Work Text:
“The first kiss tastes like lemon”
“Huh?” Buggy lowered the book he was reading to look at Shanks from his hammock. Shanks was sitting at the desk in their shared room, legs spread out on the table, the book wide open above him. The flickering candlelight cast a soft light on his features, and the moonlight streaming through the window created a stark contrast against his red hair. Buggy had to mentally suppress the urge to even think he looked remotely good. Having finished their cabin boy duties several hours ago, they decided to relax in their room, reading a book while they waited for sleep to overcome them and they finally passed out, as they usually did
“It's written right here,” the redhead replied, sitting up and showing him his book. “The first kiss tastes like lemon, it symbolizes the freshness and stimulation of young love” Shanks pointed to the paragraph with a goofy grin, almost expecting a reaction from the bluehaired boy. Buggy just watched him silently for a few more seconds, still not quite sure what his friend was getting at
"So…?"
“Don’t you find that interesting? It’s super specific for something as mundane as a kiss!” he exclaimed in amazement, turning the page back to him “I mean, why would it taste like lemon? I can’t remember the last time I saw someone eat a lemon, that if I ever saw someone do it” Shanks rambled aloud as he leaned back in his chair and lightly kicked his legs in the air, careful not to knock over the sails and risk setting the ship ablaze (again). Buggy snorted; of course Shanks loved to ponder the stupidest things without any shame; but unlike him, Buggy actually invested his time in things that were worthwhile. In this case, jewelry magazines
Buggy rolled his eyes and refocused on his own book, a small grin threatening his lips “Really? Well, I can’t remember the last time I saw a pirate reading a girly magazine and babbling about it; I guess there’s a first time for everything…” He really tried to hold back his laughter and act nonchalant, but when he saw Shank’s indignant pout out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing, gently rocking his hammock
“Excuse me, this is NOT a girly magazine. These are ancient miths about pirates and curses and legends and… and stuff like that! ” He defended himself while banging on the cover of the encyclopedia, which, indeed, was about ancient myths and legends “Any self-respecting pirate would recognize at least one or two things in here, so watch what you say” Buggy watched him unimpressed for a few more seconds before shrugging indifferently
“I don’t know what first kisses have to do with pirates,” he remarked dryly, looking up at the redhead “Rayleigh keeps saying it’s dangerous to fall in love when you’re a pirate wanted by the marine; it’s just a waste of time and brings trouble” Buggy smiled again as he hugged his gem catalog dreamily. “That’s why all I care about is treasure. Money, fame, power~ that’s something any self-respecting pirate would recognize instan-Hey!” He growled when he felt the redhead approach him without him noticing and snatch the magazine away
“Everyone goes after treasure, there’s nothing special about it,” he muttered, glancing listlessly at the magazine “And you know as well as I do that Rayleigh is head over heels for Lady Shakky. No matter how hard he tries to pretend her advances doesn't affects him, he’s fooling no one” He closed his eyes knowingly and shook his head with a mocking smile before looking again at his grumpy friend. Buggy gritted his teeth, feeling anger already bubbling up inside him as he stood up and pointed angrily at Shanks.
“So what? I’m not interested in stupid things like ‘ falling in love ’ or ‘ finding out what kisses taste like, ’” he scoffed, gagging at the mere mention of such corny nonsense coming off his mouth “I just want to get rich as soon as possible and live without any care in the world; which, by the way, I would have already achieved if you hadn’t made me eat that stupid fruit, you idiot!” he exclaimed, his bad mood growing
“Will you ever stop blaming me for that?”
"Never!"
Shanks just let out an exasperated sigh, having given up on his big-nosed friend letting the matter drop no matter how many times he apologized (even if he hadn't done anything) "Come on, aren't you curious? I thought you were one of Roger's pirates. Uncovering the mysteries of the world is basically what we do," he teased, playfully sticking out his tongue and winking. Buggy's eyebrow twitched, suppressing the urge to punch that face he hated so much right then and there
“Oh yes, Roger’s pirates, known worldwide for giving kisses and hugs to everyone unfortunate enough to cross their path…” he muttered sarcastically. It didn’t help his irritation that Shanks chuckled at his joke, but he let it go. “Besides, even if I wanted to, it’s not like I could prove that theory”
“Huh?” It was Shanks’ turn to be puzzled. Anyone else wouldn’t have noticed, but Shanks caught how his friend’s tone became slightly more subdued, or how his eyes glanced briefly down at the ground beneath them, or how his posture stiffened a little. But before he could say anything, the bluehair turned his head and glared at him with renewed irritation and another small grimace
“No 'Huh' me, you know exactly what I mean,” he hissed sharply, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed
Shanks blinked. It wasn't frequent to see Buggy so… hurt. He didn't know how to describe it, but this wasn't the usual whiny bad mood he loved to see on him; he seemed more resentful, almost as if offended that he didn't know what he was talking about
Whatever it was, he didn't like that expression
“No?” He tried again “I don’t understand why you couldn’t prove it. You’re as capable as anyone” Shanks crossed his arms firmly. It was almost comical to see Buggy’s face go from slight irritation to absolute surprise and then back again to frowning and gritting his teeth. Almost
“ Oh, of course you don’t know what I’m talking about,” he mocked, waving his hands and taking two steps toward him. “You try getting a kiss from anyone with THIS stuck to your face and tell me how it goes,” he complained, pointing at his face, more specifically at his big, round, red nose. Hearing that, Shanks’ heart filled with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he was relieved that it was just that ridiculous complex he had and not something personal against him, but on the other, his stomach clenched as he realized that he really did have such low self-esteem because of his nose. Shanks tilted his head gently, smiling affectionately, much to Buggy’s annoyance
"What does that smile mean?!" the blue-haired boy blurted out, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment
Shanks suppressed the urge to chuckle at the sight, aware of the danger that could bring. "Nothing, I'm just glad it's nonsense" He gave a small apologetic smile as he silently enjoyed watching his blush devour his ears
“NONSENSE?!” he shouted angrily as he grabbed his friend by the collar and detached his torso apart to look down at him menacingly
“Shhh! Speak more quietly, will you? You’ll wake everyone up” Shanks hissed, shushing him. It wasn’t the first time one of his crewmates had been woken up by their nightly fights, but he definitely didn’t want the punches to their heads to become a regular occurrence
Buggy's eyes narrowed in fury at his order, but he reluctantly lowered the volume of his shouts (for now) "Well, I'm very sorry if I'm not a magnet for girls and I can see it," he whispered threateningly. "A handsome guy like you doesn't know what it feels like to be looked at strangely everywhere you go, so don't you dare say it's nonsense"
Shanks, using every fiber of his being to ignore the fact that he'd just been called 'handsome by Buggy,' simply smiled brightly, unfazed by his grip on the collar of his shirt. "I say it's a nonsense because it's a nonsense. I bet you anything you want, plenty of people would be thrilled to be kissed by you, Buggy," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. And he said it so casually!
Buggy snorted humorlessly, giving him a look that was both curious and exhausted "Oh, really? Like who?" he said snarky
“Me, for example”
A silence fell over the room. Neither of them moved, Shanks because he had just processed what he'd blurted out, and Buggy because he was still processing what he'd blurted out. Buggy slowly set Shanks down on the floor after what felt like hours, his eyes wide open and his mouth flailing like a fish. Shanks was equally shocked, but he hid it much better. Idiot! You can't just blurt it out like that!
“You… said you’d kiss me…?” the bluehaired finally asked in a whisper, pointing to himself. His blush had momentarily faded when Shanks spoke earlier, but now he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, making his face feel hot again. Shanks shrugged slightly, his calm smile unwavering
“Yeah, why not?” He thanked the gods his voice hadn’t cracked “I mean, you’re not that annoying when you’re in a good mood, and you’re a really fun person to be with, even though 90% of the time you’re just yelling in my ear and trying to hit me…” He glared at him now with playful eyes and a malicious smirk, “Also, I think you’re kind of cute,” he added, knowing full well that his blue-haired friend would much rather receive other kinds of compliments than "cute". His response didn’t disappoint him in the slightest. If before his blush had reached his ears, now it had spread all over his face and down to his neck. Buggy stumbled in place, shocked beyond what he thought possible, his eyes threatening to pop out of his face
“I…you think…you…I-I…” he stammered foolishly. Shanks found his nervousness adorable, so he mustered up his courage a second time that night and pointed at him with another little smirk
“You’re red~” He teased. And it was true. His face was now only one or two shades lighter than his nose
That seemed to flip a switch inside Buggy “WHO HAS A BIG RED NOSE?!” he growled angrily, renewing his grip on his collar and pulling it closer to his face. In any other situation, Shanks would have enjoyed the proximity, but now he was more worried that the shouting might wake someone on the crew (that, and the fact that the fabric of his shirt, pressed tightly against the back of his neck, was starting to cut off his circulation)
“I said shut up, you’re going to wake someone up,” he whispered again as his hand went to his wrist and he tried to push him away. Buggy’s lips twisted into what could have been a disbelieving smile, an angry grimace, or an expression of surprise as he felt Shanks grab his arm. He loosened his grip on his shirt and jumped back as if he’d been burned. He suddenly found direct contact with Shanks a little overwhelming. Shanks just chuckled again at his nervousness
There was another, slightly more pleasant silence in the room, although Buggy still refused to look at the redhead, choosing instead to stare at the floor with his cheeks puffed out in a pout and his arms pressed uncomfortably to his sides
“Idiot…” he muttered under his breath after a few seconds, too shy to say what was really going through his head
Shanks considered teasing him a little longer, but he knew he was pushing his limits and decided to give him a break from his mock for now. He crossed his arms again. It wasn't fair that he was so cute, that he had the best reactions, and knew exactly what to do to melt the redhead's heart so easily. Shanks smiled warmly, deciding that if this worked, he would definitely call him cute more often in the future if that was his reaction
That's when he noticed the two abandoned books lying on the floor. He must have dropped them at some point, probably when Buggy pounced on him and roughly picked him up. Another mischievous grin spread across his face, remembering what had gotten them into that situation in the first place
“So, do you accept?” he asked out of nowhere, taking a step forward and extending his hand. Buggy jumped involuntarily at his approach, then felt a pang of frustration when he realized that something as stupid as Shanks approaching had made him flinch. That stupid redhead and his tactics to make me lower my guard… he thought, glaring at him from where he stood
Buggy glared at him "Accept what?"
“Kiss me” he replied casually. He was nervous too, but since he'd come this far, he wasn't going to waste what was probably his only chance to go all the way with him. Buggy gently opened his eyes again, though it seemed more like he was assessing the situation in his head
“I...uh I don’t think that we should… I mean, I…uh…” He gestured awkwardly with his hands, internally deciding exactly what to say. Noticing his indecisiveness, Shanks used his last resource in an attempt to convince him
“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” he stated, and Buggy turned to look at him and blinked again. “I mean, we’re just checking if what my encyclopedia says is true or not, it doesn’t mean we want to kiss eachother, right?” he supplied with fake innocence. Buggy’s eyes lit up as he now had a (terrible) excuse
“Yes! Yes, it doesn’t mean anything!” he declared, regaining all his confidence at once. “It doesn’t mean anything, and it’s completely normal,” he repeated, as if he needed to convince himself that this was the real reason they were doing this. Shanks, though holding back laughter, nodded at his words smugly
"Exactly"
"It doesn't have to mean anything!" the blue-haired boy repeated as his smile widened and he spun foolishly around the room
“Nothing at all” Shanks calmly agreed
Then he stiffened and turned to look at him suspiciously “And no one else will know about this, right?”
Shanks raised one hand and pretended to zip up his mouth with the other. "Not a soul"
Satisfied with his words, Buggy swallowed a lump forming in his throat and coughed into his hand. “Good,” he tried to sound nonchalant. Gathering courage from every fiber of his being, he set about closing the distance between himself and Shanks some more, moving closer with an almost mechanical gait. Shanks was too busy trying to calm himself to point it out anyway. He had fantasized about this moment more times than he would admit aloud, and even if it wasn't the 'ideal' scenario he had imagined (that one had a sunset, fireworks, and then a party that included even more kissing), he was going to enjoy it
Shanks gripped his hips once they were close enough, attempting to pull him even closer, which sent a shiver down Buggy's spine. He felt a burning sensation right beneath his hands, even through the fabric of his pajamas. All the confidence he'd gathered earlier vanished as quickly as the blush returned to his cheeks, suddenly aware of what he was about to do. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around Shanks' neck, trying to distract himself, but it backfired, as they were now only inches apart. Shanks flashed him one of his smiles that could melt anyone who saw it, tightening his grip on his hips, preventing that he might suddenly pull away and fly off
It was too much for Buggy's heart
“Just do it already!” he suddenly yelled, squeezing his eyes shut. Before Shanks could scold him again for yelling (it’s a miracle no one’s woken up yet), Buggy lunged at him, his lips awkwardly pursed… only for his big, round, red nose to bump into Shank’s before their lips even touched, causing a hiss of pain from both of them as they pulled back slightly to cover their aching noses
Shanks was the first to speak, opening one eye to look at him with a slightly furrowed brow "What was that?"
Buggy glared at him, frowning "You were getting really cocky!" he retorted, still covering his nose with his hands
Shanks rolled his eyes again. “Idiot, if you go too fast we won’t be able to savor it” His eyes widened as he realized how lewd that sounded. Buggy himself felt his heart race a little when he heard it, but neither of them brought it up
They recovered after a few minutes and returned to their previous positions, only this time Shanks' hands traveled all the way up from his hips to his face (giving the bluehaired goosebumps wherever they made contact) and finally rested on his cheeks "You have to turn your head a little, otherwise your enormous nose will get in the way," he teased as he carefully turned his head and his thumbs caressed his cheeks in circles to reassure him
“Don’t call it ‘enormous,’” Buggy said, a blush creeping up his cheeks again. His hands tightened around Shanks’ neck as he closed his eyes and pursed his lips slightly, waiting for the imminent touch of Shank’s lips on his
The sight of Buggy's pursed lips, his cheeks flushed, his eyes closed, was too much for the redhead's heart now. He tilted his head carefully, making sure not to bump noses again, and gently placed his lips on Buggy's. And it was absolutely wonderful. Feeling the warmth of their mouths against each other, the softness of their lips molding to the another, and how they awkwardly returned the kiss enveloped them both in such immense joy that they almost swore they were dizzy from the overwhelming sensations. It was a brief kiss, no more than four seconds, that left them breathless as soon as they broke contact
Buggy felt his heart pounding in his ears. I kissed Shanks. The heat in his face hadn't diminished in the slightest, but the nervousness before the kiss had completely dissipated, leaving behind a satisfaction that spread from his tingling lips to every fiber of his body
"Well?" A voice jolted him out of his daze. He lifted his head and saw his favorite redhead with his cheeks matching his hair color and a small sheepish smile on his face "Good?"
Buggy looked at him, confused, for a few moments before sticking out his tongue and noticeably licking his lips, causing a jolt of excitement in his friend, who followed his pink tongue with hungry eyes, wishing it were his own. “Yeah,” Buggy replied with a soft murmur, before licking his lips again and looking up to concentrate. “Although I wouldn’t say it tastes like lemon…” he added, completely shifting from a shy tone to a rather critical one
The redhead's eyes snapped open. He'd completely forgotten that he was supposed to 'savor' his first kiss. He'd been too busy enjoying his oh-so-soft lips on his and the adorable sight of a closed-eyes, completely flushed Buggy kissing him. "Oh, right, right, about that... I, uh... kind of forgot? To savor it?" he admitted, a little embarrassed. Buggy's eyes widened in horror before he frowned angrily
“THAT WAS THE HOLE POINT OF DOING IT!” he yelled, not caring much if he woke someone up. Shanks got on his nerves enough that he forgot about Rayleigh’s punches. “Sometimes you’re such an idiot! This was your idea in the first place, I don’t understand why I—”
“Five second rule!” Shanks suddenly interjected, grabbing his cheeks again and pulling him closer again
“Hu-MPPH!” Buggy began, confused, but was quickly silenced when the pair of lips he had kissed earlier were roughly slammed against his and began to suck
Buggy squirmed from where he was, too shocked to back away completely but not properly reciprocating, which didn't seem to bother the redhead, who continued to nibble and lick his mouth carelessly. It was when he felt his tongue rub against his lips and invade his mouth that Buggy decided it was too much and forcefully pushed Shanks away from him
Shanks stumbled a little from the sudden change. Once he steadyed himself, he looked up at Buggy, who had detached his upper body and was floating just inches from the ceiling, covering his mouth completely embarrassed
“Are you out of your mind!?” he managed to ask without shouting too loudly, his hands still over his mouth, his face a perfect match for the color of his nose. He could almost feel the steam escaping from his ears. Shanks pouted again, placing his hands on his hips and looking up at him
“You were complaining about me not tasting our kiss” Both Buggy and Shanks felt a pang of embarrassment upon hearing that phrase, but the redhead managed to continue without missing a beat “I was just trying to repeat it…”
"But that wouldn't be a first kiss!" he argued back, clenching his fists at his sides
“It does count. I said 'Five second rule' before kissing you, so it's just as valid as the first one,” he replied with complete confidence, chest puffed out. Buggy didn't know whether to get angry at him for his stupid logic or simply give up and accept that his first (and second) kiss had been with that guy
It was then that Shanks rubbed his tongue against his lips and palate, taking in the recent taste in his mouth. "Well, you were right, it doesn't taste like lemon at all," he said calmly as he tried to describe the taste. "I'd say it tastes more like... hot dogs!"
That statement snapped Buggy out of his embarrassment, and he looked down at him with a raised eyebrow “What? No, it doesn’t taste like hot dogs. It tastes like lobster,” he noted, recalling the phantom taste in his mouth. Shanks blinked again, completely confused
“I’m telling you, it tastes just like a hot dog! With ketchup and mustard and everything!” he defended himself again. He’d never been so sure of anything in his life; he could almost taste the bun and spices. Buggy frowned again, irritated by the redhead’s insistence
“I know very well what hot dogs taste like, and I’m telling you, it’s not like that. It tasted like lobster!” he retorted as he reattached his body together again and crossed his arms firmly
Both he and Shanks exchanged a silent glance for a few seconds before both turned their eyes to the encyclopedia still lying on the floor. Buggy spoke first. “I guess that myth is just bullshit then. Neither of us thought it tasted like lemon,” he muttered under his breath. Shanks nodded slowly
“I guess so,” Shanks repeated blankly, before turning to grin brightly at his friend. “Though I’m glad I checked that with you!” he said with an incredibly cheerful grin. Buggy felt another chill run down his spine. That stupid grin is going to kill me someday, I’m swear…
The bluehaired turned to pick up his jewelry catalog from the floor, tucked it under his arm, and headed for his hammock. The main reason for this was to keep Shanks from seeing how red his cheeks were, though he'd never admit it aloud. "It was a complete waste of time, that's what it was"
He settled himself carefully in his hammock so it wouldn't tip over and covered himself up to his neck with a blanket, still with his back to Shanks. "It's late, I'm going to sleep," he murmured, only slightly louder than a whisper. Shanks watched him for a few more seconds from where he was before shrugging and picking up his own book from the floor. "I don't think it a waste of time, it's been... quite interesting" He teased one last time, enjoying watching his friend's body shrink back under his blankets
He went over to the desk and blew out the candles, before climbing into his own hammock, which was above Buggy's, and pulling his own blanket over him. He stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes, grinning like an idiot the whole time
He was starting to like hot dogs
“Alright, boys, today it’s your turn to choose what we’ll have for dinner.” Rayleigh approached the two apprentices and smiled at them warmly. Since Roger’s ship didn’t have a designated cook (surprisingly), the crew took turns preparing the food every few days, that is, if they weren’t having a party when they landed on an island, of course. Both boys stopped scrubbing the deck for a moment and looked up at their master with excited smiles
“Great! I–”
“HOT DOGS!” Shanks interjected with a grin bigger than his face “I want hot dogs for dinner”
Rayleigh opened his eyes slightly, a little surprised. “Hot dogs?” he asked, puzzled. Those were Buggy’s favorite food, if he remembered correctly, so Shanks asking for them was a bit unusual. Buggy, for his part, looked at his red-haired friend for a few seconds before annoyance crept into his voice
“No, I prefer lobster,” he said calmly, but with obvious annoyance in his voice. Rayleigh blinked again, more confused than before. Wasn’t it Shanks who liked lobster?
Shanks turned to look at him with his own frown, not liking his tone much "We'll eat hot dogs," he replied curtly
“Lobster!” Buggy shouted, his face getting closer to the redhead’s
“Hot dogs!” Shanks shouted back a little louder and bringing his face even closer
"LOBSTER!"
“HOT DOGS!”
And… they had already started throwing punches and scratches, earning a few “ Go Shanks! ” and “ Don’t let him beat you, Buggy! ” from the crew around them. Normally Rayleigh would have punch them in the head as soon as they started fighting, but now the Dark King was too confused for the thought of disciplining his boys to even cross his mind. With all the commotion on deck, Roger himself was forced to leave his office and go over to the source of the problem. He watched with amusement as his cabin boys brawled for a few moments before deciding he wanted to join in the fun
“Come on, come on!” he cheered happily. “Whoever wins gets to choose dinner for next week!” he shouted before standing next to his second-in-command. That ignited a fire in both Shanks and Buggy, making them punch each other and shout even louder
“WE'LL EAT HOT DOGS!” Shanks yelled as he lunged at Buggy and knocked him to the ground to immobilize him, but an unattached hand grabbed him from behind and pulled him away as Buggy headbutted him hard
“WE’LL EAT LOBSTER!” Buggy yelled back as he flipped them both over so he was now on top, continuing the fight. The whole crew chuckled or cheered, enjoying the (common) spectacle of their pirate apprentices fighting
Roger himself chuckled with his arms crossed before turning to the Dark King and looking at him curiously. “What’s wrong with you? By now you’d be throwing a few good punches to stop them before they tear off an arm or something,” he asked in a friendly manner. Rayleigh sighed in exasperation as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples wearily
“Everyday I understand those two less and less…” he murmured weakly. Roger gave him a sympathetic look before letting out another of his characteristic laughs and looking back at the pair who were now trying to strangle each other. He couldn't help but grin
“Well,” he began, without taking his eyes off his boys, “there are all kinds of mysteries in this world… although some are more obvious than others.” He finished with a knowing gleam in his eyes
“HOT DOGS!”
“LOBSTER!”