Through the open window came a draft every now and then, but the heat of the desert was overwhelming. Drops of sweat rolled down from Doflamingo's forehead to his temples, along the jawline, dancing at his chin before falling down, landing somewhere on Crocodile's throat. Crocodile watched them with a mild curiosity. His own skin was dry and hot.

"Uhn." Doflamingo shifted his position, one hand buried in Crocodile's hair. There was no trace of the carefully combed back hairstyle now, the long locks spread messily everywhere over the pillow. Doflamingo's left hand held Crocodile's wrist tightly pressed to the mattress, palm twisted outside, away from him. The hook was the more obvious weapon, but he knew the real danger was Crocodile's intact hand. Not that he thought Crocodile would actually try and do anything funny. This was consensual after all, no matter how much the reptile was pretending to be abused and annoyed.

The sound of flesh against flesh filled the room, and despite the open window the air reeked of sex. "You're so sloppy," Crocodile groaned, the raspy tone in his voice betraying his words. "Try a little harder."

"Fufu." Doflamingo licked his lips, tasting the salt of his own sweat. He let go of Crocodile's hair, jerking his hip up with his arm, readjusted again. "Like this?"

Crocodile jolted with Doflamingo's first thrust in the new position and gave a subdued huff through his nose. "Better."

Crocodile managed even now to maintain his bored default expression, and looking down to him, Doflamingo mused that Crocodile's bossyness would've been a real pain for anyone else, but he rather enjoyed himself. The man was selfish to a fault. The way he rocked his hips to meet Doflamingo's was only for himself. He wasn't being dominated, he was being served. It was irritating, really... But somehow, although he couldn't really find the right words for it, Doflamingo liked exactly that. Anyone else would be so... boring and normal. He prefered this by a mile. There was a reason he came all the way from Dressrosa to Alabasta after all. He realized his desire to please the man was exactly the childish behaviour Crocodile always criticized about him, but he didn't care. This was so far off perfect and average and common that it was the only thing Doflamingo felt he and Crocodile would ever be capable of having. Not just with each other, but in general. And that was one of the reasons they had never named this, whatever it was.

Too bad Crocodile's ability robbed him of any unneccesary body fluids. Not all, of course, but Doflamingo would've given a lot just to see the man break into sweat just once. But maybe that was part of the thrill. His strings, too, only worked when Crocodile wanted them to. Haki or not, pinning down a logia user was hard, and there was no way to capture the reptile. It was an intriguing thought, though, and Doflamingo tightened his grip around Crocodile's wrist.

Crocodile felt Doflamingo twitch and harden inside him and gave a short laugh. "What's going through that head of yours, you perverted swine?"

"Why thank you," Doflamingo played down the insult with a smile. "Nothing. I just really enjoy this, that's all. You should, too. Don't look so fucking pissed all the time, Croc."

"Just be happy I let you do this," Crocodile roared, but another very well placed thrust by Doflamingo cut off his grumble, dulling it to a moan, repressed through gritted sharp teeth.

"That makes it sound like you don't enjoy this and I'm actually in charge," chuckled Doflamingo, still rather enjoying himself. "Is that the case?"

That did it. "Fuck you, you vulture!" Crocodile swung his hook around, but Doflamingo was faster. He caught the hook with his right hand, the movement making him jerk a little. With him still being inside Crocodile, he winced at the shift in position. "Watch it, birdbrain..."

For a second, Doflamingo wondered whether he had stepped over his line—but glancing to his side, Crocodile's right was, albeit clenched in a fist, calm still in his grip.

Satisfied, Doflamingo tsked at him. "You've got some nerve, Croc. You're so spoiled. Like your pets. Maybe you enjoy being my little pet?"

Crocodile huffed. He was more exhausted than he would let Doflamingo in on. It was unfortunate, though. Doflamingo had both his arms captured. His knees were almost bent up to his shoulders by now. Not exactly a position to provoke a fight. He did, still, his pride winning over any rational consideration. "Excuse me?!"

"Come now, Croc." Doflamingo placed a soft kiss on Crocodile's hook. "I've been making this joke all evening an now you get agitated? Getting a little slow in the head, are we?" The dangerous tip of the hook nearly severed his lower lip when Crocodile managed to break free from his grip. It was a short victory though, because Doflamingo caught him yet again. He felt the rush of excitement from before again when he pinned Crocodile down a second time, merciless, his weight burying Crocodile's body beneath him. There was just the idea of a faint whimper from Crocodile when he did, and Doflamingo felt like he was ablaze. "Oh no you don't," he breathed through his teeth, smirk widening dangerously.

"What are you—" Crocodile began, out of breath, when Doflamingo suddenly sat back, not pulling out, but straightening, his knees under Crocodile's hip. With a relieved sigh, Crocodile stretched his legs again, falling back into the pillow. He let down his guard just for a second.

"This is getting a little dangerous," Doflamingo cooed over him, his grin all teeth. "And I'm clearly in the disadvantage." He still held the hook in his hand and jerked Crocodile's arm up, feeling with the fingers of his left hand around the edge where Crocodile's hot skin seemed to melt into the metal...

Crocodile felt his heart miss a beat. Or maybe ten. Suddenly, there was a lump in his throat. "No."

Inside the massive prothesis, tightly snuck around Crocodile's arm, Doflamingo felt a little buckle. He grinned down at Crocodile, and maybe he really didn't recognize the expression of sheer panic on the man's face.

The leather strips securing the hook came off. Doflamingo actually held it in his hand, and it was just that now, a hook, a limb separated from Crocodile's body. No part of him anymore; come loose.

He caught the shortest glimpse of a badly stitched scar underneath, but the next thing he knew, his vision stirred, and not even the sunglasses helped against the sand that flew into his eyes. He sighed aggravated; no point in trying to attach strings to sand, yeah?

"Fuck, Crocodile, what the—" He backed away, spitting sand, rubbing it from his eyes and body, it stuck to his sweaty skin.

"I will end you here and now if you keep this shit up," said Crocodile, materializing a few steps away. They hadn't bothered with undressing completely in the first place, so his shirt was still loosely draped around his shoulders. The left sleeve fluttered as Crocodile held his arm behind his back. "Give me my hook, right now."

Doflamingo looked down at the giant metal thing in his hand. He'd rather have Crocodile's body here than this. He slumped back on his butt and sighed. "Look, I—"

"I don't fucking care, Doflamingo, just give it back!"

The mention of his name—not a stupid nickname, not an insult, his name—made him hold up the hook without further hesitation. Crocodile snatched it from his hands and turned around as he put it on again. Doflamingo scratched his head. Well, seemed like this was that, then... With a little more blood to his head it dawned on him that he'd really done it this time.

Crocodile said nothing, even when the hook was back in place and hung heavy from his side. He didn't look around. Eventually, Doflamingo got up and slowly came closer. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." Crocodile still wouldn't look at him. He closed one or two buttons on his shirt, not noting or caring that he'd messed up the order.

"Is there... something I can do?" Doflamingo proffered.

Crocodile sighed loudly, almost a moan, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. "Get me a cigar and something to drink and make it quick."

Doflamingo hurried away while Crocodile sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hand through his hair. Great. He numbly stared ahead while Doflamingo came back, carrying a box of cigars and a generously filled tumbler of whiskey. He lit a cigar for Crocodile when he put it between his lips and watched him inhale deeply. Not just puffing away. This was serious.

He felt like shit.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said, deliberately. He was nobody to be quick to admit mistakes, but he knew he needed to, now, otherwise he'd probably never see Crocodile again. Hesitating a moment, he put his hand gently on Crocodile's back, rubbing it a little. There was not even resistance. Doflamingo would have rejoiced in any other circumstance, but now, this was bad. Crocodile brooded. They fell silent. Crocodile smoked his cigar and eventually emptied the whiskey, too. Doflamingo just sat beside him, one hand still on his back, doing nothing.

"You know," Crocodile said quietly after what had felt like forever. He reached for the ashtray on the bedside table to put away his cigar. "I lost my hand a long time ago. Before I even ate the Devil's Fruit. That's why it's so often my first instinct to use the hook, not the sand. I've gotten so used to it."

"Huh," made Doflamingo, not sure what was appropriate to say.

Finally, Crocodile looked at him. His eyes were almost hidden under his deep browbones. "It's part of me now. Taking that away..." He paused, good hand resting on the hook in his lap, caressing the metal. He obviously didn't know how to talk about this, and was not comfortable talking about it in general, and Doflamingo was thankful for the effort. "Taking it away would be like taking my hand again."

Doflamingo made a hissing noise. "Croc, I am so sorry—"

"No, shut up." Crocodile waved his hand dismissevely and grimaced. "I don't want your pathetic sentiment. No, you know what?" He moved a little more to the inside of the bed, resting his back against the top of the beadstead. Doflamingo watched carefully. "Take it off."

Doflamingo was sure he hadn't heard right. "What?"

"The hook. Take it off of me."

"But didn't you just say—"

"Yes, and it's still the truth. However, it's bound to happen, isn't it, hell, it happened, and I really would rather be in control when it happens again. So, right here, right now, you can take it off if you still want to."

Doflamingo inched nearer, until he sat right in front of Crocodile. He eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Although..."

Ah. Not so sure after all, hm?

"Take off your glasses first."

Doflamingo's hand twitched up to the frames he was still wearing, despite it being rather ridiculous. Crocodile had long ago settled with his weird antics to never take them off, although he missed no opportunity to remark the ineptitude. A smirk crept up on his face. "Maybe you get how I'm feeling now," he said silently. "It would make us equal. It's only fair."

Doflamingo actually hesitated, but then the so familiar grin reappeared on his face again. "Fufufu. I see. Well played, Croc. Well... here I go." He rubbed his nose for a second, took a deep breath, wiped his hands on his thighs, and finally took off the sunglasses.

They looked at each other.

Crocodile smiled a little in the corner of his mouth. "That wasn't so hard, was it," he said quietly after a long pause.

Doflamingo blinked a few times. "This is so weird," he said, pressing the butts of his hands against his eyes. "You look weird."

"Oh, fuck you, flamingo," Crocodile snarled. "It's not my fault you chose to hide behind tinted glasses." He took them from Doflamingo's hands, carefully turning them around a few times. They had known each other for what felt like forever, and he really could not remember if he had ever seen Doflamingo without these. He didn't know what he had expected, but certainly not... this.

He gently folded the side pieces and put the glasses down on his bedside table. "Well?" he said when he leaned back again, lighting a new cigar. "Are you giving me the upper hand here? That doesn't suit you. Come here." He patted the place beside him, and Doflamingo crawled over to his side.

Crocodile placed his hook in Doflamingo's lap. "You know how it works, just do it," he urged, exhaling a puff of smoke.

Doflamingo felt the metal against his skin when he carefully held it in his hands. He'd done that so many times, but now it felt weird. The hook seemed cold and heavy. "Are you really sure?"

"You were pretty eager before, and now you don't have the balls to do it? Kuhaha. Don't be such a whimp." Crocodile tucked his cigar between his teeth and grinned, but there was just the slightest twitch of nervousness in the corners of his smile.

"You're not gonna go all logia on me, are you?"

"If you keep this up, I might. Now do it, you big baby."

"Okay... Here goes. You ready?" Crocodile said nothing, but he looked down, and Doflamingo followed his gaze. He knew how it worked, now, and his fingers slid under the metal again, finding the leather strips and buckles. He tried to open them with just one hand, as Crocodile himself would have to do, but he failed and had to use both hands, which drew a low laugh from Crocodile that made the hair in Doflamingo's neck stand on edge.

He gently grabbed the hook when he had opened the buckles and slowly pulled it away. He could feel Crocodile tense.

There was the scar again. It was pale against Crocodile's skin, badly stitched, crude at the edges, almost faded over all the years and still so visible. Crocodile's arm wasn't amputated right behind the wrist, a little forearm was missing as well. It looked so... weird. It wasn't just a scar, it was a... wound. Doflamingo figured that even while he always knew Crocodile was missing a hand, seeing the hook was like the brain made an instant adjustment. Now both was missing, and for the first time since they had known each other, he felt some sort of regret, or pity, or misery for the other man.

Crocodile wanted to draw the stump away from him but suppressed the urge. "Don't fucking look at me like that," he said, voice low and collected, but the anger underneath was apparent. "Nothing has changed. Don't be ridiculous."

"That's not it." Doflamingo put the hook aside and grazed the stump with his fingers. They both startled at the touch. Crocodile looked away, huffed a cloud of smoke, on edge. But he let Doflamingo examinate his arm anyway. He could not remember if he had ever let another person touch him there. It felt weird. And this was still Doflamingo. He felt... naked.

Doflamingo sensed his unease. He looked at him, slowly bringing the stump up to his lips and gently breathing a kiss on it. "Hey," he said silently, and let Crocodile's arm go, not wanting to emphasize his affection on only that. "I know you don't like touchy-feely and stuff, but... I still really want to sleep with you. Now even more. No funny games. No hook, no glasses. Just this."

Crocodile made a retching sound. "I'm going to be sick," he growled, still looking away, chewing on his cigar against better judgement.

Doflamingo smiled. It was genuine. "Fufufu. Don't be like that." That again. Like a mantra. Like the last step on ice they both knew was going to be safe.

He reached out to Crocodile, pulling him close, and Crocodile's struggle against him was a farce, and they both knew that.

AN: I want to thank everybody who's been sticking around so far. With the next chapter, this fic is done. You can follow me on tumblr (fowo) and twitter (fowo69) for more Dofladile action because I basically do nothing else these days. I hope you enjoyed and as always, let me know what you think! Your comments brighten my day.

Also excuse the lack of beta in these four chapters, I'm no native speaker and sometimes struggle a little. I got a beta now and the next fics should be more readable. ;w;