A rainy day in Rogue town, more than 20 years ago

The racket of the crowd was covered by the pouring rain, soaking your cape.

You didn't mind the rain.

It hid your tears.

Swarms of marines were marching through the plaza, keeping the people back and arresting the pirates they could spot.

They knew some of you came to see the last minute of your captain.

«Y/n»

Someone tugged at your sleeve, making you turn.

Shanks quickly rubbed his eyes with his fist. Then, a resolute gaze met yours.

«We have to go!»

You blinked once, feeling the gathered tears finally rolling down your pale cheeks.

You shook your head and nodded.

Shanks turned and started to swiftly make his way through the crowd.

You followed him, but a hand grabbed your wrist almost immediately.

«Y/n, wait.»

You looked behind you.

«Buggy?» you frowned «I thought you ran already.»

He grit his teeth, his grip on you tightening.

«I... I came back.»

His reddened look fell on the ground, the pain still lingering on his face.

Your lip trembled for a second before you decided to set aside the doubt for the moment.

«Fine, just come! We need to disappear now.»

Before you could turn again, however, he pulled your arm, forcing you to face him.

«Buggy, what the–»

«I'm going to stay here in the East Blue and start my own pirate crew.»

The yells of people and marines got confused in the rain. A thunder echoed from afar.

You stared at him.

«What?»

«Y/n.»

He shut his eyes before raising them back on you.

«Come with me.»

Despite the noise, the rain and the danger all around, it felt like the world froze for a second.

It wasn't like you and Buggy had no history.

He was the man of your first time, and many times after that, on stolen nights on the Oro Jackson.

But, as pirates always do, you both sought pleasure in other beds, sometimes – maybe because it was nothing more than sex, or maybe because death was so rooted in your lives that you were too afraid of your feelings.

Either way, his proposal deeply shook you.

«Buggy...»

«Please.»

He squeezed your wrist and your heart missed a beat.

You closed your eyes, a tormented expression wrinkling your eyebrows.

«I'm sorry.» you whispered «Roger will always be my only captain.»

You looked at him only to see his face crumbling, little by little.

Not too far away, a group of marines was shoving your way.

«RIGHT THERE! YOU TWO, STAY PUT!»

New tears bloomed in your eyes.

«Goodbye, Buggy.»

You quickly pulled yourself closer and grabbed his shoulders. He stiffened, at first, and gasped when your lips brushed his.

«Stay safe.»

Your eyes locked together for a brief moment, then you turned and disappeared in the crowd.

Marineford, 2 years ago

«YOU LIED ABOUT THE TREASURE MAP?!»

Buggy roared in Shanks' face.

«Yup. Long time no see, Buggy.»

«How dare you, you damn–»

«Buggy?»

The Clown's eyes widened and his hands froze on the Red's collar.

Because that voice was... something he hadn't heard for twenty years.

He turned slowly towards Akagami's ship.

You had just got down, the cloak waving against your legs, the same axe he recalled strapped on your shoulder.

A few wrinkles cut through your forehead and your gaze looked somehow wiser, but, in his eyes, you were as beautiful as twenty years before.

«Y/n... is here?» he whispered, letting Shanks go.

Red Hair's glance glided from him to you, then to him again.

«Oh... yeah, she's here.»

Your surprised gaze changed in a distant smile and he stopped breathing.

Suddenly, the war around lost all its meaning.

«It's been so long!» you said, walking over.

Shanks stepped back.

«Sorry guys, I have a war to stop.»

He nodded to his crewmates and they marched in the plaza.

The wind moved your hair around as you finally stopped in front of Buggy.

«It's funny to find you again at the end of the world.»

«I-I...» he stuttered, mouth dry «...you look great.»

«Well, you could look better.» you chuckled, wiping some dust away from his shirt «How did you end up here?»

«We... kinda evaded from Impel Down.»

«Impel Down?» your face immediately turned alarmed «You were there?»

«Hum, yes.»

Your hand lightly caressed his arm, and he almost shivered.

«I'm sorry.»

«It's fine now.»

You sighed and looked at the front, grey smoke rising from the whole Marineford.

«CAPTAIN BUGGY!»

The sudden yells made you jump.

A crowd of former prisoners gathered around you both, teary eyes sparkling.

«WE WILL FOLLOW YOU OUR ENTIRE LIVES!»

You blinked at them.

«Wow. You're quite the man here.»

He didn't reply, still dazed by all that happened.

«Stick with Shanks, we will get away from here together, okay?»

«...sure.»

With a last smile, you headed towards Shanks' crew.

«Y/n!»

You turned. Buggy lowered his gaze, scratching his arm.

«It's good to see you.»

Your stomach churned.

«It's good to see you too.»

Later that night, your ship was navigating towards the New World, a mild storm darkening the sea.

For the first time after a few crazy days, Buggy tasted the feeling of being alone in a small, rolling room.

It was almost funny. The mad escape from Impel Down, surviving the war of Marineford and getting away with Shanks' crew... none of these things took the cake of what hit him the most.

Seeing you, after all those years, felt like a punch in his stomach.

He snorted, leaning his forehead on his thumbs, drawing circular massages on his skin.

«Today is indeed a crazy day.»

Someone knocked at his door.

«What?!» he barked, thinking it was one of his newly acquired men, or Red Hair come to tease him.

«May I come in?»

Your voice was muffled, beyond the wood, but it still was enough to make his heart pound in his chest.

«W-What do you want?»

He cursed himself.

Twenty years, and he couldn't even talk properly to you.

Even looking at you was hard.

All that time he told himself he had forgotten about you vanished the exact moment he heard your voice on that shore.

It took years to stop thinking about you during the day, but he finally accomplished it. You were still visiting him in his dreams, though.

Every night, at first, but as the years passed, the dreams diluted.

Yet, just when he thought he was finally free from your ghost, bright glimpses of you resurfaced during his sleep.

And now there he was, close again after decades, avoiding you like the coward he was.

«I'm here to patch you up.» you said «You looked pretty beat up, out there.»

Buggy grit his teeth, his fingers clenching around the blanket of the bed he was sitting on.

«Fine.» he grumbled «Come in.»

You entered the room with a first-aid kit in your hands and closed the door behind you, sealing you both in the dim light.

His elusive eyes darted on you only to fall back on the floor when you sat beside him.

«If you feel uncomfortable, I can always ask some of your lackeys...»

«No need. Just do it.»

You pressed your lips together, hesitating for a second.

There were so many things you wanted to tell him.

Letting them go in a sigh, you took his bare arm and started medicating his wounds.

After a couple of minutes, he detached from it, leaving it in your hands to lean his back against the wall.

You briefly peered at his scowl before getting back to your work.

«So... you're still mad at me.»

Buggy blinked, moving his eyes to your nape.

«Mad?»

«Isn't it the reason you're avoiding me?»

«I'm not!» he blurted, biting his lip immediately after.

He was lying and you both knew that.

«...why would I be mad anyway?»

Your answer came after a few seconds of silence.

«Because I didn't come with you.»

Buggy closed his mouth and watched you taking care of his wounds for a while.

«Yeah... I was mad.» he finally admitted.

He saw your head lowering a bit.

«I thought that, with time, you would understand.» you murmured.

«I did.»

You turned to him.

His lips were still curled in a scowl, but his eyes rose on you, serious.

«I understood. But I was still angry.»

You swallowed and finished disinfecting his wounds.

«The other arm, please.»

He complied, sending his right arm flying in your lap.

«Aren't you anymore? Mad, I mean.»

«Anger faded away with time.»

You were surprised by his stern reply.

Buggy used to layer his emotions under outbursts and goofiness, but maybe he changed a bit too, after all those years.

«I see.»

After you finished with his right arm, you had to start with his back.

When he took off his striped shirt, flashes from the past invaded your mind – moments when he did the same gesture in front of you, but in a whole different context – and you let your hair fall over your face to hide the small blush.

You began by wiping away the sweat and the dried blood.

He had more marks on him than you recalled.

Buggy leaned his elbows on his legs, eyes fixed in front of him.

For a while, nobody talked.

«What did you do, all this time?» he eventually asked.

For two decades, he had kept the newspapers checked on a daily basis and, even if he wouldn't admit it even to himself, everyday he hoped to read something about you, since you used to be a notorious pirate on the Oro Jackson.

Nothing ever came though, to the point he feared the worst.

«Well, I quit the pirate life.» you said «We were so young when captain Roger was executed, and yet we had seen so much...» you smiled «I just wanted a peaceful life, you know? I'm not as brave as you or Shanks.»

«Brave!» Buggy scoffed «I'm sure amazing, but it's not for bravery that I stuck to piracy. It's just it was the only thing I knew.»

You chuckled.

«Anyway, I moved to the South Blue. And I...»

You faltered, fingers hesitating on his skin.

He frowned.

«You what?»

«I got married.»

Buggy felt like someone had shoved a punch in his torso and torn his lungs apart.

Twenty years, and the hope you were off his mind was all bullshit.

«So... you're married.»

His voice trembled and he cursed himself, again.

«Not anymore.»

Again, a few seconds of silence.

«What happened?»

You took a deep breath.

«One day, some random bandits came to our village. I was on the nearby island to purchase some stuff and, when I came back, half of my people had been slaughtered. My husband was among them.» a bitter laugh left your mouth «Can you imagine? Those bandits were small fries, but there was no real warrior in that village. Well, except me. And I was away doing groceries.»

Buggy frowned.

He just wanted to turn and hold you, in that moment, but he imposed himself to stay still.

«Y/n, I'm sorry.»

You shook your head.

«Don't worry. It was a long time ago.»

«Did you find them?»

«Yes. But you know, the weird thing was that, by the time I found them, all my anger was gone. I was just sad. I killed them anyway, but only so no village would succumb the same fate.»

«I see.»

You applied some bandages on his open wounds.

«Y/n...» Buggy pressed his lips together before continuing «Did you... did you love him?»

Something gave a squeeze to your guts and you had to stop your work before answering.

«Yes. But maybe not in the way you're thinking.»

«What do you mean?»

«He never knew who I was before docking there. No one did, on that island. It was... refreshing. I thought I could let the past rest inside me. He was kind and treated me like I was a woman like any other.»

«Is that what you wanted?»

«I thought so.» you said «But, just sometimes... I used to think about us. Maybe because Shanks' name popped out in the newspapers, or maybe yours...» you smiled «I read you made some mess in the East Blue and then entered the Grand Line again, didn't you?»

«Huh, yeah.»

«...I also saw there's a hot young lady on your crew now.»

Buggy gulped.

«Alvida?»

«Tell me, old friend, is she your lover or something?»

You didn't even know why you were asking those questions now.

It was true that, since you saw the bounty poster, that idea dug a small hole in your mind and wouldn't leave.

A few droplets of sweat lined Buggy's temples.

«Well, I wouldn't define her a lover. Yeah, we had sex a couple of times, but–»

He stopped when your fingers twitched on his skin, nails lightly scratching his back.

«"But" what?» your voice was merely a whisper «She's beautiful, isn't she?»

«Hum, I guess, but–»

«But what?» you hissed, nails digging deeper.

«But she's not you.»

Your hands dropped on your lap and silence fell in the cabin.

Your breath was the only audible thing in the penumbra.

Buggy shut his eyes.

What an idiot he was, confessing like that.

It was the exact same feeling of twenty years before, when he came back to ask you to stay with him.

He hated it.

He was about to push you out of the cabin, but the air got stuck in his throat when your arms suddenly wrapped around his shoulders and you hid your face in his neck.

«I've missed you every fucking day.»

Your whisper against his skin cut the breath in his lungs.

Was it even possible that you were feeling the same?

A surge of rage ran through his veins and he abruptly turned, grabbing your wrist and tackling you down on the mattress, his legs straddling your waist.

«Why didn't you come with me, then?!» he snarled, inches from your face.

Taken aback, your body stiffened, having him so close.

«You know why.»

«So why are you on Shanks' ship right now?!»

«I... I needed to see some known faces. He was the easiest to find. There was no news on you for months, so...» you bit your lip «I guess I was actually hoping to run into you, somehow.»

His snarl turned into a tormented grimace.

«What the fuck, Y/n! After all these years, you just appear out of nowhere, say these things... who do you think you are?»

«Hey, you said things too, you damn clown!»

«Shut up.»

His mouth muffled any other possible protest.

A hot shiver shook your entire body, like something was suddenly awakened after twenty years.

Your lips found the perfect fit in an instant, as they were meant to wedge in.

Your fingers entangled in his hair and you pushed your torso against his.

Buggy sent his hand to lock the door, but he was surprised when he found it already locked.

He broke the kiss to look at you.

You gave him your crooked smile, messy locks all over your flushed face, humid eyes glued with his.

«Were you planning this, you little mink?»

«Maybe I was hoping this.»

«I should have known.» Buggy sneered, leaning over you and groping your breast, making you moan «You were never so innocent, little Y/n.»

«...and the time you lost a bet, so you had to give me your dick for the night, and the entire time I drove you crazy with–»

«OKAY!» Buggy coughed, pressing a flying hand on your mouth.

You giggled, adjusting your naked body in his arms.

«If you are in the mood for old stories, why don't we talk about all the nights I sent my hand in your bed and you almost wake up the other women with your moans?»

«That's not true!»

«Yes it is.»

«No it's not!»

«It is!»

«It's not.»

«Yes.»

«Na-ah.»

«You're lying and you know that.»

You huffed, but smiled when he pressed his scowl against your back.

«Y/n... you're not coming with me, are you?»

A thin shadow covered your gaze.

«I still have some travelling to do. And I still don't want to be a pirate.»

He hummed.

You turned in his hold, facing him, and cupped his face with your hands.

«I will find you again.»

He frowned.

«Will you?»

«I swear on this big red nose.» you laughed, pinching it.

«DON'T YOU MAKE FUN OF MY NOSE, WOMAN!»

You were leaning against the railing when Shanks approached you.

The waves lulled the ship towards Sphinx island, the crew was scattered on the deck.

«Are you sure you want to get down there? You know you can stay here as long as you like.»

You smiled at him and took the bottle he was offering.

«It's fine. I talked to Vista, he can take me to Dressrosa next.»

He sighed.

«Why do you even want to go to Doflamingo's kingdom?»

You shrugged and took some long sips of booze.

«I'm just curious.»

«Okay. It'll be sad to depart again.» he said, pouting.

«Aww, what a cute Yonko you are!» you chimed, patting his cheek.

«Yes, cuddle me, Y/n.» he whined, rubbing against your hand.

His sharp eyes, though, darted on your neck and a mischievous smile lined his mouth.

«Hey there... what did you do tonight, little Y/n?»

You blinked and retracted your hand, quickly turning to the sea.

«Nothing. Shut up.»

«Wait. Waaait a second. It was Buggy, wasn't it?»

«Cut it out.»

«I can't believe it! Really? After all these years?! This is just poetic.»

«Red, I'm warning you.»

«Did he finally confess?»

You frowned, staring at him.

«"Finally"? What are you talking about?»

«Oh, come on, he was hopelessly in love with you since we were teenagers! Don't tell me you never noticed.»

«Love is a big word.» you scoffed, blushing «It was just sex. Of course we cared about each other, but–»

«Please!» Shanks laughed «Remember that time I got totally drunk and made a move on you? He punched me in the face so hard I lost a tooth.»

«Yes, but you two were always quarrelling, so it doesn't–»

«And that time you fell in the sea and he dived despite being a devil fruit user? We ended up saving his ass instead.»

You closed your mouth as he kept talking.

«And that time he got almost killed and spent days in a coma? While unconscious, he was muttering your name.»

He smiled, gulping down some booze and looking at the sky.

«You felt the same, didn't you? You two were so obvious and yet so stubborn. Maybe you still are.»

«Yeah... maybe.»

«But it's beautiful. You make me feel like seeing my woman now.»

«Oh? You got a woman?»

«Well, I got several, to be honest. But only one is special.»

You patted his chest.

«Then go to her, Red. Life is too short to make people wait.»

He watched you walking away.

«Will you take your own advice, Y/n?»

«Sooner or later.»

Karai Bari island, now.

Buggy had just destroyed half of the hall.

His most-trusted comrades, used to that kind of outbursts, just held back and continued eating, like they always did.

«STRAWHAT! I WILL KILL THAT GUY!»

«Buggy, calm down.»

«CALM DOWN?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH THOSE GIANTS WERE WORTH, GALDINO?»

«Yes, I do know, I'm the bookkeeper...»

«THEN HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?!»

«Is this a bad time?»

The men stop fighting and immediately turned to the door.

You smiled, leaning on the jab.

«Your security isn't very efficient, Clown. They didn't even notice me.»

«Wait, who are you?!» Galdino gasped, pointing a finger towards you.

Buggy stared at you with wide eyes before blinking a couple of times.

«No, Y/n, this is not a good time.»

«Okay then. I don't want to disturb a Shichibukai.»

You moved to head out, but a hand grabbed your forearm.

«Wait right there, woman.»

You quirked an eyebrow at him.

«Yes?»

«I am in a terrible, terrible mood.» he said, face curled in a scowl «So answer this at once: are you here to stay?»

You rolled your eyes, but a crooked smirk bent your lips.

«Well, actually, that was the plan. I like circuses.»

His grip on you grew softer, as well as his face.

«Good.»

Buggy walked towards you and surpassed you, his hand tugging you along.

«Wait, boss, where are you going?»

«To my chambers, and no one will annoy me until tomorrow!»

«Yes, but what are we supposed to do with–»

«I DON'T CARE!» the Clown yelled «USE THE MONEY OF THEIR SALARY TO ORGANIZE A WEDDING!»

«A wedding?» you asked, confused like his men were for a second.

He pulled you through the corridor, away from their eyes.

«Yes.» he muttered, his angry face flushed red «You may invite Red Hair, if you really, really want to.»