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When Buggy next woke it was with a jolt and a scream lodged in his throat, his body disassembling to pieces in his fright. It had been a very long time since he lost control of his devil fruit like that but it had instantly calmed him, if he was still trapped in the jail cell then he would have been in agony, his fruit nullified by The shackles around his wrists and throat.
He could feel someone near him as his chest heaved, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to calm his racing heart. Whoever it was, he was thankful that they didn't speak, that they didn't try to touch him. His heart rate lowered immediately as a soft wave of haki washed over him, familiar, welcoming…
“Red…” he breathed, eyes opening slowly to see his brother’s concerned eyes beside him, book in hand that was immediately discarded on the bed as his brother got to his feet and carefully began assembling him, much like he did when they were kids and Buggy was still learning to hold himself together.
And like every time Buggy tried to do it himself, trying to recall all his pieces to not be a burden even though everything felt heavy. Sweat began to form as he struggled to hold himself together while Shanks aligned his parts correctly.
“It's okay Blue, let me help,” Shanks whispered softly once done, helping Buggy to sit up the best he could with one arm before grabbing a mug of water and holding it to his lips.
Buggy greedily sipped it down – his mama’s voice in his ear, slow and steady Blue, too fast and you’ll be sick, before relaxing back in the bed. His eyes gazed around the unfamiliar place, full of metal and equipment he would see in a hospital, but Buggy could feel the ocean around him, feel the movement. “How bad?”
“Malnourishment, scrapes, fractured bones, sea stone sickness but nothing was broken or damaged severely. Law and Chopper have been keeping an eye on you and before you ask it’s been two days since we broke you out.” Shanks replied softly, shifting to the side to place the book on the table.
A flash of red and straw out of the corner of his eye caught Buggy’s attention, his breath hitched the moment his eyes looked beyond his brother to see his nephew unconscious, chin to toe wrapped in bandages.
“What!?” He gasped out terrified, terrified that his nephew was hurt like he was after the war but this time thanks to him. Buggy would never forgive himself if Luffy was hurt severely… and he must be because he was still asleep, and hadn’t awoken in the time since Buggy had awoken with his cries of frustration and Shanks' encouraging words.
Shanks quickly sidestepped, blocking Buggy’s view of Luffy’s unconscious form on the bed. “He’s okay Blue, he’s okay.”
“He’s unconscious, Red! There are more bandages than skin! How can you tell me he’s okay, you flashy idiot!?” He snapped back, tears streaming down his face as he tried to detach to see his nephew once more. “What happened!? He was fine…”
Shanks grasped his brother’s face firmly, forcing him to look at him. “Our Little King is a stubborn one, Akainu tried to get to us when he gave you to Law. Luffy pushed his devil fruit a little too much in his rage and wiped the floor with the Mad Dog. But–But he’s okay Blue, just scrapes and burns, more exhaustion than anything. Chopper and Law have told me that this is on par for Anchor after a big fight, especially with Gear 5.”
Swallowing harshly Buggy fell back against the bed as the words hit him, eyes closing in relief that Luffy hadn’t been hurt too seriously, only to snap open, head whipping back around with wide eyes and realisation. What… our king? Does that mean? “Red… he… he did it? He made it?”
“He did,” Shanks stated softly, a proud smile on his face as he finally stepped over to Luffy’s side and brushed back the red strands, giving Buggy view of him once more. “He had just reached the island, had fought back all who opposed him when he was given word you were captured. He made sure that Laugh Tale was safe before he had his shipwright and helmsman spam something to reach me to save you.”
“I… I didn’t think he would come, that you would come…” Buggy admitted softly and ashamed, heart lodging in his throat as tears spilled over once more. “I’ve always been Buggy the Unimportant. The Unloved.”
A spark of Haki had Buggy glancing up at his brother who was now standing beside him. There was fury within his brother’s eyes, the likes that Buggy had never seen aimed at him. “Never say that again.”
Buggy swallowed and looked down, in for a berri, in for a pound. “But it’s true, Red. Growing up you were the most favoured, the most loved. I was loved sure but not… not like you. If you were in trouble someone always came for you, me… when I was… I had to find my own way out. It was worse after I ate the Devil Fruit.”
“Blue that was so far from the truth.” Shanks snapped back tired, his chest aching at the thought that his brother thought so lowly of himself and unloved. “I only got out of trouble because you were always there helping me, you’re my big brother, it was always you who saved me before Pops or Dad… Seas Blue how did you never see how worried Dad or Pops was when you played on the rigging, when you were on deck during the storms… They were terrified you would fall into the ocean, and no one would know. Pops cried after he dragged you from the ocean that first time and Crocus had to give you the breath of life. You were always loved.”
Buggy stared at his brother with wide eyes, voice small and broken when he replied. “Really?”
“Seas Blue, of course! Would I ever lie to you?” Shanks asked with a cracked voice, sadness thick in the tone. “You are very much loved, Blue, I’m so so sorry I made you think otherwise. That you ever thought that I would never come for you because I did, in a heartbeat the moment Anchor told me the news.”
A sob escaped Buggy’s throat as he pulled his brother close, wrapping his arms tightly around his brother’s frame and dragging him onto the bed, both of them curling up together much like they had done when they were younger. He laid there for a beat, letting the comfort of his brother sooth his battered soul and soaking up the warmth before the silence and the steady beep of the monitor began to bother him and he remembered something.
“Were you reading to me?” Buggy asked in disbelief.
Shanks stiffened. “I was reading to the room.”
“The room… the room!? Don’t lie you flashy idiot, you were reading to me.” Buggy teased with a huff of a laugh. “It better have been something I liked and not that trashy romance you love so dearly.”
“Hey! I have you know that it was indeed something you like… well would like.” Shanks replied offended. “One of Law’s crew gave me their thesis on chemical compounds and reactions. I was bored to tears Blue, to tears.”
“You sap,” Buggy chuckled at his brother's exaggerated bemoaning, stifling a yawn.
“Go to sleep Bug, I’ve got you and hopefully when you wake next Anchor will be too, you can lecture him then like I know you want to and then suffer his snake hug,” Shanks whispered with a chuckle as he stretched over and grabbed the book once more, starting from the very beginning.
Buggy hummed as he closed his eyes once more and settled, letting his brother's voice wash over him as he fell into a natural slumber. Buggy was lucky, so lucky to have a family like his, even if they were idiots.