Chapter Text
Rocinante isn’t stupid. He may only be 8 years old but he’s not stupid. He barely remembers the warm beds and grand staircases and huge mansions his older brother always talks about. While a warm bed would be nice he doesn’t fully mind the hard streets. It feels familiar. It’s home.
What he does mind are the villagers. They are so cruel. He has his father and brother but it is terrifying knowing the world hates you for something your ancestors and people who you barely know did. He was only six when it started. It wasn't fair. However, he supposed nothing was really fair anymore.
He sighed rummaging through the trash. Doffy always scolded him when he wasn’t by his side, worrying about the younger's safety. He knew why, of course. He was the weaker little brother. He doesn’t even really remember their mother. The look of horror when he confessed that to doffy haunts him. That had caused another fight between his father and his brother. Although they were completely one sided. Rocinante loved his father but he wished he would fight back instead of just taking it from Doflamingo. Couldn’t he see he was only making it worse?
Doflamingo always said they were cursed with a pathetic excuse for a father. Rocinante wanted to disagree but when he tried Doflamingo tore through it all with cold logic.
“Does it help with the fire?? Oh no that’s you!”
“What about the meals? Oh right, that's us!”
“What about the villagers? Does that meat sack help protect you? Tend to your injuries? Wait, no that's me!”
“Face it Roci, we are better off just you and me.”
Doflamingo words often ran through his head. He never could win against him in that argument. The only thing he could do is calm him down.
“If I have you I can face anything!” He would say, easing Doflamingo temper. If he was lucky his brother would smile and hold him closer as they faced the cold night air away from their father.
Despite what his brother said he felt an obligation to his father. His father loved him after all, and with the world at your back trying to eat you alive, having someone love you was the best thing ever. He wished Doffy believed that.
Doflamingo and his father fought a lot. Lately Doffy made some friends, as he called it. The leader Trebol was creepy to Roci but he couldn’t complain too much. Trebol helped Doffy and him clean up their injuries after they had been tied up and held out of the window under the fire. He had been somewhat kind to them, especially Doflamingo. He had even given Roci his water canteen.
Trebol and the others kept calling Doflamingo special and destined for greatness. Trebol would sing praise towards Doflamingo while occasionally cooing that Rocinante was adorable when he tried to ask what he was talking about. Rocinante felt patronized, as Doflamingo called it later.
Doflamingo had agreed with Trebol that Rocinante was too young to be in their situation and he needed to be taken care of. He hated feeling like a burden especially to doffy. Which led to his current situation breaking his brother's rule.
Doflamingo had gotten into another fight with father and had run off. Rocinante wanted to get dinner to prove to Doflamingo and Trebol that he was more than a little kid who couldn’t take care of himself. Rocinante knew how to get around quietly despite his clumsiness.
He had developed a nasty habit, (according to his father, his brother enjoyed it) of eavesdropping on people and gathering rumors. He loved having information about people. He knew everything that happened in the village. People surprisingly didn’t acknowledge the dirty and beat up kids around here unless he was with his brother or father or was particularly noisy, people didn’t care.
Looking down at the rotting food he grinned to himself. This was enough for him and doffy with leftovers for his father! Doffy had a rule that the brothers ate first and their father got the scraps. Rocinante wished their father would fight Doffy on something, especially this.
Rocinante rushed back only stumbling twice when he heard shouting. Doffy must have been fighting with his father again. He crept closer in, noticing that Trebol and his crew were there. Something was wrong.
He felt cold. He dropped the food and crept closer to listen..
“-ALL YOUR FAULT!! It’s because of you I lost everything! What a sorry excuse of a parent are you!?”
Doffy sounds so hateful and angry.
He never heard him sound like that before. It scared him.
“I’M GONNA MAKE EVERYTHING RIGHT! Just you wait and see old man!! I’m going to take your head back and take what should have been mine to begin with!!!”
His father voice cracked as he spoke “Doffy- please put the gun down… I know I haven’t been the best father but Roci is so young-“
“SHUT UP!” His voice echoes in his head, the anger and disgust palpable. “HOW DARE YOU BRING UP ROCINANTE! HE IS STUPID! HE’S CONTENT SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR LIKE A FILTHY PIG! HE DOESNT CARE ABOUT WHAT WE LOST! HE DOESNT EVEN REMEMBER MOTHER! AFTER I’M DONE WITH YOU ILL TAKE CARE OF HIM!”
Rocinante couldn’t listen to anymore he took off running as fast as possible. He had to get off the island. He had to run. As fast as possible.
Doffy wanted him dead. His own brother…
In the distant he heard the gun go off.
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Doflamingo had promised Rocinante that he would take care of him. He had to kill this meat sack of a father and take Rocinante away from here. His little brother was too sweet to be among these humans, he had too before they drained him like they did his mother.
Rocinante felt comfortable in the streets! Rocinante his younger brother a god in his own right was growing up to be no better than the common street rat.
At least that’s what kept repeating on Doflamingo head as he steady his hand.
“I’ll be a better father to Roci than you ever were. I swear to all the gods. How dare you try using his name to defend your sick actions!”
Doflamingo just saw red. He no longer cared about the consequences. It doesn’t matter. He was a god anyway what does it matter about the occasional broken egg on his way. Humans were made to be plowed down by his holy wrath. He was correct in his anger after all.
He pulled the trigger.
He felt nothing.
His anger still burned.
There was no reprieve.
“Find Roci. I’m taking him home even if I have to drag him step by step.”
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