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Rosinante isn't good with words, that's for sure. But when little Law chose him, he made up his mind. Rosinante went out of his handmade bubble, even Doflamingo failed to do so, only for little Law. Little Law who's now not so little. Still his little Law. He started to walk more carefully than ever, especially if he has Law on his arm. No longer smokes that much, still do sometimes, whenever Law is around, to be precise. Even tried to stop putting face paint and speaking with mouth so Law could see him as a decent parent. Took his big brother and the little Law time to console him that they are fine with those characters of him.
But the clumsiness and smoking are really concerning.
Uh.
Anyway.
The Donquixote brothers have their own steps in approaching Law. But after coming back from the school, staggered awkwardly. In this matter, they aren't so sure if either way is the better way.
Talking to a child about death wishes is… Not on their new year list.
However, they, including Doflamingo, don't want little Law to brush away his life as if it was another paper to crumble.
His death, at minimum, should be a memorable, world-altering event–
“No,” Rosinante signs, stopping his brother's sentence.
“What,” snaps the so-called brother loudly, Hands moving simultaneously with his mouth movement. “You want him to just die, just that? His statue should be built for his memorial somewhere around… The plaza? I guess. Or maybe the school? Even if he's dead, everyone must know he dies as our child.”
“Nobody is going to die,” Rosinante replies. “Why are you so fixed about his death?”
“What else should I fix on about him if he's dead? Besides his death.”
His brother is only a genius in massacre and vandalism.
“He's not dead.”
“Not yet,” Doflamingo grumbles. “Not dead yet.”
“Who's not dead yet?”
Rosinante flinches hard, his body jumps across the couches that have a coffee table in between. Even his brother, who wasn't suspecting the newcomer's arrival, got his body frozen under Rosinante. Rosinante can feel his brother's muscles twitching under his grip. “Why are you sitting on Doffy now?” asks the newcomer, tilting his little head.
Law's giant leopard hat, compared to the owner's head size, never fails to amuse Rosinante.
Eyes glancing at Doflamingo. Although he couldn't see what's under the glasses, but as his brother Rosinante knows that Doflamingo must be doing the same. Reeling his eyes towards him.
No, they don't have any telepathy skills.
But some people, having been glued together since infancy and sinfully obsessed with each other. They could at least guess what questions are currently on each other's mind. Rosinante’s hands starts, “Hey, we just got back from your school.”
“School?” Law tilts his head, that small head… “Oh, they called you, right? What did they say now about me?”
It’s… Should Rosinante tell him?
“Teacher said–”
“She said that you are suicidal, Law.”
Doflamingo! The younger Donquixote frowns hard when faced by his brother. Those earlier gazes told him that this matter is Rosinante to tell. Why did he seize it away? In annoyance, Rosinante stood from his lap and shortened his distance with Law. Even a single arm of Rosinante could wrap Law entirely without effort, Rosinante put his palm onto Law’s shoulder. “Is that true?”
The boy’s once warm stare hardened. Yellow irises dug deep Rosinante soul. Little Law… “Why, are you disappointed that your brand new labour turns out to be a depressed kit?”
He bites his inner cheek before moving to sign again. “It’s okay,” Rosinante reassures. “I’m not mad. Depressed or not, you are still my little Law,” he gives him a sloppy smile.
Law looks a bit unsure, but Doflamingo's sentence seems to rail him up high, “Oh, are we playing mysterious now?”
He huffs before asking them instead of answering, “Do you know about euthanasia? And the debates surrounding it?’
Rosinante nods hesitantly. He knew what is euthanasia. But the debates? Those are out of his lane.
Twiddling his fingers, Law opens his mouth, “It makes me think that… Death actually could cure life. Miserable life. Or just life. And sometimes I wish that, uh, nevermind.” The boy turns to hide himself on the crook of Rosinante’s neck, which Rosinante accepts heartfully. The younger Donquixote moves his hand to give Law some soothing rubs.
“But are you actually?” Rosinante perks his ear when he hears his brother’s voice.
“Am I what?”
“Wishing for death?”
Rosinante grows his lids wide. What's on his brother's mind!? Now is not the— However, before anything, Doflamingo interrupted his thoughts and disagreement.
“Back then, when the entire town wanted to kill us, me and Rosi, I was kind of glad, you know? Especially those times when we were lacking. I had repeatedly thought that I would rather die than endure such a humiliating and “miserable” life,” he says while quoting a certain word.
Even long bangs couldn't cover Rosinante’s pained expression. He himself can't see if his brother is seeing his face, but he knows Doflamingo must have seen it when Rosinante hears the shaky inhale his brother took.
“But when they hung me above the fire. You know, the,” he stops. Index finger rubbing the chin. “When the character in your game, the Animal Farm game, is talking—”
“Animal Crossing.”
“Yes, that. I saw that on the edge of consciousness. A sentence, popping out letter by letter just like in your game, Law. It ran fast and asked the same question I gave to myself.”
“What question?”
“Aw, Law. You know what question,” Doflamingo giggles. “It's the: do I want to die?”
And silence.
Law flags. His adopted father, the Rosinante one, loyally pats his back. Knew that Doflamingo and Law could handle this themselves. While he isn't quite supportive regarding the method. Although he doesn't get either of them. Why is Doflamingo so adamant about telling the story of them? Talking about death and ends is not so for Rosinante. This is not the time for him to interject.
Maybe.
Besides, the chaos ensuing inside his head wouldn’t help any.
“What's the point of it for you to say this to me?” Law mumbles.
“I don't know?” says Doflamingo smugly. “Maybe to tell you that it is rather pathetic for you to give up all the efforts and waste you had been doing only for, what, suicide?”
Rosinante's rubs on Law's back stopping its track.
“Well, at least for me.” Doflamingo starts to walk past them. A hand is resting above Law's giant leopard hat for a few thuds. “That’s for you to decide, anyway. Don't expect me to prevent you from jumping and dying.”
The oldest man grows smaller as distance makes him.
A small voice ahead whispers, “Being a surgeon must be mere a bluff for him, then,” before cackles drown it out.
Rosinante snaps his head and taps the child. But the tiny complaint pauses him. “Annoying,” Law says. Making Rosinante pouts his lip in surprise.
“Doffy is so annoying!”
Law stomps his short legs, fist humps hard in the air. Nothing he knocks, just frustration and anger. Rosinante can barely see his face, hiding beneath the giant leopard hat. Moving away, giving his boy more space to move, Rosinante calmly watches Law. He is no mind reader; he needs Law to speak for him to understand the turmoil. I mean, Law is a big tsundere, you can’t just assume things by his surface action. He was about to ask Law what’s wrong when the boy finally scream, “Fuck Doflamingo!”
Now, now. Who the hell has taught him that?
“I will show him who is the pathetic one!”
Oh, well.
Law then left him crouching in confusion, his short legs seeming to bring him back to the library.
Being obsessed with each other doesn’t make Rosinante one brain cell with his brother. There is stuff that he still doesn't get from Doflamingo. And most of them are criminal stuff, basically bad stuff. But maybe. Maybe. That did work. And maybe again. Maybe. What Law needs is exactly that. Still, what a weird way to comfort a child. Was that even able to be called a comfort?
That aside, Rosinante wonders if Doflamingo stopped using the hand sign when he confronted Law himself in order to cover it from Rosinante. How many times should he tell his older brother Rosinante isn’t deaf… Silly guy.