Chapter 58
Crocodile rolls her eyes for the umpteenth time that day as she walks away from Doflamingo and his posse, braiding her hair as she does so.
Doflamingo follows her, chattering away with the tenacity of a hyperactive squirrel. "Crocodile, come on, you gotta give me a chance! I'll take you anywhere, do anything!" His eyes glitter with hope, but she remains unphased, her stride long and purposeful.
The only response he got in return was a grant from crocodile as she finished her braid, looping her hair tie at the end as she stopped at the curb seemingly acting as if she was waiting for someone.
Doflamingo stopped beside her, panting slightly from his excitement and the chase. He leaned in, his piercings glinting in the setting sun. “Seriously, Croc, I’ll show you a night you’ll never forget!”
Crocodile eyed him for a second before side, stepping away from him at the same time screeching tires echoed through the air, followed by the sound of people yelping and running and shoving people out of the way as a sleek motorcycle zoomed into the college’s parking lot. It skidded to a halt right beside them.
The motorcycle was a dark shining emerald green, The motorcycle looks like it was a Monster and made for a runway, sleek and powerful, and the rider. The rider looked like he stepped out of a fashion magazine, tall, dark and handsome. He was dressed in black wide leg dress pants, healed boots that looked like they were made out of black alligator skin and a belt to match, witg White button up with the top four buttons unbuttoned, and one of those fucking sexy Leather Harness Suspenders with Trigger Snaps, and stacks on stacks on stacks on stacks on stacks of ring, bracelets, and necklaces, and a wristwatch that looks like it could pay off all of the debt of every single student in the college.
The rider didn’t bother taking off his motorcycle helmet as he held out a plush Ccrocodile coming out of a banana peel to Crocodile.
Crocodile’s eyes lit up like stars, a smile stretching across her face that could melt the Arctic ice. She took the plush crocodile with a gentleness that seemed to surprise Doflamingo, her purple eyes sparkling with amusement. “Thank you, Dragon.” she said, her Egyptian accent a sweet melody to the ears.
Dragon, unfazed by the scene, gave a smirk under his helmet. “You’re welcome, my dear.” He revved the engine of the motorcycle, the deep rumble echoing through the lot as he handed a helmet to Crocodile. Who took it without a second of hesitation and put it on, her hair tucked neatly into the space behind her neck. She straddled the bike and wrapped her arms around dragons waist, The plush crocodile squished in between as Dragon revved the engine again and flipping a switch causing rock music, that was definitely rated 18+, to start playing from the motorcycle as they sped off.
Doflamingo's jaw dropped, his cheeks flushing a shade of red that clashed with his hair. His friends looked at him with a mix of shock and amusement, snickers escaping their lips. "Who the fuck is that guy?" Doflamingo snapped, his pride bruised. Crocodile had always been the one person who seemed indifferent to his charm, and now she was riding off into the sunset with someone else?
The bike's exhaust faded into the distance, leaving behind a cloud of dust and the echo of the rock anthem. Trebol clapped Doflamingo on the back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Looks like you've got some competition, man."
Diamante chuckled, his teeth flashing in the fading sunlight. "Yeah, who knew she had a taste for the mysterious types?"
“Or that she knew how to like that.” Pica said with a laugh, nudging Doflamingo playfully.
Diamante leaned against his car, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied the retreating bike. “He’s got some serious style, though. Who the fuck is he?”
“I don’t know.” Doflamingo granted. “But crocodile called him Dragon.”
Pica whistled through his teeth, his eyes wide. “Dragon, huh? That’s some cool fucking name. Bet he’s got a cool fucking story to go with it.”
Vergo, the more observant of the group, spoke up, his gaze thoughtful. “He’s definitely not from around here. That bike’s custom, and I’ve never seen anyone ride like that. Plus, the way he talked—it wasn’t like anyone else’s accent I’ve heard before. Sounds like he’s got some serious dough behind him too, with all those gold chains, rings and that fancy watch.”
Doflamingo’s eyes narrowed as he watched Crocodile and Dragon disappear down the road. The way she looked at that man, the way she took the plush toy and the helmet from him without even blinking, it was as if she’d been waiting for him. It was infuriating. “Fucking rich boy, thinking he can just swoop in and take what’s mine!” he grumbled under his breath.
“You’re a rich boy too, Doffy.” Trebol pointed out with a smirk.
“It’s not the same!” Doflamingo snapped back, his frustration palpable. “Dragon’s different. He’s got that... that...” He struggled to find the words, his hands flailing in the air as he tried to articulate his feelings.
“Charm?” Trebol suggested with a grin, earning him a glare from his friend.
Diamante laughed, patting Doflamingo on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Or crocodiles, in this case.”
But Doflamingo wasn’t amused. He watched the taillights of the motorcycle shrink into the horizon, his mind racing with questions and a burning jealousy. Who was this Dragon? What did he have that he didn’t? And more importantly, how could he get Crocodile to look at him the way she had at the mysterious stranger?
“Hey, isn’t Rosinante friends with one of Crocodile’s brother? Why don’t you just ask if he knows who Dragon is?” Vergo suggested, breaking the tension.
Doflamingo’s gaze snapped to his friend, hope flaring in his chest. “Marco? Yeah, they hang out sometimes. And they work at that cat café together. Maybe he does know!” He pulled out his phone, his thumbs flying over the screen as he called his little brother. The line connected almost immediately, and he heard the clinking of glasses and laughter in the background.
“Rosinante!” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I need to ask you something important. Do you know a guy named Dragon?”
“Whoa.” Was the only response he got for a second, accompanied by the sound of somebody pulling a phone away from their ear. “Dragon?… yeah, I kinda know him. Why are you asking about Crocodile’s boyfriend?” Rosinante’s voice was faint with the background noise of the café.
Doflamingo’s heart plummeted. “Her what?!” he roared into the phone, drawing more than a few glances from his friends and nearby students.
“Whoa, chill, Doffy. Didn’t you know?” Rosinante sounded surprised. “Croc’s been with Dragon for a while now, they’re pretty serious. I first met Dragon when I started working at the cat café a few years, apparently, they’ve known each other since they were kids, grew up side-by-side in the same neighborhood or something like that. He’s cool, though, really nice, and the cat here love him.”
Doflamingo's mind reeled with the revelation. Crocodile had a boyfriend? And not just any boyfriend, but this mysterious Dragon who rode a custom bike and had a cooler name than anyone he knew? It was like a punch in the gut, and he couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice. "Why didn't you tell me, Rosinante? I thought we shared everything!"
Rosinante sounded a mix of surprised and slightly amused. "What? You're seriously upset? You guys are just friends, right?"
Doflamingo's grip tightened on his phone, his knuckles turning white. "Well, yeah, but... I just thought..." His voice trailed off, not quite sure how to explain the depth of his feelings without sounding like a love-sick puppy.
"Look, Doffy, I had no idea you had the hots for Croc." Rosinante chuckled. "But, man, you should've told me. Maybe I could've set you straight sooner."
Doflamingo felt his cheeks burn even hotter, his pride bruised. "It's not like that," he protested weakly, but the words felt hollow even to his own ears. His friends were now openly laughing at him, their teasing glances making his irritation grow.
“Here, i’ll send you a picture of Dragon from the café’s work phone. So, when you get a text from a unknown number it’s just me sending you a Picture from the café’s Instagram.” Rosinante said, his voice sounding more amused than ever.
A few moments later, Doflamingo’s phone buzzed in his hand. He swiped to open the message and there was the picture of Dragon. In the picture, dragon was dressed in a dark gray turtleneck, with a black unbuttoned blazer over it, and White wide leg dress pants, a white leather belt with a golden belt buckle, dress shoes, and and stacks on stacks on stacks on stacks on stacks of ring, bracelets, and necklaces, and the same wristwatch that looks like it could pay off all of the debt of every single student in the college, and golden brass knuckles he was wearing as rings on both hands. He was sipping a cup of coffee and looking directly into the camera
And fuck. Dragon was fucking pretty, Dragon was fucking handsome, Dragon was fucking gorgeous. He looked like a goddamn model, and Doflamingo had never felt more inadequate in his life. The picture showed Dragon's jet black hair pulled into a ponytail, and Jesus fucking Christ that’s a lot of fucking hair, and his piercing dark brown eyes were framed by a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose, making him look both dangerous and approachable at the same time. But thw tattoo on his face made all the approachability practically vanish. It was a dark red diamond crisscross tattoo, with diamonds in the cross sections. It was fucking fierce.
“That’s Dragon.” Rosinante’s voice echoed through Doflamingo’s phone, cutting through his thoughts like a knife. “He’s a regular at the café. Though he mostly only shows up with Crocodile, or his friends to buy something for lunch, or to grab coffee. He’s a pretty cool customer, always tips well, and the cats love him.”
Doflamingo's eyes remained glued to the picture, his heart thudding in his chest as he studied every detail of the man who had so easily captured Crocodile's heart. The tension in the air was palpable as his friends leaned in to get a look at the photo, their expressions a mix of shock and amusement.
"Well, shit," Pica exclaimed, slapping his hand to his forehead. "No wonder she wasn't interested in you, Doffy. That guy's got more style in his little toe than you have in your entire body!"
Diamante leaned in to get a better look at the picture, his eyes widening. "Damn, he's got more bling than a Vegas casino!"
Trebol smacked Pica on the back of his head. "Keep it down, you're gonna make him feel worse."
Doflamingo ignored them, his eyes never leaving the photo. The more he looked at Dragon, the more he felt like he was staring into the abyss of his own inadequacy. "So, what's the deal with this guy?" he asked, his voice tight with frustration. "What does he do? Where's he from?"
“I’m pretty sure he’s a CEO at… hold on, I got a flyer with the Business name.” Rosinante’s voice echoed through Doflamingo’s phone, accompanied by the sound of rustling papers. There was a long long silence on the other end of the line, The only thing breaking the silence was the sound of rustling papers before the sound of Rosinante grumbling something echoed through the line before he yelled. “Marco! Where does Dragon work?”
A muffled response came through the phone before Rosinante spoke up again, his voice clearer than before. “Ah, right. Dragon’s a CEO of some big company. It’s called the Revolutionary Army Innovations…” there was another pause and the sound of Marco’s Voice in the background before Rosinante repeated whatever Marco said. “Yeah, he’s the CEO of the Revolutionary Army Innovations, apparently, he and his friends started building it from the ground up whenever they were still in high school, they’re like the youngest CEOs in the whole fucking world! Crazy right?!… uhmm… oh, I found the flyer!” Rosinante’s voice grew excited. “The flyer says they’re all about char, donation, helping less fortunate countries, families, etc, etc, etc. Building new schools, hospital, and all that jazz. Making sure everyone get Insurance, housing, food. Making sure the poor and homeless are feed, the homeless have a place to stay, and suing and taking down the corrupt and selfish corporations that exploit thar weak, and corrupt government officials and just really anyone that is using their power for evil and not for good. They’re trying to make the world a better place and something about ending wars and stuff. It’s all very heroic, and super cool.”
Doflamingo stared at the phone, his mind racing. Crocodile was with a guy who was not only rich, but also had a heart of gold and was a fucking hero? It was like someone had written the ultimate romance novel villain just to stick it in his face. "Thanks, Rosie," he managed to say, his voice tight. "I'll talk to you later." He hung up the phone, his hand shaking slightly.
His friends looked at him expectantly, but he just shoved the phone into his pocket and started walking away, his strides quick and angry. "What the hell is Revolutionary Army Innovations?" Vergo asked, trying to keep up.
"It's some kind of charity company," Doflamingo muttered, his mind racing. "They do all this hero shit like building schools and hospitals and fighting corruption."
Vergo's eyes widened. "No way, man. That's like... saving the world and shit."
Doflamingo nodded curtly, his jaw clenched. "Yeah, just what we need, a fucking superhero swooping in and taking all the good ones." His friends exchanged knowing looks, trying to gauge his mood.
As they walked, the vibrant college campus buzzed with activity around them, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in Doflamingo's mind. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger at the thought of Dragon playing the hero card so effortlessly. It was like the universe was conspiring to rub his face in his own mediocrity. "Fucking hell," he murmured, pushing his pink-tinted sunglasses up his nose.
"You okay, Doffy?" Diamante asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yeah," Doflamingo said, not breaking his stride. "Just need to... clear my head."
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the cacophony of the college campus fading into the background as Doflamingo's thoughts grew louder. Dragon was not just some rich guy; he was a philanthropist, a leader, a hero. It was infuriating. He had to find a way to win Crocodile over, to show her that he wasn't just some spoiled rich kid with a crush. He had to be more than that.