Well this is going better than I expected. Like a lot better. I was honestly concerned about how this would go, but it seems to be going good. ^^ Yay!

Disclaimer: I'm only borrowing people from One Piece and Harry Potter. I'll put them back when I'm done torturing them.

Here the Chapter Starts

It was almost disheartening, watching the island she lived on for a year and a half shrink away in the distance as she leaned over the railing of the bright ship. Aster was wrapped around her waist and chest, draping over her shoulders, his gaze more on the other occupants than their former home. It was obvious that the only one happy about her attendance is her stalker, but they wouldn't try anything or risk upsetting 'Doffy'. Despite not being able to keep their mouths shut when it came to their opinions about her, they were at least loyal enough to him that they didn't do much more than try and convince him to throw her overboard.

Briefly, she wondered if they would succeed, then how long they would last once the shock wore off and her serpent reacted in her defense. She can fight back, she knows she can, but these men held much more experience than her. Before she picked up her daggers and whip, the only weapon experience she had was kitchen knives.

She was lucky that she was naturally skilled in potions, especially without any brats around to ruin her hard work, and was thankful that so many herbs in this world were just like the ones in her old world. The potent poisons she created coated her blades, making killing easy for her. As a general rule, she tried not to fight and kill, not unless her life was threatened first. She didn't think she would resort to this, though. A threat too big for her to handle, so she ran. She did not tell Aster about it, the basilisk worried over her enough.

It was actually thanks to her stalker that she even noticed the strange men watching her every move. Even when she was yelling at him to leave her alone, he stuck close, which caused the watching men to whisper to each other and back off for another day. She thinks he knows about them, too, since he randomly appeared next to her when one such man was close enough to grab her one day. The hand was inches from grabbing her when Donquixote suddenly appeared and pulled her away from the stranger, wrapping an arm over her shoulders and leading her away with his usual grin.

She suspected they were gang members that the group of men she killed a couple months back were a part of, and they were seeking revenge. At least they were smart enough to recognize a more powerful predator and back away. She did notice the blonde following her shortly after their first meeting.

Were those men following her since then, too, and he was protecting her from the shadows? Why, though? What did he have to gain when he didn't even know her? Even now, what did he think she was worth?

"That's not the look of regret," his voice noted, drawing her from her thoughts as she leaned her head back to see him standing behind her and grinning down at her.

Now that she actually noticed him, she realized Aster had been warning her of his close proximity. She just didn't pay any attention. "What do I have to regret?" she asked. "I'm off that boring old island and moving elsewhere. The only downside is your constant pestering."

"Fufufu, don't act like you just wanted to leave and explore," he told her. "You're running."

"Whatever makes you say that?" she inquired, turning around to face him then leaning her back against the railing with her hands gripping it behind her.

Aster tightened around her, head level with her eyes. "Running from what?" her serpent asked.

"I'm not blind," the blonde informed her as she pulled the snake down from her face. "I bet those guys you killed had friends, and those friends are the one who want you dead."

"What guys? Who did you kill? Why did you not tell me of this?!"

"And you've been following me to scare them away?" Evelyn taunted with a mocking smirk as she petted the agitated beast wrapped around her body. "How sweet, my personal knight in pink feathers." She looked him up and down before glancing to her serpent. "I think I prefer mine with scales."

"I could have just let them take you away," he pointed out. "Just let them grab you to torture, rape, and break you. Then maybe sell you into slavery if they don't kill you."

"Can't break what's been broken," she scoffed with a roll of her eyes, turning her head away. The island was only a thin line of mass in the distance. "Only thing holding me together is some weak threads."

Doflamingo looked down at her, his brows furrowed in confusion. What did she mean by that? From what he had seen of her, she's fierce and headstrong, powerful in her own right. How exactly was she broken, barely being held together?

"Even if it's weak, you're still strong," he commented.

A snort slipped out as she regarded him with a glare. "Thanks, that's great coming from a psycho," she sarcastically returned, taking a quick side step around him and walking away. "I need to see what you guys have on stock here before I can even think of lunch plans."

Here is a line!

A whole week. She managed to survive a whole week on this ship full of craziness and oddities. She can handle her personal stalker, there is no problem there. And she might as well be civil towards him, somewhat, since there aren't many places onboard that she could use to get away from him. It was the others around her.

Trebol has this annoying tendency to hover too far into the personal bubble. Everyone points it out to him, but he still does it. Diamante is an oddball that accepts no flattery unless it stops, then he accepts it way over enthusiastically. Diamante couldn't seem to make up his mind about whether to shoot her or laugh at her antics concerning his boss.

Jora heard things that no one even said that complimented her looks and did not believe in gender references. Lao G tended to enunciate the 'g' whenever he said a word with it, then exclaim the letter, which was pretty annoying to her. She tended to avoid the older man. Vergo was just forgetful to the point of food sticking to his face and him not even realizing it. Gladius, she couldn't read well enough to get a solid opinion of him, but he did make her a little uneasy about how nonchalant he tended to be.

Pica, slightly older than Donquixote, only made her nervous due to his sheer size, but he was easily the one she got along with best since he was normally quiet and didn't bother her so much. Though his voice startled her when she first heard him talk, she couldn't help the giggle and calling him cute for it. Some of the others almost attacked her for the comment. It wasn't their leader who stopped them, but Pica, who laughed with her after calling her a 'nice girl'. It surprised everyone that he didn't get upset by the comment she made. Though her hugging his arm probably had something to do with it.

All in all, they had their oddities, and she was surprised that she was actually enjoying their antics as much as they were enjoying hers. She wasn't sure how much she could trust them, there wasn't much left in her to trust others. Aster, who continuously watched the crew when she was on another part of the ship, informed her about any plans they may have for her. The only plan he heard concerning her was that Donquixote wanted to keep her and didn't care what the others thought, which was surprising since he seemed to hold their opinions in high respect.

Speaking of Aster…

With a slight huff, she looked down to her bored serpent. He had stayed by her feet staring out to the sea for the past half hour at the back end of the ship. The crew did what they wanted, mostly leaving her alone and hovering closer to the front. "Hey, Aster," she called softly, causing the basilisk to raise his head. "Wanna have some fun?"

At the front of the ship, Doflamingo and the others did not suspect a single thing. They were discussing business plans, something that Doflamingo tended to put his all into. Though young, he handled his business like a professional, focus entirely on any plans being made and profit being accounted for. So it was a bit of a surprise when rapid footsteps met their ears.

"Move it, asshole!" Evelyn's familiar voice yelled as she charged towards them.

Seeing that she wasn't stopping, Trebol and Diamante rose to try and stop her. Even Pica stood to get in her way. Doflamingo, on the other hand, grinned and leaned back, enjoying the sight of her in a bikini. She leapt into the air, sailing between the two tall men and landing on the table. His unseen eyes twitched upon seeing the various scars decorating her back. Who the hell dare mark her in such a way?

"We're bored, be back in a few," she offered before leaping from the table and diving into the sea.

Everyone on the deck blinked in surprise. It was Vergo who managed to break the silence. "She just jumped into the water in front of the ship," he pointed out.

"So she's probably been hit by the ship by now or is stuck under it?" Gladius asked, looking to the others. Dare they say he looked hopeful.

"I don't think she's stuck," Diamante answered as Doflamingo went to the edge and leaned over to look down at the water. "Probably hit and is now drowning."

"Nyeh, nyeh, don't say such a thing," Trebol lightly scolded, bumping his long-time friend's arm with his staff even though he was smiling. The girl was more trouble than she was worth and he still found it hard to believe that Doffy simply let her get away with everything she says and does. "Doffy would get upset."

"Think she'll come back up?" Pica asked, looking over the railing as well.

"I hope so," Doflamingo replied then looked to the others. "Who annoyed her enough to chase her off the ship?"

Before anyone could answer, a burst of water sprayed over them as a large serpentine head arose next to the ship. Laughing on the creature's head was Evelyn, brushing her soaked hair out of her eyes. The beast she rode kept its eyes closed as it lowered its head to the water, more of the body coming to the surface to swim by El Flamenco.

"That was awesome!" she cheered, throwing her fists into the air as she laid back on the creature's head.

"Nyeh, is she on a sea king now?!" Trebol yelled in surprise.

Evelyn's laughs slowed down as she stared at the shocked faces on the ship. Holding her palm to her forehead, fingers still tangled in her long obsidian hair, she waved her free hand to her serpent. "You guys know Aster!" she exclaimed happily. "I did say he's roughly sixty feet long! Remember?"

Doflamingo was the first to voice his disbelief. "How is that thing your snake?"

"He's old enough that he can change his size, it's a unique ability to his species," she explained, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on one hand. She noticed the blonde was solely focused on her frame, the water causing her skin to glisten in the sunlight. It didn't help that her bikini didn't hide much beyond her breasts and privates. "Problem is he can't make himself grow bigger than he naturally is. He can only shrink and grow back to his original size. Which makes sea kings a problem since they're still bigger than him."

"If your snake isn't some kind of sea king, then what is it?" Jora asked, crossing her arms.

Evelyn giggled, rolling enough to lay on her stomach and kick her legs into the air. "He's a basilisk," she answered before rolling off Aster's head and back into the water. The serpent dipped his head down, body soon following until he was nothing more than a shadow in the water swimming by the ship.

"I have realized some things right now," Doflamingo announced, earning the attention of the others. "One, Evelyn and her snake are full of surprises." Some of the others nodded in agreement. Then he grinned widely. "Two, she's damn hot in that bikini."

Here is a line!

The crew learns quick, Evelyn noted one day. She only had to dive off the ship two more times before they finally associated her running on the deck turning into her diving into the water. They also learned to not antagonize the size shifting serpent. Especially considering the fact that the serpent listened only to her and that most of them were devil fruit users, meaning she and her basilisk could be their main source of help should they fall into the sea. Not that they really do.

Evelyn did have to admit, the crew was sort of fun. Whether she was annoying them or watching their antics, she soon found herself laughing at or along with them. A few even decided to help her train in order to get better at handling her weapons.

Diamante tried to get her to use a sword, but she preferred her daggers. It was the same basic techniques, just smaller blades. Lao G was teaching her how to fight with her body, usually resulting in a few aches and bruises showing up later. Gladius was teaching her how to shoot, even though she didn't like the idea of using a gun. It was a good fall-back should she be without her daggers or whip.

Slowly but surely, the others was warming up to her and she was finding herself conflicted. She was getting too comfortable, her guard softening. She even stopped calling Doflamingo by his last name, though still called him 'asshole'. He seemed to think that it was a term of endearment she granted him and it signaled her being in a good mood. Generally because her bad moods resulted in her yelling his nickname (almost insultingly) or his full name.

The thought of allowing anyone close to her, especially Doflamingo considering how much he was infatuated with her, terrified Evelyn. Most of her life, the only one she could trust was herself.

Aster could be trusted, but only because he is now her familiar since she won him when she killed Voldemort the first time. If anyone ever defeated her, he would go to them. He may hate it, but it would be the Right of Conquest he was bound to. He would have no choice in the matter. That thought was a small comfort.

She thought she could trust Ron and Hermione, even Ginny, but they only watched her and reported to the Headmaster about anything she did, suspicious or not. All they wanted was to use her to secure their own future and get paid to watch her. Ron, Evelyn shivered thinking about it, is apparently contracted into marrying her. Like she'd ever marry that boy!

Her hands clenched at the mere thought. No wonder he was always trying to get her to spend time with him more so than anyone. Even scaring off other boys, not that she realized he was doing that until after finding out they lied to her.

"Dare I ask what the table did to upset you?"

She blinked her eyes in surprise, looking up at the blonde standing by her chair. "What are you doing up? It's late."

"I noticed," Doflamingo commented, looking around with a cocky smirk. He nudged his head towards the mast, probably wanting to point out the person in the crow's nest. "I couldn't sleep. Lao G said you've been out here since before his shift. I thought you might like some company."

"Let's face it, we're at the point of me saying 'no' and you doing it anyway," she chuckled, uncurling her legs from their cramped position. The raven wasn't quite sure when she curled up on the chair.

With a laugh, he dropped onto the chair next to her. "I thought we were always on that point in our relationship," he stated, crossing his legs as he leaned against the back of his seat. "Mind explaining why you were glaring at the table?"

"I was glaring?" she asked, blinking a couple times. She hadn't noticed. Just how far out of it was she?

Doflamingo's smile wavered a little, though still present just not as wide. "Something on your mind?"

Sighing softly, she slowly turned her head away, watching the water dance in the moonlight. He didn't say anything, learning a while back that forcing information from her resulted in an explosion, literal or figurative depended on what she was doing. So when it came down to Evelyn, Doflamingo learned patience was a necessity if he ever wanted to learn anything about her.

Mentally, Evelyn was waging civil war. One side told her to open up, let him in. Maybe he won't be like others. Maybe he really does care! The other side told her to block him out. He's too close as it is. She's only asking for another knife in the back, a twisting blade to her heart.

Looking back to him, both sides noticed. He was learning things about her. He noticed she favored lilies over other flowers he sent her and didn't much care for jewelry. Even now, he learned not to push her into talking and let her choose what to indulge. He's learning about her and she just kept pushing him away out of fear of a betrayal that may not even happen.

The war settled as she inhaled deeply. "I'm scared," she admitted with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Scared?" he repeated in confusion, the grin gone from his face. What did she have to be scared of?

"Of letting people in," she clarified. She shook her head slowly as she turned away. "My father was from a noble family, the last of his line. He fell in love with my mother, the first of her family with a…special gift. Or curse, depending on who you ask. He chased her for six years before she finally relented and accepted his courtship. She fell in love with him, they got married, and some time after that, I was born. But they were part of a war and they were hidden away from the leader of the enemy. That lunatic believed in blood purity, that only those with generations of the gift in the bloodline reign supreme.

"I don't know why, but he was after my family. A friend of my father's was a spy for the enemy, a traitor giving their location to his leader. He came to my home… killed my father… then my mother. His power was too strong for either of them and they were idealistic, thinking that killing would sink them to his level. A lot of the fools back home thought the same. My power, however, is apparently stronger than his. He tried to kill me, but my curse reacted, protecting me and killing him. I got away with this stupid scar on my head, nothing more. People celebrated the fact that he was dead and I somehow defeated him. They celebrate that my parents were murdered and I lived!"

Shakily holding back a sob, she quickly wiped the liquid threatening to spill from her eyes. She didn't need to see his eyes to know he was trying to locate the lightning bolt upon her forehead, hidden behind her growing bangs.

"I became famous for it," she continued. "You would think that having fame would tempt anyone into adopting me, raising me even if just for publicity. My godfather, however, thought to go after the traitor instead of taking care of me. I was fifteen months old, I lost my parents and my godfather was sent to prison for a crime he did not even commit. I was sent to be raised by my mother's jealous sister, her obnoxious husband, and their spawn who was my age, but more spoiled than a rotten apple.

"From a very early age, I was their slave. I cooked. Cleaned. Tended the garden. If anything was wrong, I was beat and thrown into my cupboard, food covering the table and not a single bit in my belly. Sometimes for days. If things were bad enough in their eyes, my uncle would remove his belt and whip me with it. Most of the scars you saw on my back were from that.

"I didn't know I had my curse until I was eleven and the school my parents went to contacted me for attendance. At that time, I thought it was a gift, like so many others. I thought that I could get away from my aunt and uncle, learn how to handle my abilities, and make friends. I didn't even know I was famous until I went shopping for supplies. Strangers knew my name. They knew what I managed to do. They don't know how, but they did know about that night. I had no clue that my parents left me piles of money in a vault. No idea just how rich I really was."

Another deep inhale before looking down to her grasping hands on her lap. "I thought I made my first friend on the train to school, a boy named Weasley Ronald. Some time later, during the school year, I made another friend named Granger Hermione."

"Odd names," Doflamingo commented with a small huff.

She giggled, her lips twitching. "They'd think the same of yours and the others," she pointed out. "They weren't real friends though. And as it turns out, the leader of the enemy, Voldemort, isn't as dead as everyone wanted to believe. He tried to kill me while finding a way to restore himself. He failed and fled. I was sent back to my enslavement once school was over, my words of my abusive family falling on deaf ears.

"I met Aster when I was twelve, near the end of my second year at the school. He bonded to me because I defeated his last master, which makes him mine by Right of Conquest. Meaning that, to the rules of the Right, my bloodline is stronger and worth protecting over Voldemort's. But during most of the year, because I didn't know about him and couldn't claim him, he was being used by his old master to attack the other students, petrifying them. Everyone thought it was me because I could talk to snakes. No one knew what was doing it, but talking to snakes was considered an evil trait. So love me one year, hate me the next for things out of my control.

"When Aster claimed himself as my familiar, we got rid of the item Voldemort was using to control his puppet, Ron's sister Ginny, with. As far as anyone knew, I killed Aster as well. He hid from Ginny so no one knew otherwise. She would have been the only witness. During the last few days of school, he showed me his secret passages, how he was able to move through the school so easily without being seen.

"We were near my headmaster's office when I heard all three of them: Ron, Hermione, and even Ginny, the girl I risked my life to save. They were reporting to him. Telling him my every move. Every time I left them alone to spend time with Aster, they told him even though they had no clue what I was doing. Speculating that I was up to dark deeds that I didn't want them to know about. Accepting money from that manipulative old man for playing their parts right.

"They were using me! Hermione and Ginny were being paid to be my friends. Ron is supposed to be contracted to marry me, something that was made shortly after my parents died! And he fully believed I would be his wife!" Her nails dug into her palms, red sliding out of the clenching fists. "Those bastards were using me to better their futures! They didn't give a damn about me! No one ever did! Not my godfather. Not my pretend friends. Not the people who were supposed to be my family. No one!"

A strong hand grabbed her arm, pulling it so that her hand left her lap. His fingers curled under hers, straightening them out so that she would stop hurting herself. Startled by the action, her other fist loosened. He looked up from their hands to her face, watching her silently.

"I do," he confessed.

She slowly shook her head. "How can I know for sure?" she asked. "How can I know that you won't be like them? That you're not using me to further some goal of yours?"

"I never hid my intentions towards you," he pointed out. "I told you that first time we met that I like you. Not because of your beauty or your fighting abilities. I like you because you're you. A little ball of fire with plenty of attitude and no fear to consequences."

She let out a soft scoff. "I leave the worrying to Aster," she joked.

He chuckled in response before suddenly pulling her onto his lap, chest to chest. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as he placed his head on her shoulder. "You're a part of this Family," he told her firmly. "I want you to be more to me, but I won't push you. Remember this, though. I will never betray you."

A few tears escaped the prison of her eyes as she hid her face into his shoulder, only able to reach it because of how he was holding her. As crazy as it sounded, even to her…

She believed him.

Here is a line!

"Hey, asshole, wanna try something new?" she randomly asked him a couple days later.

Doflamingo turned his head to look over his shoulder at her, noticing the tube top covering her breasts and the short skirt hanging on her hips. "Going for a swim, my rose?" he asked, grinning as he drank in the view of her near nude form.

"I asked you something first," she pointed out, ignoring his pet name for her. At least the others were used to their names for each other, though Doflamingo starting his up randomly did surprise a few.

"I wouldn't mind trying something new, but I'd like to know what it is," he answered, shifting his form until he was exposing his side to her instead of his back.

"Call it a test," she mischievously replied with a coy smirk, her hip cocking to her left a little bit. "A trust test."

"Fufufu, alright," the blonde chuckled, holding his hands out in mock defeat. "Do I need to do something?"

"Nyeh, nyeh, why would Doffy have to do anything?" Trebol spoke up, a firm believer that Doflamingo is royalty and should never be told to do something. "If you don't trust him, then you shouldn't be on this ship."

"I already gave him some of my trust," she pointed out. As hard as it was, she couldn't call the other night anything less. She exposed her weakness, became vulnerable. And he did nothing in return except hold her as she cried on him. "This is a matter of how much trust he is willing to return."

"And if I already trust you?" Doflamingo asked, leaning his head back a little.

"Trusting me that easily is a stupid move on your part that you are too smart to do," she pointed out with a scowl. "I just want to see how much you really do trust me."

He chuckled, running his hand through his blonde hair. "Fine. What do you have in mind?"

"If I tell you everything, it ruins the test," she commented, her smirk returning to her red lips. "Off with the feathers, the shirt, and the shoes. And the sunglasses. Wear your goggles instead."

"If you wanted me naked, all you had to do was ask," he joked.

"Half-naked, asshole. Don't go over your head," she scoffed in amusement. "Now off."

"Doffy, I don't think this is a good idea," Vergo stated as the blonde teenager draped his feather coat on the back of his chair.

"Noted, Vergo," Doflamingo returned, unbuttoning his shirt as Evelyn leaned against the deck's railing, patiently waiting for him to remove the clothing she asked him to. "I don't think this will be that bad. Though I do think it's something she needs."

"You do too much for this girl, Doffy," Diamante threw in, though he sounded more amused than anything. After a few training sessions and chats with her, he did figure out that she wasn't much of a threat. At least, not to them and certainly not to the blonde. Though she did threaten to cut out his tongue if he said a word she ever mentioned about Doffy to the teenager leader.

Doflamingo chuckled lightly, turning his cocky smirk to the patient girl waiting for him. "Perhaps," he agreed, slipping off his shoes as he placed his shirt on top of his coat.

Evelyn fought her blush with all her might. Doflamingo is of a lean build, mostly, but he is also very fit. His chest is well sculpted, semi-tight muscles stretching under the skin. To her surprise, since he mostly had his shirts closed, he also carried an eight-pack, showing his torso to be mainly muscle. The battle was mostly won, yet a thin red line did color her cheeks. Judging from the growing grin on his face, he noticed.

"Don't even say it," she warned before raising her hand and using a finger to coax him over. "Just come over here."

"You plan on letting me in on anything?" he asked as he approached.

A foot from her, she stopped him with her foot landing gently his waist. He looked down at her, still grinning. "I need your head down here," she clarified, returning his smirk with her own coy one. "Upper head, not the lower one."

"Fufufu, ruin the fun," he playfully accused, bending over and placing his hands on the railing behind her, trapping her body between his arms.

"Oh, we're going to have some fun," she whispered to him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pushed her chest against him.

The others on deck watched in stunned amusement. After all, Evelyn never acted like this. She was practically seducing Doflamingo into claiming her right there, and it looked like he was all for it!

One of her legs managed to wrap around his hip, her ankle tucking between his thighs. "Just…trust me," was all she said before suddenly leaning back and falling into the waiting sea.

Caught off guard by her antics beforehand, Doflamingo fell over into the water with her. He briefly heard Trebol, Diamante, Vergo, and Pica yelling his name before the rush of water flooded his ears. He felt his strength wane, the pressure of water crushing his lungs as they sank. He didn't have much of a chance to catch a breath to hold before they fell.

Evelyn stayed wrapped around him, turning her head to the side and watching something, leaving her neck exposed to him. Even if he did manage to do something to get her to release him, he would still drown. She had to be doing this for a reason.

Something echoed in the water before a shadow swam by them. It dipped down one side then up the other, the length of its body under the two. Suddenly, they were being lifted up at a rapid speed, the body under them pressing against Evelyn, who was then pressed against him. The water broke, releasing them to the surface of air and shouting.

He took in a deep gasp, relieving his deprived lungs. He scowled and looked down at the giggling girl, who had him between her long legs. The curve of the serpent's body forced her to practically bend backwards, thus pushing her more into his body that was bent forward, the lower part of his legs, plus his feet, still in the water. The scowl disappeared as he took in their position, then his usual grin returned. He could get used to this.

"Did you think I would drown you?" she teased, patting his chest while using her other hand to push her hair off her face, revealing the lightning scar upon her brow. "Aster was down there the whole time. Everything was under control."

"A warning would have been nice," he informed her. "I tend to be very weak in the water."

"Eye for an eye," she commented. "I tend to be very weak when my past comes back to haunt me." She took in their position before looking back up at him with a quirked eyebrow. "Mind getting off me?"

He pretended to think about it, looking at their position again, before shaking his head, blonde hair sticking to his face. "I'm comfortable," he replied, earning a shove to the side. He rolled off her, his back landing on the scales of her basilisk. "Now I'm sad."

"Say that with a frown instead of a smile and I may believe it," she giggled, rolling onto her stomach. "Hey, Doffy?"

"Am I in trouble now?" he joked, knowing she often said his nickname when in a bad mood. He can tell from her tone that she was just being serious, which was kind of rare since her moods tended to flip between mad and amused, occasionally something in between.

Evelyn slapped his shoulder in response. "Asshole," she muttered. "I just wanted to say…thanks. For the other night. For dealing with me and my moods. For this." Her hand waved over herself and towards the close-eyed serpent swimming along the side of the ship. "For…everything."

Doflamingo's grin fell into a peaceful smile, his head turning towards her. "You don't need to thank me," he informed her, his hand reaching out and cupping her face, his thumb rubbing her cheek. With a soft sigh, she leaned into the open palm, her smaller hand pressed against the back of his, holding the appendage in place.

Here is a line!

"Which island is that?" Evelyn inquired, noticing the mass of land they were approaching.

"That's where we are going to make our main base of operations in the North Blue," Doflamingo answered, a satisfied smile on his lips. "We're making Spider Miles our main Headquarters."

"I would think pirates wouldn't settle on land," she commented, turning her head slightly to him.

"Even pirates need a base," he pointed out. "Somewhere we can relax and let our guard down somewhat. Restock with no problems. Plot our next scheme. Stash our treasure."

"Makes sense, I guess," she accepted with a shrug then looked down when she felt the cool scales of her basilisk wrapping around her legs. "Gonna make landfall soon, Aster."

"Already?" the serpent hissed. "Here I was thinking it'd take another month."

Has it really only been a month on this ship? It felt like so much has happened that time meshed together. Especially concerning her. It was three months ago when she first met Doflamingo, two months since they actually talked to each other. And somehow, the blonde managed to worm his way past her barriers. Yet she didn't put up much of a fight against him. Some would say she did, but considering the short length of time it took him, she may as well have left the door open.

Still, three months. Close to the two-year mark now. Her life here had been a mostly quiet one, especially after she managed to make a name for herself when it came to medicines and poisons, though most bought her poisons for pest problems. Then Doflamingo showed up and her life was shifted, an easy transaction of slow to the speed that seemed to following the blonde. She was caught up in that speed, relishing the rush. Somehow that rush just ended up with her on his ship in particular. She could have gotten on any ship to escape her pursuers, but she chose his.

"We were planning on this location a while before you joined us," he informed her. "Then you came up and said you would get off on our next stop. Here we are. Still plan on leaving?"

Her lips tugged upwards as she looked back to the grinning blonde. "Nah, you guys are too much fun. If you're fine with it, I'd like to stick around."

"Fufufu, glad to hear it."

"…Excuse me while I regurgitate my lunch…"

"Gross, Aster. Just…gross."

Here the Chapter Ends

There we go! Time skip next chapter! I want them to be a bit older before jumping further into the relationship. Just to clear things up, Evelyn is opening herself to trusting Doffy, but she isn't calling him a lover just yet. Doffy does know this, the man isn't stupid.

Also, I have no clue when they got to Spider Miles. I'm just going with this.

But here we are! Let me know what you guys think! ^^ Ja ne, minna-san!