OK, so both Doflamingo and Crocodile will probably turn out a bit OOC in this part… But hey, even the toughest ones have their weak moments. Also, I wanted to write about a somewhat tender moment between the two, and this was the outcome! (Whether it's actually tender or not, in the end, I don't really know…)

Also, this upload happened a lot quicker than I ever imagined, and I must say, I'm quite surprised myself… To tell the truth, I couldn't focus on my schoolwork knowing I had this story unfinished, so I rushed to complete it. I hope it's still readable though… (if not I'll fix it later!)

The warnings are the same as ever (spoilers, malexmale) and I still don't own One Piece, and I never will…

As always, thanks a million for the reviews!

Hope you have fun reading!

"Now, both you and your clothes should finally be dry, so just get dressed and get the hell out of here, idiot bird!" Crocodile grumbled the second the torture had finally come to an end, and the last droplet of water had been removed from the blond's copper skin.

"But my coat is still not dry" Doflamingo protested, pointing a long finger in the direction of the feathery pink mess which was, as claimed, still dripping water on the floor. But, if the blond even for a second thought that Crocodile would show any deference to this he was deeply mistaken.

"I don't care, just take it with you and get out" the raven haired man barked, wishing to get rid of both the bird and his pink tuft of feathers, both terrible eyesores, without any further delay. However, while Crocodile paid no consideration to the flamingo's wishes the opposite was also true.

"But I thought we could have some more fun!" the blond pirate exclaimed before he without warning grabbed hold of Crocodile's wrist and pulled him closer.

"Doflamingo, let go!"

Even when the sand controller roared this into the blond's ear he didn't let go, he hadn't even flinched. When Crocodile stomped down hard on the flamingo's large foot the other hadn't even seem to acknowledge the pain, rather Doflamingo had just leant closer, pulling Crocodile into a kiss. Only when he had pressed the sharp tip of his golden hook against the soft skin of the puppeteer's throat had Doflamingo given in and eased his grip on the raven haired man.

"Forget it, flamingo" Crocodile hissed, his voice much resembling the sound of an aggravated, poisonous snake "I might have given into your desires yesterday, but that was only because I didn't want to risk anyone spotting us on deck. Now, when that's not a worry, you can go find comfort in one of your million other…lovers"

"Jealousy does not suit you, Croco…" the flamingo drawled after a while of quiet staring at the fierce pirate, and it looked like was about to add something when Crocodile cut in.

"Don't go getting it wrong flamingo… just because I have more dignity than most of your playthings it does by no means equal jealousy" the older man firmly clarified, but he could as well have conversed with a wall, because that was the degree of attention the blond demonstrated.

"But I like you! You're such a feisty little… toy" Doflamingo dragger out the last word, and Crocodile was sure he did this deliberately, as the older man had made it rather clear that he did not appreciate the title toy!

"Doflamingoooo! Get LOST!" the older man shouted, unable to contain his anger any longer.

"Don't feel like it" The answer had been fast and blunt, as if the flamingo didn't even notice the other's foul mood "I want to play with you right now, none of my other toys would do" he added, grinning devilishly.

Stretching out his long arms, reaching for the dark haired man, Doflamingo tried to pull him into a new kiss but this time the former warlord was prepared and avoided the approach with ease. Crocodile was seething with anger and he made no effort to hide it. How Doflamingo thought he would like to be kissed, well, the older pirate couldn't even be bothered to find out. If Crocodile would have been dynamite no fuse in the world would have been long enough to prevent him from exploding. He was truly and utterly ready to lash out at the blond. He was tired of being treated like a toy!

But, just as he was about to summon a sandstorm, he caught a glimpse of Doflamingo's eyes, and the emotion which was displayed in them did not match the emotion the blond was exhibiting. Those eyes were clouded with delusion. They were the eyes of someone who was troubled, conflicted and lost. Even if Crocodile had just witnessed this for an extremely short time it was enough to make him recall their earlier conversation; the real reason to why Doflamingo was visiting him in the first place. Suddenly Crocodile found himself, for the first time in his life, actually wishing those damn sunglasses had never been removed, but that they'd still be fixated on that stupidly grinning face, concealing this display of pain.

Heavily breathing in and out Crocodile slowly rubbed his temples, trying his best to calm down.

An intense battle raged inside his head, and for a moment the side that itched to hurt Doflamingo threatened to come out the winner. Why in the world should he have to trouble himself with the blond anyway? If he ever wanted to pick a time to get his revenge on the blond now was a golden opportunity! Then again, there was also part of him that found this new, desperate, side of Doflamingo somewhat interesting. Adding to this, deep in his heart, an organ which he had chosen to ignore for years at end, he knew now was not the time to turn his back on the blond. However, this was easier said than done. Immediately when laying eyes upon the blond the urge to strangle the idiot grew dangerously high, so if he was to keep Doflamingo here he needed to divert his attention to something else for a moment.

Without a word Crocodile turned his back to the large man and stalked away in order to locate the bottle of wine he had opened earlier. He found it, poured himself a glass, and emptied it. Having filled the glass again Crocodile walked over to his armchair and slumped down in it, placing the glass on a small table next to the chair.

Was this feeling he felt towards the flamingo pity?

Crocodile couldn't believe it. Not one bit. Covering his eyes with one hand he sighed deeply; he would definitely regret letting the blond stay. He picked up the wineglass again, turning it in his hand before taking a sip of the expensive drink. The red liquid ran down his throat, somehow soothing, but not nearly enough to rid the pale man of all his stress and irritation. The pirate moved his gaze from the wine to check on the flamingo. The blond man was still standing in the same spot as before, slightly resting his weight on one leg, watching, waiting, seemingly hesitant of what he ought to do. Doflamingo made no move to approach Crocodile, nor did he try leaving. It was obvious he waited for the older man to make the next move.

Letting his golden eyes fall shut Crocodile finally opened his mouth. Pointing in the direction of the bed he ordered the blond to go get some rest, but only until the pink abomination he called a coat was dry. Surprisingly, Doflamingo obeyed.

Certain calm spread across the room, a stillness seldom experienced in the company of a crazy bird. Doflamingo was indeed tossing and turning in the bed, and rustling the bed sheets ever so often, but it did seem as if he really did try to sleep. At any rate he had given up talking to Crocodile, which finally gave the older pirate a chance to focus on something else than the source of his annoyance. This rare moment of comfortable silence stretched out for quite a while, but as expected when associating with a flamingo, it couldn't go on forever, and before long Crocodile was reached by the bond's moaning voice.

"I'm tired... but I can't sleep"

Determined not to pay the blond any notice the dark haired man ignored the complaint. He knew exactly where this would lead and he had no desire whatsoever to give into the younger man's perverted desires. Even if a certain degree of vulnerability had been detectable in the man's low voice Crocodile refused to acknowledge it. He reasoned it would be better to stay unaffected and refocused his mind on the book in his hand, eyes rapidly sweeping over line after line of text. Silence resettled in the room, but neither this time it would last.

"Do you think they died because of me?"

Doflamingo's voice was low and it lacked confidence, and this shocked Crocodile almost as deeply as the nature of the question. He felt compelled to turn his head and glance at the blond, but Crocodile didn't, he wouldn't know how to face the other man. In his mind he searched for a suitable answer to the question; a question that most likely lacked such an answer. In the end the older man decided to stick with his own beliefs, and resting the book on his lap he started talking.

"Why does it matter? The crew should be ready to sacrifice themselves for their captain or they're worthless. You're putting too much thought into it"

"…"

Doflamingo's unusual silence spoke volumes of his opinion on the matter, so Crocodile continued.

"This is why I have always told you that bonding with people is completely unnecessary. You're better off keeping a certain distance, it saves you from a lot of trouble" Crocodile lectured, slightly annoyed with the blond's apathy "You should just have dealt with the brat the second you started suspecting him! Not wait until he made his move!" he added, as he came to think of what Doflamingo had told him in the bath.

"But…" Doflamingo started, but was unable to finish.

"This happens when you let your feelings get in the way" Crocodile interrupted, sending a frustrated glare in the direction of his feet. The comment, which so effortlessly had left his mouth, had made him wonder. Was he really talking to Doflamingo, or was he perhaps addressing himself?

The blond, obviously also affected by the statement, gave him no time to reach a conclusion.

"That sounds like something you would say…" the flamingo muttered, his long fingers absentmindedly picking at the bed lining.

"It's true, though" the dark haired man assured, finally turning towards Doflamingo, his eyes seeking contact with the younger man's. The blond must have felt Crocodile's piercing gaze, because he slowly lifted his head until he was looking straight into the dark haired pirate's golden eyes.

"How come you always welcome me then?"

The words poured out of the large mouth slowly. Doflamingo's blond eyebrows were knit and a serious expression graced his prominent features. Crocodile, dumbfounded by the genuine tone of confusion present in the blond's voice, couldn't say he saw the situation quite in the same way as Doflamingo.

"I did never once welcome you, flamingo! You always just barge in…" he sighed "and in case you didn't realize I do keep my distance… I wouldn't willingly let anyone into my life, especially not a man like you" Crocodile felt as if he had repeated these words time and time again, but no matter how often they were uttered the flamingo still seemed incapable of understanding. If he honestly thought Crocodile was welcoming him…the older man shook his head in exasperation. Their views on the matter had never been alike, Crocodile was aware of that, but he hadn't expected them to be quite this much at odds.

"What's so wrong with me, compared to everyone else?"

"The fact that you're a complete madman is what's wrong"

The same exchange of words as ever, and, as always, mutual understanding lay far beyond their reach.

"Actually I am rather surprised you even feel somewhat remorseful over your loss… doesn't strike me as very…flamingoish" Crocodile added after a short silence, hoping to steer the conversation back to the original topic in order to avoid yet another petty quarrel.

The blond's immediate reaction had been to open his mouth, most likely to protest, but no words had come out. He had just been sitting on the bed, mouth hanging open, looking stupid. In the end he had sighed deeply, both in defeat and agreement.

"…right… it doesn't"

Crocodile, who had been positive that his statement would be met by protests, didn't know how to reply, so he remained silent. It also seemed as if Doflamingo had nothing more to say. Communication had never been their strong side, and thus stillness returned to the room once more, leaving each man to focus on his own thoughts.

The first few minutes of the new silence had been golden, but the more time that passed the more Crocodile's thought started to wander. He had tried to keep them in place, but the quiet calm that filled the room provided an environment that practically invited unwelcome thoughts to enter his mind. And, the fact that a sullen looking, uncharacteristically silent blond sat on a bed not far away from him didn't help the matter.

Why had Doflamingo chosen him to come to, instead of going to one of his other lovers?

At first Crocodile figured it was because he was easiest to reach, but when running the idea through his head he realised the blond really had no good means of locating him, which meant he had gone through an extra effort in order to find Crocodile. At this thought Crocodile noticed how a warm feeling started spreading throughout his body and frantically he tried to calm it down, there was no need to delude himself further. Even if it might seem like he held a unique position amongst the flamingo's lovers there was probably an explanation to this situation, an explanation that would let him down. That Doflamingo had ended up here was probably mere coincidence, and nothing more. But yet, a small part of Crocodile couldn't help but to hope, keeping a small fraction of that warm feeling alive.

And so Crocodile realised, he had, again, let the blond way too far into his life.

From the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of the normally cheery and carefree man. The blond waslying listlessly on the bed, playing with his sunglasses, turning them in his large hands while observing them intently. A mindless repetition of a pointless movement, this is what it looked like to Crocodile, but Doflamingo actually looked like he expected this method to yield some results. The older man sighed. It was both depressing and pathetic to watch. A child's mind in an adult's body, unequipped with the tools needed to deal with these kinds of situations. Crocodile wasn't an understanding lover, but, maybe just this once he could make an exception…

Pushing himself out of his comfortable armchair he convinced himself it was the alcohol speaking, no matter he had only ingested was a few glasses of wine. It was always nice to be able to blame something; something other than his own feelings. This is what Crocodile thought as he, with unwavering strides, approached the bed in which Doflamingo, completely oblivious of the dark haired pirate's proximity, was lying.

It wasn't before Crocodile's pale hand clasped the tinted shades that the blond retreated to his aware state and questioningly gazed up at the older man. The shorter pirate looked back at him with slight amusement. This was, after all, a reaction Doflamingo rarely showed him this openly.

"You won't be needing them" the dark haired man stated sombrely, and as the flamingo loosened his grip of the sunglasses Crocodile placed them on top of a bureau right by the bed. As he stood there, back turned towards the bed, he could hear the blond break out into a small laugh, his nagging voice chasing him from behind.

"I knew you'd give in eventually"

Crocodile just snorted and shook his head. The flamingo was indeed quite deluded. As he turned back towards the bed Doflamingo's face was again sunken into a quizzical expression. Crocodile calmly explained he was not about to have sex with Doflamingo, but that he had simply meant that sunglasses were unnecessary for sleep. The flamingo's face was immediately twisted into displaying discontent.

"I can't sleep" the younger man mumbled in a bitter voice, the frown on his face deepening further. Sitting down by Doflamingo's feet Crocodile quirked an eyebrow at the blond, amusedly pointing out how the flamingo had had no problems falling asleep earlier. The older man, bemused, regarded the angry glare Doflamingo sent his way, for once feeling as if he was the one in control and not the blond. The fury reflected in the blond's unmasked eyes again reminded Crocodile of a child. The look he was given strongly resembled that of a child's who had lost his precious toys - a feeling of loss and rejection.

Crocodile didn't know much about the flamingo's past, but he concluded the overgrown bird either never had faced loss before, or then he had suppressed whatever experiences he had of it. Because, as things were now, it was clear the blond was incapable of dealing with loss, simply replacing one "toy" with another, indulging in pleasures in order to forget, flying into a rage when refused or denied what he wanted. If the former warlord would have chosen to sleep with the man now, and given into his desires and demands, the dark haired was sure he would only have hurt the flamingo further; at least in the long run.

Then again, why should he refrain from damaging the blond? His sanity was beyond repair anyway, and hadn't Crocodile decided that if the chance would ever present itself he would let Doflamingo suffer?

Looking at the man now though, the concept no longer seemed as enticing. The blond's eyes, they were so ridiculously vulnerable. Once again Crocodile regretted stripping Doflamingo of the shades. He was slowly starting to realise that the sunglasses had not only worked in the flamingos benefit, but also in his. Now though, with the customary protection removed, the weak spot he thought he had rid himself of forever was making a comeback, much like a fire that has seemingly died down only to suddenly burst alive from the ashes with rejuvenated force.

"Everyone is bound to lose something at some point" Crocodile mumbled softly, almost soothingly, and without even fully acknowledging it himself he slowly started stroking the part of his hand where the cold, hard metal connected with soft, warm skin. He had given in, not to Doflamingo, but to his own stupid weakness, a weakness still hunting him despite so many years having passed.

His golden eyes, dully, gazed out into the gloom and involuntarily Crocodile was pulled into deep thought, his brain systematically counting every loss he had suffered during his less than half a century long life. He could hear the sheets rustle behind him, and he half imagined Doflamingo getting up and leaving, displeased and unsatisfied as he didn't get what he came here for. But, the weight of the larger man never left the bed and after a short silence a raspy voice cut through the room.

"Then at least lie down with me"

These words came as a surprise. On the other hand, most of the flamingo's actions tonight had had the same effect on him, so perhaps he should have come to expect it by now.

As Crocodile sat there, on the edge of the bed, trying to decide what course of action to chose, he felt a pair of strong arms drape around his shoulders. Doflamingo's breath felt warm against his neck.

"Crocodile?" the blond inquired again, sliding his large palm down along the older pirate's severed arm, and reaching the metal hook he slowly lifted it up to his lips. Even though Crocodile had no sense of touch in the metallic limb he could almost feel the heat from Doflamingo's warm lips spread through his body as they connected with the solid surface, causing a tired sigh to escapes his tightly shut, pale lips.

"Fine" the raven haired finally agreed, and allowed his idiot of a lover pull him closer, wrapping those tanned and muscular arms even tighter around him. Crocodile went along with it when his own scarred face was pressed towards the blond's bare chest, and gradually the older pirate felt himself easing into the other's clingy embrace. He slipped his own arms around to the flamingos back, and resting his hook lightly upon a large shoulder he let his other hand travel up and down the blond's broad back.

Doflamingo inhaled sharply.

"Your hands are cold, reptile" he whined half-heartedly, coxing a lazy laugh from Crocodile, who buried his face deeper into his unwelcome guest's chest. Inhaling deeply Crocodile breathed in the scent of Doflamingo, and for once it actually smelled like no one but the very man in front of him. During any other time the blond would reek of cheap and cloying perfume, so the absence of such a smell had Crocodile feeling rather content. Doflamingo must have noticed this as well, because within seconds his taunting voice had cut through the room.

"You like that?" he asked, not even bothering to hide the amusement nestled into his voice. A mood breaker, to say the least.

Almost reflexively the dark haired pulled the corners of his mouth downwards and started searching for a proper dismissive comment to answer the question with. Even though the truth might be that he did in fact enjoy it, he would never sink so low as to admit it to the blond; it was too much for his dignity. Trying to form the perfect, sarcastic retort in his head he turned his gaze downwards, and the sight that met him made him swallow any words that he had been about to utter.

"Put on some clothes, bird brain" he muttered turning his golden eyes away from the flamingo's lower regions, all while damning himself for somehow overlooking the fact that Doflamingo still was fully unclothed. The younger pirate couldn't have been less bothered though, and laughing he questioned if Crocodile perhaps found the sight a bit too enticing, perhaps even irresistible. This earned the blond a heavy smack on the head, with the golden hook of course. Apparently he hadn't hit hard enough though, because only moments later he found himself lip-locked with Doflamingo. He went along with it for a while, it didn't feel too bad. But, when he felt large hands sneakily travel down his back, getting ever closer to private areas, Crocodile pulled away; an action that earned him a confused glance.

"I want more" Doflamingo panted, his slanted eyes drilling holes into Crocodile as the blond anxiously trying to pinpoint what was wrong.

"Next time" the dark haired replied curtly. His mind was made up on the matter, and for once he wasn't going to give in to the megalomaniac's desires.

"But…" Doflamingo started, disbelief detectable in his voice. Sighing deeply, Crocodile pulled the large man closer to him.

"Next time" he repeated in an unnaturally soft voice which barely exceeded a whisper. In return Doflamingo grunted in displeasure, but despite this no more protests left his mouth, and moments later Crocodile could feel blond hair tickling his neck as the large man rested his forehead against his shoulder, snuggling into it.

They stayed like that for quite a while, immobile, finding some sort of wicked comfort in one another.

Crocodile could feel the others ribcage widen and retract as warm breaths slowly caressed his neck, and for a moment the older man thought Doflamingo might have fallen asleep. At some point, without having fully acknowledged it, Crocodile had started stroking his hand along the flamingos tanned back again, gingerly moving his fingers over the tense muscles, kneading them slightly if he found a particularly knotted spot. Once in a while he felt the blond shudder and he could hear him mumble something about cold shivers, the only sign that indicated Doflamingo was still awake, up until the blond chose to open his mouth again that is.

"I want a goodnight kiss"

Crocodile froze for a hundredth of as second while his brain registered those words. He couldn't but conclude that there was no end to Doflamingo's demands. Accepting the flamingo onto his ship, joining him in the bath, drying him of, lying down with him, listening to the meaningless stream of words that flowed out of the blond's mouth and now a goodnight kiss, how much did Doflamingo want him to do? But nonetheless he moved his head so that his lips were accessible, and it didn't get long for the younger pirate to jump at the chance. After all, what was one more thing among many others?

Doflamingo's lips crashed against Crocodile's, eagerly, almost greedily, trying to devour as much as they could in one go. Big hands clasped Crocodile's back as a long tongue begged for entrance into his mouth, and the elder allowed it. After a short struggle for dominance he let the flamingo take the lead, allowing himself to melt into the kiss.

This kiss, like the one before was rather needy, and it almost felt as if Doflamingo clung onto him for dare life, digging his fingernails deep into the skin of his back. Yet it was enjoyable and warm. Crocodile let his pale hand slowly comb through the cropped, blond hair and gradually the claw like grip on his back loosened into a simple, tight hug and he could feel the blond slowly relaxing his tense muscles. The comfortable atmosphere dragged on until Doflamingo finally pulled away, panting for air.

"You really are one messed up man Doflamingo" Crocodile laughed as he was finally free to pull away from the larger man. Then again he had to be slightly mad himself to have an affair with the man he was accusing of having an unbalanced mind.

"But you're a really good and obedient toy nonetheless" the flamingo replied, his trademark laughter sounding throughout the room. The comfortable feeling that he had been immersed in during the kiss was now but a distant memory locked away in Crocodile's mind. The flamingo did indeed have a real knack for ruining the moment. Or rather, to Doflamingo the kiss probably hadn't held any significance whatsoever.

"Stop referring to me as your toy, bird brain" Crocodile hisses and narrowed his golden eyes to the maximum, glaring daggers at the blond. He could feel his fury mounting up. Anger and disappointment that had gathered during a long time, directed both at himself and his so called lover; a lover to whom he obviously meant nothing. Discretely he started transforming his body into sand, preparing to attack the idiot opposite to him, an action to which the flamingo raised his hands in defence.

"It's you who always does that, not me" Doflamingo commented dryly "and anyway I thought you wanted me to be honest, no?" he added. Still smiling brightly, still laughing his gaudy laugh.

Crocodile was still boiling with rage but somehow the birdbrain's comment seemed to devour all his energy. Instead of attacking he let his body resolidify and turned away from the blond. Even though he knew Doflamingo's words were the truth, and even though he insisted on Doflamingo telling him the truth, in reality he despised it. It was a sore reminder of the past. A sore reminder of how things would never change. A sore reminder of how he, despite his efforts to convince himself otherwise, had failed to give up on Doflamingo.

"Shut up" he muttered under his breath, all while he busied himself with rummaging through the bedside table's drawer in search for his beloved cigars. He found one, lit it, and took a deep puff. The smoke filling his mouth tasted heavenly, and he appreciated the calming effects it had on his overworked brain, and body. And, what was all the more better, it eliminated the bitter taste of bird that lingered in his mouth.

Doflamingo must have noticed the change in mood, because he quickly pitched in with a new remark, trying to lighten the mood.

"But to say that I have millions of lovers, that's an exaggeration"

"Is it really? I wouldn't be surprised if it was true" Crocodile countered, not in the mood to have this conversation now. Although, truth to be told, he never enjoyed having this particular conversation. It bruised his ego way more than necessary.

"Well, not millions…" the blond drawled.

An evasive answer, Crocodile hadn't expected anything else. Not from Doflamingo.

"Don't start explaining! As if I'd care" he grumbled, his golden eyes steadily fixated on the trail of smoke that escaped his mouth when speaking.

"Well, you know I could go excl…"

"Doflamingo!" Crocodile growled warningly, riveting his eyes on the younger man "don't start again"

Lately, whenever they met, they always seemed to end up at this topic. The flamingo should have learned by now; the outcome wouldn't change. Not now, not never. To seriously consider the blond's offer meant being at least as senseless as the blond, and the former warlord would never let himself sink to that level.

"But…"

"You shouldn't strive after what you know is impossible for you… and anyway, isn't it fine this way, too?"

"But you're the one who's always complaining!" Doflamingo heaved out in exasperation, seemingly at his wits end of what to do with his unappeasable lover.

"Well, I must be entitled to something to compensate for all the annoyance and trouble you bring my way…" the pale captain proclaimed and gave the blond a sidelong glance. The birdbrain was smiling foolishly, like he always was, and maybe it was Crocodile's imagination but for a short moment it looked like a wave of relief spread across Doflamingo's face. This was, however, most likely only a delusion, or a trick his own brain had decided to play on him in order to further torture him.

"Fufufufu, you're quite demanding" the flamingo laughed. And so, with one simple comment, Doflamingo was back in high spirits. He was indeed, in some ways, an extremely simpleminded man.

To resist rolling his eyes at those words had not been an easy task, because Crocodile did not at all agree with Doflamingo's statement. He didn't quite see himself as the demanding one, but someone else altogether. Suppressing a sigh he decided to let the matter slide though, they would never reach a mutual decision on the matter anyway, thus trying was completely pointless.

"Aren't you sleepy yet?" he asked instead, cutting their previous conversation short.

Doflamingo didn't produce an answer immediately, but fidgeted about in the bed for quite a while, as if he was trying to find out whether or not he'd be able to actually fall asleep on it. Finally though, he muttered a reply in a low, sandpapery voice.

"Not really…"and so the flamingo's mood had once again dropped to below zero.

"However, I'm getting tired of your constant blabbering, so just shut up and sleep anyway" Crocodile muttered bitterly, annoyed with the flamingo's roller-coasting mood; a contagious mood at that, as Crocodile as well suddenly found himself aggravated.

"Don't feel like it"

"Then do something else as long as you shut up because I'm tired"

Crocodile could clearly hear the aloofness in the blond's voice, but he had no idea what to do to improve the situation. He was not a man to come to for comfort. He was, as Doflamingo should very well know, not very good when it came to emotions, always only turning to what was familiar to him; sarcasm, anger, bitterness… this time was not an exception. Pressing these thoughts into a distant corner of his brain the dark haired man settled down into bed, resting his head on the warm, soft pillow, his golden hook resting gracefully on top of the blanket.

After a few moments of futile attempts to fall asleep the older man noticed the weight on the bed shift, and he could feel Doflamingo getting up from the mess of covers. Wondering if the flamingo finally had had enough of his cold antics Crocodile turned his head slightly, casting a quick, interrogative glace at the blond. Doflamingo wasn't looking his way, but must have felt he was observed, because he quickly spun around so they were now face to face with each other. Then, to the former warlord's surprise, the blond broke into a large reassuring grin.

"I'm only going to get a book" he said calmly, as if he'd known what the other had suspected.

Crocodile shrugged and closed his eyes again. But, as he heard the blond turn and walk towards the bookcase the one-armed captain cracked open a golden eye, secretly drinking in the blond's beautifully bronzed, naked frame. The well built neck, the outlining of his back, the strong arms, the firm muscles, the long, slightly weirdly crooked legs and that arse... Crocodile forced his eye close, but to no avail. The image of a naked Doflamingo still lingered on his retina, refusing to fade. Not until the sound of slow, classical music suddenly filled the roomy cabin.

Golden eyes snapped wide open and sent murderous looks in the blond's way, forgetting this was the very body they had admired only seconds ago.

"What part of quiet didn't you get?!" Crocodile grumbled, but his question was only met with soft laughter. He didn't bother complaining any further either, because since when had the flamingo actually listened to a word he said? And anyhow, the blond's taste in music wasn't as bad as his taste in clothes, luckily. Also, somewhere in the back of his mind the tired captain could briefly remember Doflamingo once having mentioned he found listening to music calming, and Crocodile thought if he couldn't comfort the blond with words he could at least let him have his damned music.

He could hear Doflamingo pulling books from the shelf, and putting them back, until he found one that supposedly caught his interest. Crocodile spent a moment trying to guess what book the blond had chosen, but he couldn't bring himself to ask even as the flamingo settled back down on the bed. It didn't matter anyway, the bird could read whatever he wanted. All that mattered was that the flamingo now had found a book to focus his attention and energy on, so that the smaller man could finally get some well deserved rest.

At first this solution seemed to work out just fine, but things were never as they seemed with Doflamingo, never. After having obediently sat quiet for quite some time, seemingly immersed in his book, the blond sat of chatting away again.

"I'll have a showdown on Green Bit soon"

It took a while for the older man to process the information, but once he remembered that Green Bit was the small island located close to Doflamingo's home, Dressrosa, the puzzle pieces fell into place. Crocodile even had some idea of whom Doflamingo was planning to face on the island, or perhaps more correctly, who was trying to oppose him.

"You can't come here no matter how the situation turns out" Crocodile pointed out dryly, and to clarify further he added that this applied both to victory celebrations as well as to the aftermaths of defeat.

Doflamingo stared at him stupidly for a moment.

"You know I'll come anyway, right?" the flamingo then blurted out, grinning, as if it would have been the most self-evident thing in the world. And, Crocodile assumed, perhaps to Doflamingo it was – hence the older man's rather calm answer.

"I suppose you will. You're proving rather hard to get rid of" And it was true. It didn't seem to matter how many times the dark haired captain told the man it was over, he still just kept coming back. Much like an abandoned dog who doesn't understand it's been thrown away by its owner. Then again, Crocodile supposed he held part of the blame, as he kept petting that pesky mongrel every time it ended up at his feet.

"Will you try to stop me?" the blond pressed on, mischief shining in his clear eyes, an unmistakable sign of that he was feeling slightly upbeat again.

"Of course!"

"Just as expected" the blond started, looking rather amused by the fact, but he wasn't finished yet. Smiling devilishly he opened his mouth. "But Crocodile" he said in a drawling voice, seductively licking his thin lips "will you give into me?"

"I'll kill you in your sleep if you don't shut up" the pale man snapped in gruff tone, silently wondering if Doflamingo made everybody's life as dysfunctional as he made his. The constant meddling, defiance and childishness; what pains didn't he have to bear? And, what did he get out of it? Nothing. Or, that wasn't quite right. He did get some pleasure out of it, and got to work out the sexual tension from his system. But above that there was nothing worth admitting, he was quite sure of that.

"Fufufufufu"

He could hear the imbecilic blond snickering next to him, making no effort whatsoever to hide his amusement, but when Crocodile turned his back to the flippant man Doflamingo quickly quietened down and, by the sound to judge, resumed he had deemed it wiser to focus on his book rather than irritate the dark haired pirate further, a smart decision if Crocodile could be the judge of the situation.

For a while nothing but the sound of soft tunes of classical music, accompanied by the occasional sound of a page being turned, ruled the silence. A lulling atmosphere spread throughout the room, and the tension, which had haunted the cabin for most part of the evening, seemed to slowly evaporate.

Around about when Crocodile was on the border of falling asleep he felt a weight on his stomach, a very light weight, and it didn't take long for his body to recognize the intrusion as Doflamingo's hand. Crocodile, all too tired to protest, decided it was better to ignore it and let the flamingo have his way. Despite the ridiculously abnormal size of those hands Crocodile had to admit that the younger pirate had a certain delicacy to his moves. The touch was feather light; almost loving.

At some point, Crocodile couldn't exactly tell when, Doflamingo's hands had travelled from his stomach region all the way up to his face. He must have nodded off for a moment because he had no recollection of this happening. The blond's thumb was slowly tracing the scar that cut straight across the pale man's face, and it felt strangely warm. Almost burning hot. Briefly Crocodile wondered what it was that Doflamingo was actually doing, but he didn't feel like opening his eyes to find out. So he just lay there.

He could feel slightly dry lips gently touch his forehead and then, for a while, there was nothing more.

"Crocodile…" for the umpteenth time tonight Doflamingo's persistent voice invaded Crocodile's ears, but for once it didn't send sparks of annoyance flying all over the older man's mind. Well attuned as his sense were, Crocodile could detect some uncertainty in that low voice, and this intrigued him enough to inquire about what the flamingo might want now.

"What?" he mumbled, keeping his eyes closed and head resting on the pillow.

There was a moment of hesitation before Doflamingo continued, and Crocodile was glad he had kept his eyes closed or he wouldn't have been able to conceal his surprise at the simple phrase that next left the blonds mouth.

"….thank you"

Those were words he seldom heard, and never had he expected he'd receive them from the notorious pirate Doflamingo – from his frivolous, childish, and utterly good-for-nothing lover.

"…"

Silence filled the room as Crocodile felt unable to produce a proper answer, and perhaps Doflamingo hadn't been expecting an answer either, because instead of pestering Crocodile for one the blond pirate, for once, kept his mouth shut.

While the blond might not be bothered by the lack of a response the same couldn't be said about the older man. His inability to react to the flamingo's unforeseen display of gratitude bothered Crocodile. He was seldom faced with such honesty from Doflamingo, and while part of him wanted nothing but to ignore it something inside him insisted on that he should not overlook it, and that it should be properly addressed.

As he lay there, brooding, a pair of strong arms sneaked around his waist, gripping it loosely, pulling him closer to the big warm body sprawled next to him. At regular intervals warm puffs of air caressed his pale skin. Crocodile let out a long, tired sigh. Pressing his smaller frame into Doflamingo's tender embrace the older man opened his mouth and let out the words that had immediately appeared in his head at the blond's earlier remark, but that he had been unsure to express. The truth.

"…any time"

He felt the grip of the arms wrapped around him tighten slightly, probably as a reaction to his answer, and although Crocodile quickly concluded that they were definitely getting too emotional he had no intention to do anything about it, not for now at least. The warmth slowly made his mind grow fuzzier, and his thoughts swirled into a mass of entangled fragments where reality mixed with fantasy. Crocodile's body was still able to detect Doflamingo's physical presence, such as the warmth and the steady stream of breath, but his mind was elsewhere, already heading far into the land of sleep.

···················

"Why do you care, Crocodile?" Doflamingo murmured into the other's ear just as he closed his own sleep deprived eyes, but as he never got a replay it led him to believe that the dark haired man was already fast asleep.

Sighing, the blond rested his chin on top of dark, soft hair. He would have wanted an answer to that question, even though he found it unlikely that Crocodile would have given him the answer he desired. However, as this might have been his last chance of ever finding out… at any rate it was too late now.

Doflamingo swallowed regretfully and pulled the sleeping man next to him even closer, forcing the question back into a dark corner of his mind. Tonight, for just this one time, he wanted to enjoy some peace of mind. Just for once. After all, who knew when – or if – the opportunity would present itself again?

···················

"Why do you care, Crocodile?"

Crocodile thought he had heard this question graze his ears just as he was about to fall asleep, but upon waking up he couldn't decide whether it had been his imagination or not, and the only man who could have given him the correct answer was no longer anywhere to be seen...

As always I hope you enjoyed the read!
I would also appreciate it greatly if you left a review.

As you might have noticed, in the end, I couldn't resist but to throw in a short amount of text told from Doflamingo's point of view. Partly because I completely adore Doflamingo (Oda could make him do all kinds of horrible things and I'd still be head over heels for him), but this capture also serves as a connection to the third part of my story. Yes, you've read correct, I am planning yet another sequel. It will not be up for ages though, I have way too much on my plate right now + I want to see what Oda chooses to do with Doflamingo in the manga (although I doubt I'll manage to wait for that long). But, for those of you wanting to read and willing to wait, there will eventually be a third (and last?) part to this story.

Finally, I want to thank all of my readers who have spurred me on along the way, making this story possible. Seriously, without you I doubt I would have ever managed to finish, so thank you!