of it. You had no need for an ash tray so why would it be there? You than thought of the large tub in your bathroom, that happened to fit someone as large as Crocodile. You turned towards the large now clean bed with new red sheets and covers, the black pillowcases being the change. A bed that held both of you.

...that guy...

You released a harsh breath through your nose, moving to dry your normally wild hair tamed for now due to washing it and turned to look at the fur coat on the black leather lounge chair—pausing. Turning your head towards the door before going towards the chair after drying yourself a little more with the towel, and reached a hand towards the fur lining. Blinking at the softness. You weren't able to touch the fur part before on the collar of the coat. It feels pretty good, you rubbing it between your fingers. You don't understand still how he can wear such a thick thing in this country, it's way too hot for it. Along with everything else he wears.

He looks good just with the white long sleeved shirt he had earlier too. He probably saw that as 'dressing down' though. He always has his precious vests and scarves which he looks good with too, as long as it's not that plaid orange one. You made a face at the thought. Those were not a good color scheme on him.

You heard the door clicked and you moved to behind the large chair, chin on the fur collar as Crocodile stepped through with a towel around his neck and drying his hair. Crocodile brows furrowed before turning to where you were, you giving him a look of disapproval.

"What's with that look? And why are you not dressed yet?"

Your eyes narrowed at him.

"You're cocky."

Crocodile's brow cocked as his lips quirked, moving towards his own folded clothes on the bed and picking up his boxer briefs before turning curious amused eyes towards you. The chair practically dwarfing your form from the front as half your face was hidden by the fur coat.

"And what does that mean?" He asked, putting his clothes of his lower form with his one hand as you shot him an unimpressed look.

"Don't act innocent! I had a room all this time that happened to fit your tall butt with an ash tray too?!" Your brows furrowing more at him. "I feel like you were planning this for awhile...and I'm not wearing that underwear, it barely covers anything and it looks itchy."

"I wondered how long it would take you to notice," Crocodile replied with a mocking grin before turning his eyes to the bed. "Hmmm...not what I asked for but," he turned back towards you. "Are you simply going to walk around with just those shorts of yours? There is also worse undergarments than those if you think those are too showy. In the end, it won't matter. You'll show it all later."

You sputtered at his nonchalant tone.

"Wh-Hey! I'm not planning to go commando either! A-and I think it does matter!" You pointed your bare arm towards your clothes. "Those types of things are meant to look sexy right? I don't wanna look sexy for him!"

Crocodile's brows arched before smirking at you.

"That's the issue than? Don't want the bird to leer at you more than he already does?" Crocodile had his dark pants back on and walked towards you, you holding onto the fur coat as he did so. Crocodile's lips than fell in thought. "Although perhaps if you did, he'll go easier on you."

Your scowl dropped when you saw Croc's face and heard his words, your brows lowering.

"Easier? Ah, cause you said earlier he won't be? That torture stuff or whatever you were saying."

Crocodile hummed, silver eyes looking down at you in thought.

"I hear that for women who wear said 'sexy' lingerie, it gives them a confidence boost. Or rather more powerful. Can act like a completely different person, as if they dawn a mask upon themselves." Crocodile reached and grabbed your chin, you blinking at his words and thinking as he tipped it. "Due to how you were looking and acting, and my advise to fix those sincere expression of yours, maybe it will help. Although," he released you as his jaw clenched. "I find this rather tasteless myself. You should get dressed though. And you need to decide what you're going to do for yourself." Crocodile turned back towards the bed and called to you. "Help me with this."

He lifted his long sleeved shirt and you blinked, tightening the hold of your towel around your form and making sure the knot is tight before walking towards him. Crocodile already having the sleeves through his arms as he sat on the bed, you moving to button his shirt as you stared ahead in deep thought.

You guess you should wear the underwear, rather one than none. But now you're thinking about what Crocodile said. Do you want Doflamingo to take it easy on you? Frankly yes, because you rather just not do this at all but you have to. But you feel like your pride would be affected with this decision...than again...you need some help in trying to maintain your boldness in bed. You already have a goal in mind for later, well—two goals since it'll be both Mingo and Crocodile. So the goals and achieving them as best you can will help but you need more tactics.

Will you be able to wear lingerie though? Crocodile doesn't seem to like you wearing it later either, even though he was the one that said it could help. You already find that underwear too much, something that Crocodile doesn't find to be lingerie apparently cause than he would've just called it that.

But...you might need help with creating a mask...you had certain clothes to wear when you were undercover in CP9, it helping with who you had to be. Maybe this can be like that? Perhaps you should really just see this night as a mission. It'll be easier and can keep your emotions in check. Well, besides anger at all this happening.

You felt Crocodile's hand on yours when you reached the top button by the collar of the shirt, you looking to see he was staring at your bitten shoulder.

"No point in buttoning up all the way." He then looked up to your hair and moved his hand to smooth it down, seeming to brush it with his fingers and you could hear him mutter to you that you need to comb/brush or you'll just look wild. You don't think he was really insulting you and his hand on your hair felt nice, you leaning towards it a tad as you held your towel. You noticed Crocodile's lips lift and he cocked a brow at you. "What are you, a dog?" You flushed and frowned at him which only made him chuckle, his hand going to your hip and pulling you towards him making you tighten your hold on your towel with his limbed forearm on your lower back. Crocodile moved his gaze to the hand upon your hip, lowering it and than squeezing making you jump.

"Hey—!"

"You need to get used to this," Crocodile cut you off, meeting your flustered eyes evenly as he did it again. "I didn't have time to prep you here and it's far too late now but you need to have a taste." Crocodile probed a finger through the towel as if to show and you tensed, only for him to take it away.

"What...?!" You gasped when he released, before gently tugging you to sit on his leg in a side sitting position so your cheek was on his shoulder as you held your towel tight—trying to understand before it clicked with his touch as you paled. "We're going to...down there?! But...that'll hurt! Things shouldn't come into something that is meant to just shit...!"

"For it to work, yes. And if done the proper way it shouldn't be painful—although it will be uncomfortable." Crocodile leaned his head towards your neck, taking an inhale before making a pleased hum and leaning back and turned your chin towards him as he kept your limbed forearm on your waist to keep you there. "It may be painful though since you aren't used to it but with the proper tools, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. You'll have to. Don't look so scared, it's unbecoming of you." He stated, seeing your fearful expression as he swiped his thumb over your lower lip as if to take your frown away as he stared at you with thin lips. "You shouldn't show your fear to him, not like this. He'll take advantage."

You straightened your expression at that, tightening your jaw and lowering your brows although you could feel your apprehension through your eyes.

Crocodile released your chin with a humorless smirk.

"Better," he complimented, dropping his smirk and motioned for you to get off him, you moving to sit on the bed next to him instead. He stood and turned his head to the clock, it reading 8:50 PM. "Get dressed. We're going down to the lower levels and start drinking early. I don't trust that man's taste."

You were putting your shorts from under the towel to keep your modesty, already putting the thong on and as you thought—it felt strange and invasive in your rear and looked up with brows furrowed.

"I wasn't planning to drink."

Crocodile's head turned, raising a brow in surprise.

"Even now? You'll need to have something in you for you to get through the night." At you shaking your head, he huffed and frowned. "That means you'll remember and feel everything fully. Are you that apprehensive of yourself while drunk?"

"I don't want to be the kind of drunk I am for this," you replied shortly. You then turning your back towards Crocodile and lowered your towel, starting to put your black bindings but not as tight as you normally would since it'll be taken off anyways—you leaving the piece of black cloth that was your tie from CP9 on the bed. Crocodile putting his hook back on behind you from your ears hearing the workings of metal. You looking down to the bed with narrowed eyes, tone cold. "And I want to remember. I don't want to forget. I need a reminder of what exactly happened from my mistake."

It was silent for a moment, the tension high from your words.

Behind you Crocodile paused from fixing his hook, and looked towards your back with brows lowered. You now putting on your white long sleeved shirt and buttoning it, your shoulders hunched despite your brave front. Similar to how you looked and sounded in the alley. His jaw muscle clenched and he turned his focus back on his hook.

"You will have a reminder either way. Drinking will help," Crocodile advised behind you, you finishing up buttoning your shirt and turning towards Crocodile and getting off the bed. "I suggest at least taking a few sips of the whiskey I have." Crocodile turned to grab his fur coat off the chair, putting it over his shoulder and moving to the side of the bed, passing by you to reach the ash tray and the lighter he left there—grabbing another cigar from his fur coat and placing it between his lips before grabbing the lighter and flicking it. Smoke curling as Crocodile puffed before putting the lighter away and turning back towards you as you were staring at the floor in deep thought. "Come on."

You looked up and watched as Crocodile moved towards the door, you turning towards your cap and swords on the desk.

"Is it safe to leave my stuff here?"

Crocodile held the door open, looking down at you and than at the desk.

"You can. There's good security here and Nico Robin can be told to watch it for you. Thought you would want to have that precious hat of yours with you."

You shook your head, moving towards the desk and holding up your cap for a moment as you stared.

"I rather not have it on. Like I said, I don't want stuff to get on it." You said seriously and Crocodile let out a laugh.

"Scared of a mess? That's all?"

You lowered your cap back towards the desk and turned and walked towards the door Crocodile held open and looked up.

"I don't like people touching it," You said tense and eyes stormy. "My treasure gets touched by who I allow or by me and that's it."

Crocodile released a distant hum at your look, releasing a cloud of smoke as he exhaled and you passed by him to outside the room. Crocodile turning his head once more in thought towards the desk.

"Surprised you don't want your weapons either to slice him up in case he breaks the rules of the deal."

You let out a dry chuckle, lips lifted into a smirk you didn't quite feel. Crocodile looking down at you curiously at that—silver eyes focused on your expression.

"I am the weapon. So he can try."

Crocodile chuckled and he closed the door. He than guided you through the red carpet hallway to the left, back towards the main hallway of Raindinners but this time they kept going straight instead of going towards the casino. Him started turning left and right in a pattern and you taking note of the twists silently as you thought of what you were going to do. Crocodile paused in front of a wooden door in the hall, but pressed a hand to the wall beside it—the wall being pushed down and a hole of a door appearing with stairs going down. You couldn't help but make a noise in awe as Crocodile said this is where he was when working on Baroque Works and started to head down but you stopped him with a hand to his coat.

Crocodile turned, raising a brow as he looked at your hand on his clothes before looking at your determined expression—waiting.

"I need to do something first. I just wanted to know where to go when I come back."

Crocodile's eyes narrowed.

"You only have an hour or less. What would you need? I can order someone else to get it instead."

You shook your head, fingers tightening slightly on his coat as you gave him a small smile that wasn't really a smile at all.

"Nah. I gotta do it. It's something I gotta do myself." Crocodile's expression into one of suspicion and you straightened, tightening more on his coat. "I'm not running away if that's what you're thinking. I'm gonna come back on time. I just...I need to do this. You can—" You paused and fixed yourself and lifted your head to meet Crocodile's eyes. "We're partners right? This will errr..." You paused and scratched your cheek, as your brows furrowed deeply as Crocodile stared blankly. "...uhhh, mutual benefit? Advantageous? Look—" You dropped your hand from your cheek and waved it dismissively. "Whatever you said that partners do when they got each other's backs."

Crocodile stared at you in thought, analyzing as he puffed. Your sincere expression not leaving his hard one before he turned back to face forward.

"Alright. Let go. You're wrinkling it," You huffed but did so as you stared at the back of his head, your hands to your sides. "I imagine you can find where I am with your Haki when you reach here, but be quick about what you're going to do. I already reached my limit for the day on being around that man."

Your lips lifted and your eyes softened, able to read what you meant before you released a light laugh, arms crossing behind your head.

"I won't leave ya alone, Crocy. See ya soon!"

You used Soryu and disappeared, leaving Crocodile as he moved to go down the stairs with the hole in the wall closing behind him and letting out an unamused scoff at your words. The scarred man thinking to himself that he needs fix the location and probably get started on his whiskey.
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32k words. This was 32k words and I didn't even reach the threesome part.

This is a little gift for my Strong readers, wonder if you guys can catch all the references I said. This is a Happy Late Valentine's Day Gift.

The next part of this is gonna be a lot.

THIS was already hard to write for me, I had to take a break after every sentence. It was too much for me. And now I have to do the threesome...guys, wish me luck.

Hope you Crocy fans liked this though! Nice Silver Sand content too if people like SB with Croc.

I'll get the next part as soon as I can. If I don't, assume I had a heart attack while writing it.

Art on the Discord inspired due to what I wrote here.

By @Teabag

SO AMAZING!! >//////< 💗💗💗