Title: The Reason
Characters: Buggy, Shanks
Pairings: Shanks/Buggy
Warnings: boy love, slight crack, mentions of sex, copious amounts of sap.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
Additional note: This is a rather old one that I found going through my notes. I apologize if the characterization is a bit off—this was when I was just starting to get a feel for their characters.
Sailing on the Oro Jackson was rarely boring. That being said, however, Buggy was bored. The ocean was calm, the sky was clear, there were no sea monsters around that the Captain wasn't eating, most of the crew was in bed nursing hangovers, and even the Flashy Redhead was being quiet.
To sum it up, it was too quiet for Buggy's tastes.
"Flashy Redhead!" He finally screamed in frustration.
"Hmm?" Shanks' straw hat clad head popped out of a barrel. What he was doing in the barrel Buggy didn't want to know.
"What the hell are you doing?" Buggy screamed. He regretting asking the second the words were out of his mouth, but at least Shanks' answer would be entertaining.
Shanks smiled mischievously. "Getting things ready."
"Ready for—no, nevermind; I don't want to know. Get out of there and come entertain me." Buggy ordered.
Shanks climbed out of the barrel, leering at him.
"Not like that, pervert. I'm bored, not horny."
"Aww, Buggy, I thought you said you could never get enough of me." Shanks whined with a smile.
"Flashy pervert." Shanks just laughed, irritating Buggy further.
"So if you don't want sex, what do you want?" The redhead asked, leaning against the railing on the deck.
Buggy shrugged. "I don't know. Can we just talk?"
"Sure. What do you want to talk about?"
Buggy thought for a minute. There was one question he had always wanted to ask.
"Why did you become a pirate?"
Shanks looked at him for a minute, the wind blowing his red hair across his face.
"For the freedom. You?"
"The treasure."
"Surely that's not the only reason." Shanks goaded. "What else?"
Buggy looked away from him. "That's the most important reason. I love treasure."
"So there are other reasons. Surely you can tell me…" Shanks pried gently, his hands rubbing Buggy's shoulders.
The clown apprentice flushed. "With my looks it was either piracy or you know…I figured I'd see more treasure as a pirate."
"Might have been more fun in the circus." Buggy felt Shanks' left hand leave his shoulder and take his hand. "But I'm glad you're a pirate, here with me."