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Law sat nervously in the chair as the dentist examined his teeth. The dentist immediately told him that it was obvious that he ground his teeth, which he did due to stress, and that he brushed his teeth too hard, which he did because no one ever told him not to. The dentist informed him that he would have to get three of his teeth removed, and that his gums may further recede if he got braces. Law sighed as he went home. Having his gums recede further was not what he wanted. Besides, he was now busier at work than ever before, due to a shortage of manpower at his workplace. He had to go to work, and often without taking days off. Getting his teeth removed and going to further dental appointments would hinder his work.
Doflamingo was not home when he arrived. Due to his work, he was always appreciative of the times that he did get to see the cat man. Time together with his beloved was so scarce now, even though he would have spent all of his time together with him if he could. He always looked forward to the way Doflamingo scented him by rubbing their cheeks against one another.
***
Something was wrong today. Law could see it in the way Doflamingo held himself. His ears were drooping, and his back was hunched over. It was not often that Doflamingo walked like a zombie, so Law, naturally, went up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Doflamingo meowed gently at him, taking his hand and rubbing his cheek against it. He took off his sunglasses and looked at Law ruefully.
“What’s wrong, Doffy?” Law asked. His heart was breaking into pieces at the way the cat man looked at him.
Doflamingo meowed again, as if he didn’t know how to explain it in human words. Law waited patiently, as the cat man finally said, “Law. Can you help me think of a way to refuse Kaido?”
“Sure. What does he want?”
“He wants what he wanted the other time – a night with you, Law.”
“Just tell him that we don’t do that kind of things. We don’t owe him a reason.”
“You don’t understand, Law.” Doflamingo pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Kaido is my biggest business partner and whatever he says goes. I was able to distract him that time because he was drunk. He always flirts with me when he’s drunk, but nothing ever comes out of that, so I thought it was just a quirk of his. But it turns out that he’s serious about wanting you; he said that he couldn’t forget you after that party, and really wants a night with you.”
“I see. Rejecting him might mean losing his business, is that right?”
“Oh, Law. If only you knew what kind of man Kaido is. It would be more than just me losing my business with him. He would absolutely smoke me. He’s not the kind of man to part on peaceful terms.”
Law raised an eyebrow. He was trying to understand the gravity of what Doflamingo was saying, and why it seemed to make the cat man fret so much. “What do you mean?”
“The last time another mafia boss crossed him, his body ended up being found in several pieces throughout the country, and many of his men went missing. My business is small compared to his, Law. The Donquixote family is not defenseless by any stretch of the imagination, but against Kaido’s army we might as well be.”
“Wow, dealing in illegal businesses sure is dangerous,” Law’s eyes widened.
“It is, but what other choice do I have as a cat man?” Doflamingo sighed. “I will not be a slave for humans. My only options are either to work illegally or trade illegally. Working illegally puts me at risk of abuse, and violence is part and parcel of illegal trade.”
Law stroked his chin. He understood Doflamingo’s predicament much more now. He did not want to be the cause of Doflamingo’s downfall, but neither did he want to sleep with Kaido. “Why don’t we try telling him that he’s too large for me? I mean, that would be true, since you’re already very large, and you’re the most I can take. If he has a heart, he might relent.”
Doflamingo’s eyes lit up as he heard Law’s suggestion. “That could work. He’s known for being heartless, but he doesn’t seem that bad when you get to know him. He said that he wanted to meet you, though.”
“Okay. I can take a day off work.” Law nodded. He did not like the idea of meeting Kaido, but he supposed that he had no choice but to get it over with. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to Doflamingo if he had flat out rejected even a meeting with him.
***
“Law!” Kaido’s booming voice sounded through the room. Law shifted uncomfortably as he put a smile on his face and greeted the large cat man. “I’ve been yearning for your company for so long! Doffy is such a terrible man for keeping you away!”
Law wasn’t sure how to tell Kaido that he had never considered a meeting with Kaido would be in the works after their last meeting, and that Doflamingo was his handsome partner who just wanted to keep him away from the arms of a pervert. He smiled awkwardly, remembering the terrifying things that Doflamingo had said about Kaido. He could not afford to anger Kaido. “Nice to meet you, Kaido.”
“How about some of your favourite wine, Kaido?” Doflamingo asked, his ears perking up. Law could sense the strain in the tightness of his smile, and knew that this was as unpleasant for Doflamingo as it was for him.
“Oh, thank you for your offer, Doffy, but I want to enjoy my time with Law without the influence of alcohol. It’s such a rare occasion!” The large cat man circled around to Law and rubbed his face against the human’s.
Law instinctively patted Kaido on his head, as if Doflamingo had just rubbed his face against his. He stopped when he realized that it felt wrong – Kaido’s head was much larger than Doflamingo’s, and his hair was thicker and had a slicker texture, as well. He chuckled awkwardly when he realized his mistake. Kaido, on the other hand, beamed happily at Law. He seemed to have thought that he had ingratiated himself to the human.
Doflamingo watched the two of them as anxiety spiked in his veins. He wanted to whisk Law away from Kaido’s immediate presence. It felt so wrong to see his human give another cat man the affection which was his by right, even though Law’s body language suggested that he was tense around the larger cat man, as well.
“So… Law. What do you think about me? Do you find me handsome?” Kaido meowed proudly at Law, flexing his biceps generously in front of the human.
“Of course you’re handsome,” Law replied a little too quickly.
Kaido took it as a sign of Law’s attraction towards him, and meowed happily at the human. In the meantime, Law wondered if there was any way that he could communicate to Kaido that he was perfectly fine as he was; he just wasn’t interested in spending a night with him. All of that, without getting Doflamingo into deep trouble. “I always knew that we were meant to be, Law.”
Law swallowed nervously. He was meant to be with Doflamingo, not Kaido. However, he could not bring himself to contradict Kaido. “About that, Kaido… You’re a very handsome cat man, and while I would love to spend a night with you, I just can’t do it...”
Kaido meowed in distress when he heard that, and Law swore that he saw some veins bulge on the cat man’s forehead. “Why? Are you against this, Doffy?”
“What? Of course not, Kaido!” Doflamingo laughed nervously. Both Doflamingo and Law were against the idea, but the larger cat man did not need to know that. “It would’ve been an honour for Law, isn’t that right?”
“Y- Yes,” Law stuttered. “The thing is, Kaido, you’re… simply way too big. Doffy’s the largest cat man that I’ve ever taken, and he’s big enough to hurt me. I can’t possibly take someone as big as you, Kaido! I- I hope you’ll understand.”
As soon as Kaido heard that, he relaxed. His laughter echoed thunderously. “What’s a little adventure, little human? You won’t know it until you try! I have poppers, and we could always use any drug under the sun. You’ll have a good time with me, I guarantee it.”
Law deflated. He had no other excuses to give Kaido. “I… I guess we can try...”
“That’s the spirit, Law!” Kaido beamed at him brightly.
Doflamingo put one hand on the lower portion of Law’s waist, and rubbed the small of his back gently. Law could almost feel Doflamingo’s sadness in the way he touched him, and he too, felt depressed. He forced himself to smile. “I uh… I need to go to the washroom. Why don’t you show me where the washroom is, Doffy?”
“Of course,” Doflamingo followed Law out of the room. Once they were some distance away from Doflamingo’s office, Law made sure that the two of them were alone. He touched Doflamingo gently, rubbing the soft muscles that lay beneath Doflamingo’s shirt.
“I’m sorry, Doffy. I don’t think he’ll accept any more excuses.” Law said.
“No, I’m sorry, Law.” Doflamingo replied with a soft, disparate meow. “I can’t keep you safe from my business partner.”
“I’ll sleep with him if it’s what it takes to keep you safe, Doffy. Kaido won’t hurt you.” Law gave Doflamingo a sad little smile.
Doflamingo hissed, “I’d rather die than let you do that for me!”
“Not if I get a say about it. You’ve done everything you could for me. It’s my turn to do the same for you. I want you to be safe and sound, Doffy.”
Doflamingo meowed quietly and wrapped his arms tightly around Law. “I’m so sorry that you have to sacrifice yourself for me, Law. I wish Kaido would respect us more.”
“From the sound of it, the only person he respects is himself.” Law sighed. “It’s just a night. I’ll be fine. With any luck, he won’t ask for more.”
Doflamingo was upset when he heard that. It was true that Kaido could always ask for more.
Without another word, Law pulled Doflamingo down by his collar and kissed him gently on his lips. Doflamingo’s fingers wrapped around Law’s smaller body tightly, but eventually, he softened, before letting go.
“Come, let’s go back to Kaido. He must be waiting for us.” Law announced glumly.
***
In the end, Law ended up sleeping with Kaido. Law felt like it was not right; Kaido’s hands were too big, and he felt nothing like Doffy. Even though it was clear that Kaido knew what to do with men, Law could not get over the feeling that something was wrong. Law had gotten high on drugs to bear with it. Even with poppers, he still felt like he was being ripped apart. Kaido was really too big for him as he’d suspected. He came a few times despite the pain; it was actually quite decent, all things considered.
When he returned the next day, Doflamingo was sitting alone on the couch, waiting for him. They said nothing to each other; all they did was hold each other tightly, the sadness almost palpable in the room.
Law ended up taking a couple of days off because he was in pain afterwards. The doctor told him that while there were minor abrasions, it was nothing to worry about. Doflamingo, upon hearing that Law was staying at home, stayed beside him for those couple of days. Never in Law’s life had the cat man treated him so gently.