𝓒𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓼 𝓶𝔂 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 ~ 𝓪 𝓑𝓾𝓰𝓰𝔂 𝔁 𝓕𝓮𝓶 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓷 𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮 : 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓾𝓹 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓮

It was early - far too early - the following morning when you found yourself startled from a deep dreamless sleep, by the unmistakable incessant sensation of being repetitively poked in the back by a glove-clad finger in the most irritating manner. Your mind being still sleep-muddled and confused, you naturally let out a faint groan of protest and attempted to move in order to escape the persistent jabbing finger. Ok, so the mattress you were lay on was a bit lumpy, and the room smelled faintly of old wood and liquor, but you were much too comfortable and warm to move just yet.

But your mind then blearily registered two - no, three - things....firstly, the bed you're sleeping on is quite narrow, so you're restricted in your attempts to roll away. Secondly, the offending jabber was now trying to nudge and gently shake you awake, and thirdly.....the culprit had to be none other than Buggy.

"Alright, alright....I'll get up—" you yawned as you rolled over to face the clown captain, only to realize with a jolt that he was casually learning against the cabin wall, not within reaching distance of you.

How the hell?

Your eyes darted down and instantly bulged at the sight of his gloved, disembodied hand hovering in front of you in mid-air. Of course you let out out a startled shriek and frantically scrambled to prop yourself up against the pillows, and instinctively seeking some form of comfort, you drew the sheets up to your chin, as if to put some barrier between yourself and the detached hand.

Looking thoroughly amused with himself, Buggy's red lips curled upwards in a slow smirk, "D'ya like that? You look surprised. Don't tell me you wasn't aware of my special......abilities"

Fighting to steady your uneven breaths, you absently pulled the sheets up further so that they covered your mouth, meaning your next words came out muffled, ".........I heard rumors. You...you ate a devil fruit..."

"Uh huh. The chop-chop fruit" he exclaimed proudly, as he folded his arms; an action that only served to accentuate his well-defined biceps, but also drew further attention to the fact that his right hand was missing at the wrist, "what's the matter, Amby, you afraid of me now? Surely it's no surprise to a so-called fan like yourself, that I'm a freak!"

Lowering the sheets slightly, you forced yourself to keep your gaze affixed on his face. Not on the hand hovering close by you, or his handless wrist, just his face, "I've heard a lot of rumors working in the Sea Shell, you just caught me by surprise is all, seeing your...powers....for myself"

"Powers? Hm. I like that. Oh and I didn't mean to startle you by the way, I thought me waking you up and being stood over you, shaking you, would've freaked you out more"

The smirk adorning his irritatingly good looking face suggested otherwise, you sensed. His malevolent expression was quite at odds with the air or innocence he was so expertly cultivating with his words. He had been hoping to shock you, perhaps even scare you by waking you up this way, but you were determined not to allow yourself to be intimidated, or act hysterically just for his own twisted amusement.

"You wouldn't have scared me if you'd have just nudged me awake"

"Is that right? So.....my face leaning right over you like this...." he cleared the distance between the wall and your bed in two long strides, in order to loom over you in the most intimidating manner, ".....you're saying this wouldn't have scared you?"

You blinked rapidly at him; your eyes quickly taking-in the cross bones tattoo on his forehead, and those aquamarine eyes of his; adorned with their outrageously long lashes "startled maybe, but that isn't the same as being scared, captain"