The amount of love I'm receiving for this story is amazing. Seriously guys, its amazing, and I really appreciate that. Anyways, here's Chapter 2, and I hope you enjoy it like the first ^^.
Added Note: If you're wondering about the poker part at the end, yes; I have little idea on how Texas Hold 'Em actually goes, and I'm just going off of what I saw on YouTube videos and instructions on the web. Hopefully I haven't butchered it to where you guys'll hate me for it. v.v As usual, I'll be going through and checking for simple spelling errors and whatnot (I re-read this thing like five times already, so I should be good.)
Enjoy!
Chapter 2.
The Executives
Law started concocting drinks of all sorts. Vodka, whiskey, rum, and a variety of wines were poured one after another into the mixer and glasses.
The kitchen behind him was in an uproar. Pots clanged against one another on stoves with shouts of different pitches being thrown one after another. It matched the frenzy inside the male's head, yet the people in the casino were completely unaffected by it. How can they stay so calm when all of this is going on?
Must be used to it. Law shrugged and started pouring another bottle of vodka into other glasses, unaware of how many he should even be making, when a shout caught him. "Just what the hell are you making?!" The voice was so sudden that it made the bottle, previously clutched in Law's sure hands, sputter alcohol over the smooth black countertop and onto his black vest.
Law turned his head, expecting to see a manager or the head chef, but was slightly relieved when it was just a mere chef. He wore the typical white-chef uniform with black shoes, and his curly brown hair was kept back into a ponytail with wavy bangs framing his rounded face.
The man's light blue eyes quickly scanned Law's face before softening, and the other could see tension relaxing from his shoulders. "I forgot—you're the rookie bartender. 'Course you wouldn't know what to make…"
"What to make..? There's a specific drink to make?" Law questioned as he took a dishtowel and began drying off the counter and his vest. The chef sighed once more while stepping beside Law. He took all of the glasses and dumped them into the sink in a quick session. "Yes there is. In fact, it's the only beverage they'll drink, and if you screw it up, you die—simple as that. Especially a rookie like you."
I don't think they'll kill me… Law told himself as he watched the chef pull out eight acrylic wine glasses. Once he had set those onto the black countertop, he turned towards the large wine bottle and glass cabinet and retrieved a yellowed-paper recipe. The chef smoothed out the paper against his chest and then handed over to Law, who scanned the text quickly. "This is what you make. Boisson royale; the—"
"Royal drink, I know." Law scanned over the text once again. "This calls for rye whiskey, dry and sweet ver—"
"You do realize who you're making these drinks for, right?" Law noticed a playful smirk fold across the chef's lips when he glanced at him. "They're the executives and officers of the Don-Quixote Family, remember? They can handle just about anything."
After a light jab in the ribs with his elbow the chef was off, and Law started pulling out bottles of whiskey and vermouth. He turned to the wine and glass cabinet to retrieve a mixing glass and placed it next to the bottled ingredients. Grabbing the whiskey first, he poured the light caramel hued liquid into the glass and the dry vermouth, then went ahead and added the sweet type. Without regarding the recipe he ended up adding half an ounce more of the sweet vermouth and began stirring the liquid until it turned an almost burgundy color.
Law glanced at the recipe out of the corner of his eye as he poured the drink equally into the glasses. "Add a Maraschino cherry…" Once he finished pouring the drinks, he strolled to the edge of the bar and retrieved a bag of plump red cherries.
For the final touch Law dunked one in each of the glasses and placed them onto a metal serving plate. With the drinks finished, Law waited for his next set of instructions. No one had come out of the kitchen to revisit him and he couldn't possibly figure out when the executives and officers would show up, so as a small game to help speed up time he began wondering what they were like.
Are they as mean as that man made him out to be? Would they really kill me if I messed up even one of their drinks? If I remember correctly, Diamante and Trebol were executives, and they weren't TOO bad. Just mouthy, and laughed at everything.
And Corazon. How can an idiot like him be an executive? Can that idiot even speak? Is he mute? Maybe a selective mute. What was with all that makeup? Pretty foolish to be an executive of a gang. Then again, I don't know how gangs are supposed to be.
A secondshout silenced his reeling mind of theories. This time it was feminine, and Law knew it was Baby 5 coming to curse him out once more. "Are they ready yet, Law? I thought you could make drinks in lightning fast—Oh."
His predictions correct, Baby 5 appeared from the kitchen double doors. He grabbed the serving plate of glasses and carefully made his way towards the black-haired woman who was searching amongst the crowd of well-dressed people. "I would have made them faster if you told me what to make. Are they here yet?" Law's stomach started feeling jittery again.
Baby 5 nodded curtly. "Yeah, they just came in. Now this is your first time meeting them, and it's their first time meeting you. None of them know who you are, so if you were smart you would be respectful and refrain from making any smart-ass remarks." Law nodded briskly. "Now, when you're addressing the leader in case he talks to you, it's best to—"
"Just point me to where they're sitting, Baby 5."
She was appalled at how quickly Law cut her off, but a tiny smile perked at the corner of her red-tinted lips. Baby 5 gave him a quick look over just like she did with Capone, then pointed towards the entrance of the casino. "See where the dining area actually begins? That's where they're seated at. It's the largest round table in that area. If you end up getting lost, that big chandelier hanging above them should provide enough light for you to see, though I doubt you'll actually get lost."
The sarcastic joke had Law rolling his eyes. He stepped outside of the bar and sauntered confidently towards the table. The closer he got to the round table, the more movement around that area increased, and the excitement bubbling inside him seemed uncontrollable to tame. Baby 5 had been right about the chandelier; its millions rays of light seemed to burn at an unimaginable rate.
Law had reached the first table of the dining area when the full view of the group came into place. There were nine of them in total, all of them sitting at a round table carved from fine mahogany. They all wore suits tailored to their personal preferences in dark solids and flamboyant neon. The brightest belonged to the center of the table, with his outlandish pink feathered coat hanging on his shoulders.
He lifted his head up and stared Law straight in the eyes. The man had short blonde hair spiked up in the front with curved, pink-lensed shades resting on his face. He wore a dark red dress shirt with a light pink tie etched in an even lighter shade of pink.
The large smile that was once on his face faltered into a line and his left eyebrow curved above his hidden eye. Law swallowed down his nervous excitement and resumed his confident saunter until he reached the round table. "La boisson royale, les hommes."
"He's French?" came a muttered reply from the other side of the table. Law smirked faintly while setting the drinks in the middle of the table. The smooth maroon tablecloth felt velvety against his sensitive skin, and Law started to wonder where they had the money to pay for it. Stolen money I bet, he thought coolly.
Law took a step back so the men could reach for their drinks. "Jouir." He said with a slight bow, and started walking off. "Hold it." A commanding voice made his legs freeze in mid-step. Law turned back around and faced the spiky blonde male whose glass lazily dangled in his hand. "Oui?"
"Where'd you get that bruise from?"
Law's hand instantly went to his cheek to brush upon the faintly tender area. Beside the spiky blonde, Diamante and Trebol broke into a fit of snickers. "Beheheee—I would have thought you'd leave by now, Law. What made you stay? Corazon didn't enforce the rules enough for you?"
"That's not the real question. The real question is how the hell you're working at the bar. I never said you could move up,"
The raven-haired male snorted quietly. "Regardless of where he's supposed to be working at, or how he's supposed to be working, he makes a damn good Manhattan Perfect. Little sweet, but we're all human right?"
This remark was from a male on the other side of Trebol. He wore a black mafia suit with a matching hat and white cravat. Just like the blonde male, he too wore shades that covered his eyes, and his black hair was smoothed and gelled to the back of his head. "I definitely agree, Senor. Could be a tad bitter."
A man on the other side of Senor took another long sip of his drink, then placed it down on a provided coaster. He, unlike the others, had a very steampunk-ish outfit going on; he wore a black coat partially zipped up with golden rings going across his elbows and shoulders. A light cream shirt was worn underneath the black coat, and was connected to a matching colored mask that covered up the man's mouth. On top of his head was a black boiler hat with golden rings around the base; spilling underneath was his hair, light gray in color.
The man, judging from his voice, was probably around his mid-twenties. Law was intrigued at how odd he dressed and compared the others beside him.
A male that swamped the height of both Steampunk and Se or sat on the other side of the round table. His figure was laden with muscles, more prominent in his arms, and he wore a black suit with a dark maroon cravat tucked in the front. Atop his head of wavy blonde hair was a red peaked cap with a golden smiley on the front. Similar to the other men, he wore black aviators that covered up his eyes. A woman older than Law sat next to him, carefully sipping her drink while eyeing Law through a teasing, slightly coquettish gaze.
She must be Jora, the one Dellinger was talking about.
Law quickly turned his gaze away from the woman, catching a fleeting gaze of her short black and red dress and mink-furred coat.
The large man turned to Law and gave him the tiniest of grins he had ever seen. "You made this-innn? Is Baby 5 not working at the bar anymore?"
Before he could answer, another masculine voice interrupted him. "That might be the reason why he's working at the bar now—you know how that child gets sometime."
It came from a man who looked like he could be Law's grandfather. He wore an extremely lavish blue suit with an obsidian colored dress shirt underneath and had on a matching colored hat to hide his bald head. Sitting beside the old man was an even larger male, bigger than the previous one tenfold. Diamante and Trebol took their seat beside the spikey blonde man, and a dreaded face took up the other side. Law was standing before the motley of all motley crews.
"You never answered my question, brat—where'd that bruise come from?"
He was recognized by the man once more. Law removed his hand from his cheek and shoved it into his pocket instead. "Small mistake in the kitchen," he replied with a casual shrug. Diamante and Trebol snickered once more.
"Really now? A brat like you has no place to lie to me, so speak truthfully. Lying to the world gets you killed."
The man took his glass and raised it to his mouth. The dark burgundy liquid slid in between his lips and down his throat, taking the flavor along with it. Law expected the man to spit it out and chuck the glass at his face, but such event never happened.
The other's expression changed from dark to bemused and then to satisfied as he took a sip once more. "Well, a little too sweet, but it'll definitely do. What's your name?"
"Calls himself Law. 'Parently, he's French—that's something new."
"Law, eh…?" The name rolled across the other male's tongue smoothly, making Law's knees buckle. The feeling was abnormal to him but decided to question it later. With nothing being said after that, he started to turn around and head back for the bar.
Scuffling brought his attention back to the table, and a dreaded face had started to take action. Law was unable to react as Corazon spat the alcoholic drink all over his face and vest. The blonde male resumed his dark violet smile, even after the impish act he had committed, and seemed unaffected with the glowering eyes from the other. "What the hell was that for!?"
Corazon didn't reply but grew his smile, which pissed Law off even more. The male wasn't naturally made to fight or throw the first punch, but childish things such as this easily set him off into committing heinous acts to others. He took a step forward, but an unseen force made him stop. When he glanced around Corazon, the answer became clear.
They were all ready to jump onto him in defense of the other, who still hadn't wiped the smirk off of his face. Law's lips twitched before they pursed into a small sigh, and he fell back again. The others, still tensed, watched him. "Smart move kid—you don't want to die before you marry, right?"
Law muttered a few incoherent words in French while wiping off his soiled vest and face. The alcohol tasted bitter after being shot out of the man's mouth. He started to turn for the bar, but a lethally smooth voice halted him from making a full 180. "Law, was it? I want you to know something before you walk back off to the bar."
It was the blonde haired male, whom Law guessed was the head executive. The pink feathers of his large coat ruffled as he straightened himself in his chair, and he interlocked his fingers underneath his chin. Law was frozen in the man's hidden stare; he could see how his shadow shuddered in the pink lenses.
"These men are my family—my true family. Though, I am confident in their abilities to give you an ass-whooping if you ever set them off. But Corazon is my dear, sweet little brother. You mess with him, and I'll personally bring death upon you."
The veins within his hands and forehead suddenly bulged and a smile stretched across his face. "There's a rule you'd best familiarize yourself with, kid—and you better memorize it quick, because I'll only say it once. Don't fuck with my brother. And don't you ever try to fuck with me."
Fear mingled with more weakening made Law stumble back. It also made the alcohol floating on his tongue suddenly turn sweet. Unable to speak, he merely nodded. "Now get the hell out of my face—and tell those damn cooks to bring out the food. We're starving."
Law didn't need to be told twice; he turned the moment he had the chance and started hustling back towards the bar. During the rush, he forgot about the serving plate, which was now in the hands of Corazon.
Idiot! You didn't hear a damn thing I said about addressing Young Master and the others did you?"
Baby 5 was yelling into Law's ears the moment he returned from serving other tables. The fear he felt before was gone and replaced with annoyance towards the woman, but he said nothing; his mind was on other things.
Like how weak he felt at the lead executive's—
"Law, listen to me! Are you purposely ignoring me to piss me off too?"
"I am purposely annoying you, and you're pissing me off. The thing's over and done with, so get over it."
Impulses to choke the man took over Baby 5's hands, but she was able to keep them at her side. With a forced sigh she leaned against the counter next to Law and watched people at the different poker tables and dining areas.
Law, on the other hand, was staring back at the round table, which seemed a whole lot closer to the bar than it was before. "Who's the Young Master?" he asked casually. The question came out through a heavy sigh.
"That's what Doflamingo likes us to address him by. He's the leader of the Don Quixote Family, founder of The Royal House, and controls a great deal of New York."
"That important, huh… Does he have a brother, or is that how he claims those in his group? "
"No, he really has a brother. His name's Corazon—he may be an idiot, but he's got some royal blood running through his veins. And he's pretty tough. I guess it runs in their genes, right alongside their attractiveness."
I'll say. Law's eyes brightened in color at the subconscious thought. Luckily, he kept that bit to himself. But Baby 5 noticed the expression and her brows creased in curiosity.
"That wasn't smart what you did. You could have seriously been killed y'know, and they don't mind killing."
"That idiot shouldn't have spit his drink out all over me; there are other ways to let someone know you don't like the flavor."
The black vest that was once on Law's lean body had been removed and left on the back of a barstool to dry and the man stood with just his dress shirt on.
Baby 5 shrugged. "He has autism spectrum disorder or something. ASD, I think one of our doctors called it."
Law glanced at her through his side-view before locking his eyes back onto the round table. Maybe that explains why he's mute. Perhaps he's still learning how to speak and uses actions as a way of communication.
Baby 5's attention turned to the opening of the kitchen doors, where two waiters armed with food started hurrying off to Doflamingo's table. She glanced back at the dining and poker area, where murmured assent was rising. "There's Capone, off to best against the Young Master for the fifth time this week."
She pointed to the short man Law served before who was making his way towards the round table. Curious, Law followed the man's trail. "I'm guessing Doflamingo is some sort of prodigy when it comes to poker?"
"Only the best. He's undefeated in the state of New York. Capone challenges every chance he gets, and loses. Really, he should feel tired of getting his ass handed to him each time—he should be lucky Young Master doesn't charge him, or he'd be broke." Baby 5 snickered at her own joke.
Doflamingo started to intrigue Law as well as turn his stomach into iced lead. He watched as the two men spoke with smiles on their faces before Capone lead the other to an empty poker table. The rest of the executives followed in suit, taking their drinks along with them, and pulled up seats to a decent sized table directly in front of the bar.
Law had a front view of the blonde haired man and took in every feature shown on him; from the gleaming smile resting on his smooth lips, the way his hands took in the acrylic glass, and how those same pairs of lips pressed gently upon the rim and swallowed in the sweet burgundy liquid.
Dirty thoughts careened inside of Law's head. They fueled blood and rushed through every part of the male's body, making his legs weak and shoulders shudder. Tightness down in his groin area erupted and had caught him off guard, only getting worse the more he stared at the spiked blonde-haired male. Damn, how is a man making me feel this way? I can't be gay… there's no way in hell I can be gay.
For a gang executive!? But the denial only made it hurt more.
Senor had taken up his place in the center, and from what Law guessed he was going to do the same job as the woman at Capone's table. Cards and chips were handed out to the players, and the poker game was set. "They're playing Texas Hold 'Em—the Young Master's favorite." Baby 5 whispered excitedly.
Law was unfamiliar to this version of poker, but he paid attention nonetheless. Nothing was said in between the four players, but their lips were definitely moving. A wide grin broke across Doflamingo's lips, and just as quickly as the man started playing he grabbed a handful of chips from another's pile. "C'mon Gladius, you're way better than that!"
Law was paying more attention to the leader rather than the male who wore the golden mechanical boiler hat. Gladius appeared to still be in the game and his composure was still strong, but Law depicted a falter from when he first started. Doflamingo had raised his cards behind his hand, and another wide grin fell upon his lips. The smile set Law off, but not in a fearful way. "He grins like he's won already."
"He probably gotta good hand. You're not really supposed to show any emotion other than a smirk at poker, but that's how Doflamingo works; he puts others off so they lose their cool, then he takes them out one by one. Not just in poker, but in everything."
Law shuddered lightly. The game hadn't started in less than five minutes and Doflamingo seemed to own the table. Their lips continued to move as more words silently flowed out. The leader took one last look at his cards, glanced up, and mouthed a word. The others at the table tensed but did little more, until Capone mouthed a word and gave a fleeting stare to Doflamingo.
This passage of mouthing and fleeting stares went on until Gladius threw his hands up and stepped away from the table. "Damn, taken out like that. Diamante is the only one left—think he's gonna win against Young Master and Capone?"
How could someone new to the concept of poker even guess an answer like that? Law shrugged and resuming staring at Doflamingo, whose shaded eyes bore into Diamante's. The man dressed in black was unaffected by the look and mouthed another word, then took a daring glance at Doflamingo.
Whatever he mouthed turned the spiky blonde male's smile into a faltering one, and Diamante leaned over to swipe a few chips from the pile in front. Law chuckled despite not knowing how critical the loss actually was. "Diamante, you sly dog—that was a pretty brave move you made."
The fact that Baby 5 was picking up on all of this slightly annoyed Law. He wanted to hear the exact words the men were saying, and after seeing Capone's fleeting win against the man in red, he wanted to see if the shorter man had a chance. "I'm getting closer," he replied and started putting together the Manhattan Perfect for the table.
Baby 5 watched, a small smirk folding on her lips. "Wanna get close to the action?"
"I just want to see and hear what's going on."
With the alcoholic beverages made, Law maneuvered his way to the table. When he arrived, Gladius and Senor acknowledged him with a slight nod and reached over for a glass. "Gracias, kid." Law placed the others onto the left-hand side of the men.
When he got to Doflamingo, Law dared a peak at his set. He had four tall rows of poker chips aligned neatly and organized in matching colors, and was currently flipping two of them against the velvety green surface of the table. He only had two cards serving as his deck, making Law quirk an eyebrow.
I thought it was supposed to be four. Doflamingo noticed the raven-haired man behind him and cocked his head at an angle. "It would be wise for you to back away from me, Law."
The voice was lethal like poison and smooth like velvet at the same time. It had Law craving for more. He did as told and stepped to where Vise and Jora was, who didn't mind the man being there. Law turned his attention back to the table, and now that he was closer he was able to hear exactly what was being said.
"Looking nervous my friend?"
Doflamingo raised his hidden eyes to Capone as he took some striped red and green chips from his pile and casually tossed them to Senor. Capone lightly snorted while checking his two cards, then returned the stare to the other. "Not as nervous as you think, friend." Law watched as Se or took the chips and placed a fourth card to a line of three.
Looking around, he noticed Doflamingo's smile widen and a chuckle slip out. Does that mean he's got a matching card or something? The man checked his cards as if he heard the question with the smile still stuck on his face. Capone and Diamante took a glance at there's, then Diamante spoke. "Folding."
Capone took this as a chance and tossed a few more chips to Senor. Doflamingo watched him and repeated Diamante's word, getting a harsh glare thrown at him from Capone. He chuckled lightly as he took a sip of his drink and, out of the corner of his eye, nodded to Law. The male's lips perked at the corners in a faint smile, but he resumed staring at the game.
Texas Hold 'Em went on for another forty-five minutes or so, with people from different poker and dining tables coming in to watch the event. Law had stayed as well, leaving the tending to other tables up to Baby 5 and the others; he was too engrossed into the game to leave.
Diamante had been beaten out of his own chips by Doflamingo, though he claimed to "let the man win since this wasn't his most favorite game." Now, it was a fierce battle between Doflamingo and Capone, and as Senor laid out the fifth and final card, a collected gasp shot through every spectator surrounding the table.
"An ace. It's an ace!"
"The mighty river's been revealed—who's got the best hand between the two?"
"C'mon Capone, you got this!"
Terms unfamiliar to Law and inspirational lines surrounded the table. Doflamingo, taking one last look at his two cards, gave Capone a genuine-appearing smile. "This has been quite a quick game, hasn't it Capone?"
The other nodded slowly. "Yes, it has…"
"Wasn't really into it in the beginning, but I just can't say no to a challenge."
Capone took his eyes away from the table to stare at Doflamingo. Was this his way of admitting defeat? Law could see the excitement rim the other's eyes, though it was kept at bay. Turning back to Senor, Doflamingo took a few more chips and slung it towards the male. "All in," he declared, and sat back.
Capone threw in some more chips and declared the same as well. "All in."
Senor took the chips, and both men flipped their cards to be viewed by the spectators. Another gasp shot through them, with a hysterical booming laugh peaking at the top.