Chapter Text
It started as an usual chore day... Laundry before lunch, deck cleaning afterwards.
Shanks and Buggy are exhausted by the intense scrubbing, but pretty glad they got to finish early, so they decide to lounge below deck. They found a secluded spot away from the busy pirates preparing to get ashore, with just enough light filtering between the wooden planks, and they're laying on the floor, facing opposite sides but close by, stretching their sore muscles.
"Wow, temperature's much better here", relishes Buggy, "I really wish we'd stop passing by summer islands, and find cooler temperatures."
"I don't mind either way, as long as the islands are full of adventures..."
"Or treasure !"
"Probably both."
"Yeah, but still, adventure on a spring or autumn island..."
"What about winter islands ?"
"Too cold."
Shanks shifts on his side, fully facing Buggy. "You don't like extreme temperatures, I get it, but what if the best treasure is in the most unreachable places ?"
Buggy hums. "Hadn't thought o' that."
"See, you just have to be equipped but I bet you'd find the coolest treasures ever."
"I'll find more than you and I'll be the richest man in the world !"
Shanks chuckles, "Probably. But I'll be known as a great pirate too !"
Then Buggy smiles and holds a finger to point at Shanks, "Don't you dare have a higher bounty than me, or I'll come and get it to be even richer and even more famous !"
Shanks frankly laughs at that, of course Buggy would make a competition out of it.
[*]
Buggy still beams as he adds, "I'm serious, I'll chase you all around the Grand Line if you get all the riches."
His laugh fit barely dimmed, the redhead asks, "Would you ?"
"Of course ! I tell ya, I'll be a greater pirate than you, and you're so loud and obnoxious, I bet I won't even have to search for long before I find you."
"That's an option", Shanks snorts.
"What will you do then ?"
"I'll invite you for a drink."
"But we'll be rivals !"
"So what ? We're nakama, too."
Buggy blushes. "Yeah..."
"What ?"
"Nothing, it's just weird, to think we may be enemies one day... I..." The younger teen sighs, "I don't wanna fight you."
Shanks snorts, "What do you mean ? We fight every day."
"Y-Yeah, but... not for real, I don't wanna harm you for good."
The redhead hums. "We won't have to. There's no rule, we're pirates after all."
Buggy chuckles, "True. A nakama really is for life."
Now it's Shanks's turn to blush, "Yeah... it's nice to know we'll still be here for each other."
The blue-haired cabin boy turns his head to face Shanks. "What's with that face ?"
Shanks's blush intensifies and almost matches his hair. "N-Nothing. I just... I'm glad. To have you."
Buggy's eyes widen just a bit and he snorts, "Okay, enough."
"Say, Buggy ?"
"What ?"
Shanks moves forward just enough to place a chaste upside-down kiss on Buggy's lips, and he goes back to his position, not daring to look at his bunkmate. He acted on impulse and didn't really think about the consequences.
Buggy blinks once, w-what was that ? He blinks twice and, blushing furiously, mutters, "Stupid redhead, what was that for ?"
"Sorry, I just wanted to."
Buggy huffs – he's not going to let Shanks have his ways with him, he'll be damned if he's impaired in any way – and retorts, "No fair, you had me by surprise."
"What ?"
The answer comes out as a reflex, "I demand compensation."
Shanks blinks once, what was that ? He blinks twice, "Y-you want to-"
"Oh, shut up", Buggy interrupts – shut up before I change my mind –, and moves forward to meet the redhead's mouth again. He stays just a few seconds more than before, enough to register the sensation as weird, wet, warm, and strangely pleasing.
Shanks is grinning like a madman by the time Buggy went back to laying on his back.
"What ?"
"Nothing."
"Stupid redhead."
"Yeah, right."
"We're never doing that again."
Shanks pouts.
"Ever."
Shanks whines.
"I'll kill you."
Shanks sighs.
"And I'll still get a higher bounty than you."
