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The mild annoyance and repulsion Shanks felt towards weddings was never, at least in his opinion, a radicated hostility that came from the bottom of his very being. He just didn't like the stamp of the whole ceremony, too formal. Imagining standing still, stiff like a soldier in front of a person he'd seen in every possible shade of humanity, during an awkward and soporific sermon "to make it official and everlasting", or "to have a legitimate contract" was a concept out of his grasp.
The very slaughter of love and intimacy.
That until he had the occasion to briefly change his mind.
That was a special day for the Red Hair Pirates since one of Shanks' Nakamas had finally tied the knot. The celebration had been overall enjoyable, and Shanks had been the most joyful person on Earth for the whole day. Not a headache, not a flinch at the tremendously loud squalls during the party; not even once he'd felt the urge to get away to rest the eyes. At first, the right word to describe it had seemed to be "unbelievable", but the captain understood soon enough that he simply felt calm, at ease. By looking at any one of the guests, Shanks had only perceived a sense of community, hell even family. When the function was around halfway done Shanks had ever felt, all out of the sudden, confident about his elegant attire: a pair of black trousers with a pattern of orange suns connected by golden lines, the whitest and less stained of his low-cut shirts, and of course his black cape.
When the sun started to set, the captain had decided to be magnanimous and host the drink-till-dawn part of the celebration on the Red Force. As he stared down at his cup of sake later that night, Shanks decided it had been a good day. For a second, he even wished for a certain someone to be there with him, but it was still a little soon to start asking for the Moon.
"Benn?" Shanks called out, eyes still fixed on his drink, as he idly moved the cup around.
Whilst the captain wasn't so much drunk as pleasantly tipsy, Benn had crossed the point of no return a couple of drinks before. He usually wouldn't go anywhere beyond mild dizziness because the mere thought of being left at the mercy of anyone on that ship was terrifying. Nonetheless, he'd made an exception for the occasion, thinking that for once he could sustain a compromising conversation and spill out whatever his drunk self could think about. The very fact that Benn could sit at the same table as Shanks and understand whatever came out of his mouth was a miracle.
"Yes?"
Shanks suddenly curved his lips in a pout, looking quite disappointed.
"When are you getting married?" even his voice was whinier than usual.
In any other occasion Benn would have scoffed and laughed it off, but this time around he considered the question a very fair one.
After taking his time to collect his thoughts, Benn crossed his arms and answered.
"Never. I'm not getting married".
"C'mon Benn I had so much fun today, I even got to make a speech".
"I'm not getting married so that you can have a fun evening" Benn squinted as he poked with a fork the food on his plate. "And you wouldn't get anything done without me around here" he blurted out in the end.
"Do you want more leave time for your honeymoon?" Shanks teased him but ended up thinking about how strange would be not to have Benn around. Ironically, Shanks was perhaps the only person with the power to keep the first mate anchored to the Red Force forevermore, and at the same time, he would be the first one to start celebrating the day Benn would come and tell him "I've found someone". Shanks gave his first mate a good look. Maybe it was because having Buggy around again had been a wave of therapeutic freshness, but he wanted to share so much that same satisfaction with Benn. "Whatever you want as long as we can celebrate like today".
"Oh no captain" Benn flapped his hand around, trying to dismiss whatever hypothesis Shanks was phrasing in his mind. "I don't think I'll ever love someone or something more than being here with you guys, so if it happens, if I do find a love then I'm gone".
Benn wasn't all that sure of his words, but it was logical and he had a one-track mind about this kind of thing.
"It's so far from reality that if it happened, you know completely shattered world, emotions never felt before" his eyes lightened up as if he had finally found the right course of thought. "If this is the best" he set a secure eye contact with Shanks, as he opened his arms to address the whole room "for someone beyond the best I'm leaving, no doubt".
Shanks licked his lips, unable to stop grinning. "Really?".
Benn shook his head vigorously, seeming very convinced. "Sorry guys!" the man shouted among all the chattering around him.
"Sorry about what?" Yasopp asked as he and Lucky Roo went sitting at Shanks' sides.
Drunk-Benn lured people as a lampost does with moths.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion" Shanks pointed out, glare stuck on the older man.
The moment the whole group fixed the eyes on Benn, he was lucid enough to understand it was too late to save his dignity.
"Besides, why am I the one who's got to get married? Why don't you do it Shanks?".
Shanks scoffed immediately without even noticing the knowing looks that flew around the table.
"And to whom, pray tell!".
"What about your forbidden romance with the Shichibukai?" Roo elbowed his captain, grinning helplessly.
Shanks forced every muscle of his body not to react, spluttering nonetheless. Fortunately, he choked on his own breath. The cough that followed gave him enough time to avoid the helpless show of pity everyone was expecting. The it's not like that, or the frustrating attempt at taking distances it's just sex were off the table.
"Nah, Benn hates his guts" Shanks tried for a saving, "must have meant in general".
He was pathetic, wasn't he? Trying to separate private life from... another level of intimacy as if his so-called privacy weren't already of public domain around there.
"Yeah, I noticed". Yasopp said, giving Shanks a warm look up and down.
"I think he's interesting. Must have a lot to say about explosives".
Shanks found himself unable to glance anywhere else but to his glass.
"Oh so now we're giving opinions?".
There was a second of silence.
"Ok". It was good after all; it meant they were back on silly talk (not that that the topic was ever serious but to Shanks, it had felt that way).
"So we got hate" the captain lifted his pint in Benn's direction, "interesting" gave a glance to Yasopp, "and-".
Shanks had planned to let the question hanging, but Lucky Roo was more than prepared with his consideration (perhaps he had from the very moment he saw Buggy for the first time, but never had the chance to speak his mind).
"Completely off the deep end, but in a good way".
Shanks scoffed, then took another sip to keep his mouth occupied.
Marriage. Just the word was enough for him to make a face.
Of course, every example of conjugal life in Shanks' experience had worked out just fine! Look at Roger and Rouge, at Oden and Toki. As he slowly slid into a very dark place of his mind, Shanks came to think that even the nice couple of that day was destined to be separated " 'till death does them apart", theirs or Shanks' wasn't important.
Yasopp too had seemed gloomy for the whole day, and he had every right to be.
A fun consideration was seeing dunk Benn and gossip on Shanks' life as the best drugs available against that bitterness. The Yonkou had another one in mind, but he couldn't just use Buggy as a panic relief. Panic? Kind of a strong word really.
The topic switched soon enough, and with a lightness Shanks wasn't expecting. Why should it be otherwise anyways? Yes, on the Oro Jackson whatever little romance of his was a big deal, something private, a secret (everyone could discover at any time), a source of banters that would make him blush on every occasion. Boy, it was probably quite a show. It was perhaps the less invasive part of life on a crowded ship such as Roger's in hindsight.
Shanks came to think that the self-consciousness of his young years had stuck pretty much ultimately to his skin. So now he kept considering his private self shockingly different from the face he put on pretty much for every other aspect of his life. At the end of the day, the only person who felt shockingly betrayed and uneasy after a remark supposedly out-of-character was only Shanks.
The Yonkou was also convinced that Buggy understood that concept of duality very well, or at least he hoped so.
When Shanks came back down to Earth, the conversation had shifted to a gun-to-your-head kind of game. The current dilemma was between having to swallow half a cup of piss and having to drink a whole gallon of seawater. More people had gathered around. There was a resilient bunch (of which Benn was part), who kept on saying that the safest option would be to knock out whoever held them at gunpoint. Yasopp, being the one who proposed the game in the first place, was starting to lose his temper.
The captain realized it was too late to speak his mind, so he just thought for himself that no, he wasn't getting married either.
Give it a couple more minutes to drink up his glass, and Shanks was excusing himself to his cabin. the king-size bed was perfectly unmade, cozy, and slightly sweaty as it should be. throwing himself face down on the mattress, Shanks's chest brushed against the comfortably itchy wool blankets.
He remained perfectly still with eyes shut for a relatively long time, feeling upset for no apparent reason as he tried to pinpoint the moment things went from perfectly jolly to unsettling gray.
The only impulse that hovered around Shanks' mind was to feel a bit of that wave of freshness on his skin. Just a quick call, a change of air.
Shanks sighed as he got up and dragged his feet to his desk, where he'd set a small environment for his new roommate. Indeed, there laid a small den-den moshi that was something between a radio and a phone. It had been Buggy's idea; Shanks had only thought about letters and vivrecards to keep in touch, he had really believed it would be enough, given his need to wander the world as free as possible. He was wrong. Besides, having a little bud to look after had been a cheerful activity, cheerful and private (again, on the Red Force private and public domain might as well be synonyms). The science behind the mechanism was a complete mystery for the Yonkou. He only knew they used to have something similar on the Oro Jackson, that it wasn't risky as long as the calls were sporadic, and that at the moment he could not care less.
As he dialed the number trying to remember the correct code, Shanks' stomach bottomed out. The snail stared into nothingness with those void eyes, and it wasn't inspiring in any way: Shanks had absolutely nothing on the tip of his tongue.
At least it started ringing. What if Buggy was busy or asleep? No one would know Shanks had called. He might as well go back to his bed, so if really no one were to answer, he could still pet his new friend and fall asleep.
If Buggy was on the island, Shanks could ask about his day, or about the most recent idiocy his bunch had pulled off to make him lose his temper.
There was however a significantly big chance for Buggy to be around the world on a business trip. If that was the case, Shanks could ask what time it was there and... And?
The phone kept ringing.
He felt a little awkward; they could share all that kind of details with correspondence, or by arranging a date with their vivrecards. Although Buggy did contact Shanks to talk about his day, that time around it had seemed something crucial, almost a need.
Shanks secretly enjoyed those situations: Buggy would come to him and simply ask for his presence. There was something special about it, there had always been.
Still no sign from the other end of the line.
At the end of the day, it was better that way. Maybe wait a little more, then Shanks could hang up and channel all his thoughts in a letter that could make sense and that wouldn't start and end with "What time is it there?".
What he'd failed to acknowledge years back, and that he'd barely started to notice just thanks to these classified exchanges, was that Buggy always answered his phone.
Buggy tried to silence the insistent ring of the den-den moshi by hiding it under his red robe. Then it was a matter of being quick and reach his cabin of courtesy as soon as possible. Once he'd locked the door behind him, Buggy would have really liked to know what the heck that redhead was even thinking. Calling like that out of the blue.
"What?" Buggy snapped, as he gave an accusatory look at the snail, forgetting it wasn't Shanks' face.
As expected, Shanks' tongue became heavy. Skipping every kind of greeting or excuse, he asked the only thing he remembered.
"So, what time is it there?" he couldn't even imagine how cryptic it sounded.
It wasn't easy to leave Buggy speechless, but Shanks had always managed somehow. At least his thone was low, it didn't transmit any sense of peril nor rush. Because of that, Buggy didn't know whether to feel relieved or even more preoccupied.
A big sigh came through the receiver, along with a frantic clatter of unknown nature. It was really just Buggy, who'd decided it was about time to peel off his flashy-star shichibukai gear. Without the hat, the wig, and the illusive vest (which Alvida had even dared to call a blanket) Buggy was left alone in his striped t-shirt and fabric trousers. He couldn't have felt more naked if he really were.
Buggy scraped his scalp, hair up in a ponytail. He went sitting on the bed, which wasn't as flamboyant as his, but comfortable enough.
"Here," Buggy brought his lips close to the receiver, "not sure where really, it's midnight. Care to elaborate?".
Shanks went sitting, starting to feel already better.
"Just a curiosity" then it just came out of his mouth, "here it's two. Do you think that we could meet if we sailed one hour each- it doesn't work like that, does it?".
Buggy would have lied if he said he was surprised.
"Are you drunk? You must be drunk".
"No, not tonight. Just wanted to chat" Shanks briefly paused, "you have time?".
Buggy laid back against the wall, glancing towards the door as he made sure it was completely locked. To anybody else, a chat proposal would be as simple as that, but last time Buggy wanted to have a conversation, it hadn't been only an excuse to complain about Galdino. He still felt a bit off about his situation.
"I'm on a sort of business trip. Don't worry it's not Marine-related, it's not the right time to sell you out yet".
He felt proud for the chuckle that came from the other end of the line.
"It's not my ship, and I only have Richie and Mohji with me, because you think a lion should be fuckin' intimidating". Buggy'd never been a fan of Shanks' side-splitting laughter, but he had to admit that the light, amused chuckle was a whole different deal.
"But they're getting to know him" Buggy clicked his tongue, "bribe him with food- well, him and Mohji. It's a lost cause".
The clown enjoyed that last chuckle until it faded into silence.
"But you're the one who broke radio silence. What's up?".
Shanks wasn't all that sure that the people on his crew were either partying in the cantine or sound asleep; so he kept his voice as low as possible, which resulted in a very suggestive whisper.
"It's a wedding day here. We've had a celebration... an ongoing celebration". That last remark came out as a rumble directly from Shanks' throat.
For all Buggy cared, with that voice Shanks could read out of loud a list of groceries. It was also quite contagious.
"What else?" it helped set a certain mood, which among all things, felt safe.
Shanks hummed, staring off to the wall.
"I wished you were here too".
Was he reaching out for a consolation? For some reason, since they'd gotten back in touch Shanks had always seemed very melancholic. "Are you alright? I know how you feel about weddings".
Did he really? Or was it more of an assumption, a "maybe I wasn't the only one who felt shitty about all those fancy, good for nothing celebrations"?
Shanks blinked. He thought Buggy was about to point out some kind of behavior or whiny pout that the Yonkou himself had always considered a face he'd never shown to anybody. Shanks grimaced, as he started to consider that his so-called duality was more of a mush of shadowy emotions.
"What do you mean?".
"Ah, sorry. You know I was thinking, given Rouge and Roger and the fact that Rayleigh and Shakky never got to marry, I've always had a sense of bitterness pervade me during this kind of event".
As he listened, Shanks replayed every single memory he could find in his mind.
"Weddings sure are occasions to close dreadfully good deals and make connections, but this heaviness never leaves me. I guess I never really understood the point".
Too much. Buggy stopped his rant, stammering hurriedly as he tried to lighten the morale. He should also really cut all that oversharing.
"B-but again, that's just me!" he talked in such a tone that made Shanks jump on his seat.
"Nonsense!" Shanks was fast to talk back. Then he sighed.
"You're right, I hate weddings, I hate them so much" saying it out loud turned that enormous problem into a very small worry, and left space to other considerations.
"But I had so much fun today!".
Buggy decided the only way to avoid any more desperate and exposing rants would be to shut up and enjoy Shanks' voice. If the clown closed his eyes it almost seemed like the Yonkou was laying at his side, whispering about whatever nonsense in a very intimate image.
Buggy might as well do that after all, it was always a nicer view than the blank stare of his den-den moshi.
"Why, what did you do?".
"Well for starters" Shanks adjusted on his chair, "I got to meet a load of old friends. Seriously, folks I hadn't seen in years, and you know how much I like to wander around and stop by there and then just to indulge a little and see how things are going. I still managed to see so many old faces that were so old to actually might as well be new. Then the spouses. They looked so happy and madly in love, ugh such a joy for the eyes! I felt a sense of community, and the party! You should have seen it, maybe it's because I'm a Yonkou, but no it can't be- anyways everyone laughed at my jokes, and there just was this tingle in the air, like we could all understand each other. For once, we were all on the same page about booze-
Buggy blinked, for he couldn't recall the last time Shanks had talked so much and in such an enthusiastic tone. He was scared to ask for details about anything.
"-I even got to make a speech, and I aced it! I'm telling you, it won't take me that long to get better than you at this kind of thing".
"Aw Redhead, it's good to aim for the stars" Buggy drew his free hand proudly to his chest, "but you lack the flashiness that is fundamental to captivate the heart and soul of any crowd".
Shanks rolled his eyes, then looked to the side, out of his window.
"You do know" his voice had begun to rise about halfway through that quick, ardent remark about how great his day had been. Now he was back to a fairly loud pitch.
"It'll come the day I stop letting you win these little disputes about who's better at what and start plotting my revenge instead?".
Buggy should have ignored him and asked to lower his voice again instead, but it wasn't something that could be helped.
"It's not a matter of who's better 'cause I am, case closed".
"Ugh, I miss you so much" Shanks tilted his head back and groaned.
"What were you expecting?" Buggy was beginning to enjoy that kind of spontaneous display of affection, "to walk inside your room tonight finding me naked on your bed? To conclude your perfect day with some secret, passionate lovemaking?".
"You forgot lascivious and soul-bonding".
Buggy licked his lips as he tried to bite back a very wide grin. Then a revelation hit him. Buggy glanced once again over his door, then laid back on a couple of fluffy cushions and shut his eyes.
"Why don't you describe it to me?" he prayed for Shanks to take the hint.
"Which part of the wedding?" but of course he couldn't expect much at that time of the night. That wasn't even flirtatious.
Buggy groaned, then spoke again.
"I meant the lascivious and soul-bonding part"
Shanks' voice became quiet and even all out of the sudden, as he finally understood where Buggy was going with that.
"Is this- you want to have phone sex?" Shanks moved on his seat, " I can assure you, here nothing is private" he was talking fast, "I mean, I would love to do it with you, that'd be so hot, but if we don't keep it quiet-"
"Please do" Buggy exhaled, interrupting Shanks, "this whisper of yours is such a turn-on. Where does it even come from?".
Shanks closed his mouth. Hearing that single exhale made him think: in what conditions was Buggy at the moment? It'd been some time since the low-tone talk had started, and the redhead couldn't help but imagine Buggy slowly getting tight under his briefs, eyes shut, a hand teasing here and there. Maybe he was laying on his bed, the shift of his hips wrinkling the covers underneath him.
"Redhead?"
Only now Shanks was noticing the soft turn of Buggy's voice, and he had to admit it was a delight when it wasn't used for bickering.
"I was just picturing you"
"Let me help you with that" Buggy said, and Shanks couldn't help but place a mild blush on his cheeks.
"Please keep it quiet" Shanks repeated, not noticing how it sounded. Another quick glance around, as though he was going to commit some kind of crime, and Shanks sighed, trying to sink into the right mood, eyes shut.
"So tell me, in what state has my suggestive voice left you?".
He wasn't used to Buggy being blunt during romantic and unveiling chats, so Shanks thought he could take the lead with a couple of flirts.
"Horny. The second you called me I decided to jerk off later tonight.
"So I do have a certain effect on you" Shanks was trying to hide his surprise to keep up the tease. Usually with phone sex he was the one leading, and most of the time after getting the other person off, Shanks would think about his own climax once he was alone in the privacy of his room. He would love to do something like that with Buggy, show him how good his tongue was.
"Say, what are you wearing, and where are you?" Shanks spoke in a raspy whisper, his mouth pressing against the receiver. Buggy did roll his eyes at the textbook questions, but that voice sent a shiver through his spine.
"Let's say that if you were here" Buggy drew a long sigh, as a devilish smile grew on his face, "you could see my neck, then down to the collarbone, my nipples, my belly, then further down-"
"Wait, are you naked?"
Buggy looked down at his fully clothed self.
"Almost, I'm waiting for you to tell me when can I start playing below the belt" what a liar.
Shanks' heart skipped a beat. "If you're not touching yourself then where do you keep your hands, Buggy dear?"
While Shanks was playing to get the other one flustered, Buggy was aiming straight for the dick.
"Well" Buggy rolled his shoulders, making sure some kind of noise would pass through, "left hand is holding the receiver. For your information, the den-den moshi is right at my side; it's like you were here whispering in my ear but of course, you're not touching me because you want to know how well will I follow your lead, how good your orders can make me feel".
Buggy wasn't trying to turn it in a competition; but if he were, he was winning.
"Also my right hand is waiting, resting right below my neck. Do I move up or down?".
Shanks' brain was short-circuiting, and even though that was the whole point, the vivid image of Buggy hanging from his lips, ready to bring his fingertips anywhere just to please Shanks, was giving him very painful reactions both in his chest and at the bottom of his spine.
"Move up" his voice did not just tremble. "slide your fingers up the crest of your throat, then I want you to reach out for that tingly spot under your left ear".
Buggy sighed, enjoying Shanks' effort of making him relax.
"Oh, and Buggy dear?"
Buggy opened an eye, as his fingers tenderly caressed that line back and forth.
"Do it for me, will you?".
At that point, Buggy thought that maybe for once he could give in, let Shanks spoil him a bit, and return the favor in a couple of minutes.
"I'd love to kiss you there, you always quiver when I do. Is it because of the cold? If my mouth made you shiver, I can't imagine with those icicles you have as fingers. Or was it because it was me touching you?".
Buggy rose a brow, the movement repeated in cycles. "Not bad Redhead".
Shanks smiled at the praise, then looked down at his lap for a second.
"Next time you come around you're definitively sitting on my lap. I want to sink my face in your hair, and I feel like I haven't had the pleasure to kiss your shoulders".
"These are all fun teases, what else you got?".
Shanks smirked, amused.
"You greedy little thing, have a bit of patience" he paused on purpose, "I'd wet my fingers and start teasing your nipple, the right one. As much as I'd love to tease you and get you off at the same time, and I mean it, it'd be a dream to have you melt into my arms; we have a little problem of numbers".
"Where are you going with this?" Buggy asked as he reached for the skin under his t-shirt, tracing lines on his sternum.
"Nothing much, you'll just have to speak, maybe beg a bit, when you'll want me to quit with the tease and start stroking your cock. If you don't, I'll decide based on your response".
"Which would be?" Buggy let go an accidental little pant, as his hand drew circles around his nipple.
Shanks noticed, his voice grew deep again.
"I want to hear you scream. If a nipple is not enough I'll touch and kiss every bit of your body. Like those arms of yours, their flex, ugh I want them wrapped around my neck. You don't hold me enough.
Shanks had already everything planned out, he was about to start asking for very accurate descriptions and eventual desires, when his eyes met the den den-moshi's: two bulbs both staring into nothingness and portraying something close to Buggy's fluttery expression.
He couldn't restrain himself, it was just too much of an improbable sight.
Shanks laughed, and no, it wasn't anywhere close to the lovely giggle from before.
That scared the hell out of Buggy. He would have started yelling back, but Shanks was already speaking.
"Sorry about that, but the face of my snail is just-"
"I know, it's pretty weird" Buggy said, not knowing what to do with his hand anymore.
"Don't even worry, tonight is just about you. So, where were w-"
"What do you mean, what about you Shanks?" Buggy interrupted him not using a pet name on purpose, to get his complete attention.
"It's not really my thing" he wanted to continue, but couldn't find the words.
"Not your thing" Buggy repeated slowly, trying to catch the meaning of it. As silence lingered, Buggy decided that was another assumption that Shanks, as his adult self, needed to sort out on his own. The clown could see no use in spending their whole night trying to extort some kind of painful confession of unresolved trauma. It's not like they had time anyways.
"It wasn't your thing" Buggy said, his voice flirty and soft. "Why don't you leave it to me?".
Shanks' mouth fell agape; a big sigh came through the receiver.
"How would I even- it'd be complicated".
"That's the smallest of problems. Are you on your bed? Put receiver and snail on the pillow, we can talk just fine"
"Buggy-"
"Or you can sit on the ground, lay your back against the bed and place the whole gear on the covers".
"I mean..." Buggy could guess from his voice that Shanks was thinking about it.
Maybe he should stop. His goal wasn't to make Shanks feel uncomfortable...
"Oh for God's sake Redhead, let me take care of you. I want to make you feel good". Buggy was most definitely not saying anything like that again.
There was a long silence, but the clatter that followed felt like a good omen.
"Ok then, I'm on the pavement. I'm not changing the sheets after this".
"Good" Buggy relaxed his muscles.
"You want me to tell you what I'm wearing?" Shanks didn't sound so much petty and hopeless on purpose, but he did nonetheless.
Buggy noticed.
"I know exactly what you're wearing. It's the low cut white shirt and the baggy pants, probably the black or the gray pair".
"Wrong pair Buggs".
"So it's the one with the suns".
"Yes, but you got it wrong the first time. You like playing the mentalist?" Shanks was taking it more on the fun side, and that tranquilized Buggy over any possible imagination.
"Doesn't matter, 'cause your taking it all off. The shirt goes first".
Shanks blinked, still unable to wipe that grin off his face.
"You're quite the charmer-"
"I'm sorry" Buggy sounded dead serious, "when did I say you could talk? put the receiver down, I want to hear you moan, not your blather" he felt like they'd been dragging the chitchat for too long.
Shanks wanted to mimic the my-lips-are-sealed gesture but realized it wouldn't make much sense.
"As you wish" he spoke just to piss Buggy off one last time, then definitively freed his hand.
Shanks was just peeling off his shirt when Buggy started talking again.
"I have to say I love your shame setting: voice as low as possible to keep away from prying eyes; the 'I'll do such a great job making you cum but I'm not getting all hot and bothered' or the 'I'm sitting on the pavement so I don't have to change the sheets and raise questions' are an unexpected turn-on".
Now Shanks could picture Buggy saying all this in only two ways: he was either leaning against a shitload of pillows in a sort of godly throne, or more likely, he was sitting with his knees close to the chest, eyes focused as he planned every single syllable of his.
Shanks chose to imagine the first scenario, it was sexier.
"How much cum do you even need to make you rush to the bathroom the second after you're done?" Buggy left no space for an answer, "guess we'll have to find out tonight. That's a high standard you're setting for me Redhead".
Shanks rolled his eyes, both impatient and sincerely terrified of whatever Buggy could come up with. Should he do something with his hand, or was he supposed to wait for Buggy's... invite? The mere thought raised a fire in his chest.
"So, big ceremony means a lot of contacts, of stares, of elbows bumping, of pent-up tension. Maybe it's a good thing I wasn't around, or I would have jumped you five minutes in. No need to have appetizers or even the first plate if I can eat you up instead".
Tilting his head back against the covers, Shanks started picturing the scene.
Buggy being quiet during the service, chatting about the weather, meeting Shanks' eyes every now and then. Of course, also shoulders brushing and knowing looks flying between the two of them. But everything being so subtle to pass by as a mere flirt, anticipation for later on that night; so subtle the redhead wouldn't even dream of a quickie in the middle of the party.
Then it would happen: Buggy would have a quick look to make sure no one is around as he'd start pacing towards Shanks. A hand pressing against his chest pushing him back, head moving forward, eyes fluttering shut and Shanks would fall back on a bed- no, not a bed. Buggy would push him with a certain firmness against a counter, or the wall of a small room away from prying eyes. Shanks wouldn't ask a question; he would let out a relieved sigh as their breaths finally mingled into a hurried, ravishing kiss.
Again, the impelling urge to get rid of the last pieces of clothing on his body was followed by a frightfully spontaneous but-can-I? As though he needed Buggy's word to even consider to cum. Annoying, but breath-taking.
Shanks sighed, as he slid a hand just below the brim of his briefs.
"After such a day of partying I bet you've got that scruffy look on you: a bit sweaty, a bit tired albeit satisfied, with that dizziness fluttering around your head. You lean in and leave everything to me" Buggy paused. Maybe a little tad of jealousy would hit the right spot "I can't stand the thought of all the nosy heads of your worshippers turning in your direction while you look like that. I'm the only one who gets to wipe off all that sweat on your chest, keep it in mind"
Annoying. All those petty words out of context would usually make Shanks burst out laughing, but to hear them come from Buggy was a completely different deal. "The only one..."
A mild blush spread across the Yonkou's cheeks.
The silence made Buggy imagine Shanks all hot and bothered.
"What's this silence Redhead?" his voice took a playful turn, "don't tell me you're not wanking because I didn't tell you to".
At that point Shanks jolted, almost choking on his own saliva. Looking down at his cock twitching against his own stomach, Shanks drew his hand down to definitively release all that pent-up tension. His mind was about to fly back to the wedding scenario, but he had to answer first.
"How can you even say- of course I'm masturbating" he snapped: a snap that came too late to seem truthful.
He really was waiting.
Buggy's mouth fell shut for a moment. The mere thought was enough for Buggy to stop the little sexy theater and start furiously jerking off right away. With Shanks there listening... no, maybe another time. "What a good boy" he said instead, in that sappy tone of his. Shanks came back to his fantasy, as those words came from the Buggy in front of him, there in the imaginary broom closet, taking Shanks' cock in his hand, stroking very gently as a malicious smirk rose on his face. The Yonkou let out a choked moan, his thumb tracing circles on his own peak. It was slick and terribly hot. "I bet your answer to praise is delightful. I don't really compliment you that much" Buggy considered, pleased by Shanks' response.
At this point Buggy would usually ask the other person to massage a very sensitive spot on their skin, but he didn't ask Shanks. He wanted to find it in person.
"Keep talking" Shanks murmured. His fantasy didn't have the same impact without Buggy's actual voice being there. But he wouldn't say any of that.
"Of course, I'm not leaving you alone" Buggy whispered, leaning the closer he could to Shanks' body.
"After such a day, you deserve all my attention" his hand started moving faster; the friction wasn't so much unpleasant as vaguely thrilling: no time to grab any lube; they had to be back with everybody else soon. "If you want it to end, you'd better cum fast".
That didn't come from the real Buggy, but it made Shanks let out a sharp moan.
"Are you having a fantasy of some sort?" Buggy asked as he undid his own belt in order to -Shanks had to think about it for a couple of seconds- press his dick against Shanks' and start masturbating together.
"Yes" Shanks groaned.
"You're being so good Shanks" Buggy panted, "I'm on fire, I want to touch you so bad- every inch of your body, you're so beautiful".
Was Buggy jerking off too? An insane pressure started to build up at the bottom of Shanks' back, making him stroke faster and faster, as the pre-cum gave him a bit of relief.
"I want to get you off, your voice is so hot, tell me, I'll do whatever to hear you more".
Shanks didn't mean to look back at all his wet dreams, but he was getting so close that the scenario in his mind was becoming blurry and pointless. Shanks focused on Buggy's voice, then a suggestion slipped from his lips.
"Choke me". It didn't have any more charge than the other soft pants and wonderfully wet sounds, but it surprised Buggy nonetheless. How was he possibly so hot? So perfect? The involuntary lust in his voice- Buggy couldn't take it anymore.
He'd been wanking for a while, trying to maintain a certain state of mind hadn't been easy. Now it was impossible.
"You're gonna kill me, you know? This submissive nature you're pulling out intrigues me. You'd really let me have such a control over your body? What is it, you want me to feel safe and trust me to handle your life, or do you just get a burst of adrenaline?" Buggy's voice was close to the breaking point, "Of course I'll do it, you deserve everything, I'm at your service".
Shanks couldn't help but let out a sharp moan. Too loud perhaps.
"Yes, keep 'em coming, I'm so close Shanks".
True this time.
Shanks had one last glimpse of Buggy leaning in and whispering in that desperate tone, as their hands stroked up and down at a devilish speed, "Cum for me".
All the tension packed at the bottom of his back popped out, and Shanks climaxed in a mixture of gasps and gibberish.
"What a good boy" all the firmness in Buggy's voice was completely gone, "it was your thing afterall-"
"Buggy" Shanks interrupted the other man, whispering. "You'd better keep your word".
Bugy did not just cum over that stupid sentence; he settled on thinking that simply Shanks had been... good. The clown tried to keep it quiet, but it wasn't anything he could hide from the Yonkou.
"That was" Buggy took a coupke seconds to catch his breath, "nice".
Shanks smiled helplessly.
"I could hear you talk the entire night". Spending the night sleeping alone after all that wasn't very appealing.
"Aren't you gonna clean everything up before mom and dad find out?".
Shanks glanced over to the door, they still had time.
"You're really funny" he tried to make it sound as sarcastic as he could, "has anyone ever told you what a fine jokster you are?".
Haning up now meant they both would have to fall asleep as random memories of the past flooded their minds, both good and ugly ones. For Buggy it was a no thanks.
"You'd rather tell me about your choking kink?".
But in the end Buggy was grateful, because he got to hear that light, amused chuckle again.
They should really hurry up making new memories together.