Chapter Text
The wind howled through the masts of the Oro Jackson, the sea stretching endlessly in all directions. It was the kind of night that made Shanks feel restless, the weight of something unspoken pressing against his chest.
Tonight had to be the night.
He had the ruby clenched tightly in his palm, its edges digging into his skin. A heart-shaped jewel—one he’d spent weeks searching for, bartering away every spare coin he'd gotten from raids, all because he wanted to give Buggy something that felt... real. That showed how much he—
Shanks exhaled sharply, his nerves rattling like the sails in the wind.
He wasn't great with words. He always got tangled up, made jokes when he didn't mean to, laughed when he was nervous. But Buggy was different. Buggy was fire and fury, always brimming with something that made Shanks want to chase after him, to match his intensity, to—
"Oi, what’re you brooding about over there?"
Shanks snapped his head up. Buggy stood before him, arms crossed, cocking his head with that ever-present scowl that never quite reached his eyes.
Shanks swallowed hard. "Nothin’. Just—uh." He uncurled his fingers, revealing the ruby glinting under the moonlight. "Got you somethin’."
Buggy’s eyes widened as he took a step closer, the light catching the red gem in a way that made it look like it was glowing.
"Wait. Is that—?" Buggy snatched the jewel from his palm, holding it up to inspect it. "This is... really expensive."
Shanks scratched the back of his head, suddenly regretting every choice that led him here. He should’ve just kept his mouth shut. "Yeah, well... I—I wanted to—"
Buggy pressed the ruby against his chest. "I... love it."
Shanks froze. His heart nearly lurched out of his ribcage, his ears ringing. Love. Buggy said love.
The word was a tempest inside him, tearing apart his restraint. He could only stare as Buggy turned it over in his hands, his expression unreadable.
"Well." Buggy shifted, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. "I don't have anything for you, so..."
Shanks barely had time to process what was happening before Buggy leaned in. The space between them collapsed, their noses almost brushing, the ocean breeze wrapping around them like a whispered secret.
Buggy hesitated. Shanks could feel his breath, warm and unsteady.
"Shanks..."
The way Buggy whispered his name sent a shiver through his spine. Then, just like that, Buggy closed the distance, pressing a long, lingering kiss to Shanks' lips.
The stars blurred above them. The ship swayed, but Shanks felt steadier than he ever had before. He kissed back, slow and uncertain at first, then with the kind of conviction he always struggled to put into words.
When they pulled away, Buggy let out a breathless laugh, his face burning even in the dim light. "You really are an idiot, y'know that?"
Shanks grinned, his hand slipping into Buggy’s, squeezing tight. "Yeah. But I'm your idiot."
And under the starlit sky, aboard the ship that carried their wildest dreams, Shanks finally let himself believe that maybe—just maybe—Buggy felt the same.