first part
Two years.
The last time you saw his smugface was two years ago. Now you were there, dragged before him by some clowns, under the gaze of some of his colleagues. They wondered why one of the neo-formed Cross Guild leaders wanted you there; you weren't angry or anything at all.
Two years ago, your life was simple on that small island, in the garden that reminded you of Eden in your old books. Nothing mattered; your life was easy. He came from time to time and was always busy with his work. The hero of Alabasta is your lover.
Lies, all lies.
You never knew anything; he kept you from knowing everything about that.
Two years ago, the newspaper came, and then you knew. The lies that he told you are his true colors.
Baroque works, the dancing powder, the lives that he had taken...
The horror that engulfed you sickened you to the point that even his face on the newspaper was enough to send a chill down your back.
Then hell came.
You were a civilian, and you tried to explain that to the Marine that had taken you away for a few questions. They said that it was something like a few days, nothing more. You stayed in that somehow prison, near the Marine base, for almost a month, with the same questions and the same dirty looks every day. You were a criminal for them, just like him.
"How long have you known Crocodile?"
"Not so long..."
"How much did you know about his connections with that organization?"
"Nothing, I don't know..."
"Did he ever mention you about his plans?"
"I don't know..."
"Did you know about his activities?"
"I don't know..."
Every day, the same questions were asked, and you were forced to remember the few moments of happiness that you had with that man.
Until that woman came. A captain that was present on the day of the crocodile arrest decided to finally take over your case.
"She's a civilian; the only connection with that criminal was a romantic one. Hina's surprised that you all didn't get it before. Let her go."
When you left that damn place, you had nothing but the few things that you had the day you came. You had nothing—nothing but the grief of his betrayal.
Then something changed. Your grief set aflame, a new one—hate.
You hated him; you hated everything about him—the memories, the moments of kindness, the lies. EVERYTHING.
You sell everything that you have—every detail that could lead you to him. The ring, the earring, the clothes—all of it. You didn't need them; those staff were nothing to you!
With the money that you gained, you were able to start anew, far away from everything.
On an island, away from the memories and your past, you found work in a small flower shop, a small apartment, a small world, and a new future.
Everything there was simple; no one knew you, and no one needed to know. You were a mistery for everyone there, but no one bothered to ask or to pry on. Even the old owner of the shop was content enough to just have you around.
"Ummm...today someone will come to court you again. my dear Y/n..." He said this while rocking in his chair. You almost dropped the watering can for the surprise.
"W-what?! No, no, what are you saying? Hehe, don't mock me!"
"Hehe, are you sure?" He was eyeing the young man who was reaching the shop.
Well, that was true...
In a few weeks, you became one of the most courted girls in the village. Even after your continuous refusals, the confessions made you feel giddy. Despite it all, maybe you wanted that kind of new start.
There was a boy, a little older than you, who never gave up on you. He kept visiting you, asking about yourself, your dreams, your hopes...
A part of you wanted to open up to him. Maybe tell him about everything... Maybe you deserve to love again.
Then they came.
Two strange men looked like some kind of clown. No one knew who they were or where they came from, but they knew you. They take you away, forcing you to follow them on a ship, away from your new life and from your future.
They brought you back to the crocodile.
And now you were there, back to him, in that place full of criminals. The same ones that he hides so well from your mind, not letting you know. All the eyes were on you, but you felt only his eyes. You were too scared to look at him.
"Welcome back, Y/N..."
You said nothing; you stayed there, holding your hand, avoiding his gaze or responding to him.
"You seem well; I'm happy."
"..."
"Those boozes treat you? I hope they didn't manhandle you too much."
"..."
"I tried to find you, but you were gone. Avoid the Marine has been a-"
"I want to go home."
A new silence fell there. Your voice trembled a little, but you held on with enough strength to not fall down on your knees. The ex-warlord looked at you, waiting for something else for you. You said nothing; you didn't need to say anything else.
"This is your home."
"No, I have a work and a new home. I don't need you... It's over."
He inhaled deeply, and his teeth bit the cigar in his mouth to the point of cutting it in half. In a few seconds, his hand was attached to your wrist, dragging you away from the tent and the other members of the guild. You protested all the way to his own private tent, scrambling and punching, trying to get free from his grasp.
He threw you inside, blocking the passage from the outside. The only light came from a few lamps on his desk.
" Over? This is what you think? That is over?"
"I don't think it's over; I know it! I don't care about you! Not anymore!"
"Where's your ring? ...The one that I gave you?"
"...I sold it. I needed money to find a new place. After your...I-I lost everything. I wanted to start again."
Of course, that was almost natural. Everything that was yours was under his name; of course, the Marines would have your house confiscated. You needed to survive—such a clever girl.
If he only knew the feelings of freedom that you felt once you got rid of that small gift.
"You can start here with me."
"No! I said, I want to go home!"
"I AM YOUR HOME, GODDAMMIT!"
His bigger hands grasped your shoulders, squeezing them with force, like you could run away at any second. something that you were considering.
"You're nothing to-"
"You think that you can just walk away like this?! Do you have any idea what happened?! Two years in that prison, not a chance to know anything about you?!"
Then he stopped, and you saw something dark in his eyes. He wasn't angry, not anymore, but he was something else, something scarier.
"Did you find someone else?"
All the strength that you had left in your body, like the oxygen in your lungs, You were scared—no, terrified. You never had anyone else; you were too afraid to be betrayed again, but it wasn't even like you never thought about it. You avoided his gaze, not knowing what to say. All the answers that you could say end in the same way, and you didn't want any of the outcomes.
"Did you?"
"I didn't, but I wanted... I wanted to forget everything and start over."
You were always so easy to read, so he knew that you were telling the truth. He wanted to keep you away from everything that belonged to his normal life, to secure his flower, and to keep you to himself. The final outcome was something that he didn't expect, but he never imagined that, in the end, you would have been one of the victims too.
A long pause, one that scared you. Once you saw a movement from him, you closed his eyes. He sighed deeply; this one hurt him deeply. To believe that he could hit you...he was a rough man, but not to this point, not to you at least.
His calloused hand gently stroked your head, softly touching your cheek, trying to convince you to finally look at him. A gesture so in contrast with his entire being, so gentle and delicate, away from prying eyes. Something that only you should know. You opened your eyes, full of fears and tears, ready to spill.
"You belong by my side... You weren't supposed to know anything."
He took away one of his rings from his hand, a deep red ruby gemstone, gently placing it on your forefinger. It was larger compared to you...
"This time we'll make it right... No one will take you away again."
He gently held your figure, too scared to fight him. His perfume brought back all the memories that you tried to erase with every fiber of your mind.
This time, he would have to make sure that no one took away his flower.
"You're mine, got it?"
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