-Part 2-

- In the Garden of Isolation-

-Then-

Crocodile took a step out of the house, taking in the warm, moist morning air, and lit a cigarette. At some point he would have to drop Doflamingo off, hopefully sooner than later. Although he had felt eager to have Doflamingo acknowledge who he was, a sudden burst of fear would strike up whenever he thought about bringing up his history, and ultimately Crocodile decided that it would be better to push off the conversation when he felt prepared. He was certain that Doflamingo wouldn't mind too much: he would just happy they weren't killing each other.

He finished his smoke and reentered the house, passing by the couch that Doflamingo was sleeping in, doing his best not to look over.

Nearly failing, he went upstairs, back into his room to think quietly to himself. Licking the back of his teeth, detecting familiar smoky flavors, he sat down at his desk, grabbing sheets of paper and staring absentmindedly at blank pages.

New sheets. They were smooth and nice to stare at. With a messy mind he could create something absolutely disastrous. He could leave it for Doflamingo to show. He could show it off to the supposed professionals that so desperately wanted to know every waking moment of his. He could write down a detailed process of how he would kill everyone that made his life so unsatisfactory and then crumble the paper up, toss it anywhere in the house, and never expect a damn thing to come of it.

Crocodile picked up a pencil and stared at the blank sheet, almost unsure of what to make of it. What deserved to be conceptualized first? How would he go about publishing his frustrations?

He stared and then drew a circle. He knew what he wasn't, and so he drew that first. Blank eyes were added, then a smile. A button nose. He colored the eyes in black, and then chose to turn the smile into a wide grin, creating a simple looking jolly roger.

"Crocodile!"

His eyes went wide as he looked over to the door that he had left slightly ajar.

"Crocodile, I need my water bottle!" It sounded like a cross between a whining child and an animal that had just been hit by a car. Crocodile rolled the pencil between his fingers, listening to faint groans from down below, letting guilt and anger and frustration grow until he temporarily lost control.

The pencil dragged across the smile. Deep. Dark. Crocodile looked down at the messed up picture, the mistake only adding to the fact that Crocodile felt complete discomfort at the sound of Doflamingo's voice. He picked up the sheet, forcing it into a crumbled ball with his shaking hands as he made his way out of the room and back down stairs.

With a forced smile he made his way into the living room, tossing the paper ball right into Doflamingo's annoying face, and then went into the kitchen.

"Hey, what's this?" Doflamingo asked from behind. "Hey, hey can you get me a cup or something? I really don't wanna have to move up the stairs."

Crocodile felt a grin develop as he walked on by, roughly grabbing the empty water bottle that had been left on the kitchen table. He threw that at Doflamingo as well, and since Doflamingo was busy staring at the crumpled picture, it so obviously landed right on the boy, and it also so obviously sprinkled any wasted remains across the body.

Crocodile sighed, staring down at his own mess before giving up and deciding it was best just to start over back upstairs. Just as he touched the railing he heard Doflamingo speak:

"Nice picture. What is it supposed to be?"

"A representation of your annoyance," Crocodile said as he slowly walked up the flight of stairs.

"Ah…wonderful work then," Doflamingo chuckled. "So what's for breakfast?"

"Too early. Go piss and then sleep," Crocodile remarked.

"Fufufu. So, one last question."

"I'll take you home later," Crocodile muttered.

"That's not it."

Crocodile paused. He looked down at Doflamingo, whose rather serious looking expression made him sick with anxiety. He already knew what the boy wanted to know.

"Not now," Crocodile said. He did his best not to hiss the words out. There was a minor slip up.

"Ok," Doflamingo said. He grabbed his bottle, lifting the covers of his blanket to shield his bruised body. He stopped. He looked back up at Crocodile. "When do you wanna talk about it?"

Did Doflamingo know? Was he aware of how uncomfortable this was for the both of them, or just him?

Crocodile remained gracefully poised, not letting the boy's concern get to him.

"Whenever I damn well feel like it," he said, making sure to look as menacing as possible when he said it.

He wouldn't allow Doflamingo that sort of power over him. He was the one to make the decisions. He was the one with the power. It had always been that way and there was no way he'd ever let something so perfect change.


-Then-

"Describe the situation."

Doflamingo sat comfortably in his seat, one eye on an unkempt menu written mostly in Spanish, the other on the equally filthy window.

"She left the house twenty minutes ago," Gladius responded through the phone. "We got Baby 5 wandering around the premise, trying to find a way in right now. Pica's resting after spending the whole night observing from afar…"

"Did none of the girls leave?"

"Not one of them."

Doflamingo took a sip of his coffee. "So it's safe to say my precious cargo is still in the house?"

"None of us saw her leave with a bag," Gladius replied. "If she took some of it, it would have had to been a very small amount."

"Wonderful," Doflamingo said, retaining the urge to grin. It was also too early to celebrate. He needed to know the identity of the girl. He needed to know what had happened. What went wrong?

"So…how are things on the other side?" Gladius nervously asked.

"Oh, ho!" Doflamingo chuckled. His waitress appeared and Doflamingo placed a finger on his chosen meal, letting the woman take his order without saying another word, waiting until she had left his sight before continuing, "Your fellow companions have just finished spending the night making product that will hopefully carry half the shine of the stuff that you will rescue for me."

"Is that so?"

"It will be packed and hopefully ready for shipping by the end of the day," Doflamingo added.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying," Gladius said through the line, "that is incredibly impressive."

"You lost my girls," Doflaimingo said.

"…yes," Gladius muttered.

"Be very happy I'm a forgiving man," Doflamingo added, smirking.

"I've taken everything into account," Gladius huffed through the phone. "Baby 5 and I are incredibly lucky that executive Pica is capable of such complex thought during such a critical moment."

"Now, now," Doflamingo said, "let's not make the ass-kissing too apparent." Doflamingo smacked his lips together. "Please, tell me: what is the girl dressed in?"

"Dressed?"

"Her clothes," Doflamingo purred. "Pica and I suspect she's not a local. I was informed the three of you are in a rather nice neighborhood. What's the girl wearing?"

"She was dressed in a white coat," Gladius responded. "It looked real. Like, with real fur, not the faux stuff."

"How long was it?"

"Pretty long."

"Anything else?"

"She also wore a hat," Gladius replied.

"Be specific," Doflamingo said.

"It was one of those cowboy hats," Gladius answered.

"You think it was leather?" Doflamingo asked. His meal was placed right in front of him.

"I know her boots were," Gladius said. "I think she buys a brand I look at."

"Wonderful," Doflamingo said. He eyed his meal. He wondered about the girl. Woman. How old was she? Did she have any idea what sort of trouble she had gotten herself into? A pretty white coat that silhouetted on windy days…expensive wear that was made from the suffering of lesser creatures, dyed and painted to look pure and innocent.

"Doflamingo?"

"Yes?"

"Baby 5 is coming back," Gladius said.

"Better," Doflamingo said. He brought his other hand to the phone, cupping the device delicately. "I'll talk to the two of you in an hours time. Be sure that the two of you don't get caught…I will be there very soon."

Doflamingo hung up and placed the phone on the table.

Something about the image in his mind made him feel peculiar. He hoped for his life the girl was not from an exotic country. Her expensive taste had to come from somewhere.

The girl was not in charge: that much Doflamingo knew. The information he had on him suggested she was high in power, or at the very least close to the head: this was all a presumption.

Doflamingo stared down at his meal, feeling hungry, but a little too anxious to fully enjoy the food that had been placed in front of him.

What was he up against? It rang in his head over and over. What was he up against? What was behind that doll of a girl?


-Then-

Crocodile was in need of money. He would look over and over into the mirror, becoming more aware that he was trapped in a state that couldn't possibly progress any further, at least not physically, until he was in possession of money. A lot of money.

A grand amount of money. Tens of thousands of dollars would be necessary in order for him to achieve the next step in his growth. And he couldn't do it! He couldn't do it because he had but one bullet to work with and the cost and wait of black-market weaponry simply wasn't worth the hassle.

"You look pissed," A shrill voice hissed. Crocodile stared at the tall, pale Goth leaning against the wall and silently glared at him.

"Just get me the usual," Crocodile muttered stoically.

"Kishishishi. Cool," Moria said. He stared at Crocodile with his dark eyes before quickly adding, "nice scar. By the way, have you heard the news about Jinbe?"

Crocodile stared down at his wallet, deciding that Moria's news couldn't be too important, at least not as important as getting his next fix. He pulled out a twenty and handed it o the Goth. Moria snatched the bill and stuffed it into one of his many pockets, grinning wide at the young man.

"Jinbe's going to college," the man stated.

Crocodile raised a brow. Silently he looked down at the man's dark coat, wondering when he's get his weeks worth of pleasure.

Half of his mind ached with anticipation. Doflamingo had been gone for five days now, not saying a word on the matter until this morning in the form of a vague, cryptic message. He supposed the boy was trying to be polite about the situation, but after the five-day break Crocodile was feeling less than willing to talk to the blond.

"Good," Crocodile muttered. "And my bag?"

"He's getting shit from all the reservation dogs," Moria laughed. "I saw him wandering the streets last night, looking like a lost puppy."

"Welfare babies tend to be jealous of those who succeed," Crocodile replied coldly. "My bag, by the way."

I'm jealous," Moria said. "He's gonna get a full ride just for not being white, while people like you and I have to work hard just to go to school." From his coat he pulled out a dime bag filled with Crocodile's product.

"Honestly I'm surprised you have no plans to get away…."

Crocodile stared at his bag, once again paying no mind to what Moria was telling him.

"This city pisses you off so much," Moria continued, "I'd hate to think my business is what's keeping you from getting the hell out of here."

Crocodile turned his gaze back to the taller man. He took the weed from Moria's large hand, saying not a word as he quickly stuffed it into his pocket, making his way back home.

"Really!" he heard Moria called out, "Wonderful scar. Adds to your already delightful demeanor!"

Money. Time. Patience.

Crocodile was almost positive Doflamingo would be waiting for him back at his place. As he passed through a few streets, avoiding contact from other people, a growing feeling filled his already tight chest.

He knew he would need to ask Doflamingo where those bullets went. He needed those so badly. But a conversation regarding such a topic would only result in another, and another, and Crocodile knew damn well what those other conversations would contain.

He didn't want to talk about. It didn't matter that he could talk about it; he simply didn't want to have to talk to Doflamingo about it.

Logically it made little sense not to. Crocodile knew he could benefit from telling others about his unusual circumstances, and Doflamingo, understanding him better than most, would probably be more than willing to provide him the time needed in order for him to "get it all out." But it idea of actually talking about everything made Crocodile ill. He had to talk about everything too: Doflamingo wouldn't settle for less, the greedy little–

"Hey! What do you think about these goggles?"

Several shades of bright colors assaulted him from nowhere. Crocodile stumbled back, grabbing on to the wall of a building, his eyes glaring heinously at the smirking blond.

"What the fuck!"

Doflamingo stood right in front of him, donning colorful street clothes instead of his usual school uniform. Between his legs was a brand new, shiny looking bike. An obnoxious, hot pink bike.

"Admit it, you think they look awesome," Doflamingo said, pointing upwards at the goggles clinging around his forehead.

"Shouldn't you be at school?"

"Shouldn't you?"

"I'm set to graduate, doesn't matter."

"I have money, which is like being set to graduate, but better cause I'm guaranteed a future," Doflamingo said.

Doflamingo always had money. Crocodile sniffed. He looked again at the worn out goggles on the boy's head. They looked a little rough, and the goggles themselves had to be buffed before Doflamingo could make any use out of them, but they did look pretty cool.

"You look like an idiot," Crocodile answered.

"Such kind words," Doflamingo remarked. He reached over and grabbed his backpack, shuffling through its contents in front of the young man. They were in the middle of a populated city. Crocodile just knew the blond wasn't going to give him those bullets. He was still anticipating.

"Here you go," Doflamingo said, showing several sheets of white paper into crocodile's face. Crocodile growled, smacking the boy's hand out of his face before taking the crumbled sheets in his hands.

"What is this?" he asked, staring at a long list of numbers and strange words.

"My hospital bill," Doflamingo said.

Crocodile paled. Doflamingo laughed as he inched his way closer to the raven-haired man. "Mom wasn't too happy when she saw me lying on the bed. Ended up spending a whole day getting all the cushy treatment."

Crocodile just kept staring at the number at the very bottom.

"They wanted to know what had happened," Doflamingo purred into Crocodile's ear. "I told them it was a mugging. Didn't see the guy. You were so kind to watch over me."

"So full of shit," Crocodile muttered, lowering his hands and staring suspiciously at Doflamingo. "Why bother showing me this?"

"It's how much you owe me," Doflamingo said, grinning. "By the way, you still need to buy me those sunglasses…"

Crocodile sighed through his nose. "You're joking."

"Oh, I don't expect you to pay for all of this," the blond said, getting back on his bike and slowly beginning to pedal around the older teen. "But I do expect you to be a wonderful friend and help me out when I need it. Talk to me. Buy me lunch. Another talk. Maybe help me with my geometry."

"How important are the sunglasses if you already have goggles?"

"You got those sunglasses for me!"

"I stole them when I was a kid," Crocodile replied, shoving the hospital bill into Doflamingo's face. "They were cheap sunglasses meant to make you feel better about me not being able to play with you as often as you liked."

"…Because you were busy in therapy, right? "

Crocodile's eyes went wide. His head slowly turned over at the boy. Watching him as he rode around in small circles, annoying any other passerby with his sharp, pink turns.

Doflamingo smiled. "I'm right, aren't I? That's something they do for people like you, isn't it?"

Crocodile frowned.

"Oh, am I wrong?" Doflamingo braked and produced a small pout. "Honestly, I'm not too sure. You haven't really given me the juicy details."

"I don't feel like having this conversation."

"Should we head out to your place?"

"That's not going to change a thing," Crocodile answered stiffly.

"Huh? Why not?"

Doflamingo was really asking these questions out in public, for everyone to hear? Crocodile couldn't even begin to fathom what was wrong with this scenario. Doflamingo wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Can you just tell me one thing?"

Crocodile lowered his head. "I want my bullets," he said in a hushed voice. "Where did you put them?"

"Just this one thing. Doesn't even have to do with all that stuff you don't feel like talking about."

Crocodile could feel the muscles around his eyes begin to twitch. Something cool and metallic pressed against this cheek. His eyes went wide. The boy was holding one of them! Right in public and Doflamingo was pressing a bullet against his face.

"Who were you trying to kill?"


Crocodile took a quick inhale of his joint before making an offer to the blond. The boy stared quietly at it, not frowning, but still looking a little uncomfortable, and then finally shaking his head away from it. Crocodile said nothing. He stared at his backyard fence and took another, this time deeper, drag.

He exhaled. "Some people are worth more dead than alive."

"Yes," Doflamingo agreed.

"In fact, most people have more in their life insurance than they do in their bank accounts."

"Alright," the blond muttered.

"My mother has been rather…difficult since she realized I wasn't going to comply with her demands…I was seven at the time," Crocodile said with some hesitance. He inhaled deeply, letting the effects of the drug calm his troubled mind. "Even after she agreed to let me be there was always a constant strain. But, overall, she served a great purpose to me."

"That's pretty fucked up," he heard Doflamingo say. "I mean I get where you might be coming from…but you making your attempted matricide sound like some strange business ordeal. Like you're firing your mother or something."

"Let's not pretend you're not capable of the same thing,"

"I'm not sure I'd kill my mother," Doflamingo chuckled.

"You'd kill them both if it meant getting what you truly desire," Crocodile said.

"I think I might want some of that weed now." The boy turned over and stared at the joint. He didn't look too upset. Crocodile could tell Doflamingo had thought much worse.

He handed the joint to the boy and continued, "I knew if I could get away with it then I'd be able to continue necessary progression." He could feel his heart beat. He wasn't too upset over the conversation, but the topic still made him uneasy. This conversation had everything to do with his imperfect form. No matter how vague he was, how careful he was with his wording, Doflamingo would piece it all together. It was just too obvious.

"Good thing I stopped you," Doflamingo finally said, answering through a cloud of smoke.

"What?"

"You'd fuck up," Doflamingo answered. He took in another hit before continuing, "You'd get angry, and when you get angry you lose control. You snap. You can't control it very well. There would be evidence leading up to you, and a motive to help lock you up."

Crocodile huffed, taking the rest of the joint from the boy. "What do you know?"

"You saw how you reacted when Mihawk started to freak out," Doflamingo said. "You saw that nice little bill you created when I said a few words you didn't like."

Crocodile finished the final hit of his joint. Holding his breath he let the words sink in. They lasted forever in his mind, flowing like a circle until it all made perfect sense.

He did have a bit of a temper problem.

"I'm such an awesome guy," Doflamingo said. "I saved you from going to prison."

Crocodile tossed the remains. He covered his face with his hands, letting each and every potential screw-up blanket his cloudy mind.

"Considering everything I've experienced," Doflamingo then added, "I'd say you not going to prison is a very, very good thing. I'm not even sure where they'd even send you!"

"The conversation has ended," Crocodile muttered through his hands.

"Here's your bullet," he heard Doflamingo say. Crocodile remained still as he listened to the echoes around him; the soft, almost invisible sound of Doflamingo placing the bullet on the soft ground reached his mind and was painted a mural.

The bullet was useless. It wall all useless now. He stared into the darkness of his palms as he tried to rethink the prior plan.

"I seriously wouldn't do it if I were you," Doflamingo said. "I know you're smart and all, but you're not that smart."

Was it true? Crocodile didn't want to believe it. He was sure he was more than capable of coming up with a new plan. He knew he could find a way to get what he wanted without getting his hands too dirty, without getting caught in the act.

He knew it. He just knew it.

"What are you thinking about?" Doflamingo asked.

It felt pathetic to not know the answer. He couldn't think of an absolute way to get away with murder. At least not directly. Crocodile closed his eyes, letting his head float away from his palms. The answer was strange, but it made some sense.

"Someone else could do it," he said.

"Someone else?"

"If I can't bloody my hands," Crocodile started, slowly opening his eyes, "then perhaps I could get someone to do it for me."

"Naughty boy," Doflamingo said. "You've learned nothing."

"I'm learning everything I need to survive."

"You're not supposed to be surviving," Doflamingo said, frowning at Crocodile. "You're supposed to rule. And risking freedom, while admirable, is not something I want you doing."

Crocodile stared. Doflamingo's answers were suddenly making sense. There was a chance he could get caught because he screwed up along the line, but then there was a chance he'd get away with it. But that didn't matter do the boy. No, there was something else amiss.

"You're sick," Crocodile muttered.

"I'm sick," Doflamingo asked, pointing at himself. "What did I do to deserve that?"

"I'm not into you," Crocodile remarked.

"And?"

"And I know you're trying to get to me," Crocodile said. "You don't want me doing anything that might potentially separate us. Cause you're thinking you can have me. Somehow."

Doflamingo looked almost baffled by the remark. Without his sunglasses to hide behind Crocodile could see two pupils temporary looking around the room, almost too afraid to deal with that reality.

And then the boy laughed. "Oh, please!" He grabbed his legs and pulled them up to his chest. "You think I want to keep you on a leash or something. Fufufufu! Hilarious. I'm not that into you."

Crocodile said nothing.

"Why on earth would I waste my time trying to control you? Of all people? I could do so much better!" Doflamingo rubbed his shoes together. "Seriously, Crocodile. I hope you don't think just cause I like you doesn't mean I'm going to try and maliciously work my way into your every waking, fibrous being, assaulting you constantly until you give into my every demand. Not everything you hear is true you know. I'm not like that. I'm not gonna try to fuck you. I'm not gonna do anything. Nope. Not all at."

Crocodile's jaw slowly dropped. He blinked a few times to let the words sink in. The fact that Doflamingo had just said this, red-eyed and slurry, with a big stupid grin on his face, holding on to himself like some guilty child caught in the act…made it fucking hilarious.

Suddenly he chuckled. "…You really need to build up a tolerance," he muttered.

Doflamingo chuckled back. "Why?" he asked.

"No reason," Crocodile said.

"You're a bad liar," Doflamingo said, leaning against the taller man. He let go of his legs and wrapped them around Crocodile's body. Crocodile would have pushed Doflamingo away, but decided it was better to not break the poor boy's heart in his current state. The wind blew. Sand scattered across the dry ground.

"Crocodile?"

Crocodile blinked and looked around, wondering when in the hell the two of them got inside of the house. They were in his room now. Sitting on the bed. The air was heavy and reeked of a strong, earthy scent. "What?"

A finger poked his chest. "How come your chest is flat? "

Crocodile frowned.

Doflamingo handed him a joint. Crocodile stared at it nervously, trying to remember what number this one was. How long had they been talking? What had they said to each other?

"I mean you never looked like a typical…when puberty happened…"

His stomach flipped flopped. Crocodile should have guessed Doflamingo would ask these questions, especially while high and without a filter. He figured he had to be really lucky, because he wasn't as nervous as he usually was. And he was without a mental filter as well.

He stared out. "I really only went through one puberty. Just like you." The words were let out but felt as though they were somehow still sticking to him. It grossed him out. He still was breathing too slow to freak out about it.

"How is that possible?"

He took a hit. "Medication."

"Medicine can make you only go through one puberty?"

"It can stop one and allow you to wait until you get another to start," Crocodile answered heavily. He kept blinking his eyes. He was beginning to feel his own heart beginning to beat fast again. His eyes were too dry to do anything but stare out into the shadows of his room.

"And if you stop the medication?"

Crocodile closed his eyes. He wasn't awake at the time, could almost recall the dreamlike state of being put under, having bits and pieces of him torn apart and removed, freeing him from a old misery, only with the promise of a new one. No blood. New blood. always something. It was a blurry memory. He couldn't feel the pain, but was sure it was there. Sometimes he felt as though it was hiding around the corner, watching and cursing him for letting gloved hands dig deep inside of his being like some sort of strange science experiment. He was missing piecing. He would always be incomplete. A strange experiment.

"I fall apart," he answered.

"Huh," Doflamingo muttered back. The boy flopped the rest of his body on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "So…what you're saying is…there's no going back for you?"

For some reason the question affected Crocodile more than he had anticipated.

He answered, "no."

"And you're absolutely fine with that?"

His eyes twitched. "Yes."

He looked down at the joint in his fingers, almost feeling grossed out by it. He was feeling strange, almost saddened by all of this. He didn't understand why he had let himself get to this state. The pain he felt inside left him craving more of the drug, the fear of what Doflamingo would ask next made him disgusted by his own habit.

"…And you're happy with all of this?"

Crocodile turned and tired at the tired looking boy. Doflamingo stared back at him with his two, half opened red eyes. The goggles were crooked.

"What?" he managed to choke out.

"You're happy?" Doflamingo slowly asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked couldn't understand the question.

Doflamingo blinked. His body stretched across the bed until he opened them again, this time with a more analytical gaze. A small appeared on his face.

"Yes," he said. "A stupid question. Still, doesn't really matter. I'm very impressed by all of this. This must have been very hard to accomplish. I'm amazed, Crocodile. I really am. I'm so goddamn impressed I almost wish I didn't know, because I'm jealous."

Crocodile watched as Doflamingo curled up, turning over to the side and facing the wall.

"I've done absolutely nothing!" the boy shook his head. "I commit petty theft and pretend I'm king of the world, but I've done nothing on your scale. I didn't know I could make such drastic changes. I didn't know such things were possible! You've done it all and you're so happy and content…what have I done!? Crocodile, I've done nothing!"

Crocodile raised his head up. He was content. He was all right. But he wasn't entirely sure he was happy, at least not yet. There seemed to be something missing in him. Doflamingo didn't know it, nor did he, but there was a vast hole that still needed to plugged up, fixed, modified, but with what?

Something. Something. Something.

"I never changed. I always was," Crocodile said.

He opened his eyes and stared into the darkness. The sounds of crickets chirping and wind blowing could be heard from his opened window.

He looked around, dazed and a little confused. Doflamingo was nowhere to be seen. It took some time for him to understand he had fallen asleep, maybe even passed out from taking in too much weed.

Crocodile rested a hand on his head as he sank into his bed. His lips curled in as he tried to grasp the sudden stabbing sensation that had grown while he rested.

After much personal debate Crocodile pulled himself back up, sitting tiredly in the center of his bed as he began to piece together the day's events, each one resulting in a private reaction until things began to get dark.

He remembered what Moria had said. He wondered how obvious his displeasure was to those who saw him most often?

Doflamingo didn't see it. Doflamingo would come to over time, just like he had when he was a child, but as it stood now Crocodile was in the clear.

You weren't happy.

He wasn't happy. He wasn't anything. He was just…still existing!


-Now-

The phone rang.

Doflamingo picked it up. "Vergo?" he muttered.

"I'm at the airport," the man answered rather coolly. "I'll be departing shortly."

Doflamingo breathed heavily through his nose. "Don't forget: you're a marine now."

"I've been given decent treatment thus far," he heard Vergo reply. "I'm not going to lie: the security has changed quite a bit since last year."

"Terrorists ruin all the fun," Doflamingo nervously replied. He smiled even though he knew Vergo wouldn't be able to see it.

"I'll be contact Kaido and his men shortly," Vergo said.

"Very good," Doflamingo said.

"Diamante and Trebol–"

"They called a few minutes ago," Doflamingo said. "They're on their way." Doflamingo stood up and walked away from the park bench that he had rested at, taking a few small steps around the area, keeping a look out for Pica.

"I'll be meeting with everyone," Doflamingo said. "I'll sort things out. We'll all sort it out."

"Of course we will," Vergo said.

"We'll all have a grand time when we get back to America," Doflamingo said.

"I'm going through customs, I'll have to hang up now."

Doflamingo said nothing as he pulled the phone away from his ear, letting his arm hang heavily while staring at a setting sun.

Maybe he'd go to the beach. It has been a while since he decided to go walk down and watch the tide go in and out.

Doflamingo sniffed, rubbing his nose as dry wind blew against him. His body had become unaccustomed to the harsh weather. His clothes, though light, were too extravagant and couldn't handle the dirty surroundings without suffering.

"Doffy?"

Doflamingo turned and looked up at the giant figure in front of him.

He grinned. "I'm very glad to see you, Pica," he said. "Very, very glad."

A small smile appeared on the giant. "We better hurry. Things have changed."

"Changed?"

"Don't worry…you'll see."

Doflamingo kept a smile on his face as he followed his younger companion, feeling more and ore out of his element as he tried to think of a plan to tear apart his new enemy.

He would destroy her.


-Then-

Winter was around the corner.

The thought of change had entered and reentered Crocodile's mind for over a year and a half. While working had proved somewhat fruitful, it had become obvious six months down the road that he would be getting nowhere.

Change was necessary.

Perhaps it was the sounds of trains constantly reminding him that cheap travel was possible. Or maybe it was seeing those around him waste their time and money by setting off for another four years of education. It didn't really matter; Crocodile had come to accept that his time within the state of Arizona was coming to an end.

He would leave at the end of the year.

The nineteen year old had planned it all out. He'd get the money he had saved up, go to the crazy, exotic land called California, do something, anything, and somehow achieve the goals that he had not yet achieved.

In order to achieve a perfect transition he would have to commit to several other transitions.

All planned out. It would take 3-5 years, depending on the job he could get, but Crocodile had a plan to have the next step all settled and paid for by then. It was a long wait. Terribly long. He reminded himself over and over again about the changes that had occurred in the last twelve. The boy of seven couldn't have possibly conceived that so many things would have gone in his favor. He would have given up. He already had…but now Crocodile had his five-year plan and things, so long as he committed and let nothing stand in his way, would fall in together accordingly.

He'd be twenty-four. Still rather young. Still so much potential. The thought made the nineteen year old very excited.

His room already had a strange aura to it. It was the middle of October and though Crocodile hadn't yet begun to move, something about the room seemed to hold an eerie emptiness to it.

There was a knock at the door.

Crocodile didn't respond as he listened to Doflamingo walk inside, making his self right at home. The blond hovered above him, his thin hair turning into a long, wispy mess. Crocodile had tried letting the young man know this look wasn't too appealing on him, but most attempts resulted in playful banter of simply not giving a shit.

"Let's go."

"Hmm?" Crocodile asked.

"I have a Nintendo 64," Doflamingo proclaimed. Crocodile hadn't yet told the boy of his plans to leave. He knew it wouldn't work out too well. He knew he would have to mention it at some point though.

"A new game. Did you really need to get yourself more toys?"

Doflamingo smiled. "You're better at video games than I am."

"Which makes the purchase a waste of money," Crocodile said.

"No, because you'll have loads of fun," Doflamingo said.

Having a friend that cared for him in a sexual manner had become tolerable. He understood that Doflamingo was too young and selfish to simply let a crush go. Crocodile didn't mind too much. Doflamingo never let the feelings get in the way. And in a year or so Doflamingo would get over it.

And Doflamingo was gay. That had to speak for something,( at least it did for Crocodile) right?

Crocodile turned over at the clock in his room, getting a quick glance at the time.

"Just grab an extra pillow," the boy said.

"Hmm."

"It's not like you have anything better to do."

The nineteen year old knew breaking the news to the boy would be difficult. Telling Doflamingo anything was always difficult. He supposed the best action to take was distracting him yet again before explaining this new revelation.

"Fine," he said. He got up from his bed and grabbed the keys to his car. While looking through his clothes for a jacket to wear he could make out subtle sounds of excitement coming from his younger friend. He kept his posture the same. He didn't anything show.

"I'm hungry," he heard Doflamingo say.

"I take it I'm buying?"

Doflamingo chuckled. "You don't have to buy a damn thing. I got it all."

Crocodile stared down at the worn green jacket he had in his possession. Something about the words made him upset. Something about all of this made him very upset. Flaunting money so irresponsibly. Was it all just a game? Doflamingo was sixteen, but it was no excuse to say such things.

Temporary. This was all supposed to be temporary.

"Something the matter?"

Crocodile stood back up and put on his jacket. "No," he said. "Let's go."

The boy ruined everything.


Thank you all for the wait and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sure I got to most of everyone's reviews (excluding the anons), but feel free to PM me. The next chapter should be up soon.

I do hope that you're all aware that this story is also rated M for sexual content. If anyone would like me to post warning for future chapters, please let me know. Like, right now. I understand not all readers are here for porn, and I also get that this sort of subject can make certain material all the more difficult to read. While I do not plan on censoring any of my material, I will place warning beforehand so that you may avoid if you so wish.

Thanks, and I hope to read your opinions or suggestions in the form of a PM or review!