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"We have something you will want to see, Warlord Donquixote."
The year is 1962. Doflamingo sits in a restaurant neighboring the border of Baltimore, Maryland– The city where he conducts his high security government job.
He stares at the messenger and, rightfully, they start to sweat. Scared for their life even. To interrupt him in the middle of a meal was unprecedented. Even if a missile was actively flying to the east coast as they speak, Doflamingo was exactly halfway through eating a steak and gave the man a displeased look so intense it could kill.
"You're needed." The messenger repeats after a moment spent finding some courage and perhaps contemplating if he had his will and testament sorted out.
The Warlord looks back to the table where he puts down his utensils. He picks up his wine glass and finishes the contents before standing up and dwarfing all the other people standing amongst him by at least a foot.
"It better be spectacular."
To say Rosinante was nervous was an understatement. He knows that a full retirement was impossible when he was as important as he was. He had operated with the Admiral of the Navy first hand in conflicts all throughout the ongoing Cold War, he personally knew information that could be a matter of national security. He, as a person, was irreplaceable in the bigger picture of the world. A tool that could save lives.
And yet he stood frozen after he stepped off the elevator into the lower depths of the underground facility. The only light were the white buzzing light bulbs overhead in an otherwise windowless, steel bunker.
Standing there, dressed in his old uniform and hands twitching at his side, Rosi felt more human than ever. Vulnerable and unworthy of any responsibility his country had placed on him.
He makes himself walk down the long corridor, slowly but surely. He looks at his watch. He had no doubt they already started the emergency meeting without him. He couldn’t help it, he had to smoke a cigarette and try to compose himself before the guards rushed him down here.
"Spit out what was so important to call me at this hour."
He hears Doflamingo's sharp voice from the room situated on the corner of the hallway. That must be where he was wanted too.
"I've called Rosinante as well. We will start when he gets here." Tsuru's voice. She must be the one briefing them on what had happened.
Rosi is about to grab the doorknob when the next statement stops him.
"My brother will not be coming. There is nothing he can contribute after his discharge, the incident left him mute and unless you've picked up sign language at the tender old age of 85, he will have nothing to say."
Rosinante's hand drops to his side. He stares at the floor. Then looks back up a bit surprised at the tiniest shift in his voice.
"I'm more than capable of acting for the both of us. Let him retire in peace."
It wasn't… an unfair assessment. He hasn't been able to talk for years now, a combination of trauma physical and mental. And Doflamingo seemed to understand that, shockingly he was the only one who never pushed. He had never been a particularly nice man, but Rosi had learned to hear the difference in tone he used when being considerate of him.
There's a sigh from within the office.
"That isn't your call to make."
"If this is the matter of urgency you all made it sound like then I am going to make one! Out with it!"
There's silence, and Rosi doesn't understand why she was hesitating either. If an attack was incoming they needed to act as quickly as possible, time was sparse, the amount of civilians they saved hinged almost completely on how fast they did something.
"...We've captured something on the coast. An unidentifiable… animal. Possibly hostile, possibly… intelligent."
Rosinante's eyebrows rise high underneath his bangs and there's a confused noise from Doflamingo inside.
"What? Why bring it here?"
There's a ruffle of paperwork, presumably a file being handed over to the Donquixote.
"It's possible it's a weapon, lab manufactured life. We need to figure out if it poses a threat. It's been successfully contained in Sector 6 but we have only been able to observe it for a few hours–"
"That's easy. We dissect it immediately." He cuts her off. "No threat to us if it's dead, and we get to see exactly what is going on."
From there an argument starts between them. Back and forth about how it's too soon, that was too rash and an avalanche of push back against Doflamingo's certain word. Usually when he proposed something, it happened. And there were very few people that could persuade him otherwise.
Rosinante is still trying to process what this meant. What did they mean by 'unidentifiable'? The scientists on site couldn't tell what they found? How was that possible. Was it organic or mechanical or another thing entirely. He didn't have the paperwork in front of him to tell.
He did catch one thing, Sector 6… His legs start walking him back to the lift and he looks through the buttons. His elevator key granted him access to any floor he wanted. Curiosity prickled at his senses and he makes the decision to go see it for himself.
The room is dark when he opens the door to the only lab in Sector 6. Rosinante proceeds with caution. He knows a few things.
One, harsh lights might damage delicate specimens. He doesn't know a specific example besides how he might feel having a sudden bright light shined in his eyes, so he doesn't look for the switch. There's an eerie blue glow coming from the desks, cabinets against the walls and occasional empty fish tank that was enough to light his way.
Two, Doflamingo wanted to take this thing apart, whatever it was. This might be his only chance to see it alive. Or an approximation of doing something lively? Hard to say, until he actually laid eyes on it.
And three, most importantly, Tsuru said it could be hostile. It was a strange time of the evening where the day shift was changing with the night shift, so Rosinante was all on his own. As long as it was contained, he didn't think there would be a problem, even for somebody as clumsy as him.
He looks around, nothing on the tables, nothing in the holding cell. The only place left was the large reinforced glass tank at the end of the room. The filters were running, clear sound of water being pumped and filtrated.
Rosi isn't sure what he's looking for, and the water was strangely foggy. Maybe they had done this in a rush, but still he should be able to see something if it was in here.
He moves closer, just a few inches from the glass as if that would help make things clearer. Squinting and assuming it was empty. Was this the right floor? He's doubting he heard correctly now…
…
A flash of movement.
Before he could react, there are two wide yellow eyes staring back at him.
Rosinante gasps, stumbling backwards and landing on his ass. He reflexively scrambles back and brings an arm up to protect his face.
He gulps shakily realizing he wasn't in danger… and slowly lowers his arm to look. His jaw drops at the sight. Dark hair, sharp teeth and those inhuman yellow irises. Two hands pressed up against the glass and his eyes trail down to a clear separation where skin turns into gray thick fish hide.
The upper half of what looked to be human and the lower half curling idly around into a large, long eel tail.
Rosinante shakes, trying to gather any thought that made sense. All he was left with was the sight of the creature. He gets his knees under him and slowly stands, hunched over like he might scare it away. But the mermaid didn't so much as flinch. It kept its eyes on him, enamored– Rosi pushes such a strange choice of words out of this head. How could a monster, an animal, an alien look at someone as worthless as him with any intrigue. Unless it was to eat him.
The blonde puts his scarred pale palm up to the glass of the tank, and the mermaid mirrors him. Their hand smaller, darker, webbed, even the texture of its skin different. But Rosinante felt anything but threatened.
How could he when the same scars of struggle wove between its fingers in ugly deep cracks. Another being trying to survive.
He had the opportunity to save someone once, and he had turned a blind eye to it. It haunts him. Never a day passes where he doesn't regret not speaking up and saving that young boy from Flevance. He had convinced himself in the moment that his mission was more important. Rosinante replays it. The day he lost his humanity.
Those eyes bore into him and Rosi loses all other urgency as all he can think is:
"I won't let it happen again."
Rosinante knows they will come to search his apartment eventually, it was only a matter of time until someone realizes he had been there. And when they do, he will have to release the creature back into the ocean. It was inevitable. Honestly it's the first thing he should have done.
So why hasn't he?
He's cooking a piece of fish he had in the freezer and once he's done it goes on a plate. He carries it to the bathroom, gently opening the door and careful to not step on the eel tail that's draped out of the tub and wrapping around the room. The mermaid sits up out of the water and Rosi is struck again by just how otherworldly it is up close.
Its hair had a slight resistance to water, droplets sliding off the dark strands and keeping its volume, the minuscule scales that were too small to see with the naked eye, making its skin smooth to the touch. There were slits on its neck, flexing slightly as it breathed through its gills.
Rosinante kneeled down, knees of his pants getting a little wet and unable to break his stare from the other's for a moment.
He puts the fish on the ledge of the bath. The creature looks but then returns to staring.
Rosinante points at it's chest and then gestures the sign "eat" bringing his fingers to his mouth and tapping. He repeats this a couple of times and nudges the plate his direction.
He thinks that it might be impossible for a creature this size to be a herbivore. Most things in the ocean ate whatever they could to survive, and given the sharp teeth and claws all signs pointed to carnivore.
He gulps, understanding the possibility that he himself wasn't off the menu. But somehow… that didn't concern him.
The mermaid eventually looks back down at its meal, bringing a wet hand out of the water and picking it up to take a measured bite from the slab.
Rosi sits back and sighs in relief. That was one hurdle down. He was confident he wouldn't kill the animal if it at least ate.
They make a noise, clearly vocal, that pulls Rosinante's attention up again. It has its free hand raised when he looks.
It points at him. Then brings its fingers to its mouth. Then taps.
No way.
The retired officer feels his heart jam in his throat, if he was to ever find words again now would be the time. It was outstanding, some human children didn't even learn this fast yet–
It makes a more frustrated noise this time, articulating something unfamiliar to him and signing again. It holds out the fish towards him.
He doesn't know why, but he listens. Leaning forward and locks eyes as he opens his mouth and hesitantly takes a small bite. Chewing the tiny, bland chunk with amazement. It was communicating with him and sharing and demanding things. All so human and alien at the same time.
The mermaid smiles at him, all its triangle teeth in neat little rows and they both lean back as it eats the rest of the meat itself.
The blonde eventually finds the strength in his legs to pick himself up and pace away back out into the living room. Trying to dispel his nervous excited energy somehow.
Nicotine had always done the trick, he figures.
Rosinante collapses in an armchair and smokes a cigarette. He's run through a good full pack of them with today's events. He'll have to go to the store to pick up more of them tomorrow, and fish. He wouldn't want to run out of fish.
He taps the ashes in his tray as his thoughts wander.
This might be bad. He's kidnapped an undiscovered intelligent creature from his old job. His murderous brother will question him at some point. And currently he had no way to shit or shower without an audience.
He rubs his hand down his face with a sigh.
What on fucking Earth was he thinking?
Rosi sits there for a long time before he hears the strange noises of his guest again. He slowly lifts his head and glances across the room, seeing it was trying to get his attention through the open door. It was pointing at him and speaking… in a language he didn't understand. At least that was what Rosinante seemed to believe in his gut. No human could make sounds like that.
He stubs the cigarette in the tray and joins it again.
He kneels so they're face to face. He might as well teach it more… if it was willing. The blonde points to himself and then signs his name 'Rosi.'
They repeat this a few times until the mermaid points at Rosi and signs his name back to him.
Alright… that was something he guess. He wasn't sure if it really understood or was just copying him. Rosinante then points at it and waits.
The creature points at itself then looks down, as if in thought. Then after a few minutes, it holds up the other hand, makes a motion, finger and thumb extended then slides it down his palm.
Rosi raises his brow. It was possible it was just trying to imitate other signs he saw him make, or even make up its own. Whatever the case may be… Rosinante thinks the gesture looks a lot like the sign for 'Law'.
Sure, he'll name it Law.
The addition of Law to his home was… an unexpected source of joy.
He had considered taking in stray pets off the street before, catching them had never turned out well. It was for the better maybe, seeing as he already fell enough without a cat or dog underneath his feet and he profusely smoked indoors.
Law didn't seem to mind it though, and despite his tub being too small for him the eel only fussed when it was to get his attention.
Rosinante had taught him a bunch of words. Things like "Fish" and "More Water" for its necessities, then more frivolous things like the different weather occurring outside the window and a few names of television shows that they ended up watching together.
But by far, the thing the mermaid asked for the most was him. Every other gesture was a point and a sign of his name.
Rosinante didn't understand it, he was here most of the time just in the other room yet he was always called over from lounging or doing house chores to come stare at him.
He guess… he enjoyed just observing the mermaid. Rosi was content to graze his eyes over him, down his features, occasionally touch his hand that never seemed to dry or wrinkle. Play with the thin skin of webbing between his digits.
The blonde couldn't imagine that the creature liked to do the same… He was so nothing in comparison. Tall and ungainly, quiet with brown eyes practically hidden under light hair and pale everything else. If anything he would think it was much more entertaining for Law to watch him in his living room, constantly dropping heavy books on himself and panickedly putting out small fires.
Instead, those bright yellow eyes bore into him as they sat motionless together and Rosi sometimes looked directly back into them.
The ex-officer thinks this is the most peace he's felt in a long time. Just existing with them.
His thoughts drift about the creature, taking in every new and otherworldly detail he noticed the more his eyes lingered. After days of staring he still found himself mesmerized. The slim lines of its face and neat patch of facial hair. The gentle pulse of its gills that he thinks he could watch forever, in tune with an abnormal heartbeat. Even with a sheet of tan skin over its collarbones he could see the shape was different from what he was used to seeing on a human. Down to their skeletal structure they differed.
Yet Rosinante had never felt so… connected to something before. Not since his parents passed over two decades ago. A feeling he barely remembered now since his norm has been loneliness for so long…
Rosi snaps out of his haze when Law moves sudden and abrupt. Its arms push down on the ledge and lift its torso over the side of the bath, splashing water around and all over the floor tiles. Rosi jumps to attention, why was he trying to get out??
Law had seemed content for an extended amount of time but maybe he finally had enough of sitting in the same place? Rosi leans over him and pulls the drain for the tub, he changes his water everyday but it was possible something was wrong–
The mermaid clutches onto him and Rosi gasps as his claws dig into his biceps. His full weight hanging off him as it wiggled its tail about and tried to get a better grip.
Rosi wants to sign to let go, but there's no space between them and he cringes as the grip pulls harder at him. The blonde quickly puts his strong arms underneath him and gathers up what were its hips– waist– where his tail section starts and Law eagerly wraps a thick length of eel body around him.
The blonde is still focused on the tub, looking to see if something was amiss. Ignoring the wetness Law had pressed onto him and was now seeping into his clothes. Everything looked fine, the water wasn't dirty or anything. He stands baffled, racking his mind for what else might be troubling it. If it became agitated or died in his care because of his shortcomings… Rosi wouldn't know what to do with himself.
Then the mermaid made a chirp that Rosi could only compare to a purr, pressing its face up under his chin in a rub.
A display unmistakably affectionate.
Rosinante reframes all the interactions they've had in their brief time together in an instance and as his worry leaves, it's replaced with a warm feeling running through his entire body.
Nothing, every other logical thought left as he's trapped in this cozy place, fingers pressing into the scaled skin tighter, wanting Law closer and feeling so… happy.
Law is heavy and the tiles are wet, he's not even conscious of what his legs were trying to do but Rosi jerks backwards as he loses his balance and the world slips from under him. Usually the falls aren't so bad, but he has a two hundred plus pound fish in his arms and doesn't want to hurt it.
Rosinante's back smacks against the puddle on the floor. He expects his head to crack like an egg too, but as he slowly reopens his eyes he notices he's not concussed. Law's hands were cradling the back of his skull, protecting it from the impact.
It's watching his face with those huge shiny eyes again, Rosi feels a shiver ricochet through each and every aching bone in his spine.
Thoughtlessly, he slides a hand up from where he had held him under the tail, trails his touch up his waist and feels the way its strange muscles ripple against his fingertips. Strokes some of the dark hair out of its face then cups his cheek.
Rosinante kisses him.
And to his surprise, Law kisses him back. It's not as one sided as he anticipated it was going to be. There's something understood and mutual and his heart flutters with how badly he wanted this. How he closes his eyes and deepens it, lips softly colliding again and again until Rosi nudges a thumb at the corner of Law's lips to suggest them to open. He greedily slides his tongue over sharp teeth, the flavor of Law instantly strong and intense and not unpleasant but so inhuman.
Law's tail is squirming to press closer, eager noises pouring out of the mermaid, no restraint on how much it was enjoying this. God, Rosi was glad he was enjoying this, that it grasped at him desperately and with all the unmistakable want of another social creature. It felt wonderful… to finally fit with someone, a being as interesting and gorgeous as Law.
His head is light when he lays his head back to take a breath, Rosinante's cheeks flushed pink and gentle shallow exhales making the fish raise up and down on his chest.
It's still kissing him, nibbling on the side of his jaw and cheek when it threads their hands together. Rosi opens his eyes and tries to look down. Law took his palm, guided it along his torso, down to the front of his tail and slipped his finger between something that seemed wetter than the rest of him. It felt like a slit–
The blonde blushes when he slips his middle finger deeper into its hole and Law moans and writhes in response.
Okay, okay he was fingering them now and fuck was it hot. In both senses of the word. Law was so warm inside for someone who stayed in the brisk water of the ocean and the room temperature bath of his apartment. It filled him with warmth by extension. He couldn’t remember the last time he's done something like this but it made his heart race and his pulse fly south.
Law's a mess against him, melting into gasps and breaths as the foreign textured muscles inside flex around his finger and Rosi pushes another one in to see how much he can take. The answer is not much… his orifice was narrow and shallow, Rosinante's longest finger easily reaches the knot in the back. Law makes a pained face and noise when he tries stretching him further, he would have taken his hand back and eased up if Law didn't have his body pinned with his. Desperately grinding against him for more despite any discomfort.
The blonde can't help but think about his dick and how it was supposed to fit in there. He shouldn't– no matter how much Law begs for it. He didn't want to hurt the thing… But it's getting more difficult to keep his mind clear with their lustful noises clouding the air, pushing him further and further.
Rosi is inexplicably hard. Painfully so. And that doesn't go unnoticed as Law starts palming at him. Nails scratching over his slacks and making his hips jut up into his touch, Rosinante biting his lip and rolling his eyes back closed as his fingers curled inside Law, trying to stay focused despite the tease. He needed it, needed the attention and the pressure released and it was as if Law read his mind while he was lost in the haze of arousal.
Rosi nods eagerly when Law's hands pause around his zipper, then tears them open and pulls his underwear down to release Rosi's hard throbbing cock. The mermaid stroked him in a long rough pump that had the blonde practically seeing stars as he knocked his head back against the floor again and arched up into his grip, face so red and a wash of pleasure erased all restrain from his mind.
Law's wiggling on top of him and both their hands are fumbling to line up his cock with Law's hole but he's slippery and his shaft keeps sliding against his smooth scaly body impatiently. Both breathing erratically and catching eyes and fuck his expression was so hot, he needed to ram him senseless and see what other attractive faces Law could make–
Rosinante's body moves on its own, carefully pushing Law over so he can reverse their positions and climb on top of it instead. The creature whines at first, and it's so cute and desperate, until Law realizes what he was doing. Now he could take his fingers to gently part the orifice and line the tip of his dick up easily. Snug between the entrance muscles, surprised when he put a little bit of pressure and Law's body gives away easy to him. His cheeks burn as he observes him, waiting for any sign that it wanted him to stop. For the moment this wonderful dream would end. But that never happened. They were both panting, Law grabbed at him, urging him closer, deeper. To be less afraid. Rosi stared in awe as his thick length slowly disappeared into him– Well, didn't so much disappear as become enveloped by firm scaled hide.
Rosi makes a noise he's never heard himself make before as he bottoms out. Law squirms underneath him, impatient, needing more. They look too perfect and feel even better.
He draws his hips back, both sucking a breath in when the pressure leaves then he drives forward again.
"Ahh–" He groans overwhelmingly hot and face relieved as he pushes his cock into the small tight slit. Fuck, the squeeze on his dick might be the best thing he's ever felt in his life. He feels lightheaded at just how satisfying it is.
Law makes a noise too, mouth gaped open to show all his pretty little sharp fangs and squirming restlessly.
He looks down to see how much he actually managed to fit, the way Law's little hole parted for his shaft was something he never knew he needed. He pulsed relentlessly at the sight and as he shifted his hips forward and pushed even deeper, his eyes jumped up at the bump in the mermaid's stomach– and quickly realized that was him.
Rosinante bites his lip and places a wide palm over Law's abdomen. It arches its back being pinned into place but the expression Law wore was just as ecstatic. Hips thrusting shallow and quick, feeling his own length under his hand rearranging its insides.
Rosi sounds ragged, eyes rolling back and brows pinched hard as pleasure washes over him. God, he– he thinks he's going to cum already. Was that okay? Did mermaids care if you didn't last long? His face flushes even redder reminded of the fact he was fucking a fish cloaca right now and dammit it was the best sex he's ever had!
Law moans below him and flexes his tail to raise his hips up, insides clenching down on him and Rosinante sees stars as he cums.
Everything is blissful. When Rosi's hearing and sight comes back after a moment, he's surrounded by the echo of soft plapping, eel tail flickering content against the floor. He blinks down below him and takes in how Law was sprawled out, happy half lidded eyes. Pretty, beautiful golden irises that had him enthralled since the moment they met.
He slides out of him with a groan and sigh, laying on top of Law exhausted. Law wraps his hands back around his shoulders. Sharp fingers playing with tacky blonde hair.
Rosinante closes his eyes. There was still so much he had to do. Had to release Law into the ocean, away from the government, from his brother, set him free before this all came crumbling down on him.
But for right now, he enjoyed the embrace. Their goodbye could wait one more day… surely.