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"Hey there red nose!"
the blue haired kid turned promptly and quite madly towards a red haired brat staring from up on the ship. "SAY WHAT YOU ASSHOLE?"
A big, daring smile. "Not afraid of language I see... good! I like that in a nakama"
Buggy clenched the handle of his big, yet almost empty bag with a certain annoyance. "Nakama? 'R you part of this crew?"
he said so climbing up the stairs up until the deck of said ship.
Shanks looked him up and down. "Yes indeed" He then got closer and started inspecting that new kid. "And you? I saw you chattin' with the cap'tan, stickin' around arent'cha?"
The blue haired boy smirked, as he was hiding something. "I most certainly am". His tone was slightly mocking. "Not that you can understand, but this place s'gonna be my testing ground" he started heading towards the hold. Shanks followed alongside.
"Oh I understand, the making plans thing..." They kept silence for a bit, passed the entry door, and remained quiet as Shanks leaded the way to the crew's cabin.
It was wide, but also pretty sloppy and full of cots, folding beds, gurneys, a couple of bunk beds, but also everything that could possibly resemble a real bed.
Buggy widened both his eyes.
"Yeah, it's pretty busy in here but..." Shanks looked the other one in the eye, then smiled. "Watch your step, follow me".
At the far bottom of the room, was a small corner: there was a hammock made out of a sheet, a sword and a bag laying on the ground, along with some chests and barrels.
"If you want" The redhead went scooping in a chest until he found an old blanket. "You can hang this on top of mine's, y'know it would be just like a bunk bed...".
Buggy sighed, letting his bag fall on the dusty pavement. He looked up at the other kid, then back at the rest of that terrific chaos.
"Gimme that thing" he said, and "At least there's space to walk here" continued, while climbing up on a barrel in order to tie that soon-to-be-a-bed properly.
Shanks felt extremely happy about this new mate of his. How old was he? Perhaps his own age, more or less. "Anyway the name's Shanks"
The blue haired boy used his foot as support in order to pull and tight the knot he'd just made, letting out a grunt. "Shanks what?".
The redhead went sitting on the floor. "Just Shanks. And you?".
"Buggy, oh: the almighty Buggy". He smiled more for himself than for the other kid.
"Is that your surname?"
Buggy, who had just fixed the other limb of his hammock, made a spin on a clearly unstable barrel. "A last name? That would be so un-flashy!"
But said so, he lost balance, and would have fell face on the pavement; if Shanks hadn't promptly grasped at his wrist , pulling him up.
Silence fell for a second; then Buggy pulled his arm away, as if he didn't like the idea of someone touching him, or perhaps just saving him from such an embarrassing fall. "Don't..." He thought about it, then met Shanks eyes, and felt an oddly overwhelming sympathy. "Thanks" he smirked. "Redhead".
Shanks grinned too. "You're welcome... red nose".
And that's when the magic ended; Buggy's face changed in the ugliest expression, becoming quite reddish, and then "YOU FUCKER MY NOSE'S NOT RED!". He tried to strangle that red haired punk.
But that was long ago; when they were wandering in the East Blue, still on that old, clearly too small and crowded ship they called Horizon. And yet that was the first place in which those two would grow to be really close
the moon was just rising as the two kids went sitting on the deck. Shanks had a bottle at hand, just to have a little fun ('cause he'd seen the drunk-Buggy and he was honestly hilarious) but also because said kid had seemed kinda off during those days.
Buggy on his side had been trying to avoid the redhead for a couple of weeks now; it was his fault anyway! Always being so good, collaborative, supportive and fun, and challenging and caring and secure and- their eyes met; Buggy noticed he'd been staring the whole time, and couldn't help but blush and turn away.
"Oi, is everything ok?". Shanks left the booze and focused on his mate; was he angry? He seemed so... The red haired kid gently grabbed him by the shoulder, making him turn back around. Buggy's eyes flickered down to that hand, and then again up to Shanks' face. Of course he was smiling.
"Redh- Shanks, listen". His hand drew tenderly towards the other one's, Shanks clearly started at the touch but played it cool; remaining apparently calm as Buggy squeezed it and pushed away with the exact same affection.
The redhead felt a sudden void, along with his speedup heartbeat, making him interrupt the other one "D-did I do something wrong?" what was happening?
"What?" Shit, he noticed. "N-no dude it's ok, it's just..." He looked down at the pavement, desperately trying to figure out what to say. Just think, avoid the problem, the bottle.
"What's the occasion?".
Shanks froze, holding his breath. He knew Buggy was changing topic on purpose, but for once in his life, he was more than happy about it.
"Aw come on! Do we need an occasion to drink?" he opened the bottle. "We're pirates for Roger's sake, we party 'till dawn!".
Then his glare softened, as he started thinking out of loud spontaneously. "And I want to party 'till dawn with you". But when Buggy blushed furiously and seemed about to explode, he noticed.
"I spoke out of loud, didn't I?" Shanks chuckled, staring at the bottle, avoiding eye contact.
"Sh- Shanks..." Buggy's voice was strangely high pitched but
"No I know. I messed up, shouldn't have said it".
Buggy realized the redhead hadn't apologized that badly and with such a broken expression in like... never; he'd never done that. Something was off, and for once in his life, Buggy deeply wanted to cheer his mate up, just because he... yes, he deserved it.
"Isn't common knowledge you being such a sentimental dork?" and then laughed lightly, almost chuckled. "I kinda like it".
Saying that took all the nerve he had, but felt like an enormous weight off of his chest.
Shanks widened his eyes idly flushing. It took him a couple more of soft looks and silent smiles to understand that maybe, just maybe, Buggy would have actually loved to spend that night, and perhaps not only that, with him. So he handed the bottle. "Do you... do you want some?".
Hell yeah! "No thanks..." Buggy didn't want to screw things up, and personally didn't trust his drunk self. "And you shouldn't either, I don't want you to feel sick and... ".
Shanks put the bottle down once again, and taking Buggy's hand in his own caressed it gently; as the other one stared in an helplessly sweet panic.
The redhead smiled spontaneously. "I know how much it's hard for you" he tangled their fingers "You don't have to say anything, 'k?".
Buggy blushed again. "Can't you just stop being so caring?".
"Not until you'll stop being so cute" Shanks tightened the grip, and felt an overwhelming warmth when the other one did the same.
The redhead continued... "Being around you has always made feel good an- and I know you didn't like me"
"Shanks"
and continued... "Even bickering is fun, 'cause is always a challenge and you always keep up"
"Shanks"
and continued... "And I figured it's not possible you not feeling the same 'cause-"
"Shanks listen". Buggy drew his free hand up on Shanks' shoulder. His heart was going crazy, his cheeks burning, his breath trembling. "Now I'm doing a thing, and after that, I want you to drink; whether you like it or not. Don't stop me, don't say anything, just drink".
The red haired boy sighed, then nodded.
Buggy moved his hand from Shanks' shoulder, to his cheek, and then to the back of his neck; holding still and yet caring. He then took a deep breath and slowly got closer, up until their noses where inches away; shut his eyes hoping for the other one to do the same; parted the lips, feeling Shanks' breath; clenched their hands more firmly, and finally tilted his head, kissing the other boy as he let out a relieved sigh.
It was kind of wet, and felt odd up until they started moving their lips in a slow rhythm; as if scared of getting burned by that overwhelming warmth. But when Shanks fastened his movements, starving for a deeper touch, Buggy couldn't help but to let out a suffocated and surprised moan, and to tilt his head in order to have a better control over the kiss.
And in an half heartbeat, it was over; Buggy holding both Shanks' cheek and hand. Staring at each other with short breath.
The redhead smiled, then took a sip of liquor as promised.
"This won't make me forget anything though".
Buggy, his voice still trembling "Then take another sip" said.
"Don't want to" were the last words Buggy heard, before being blocked again in a hot, and yet so sweet movement of Shanks' mouth.
-
They eventually ended up deciding that for that night, and that one night only, they would have slept together in the same hammock. First choice was Buggy's, but they'd already tried weeks before 'cause "A seven feet swinging bed is just the best" (quote Shanks) "Yeah but a two meters fall is not" (quote Buggy).
The two boys were too tired for fighting against a piece of fabric; so after Shanks had laid down in his hammock, Buggy followed immediately.
As the hammock settled swinging slowly, Both Shanks and Buggy adjusted in order to look at each other in the eye; it was kind of tight but alas, comfy.
Buggy smiled "Are you sleeping with that straw hat on?"
Shanks took it off "Who talked 'bout sleeping?"
Normally Buggy would have snapped at him, but that night "Heh, move and we sleep on the ground".
Shanks nodded, they were pretty close anyway... yea, about that "You know, when I say you're cute it's not just for flattering, I really mean it".
Buggy couldn't stop smiling "What's gotten into you?"
The redhead tried to slide closer "It's just, I'm so happy you feel the same"
the other one thought about it for a second, then leaned forward and gave Shanks a fast, sweet smack. He froze.
"Didn't think this thing had such an effect on you".
Red haired Shanks saw that as a tease, and answered by slowly hugging his nakama, burying the face in his neck, feeling the warmth coming from his body.
Buggy jolted, his heart racing, his hands wrapping around the other one's body. He felt a grin pressing against his skin.
"Didn't think this thing had such an effect on you"
"Just... shut up" and Buggy caressed Shanks' back, and they both found their hearts's rhythm to be comfy and deeply enjoyable.
Buggy looked down at Shanks' sleepy face an thought 'bout how perfect he was, how pure, how sweet as he kissed gently the redhead's hair.
"Mh... what was that?" Shanks' voice was already muffled.
"Nothin', I just like your hair" and squeezed him more, as they cuddled quietly, until they both fell asleep.