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The collapse of Cross Guild is not loud or dramatic. There is no boldly proclaimed challenge, no fight that makes islands shake. No monsters fall. Even Morgans, who keeps track of everything on the Seas, would be hard-pressed to tell when Cross Guild started to fail.
Truly, the only ones that know are those directly involved. And even to some of those, the likes of Sir Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk, the story is only partly known.
Only two people know the story in its entirety. Though, as a bird perches on the Red Force with a letter tied to its foot, that number is about to become three.
This morning, Red-Hair Shanks will learn about the disappearance of Buggy the Clown.
~
"You seem awful confident about what Shanks is gonna do."
Shamrock turns around, from where he was staring out a window. Buggy isn't gonna ask what he was looking for. It has to be something. Because if Buggy has learned a single thing about Shamrock over the past few weeks, it's that he has some sorta purpose for everything he does. Sometimes a stupid purpose, but he has one.
Just another way he's different from Shanks. Not that Buggy can ever forget that, all it takes is looking at him for a moment. Skin's too smooth, back's too straight. All his clothes lying flat and perfect, in a way that would put Crocodile to shame.
It's in the way he looks at Buggy, too. Shanks is always warm, fond. Familiar. Shamrock looks at Buggy with nothing short of desire, now. Something greedy and hungry. Sometimes even more than that, like Buggy's the key to everything he's ever wanted in life. Creepy.
Flattering.
He's looking at Buggy like that right now, in fact. Satisfied, too, in the same way he'd been after he pulled his teeth out of Buggy's neck.
(Gentler that Buggy would expected out of an alpha like him. He'd had a cloth on hand, pressed it against the wound and held Buggy as his body shook through the sudden bond.
He'd even apologized for not waiting for a heat to make it easier on him. Bastard.)
"Of course. He will come for you. How could he not?" Shamrock says it like it's simple. Obvious.
Crocodile never once worried about Shanks coming after him when he came after Buggy. Neither did Mihawk, who Shanks still calls his friend. And here's Shamrock, who doesn't know Shanks at all really, not doubting it for a moment.
Really, that's probably why Buggy hasn't put more effort into trying to escape. Shamrock, since the first few days Buggy was here, has looked at him like he's worth something. Everything.
It's nice, even if he is a total nut job. He's a good looking one, at least.
But Buggy definitely doesn't want him thinking that everything is just going to go his way, so he shrugs. "It's Shanks. There's no point in trying to predict what the bastard's gonna do next, I learned that years ago."
Even if Buggy is sure that he, in fact, knows exactly what Shanks is gonna do. Some grand rescue, that Buggy will have to turn into something half-way reasonable on the fly.
Seas know the flashy idiot will make a mess of things on his own.
"I may not know my brother well." Buggy snorts. Because it's more like Shamrock doesn't know him at all, no matter how much he wants to pretend he does. "But it would be the height of foolishness to lose you. We share the same blood, he can't possibly make a mistake like that."
Buggy silently curses the blood that rushes to his cheeks at those words.
They're cheesy. Cheesey and corny and flowery and dramatic and ridiculous. Buggy would call it the sappiest shit he'd ever heard, if he hadn't heard worse during his past few months and Shamrock's prisoner turned object of affection. The guy speaks like he's from some sort of lane play.
Unfortunately, unlike anyone in a play, he isn't acting. Buggy would be able to tell if he was, and he's pretty sure Shamrock would be the worst actor he'd ever seen. The alpha isn't the type to lie, probably doesn't see the point in it.
Which is the kinda dumb opinion only stupidly powerful alphas like him can afford to have. It's infuriating.
It's also, horribly, incredibly charming. To hear all that lovey-dovey bullshit and endless compliments and know that Shamrock means every single damn word.
Still. Buggy is at least gonna pretend not to be affected, so that the idiot's ego doesn't get any bigger than it already is.
So he makes a show of rolling his eyes. "I don't know about that. He already lost me once."
"And I am sure he has regretted it ever since." The reply is instant, as Shamrock crosses the room to the couch Buggy is lounging on.
Hey, he might as well enjoy the stupidly fancy and comfortable furniture while he's here. Little bit of luxury is the least Buggy deserves for putting up with all this nonsense.
"Yeah, well–"
"Especially," Shamrock is close enough to snell now, mint and smoke and alpha. "Since it means I got to you first."
His fingers are gentle on Buggy's neck as they trace the mark that he left there. Buggy shivers at the feel of them.
And then shakes his head, firmly. "Nope! No regrets there, on either side. You can trust me on that one."
Like Buggy has tried to tell Shamrock several times now, but he just doesn't seem to get it. Has it stuck in his head that Shanks must have wanted Buggy, which is just ridiculous. Buggy would know if that was the case. And it never has been.
"I suppose it doesn't matter, not when you are mine now."
The really unfortunate part of this, Buggy figured out days ago, is going to be dealing with Shanks after Buggy convinces him to help kidnap Shamrock.