Chapter Text
"Get. Out."
Buggy's voice may appear calm on the outside, yet it was low and laced with an unspoken threat. His words directed to the crew medic that was currently standing in the doorframe of the captains lair, not daring to move an inch.
And yet he wouldn't leave, instead gulping nervously as Buggy's icy glare kept him rooted on spot. To get a glimpse of the unconscious body in the back of the cabin, he dared breaking eye contact and peeking over his captain's shoulder - much to the displeasure of the latter.
"B-But boss" the man managed to wring out, stuttering in negative anticipation of the consequences. "You haven't let anyone close to her since the...incident. I-I really need to re-examine her wounds-"
"Do not make me repeat myself!" the clown sharpy cut off his subordinate, absentmindedly moving the daggers in his hands to soothe his nerves. "You better be grateful that you're of use to me." No, her, he corrected himself mentally, "Otherwise you'd be dead meat already. Now get lost."
As soon as the heavy wooden door shut, Buggy sent one of his daggers to pierce the place his crewmate had just occupated. How ironic he thought - a few years prior someone daring to talk back to him would've gotten pierced with no hesitation.
It was no news that Buggy had gotten softer ever since you stumbled into his life, and he still didn't know if it was for better or worse.
Anyways, his crewmates started to notice the subtle changes in their once feared - and loathed - captain.
Not that it mattered right now. As long as your life was still on the line, he couldn't care less about his reputation.
The man let out a deep, aggravated sigh before turning on that damn uncomfortable stool to face you again. Godfuckingdamnit, he never realized what a drunk he had become until he actually had to stay sober for your sake.
It had been three weeks already, and still no sign of recovery. You were still unconscious - no wonder, with injuries that heavy it was a miracle that you were even alive. And all this time Buggy refused to leave your side even for one second, watching you like a feral guard dog.
Not even his most loyal men had seen him this devastated before.
Right now you were staining the sheets of Buggy's bed with your own blood, having soaked through the bandages again. Nothing your lover couldn't fix though - he'd be damned if he weren't able to take proper care of you himself!
After all, he had once promised to give you the world.
And even when you humbly declined this great announcement of his back then, Buggy had already long since decided that you deserved nothing less.
In fact - though he would never openly say it aloud - you might be the only thing he held higher than himself.
Those kinds of sentiments were new to him and certainly didn't come easy either, but underneath it all he cared so deeply for you that it frightened him sometimes...
...exactly because of moments like those that leave him all helpless.
The very same man that sacrificed even his own men if it meant he could get away unharmed now wished to take this pain on your stead. Hell, even all of his riches he would gladly cast away if it meant seeing you smile again.
Instead he was left only being able to watch you suffer, maybe crack a joke or two in hope you might in fact hear him somehow.
"Now wake up, would you...this ain't funny" he muttered under a shaky breath, his hand lingering on your cheek for a bit longer after having placed a wet cloth on your forehead.
Maybe the sobriety made him clear-headed for a change, or it was the simple fact that you were alone, and therefore he could drop his usual facade.
Whatever it was, it urged him to speak from the heart.
"Shit, Y/N, I almost lost you there..." The man buried his face in his hands, voice cracking as he remembered how bravely you shielded him with your own body, saving him from a possibly lethal attack. "That shit could've cost you your life! And for what? Saving someone like me?! Quit joking!"
Well, truth be spoken, from his point of view this whole relationship was ridiculous from the very start - a joke without punchline, some might say.
Nonetheless, even though he had yet to understand how he of all people ended up so lucky, he wouldn't change it for the world.
For a moment he was contemplating whether to lie down next to you - and honestly, the temptation to cradle you in his arms was far too great to put into words - yet he refrained from doing so. You needed space either way, and he felt somewhat undeserving of your closeness after he had failed to protect you, after all.
"Of course he could lie down next to you - and in all honesty the temptation to cradle you in his arms was more like a need to him - but he refrained from doing so. You needed space either way, and he felt undeserving of your closeness after he had failed to protect you.
"You just wait, I'll become even flashier for your sake!" he promised with a determination, almost like newfound purpose. "Something like this won't happen again, promise!"
Squeezing your hands ever so slightly, he placed a kiss on your knuckles before wrapping the blanket to cover you completely. "I may be an egoistical, worthless scumbag but I'd do anything for you! Just get well, that's all I ask."
It was already way past midnight, and Buggy was still sitting on the chair next to your bedside, his face buried in the mattress as he collapsed due to exhaustion...
...yet he jolted up as soon as he felt you move.
Your face was contorting in pain as you stirred on the bed, basically your whole body aching - and the hammering sensation in your forehead was the worst of it all.
"Heya, Honey!" A way too enthusiastic voice exclaimed, "Was about time you woke up."
Due to your ears still ringing you could barely understand, all you gathered from the sound was that you were not alone in this almost completely dark room.
Panic began to rise in your chest because when the pain finally ebbed away, it made room for you to realize the complete void in your mind.
Where- no, who are you?!
Almost violently casting away the sheet you were tangled in, you frantically scanned your brain for some kind of hint, any memory at all, no matter how trivial...
...yet were left with noting but a vast emptiness.
"Hey! Heyheyheyheyhey!" That apparently male voice again, cutting your pondering out just before you hyperventillated yourself into collapsing. "You're having a panic attack or something?"
"Shh" the unfamiliar voice started to hush you - his tone mixed with an emotion you couldn't quite decipher - yet very obviously overchallenged with soothing someone. "It's alright, don't overdo it. You just woke up."
That person gently grabbed the sides of your shoulders, guiding you back to lie down again. You were too weak to struggle against that foreign touch either way...
...but there was also such a great and genuine concern present in his tone, that this stranger did seem to miraculously calm you down to some extent.
No matter who this man was, it seemed that he was really worried for your wellbeing.
From what you could assess already, at least it seemed like you were in a safe place, and with someone who nurses your injured self back to health at that...
...however, ultimatively that false impression of safety would quickly disappear as soon as you opened your eyes.
Blinking heavily so your sight would adapt to the almost nonexistent light source of the room, the blurred outline of a person would finally become more detailed - and what you then saw made your blood run cold.
His usual trademark grin appeared as a menacing gnarl to you, unknowingly making your fear even worse as he suddenly watched your face becoming drained of any colour.
"What the fuck-!" you screeched at this sight of a literal horror clown, reaching out to get you like straight out of a nightmare. Immediately shuffling away from him, you fell over the edge of the bed just to be caught into his very arms again.
"Dear, are you alri-"
"Leave me alone!" you then screamed, lashing out at the man while starting to sob uncontrollably.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Buggy would now snap back at you - admittedly not the best way to deal with the situation.
You yelled and cursed and cried as the man struggled to keep you trapped in his embrace, in a naive hope that you'd calm down and then maybe talk about whatever in the world had gotten into you - but to no avail as it seemed, since with every second passing you only got more hysterical.
"I'm starting to get angry, dollface" the killer clown chuckled darkly, a little out of breath at least, since you could still put up quite a fight. "Don't make me use my powers on you!"
Damn, sometimes he forgot that even while appearing all frail and innocent, you could pack a proper punch- and he got a harsh reminder of it as soon as your fist hit the bottom of his chin.
"Heh, feisty little thing. Now that's my girl!" He laughed, relieved to see you being so lively again - yet his insane, dark chuckle had the exact opposite effect he was hoping for. He wiped the blood from his bottom lip, the red liquid mixing with the make-up around his mouth. "Well, I warned ya."
If you thought to be at your lowest before, you surely didn't anticipate the man in front of you to just casually detach both his hands as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"M-Monster!" you shrieked as the gloved hands started flying to your direction, pausing for a sheer second as the word that fell from your lip made his chest narrow.
"Don't to-ouch me, you freak!" Ouch. That one hurt more than he cared to admit, so he covered it up by acting all confident and amused. "Takes one to know one, love."
Still, Buggy refused to believe that he or his presence might be responsible for this mess. He might've done a ton of mistakes in his life, but he was proud to call you one of the - if not the best - things he ever did right!
You must've hit your head really badly to act like this.
"It's only for your own good, sweetheart." Why the hell was that asshole calling you those names? To degrade you? To show you he doesn't take you serious?
No use in brooding about something so trivial as the most apparent threat were his hands. They were way too fast anyways, so you unsucessfully warded them off. Your wrists got pinned behind your back, tugging on you to lie on the bare floor, incapable to move.
"If you keep moving so recklessly your wounds will reopen, dear." You furrowed your brows together in confusion, eyeing the figure approaching you varily. "Look, I'll explain everything okay? Just calm down and let me help you. Stop making it harder than it has to be."
Never.
Trying to make any sense out of this situation left you with the only logical explanation: This...person right there was a pirate who - for whatever reason - had kidnapped and abused you to this point.
No matter how you ended up here, you needed to flee and get help, the sooner the better!
With every firm step of his towards you your alarm bells rang louder and louder, but your body was still weak and you had a disadvantage in both power and knowledge of your surroundings.
So you saved up your last ounce of strenght for one last, desperate attack.
"C'mon" he now said with a way more tender voice, and admittedly it was almost alluring in it's sound, weirdly enough pulling on your heartstrings. "Let's get you back to bed, should we? I swear upon the little honor I have, I'd never hurt you."
Liar.
"Fuck you!" you then roared just when he had crouched down in front of you, the force of your kick having sent him a good distance away and into the next best wall.
It took everything to not faint right then and there, but no matter who you were before all this, it seemed like you were no ordinary human either. So you went even beyond those limits and forced your legs to keep going...
...but not without shooting one last, derogatory and disgusted look towards your tormentor.
Buggy reached out of the collapsed wall with a shaky hand, your attack having kicked all air out of his lungs. He mutely called your name in between coughs and almost-sobs, still worried and wanting to plead for you to stay...
...but then you silenced him with a sentence that will be carved into his heart forever:
"Better not chase me, you ugly freak."
Maybe this was the punchline to the cruel joke that was your relationship after all.