Crocodile says he doesn't bite, but it's a lie.

Crocodile's teeth break the skin anyway, drawing blood.

Later, Galdino ends up staring in the mirror, looking like he's been mauled by an animal— sets of marks adorn his throat, his chest, and his shoulders, each one radiating a bloom of ache that almost echoes pleasure. He hisses through his teeth as Crocodile kisses each bite, and pulls him down into his lap as he rubs alcohol and ointment on them.

"Don't cover them up," he warns, wrapping his arm around Galdino's shoulders. "It's more fun when people can see."

"For you!" Galdino huffs. "It's difficult enough to get people to respect me, let alone when I'm walking around as your canvas."

Crocodile smirks, hook trailing up the back of Galdino's spine.

"Don't give me that shit, Dino. We both know you know exactly how to shut up anyone who doesn't respect you."

-

AO3 link

Summary: Galdino brings his newest deadly work of art to show off to his boss, and Crocodile knows exactly how the artist wants to have it appreciated.

Some Crocodile and Galdino backstory art.

Crocodile and Galdino backstory art. Finally colored it. Maybe tumblr won't eat it this time.

Galdino is extremely, extremely full of himself. He has a towering ego, and believes that he's the smartest person in the room at any given time. He's convinced everyone else is his inferior in terms of intelligence, taste, etc, and he's not afraid to show or say it. He constantly talks about how he's surrounded by idiots.

But it had been a bad year. It had been a bad year and Crocodile was in a bad way. Any fool could see that, but Galdino was not any fool. He was one of the few survivors of the massacre of the Crocodile pirates. He was one of the few men who followed Crocodile to Alabasta when he became a Warlord, in the ashes of his defeat.

Crocodile was going to pieces — and who could blame him? Who could blame him, but someone was going to have to put him back together.

"Get out," Crocodile repeated, his voice a dangerous growl. Now he rose up and the sand flowed back together to form his whole scarred face. Galdino could see that he'd been crying. "Now."

Galdino felt every hair on him stand on end, but he still came closer. "Sir, I don't think that you should be alone right now."

Crocodile proved him right. He threw the bottle, and as Galdino flinched away from it, it smashed against the wall behind him.

The two of them locked eyes afterward, and Crocodile for a moment looked horrified. He buried his head in his hand.

"Just go the fuck away. No one can see me like this."

23. In a play fight, who is winning? You or f/o?

Pinned down, Galdino thumps his fists uselessly against his boss's chest. Even though Crocodile is 'only' a little more than eight feet tall, it's still enough to overwhelm Galdino's slender frame— not even six feet tall.

"Sir!"

Crocodile just laughs. The sharp tip of his hook tickles against Galdino's throat, and threatens to dig in when he swallows.

Galdino manifests his wax, flowing it over the hook, and over the lower part of Crocodile's body. Anyone else, that would incapacitate.

Crocodile is not anyone. He grins widely, and his body starts to dissolve into sand. With his remaining hand he grabs Galdino by the throat, and a whirlwind drags him kicking and sputtering over to the bed.

Galdino grapples with the phantom hand. "Boss!! Boss!"

Crocodile laughs, and drops him gasping on the mattress, pinning him between his knees.

"You know that doesn't work on me, Dino." Crocodile leers down at him.

Despite the boast, Crocodile is missing his hook, scarred stump on display, while his prosthesis remains stuck in the wax.

Galdino is wise enough not to point this out.

"I had to try, sir," he titters. "You win again."

"Smart man," Crocodile purrs, leaning in to kiss him.

-

AO3 link

ask game link

I win, every time. ;)