Archive of Our Own

A drunken man suddenly collapsed at Buggy’s feet, making him jolt in his seat.

“Damn it, watch where you’re dying.”

Wrinkling his nose, Buggy shoved the heavy, alcohol-soaked body away with his boot, then immediately leaned back in his chair as if nothing had happened. No one even looked over. It was hardly an unusual sight at this bar. 

The light was dim and the air was thick with tobacco smoke and sweat. Pirates, smugglers, bounty hunters, just about everyone in the room carried a weapon. The wooden table they were sitting at was covered in spilled liquor and greasy plates, but it was already the cleanest one Buggy had managed to find.

This was one of Buggy’s least favorite ports. The place was crawling with musky outlaw men and shady business at every corner, and the whole island was too poor to hold anything worth stealing. Most pirates loved it, though, because the World Government had abandoned it, which meant they could do whatever they pleased.

Normally, Buggy wouldn’t have minded stopping at a dump like this. The Roger Pirates could stock up on supplies, repair what needed repairing, and spend a few days without having to worry about the marines. The real reason he hated it was because…

“Now that's a face worth looking at.” A woman leaned shamelessly into Shanks's space. “What do you say, handsome? Buy me a drink and I'll make sure neither of us gets lonely tonight.” 

A group of women crowded around Shanks, paying Buggy no mind, as usual. The women in this bar were no less dangerous than the men, if anything, even grown men would have been nervous around how boldly they moved.

“You don’t even need to buy me a drink.” Another woman slid a hand onto Shanks’s shoulder. “In fact, the next round’s on me.”

Shanks only lifted his mug, politely slipping out of reach of the hands roaming all over him, his smile never wavering. 

“My captain taught me never to let a woman pay.”

“Oh? Pirate, of course.” One of the women stepped closer. “Half the deadbeats on this island are pirates. But I wouldn’t mind a pretty one.”

When her hand pressed onto Shanks’s chest, Buggy suddenly slammed his mug onto the table and shot to his feet.

“Buggy?” Shanks immediately turned to him.

“Bathroom,” Buggy muttered, already turning away.

Buggy shoved his way through the drunken pirates and shouting gamblers. Behind him, he could hear Shanks call his name, but the sound was quickly swallowed by the women still hanging all over him.

He could finally breathe when he stepped outside. The streets weren't much better. Pirates staggered between taverns with bottles in hand, sailors brawled in the middle of the road. But at least he didn't have to watch another woman drape herself over Shanks.

bump.

“Hey, watch it!”

Buggy had been too lost in his thoughts to notice he had walked straight into someone. He opened his mouth for a half-hearted apology, when the woman looked up at him. She was about to curse him out before her gaze landed on his nose. Then her eyes widened.

Buggy immediately snapped his mouth shut and turned away. Of course that was the reaction he got from women. Unlike Shanks, who could walk into any room and have all the women throwing themselves at him. Sometimes they even shot Buggy jealous looks for sitting next to Shanks, like he should be grateful for it. Yeah, lucky him.

It wasn't like Buggy didn’t understand it. Their crew had always said Shanks was going to break hearts when he grew up, while the closest thing they ever gave Buggy as a compliment was ‘cute.’

Buggy hated that word. Pirates weren't supposed to be ‘cute.’ They were supposed to be feared and talked about for their strength, skills, their treasures. Nobody looked at Roger and called him cute.

If Buggy was being honest, he didn't mind Shanks's face all that much. It certainly helped that the face kissing him every night was easy on the eyes. The problem was when they went out. Before, most women would back off when they knew Shanks's age. Apparently even pirates, thieves, and prostitutes drew the line somewhere. 

Unfortunately for Buggy, Shanks had turned eighteen last month. And he had already watched at least ten different women drape themselves all over Shanks today alone. Buggy immediately shoved those images out of his head before he could drive himself crazy. He started cursing Shanks out and blaming it all on him for dragging Buggy out in the first place.

“You called me?”

Buggy nearly jumped out of his skin. Shanks's face was suddenly close enough that Buggy could count every eyelash. 

Taking a moment to actually look at that stupid handsome face only made him more annoyed. Because he could totally understand why those women kept trying to kiss it.

“Fuck off,” Buggy grumbled. “Go back to your fan club or whatever.”

He turned away, but Shanks immediately caught his hand and fell into step beside him.

“Why’d you abandon me?” Shanks pouted, tightening his grip when Buggy tried to yank free. “They even tried to follow me when I said I was going to the bathroom. I only escaped because they started fighting over who got to come with me.” 

There was no brag in it. Shanks simply told what had happened, which only made Buggy even more irritated.

“Yeah, poor you,” Buggy said flatly. “Having to escape pretty women.” 

But he didn't pull as hard against Shanks's hand after that. It was easier to enjoy Shanks's company when nobody else was trying to put their hands on him. Buggy didn’t stop to think why he felt that way, but he just ignored it.

Shanks laughed. “Let’s head back and watch Ace for Roger and Rayleigh so they can go out too.”

***

Buggy combed his hair absentmindedly as he stared into the mirror. The dry winter air of the island had already left it frizzy. Unfortunately, the Roger Pirates wouldn’t be leaving for another week, so Buggy had no choice but to endure it.

He wondered if he could find something useful at one of the apothecaries he had passed in town. Women always seemed to have products for everything. But the only person aboard the Oro Jackson who even knew such things existed was Crocus, and Buggy would rather jump overboard than explain why he wanted them if it wasn’t for a medical reason.

He would never consider cutting it, though. In Buggy's very humble opinion, it suited his face perfectly… Maybe except for the ugly big red nose that made people incapable of looking at anything else.

Buggy lowered his eyes, mouth twisting bitterly. He had had the nose his entire life. This wasn’t even close to the hundredth time he had resented it. He should have learned to ignore it…

“Buggy~”

Of course, Buggy couldn’t even sulk in peace.

“Buggy, let’s sleep first.” Shanks let out a loud yawn. “I’ll help you comb your hair tomorrow.”

Buggy glanced over. Under the dim lantern light of their cabin, Shanks looked even more ridiculously handsome. The warm glow caught in his red hair and softened the sharp lines of his face. 

Shanks never cared about his looks. Though Buggy suspected he knew perfectly well that Buggy liked looking at his face and occasionally used that knowledge to get a kiss out of him. Buggy would rather die than admit it, though.

At the moment, however, Shanks was using that face to whine at Buggy and tug on his shirt nonstop.

“Shut up,” Buggy grumbled, trying to pull his shirt free. But Shanks refused to let go. “My silky hair requires proper maintenance. Unlike you, I’m civilized.”

Buggy clicked his tongue. Shanks’s hair was nowhere near his level. It was lucky if it got washed once a week, and it never saw a comb unless Buggy physically wrestled Shanks into a chair and forced him to sit still. And yet, it was still Buggy’s favorite hair to run his fingers through, which only made him more annoyed.

“Why do you need to comb it twice a day?” Shanks yawned widely again. “I think you're still cute with messy hair–”

“I’m not cute!” 

Buggy immediately launched himself at him, fully intent on wrapping his hands around Shanks’s throat. ‘Cute’ had become a sensitive word for him after all the nonsense at the bar earlier. 

Unfortunately, that was exactly what Shanks had been waiting for. He caught Buggy with ease, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he hauled Buggy off the chair.

“Hey, I haven’t finished my routine!” 

“I’ll do it for you tomorrow.” Shanks carried him toward the bed as if he weighed nothing, ignoring Buggy’s kicking and squirming. “Let’s get to bed.” 

When Shanks finally put him down, however, he immediately leaned over him.

“Hey, you said we were going to sleep–”

Shanks cut him off with a kiss. “Hm,” Shanks hummed against his lips. “We’ll sleep after this.” Then he was already leaning in again.

Buggy’s hands came up to push him away, but ended up clutching at Shanks’s collar instead. He hated how quickly he melted into the kiss, with Shanks gently tracing his lips before brushing their tongues together.

Buggy’s shoulders relaxed in defeat. His hand slid up to brush through Shanks’s hair, feeling his favorite red strands slip through his fingers. When he pressed Shanks’s face even closer, it earned him an amused chuckle before the only sound in the cabin was their bodies moving together.

When Buggy rocked his hips against Shanks, Shanks moaned into Buggy’s mouth before his hand came to grab Buggy’s hips and ground against him, their rhythm growing impatient. And between the two of them, Shanks had always been the more impatient one. He shoved their shorts down in one go, making Buggy gasp from the cold air hitting him.

“Shanks–”

Shanks’s lips slid from his mouth down to place soft kisses against his neck. One hand rested on Buggy’s waist while the other wrapped around his already throbbing length. 

Buggy pressed his lips together just in time to stop a moan from escaping, but a soft noise kept slipping out as Shanks started pumping Buggy’s length slowly.

“You’re so cute like this, Blue. Let me hear you.” Shanks immediately sucked at a sensitive spot, drawing a soft whimper from Buggy. 

“S-stop saying cute–”

Buggy protested weakly. But he had to tilt his head back when Shanks’s lips traced down to his chest. Buggy could barely think straight anymore. All he could focus on was where those soft lips touched his bare skin. His breath started to pick up as Shanks’s hand pumped faster.

Shanks placed a loud kiss against Buggy’s waist, before pulling slightly to take all of Buggy in. 

“But you’re so cute. The cutest thing in my world.”

Instead of making him angry, the words sent a strange shiver through Buggy that he didn’t know how to react to, other than giving Shanks a half-hearted kick.

Shanks only chuckled, grabbing one of Buggy’s legs and draping it over his shoulder. His other hand gave Buggy two quick strokes, before guiding it to his lips.

Buggy’s thoughts dissolved completely. He fully gave in, letting out a loud moan as Shanks licked at the precum before covering him with his wet mouth. His hand caressed Buggy’s thigh gently, but his grip was firm enough to keep Buggy from pulling away.

Buggy squeezed his eyes shut, but it only made things worse. His pulse hammered too loudly in his ears. He could feel Shanks’s tongue all too clearly, brushing against the tip first, testing, before swirling around the whole length. 

Buggy moaned out loud, not even caring if the whole ship could hear him. The rhythm built quickly, Shanks had never been the patient type. Buggy reached down shakily to grab at his hair, but Shanks didn’t slow down in the slightest.

“Shanks…I–”

Shanks’s mouth was too occupied to answer, so he made a deep sound in his throat in response. The vibration only sent Buggy over the edge faster.

Buggy’s legs tightened around Shanks’s head, but it didn’t seem to bother him. If anything, it only encouraged Shanks as he started to pop his head up and down, taking in more and more until Buggy hit the back of his throat. 

Buggy’s mouth fell open, but no sound came out. He glanced down and immediately regretted it. Shanks’s mouth was flushed red from taking Buggy in. But his eyes stayed locked on Buggy, unwilling to miss a single reaction. 

Buggy felt a tension building deep at his core, but he quickly yanked on Shanks’s hair hard enough to make him stop.

“Buggy? Did I hurt you?”

Buggy shook his head, taking a moment to calm down. “No... just–I want together...”

Shanks raised an amused eyebrow, but Buggy was still too dazed to feel embarrassed. He tugged on Shanks’s face, and pouted slightly when the man didn’t immediately budge.

Shanks only huffed before pressing one last kiss against Buggy’s thigh. Then he shifted up and leaned down to finally kiss Buggy.

Buggy pulled him down so suddenly that even Shanks let out a surprised sound before crashing into his lips. But he returned the kiss immediately. Their rhythm fell apart completely as they clung to each other, closing what little distance remained between them. 

Shanks tried to reach down, but Buggy only held on tighter, unwilling to leave even an inch of space between them. And Shanks would be damned if he stopped Buggy when he got clingy like this, so he shifted slightly until he finally took hold of their lengths together.

Buggy moaned into Shanks’s lips as he started pumping them together, but Shanks quickly swallowed it. Buggy let go of what little control he had left, completely at the mercy of the man holding him.

Their lips barely separated between kisses and breathless moans. Their bodies were slick with sweat, the air became too heavy and overheated with each movement.

Just as suddenly, a shockwave crashed through Buggy, and he didn’t even realize he was yelling Shanks’s name when he came. 

“Fuck, you’re so cute,” Shanks purred, kissing Buggy through it. “You’re going to kill me.”

Shanks kept kissing him even after he had gone limp, and with one final pump, he grunted as he released and dropped all his weight onto Buggy.

Buggy found it hard to breathe, but he needed Shanks’s warmth and weight on him just like this. His arms finally regained enough strength to wrap around Shanks’s waist.

“Buggy…” Shanks’s voice was just as breathless. He lifted his head slightly to press a kiss to Buggy’s neck. “You’re the cutest when you call my name like that, do you know?”

Buggy closed his eyes, fully intending to drift off like this. Maybe… he didn’t hate the word that much. Not when it sounded so sweet on Shanks’s lips.

***

When Buggy opened his eyes the next morning, Shanks wasn’t beside him. The sheets still held his warmth, and Buggy could tell he had been cleaned up by a warm towel. He smiled into the pillow, knowing Shanks would always take care of him.

Buggy rolled over and spread out across the entire bed. It wasn’t every day he got the bed all to himself. They had been sleeping together and sharing every nap since even before they got their own cabin. Shanks’s bunk had basically turned into Buggy's treasure vault years ago. 

Then Buggy paused, which meant… He sat up much faster than usual. With Shanks gone, he could finally try something he was too shy when anyone else was around. Buggy had tried getting rid of Shanks before, but explaining the concept of ‘personal space’ to Shanks was practically impossible. 

Buggy slipped out of bed and crossed the cabin to their wardrobe. Less than a tenth of the clothes inside were Shanks’s, and the rest belonged to Buggy. If Buggy hadn’t personally dragged him shopping every few months, the idiot would’ve been perfectly content spending the rest of his life with two shirts and two pairs of pants.

What Buggy reached for though, was a small box hidden beneath a pile of clothes. Shanks didn’t even know it existed, mainly because he never spent more than five minutes getting ready.

Buggy shot a quick glance toward the cabin door before opening it. Inside lay a single lipstick. It was old. Honestly, Buggy wasn’t even sure it was still safe to use. He had found it last year after a pirate crew attacked the Oro Jackson, probably dropped by one of the women in the crew.

Buggy still didn’t know why he had picked it up. But whenever he opened the lipstick and looked at the bright red color, he could never quite bring himself to throw it away. Despite having it for over a year, he had never done anything besides twisting it open every now and then and staring at the color.

He knew how lipstick worked. He had seen plenty of women apply it. Using it himself, however...

Buggy slowly twisted the lipstick up and looked at his reflection. Then, before he could put it away like he always did, he swiped it across his lower lip… When nothing happened, Buggy let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

It was just lipstick. Buggy didn’t know why he had been avoiding it for so long. Tentatively, he applied a little more. Buggy had never liked red on his face. The ugly red nose already took up more than enough attention on its own. But the red color on his lips… He didn’t hate it.

Buggy stared at the mirror, wondering what his crew would think. Shanks would probably be an asshole about it. Then again… Buggy lowered the lipstick slightly. Maybe… he would just shrug and ask if Buggy needed help, just like how he had learned how to wash, brush, and braid long hair just because Buggy liked having it. 

Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted from outside the cabin. Buggy jumped so hard he nearly dropped the lipstick.

“Shit!”

Instinctively, he rubbed at his mouth, which only succeeded in smearing the lipstick across half his face.

Another roar of laughter echoed across the deck. Buggy immediately perked up. He had never passed up the opportunity to stick his nose into other people's business. 

Everyone was gathered on deck, crowding around a newspaper. Buggy found Shanks in the middle of it.

“What is it?”

“Finally awake?” Shanks laughed before making room for Buggy at his side.

“You were in town with him yesterday, right?” One of the crewmates shoved the newspaper into Buggy’s hands. “Look at this.”

Buggy glanced down. The first thing he saw was Shanks’s face printed right in the middle of the page. Buggy blinked. This wasn’t a News Coo paper or some Marine wanted poster. Frowning, he skimmed the article.

“I know the women on that island are bold,” another crewmate snorted, “but I didn’t expect them to hold a popularity contest for pretty men.”

Across the top of the page were several portraits of men Buggy didn't recognize. And Shanks’s picture, to Buggy’s complete lack of surprise, sat comfortably in first place.

Gaban leaned over from the side and shrugged. “Lots of islands hold beauty contests for women. Guess somebody finally decided to do one for men.”

Shanks put on an innocent expression that was completely ruined by the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“I only let a very pretty blonde woman take my picture because she said she was documenting visitors to the island. I’d have told her to photograph all of you too!”

The crew immediately erupted.

“A very pretty blonde woman?!”

“And let us end up at the bottom of the rankings?!” 

They started shoving him from all directions and threatening to throw him overboard, while Shanks just burst out laughing. 

Buggy rolled his eyes. They had been together the whole time, so Buggy had been there too, and the woman hadn’t even been blonde. He doubted Shanks noticed women's appearances at all. He would call a woman strong, smart, or kind, never pretty. He was absolutely saying it like that just to annoy everyone. 

Buggy glanced down at Shanks’s picture smiling brightly from the center of the page again. The woman had taken both of their pictures. Maybe Buggy should be grateful she hadn’t included him in the contest. At least he didn’t have to see his face sitting at the bottom of the rankings while Shanks took first place by a landslide.

Before he knew it, Buggy had been edged off to the side as the crew crowded around Shanks again. He folded his arms. It was always like this. People naturally gravitated toward Shanks, drawn in by his smile and his stupid ability to make friends with anyone. Buggy knew too well, he had been the first victim of that.

Sometimes, he wondered if anyone would notice he had left if he didn’t speak up…

“B-Bunny–”

Buggy turned around to find Ace halfway out of Roger’s arms. 

“It's Buggy.” Buggy crossed his arms.

“Bunny!”

One-year-old Ace wobbled toward him on unsteady legs. Halfway there, though, he apparently decided walking was too much effort and dropped onto his hands and knees to crawl the rest of the way.

Buggy snorted. “Come here, you little brat.” 

He bent down and scooped Ace into his arms before the kid could drag himself across the filthy deck. Ace had learned to walk a couple of months ago, which had created an ongoing nightmare for Roger and Rayleigh. Their crew had then gained a new daily task: figuring out where he had wandered off to. 

“Bunny!”

Ace happily kicked his feet once he was settled in Buggy's arms. The little menace had also recently learned three words.

“Ace, honey, try saying ‘Rogerrr.’” Roger immediately leaned over with hopeful eyes.

Ace completely ignored him as soon as he got his hands on Buggy's hair, happily burying his fingers in the silky blue strands. 

“Ray-Ray... Shanksy!”

Roger looked devastated. Which was unfortunate, because Ace's tiny vocabulary included everyone but Roger.

Buggy felt absolutely no sympathy as he laughed in the captain’s face. 

“Hey!”

Shanks suddenly appeared behind Buggy.

“Why does he get to pull your hair?” He pouted. “I only tugged it once and you punched me really hard!”

Shanks reached out to poke Ace’s cheek. The kid immediately let out a dramatic fake cry and tried to swat his finger away. 

Buggy shot him a flat look. He glanced toward the rest of the crew, who had already moved on to arguing about something else. Shanks had probably lost interest in the conversation the moment Buggy wandered off, like he could never leave Buggy alone for more than five minutes. 

Now he was leaning over Buggy’s shoulder, making funny faces until Ace stopped crying and started giggling instead. Gently, one of Shanks’s hands came to untangle Buggy’s hair from Ace’s grip before the kid could accidentally yank out a strand. 

Buggy found himself stuck in the middle of their game again. Unfortunately for Buggy, even if most people didn’t pay much attention to him, he still had the full attention of the two most annoying people on the ship. 

***

Buggy stretched widely as he stood up from the lunch table. He felt so full he could drop straight into a nap, when Shanks suddenly grabbed his wrist.

“Wait. Are you doing anything? Let’s go into town together!”

Buggy grimaced. Normally, he wouldn’t mind spending time on land. But he would rather die of boredom on the Oro Jackson than watch another woman giggle at Shanks.

“Pass. I’m going back to the cabin.”

“What? Nooo.” Shanks immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Buggy’s waist and buried his face in his back. “I don’t want to go alone. Come with meee.”

Buggy smacked the top of his head, but Shanks didn’t even budge.

“You don’t have any chores today, Buggy,” Rayleigh huffed from the other side of the table. “Go enjoy yourself.”

Buggy hesitated. He didn’t want to refuse Rayleigh, but there was no way he was explaining the real reason. When he was still debating, Shanks suddenly dropped a heavy bag onto the table.

Buggy’s attention snapped toward the unmistakable clink of coins.

“Shopping. My treat. How about that?” Shanks grinned, fully aware he had just deployed his ultimate weapon.

Buggy rolled his eyes. Shanks’s money had always been their money. But he wasn’t going to turn down free shopping.

“Fine. Bring another bag.”

***

The town was a little more crowded than usual. Buggy tried to figure out what was going on, but Shanks kept trying to take his hand, forcing Buggy to yank it away every time.

“What’s wrong?” Shanks pouted. “I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.”

Buggy rolled his eyes. If only he could be as oblivious as the idiot. Buggy couldn’t stand another woman glancing in their direction. They would ignore him if he just walked beside Shanks, but two women had already gasped out loud when they saw Shanks intertwining their fingers.

“This isn’t the way to the shops.”

“We’ll go shopping later, promise.” Shanks grinned. “There’s something I want to show you first.”

Now that piqued Buggy’s interest. Shanks looked excited and... nervous? Buggy couldn’t imagine what could excite Shanks in a town like this after everything they had seen across the four seas. 

The crowd eventually led them toward a striped tent standing at the edge of town. 

Buggy tilted his head up. The thing was enormous. Bright banners fluttered overhead, painted with exaggerated faces and colorful animals. Laughter and music drifted from somewhere inside.  

“What is this?” 

Shanks didn’t answer. He just pulled Buggy through the crowd of people and children running around the tent. When they reached the entrance, Shanks didn’t even stop at the ticket booth. He just casually pulled two tickets from his pocket.

Buggy blinked. He was slightly surprised Shanks had managed to buy them without him noticing at all.

Inside was even louder. Rows of wooden seats surrounded a massive circular stage covered in sawdust. The audience was already packed shoulder to shoulder. This thing was pretty popular then.

Shanks led him halfway up the stands before dropping into two empty seats. Buggy tried to look around, but it was too dark and too loud. He couldn’t make out what anyone was saying.

He leaned closer to Shanks. “It’s crowded as hell in here. I’m leaving if you don’t tell me what this is.”

Shanks immediately grabbed his arm. “No! Stay, please. This thing, uh... I actually don’t know.”

Buggy blinked hard.

“You don't know? Then what the hell–”

“The women at the bar recommended it!” Shanks said quickly. “They said it’s good for a first date.”

Buggy grimaced at the mention of those women. But he was actually a little curious.

“What’s a date?”

Shanks shrugged. “I don't know–” When he saw Buggy starting to rise from his seat, he pulled Buggy down again. “I mean, I heard them say it’s a good place to bring your lov–your crewmate! Uh… I didn’t ask what was inside. Would’ve ruined the surprise, right?”

Buggy glanced around again. He could make out families, children, and plenty of young men and women together scattered throughout the audience. He had assumed this was some sort of family event.

“Alright.” Buggy finally dropped back into his seat. “But we’re going shopping if this turns out boring.”

Shanks nodded enthusiastically, already slung an arm around Buggy’s shoulders. 

Buggy stiffened at first. Then he leaned into it, just a little. It was dark enough that nobody could see them anyway.

Before either of them could say anything else, the lanterns dimmed. Buggy’s attention immediately snapped toward the stage. A spotlight illuminated the center ring as several performers rushed out from behind a curtain. 

In the next hour, Buggy didn’t sit down for a single second. A man swallowed a sword without a Devil Fruit. A woman swung high above the ring on nothing but a rope.

“I could do that with the ropes on the Oro Jackson!” Buggy pointed excitedly. “Not the sword thing, though. Maybe I should try–”

Shanks also cheered along with the crowd, laughing every time Buggy nearly toppled over the railing.

When the curtain closed for a break, Buggy finally sat down to pour himself some water, fully intending to spend another hour on his feet.

“We’re leaving this island tomorrow! Is there another show?!”

Shanks shrugged. “I don’t think so. The performers probably need to rest after those stunts.” At Buggy’s sulk, he quickly added, “This circus thing isn’t unique to this island though! I can definitely find another one for you on a different island.”

Buggy was on his feet before the curtain even opened. When the music finally died down, he could make out a man stepping into the center ring. 

At least, Buggy thought he was a man. The performer wore bright, ridiculous clothes several sizes too large. His face was painted white with exaggerated makeup around his eyes and mouth. And right in the middle of his face…

A giant red nose.

The audience immediately burst into laughter, not like he had told a joke, but simply because he owned the stage. He drew every eye in the tent without saying a word. 

Buggy couldn’t look away. The man stumbled around dramatically, waving his arms and pretending to trip over his own shoes, before suddenly lunging toward the crowd with a wild shriek, a jump scare that made all the children and several adults yelp in fright.

He was... scary too.

Even if he could make people laugh one moment, he still looked frightening enough to make people nervous. The red nose only added to his intimidating presence.

“What is that?” Buggy whispered.

Shanks immediately scrambled for the poster. “It's called... uh, a clown?” He glanced nervously at Buggy. “...Are you okay? We can leave if–”

Buggy didn’t answer.

The clown on stage had already switched back to grinning and commanding the audience’s attention. And the people who had been frightened only moments ago were immediately drawn to him again. Between all the impossible stunts and constant movement, the clown still undeniably owned the stage and held every audience member in the palm of his hand. 

Before Buggy knew it, the show had ended. And every performer came back on stage with the audience standing and cheering. Buggy saw the clown take off his nose along with his costume to bow alongside the others. So it wasn’t real.

Buggy knew his nose was rare enough to probably be one of a kind. But… there were people wearing fake red noses just to look like him.

“Buggy?” Shanks tugged his hand slightly. “Everyone’s leaving. We should also...”

Buggy let Shanks pull him outside. He could feel Shanks’s grip tighten around his hand, unsure what to say, but Buggy was still too deep in thought to pay much attention.

bump.

So he walked straight into another woman again. Buggy snapped out of it and cursed himself. What was the luck with him and women on this island?

“Sorry–”

“It’s okay–Oh, it’s you two!”

Shanks turned toward the woman as well. They recognized the photographer who had taken their pictures a couple of days ago.

“It’s perfect timing, actually! Can I take another picture of you in front of the circus?”

Buggy blinked, pointing at himself. “Me? But you only used his picture…”

She waved her hands. “Oh, you mean the beauty contest? It’s a rule that we can’t use famous performers’ pictures.”

“...Famous?”

“I don’t recognize you, to be honest.” The woman laughed awkwardly. “But with a clown nose and a pretty face like that, you’re definitely a top performer on some other island, right?”

Buggy let her take a few pictures after she promised she would send him copies. And for once, he stopped worrying about how his nose looked in front of the camera.

Then, just as Buggy finished giving the woman his Den Den Mushi number, Shanks grabbed his wrist and pulled him away.

“Thanks!” Buggy called, waving happily over his shoulder.

Then he turned back when Shanks’s grip suddenly became too tight.

“Hey, that hurts. Idiot.”

Shanks immediately loosened his hold. Though he didn’t let go.

Buggy stared as Shanks kicked at a pebble on the road, frowning. “What’s your problem?”

“She really liked you,” Shanks grumbled. “Kept calling you pretty and handsome and charming.” 

Buggy stared at him before making a face. Really? After weeks of him enduring women throwing themselves at Shanks, Shanks had the audacity to act like this because one woman happened to pay attention to Buggy instead?

So Buggy yanked himself out of Shanks’s hold. “Keep your women’s attention or whatever, asshole! I’m leaving.”

But Shanks caught his wrist again. “No! We need to finish the date list.”

Buggy was about to yell at him again, but then the shop Shanks pointed at caught his eye. He had noticed it on their first day on the island, because he had spotted the exact same lipstick he kept hidden in his closet.

“...At least let me buy you a lipstick first,” Shanks pouted. “I don’t like you using the one from that dead pirate.”

Buggy nearly jumped out of his skin. “H-how do you know?! Did you spy on me?!”

Shanks looked completely shameless. “Yeah. I always have my Observation Haki on you.”

Buggy was actually speechless. Why had he been too distracted to remember that? He was the one who had allowed Shanks to do it in the first place.

They had been arguing loudly enough in the middle of the street that several people had started looking over, and for once Buggy didn’t like the attention. So he grabbed Shanks by the sleeve and dragged him into the shop.

The store smelled faintly of flowers and perfume oils. Wooden shelves lined the walls, packed with glass bottles, lip colors, hand mirrors. The Roger Pirates definitely never stepped inside places with bright silk ribbons like this.

“Welcome, sweethearts!” A woman behind the counter beamed at them. “Know what you’re looking for?”

“Uh...” Buggy stared at the seemingly endless rows of shelves. 

Shanks tilted his head at him before pulling out the circus poster and pointing at the clown.

“Do you have this?”

The woman took the poster and studied it, not questioning why two clueless teenage boys had stepped into her shop. 

“Of course!” She smiled brightly. “Do you want cream, powder? Crimson, ruby, cherry, or scarlet? Matte, satin, or glossy finish? 

Shanks’s mouth fell open, absolutely dumbfounded. So Buggy decided to step in and rescue him. At least Buggy knew half the words she had said. Hopefully.

Shanks waited off to the side, watching curiously as the woman even offered to do Buggy’s makeup.

“Thanks... We’ll buy all of it after.”

Buggy was usually more than happy to steal things if he wanted them. But at the woman’s kindness, he couldn’t bring himself to even consider it.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” She gently brushed something on his cheeks. “Most boys don’t have someone to teach them makeup. Even as a girl, I always wished I’d had someone teach me about the things I loved earlier.”

Buggy stared at her through the mirror.

“It’s normal that boys...?”

“It’s normal to do anything you love.” She winked. “Besides pirate stuff like stealing and killing, of course.” 

Buggy flinched a little, suddenly feeling like she knew too much.

“Especially with pretty long hair like yours. It’s kind of a waste not to have a lip color that complements it!”

She finished tracing the color along his lips and stepped aside. 

Hesitantly, Buggy looked up. Sharp blue streaks stretched on his eyes, making them seem larger and slightly unhinged. Red paint extended the corners of his mouth into a smile that looked unsettling.

Buggy loved it.

Shanks placed a hand on his shoulder then, watching Buggy’s face through the mirror.

“It’s cute on you.”

Buggy whirled around immediately. “It’s not cute! It’s scary! I’m a scary pirate!”

Shanks pointed at the color on Buggy’s lips. “This is clown makeup, though.”

“Then I’m a scary clown pirate!”

Shanks tilted his head thoughtfully. “That sounds unique, I actually like it. Maybe I need a title too...” He grinned brightly and pointed at his own hair. “How about Red-Haired?” 

Buggy looked completely unimpressed. “Can you be any more boring?”

Though when they looked at each other, they burst into laughter.

Shanks and Buggy waved goodbye to the woman after buying what was probably half the store. Buggy had found too many things he wanted to try, while Shanks looked ready to vibrate if he had to listen to one more shade of red.

When they stepped into the port, though, Buggy slowed down. He hadn’t even thought about it when Shanks talked him into trying everything. But his crew had never seen him like this...

“Buggy, can you walk faster? These bags are gonna drown me.”

Shanks’s face was buried behind a mountain of shopping bags after volunteering to carry everything so Buggy wouldn’t ruin his makeup. Buggy was still hesitating when suddenly…

“Shanks! Buggy!”

Roger leaned over the ship’s railing and waved at them. “You’re late for dinner!”

Buggy slowly looked up. His grip tightened around the shopping bag in his hand before he even realized it.

“Oh, I was wondering why you were late.” Roger’s gaze landed on his face. Then he simply waved them over. “Come on. Are those bags for that face paint stuff?” 

Buggy watched as Shanks jumped onto the ship and immediately let Roger help with the bags. Roger only raised an eyebrow at him.

“These are heavy. If you used all your treasure shares on these, I’m not giving you more.”

Shanks stiffened immediately.

Buggy climbed onto the ship behind them. When Roger and Shanks simply started walking off as if nothing was different, he suddenly grabbed Roger’s sleeve. 

“...You don’t ask what these are?”

Roger glanced down at him, slightly surprised. “Well, uh...” He scratched the back of his head. “I’m not exactly interested in different shades of red. I can already spot, what, ten different ones in that bag.”

Buggy stared at him, unsure how to explain what he was really asking. Luckily, Rayleigh stepped up behind Roger and nudged him in the side with a sigh.

“What?” Roger blinked.

Rayleigh ignored him and rested a hand on Buggy’s shoulder instead.

“Buggy, you don’t have to look so worried,” he said gently. “We’re your crew. Nothing changes just because you put some color on your face.”

Buggy lowered his head, suddenly feeling his eyes burn. Was it worse because of the blue paint around them? 

“...It’s called makeup.”

“Right. Makeup.” Rayleigh ruffled his hair. “Looks good on you, too.” 

“Did I hear makeup?”

Gaban suddenly appeared from below deck.

“You have no idea how much Ripley spends on that stuff.” He shuddered dramatically. “And considering she’s a giant, she needs about a hundred times more than us!”

The whole crew had already latched onto the topic of how many more supplies giants needed than humans.

“It’s that expensive?” Roger raised an eyebrow. Then he nudged Buggy with a grin. “Well, if Shanks runs out of money, you can always come shopping with me instead.”

“What?! No!” Shanks whipped his head around so fast he nearly dropped a bag. “Buggy’s my date! I’m the one buying stuff for him!”

Buggy couldn’t really follow the conversation this time. He just stood there in his makeup, looking nothing like the Buggy he was used to. 

Yet nothing had changed. His crew still laughed the same way. And the people he loved still looked at him the same way.

“Huh.” Shanks rubbed a finger across Buggy’s cheek after returning from stowing away the bags. “It doesn’t come off. Are you gonna look like this for the rest of your life?”

Buggy slapped his hand away. “She gave us paint remover. Were you even listening?”

“No.” Shanks shrugged. Then he wrapped an arm around Buggy’s waist and made an easy leap up to the crow’s nest.

“Dinner’s ready soon. I need a quick rest.”

Buggy rolled his eyes, not even bothering to complain about being hauled around like cargo. Shanks would break his own neck before he let Buggy fall anyway.

They settled down in the crow’s nest as the sunset painted the ocean gold. Shanks rested his head on Buggy’s shoulder, his arms never leaving Buggy’s waist.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The sea breeze drifted through Buggy’s hair. Below, he could finally hear Ace crying after waking up from his nap. Buggy snorted to himself. Maybe he would try scaring Ace with this face later.

“Go on another date with me tomorrow,” Shanks muttered into his neck.

Buggy glanced down at him. “We’re leaving this island in the morning.”

“You don’t need a circus to go on a date! We can hang out on the ship!”

“What’s the difference, then?” Buggy snorted. “You don’t leave me alone for a second already.”

Shanks lifted his head slightly. “Those women said people who live together still go on dates.” He frowned, trying to recall. “You get to dress up and do special things and stuff.”

Buggy paused. Suddenly, he found a very good reason to do the clown makeup again tomorrow.

“Fine, then… And I’ll wear makeup again.”

Shanks immediately gave him a bright smile, before burying his face into Buggy’s shoulder again.

“You really think I’m the same despite...?”

“Hm.” Shanks hummed against his shoulder. “You’re always cute.”

Buggy didn’t even bother arguing. Maybe that was the only word in his idiot’s vocabulary.

“Though, I do think you’re cuter when you know how to love yourself.”

Buggy went still as Shanks’s fingers brushed against his nose. But he didn’t swat his hand away this time. Suddenly, he felt so stupid for resenting something Shanks and the Roger Pirates had gone out of their way to make sure he never had to be ashamed of. 

Shanks’s hand slipped down to intertwine their fingers.

“You’re my sun. And my sun shines the brightest when you smile.”

Buggy groaned. “I was at the bar too, you know. Don’t copy those women’s flirting on me.”

“I’m not.” Shanks sounded genuinely confused by the accusation. “They just happened to say exactly how I feel about you.”

Buggy tried pushing him away, mostly because he could feel the heat creeping into his cheeks. But Shanks only tightened his grip and refused to move.

Eventually, Buggy relaxed. It had been a long day for him too.

When he glanced down at Shanks’s glowing red hair, even the sunset seemed dull in comparison. He hated that he understood exactly what Shanks meant. Because every time Shanks smiled, Buggy could see his brightest sun too.