One Piece: The Princess and the Villain (Vivi x Crocodile) - Fanfiction

16 - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM (1)

The dynamic between Crocodile and Vivi had undeniably shifted since the Koza incident. Vivi had always been guarded, reluctant to show her true emotions or desires when it came to their physical encounters. But now, something had changed. She was more open, more responsive—there was a raw honesty in the way she moved with him, the way she returned his touches, the way her body yielded to his. And though Crocodile's intensity remained, there was a newfound tenderness woven into his actions, a subtle acknowledgment of the connection that had grown between them.

The atmosphere in Crocodile's mansion reflected this change. His employees, though accustomed to their previous, darker dynamic, had begun to notice the subtle shift. The maids whispered among themselves, exchanging knowing glances when Vivi passed by. She still held her head high, her royal demeanor intact, but there was a softness in her now, a kind of ease that had not been there before. And the way Crocodile looked at her—it was different. No longer just predatory, but something more.

Vivi had always been his possession, something to dominate and control. But now, there was a strange power she held over him, one she didn't fully understand yet, but that everyone in the mansion could sense.

One afternoon, Crocodile had her pinned against the balcony railing, his lips trailing down the side of her neck as the warm desert breeze caressed their skin. His employees were bustling below, carrying out their daily tasks, but neither he nor Vivi paid them any mind. It was as if the world outside them didn't exist in these moments.

"I think they can see us," Vivi murmured breathlessly, her hands gripping the stone of the railing as Crocodile's fingers worked their way beneath her dress.

"Let them," he growled, his lips brushing her ear. "They know who you belong to."

Her breath hitched, but instead of resisting, as she might have before, she arched her back, pressing herself against him. There was no shame in her movements, no hesitation—just desire. She knew the servants could see them, could hear the muffled sounds of their passion, but it only seemed to heighten the thrill. Crocodile noticed it too. His hand gripped her waist with a possessive strength, but there was a softness in the way his other hand cupped her face, as if to remind her that, though she was his, he valued what they shared now.

Later that evening, they lay together in his bed, the sheets tangled around them in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Vivi's head rested on his chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns along his skin. She felt content in a way she hadn't expected, her guard lowered more than ever before.

Crocodile's hand stroked her hair absently as he gazed up at the ceiling, his mind drifting. "You've changed," he remarked quietly, though his tone carried more curiosity than accusation.

Vivi shifted, looking up at him. "I could say the same about you."

He smirked at that, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the room. ".... I suppose I have."

There was a pause, a comfortable silence that stretched between them, broken only by the distant sounds of the mansion's night staff moving about.

"You don't fight me like you used to," Crocodile noted, his fingers running along her back in a slow, languid motion. "You've become...more honest."

Vivi's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pull away. "Maybe it's because I know you better now. Or maybe it's because I've stopped pretending."

"Pretending?" His eyebrow arched, intrigued by her admission.

She hesitated, searching for the right words. "That I didn't want you." Crocodile could see the tips of Vivi's ears turning red after she said it, even though her facial expression tried to hide it.