The Long Con [[ Nami x Law ]]

Ch 10 - Family

Nami was proud of how well she was working the room at dinner. Not all the family members were there, but she felt she made a good enough impression with the ones that were, Vergo excluded of course. She knew that Law was watching her all night. It should have annoyed her, especially since she could tell Monet had picked up on it, but she felt better because of it. She felt a certain sense of safety under his gaze, even in a situation like this, and she wondered if that would prove to be a good thing as time went on.

As dinner came to an end, most of the family stayed at the table chatting or meandered near the bar. She wasn't sure how long she was supposed to stay since she wasn't actually in the family. She eyed the bar, considering grabbing a drink before sneaking away. She turned back to the table and thought Law might be able to signal to her how best to proceed, but she found a different pair of eyes staring back at her this time. They were hidden behind red tinted glasses, but there was no mistake they were glued to her.

She followed him into the adjoining room, and he gestured for her to take a seat. The room itself was oddly shaped, not exactly circular but with curvature to the walls. If she was honest, it felt like all the rooms in Doflamingo's castle were oddly shaped, and she cursed the original builders for making it so difficult to accurately map.

Doflamingo tilted the tip of a large globe to reveal a hidden bar inside. "What's your poison?" he asked as he began making something for himself.

The room was a much smaller space than the dining room, but it was still large enough to fit two leather couches, several bookshelves, a grand piano, and a harp. The space didn't seem as stuffy or needlessly opulent as what she saw in the Vinsmoke Manor, but it was still elegant in its own way.

"Anything but scotch," Nami said as she took a seat on one of the couches. She had lost the taste for it after recent events.

He took little time to finish making their drinks and handed her a glass before taking a seat on the couch across from her.

"I hope you like whiskey, but even if you don't, you'll enjoy this."

She glanced down at the orange slice garnish on the rim, then back up at the king sitting across from her.

This interaction was starkly different to the one she had with the same man earlier that day. In the throne room, everything about where he sat to how he towered above her was intimidating. That room was designed to make those approaching the king feel small, not that he needed help towering over anyone. The man might as well have been ten feet tall from Nami's point of view. This felt different.

They sat across from each other. The couches were identical. They had the same drink. His posture was casual, not regal or stately by any means. It was clear that in this interaction, whatever it was, he wanted to at least appear to approach her as an equal. There was nothing outright threatening or domineering about the person across from her, and she knew it could be all too easy to let her guard down if she wasn't careful.

"Oh, come on Nami. Give it a try," he teased when he noticed her eyeing him suspiciously. "I'll tell you what. If you don't like it, I'll give you the combination to Vergo's personal safe."

Nami snorted. "If you think I need help stealing from that man, you haven't been paying attention."

He chuckled lowly in return, and Nami relaxed a bit despite herself. She took a sip.

Damn.

"I hate to admit it," she began, taking a second sip and shook her head. "Most cocktails are too sweet for me, but that's not bad."

It might be the best thing she ever tasted, but that's as close to admitting it as she would get.

He smiled victoriously as he enjoyed his own drink.