The Clown's Kiss (Buggy Fanfiction) [One Piece]

Two Hearts - One Journey

The pirate ship's bustling kitchen is a hive of early morning activity, filled with the clatter of cutlery, the clinking of plates, and the uproarious laughter of the crew members. It is truly a breakfast-time symphony, a raucous and lively start to the day that echoes through the corridors of the ship.

Scarlet, nestles amidst the spirited chaos, surprisingly finds herself in a rather comfortable position. She sits beside Captain Buggy, who, like everyone else, indulges in the morning meal. Everywhere around her, plates are piled high with food, but Scarlet nurses only a single cup of tea, not yet ready to partake in the hearty fare that surrounds her.

However, her lack of appetite doesn't go unnoticed by Buggy. Concern etches across his features, he can't help but express his worry. "You're sure you don't want anything?" he asks, his gloved hand hovering over a platter of food.

Scarlet shakes her head gently, offering him a warm smile as she reaches over to place her hand atop his gloved one, patting it reassuringly. "I'll grab something later," she assures him. "For now, I'm perfectly fine with my cup of tea."

Buggy's concern for her well-being is evident to anyone listening to the earnestness of his next offer. "I could fetch you anything you like," he suggests, his body ready to storm into the kitchen and demand from the cooks to prepare anything his love desires.

In his mind there is the possibility that perhaps Scarlet just hasn't found anything to her liking on the breakfast spread, leaving her with an empty stomach rather than a satisfying meal.

Scarlet, however, upon hearing his offer can't help but chuckle at his endearing words. It's moments like these that make her heart flutter with affection for him. "I'm just not much of a breakfast person," she confesses, her fingers delicately lifting the teacup to her lips. Each sip's accompanied by a gentle flutter of butterflies in her stomach, not from hunger, but from the warmth of his care and the sweet anticipation of their time together. "There is no need to torment the kitchen stuff."

Buggy can't help but chuckle at Scarlet's words. Her constant efforts to keep him from tormenting anyone never fail to amuse him. "You think you can change me, huh? Turn me into a good man?"

Scarlet gently sets her teacup down and meets his gaze with unwavering sincerity. "You are a good man, or I wouldn't be here," she assures him. Her words caught him off guard, rendering the typically loud pirate momentarily speechless. Scarlet seizes the opportunity to keep talking. "I just don't want you to walk off and leave me alone, waiting for your return."

"Okay," Buggy replies, touched by her affirmation. Being called a 'good man' is a rarity in his life, and while he doesn't agree with her statement, he decides not to argue about it. If that's how she sees him, he's content with it. Deep down, however, he can only hope that Scarlet won't leave him when she inevitably sees how bad, dangerous, but at the same time utterly useless he is.

"You're making that face again," she remarks, poking his cheek and pulling Buggy from his contemplative thoughts.

He swats her hand away, annoyance flickering across his features. "What face?"

"The sad one," she replies softly, her fingers gently brushing his though as she rests her hand there. Her thumb traced idle patterns on his pants. "The one that tells me your mind wandered to a place it shouldn't. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably not true, so don't fret over it."

Their eyes lock, and Buggy's faze holds a hint of doubt, revealing his gratitude for her presence but also the lingering worry that time will be the ultimate test of his worthiness.

Suddenly, across from the couple, two figures plop down with an air of exhaustion that's hard to miss. Scarlet immediately recognizes them as the First Mate Mohji and the Second Mate Cabaji. They look worn out, their plates of breakfast lay before them on the table, but their attention's not immediately on the food. Instead, they fix their tired eyes on Buggy and Scarlet.