Strings of Fate - [Book 2] [Doflamingo x Reader]

♠ 5

His eyes behind the dark lenses seemed to narrow, but there was no way for you to see the true emotion behind them. His lips curled into a sneer, and before you could blink, he stood from the chair, his movements sharp and agitated. He paced to the window, the heels of his shoes clicking against the marble floor. His back was turned to you, the tension in his broad frame evident. "And you think I'm Trebol's puppet?" His voice was cold but filled with a rising fury. "You think he made me who I am?" He turned slightly toward you, his figure framed by the dim light from outside, but the sunglasses remained in place, hiding his eyes from view.

He exhaled sharply, taking a few more steps to the window, his fists tightening at his sides. "I was born a Celestial Dragon," he muttered, his voice lower now, tinged with bitterness. "That's who I'm supposed to be. That's the expectation, the role I was forced into." He stood still for a moment, staring out at the world beyond, but the muscles in his back twitched with restraint, as though the words he was holding back were eating at him from the inside. "Everything I've done, I've done because of that. Because of what they made me. And you think I'm just a puppet in someone else's show?"

He turned then, his shoulders stiff, and slowly, methodically, he started to walk toward you. His movements were calmer now, but the weight of his words still hung heavily in the air. His presence loomed close, but there was a vulnerability in his posture you hadn't noticed before. He stopped just a few feet away, the intensity in his voice dialed down, though still firm. "You don't understand. I didn't choose this, but I chose to survive. I chose to control my destiny." His breath was steady now, but still intense. "I've fought for every inch of this empire. I've torn down everything that wanted to break me. No one, not even Trebol, tells me who I am."

He stopped right in front of you and reached up, adjusting his sunglasses slightly—though you still couldn't see his eyes. "And now you think I'm just a puppet in someone else's game?" His voice was quiet now, but the weight of his words was there, simmering just below the surface. "After everything I've done, do you really believe I'm just his puppet?"

You stood your ground, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on your chest. The silence between you two stretched, but you didn't let it break your resolve.

"You don't have to hold onto this," you said quietly but firmly, your gaze unwavering. "I want to help you, Doflamingo, just like you helped me when I was in the Navy. When you freed me, you gave me a chance at a new life, a new purpose." You took a step closer, your voice gaining strength. "And I want to do the same for you. I want to help you break free from the chains you've built for yourself—chains that were forged by Trebol, by your past, by the weight of everything that's been done to you."

He stiffened slightly, his posture rigid. For a moment, you thought he might snap at you, but instead, his voice was laced with a quiet bitterness. "You think I need saving?" His tone was bitter, but there was an undertone of something deeper, something more vulnerable. "You think I'm the one who needs to be freed like you were? Don't forget, (Y/N), I'm the one who gave you your freedom in the first place. I'm the one who tore apart the system that kept you locked in a cage."

You stepped closer, undeterred. "Exactly. And just like I was once trapped, I see you're trapped too. Trapped in this world of power and control, just like those toys. You're a prisoner to your own empire, to Trebol's influence. But you're more than that. You were born a Celestial Dragon, but you can be more than just what they made you."

Doflamingo let out a harsh laugh, turning his head slightly to look at you, though his sunglasses still hid his eyes. "And what would I be without all this? Without the empire, without the control? Do you think I can just walk away from it all and become some pathetic fool who lives for freedom?" His voice trembled slightly, as though he were fighting a part of himself that refused to give up. "I don't even know what freedom is anymore, not like you do."