DISCLAIMER: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

~ A Lesson in Selfishness ~

The sun sets and the air quickly begins to cool. The family gradually drifts to the lower levels of the ship, until only Doflamingo and Baby 5 are left on deck.

She stands at the railing, staring out at the sea. He watches her, idly wondering what she's looking at. They aren't anywhere near land and the waters are calm at the moment, so there isn't much to be seen, anyway.

A sudden breeze catches the hem of her skirt, causing it to billow up, giving him an unobstructed view of her thighs - not that he thinks of her that way, god damn it! Seemingly conscious of his presence behind her, she smooths down the wayward fabric before he can catch a glimpse of her panties. However, she is unable to hide the way the cool wind makes her shiver.

With his fluffy coat on, he barely feels the chill.

"Baby 5," he calls out to her. She turns to face him, her hands still clutching the fabric of her skirt although the breeze has already died down. Before she has a chance to ask him if he needs something, he says, "Come here and keep me warm."

She hesitates; for the briefest of moments, her smile falters. He opens his arms to her in invitation, and she strides over to where he is sitting and lowers herself into his lap.

"You seem warm enough already," she says with a petulant edge to her voice, as she leans lightly against his chest.

Laughing, he shrugs out of his feathery coat and wraps it around her shoulders before pulling her tightly against him.

"Would you have answered honestly if I'd asked you whether you were cold?"

She doesn't reply, but it doesn't matter. He already knows the answer. She would have denied her discomfort in order to avoid inconveniencing him with it.

She moves as if to get up, but she is no match for him in strength and he does not let her go.

"Why are you doing this?" she asks, looking up at him. He can tell from her expression that she is genuinely confused. "You don't need to. I can just go inside..."

He sighs heavily.

"Because you were cold and I wanted to cuddle you."

"But-"

But, if he had implied that it was for her own good, she would have refused. She has a deep-seated aversion to allowing anyone to take care of her in any way, which stems from the scars of her early childhood in which her birth family abandoned her, labeling her as useless and a burden. This makeshift family he's created for himself... they have all tried so hard, but it seems that nothing they do can heal her emotional wounds.

"Baby," he interrupts her before she can fully give voice to her protest. "You know, it's okay to be selfish sometimes. So don't be afraid to tell me what you need, or take it for yourself."

She says nothing in return, but her actions speak volumes as she kicks off her shoes and draws her feet up into his lap.

~end~