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

Booze-Fueled Confidence

Buggy and Scarlet find themselves seated on the cool kitchen floor, away from the raucous revelry of the crew. With their backs against the sturdy wooden cabinets, they huddle close together, sharing a stolen moment of respite in the relative quietude.

Buggy takes a long, deep swing from the bottle he'd found earlier, its contents burning a trail down his throat. Each gulp is an attempt to drown out the echoing voices of his crew members, who had gleefully declared Scarlet to be his girlfriend. The sensation of his heart racing with every utterance of that word is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, and he tries to numb that unfamiliar feeling in his chest with the help of the booze.

He offers the bottle to Scarlet. With a contemplative look in her eyes, she accepts the bottle from Buggy without hesitation, mirroring his actions with a sip of her own. She exhales slowly, her breath catching in a mixture of frustration and disappointment. "I still can't believe someone trashed my home," she mutters, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.

She takes another sip, her gaze fixated on the floor, before passing the bottle back to Buggy.

Determined and resolute, Buggy leans in closer to Scarlet, his eyes unwaveringly fixed on hers. "I'll find that asshole," he promises, his tone devoid of any humor. The gravity in his voice conveys a sincerity that leaves no room for doubt.

Scarlet's frustration is palpable as she shakes her head in disbelief. She leans her head wearily against the wall behind them, her gaze shifting upwards to the ceiling. "You can't possibly find whoever did that. It's pretty much impossible," she sighs, her voice carrying a heavy dose of resignation.

In response, Buggy takes another swig from the bottle they share, his determination unyielding. "I will," he declares firmly, the tone in his voice leaving no room for an argument. He doesn't offer any explanation, leaving Scarlet to ponder his unwavering confidence in silence.

Turning her head towards him, her expression skeptical, Scarlet voices her concerns. "I don't want you to kill everybody only to find the culprit." It was a rational fear, given the reputation and prowess of the clown pirate.

Buggy couldn't help but chuckle at her statement, a rare display of genuine amusement. His usual chuckles carry a dark undertone, but this time, it sounds like he was genuinely tickled by her words. "What makes you think I'd kill everybody?" he asks with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Scarlet, however, doesn't feel the need to elaborate further, instead gesturing at him to convey her point. Shortly after she sighs and decides to address the matter head-on. Her voice carries a mix of gratitude and concern as she speaks, "I appreciate that you want to help, but I think having you sticking your nose into my problems might only worsen the situation."

In the span of a few seconds, the atmosphere between them seems to shift abruptly. Buggy, who had been gazing elsewhere momentarily, turns his head slowly toward Scarlet, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that's hard to ignore. Scarlet, feeling his scrutiny, turns towards him as well, their eyes meeting.

Just as she begins to ask about what was bothering him with a "Wha-," Buggy interrupts her abruptly with an unexpected question, "Are you making fun of my nose?"

Scarlet is momentarily taken aback, her mind struggling to make sense of the seemingly random remark. She raises an eyebrow in confusion, her head tilting slightly to one side as she shakes it in denial. "No, where do you get that idea?" Her bewilderment is evident, as she tries to understand the source of his unexpected and somewhat humorous accusation.

"I heard you say it," Buggy asserts, pointing an accusatory finger at Scarlet. "You said I shouldn't stick my big red nose into your problems."

"I didn't say that!" Scarlet's immediate response was a swift denial. She deftly takes the bottle of booze from his hand, a hint of concern in her eyes. "I think you've had enough already." With that, she takes a sip from the bottle herself, her gaze sidelong as she observes Buggy, particularly his distinctive nose.