Short Tales [Doflamingo×Dowly]

Nightmares - 50k reads special

Doffy's side

Doflamingo silently murmurs the lullaby to his daughter, then places her in the bed and tucks in the sides of the blanket.

-Good night, little one. -he smiles at the golden blue eyes and gives her a goodnight kiss. -I love you.

-Thanks. -smirks the toddler, huddling herself up around the pink pillow. Doffy laughs softly and strokes her dark hair one more time before blowing off the candle, letting the darkness fall over the room.

-Dad.

-Hm?

-Where's mom? -she asks and the man frowns. He looks out the window, taking a deep breath.

I shouldn't lie to her.

-I don't know. I... made a terrible mistake, so she isn't here.

Taru sniffles and Doffy trembles when he sees it.

-Don't worry, sunshine. -he leans down again, wiping away a tear. -Your papa will stay and protect you, okay?

-Okay.

Just don't cry.

Doflamingo walks out of the room and as soon as the door closes, leans to the wall for a second to keep his composure.

He enters the bedroom and sits down to the floor, hiding his eyes. His hand shakes as he starts the call for the thousands time today.

-Dowly, try to understand-

-You promised me you never will!

-I did it to protect her!

-You are getting back to the old things you did and it scares me. How could you do that?

The Dendenmushi just rings and rings.

-I'm not that man anymore.

-Then why do you act like that?! After all this time together, why did you start hiding again?

-Because I want to be sure she'll always be safe.

-This isn't the right way to do it, Doffy. How should I trust you now?

-Dowly, this was the last time. An exception. Don't do this.

-I'm going to Rosinante with Taru. I don't know if our home is still safe.

She doesn't pick up the phone and Doflamingo tries to calm down his ragged breath, even if the memories are flowing back to his mind.

-You have to trust me, Dowly. Please. I did what I did, but there won't be any harm from it. I had more than enough money-

-You didn't buy it with all we earned, not to let me notice. You used the money from Dressrosa, that you promised to never get again!

-Try to understand me!

The man buries his face into his hands and feels the tears over his skin as he remembers the fear and pain written on her face.

-Then show me, Doffy. Let me understand.

But when the lilac rays appeared, he panicked and jumped back, standing in the air.

Her head turned, the man freezed with widened eyes as she looked back at him.

With a thin cut that starts from her forehead and ends on her cheek.

A cut from a string that wasn't controlled well enough.