this is my own story; i'll put the authors name here for future reference when i go to search for more stories 0-0

****************

Diligent. That's what you were.

One of the fee more diligent worker of the baroque works incorporation, always trying your hardest and working as much as you could.

But you couldn't stand it.

Not one bit. Oh no.

All the stares he got, all the letters that he received from the hundreds of people who thought more of him than the hero of Alabasta. Although you couldn't blame them; you had a small thing for the sand king yourself.

By small you may say you envy any woman that neared him in public, or even tried to talk to him.

you were crazy and you knew it, knowing how your boss was more of a sadistic, manipulative playboy. However a boy hardly.

As your thoughts would race over and over, it all came back to him.

Always.

You sigh recollecting your thoughts, and go back to work.

Which was quickly interrupted when a few hard knocks rang from your office door. You sigh and stand from your comfy swivel chair and walk to open the door. When you turned the knob, you were met with Mr. 3, a sigh left you as you made your way back to your chair and sit down, spinning around a few times before the sound of the door closing made you sit at attention.

"What do you want Galdino?"

irritation was clear in your voice as he cleared his throat to begin speaking.

"The boss wants you to be with him and his partner when they talk about the plan to everyone today."

You scoff, turning back to your laptop and finishing off a email that Crocodile had assigned you.

"Really."

"How do I know you won't do me like you did last year at the little Christmas party that we had?"

He sighed and looked you straight in the eye.

"That wasn't me, that was Bon Clay! You know how he likes to mess with people!"

"Maybe he should stop then! I was completely embarrassed when I told him all the things I wanted to tell him."

He sighs and looks at you with a sorrowful gaze.

"Maybe it's about time that you move on from him, hm? You know he's going to break you sooner or later; his tastes change constantly."

You shake your head and sigh tears forming at the corner of your e/c eyes, threatening to spill.

"Now Y/n don't cry...we don't need you ruining a new desk with your acid.."

You nod and wipe your eyes with your specially made handkerchief that was close to your pocket.

Galdino sighed, and played with his wax in his hands, letting his eyes rest on the molding wax in his hands.

You watched carefully as he smoothed and smashed the wax together with his skilled fingers.

"If you won't get over him, at least try to distance yourself a bit more from his presence; being around something poisonous for you isn't healthy."

He sat the wax figure at the corner of your desk, standing and leaving with a sigh before closing the door.

Only then could you get a good look at the little wax figure; your boss.

Your eyes scanned over and over it, scanning every nook and cranny of the quickly made stature. The scowl of his lips imprinted on the figure as it did when someone spoke to him.

You felt your heart shatter a bit as you looked, knowing what Galdino said was right; he always was wise in areas such as these. Not very often you could compliment him.

You stand and look at yourself in the small mirror you had in the office space, taking in every inch of your face.

You ran a light hand under your tired eyes and sighed.

No. You weren't.

You weren't good enough.

You knew you'd never be, and you sure as hell weren't going to try to be either.

You frown and feel tears spread through your eyes again, however this time letting the tears slowly slide down your burning cheeks and sizzling into the carpet.

You could only sigh then and dab your eyes as you walked out into the cold, empty hallway.

You were nothing in fact to the incorporation, and you knew it too.

Nobody ever thought of you anyway, only the ones that new you would talk to you which wasn't very many people.

You sigh and walk up the steps to the elevator, quietly stepping in and hitting the button for the casino floor, hopeful that you'd be able to get a break. If only for a little bit.

When the elevator reached the floor you desired, you stepped off exiting through the door only the staff could enter.

Making your way around the crowds of people to the poker table, you sigh contently undoing a few buttons on the front of your hot blouse.

You sit down at the table, beside a few men, and pay before a deck of cards was shuffled and dealt to each participant.

A seemingly wild looking man sat at the far end of the table, a stack of chips by his side.

A small smirk was held at the side of your mouth as you all called a certain amount, pushing the desired chips to the middle.

The man to your right lit a cigarette, his cards close to his chest and his eyes hidden behind dense black shades, a few others having hats to hide their features.

Your face cemented to a frown, eyes dulling as you've been taught

'Perhaps I could buy myself a nice little break with the money I'll win..'

Your thoughts shattered as someone raised and you raised an eyebrow as you lent a clip of your chips to the middle.

A few minutes into the game and you'd already gotten most out of the pot, smirking solely to yourself.

You felt a hand rest on your shoulder and you looked around at the amused and excited faces before turning to see Crocodile.

You jumped from your seat and stood at attention for a scolding. Only to receive a number of chuckles and strained laughter.

You looked up into your boss' eyes and surprisingly, you saw amusement.

"Exceptional card playing, Ms. Hollow. However I'd rather have the explanation as to why you've left your post in your office."

You sigh and meet his amber eyes.

"I just wanted to get out of the office for a bit, I was getting a bit uncomfortable sitting there all day, Sir."

His eyes glanced to your chest and you immediately burst into a heated blush. A smirk ghosted over his lips as he led you back to the elevator, teasing remarks and snide punishments baited you in.

"I'm sorry Mr. 0..."

"Do not speak, you don't owe me the pleasure of hearing your voice."

Your mouth shut immediately, a blush hugging your face.

"We've already discussed about what your job is and when your times off are and you have broken that today, I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

He ponders for a moment before you could see a shine in his usually dark eyes.

"I could easily give you up to the unluckies, they could deal with you.."

Your eyes widened in horror and you dropped to your knees and looked to the floor.

"No sir please! I'll do anything to make up for my misdemeanor! Please please please!"

His eyebrow raised a thick cloud of smoke emanating from his lips as it passed through.
"Anything you say?"

You nod furiously, looking at him with an almost begging expression.

That's when you noticed his expression turn slightly sadistic.

"Come to my office in half an hour and I'll have my punishment ready for you."

With that he left you to walk alone down the hall to your office.

You walked to your office, sitting in your chair and spinning around to ease your aching nerves.

You glanced to the corner of your desk and noticed the wax figurine was gone.

"Shit."

He had to have come through your office to know about you leaving!

'You fucking idiot! You should've known he was going to go through your office today...that's why he noted you were gone dumbass!'

When you had finished your rambling, you noticed a note where the figurine was placed before.

It was, of course, in Crocodiles handwriting.

Y/n,
I see that Mr. 3 had stopped by to have a word with you about...
Me.
I'm charmed to know you think so much of me,
Dear.

~ Sir. Crocodile

You groan, covering your face with your arm and mumbling for it all to be a dream, just one big awful dream.

However when the clock stroke the hour, your thoughts vanished as you got from your seat and walked through the hallway after looking the door.

The walk was long and painstakingly so, the empty halls leaving you to your memories and thoughts as they devoured your very mind.

What was he going to make you do? Or what wasn't he going to do. Perhaps he wasn't going to do anything, just let you sit there as another woman took your place on his lap.

The thoughts made your mind burn, causing a slight headache as you made your way to the large auburn doors. You knocked once and they opened into his large, underwater office.

His large frame shielded behind the chair he sat in that faced the wani.

You walked closer and glanced about the room, noting how dark it was, contrasting with the shimmering water that casted light across the room.

It was all so beautiful to say the least, the quiet mingling with the soft swishing of water as the wanis floated by.

Peaceful, that's what it was.

Surprisingly.

A deep voice rang from the corner of the room, a chuckle echoing throughout the room.

"So you actually showed up for your punishment, hmm?"

You nod.

"Of course I did, Sir."

He nods and stands towering over your small stature and turning to his chair.

"Come."

You nod and follow suit, waiting for his next command; waiting for the 'punishment'.

Standing next to his chair, he sits, patting his lap as invitation for you to sit.

Your cheeks heat up as soon as you go to sit, which was interrupted as a hook caused you to crash down on the surprisingly comfortable lap of Sir Crocodile.

"Now, Y/n, I want you to just fill out some of my documents for me, even I can get tired of such paperwork."

You nod and grab the pen that sat on the right hand side of the large stack of papers, taking the top one and skimming over it before looking up at him for conformation.

"What?"

"How do I sign for you?"

You felt his chest rumble with a chuckle.

"Here just watch."

He took the pen gently from your hand, to your surprise, and signed it with a quick SC.

"I can't get through as many papers as I can now if I sign my full name now,dear."

His voice mocked you in unimaginable ways, taunting you to just get this over with....as much as you loved being this close to him.

You looked over another document, signed it, then looked over another.

This continued for the next half hour, and you hadn't noticed the hook slowly grazing up and down your thigh as you quickly scratched his name onto the paper and searched for another.

"I think that'll do, Y/n. You've been here for quite a while now, you should go ahead and head home."

His voice held something gentle, but still expressed his assertive demeanor.

"If you say so, Sir."

As much as you hated it, and didn't want to, you hopped from his lap and headed for the door.

"Y/n, wait a minute."

You turn around and look at your boss, cradling something underneath the coat he wore.

He stepped forward and brought his hand from his coat and outstretched the little wax figure Galdino had made you.

"Sorry i took it I had to make a few....minor changes.."

And with that, he ushered you out of his office and locked the door before evacuating the area before it got too dark.

You both said your goodbyes at the entrance and headed your separate ways, noting the small smile that stuck to the corner of his ever sly mouth.

As you awaited a ride, you looked down at the figure staring at it and running a hand over it, only to notice the scowl that was left earlier, was formed into a small form of a smile.