Cutting Loose (A Clowning Around Story)

by ZareEraz

ShanksxFem!Buggy. Shanks' and Buggy's relationship hits a snag when Buggy receives a very important letter. The strength of their desires are tested as they process the unforeseen circumstances placed before them and the consequences their decisions will have on their love. Smut, sequel to Running Wild.

2. Cutting Loose

A/N: Hey everybody! ZareEraz here! I'm back with the next chapter and I really hope you like it! :3 Happy Reading!

Chapter Two: Cutting Loose

Shanks could hear everyone whispering in the mess hall and felt many pairs of eyes on him as Lucky Roux helped him heap food for two onto a plate. The redhead was used to getting attention, but just like when Buggy's crew had found them, uneasiness had permeated the ship. He could hear his crew's whispers, asking if what they'd heard about the letter was true, how Buggy had reacted, if she was going to take the appointment, and on and on. Shanks was asking a few of those questions himself, mostly whether or not Buggy was going to become a Warlord and what they were going to do about their relationship based on her decision. But, he couldn't do anything about that until he got the food back to his room. The captain nodded to Benn, silently putting the first mate in charge of everything, and got a responding nod back – he didn't have to worry about his crew for the next few hours.

As he walked back to his room, anxiety settled into Shanks' chest. Damn, I only feel this way when Buggy is involved…I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, he thought. It was true though – he was a laidback man with few worries and it was only when his girlfriend was around that problems made him feel anxious when he would normally just brush them off or deal with them quickly. Maybe it was because whatever Buggy chose also affected him, or that he felt anxious because he had to worry about both of them, not just himself. Whatever the reason was, he was nervous because she was nervous but he was a lot better at hiding it than she was. From the outside, no one could tell that he was worried as he walked back to his room (though he certainly was), and many concluded that he was just lost in his thoughts.

When Shanks reached his bedroom, he tapped his foot against the closed door (since his hand was busy with the plate) and called out, "Buggy? It's me." He heard something that sounded like an affirmative answer from inside and the door opened, seemingly all by itself. When he walked it, a detached hand shut the door behind him and floated back to its owner. Buggy was sitting in his desk chair again, right where he'd left her. It had taken him quite a while to get her off of the deck and back into his room, but now that she was there, it looked as if she never wanted to leave. Her flashy clothes had been replaced with comfy ones, she had sent him to go get lunch since she didn't want to face either of their crews, and he was pretty sure she was one emotional outburst away from ripping her ponytail out of her head. And Shanks, being well-versed in Buggy's emotions, knew that this kind of mood was only expressed when she was truly stressed. He put on a comforting smile and walked over to her.

"I have lunch," he said, setting the plate down on the table. He then pulled utensils out of his pocket and handed one to her.

"Thanks," Buggy mumbled, stabbing a piece of meat and moodily shoving it into her mouth. Shanks took off his cloak and threw it on the bed, sitting down on the desk to eat off the plate as well. Several minutes passed in sulky, munching, silence as Shanks watched his girlfriend carefully. She was looking out the window, just as she had been early that morning, her eyes filled with worries yet again.

Eventually, Buggy sighed. "I can feel your eyes on me. What is it?"

Unperturbed by her moodiness, he shoved some food into his mouth before answering. "You know what it is. Wanna talk about it yet?"

"No."

"Okay," he conceded. "But…can I ask about the bat?" A cross-vein popped out on Buggy's forehead and her eyes flicked up to where she knew her unwanted guest was hanging out. The Carrier Bat had taken a liking to her and was now sitting on top of her head, crowning the woman's hair as an unwanted, furry tiara. The bluenette waved her hand over her head and dislodged the creature, listening to its little squeaks and annoyed flaps before it settled right back in her hair.

"It won't leave me alone!" she complained, shoving another spoonful of food into her mouth and chewing moodily.

Shanks looked at the little creature sternly and saw it flinch at his gaze and presence. He gently tried to pry it from Buggy's hair, but it kept hanging on with its little feet and squeaked in protest, flapping its wings at him. "I need you to let go now. Buggy and I are going to have a talk," the man stated gently but firmly. "You can nest in her hair later, okay?"

"Why are you bargaining with it?!" Buggy complained, not wanting the bat in her hair at all.

The man ignored her. "Please, let go." The little bat, though slightly terrified of the strong presence in front of it, reluctantly let go and allowed itself to be cradled in the man's hand. "There's a nice bunch of palm trees where you can rest, go find them." The bat squeaked again, as if in agreement, and let itself be taken outside the bedroom door where it flew off towards the mentioned trees. "Now that that is taken care of…" Shanks said, going back to the desk after shutting the door yet again.

Buggy glared at him, but it wasn't one of her furious glares, just a slightly annoyed glare. "I can't believe you promised the bat that it could nest in my hair again."

"I can see why he likes it," the man smiled, walking up and twirling a blue lock around his finger. "I like nesting in your hair too." Shanks observed that the silliness with the bat had made Buggy's mood less…sharp. Maybe he could discuss the Warlord thing with her now that she'd been fed and distracted a bit. He kissed her on the cheek and asked, "Can I nest in it while we talk?"

Buggy grumpily asked, "Why does that sound so cute coming from you when it should be dumb?"

Shanks replied confidently, "Because I am sexy," giving her his full-of-myself smile.

"When you should be dumb," she retorted, chuckling as his face dropped.

"You don't mean that," he pouted. "Right?"

The woman giggled at his puppy-dog face and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Only sometimes."

"Buggy!"

The woman laughed and then took his hand in her and led him to the bed, flopping down on the pillows after yanking her ponytail out. The waves of her hair spilled over the pillow and after Shanks sat cross-legged on the bed next to her, he ran his fingers through her locks. The movement soothed Buggy a little more she reached up to float her hand to his neck, her thumb caressing the stubble on his jaw.

"You look a little better," Shanks observed, watching his girlfriend relax.

"I feel a little better, but I'm my stomach is still in knots." She made a face. "It's like that time we stole Rayleigh's last bottle of special whisky, drank half of it, and then accidentally broke the bottle and wasted the rest when he startled us. My stomach feels like that right now."

Shanks shivered at the memory, recalling the absolute dread and terror he'd left when Rayleigh had loomed over them like death itself. "You totally wet your pants when he started yelling at us."

Buggy glared at him for reminding her. "You're the one that threw up, jerk."

"It was the whiskey making me feel awful," he argued, fully knowing the reason was only partially the alcohol and mostly due to how terrified he'd been.

"Keep telling yourself that," she snickered. "I kept it down."

"Yeah, and you were loopy for hours after Rayleigh finished yelling at us before crashing."

Buggy grimaced, recalling how hungover she'd been after that, and the memory was reminiscent of how she was feeling now: absolutely awful. "Yeah, that was not fun." The woman then sighed. "And neither is this."

Shanks saw some of the stress work its way back into her face as her eyebrows pinched together. "So, the World Government really asked you to be a Warlord of the Sea?"

"Yeah, and you can read the letter if you can ever get my crew to stop worshipping it," she huffed, letting the hand on his face drop over her eyes. Buggy sucked in a huge breath and then groaned. She had no doubt that they had already enshrined it on the Big Top to be seen by all.

"That's a good thing right? You'll be famous now," he said, trying to cover up the slight uncertainty in his voice. Despite his own anxiety about the situation, Shanks at least wanted to congratulate her on getting recognized, even if it was by the World Government.

"You think this is a good thing?" Buggy accused, uncovering her eyes to glare at him. "This is either a disaster or the best thing ever! And knowing me, it's a disaster!"

"I don't get it, Buggy," the redhead interrupted before she got too far. "Isn't this something you would want? I thought that you'd be jumping at the chance to be a Warlord." But that's not what Shanks wanted, even as he encouraged her – he was teetering between being a supportive boyfriend and a possessive jerk and could only tip to one or the other based on what Buggy was feeling.

The bluenette's eyes flicked away from his face. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I thought that I'd want it more than I do…and I still want it…but…"

"But?" he prompted, waiting for her to let him in.

Buggy waited so long to answer the man thought she was going to clam up and not tell him, but she eventually started to speak again. "If I take this opportunity…we'll become enemies in the eyes of the world. There's no way a Warlord of the Sea can stay on good terms with an Emperor of the Sea publicly." The bluenette bit her lip and Shanks had to resist the urge to run his finger across it to get her to stop; she'd glare at him if he interrupted her like that. "But if I don't take it, the World Government will come after me, because that letter was definitely a threat too – like they were saying 'You'd better accept or there won't be a place for you to run to.'"

"That would be something they'd do," Shanks joked weakly, knowing full well the devastation the World Government could (and would) cause if they were provoked. He didn't want Buggy to get wrapped into being a Warlord, but he wanted her to get wrapped up even less in anything resulting from her refusal. It was a sticky situation either way.

"The only way I could refuse is if…" Buggy seemed very reluctant to continue with what she was saying, but Shanks just waited for her. She gave him a look that was somewhere between sheepish and shameful and said, "If I stay with you." That surprised him. What is she shamed about? Does staying with me make her feel that way? His heart pinched at the thought.

"Uh…was that meant to make me feel bad or good?" he asked, hesitant.

"Gah! I screwed it up!" Buggy facepalmed and kicked her legs in frustration. "That came out wrong!" She sat up and practically jumped into the redhead's lap, throwing her arms (and legs) around him and hugging him tightly. "I just meant that if I stay with you for protection then I'd be giving up my independence and everything I've tried to make for myself for the past twenty years, however little it may be."

"That's even worse!"

"Shit," Buggy moaned. "I can't do anything right!"

Despite himself, the man laughed and hugged her back. Buggy always flubbed things and now that she'd said the (hopefully) most insensitive thing, he actually felt a bit better. The only place to go now was up. "Silly, Buggy. Can you explain it a little better? I just want to understand." He patted the back of her head and physically felt her relax against him.

"I like being with you, but I don't want everyone to just see me as 'Red Hair's woman,' one of many-" Buggy ignored the man's offended "Hey!" and continued on. "I love you but I still have my pride," she explained, grateful that she was still hugging him because then he couldn't see her beet-red face. "I…I just want my own identity, my own fame, my own power..." Buggy trailed off, looking conflicted again when she pulled out of the hug to look at her lover.

Shanks smiled softly. While he was mostly a fun-loving, laid-back pirate, he did know the rush of pride that came from being respected and feared. He'd experienced that feeling for years now, but for Buggy, this kind of thing was very new and tempting. He understood that the idea of power and riches had always been intoxicating to her, as well as being independent – it was the whole reason she hadn't come with him after the Roger pirates had disbanded and Captain Roger and been executed. Buggy wanted to be her own person, and right now, that was probably conflicting with her desire to stay with him, just like he was conflicted about letting her go and wanting her to stay.

"Do you want to take this opportunity?" the man asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if you became very rich because of this, and I know you're not one to turn down something shiny."

"I want it…but…" she tried again, attempting to put all of her feelings into words. Two major desires were warring inside her now – the desire to stay with Shanks and her desire to gain power and riches. Buggy was an ambitious woman and very greedy – she always wanted more. Buggy stared at her lover, her eyebrows furrowing with a worry she'd never thought she have: Would her ambition eat up her relationship until there was nothing left if they were apart? They could be separated for years depending on the circumstances of the world, what if her pride going to destroy the most precious thing in her life? She started trembling, scared that she was going to ruin everything again, terrified that she was going to lose her love if she chose to leave him now. Would he even still want her after months, or years, apart? Could she be alone for that long? Pining for him? Their romantic relationship was young, was it even possible to maintain it if they weren't together? Her eyes became hot and tight just thinking about it, tears beginning to well up as her heart clenched anxiously.

Seeing her silent struggle and without even needing her to express it now, Shanks understood. "Buggy, it's okay," he started, cupping her face with his one hand. She pressed into it, placing her own hand on top of his, trying not to let her tears out, but failing. "We'll always have each other no matter where we are. I want you to be as independent and flashy as you are – it's one of the many reasons why I love you. If you weren't ambitious, you wouldn't be you. Though," Shanks blushed, a little bashful, "I'll miss you a lot more than you'll ever know."

"Shanks…" Buggy's bottom lip trembled and the tears she'd been trying to keep in escaped.

"Oh, Buggy," he sighed, kissing her wet cheeks. "Don't worry; we'll just keep our relationship a secret. I don't want to lose you now that I have you, love bug."

"I don't want to lose you either!" The woman sniffled and Shanks had to hold back a snicker at how pathetic she looked. "I love you so much, I don't know how I'm going to live without you."

"You'll land on your feet," the redhead reassured her. "It's me who's going to struggle."

Buggy gave him a look. "Don't lie – you always come out on top, Mr. Emperor. I'm sure you'd get over it eventually." Buggy was only half-joking when she said that, and she knew that Shanks instantly caught on to that.

"One does not 'just get over' you Buggy – you're one-of-a-kind." The man kissed her round, red nose. "And I'm sure that you'll make being a Warlord the flashiest and most one-of-a-kind thing ever if that's what you want to do."

"I think…I do," Buggy replied, feeling a little more confident and a little more secure. The situation for them was bittersweet but she knew that if Shanks was with her on it, they'd make it work. She saw acceptance, sadness, and love swirl in his dark eyes, mirroring the same emotions shining in hers. She had wanted to say something sweet to him, to help him feel better too, but instead, her mouth ran away with her again. "But if it doesn't work out, you'd better be prepared to shower me with treasure when I come back!"

"Of course," he chuckled, rolling with her comment. "I know how much you love your treasure."

The woman grimaced and pulled on his cheek. "You still owe me a map," she reminded him, still salty about the trick he'd pulled on her at Marineford.

"Are ooo 'ill 'oing on abou dat?" he complained as best he could.

"You tricked me about treasure! That's not something I'm going to forget!"

She let go of his cheek and the man rubbed the sore spot. "I'll guess you'll just have to come back and get one later," he teased.

"I'll come back to get what I want…" she paused, giving him an absolutely sinful look. "But do you know what I want more than anything right now?" The man saw desire burning in her eyes, mirroring the need he felt burning in him. He wanted all of Buggy that he could get right now – to reassure himself that she was still with him now and to get as much of her as he could before they had to part. He had a desperate need for her, a need to feel her, ravish her, and love her for as long as he could. Her eyes said the same thing and he saw Buggy gazing at his lips, wanting to kiss them.

"I think I have a good idea…" he replied, his voice low and sensual. Shanks was watching her watch his mouth, waiting for her to make a move. She tipped her head, leaning in slowly until her lips touched his. The kiss was soft at first, the gentle press of warmth, but the second his fingertips touched the back of her neck, she threw her arms around him again, licking his bottom lip, asking for entrance. Shanks smiled into the kiss and opened his mouth to her. Their tongues tangled, and Buggy's legs tightened around his waist and she pressed her body against him.

"Eager are we?" Shanks chuckled when their kiss broke.

Without any hint of shame, Buggy replied, "I want you, Shanks, and I don't need you to tease me about it."

The man gave her a quick kiss in apology but also raised an eyebrow at her. "I won't then since you asked so nicely."

Buggy looked surprised. "I didn't ask – oh, I'm sorry." She looked a bit sheepish under his firm gaze. "Please don't tease me."

"Only a little bit then."

"What's the point of making me ask if you're just going to do it anyway!?" Instead of answering, the redhead just pulled her shirt off. As soon as her head popped out again, Buggy kept complaining. "Oh sure, just take my shirt off instead of answering. At least I know what you want."

"Do you want me to play with your breasts, or not?" Shanks asked flippantly, resting his finger where the cups of her bra met. Buggy's eyes instantly glanced down, waiting for him to pull it down and free her. But he didn't, waiting for her answer.

"Well, go on."

"Not until you ask nicely."

"This again?!"

"You keep being prickly."

"You keep getting on my nerves!"

Shanks laughed as she alternated between glaring at him and glaring at the hand that would not take her bra off. "We sound like an old married couple!"

"You may be old but I'm not," Buggy huffed, frustratingly wiggling in his lap in a way that got the man's cock very interested in what was going on.

Shanks was just barely not distracted enough to notice that she didn't refute the "married couple" part, but pointed out, "We're the same age."

"Shut it, old man." The bluenette then pulled out her puppy eyes and said, "Can't you just make me feel good, Shanks? I want you so much." Her words sent a spike of arousal shooting up the man's spine and he groaned with desire.

"That was playing dirty, old lady," he growled, popping her breasts out of her bra and instantly taking a hardening nipple into his mouth.

"I know exactly what you like by this point and you like it when I play dirty," she sighed, pressing into his hot mouth as she shrugged off her bra the rest of the way and tossed it somewhere in the room. Her arms slid down his shoulders to the middle of his back, her nails digging into the muscle there as he sucked at her breast. His hand had skimmed down her waist and continued down until it was gripping her ass. She gasped and did that little wiggle he loved so much; Shanks smiled into her breast and gave her a love bite to show his appreciation.

"On my breast again?" she asked, petting his head. The man glanced up and saw that a loving smile graced her lips.

He parroted her words back to her. "I know exactly what you like by this point, love bug." He gave her a wicked smile, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Want another?" She nodded, her stomach burning as her lover picked another patch of skin and left another red mark. He sucked a little too hard and the bluenette flinched. Shanks licked the bite to soothe the pain and when Buggy relaxed again, he picked another spot and left another love bite.

"God, I'm going to miss this…" the woman sighed, feeling him move to her other breast, licking and sucking at her.

"Then I'd better give you enough love bites to last you," the man murmured against her skin. That went on for quite some time until Buggy's chest and stomach were littered with little marks.

When she looked down, the woman couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, maybe that was too many!"

"Nonsense," Shanks replied, rubbing his nose against hers. "It's just the right amount!"

"Well, Mr. Just-The-Right-Amount, no complaining then!" He was about to ask her why when Buggy ripped off his shirt and her mouth attached itself to his chest. She started licking and sucking at his skin, and Shanks couldn't help but love her assertiveness.

"When did you get so bold in bed?" he asked with a smug smile on his face.

"When I started loving you," the woman replied.

"That's sexy," he murmured, petting her hair. "Give me lots, okay?" She grunted in response and left a first love bite on his hard chest. Buggy shivered as she moved onto another spot on his chest because Shanks' hand had moved to slide his hand down into her pants. His fingers slipped into her underwear and brushed against the crack of her ass as they sought her wet heat. Buggy was giving him a third mark when she jolted, moaning against his skin as his fingers dipped into her body. "Keep going Buggy," the man prompted, wanting his love to mark him some more. "We're just going to get you nice and ready for when you're done." The woman's insides clenched around his fingers and a smattering of goosebumps appeared on her arms, signaling her arousal.

Buggy half-moaned and half-whined a "Shaaaannnnkkkkssssss…" and the redhead kissed her hair in response. He gently stretched her open, scissoring his fingers inside her and pushing them in and out. Buggy, doing her best to not get distracted, kissed the man's chest and sucked at his skin while also moving against his fingers. She liked the little twitches he made when she left the bites and kept kissing him while she let her thumbs rub across his nipples. The man's breathing deepened and she smiled as his erection grew against her. The bluenette was about to suggest that they take their pants off and get going when Shanks' fingers found an almost electric spot inside of her. She cried out, throwing her head back and stiffening, as he hit that spot again, sending sparks across her eyes. She didn't see it, but Shanks grinned smugly and started grinding against that same spot, prolonging the almost painful pleasure. His mouth latched onto her neck and he gently bit down, stopping her from wiggling away from him. Buggy bucked against him and it only took a few moments before she released unexpectedly. She collapsed against him, groaning her pleasure and displeasure, his fingers coated in her.

"Shit…you made me cum…" She hated it when Shanks made her cum when she wasn't ready – it was a control thing.

"Don't be mad," he soothed. "It was just a little one, wasn't it? Nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Speak for yourself." Buggy took in a sharp breath when his fingers continued playing with her and tried to stay upset as he started making her feel good again. "You'd be bitching and moaning if I made you cum before you were ready – I've seen you do it."

"That's a little different," he argued tenderly, feeling her hips move against him the tiniest bit. "It takes me quite some time to recover, whereas I know that despite just cumming, you're ready to go again already. Isn't that right?" Buggy just glared at him and the man gave her a charming smile. "Besides, I like it when you're really wet for me."

"Pervert."

"You know you love it."

"Still makes you a pervert."

"Come on, cut me some slack," he pleaded. "I want every time we make love to be good, but now that I know we have limited time together for a while – " both of them felt their chests tighten with sorrow, "I want to these last however many times we have to be the best for both of us." Buggy felt her heart thump hard as she saw the love and sadness that had been in his eyes before being joined by desire, longing, and an incredible tenderness. "I just want to give you all the love I can, to show you how much I treasure you."

The woman gave an involuntary gasp. Shanks only used "treasure" with her when he wanted to impress the seriousness of the situation. Between them, it was almost more endearing, deep, and impactful than the word "love." The woman's heart fluttered and she'd thought that she couldn't fall in love with him any more than she already had, but the woman felt herself fall a little deeper.

"Oh, Shanks…" She placed her hands on his face, feeling the scruff on his jaw and the warmth of his skin. "I treasure you too. More than you can know." The woman felt tears come to her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away.

He kissed her nose. "I said something that sounded really nice, huh?" Buggy burst into laughter at how proud of himself he sounded. What have I done to deserve this, silly, wonderful man?

"Yeah, you always say the good stuff first before I can," she teased lightly. "But I'll let it slide this time since you said something so nice." A single tear ran down her cheek but Shanks kissed it away.

"You're so good to me, Buggs."

"I think I'll be good to you some more," she murmured, her hand drifting to the man's pants, "So that you'll be good to me too…" Shanks groaned as she cupped his erection, rubbing against it gently but firmly. He pressed into her touch, his head tipping back enough for her to latch onto his neck and kiss and lick there as he did to her all the time. His fingers inside her stopped for several moments, his whole body concentrating on her hand moving into his pants to grip his cock and how warm her lips and tongue were on his skin.

The redhead hissed, "Oh damn…!" when the woman freed him and stroked his length firmly. He was fully hard for her now and thrust up into her grip as much as he could considering their position.

"Eager are we?" she whispered against his neck, her voice husky with want. Buggy was a little heady with the power she had over her lover, proud that she could rile him up so easily, that he wanted her so much. She gripped him a little tighter, feeling the largeness of him in her hand. She licked his neck again, feeling how good he left in her hand. He'd feel even better inside of her, but she wasn't quite done teasing him yet. "Maybe I should make you come like this, to pay you back?"

"N…no…!" the man protested. His fingers slipped out of her and the woman groaned at the loss. She then felt those warm, wet fingers on her wrist pulling her hand away from his dick. Suddenly their positions were reversed and Buggy found herself at his mercy, her arm pulled behind her back, Shanks' chest plasters to hers as he leaned over her. "No way am I going to let you do that," he huffed, fighting for control of his body. Buggy had made him feel so good, just with those few touches, but he wasn't about to let her run the show.

"And why not?" she argued back. "You did it to me!"

"Because I want to be inside you, silly." Buggy's entire body shivered when he said that, wanting him to do just that. "Though I am sorry that we won't get to have too much foreplay this time." He gave her a roguish look that she knew charmed her more than she'd ever admit.

"We can do some more later if you want," she suggested, her body acutely aware that her lover's cock was nearly pressed up against her stomach. She wanted that inside her, bad.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Shanks replied, smiling again. He kissed that spot behind his lover's ear that he knew would make her shiver, and he wasn't disappointed. Buggy was squirming against him now, having inched herself close enough to brush her body against his cock. Both of them moaned as warm skin pressed the other. Shanks quickly let go of Buggy's hand and moved the woman out of his lap and onto the bed. Once she was off, he wiggled out of his pants and tossed them off the bed, and then went to pull hers off. Buggy helped wiggled her pants off and once they'd been tossed aside as well, her lips were caught in a passionate kiss. He knelt over her and she threw her arms around his neck, opening her mouth to him as their kiss deepened. It was only when he started to lay her down on the bed that she made another comment.

"We do this one a lot," Buggy noted, pointing out that he had moved his legs in between her legs. The man paused and gave her a confused look.

"You don't like it?" he asked, surprised. Buggy was usually very receptive to having sex in this position and hadn't ever complained about it before.

"No, I love it; I'm just saying that we do it a lot in this position." Shanks thought about it for a moment, and Buggy blushed, hoping that she hadn't said something dumb again. After a moment, the man got out from in between her legs, and when the bluenette was about to protest and take it all back, he gently prompted her to roll onto her left side and lay down behind her.

"How about this?" he asked, pressing his torso against her back, spooning her closely, and wrapping his arm around her stomach to pull her even closer. He slipped his cock in between her legs, rubbing her sensitive core and wetting himself with her arousal. Buggy squeaked in response and the man smiled. "I'll assume that means you like it. I'm glad I can hold you close like this."

It was true – all of Shanks was wrapped around her, cocooning her in his embrace. The bluenette felt simultaneously protected and possessed, her body trembling in anticipation of moving against him like this, already seeking more contact. Shanks rested his cheek on her neck, kissing the underside of her jaw and licking the shell of her ear. Her body tightened, already wanting him deep inside her like this. Buggy threw her right arm behind her, holding Shanks' head in place as she turned to kiss him deeply, opening her top leg for him.

"Take me…" she breathed when the kiss ended. "Make love to me, Shanks." He growled in response, hugging her tightly before reaching in between her legs and guiding himself inside her. They both sighed as their bodies melded into one and the man kissed down his lover's shoulder and arms as her fingers twisted into his hair. The bluenette let out a moan as he shifted inside her, his cock opening up her hot insides, feeling so much deeper than normal. "Oh my god! So deep!"

"Shit, Buggs…I'm rubbing hard against you!" As the man said that, he withdrew several inches and pushed back into her, wanting to feel the firmness against his cock head against her walls that he'd felt that first time.

"I…can tell…!" she whined, his angle pressing against her front wall roughly despite Shanks' rhythm being quite tame for him. "Oh god!" Buggy's hands gripped at his arm, half trying to hang on and half trying to get him to let her go, but it was made of iron that she knew from experience could not be moved. "Let me g…go!" she pleaded, getting overwhelmed very quickly – it was too much.

"Hell no," the man sighed, sinking into her warmth again. He did, however, stop there so that Buggy could catch her breath.

Buggy rolled her eyes at the fact that he stopped inside her and then popped her head off to glare at her boyfriend, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "You are such an ass."

"But I'm your ass," he replied cockily.

"You're so lucky you're cute or else I'd – "

"I'm cute?" He sounded so proud and surprised at the same time.

"Don't act like I've never told you that before because I'm sure I've done that!" The bluenette squeezed her eyes shut and pinched her nose with a detached hand. "This was supposed to be a nice, loving, little moment, but all you've done is make me harp at you and all I've done is the harping!" Buggy felt really bad that she just couldn't bite her tongue but when she opened her eyes, Shanks was just smiling at her. "What are you smiling about?"

"It's just so much fun to be with you," he replied.

Buggy's heart thumped hard in her chest again. She blushed a deeper shade and scratched bashfully at her cheek. "I'm still surprised that you don't find me insufferably annoying."

The redhead's smile got bigger. "Oh, you can be annoying, but now is not one of those times. But even if you were, I want to experience all of you that I can before you..." he trailed off and Buggy floated down to kiss him lovingly, knowing that the end of that sentence was leave me. Shanks eagerly responded to her, opening his mouth and seemingly trying to take her breath away. This kiss was gentle, but Buggy could feel his pent of arousal when he squeezed her ribs the tiniest bit too tight, or when he moved his head too fast in an effort to kiss her at a different angle – he wanted to ravish her. She smiled knowing that he was just as considerate as ever and waiting for her. When their kiss ended the man gave her big eyes. "Do you feel better? Can I go now?"

Buggy chuckled and placed her hand on his stubbly jaw. "Only if you'll be gentle at first." Instead of responding, Shanks pulled his cock out of her body and thrust it back in at a steady pace. Buggy yelped at the sudden stimulation and griped, "Let me get my head on straight, will ya?!" She managed to hook her head back on in time for his next thrust, and also managed to slap Shanks in the face with her hair. She gave a smug grin when she heard him spitting hair out of his mouth.

"Very funny," the man growled, tightening his hold on her body. Buggy didn't have time to respond before she was completely distracted by their lovemaking.

Before this moment, the two of them would've described spooning sex as "lazy" and something to do when neither of them had energy but still wanted each other. However, what they were doing now was not lazy – it was intense. Buggy could feel every inch of Shanks' cock from beginning to end with each thrust – when he rubbed her between her legs and felt him slide all the way in to fill her up. Shanks could feel as much of Buggy's skin as he wanted, his arm moving to let his hand drift to caress her hip, or dip in between her legs to tease her clit. He also moved his hand to grip his lover's left breast, squeezing it and rolling her nipple while she let out moan after moan. Buggy was lost in all the stimulation and only really managed her own awkward hold on him by tossing her arm behind her and digging her nails into his back when his cock rubbed against the burning spots inside her. The man's pace quickened, leaving her panting for breath and moaning his name as she was pleasured. They didn't speak for quite some time and just moved together. Everything was almost too much for Buggy – too much heat, too much friction, too much skin – but she wanted it all. She wanted more and more of him, and eventually, the woman found that she was craving something she didn't have. Her hands open and closed, her arms longing to hold him.

"Shanks…Shanks…" she gasped, trying to get his attention after not speaking actual words for a time. He, however, was too distracted licking and nibbling her neck and probably thought that she was just saying his name for the hell of it. The chanting of his name switched to attention-grabbing when she became demanding and pinched his arm. "Shanks!"

"What is it, Buggs?" the man asked, still moving inside her, but softer and slower.

She blushed, looking sheepish. "You're going to poke fun at me."

"No, I'm not. What is it?"

"I know what I said earlier…" she started, "But can you get in between my legs now? I really want you that way."

"So, despite complaining about it, you're going to be a hypocrite and demand that I get between your legs again?" he pointed out matter-of-factly.

"You said you wouldn't poke fun at me!" she snapped, irritated that he was arguing with her and that he'd now stopped thrusting into her. "Please! I just want to hold you…properly.." The desperate note in her voice got to the man and he complied with her very cute demand. Buggy sighed at the loss of him but gasped just as quickly in delight when Shanks rolled her onto her back and knelt between her legs. She opened them wider for him, bringing her knees up to make it easier. Without hesitation, the man lined himself up with her entrance for a second time, wanting to be in her wet heat once again. He sunk back into her and they both sighed in satisfaction.

"This was is the best, even though I have a hard time balancing sometimes," Shanks admitted, slightly self-conscious as he was balancing on his one arm. He'd been wobbly on other occasions and had even crashed onto Buggy unexpectedly once when he'd gotten distracted and his hand had slipped in her sheets. He could be cool and graceful all he wanted anywhere else, but sometimes Buggy just got him too flustered in bed to keep that up.

Completely understanding his many struggles (and also remembering the time he'd fallen on her and bonked her head), Buggy opened up her arms and said, "Come here. Just lean on me then." The man's eyes shined with love and he instantly dropped softly onto her chest, sliding his arm underneath her back and holding her close as she wrapped both of her arms around him.

"I can't play with your breasts like this, though," he pouted.

"You can play with them later," she replied, hugging him tighter. "I don't need anything else, Shanks. Just you as you are." She paused for a moment. "And some treasure. I need that too."

The redhead just laughed joyously at his lover's bashful face and kissed her nose. "I don't need anything else either. Just you as you are. And maybe some treasure." They both smiled and their lips gravitated together as their bodies picked up their abandoned dance. The weight of his body on top of her was always comforting, but now it was much more precious. The kisses he left on her neck were always searing in these moments where they were working towards climax, but now they were more dear. The noises he made aroused her all the more, but everything he did was priceless now – made so by their impending farewell.

It's true, you never know what you have until it's gone, Buggy mused as her mind got lost in a haze of lust and love. Now I don't ever want to let him go. Shanks was moving perfectly inside her, all of his passion being released on her body, his pace punishing and pleasurable at the same time. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him that much closer, wanting to just hang on for as long as possible. Her nails dug into the hard muscles of her lover's back, leaving slashes of red on his skin that Buggy wanted to last forever.

Shanks glanced at his lover for a moment as she clung to him. She looked lost in pleasure but at the same time, so desperate, not for that pleasure she was drowning in. The man found himself feeling much the same way – so incredibly satisfied as he moved with his lover, and pressed in and out of her body, but at the same time frantic and wanting the moments they had together to last an eternity. He loved the way she bucked her hips into him, how she arched against his stomach when pleasure overwhelmed her, and how her perfect lips parted with gasps and moans and pants. Buggy was the perfect woman for him and he wanted her in his embrace forever, however short or long that would be.

"Love…" he panted, dragging the woman back down to earth for a moment. "Feeling good?"

"God, yes…!" she moaned back. "I'm getting…ah!...close…" Buggy felt amazing as Shanks pounded into her – the heat, the friction, his voice near her ear, his breaths puffing against her skin – everything was perfect. "I want to finish…but I…don't want you to stop either," she panted, out of breath as she moved her hips in time with his thrusts.

"I feel the same…god, I love you, Buggs," he groaned, taking pleasure in her heat and the fact that her hands on his back had started to tremble. One of them moved up his shoulder blade, across his shoulder and neck, and stopped at his jaw, pulling him forcefully into another searing kiss. Buggy was devouring him this time, and Shanks just let it happen. He was always very delighted when she became demanding and forceful in bed because while he knew she wanted him, her being bossy about it was so cute. This kiss was not gentle, it was raw – all tongues and teeth – as if Buggy just couldn't get enough of him. Shanks groaned into her mouth and pressed back into her just as forcefully, and the two of them fought for dominance. Buggy won out this time and plundered Shanks' mouth like a woman starved. When they parted, both of them were sucking in huge lungfuls of air and they even had to pause their lovemaking for a moment to catch their breath.

"Damn…you're amazing," Shanks breathed, giving his lover a lopsided smile.

"Feel…good?" the bluenette gasped, her chest heaving with his.

"Always." The man rubbed noses with her for a moment before starting their rhythm again. Buggy moved in tandem with him, both of them working towards their release frantically now. They bucked, thrust, sweated, and clung to each other, each moment more desperate than the last. Shanks lost himself in the heat of Buggy's insides and the bluenette could hardly focus on anything else but the friction of her lover's thrusts inside of her and how fantastic it felt. He filled her up and it wasn't long after that she felt her body clenching and the heat in her belly beginning to burst. She jolted as one of Shanks' thrusts hit her perfectly, throwing her head back into the pillows and writhing underneath him almost uncontrollably.

"Buggy?" Shanks' deep voice was right in her ear, making her shiver. "Are you cumming, love? Will you cum for me?"

The earnestness in his words and the ravishing of her body set her off and Buggy came hard. "Shanks! Oh god, I'm cumming! I'm cumming!" she moaned, her release barreling over her. Heat rushed from inside her body and gushed out in between their bodies, warm and wet. The woman felt like she was coming apart at the seams, her mind beginning to float in that disconnected space it occupied after she orgasmed, but she scrambled to hold it together as Shanks continued to thrust into her. Her body was twitchy as he stimulated her while racing toward his own release. Buggy relished the sounds he made in her ear as her body clenched around his cock, little groans and gasps that gave away just how fast he was losing control. He could never last very long after she came, especially when he was gazing at the pleasure-filled expression on her face with burning eyes. It was as if his ultimate satisfaction was seeing her come undone and not because she was squeezing him so tightly. Buggy heard the telltale signs of his impending release – a low sound in his throat, a faltering of his pace – and then he was cumming inside her too.

"Oh…fuck…! Buggy!" he groaned. She felt that she couldn't get a full breath – he was hugging her so tightly and she was still winded from her orgasm. His hot cum spurts inside her several times, coating her in warmth and the woman moaned in satisfaction, taking pleasure in his pleasure. Her skin felt tingly and electric, and her body couldn't contain herself anymore. The moment she felt Shanks start to relax she completely let go, falling to pieces.

Shanks made a noise in surprise as his lover literally fell apart under him, her limbs disconnecting and her torso splitting into several pieces. "Buggy?! Are you okay?" He tried to muster up some energy, but the most he could do in his euphoric state was sound concerned and shake what was left of her shoulder with his stump insistently. "Buggy?"

"I'm…fine…" the woman nearly slurred, looking at her lover with bleary eyes. The man swallowed when he saw how delightfully fucked she looked – it made his stomach tense up again with desire, even though he knew he was out of energy for the moment. He grunted as the belated stimulus forced one last twitch of his cock and one last small spurt of cum. It landed on Buggy's thigh, but thankfully, she was too far gone to even notice it. God, this woman makes me lose control.

"Don't scare me like that," Shanks chided, hiding how flustered he was behind a face of relief. He fell on his side so that he didn't crush his love and brushed his one hand through her messy, blue hair. "Well, that was new. I know that orgasms can feel like falling to pieces, but I think you're the only one who can literally do that. And here I thought that I'd seen everything that you could in bed." But when he thought about it for a moment, the man felt quite proud of himself and smiled smugly. "And I'm the only one who could make you fall apart like that."

"Don't get…a big head…" Buggy rolled her eyes at him, but also knew that he had a point. "I'll pull myself back together…in a few minutes…"

It did take Buggy several minutes to get herself back together; having no energy and her head being in the post-sex cloud not helping her situation. Shanks was also grateful for that time, as his body also needed to settle down. Buggy eventually put herself back together a piece at a time – her head reattached to her neck and shoulders, the parts of her torso knitted back together, and the pieces of her limbs rejoined themselves and then connected to the rest of her body. As Buggy did this, Shanks caressed each and every part of her that reattached itself one by one, kissing what he could and stroking everything else. The woman shivered or sighed with each touch, and once she was all put together again, the redhead held her close to him. The two of them let several minutes pass in silence, both of them just enjoying the warmth of the other and the glow of their lovemaking.

Buggy was the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper as she nestled into her lover's chest. "I know I said that I'd never been fully yours when we were first reunited, and then again a while ago," she started, "But that's not true." She looked up into his face, her blue eyes huge and swimming with emotion. "I'm yours, Shanks. I'm yours." The man's heart thumped hard in his chest and he was so happy that he nearly started crying. Buggy picked up on that instantly when she heard a sniff. "Are you crying?!"

Shanks rolled her completely over and buried his face into her back. "No, I'm not!"He hugged her tightly so that she couldn't turn to see his blushing face, though she did give it her best effort without having to detach anything.

"You totally are, you big baby!"

"Hey! I didn't make fun of you when you cried!" In revenge, the man tickled her side and stomach, moving to all the places he knew were vulnerable as she squealed and wiggled with laughter. "That's what you get!"

"Shanks! Dammit! Stop!" the bluenette gasped out in between laughter, trying to wriggle away from him but failing when he stopped tickling and yanked her back into a hug. As he let her calm down, Shanks nestled his nose into her hair, closing his eyes and breathing in, catching her scent of lavender.

"You smell so nice…I'm going to miss that," he murmured, kissing her neck softly.

"I'm all sweaty and gross," she pointed out, rolling around in his arm so that they were facing each other again. She took her own sniff at his skin, catching a whiff of his sandalwood and coconut among the scent of sex.

"Doesn't matter. You still smell good." He nuzzled her, kissing her sweaty forehead. The man felt the familiar racing of his blood that came when he was close to Buggy like this, and despite just having made love to her, he wanted more. "I think I'm going to need some more of you, Buggs…enough to satisfy me until the next time you're in my embrace." When he slipped his knee in between her legs again, the woman shivered, finding herself getting stirred up again.

"Are you sure that this isn't just your normal libido?" she asked.

"No, this is a special kind of wanting," he whispered, nibbling on his lover's ear. "Don't you want it too?" When she blushed beet red, he knew that she might want him just as much. And when she threw her left leg over his hip, he knew she wanted him just as much. "That's my good girl," Shanks murmured, moving to kiss her again.

It would be quite some time before the two of them settled down enough to take a nap and then get cleaned up for the dinner than had arrived during their hours of alone time. The second Buggy walked out of their bedroom, her little bat friend immediately landed on her head again, and he proudly nestled into her hair and grinned. Shanks burst out into laughter as the woman's eye roll and her furry tiara and Buggy had to resist the urge to tug on his ears. Instead, she just took his hand and pulled him along. The man smiled as the sunset made her scowl glow and her glaring eyes shine. He felt in that moment that as long as Buggy pulled him along, they were going to be just fine no matter what the world threw at them. Even if it was hard, they'd find a way to make it work.

To be Continued...

A/N: And there you go! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you later when I post the next one! :3