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Chapter Text

Buggy was so excited he could even feel his soul vibrating.

His fifteenth birthday was today and The Rogers would throw the best party’s on birthdays. For Shanks fifteenth birthday Captain had even gifted the redhead a new sword and Buggy was super excited for his special gift. He couldn’t wait for the sun to come up, still under the moon's light he rolled out of his hammock and his feet thumped loudly to the floor. Shanks made a slight noise in his sleep at the sound and shuffled in his sleep but it didn’t deter Buggy, it was his birthday so even if he woke up Shanks would have to forgive him, it’s the rules. He had picked out his outfit the day before at a boutique of an island they had docked at, Rayleigh had given him some extra pocket money to do so, smiling and patting him on the head. He had bought some new white cotton pants with slits in the sides that went almost all the way up his upper thigh. He had a white tank top he knew would go wonderfully with it and he also bought some gold earrings to match some gold necklaces and bangles he had previously found treasure hunting. He threw on the outfit and carefully took out the jewelry he planned to wear, opting to go to the bathroom before putting it in so that he could make sure everything fell into place perfectly. He exited their room, snatching up his makeup bag as well and tried to run as quietly to the bathrooms as he could. Getting in and looking at himself in one of the larger mirrors at the sinks he climbed onto the counter and did a little twirl to see how everything looked together so far.

He looked good. 

He knew he’d look even better once all the gold adorned his skin. Plopping down on the counter and crossing his legs he slowly pulled on the bangles and the necklaces, making sure they sat right, he took the gold earrings which were just two thick tear drop shapes and put them on. He brushed through his hair and pulled it back into a high ponytail, using some gel to make the front of his hair slicker. He started on his makeup doing his lips with a bright red like usual, his mascara went on easy and his eyeliner looked nice after a couple tries. He finally reached into his makeup bag for the piece that would tie it all together. A gold tiara encrusted with rather large diamonds. Shanks had teased him about it when he’d seen Buggy practically drooling over the shiny piece but he didn’t care. It was gorgeous so he kept it. Sliding it on he adjusted it till it sat just right and looking at himself in the mirror he looked…

Really pretty.  

He was absolutely sure his crew was going to compliment his flashiness all day and adore him with even more trinkets. 

He heard the bathroom door open and smiled, his first victim of the day to his superior looks. Turning he saw Sunbell and Millet Pine entering the bathroom “Hi!” He waved at them watching as the wiped the sleep from their eyes. “Morning Bug.” 

“Hi Buggsy.” They both responded and Sunbell reached out to ruffle his hair. “Hey! Be careful! I just did my hair! Plus I don’t want your blood in my jewelry!” He exclaimed “Your hair?” Millet Pine mumbled well looking at him “Oh? It looks nice….what's the occasion?” Buggy blinked at the horn hatted man. What’s the occasion? He had to be joking. “Common Mill you know what today is.” Buggy looked at the both of them smiling. They just blinked back at him in confusion. “You know what, never mind.” Buggy hopped down from the bathroom counter and glided past them. There was no way they’d actually forgotten. If they had it’s cause they had just woken up, no need to get upset. And they had complimented his hair so they at least recognized today was important. 

Exiting the bathroom he saw more of his nakama who he waved to and excitedly danced around telling them good morning as well. They all mumbled back at him greetings, none wishing him a happy birthday. Looking puzzled at his outfit and passing by him with second glances. They were probably just waking up too so no big deal. They would all praise him later. Even at fifteen he liked to be praised and coddled. It was kinda embarrassing but nothing beat being hugged by Rayleigh or being put in a headlock by Oden or his hair being ruffled by Toki or when Sunbell would swim with him in his back or when Captain would let him lean into him at dinner. He loved when they would tell him how good he looked in an outfit or complimented his makeup or shared their food or just were extra clingy back. It wasn’t as often as when he was younger as they would sometimes pull away and say he needed to grow up a bit and that he’d be a man one day. It bummed him out and he kinda understood where they were coming from but they were nakama. He should be allowed to cling when it’s just them. Whatever today was his day and nothing was going to damper his flashiness. 

He made his way back to his and Shanks room where the redhead was still asleep in his hammock. “Shanks get up you oaf! You have to celebrate with me!” He shook Shanks to wake him up and the other boy let out a slight humming noise. “Common dummy, look at how cute I am. I look amazing and the tiara is perfect. Get up so I can show you how stupid you look now!” Shanks finally rolled over and looked at him “mhm you look very beautiful but all that’s gonna get in the way of chores Bugs.” Buggy laughed at the notion. Chores? On his birthday? HA! They never did chores on their birthday. So of course they wouldn’t today. “Shanks, we don't have to do chores today!” Buggy smiled and excitedly shook Shanks again. Shanks just stared at him, squinting “No Buggy we have chores today. We also have to work on cleaning up the residue from that fight with the guy with that goopy devil fruit.” Ah actually they might have to do that soon. They had killed the bounty hunter and his comrades who had attacked them but they had left quite the mess. Buggy wondered who would find that devil fruit next. It’s as if the masses sensed something was off about their captain and enemy had been even more ferocious since Rogers title of The Pirate King took hold. 

“Well just see what Captain and Rayleigh have to say!” Buggy brightly pressed forward and tugged Shanks out of his hammock, the redhead almost crashing to the floor from sleep weakened legs. “I get to choose your clothes today too. I want you to look nice.” Buggy loved getting to dress Shanks on special occasions. The redhead didn’t let him do it much anymore cause the crew would tease him and a blush as bright as his hair would cross his face. But today was different so Shanks had to put up with it. “Wait wait Buggy what? I don’t want you to dress me!” Shanks pushed him off. “Well why not you bastard? It’s my day and I’ll do what I want with it?” Buggy was getting so frustrated. Why was Shanks fighting him on this? It was his birthday. He did what Shanks wanted on his birthday so why was Shanks being so unfair. He grabbed Shanks”s wrist and started tugging him towards their dressers “Common stop messing! Let me dress you up!” He growled. 

“No way! It’s embarrassing!” Shanks protested as he tried to pull his arm free. Shanks managed and when Shanks slipped free Buggy tripped over his own feet and fell forward, barely catching himself and scratching some of the bengals on his arms. “Gah! Now look at what you made me do! What is your problem!?” Buggy shouted, everything he was wearing was precious and he was not going to let Shanks’s little tantrum ruin it anymore. “My problem? You’re acting so weird! There is nothing going on today except cleaning. If you wanna dress someone up go dress up Hiyori, she’s actually a toddler!” Shanks shouted back. His response made Buggy go quiet. 

Nothing going on? It was his birthday…wasn’t it? Rayleigh had even given him extra pocket change for his new clothes. “Whatever Shanks you’ve ruined my mood. Since I’m feeling so benevolent today you should go for a while and when you calm down we’ll try again.” Buggy had to check something and he’d rather Shanks was gone as he did so. Shanks grumbled and shouldered past him on the way out, knocking Buggy sideways a little and Buggy scowled. He waited a minute and then quickly went to their dresser and looked at their small calendar. It was a good thing to keep on the open seas to track the days. He skimmed the marked off days in August and the markings led up to August eighth. It was his birthday…unless he had messed up and was just embarrassing himself. No….no that wasn’t possible. He’d have to ask Rayleigh to be sure. 

Plus even if everyone else forgot Rayleigh would never. He was the smartest man Buggy knew and he always remembered everything important. He had to go find him immediately. 

Buggy ran from his and Shanks' room to track down the man. He had to make sure he wasn’t wrong. He caught Gaban just as he made his way up to the deck, the man heading the same way as him. “Have you seen Ray today yet?” He asked. “I think he’s in the infirmary with Captain and Crocus, Buggy.” The bespectacled man said, turning and giving him an amused look. “What are you all fancy for? You look nice but all that stuff just weighs you down don’t you think?” Gaban teased him. Buggy giggles at the man, always the jokester and admittedly one of Buggy’s favorite crew mates. “I have all of you to protect me from harm! And it’s…it’s for today. It is the eighth you know?” Gaban laughed and grabbed the end of Buggy’s ponytail and gave it a couple small tugs. “Is it the eighth?! What about it? Is something going on? Is that why the most handsome pirate prince in the world is gracing us with his presence today?” The compliments made Buggy smile but the way Gaban was seriously questioning what was happening today was making him nervous. Has everyone truly forgotten? He needed to find Rayleigh faster than he thought. He had to have the date wrong; it was the only explanation. 

“Don’t worry about it yet! Let me find Rayleigh and I’ll tell you.” Buggy waved goodbye to Gaban and began his descent back down to the infirmary leaving Gaban to go about his day. His nakama didn’t know what day it was either so far and that meant he had to confirm with Rayleigh.

He moved through the halls of The Oro without interruption but he could hear most of the crew walking overhead with heavy footsteps. He had to have the date wrong. There was no way that they would have forgotten. If Buggy was being honest it was such a crazy thought it was starting to become funny. He could feel a chuckle rising in his throat at the mere idea. He was just being paranoid. He just got the date wrong and he would confirm it with Rayleigh and then his birthday would either be tomorrow or day after. Losing track of the days well at sea was common, he was probably just wrong. He made it to the infirmary and busted through the door. “Rayleigh!” he nearly howled. The only one inside was Crocus who was giving him a disgruntled look. “Keep your voice down boy! No need to go around screaming like there’s trouble!” Crocus scolded him. “Where is Rayleigh? I need to ask him the date! It’s urgent!” Buggy said, lowering his tone. Crocus just gave him a look like he couldn’t believe Buggy had asked a question so stupid. “The date?” The old man looked at his own calendar “it’s the eighth boy. What about it?” Buggy blinked, so he wasn’t wrong about the date. 

Then why was everyone acting so strange?

“And Rayleigh went to lay Roger down in his room… Captain's illness has been treating him worse recently.” Crocus looked frustrated at the thought of their captain. Crocus was really struggling trying to find a cure and Buggy felt bad for the man. “Thank you Crocus. For the date and Rayleighs whereabouts.”

“Yeah yeah Buggy. Be quite near the captain ya hear, rest will do him good. Been to hectic lately.” And with Crocuses parting words Buggy left and made his way to the captains quarters. 

His pace was slow and he felt strangely sticky inside. It was the eighth so what was going on? There had to be an explanation. For better or worse the infirmary was not far from his captain's room and he saw Rayleigh just as he was shutting their captain's door. “Rayleigh.” He called out as quietly as he could. The blond turned to him and gave him a tired smile. “Ah! Hello Buggy! Having a good day so far? You look nice.” Buggy beamed. Rayleigh definitely knew today was his birthday. He had even asked how his day had been so that birthday wish had to be coming any minute. “I’m good Ray!” 

“That’s good Buggy. You might want to change though, we have a lot of work to do today.” Rayleigh sighed out, his eyebrows creasing together like they always did when he was stressed and Buggy felt his smile slip off his face. Rayleigh wasn’t going to wish him a happy birthday? With all the troubles they’d been having recently Buggy hadn’t been expecting a big party like usual and well it bummed him out big time he understood why. He just thought that they’d at least wish him happy birthday and get him some presents… unless…

Oh.

Oh!

Buggy knew what was happening! A surprise party!

Ahahahaha! That had to be the answer! His nakama wanted to surprise him with a party after all the trouble they’d gone through. A big trick because they knew Buggy liked being adored so the best way to mess with him was to pretend they forgot! He could play along! 

The smile replaced itself on his face “Of course Ray! Just wanted to dress up a bit! I thought it was a cute outfit but stupid Shanks scuffed up some of my bracelets hmph.” He pouted a bit to really sell the bit and Rayleigh laughed before patting his head, avoiding the tiara. “You can dress up again at dinner just change for now.” Buggy was a bit bummed but dinner must have been when his party was so it was fine.

🎪🎪🎪

Buggy had made it the whole day. 

He was quite proud of himself for not giving anything away. Even when everyone had questioned him about his outfit and why he’d worn it in the first place he just pretended it was for fun and not anything important. Shanks had apologized about scuffing his bangles and Buggy had just laughed and said it was fine. Shanks had looked at him a little shocked that he had easily accepted the apology and Buggy couldn’t blame him. But since he was planning to surprise him at dinner it didn’t matter.  He could always fix the scratches later for now he’d just have to wear a little less gold.

They’d sailed through their chores and had gotten the goo fully off The Oro who he could feel give a gleeful hum at being clean. He was still pretty excited and he could feel his infectious happiness spreading to the rest of the crew who smiled at him and continuously patted him in the back when they passed by him. He probably gave away that he knew what they were doing when he had shouted in joy at the sight of some hotdog buns Rowing was holding around lunch. His favorite food was being served tonight so he had to be extra careful not to get anything in his clothes, pure white was hard to clean.

When it was finally dinner time he had put every single part of his birthday outfit back in and was excitedly prancing to the dining hall. As he entered he took his spot next to Shanks and sat down to hangout with the redhead before food was served. “I get why you didn’t wanna let me dress you earlier. It would have been suspicious and given everything away.” Buggy giggled but Shanks only gave him a confused smile, squinting his eyes and tilting his head. If they were still playing games it was fine. Buggy could too. They talked a little while longer about their most recent battles and Buggy kept track of everyone entering the cafeteria till Jacksonbanner and Spencer came in, holding hands like the mushy couple they were. The only person absent was Roger himself, still sleeping in his room. It made Buggy sad but he understood why Captain couldn’t be there. It didn’t matter, Buggy would bring him some cake later. He watched as everyone settled down Buggy could feel himself squirming with excitement. Shanks was eyeing him and MAX Marx on his other side was chuckling at him. He could see Erio helping Rowing bring out a big pot of something and a bunch of hotdog buns too. Bullet wheeled out a couple of side dishes like mashed potatoes and vegetables but Buggy didn’t pay it any attention. He was waiting for them to wheel out his cake but nobody followed behind his older brother. 

Buggy blinked and watched in silence as Erio grabbed a serving spoon and opened the pot, scooping out sloppy joe and putting some on a plate for himself. Buggy felt his breath catch. 

Where were the hotdogs?

And the cake? 

And the presents?

Most of all where was his happy birthday wishes from everyone?

“Where…where’s all the party stuff?” Buggy mumbled, looking at MAD Marx. “Party stuff? Buggy, what are you talking about?” MAD Marx looked at him confused. 

He…he couldn’t believe it. They had forgotten. 

……… They had forgotten his birthday. They loved birthdays and partying and! And! AND!

WHAT THE FUCK!!

Buggy shot up from his seat but he hadn’t noticed that Shanks had gotten his plate and when he stood he knocked Shanks’s hand, the redhead's food splattering onto his pristine outfit. Buggy shrieked and everyone looked at him. He lunged at Shanks reaching to shake the redhead but someone pulled him back and held him in the air. He glanced back and saw a wide eyed Oden holding him up by the underneath of his arms but he kept trying to kick at Shanks who looked like he was about to fight back. “You Fucking Bastard!” Buggy wailed and he disconnected his arms causing Oden to drop him right on top of Shanks. Buggy reattached his arms and both him and Shanks were rolling in the ground. Shanks kicked him off and stood up quickly before grabbing him by his tank top and throwing him on the table. He grabbed Shanks before his back hit the table and dragged the other boy with him. With Shanks now on top of him he used his foot to kick Shanks in the stomach making them roll across the table and back into the floor. Shanks grabbed his tiara and ripped it off his head, tearing out some of his hair and tossing his precious crown somewhere, definitely denting it. The action enraged him further so he disconnected his left hand and pulled Shanks’s own red strands. They rolled over again right into the carts of food causing everything to tip and splatter on the both of them. They were shouting and cursing at each other all the while. Shanks bit his left arm that had gotten too close to his mouth and Buggy used his right arm with still connected hand to scratch the left side of Shanks’s face, leaving four bleeding marks in his cheek. 

“ENOUGH!”

Everyone froze. 

Rayleigh was standing over them red in the face with rage and breathing hard. He grabbed both of them by the hair and dragged them out of the mess hall leaving a trail of food behind them. Rayleigh roughly kicked the mess hall door closed and threw them both against the nearest wall. Buggy began to full on sob, wailing loud and hard. “Oh My God Buggy! SHUT UP!” Rayleigh screamed at him and Buggy quieted immediately. Or at least he tried to. He began violently dry heaving and felt his stomach gurgling. Why was this happening to him? Why had they forgotten? He thought they loved him? They'd never have forgotten if it was Shanks’s birthday. He could hear the other boy next to him, defending himself. “It’s not fair Rayleigh! He’s been fucking weird all day and blabbering about today being special! I!/”

“I don’t give a fuck Shanks! Just go to your room! I’ll deal with you later! Buggy, what the hell is wrong with you today!” Rayleigh cut Shanks off pinching his fingers on the bridge of his nose. The redhead sent both him and Rayleigh an angry look before bailing which Buggy almost missed through his tears. He felt dizzy, his knees gave out from beneath him and he started clawing at his neck bringing to stop crying and breathe. He felt like he was choking on his tongue and Rayleigh was just looking down on him. “Fucking Hell Buggy, just calm down. Go shower and then we’re gonna go to Roger cause I have no clue what I’m going to do with you.” And Rayleigh just stomped away. 

Rayleigh left him on the floor and Buggy couldn’t breathe. 

It was probably for the best because now without Rayleigh's imposing shadow he felt less cornered. He focused on the floor beneath him and how his tears were making the wood where they landed darker. It took a minute but he eventually struggled to his feet and used the wall to support himself. He gasped out raspy breaths all the way to his and Shanks room where the red head was curled up in his hammock, food still covering his body. Shanks rolled over and gave him an icy look but Buggy must have looked truly pathetic because the boy's gaze softened and he got up. “Let me get you some clothes Buggy just go shower now.” Buggy had lost all his fight and just went back out the room and over to the bathrooms. When he got there he turned on the hot water before shedding his ruined outfit. His white pants and shirt stained an ugly reddish brown. All his golden accessories were scuffed and dented. Seeing himself in the mirror his skin was turning crusty from dried food and he had mashed potatoes in his hair. His makeup was smeared across his face and his mascara ran all the way down his neck. 

He looked hideous. 

His outfit was ruined and he was disgusting. 

He slowly slipped into the shower's stream of scalding water and he sighed. Shanks opened the bathroom door moments later and put his clothes on a towel hook before departing and Buggy finally felt safe enough to let his legs give out again. He crashed onto the cold tile floor and felt as heated water rolled from the top of his head down his body. He watched slowly as the food covering him slid off and got caught by the drain. He felt like a dirty sink of dishes that everyone claimed they were going clean but never got around to. He still had to go and face Roger who had also forgotten his birthday. There was no way he remembered if everyone else forgot. He was gonna get punished and there was nothing he could do. He’d start crying again if his eyes and throat didn’t already burn.

He finally found the strength to pull himself out of the shower when the water ran cold. He slowly dried himself off and put on his new clothes. Shanks had brought him some fresh pajamas, a ratty old t-shirt with a stretched out neck hole that fell off his shoulders and some black shorts. The other boy even had the foresight and care to grab Buggy’s fluffiest pair of socks. 

So how had they all just forgotten his birthday? He felt like a pet. Something that only small gestures in a fleeting moment truly made it feel special. Something that people joke about having grand things for but ultimately never follow through on. He opened the bathroom door in the middle of his musings and came face to neck with Rayleigh. The man was just staring at him with a blank face and Buggy could feel his soul shrivel up a little more. Rayleigh swiftly turned around and Buggy knew better than to not follow him. They made their way to Roger's room where Rayleigh stopped and Buggy froze. Rayleigh stayed facing away from him for a couple of minutes more making it seem as if time was standing still. “When I gave you that money the other day I did so because you’ve been behaving like a mature adult would more recently Buggy” Rayleigh didn’t even turn to speak to him. “I’m very disappointed in your behavior tonight so if you want to prove to me that this was just a little hiccup you can go in there and tell Roger what you did.”

Buggy wished The Oro would swallow him up into her hull. Rayleigh had been that happy with him recently? Maybe he should have just sucked it up…but it was his birthday. It was his day where he was treated with endless affection and gifts. He’d never admit it out loud but he would rather have his nakama than any amount of beri. “Just go in Buggy” Rayleigh never turned around. Buggy swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and slowly grabbed the doorknob. Twisting it and going at a snail's pace making the door groan as it opened, Buggy peered into the room. Unlike the cold and dark room he imagined walking into his captain's room was lit by multiple candles. Bright lights were giving Roger really horrible migraines recently so he’d opted for a simpler alternative. It gave the room a cozy glow and his captain gave him a large smile. It was scary seeing the man who raised him bedridden like this. He shuffled forward and Roger reached out for him, holding out his hand palm up and Buggy took it, kneeling next to Roger’s bed and putting his face into the side of the mattress. 

“Happy Birthday Bugger! How was it today? Get everything and more?”

Buggy’s fist tightened in the bed sheets but he made sure to keep his hand in Rogers lax. Captain remembered. Despite his sickness and his migraines and being laid up in bed all day Roger had remembered. He was so happy he could burst. He wanted to tell his captain what a horrible day he had. How everyone had forgotten and how they had practically teased him by giving him false hope. How Shanks had ruined his special birthday outfit and ruined his jewelry. But Rayleigh and Crocus had already said Roger was faring worse because of the recent attacks on their crew. It would be selfish and childish of him to hurt his Captain more over just his birthday. He was just Buggy anyways. Not Rogers legacy or his first mate or his doctor. Just a cabin boy getting worked up over something as trivial as a nice outfit and some gold. He didn’t matter as much as Rogers health and Rayleigh would be even more cross with him for making their beloved Captain sicker. 

Buggy steeled himself and then lifted his head, eyes twinkling and smile wide. “It was wonderful, Captain! Everyone pretended they forgot because of all the constant trouble we’ve been in but at dinner they threw me a surprise party. They made hotdogs and fries and they wheeled out a vanilla cake with strawberry filling and I wore the cutest outfit ever! I would have saved you some and shown you my outfit but me and Shanks started play fighting and we accidentally landed in the cake!” Buggy gushed, spinning a tale to please Roger. His Captain laughed loud, clearly pleased but it ended up a rattling cough and Buggy quickly stood from where he was kneeled and reached for the tissues that took up permanent residence at his captains bedside table. He took a couple and held them out to his Captain who had hunched over and was now making a horrible hacking noise. Roger reached and took the tissues from Buggy with a little tap to his hand as a thank you before focusing back on his coughing fit. Buggy hesitantly reached and rubbed his Captain's upper back like the man did for him when he was younger and had a cold. Roger kept coughing for another couple minutes before he slumped back into the mound of pillows on his bed that had been supporting him. “Mm’sry Bugger…you shouldn’t have to end your good day on a note like this.” Buggy almost scoffed but he kept his composure. “It’s ok Captain…is…is there something I can ask of you though? A birthday present.” Roger nodded at him to continue. 

It was a selfish, childish desire but… this might be his last birthday with his captain. The man who raised him. 

“Can I stay here with you tonight like when I was younger? I can sleep on the floor instead or just go back to my room but!/” he didn’t even finish his plea before Roger threw the blankets off and grabbed Buggy’s arm, hauling him into the massive bed. Roger threw the blankets back onto them and held him tightly underneath. Buggy wriggled a bit till Roger loosened his grip and Buggy sat next to him now also leaning against the mound of pillows. Roger places his arm around him and Buggy curled into his side. “I love you and Shanks so much. I’m glad you’ll still come to me like this. It makes me feel stronger.” Roger admitted with a small smile on his lips. Buggy looked up at the larger man wide eyed. Captain Roger will always be the strongest man alive to him. No matter what. 

As they both settled Roger blew out the candles and Buggy felt his eyes drooping under the darkness that now shrouded the room. He succeeded in acting like an adult just like Rayleigh wanted and kept Roger happy. A content smile fell on his face and he snuggled impossibly closer to his Captain… his dad. 

Sleep came easy after that. 

Chapter Text

Roger's sleep was restless.

A feeling of wrongness he couldn't explain sat heavy in his stomach where it bubbled like a sea witch's brew. When he woke Buggy was still settled into his side, breathing softly with puffy eyes. Roger found it strange that his youngests eyes were so red and swollen looking but Buggy had probably just rubbed at them too much in his sleep. He brushed some of his baby’s hair out of his face before a stabbing pain cut through his head making him hunch over. Clutching his head he tried to groan in pain as quietly as he could so he wouldn’t disturb Buggy. It was still quite dark in the room which he was thankful for, he didn't think his eyes could handle natural light at the moment. His drawn curtains made it difficult to look out and gauge what time of day it was though. If it was even day time for that matter. 

A knock sounded at his door which opened revealing his right hand and healthier half. Rayleigh peaked into the room letting light from the hall outside shine through to the dark space. The blond man gave him a soft look upon seeing him awake but when his eyes slid to Buggy in his bed it became more troubled. “Problem Ray?” He joked, not understanding what his second’s issue was. Rayleigh just shook his head “Not really, I trust you handled him with actual discipline instead of just coddling him.” Rayleigh sighed out, entering the room and closing the door behind him. It plunged the room into darkness once more and Roger could only hear Rayleigh’s light footsteps before the other rifled through his bedside dresser searching for the matchbox, he found it and struck one, beginning to light the candles on top the stand. “Why would I punish him? It was a silly fight.” Was Rayleigh referring to Shanks and Buggy making a mess with Buggy’s cake at last night's dinner dinner? The boys could get a little rowdy when they roughhoused but it should have been ok since it had been Buggy’s birthday. Rayleigh just looked at him and slowly blinked before his face shifted to annoyance and he let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t worry about it Roger, I thought he'd be responsible but I guess I was wrong. I'll handle it when he wakes up. It’s only four in the morning and he was quite distraught yesterday. I’m going to continue my watch shift now. Read a book since you're up anyways.” His second in command teased him and his hatred for sitting still before striding back to his bedroom door and leaving, shutting it behind him with a small click. 

Distraught?

Why would Buggy have been distraught? He had told Roger himself that he had a wonderful birthday yesterday… strange. What had Buggy told him? He had said he wore a special outfit the whole day but he hadn’t come and shown Roger once. Usually whenever his youngest son chose his birthday outfit he would find him and give him a fashion show, telling him where he’d found all of the items of his attire. He knows Buggy got the outfit dirty but he could have shown him in the morning, so why didn’t he? And Buggy would have called Shanks a name to show he was upset but his son didn’t even slip in a ‘bastard’. It puzzled him and made that evil bubbling in his stomach feel even worse. 

He’d have to go find out more information from Rayleigh or anyone else he could find. Getting up from his bed he was careful not to crush Buggy with his weight as he rolled over the boy. Placing his arm over his son on the bed he rolled over and dismounted on the floor successfully, Buggy shifted a bit and grumbled in his sleep making Roger pause. His son was a light sleeper and he needed all the deep rest he could get so Roger held his breath and waited for Buggy to settle down before moving again. Buggy rolled a bit in his sleep, the blankets slipping off of him and exposing a sliver of his shoulder. Roger almost gasped aloud at what seemed to be raw blisters on his youngests skin but there was no way it was possible. It had to be a trick of the candle light. If his son truly was burned like that he would have felt it when he tugged Buggy into the bed last night. He wanted to reach out and make sure but risking being wrong and waking up Buggy felt cruel. He shuffled backwards as quietly as he could until he reached the door and opened it as wide as he needed to slip through before softly shutting it. 

Roger began his search for his crew but as he passed the bathroom he realized how much he actually needed to piss. Being laid up in bed all day yesterday to nauseas to even keep fluids down had distracted him from the need but now it was a pressing matter. He slipped in and began walking to the back where the stalls were but as he passed the shower section of the bathroom he saw something out of the corner of his eye. On the floor were what looked like reddish brown rags and something glittery. He stopped in his tracks and turned slowly, eyeing the pile warily. Something about the rags felt so… ominous. He padded towards them lightly and used his middle finger to hook one and lifted it. It wasn’t rags like he thought but clothes. He’d picked up a pair of pants he’d never seen before, they had large slits down the sides and were quite flowy, they also appeared to have been pure white once but were now an ugly color from whatever had spilled on them. Looking at the other “rag” Roger saw it was a tank top that was also white once. That tank top he recognized, Buggy favored the spaghetti strap style over the thicker strapped type. The “glittery” things around the clothes were golden bangles and necklaces. 

It was a flashy style. 

The type of flashy style his youngest wore when he wanted to really show off. Even if the pants probably showed a little too much skin in Rogers opinion. This had to be Buggy’s birthday outfit. But his son had said that he and Shanks had been covered in cake not meat sauce. The meat sauce seemed to be Rowings signature sloppy joe recipe too. Buggy had said they had his favorite food at dinner though, hotdogs and fries. Picking up the rest of the outfit he left the bathroom, ignoring his bladder. It didn't make any sense. Why would Buggy lie? Was his birthday not as fun as he said? His son had seemed a little put out but Roger had thought it might have just been exhaustion from fun. He slowly wound through The Oros halls trying to get to her mess hall but as he turned a corner he bumped right into Sunbell. “Captain!” The fishman seemed shocked to see him. Roger didn't blame him; he was supposed to be on bed rest after all. “What are you doing up?! Crocus told us you need to stay in bed for a bit!” The fishmans voice was filled with worry and the man reached out to poke at his chest gently “Rayleigh and Crocus won't be happy about this you know.” The fishman said, worrying his lip between sharp teeth. Roger just chuckled “It’s fine Bell! Can you do me a favor and get everyone to the mess hall though. I need to ask y’all something.” He really wanted to know about Buggy’s party. The fishman nodded at his question and quickly moved to gather his crew mates. Brushing past Roger and heading to the crew rooms. Roger pressed on and when he finally made it to the mess hall the only person there was Shanks. 

Sitting at a table by the far side of the left wall his other son was hunched over and was gripping something hard in his hands. Roger heard slight sniffles coming from the boy as he came closer and he could see blisters similar to the ones Buggy had covering Shanks forearms. He crossed the room, throwing Buggy’s ruined clothes on the bench, and sat down next to his son, his presence startling the boy mid weep who hadn't even realized he was in the room. “Shanks buddy what's wrong? Are you hurt honey, do you need Crocus?” He fussed over his boy who started crying harder. “Cap’in! Cap’in, I'm s..s..so sorrrrry! W..w..whereee's Bu..Buggy?! I ne..ne..ed to tellll him I'm sry and giv im his presennntttt!” Shanks' words were slurring as he sobbed. His son started hyperventilating and Roger tried rubbing his back to relax him. “What are you talkin about Shanks? Buggy told me everyone gave him his presents yesterday.” Roger could feel his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Shanks stopped crying for a second, seemingly stunned by what Roger said before bursting into tears again and sobbing harder. “Tha's nott tru cap’in! W..we forgo! I Forgo! I Rip..rip..rip..ed Oot is Ha..hair! I Don’ Know..ow..ow Ho..ow I'm Goin To To Make Itt Up up To Hi..him!” Shanks was rocking back and forth, gripping the mysterious item in his hand even tighter. Roger was trying to calm Shanks the best he could, shushing him gently and rubbing his back but Roger was lost and beginning to panic a little. His son was getting more worked up by the minute and Roger couldn't make sense of what Shanks had already said. A saving grace appeared when the mess hall door swung open to reveal his distressed looking crew lead by Crocus. 

“Roger what are you doing up? You’re supposed to be in bed.” Crocus scolded his voice flat. His eyes widened in shock though when he saw a still hysterical Shanks next to his captain though. “Shanks oh my are you ok?” Crocus rushed forward and everyone else flooded in also becoming concerned and near crowding the pair. Shanks tucked himself into Roger's side, gripping his shirt and sobbing into his side. It was moments like these that reminded Roger when Shanks was little and would get nightmares, crawling into Roger's bed after dragging Buggy from his own and begging to sleep with him. It made him feel more protective and he slung his arm around Shanks “Everyone back the hell up! You’re making it worse!” He spoke loudly and his crew backed off. “Now I want answers! But first of all, why are Shanks and Buggy covered in blisters?” He needed to know why his kids were hurt, on Buggy’s birthday no less, and why nobody had told him. All he got for an answer were multiple blinks of confusion and frowns. “Shanks, why didn’t you tell me that dinner burned you last night? Did you even get a bandage for your cheek? I know Buggy scratched you quite hard.” Roger hadn’t even noticed the face wound. Crocus gently reached for Shanks and twisted his available arm, the left one, around a bit and Roger could see that the blisters were mostly on Shanks’s upper arms. “You got in an actual fight at dinner last night? Buggy said it was just a little tussle.” The mood around the room shifted after Roger spoke. The crew became agitated and Rayleigh who was at the bad stepped forward. “I thought he told you what happened.” Rayleigh sighed in an agitated manner, his eyes turning icy and filling with displeasure. “He completely freaked out Captain!” Jacksonbanner jumped in “Acting weird all day and saying it was special, dressed up real pretty too, he looked nice and all but we had no clue what he was yapping about.” 

“Behaved all day and was super excited at dinner even but just as Shanks got his food Buggy knocked it from his hands and started wailing on him. They knocked each other over the table and into the food.” Spencer finished for his boyfriend. “Must have been hotter than we thought.” Millet Pine mused. “Shanks got him back good though!” Bullet chuckled a bit like the knucklehead teen he was. “Don’t encourage it, Bullet!” Rayleigh scolded. “It’s true though Rayleigh! Ripped that headpiece right off!” Bullet retorted. 

.

.

.

….What?

Roger felt white hot rage roll into his gut. They were lying. Playing a nasty joke at his children’s expense and he didn’t like it. Shanks whimpered next to him and brought both his hands forward. In them was a dented and scuffed tiara. It clicked for Roger then what his red haired child had been crying out. The gold tiara with rather large diamonds had a plethora of blue strands of hair tangled to it. 

“I pulled out his hair.” Shanks had cried. 

.

.

.

No. Fucking. Way. 

Roger’s anger overcame him and he let a wave of conquerors' haki roll from him. Most of the crew fell to their knees gasping. The ones who remained standing swayed dangerously on their feet. Shanks next to him was spared his ire but slapped a hand over his mouth to smother the whine of distress that came from his throat. Rayleigh was still standing but hunched over, head down the moment he focused solely on his right hand man. “You Forgot Buggy’s Birthday?” His voice was a frosty whisper, anger seeping from every word. He couldn’t believe it. Most of his crew had been with him the day he took Buggy in and declared him a pirate. 

Declared Buggy his. 

Rayleigh's head snapped up and a look of horror fell on the man’s face. The rest of the crew let out horrified noises of their own. Shanks sobbed louder next to him. He lightened up his haki just a bit “Tell me what happened. What actually happened. Not this bits and pieces shit that y'all think is an actual explanation.” Roger demanded. 

And they did. Millet Pine and Sunbell confessed to walking into the bathroom the morning before and seeing Buggy preen himself to perfection. Gaban told him about how Buggy had found him early in the day looking for Rayleigh, all smiles and wide eyed. Then Crocus detailing how he sent Buggy Rayleigh's way after he asked for the date. Rayleigh told him how he met Buggy at Roger's own bedroom door. Buggy’s wonderful attitude all day long and the fight at dinner. Hot food spilling all over his boys and Rayleigh dragging them out by their hair. Rayleigh shamefully admitted to yelling at them. Demanding Shanks to go to their room and screaming at Buggy to.. to actually “Shut the fuck up.” Well he sobbed his eyes out and scratched himself. How he just walked away and waited two whole hours before going to find Buggy again. How he marched Buggy to Roger's room and belittled him before sending him in to revive judgment like Roger was some harbinger of doom. Shanks even retells through his slowing sobs how Buggy had tried to dress him up but he had fought against it and accidentally tripped Buggy, ruining his jewelry. 

Roger couldn’t believe it. He was mad at them. Disappointed in Shanks. Furious at Rayleigh. Did they care so little for Buggy that they easily forgot his birthday like Buggy was just trash? Was it…was it his own illness, the headaches, the nausea, the unsettled stomach that caused them to hyperfocus on him and discard his child? It was unforgivable. 

Yet Buggy had lied to his face to protect them and please him. 

“Everyone here better find a way to make it up to him. And even if you can’t the next time you see him you better beg on your knees for forgiveness.” Roger seethed, venom dripping off his tongue and straight into his crew's hearts. “Follow me Shanks.” His son had cried himself into exhaustion and was just sitting staring ahead without seeing, still gripping the tiara fiercely. He tapped his son's shoulder twice and the redhead regained some sense. They both stood and walked out of the mess hall, letting the rest of the crew collect themselves alone. Roger let Shanks pass in front of him before putting a hand on his shoulder and beginning to walk to the infirmary. He had to get something on those blisters and bring it to Buggy too. It seemed his youngest got the worst of it from having almost the whole pot spill on his back. “I didn’t mean to Captain. Honest. I even got him a new book set for that romance series he likes.” Shanks broke the silence when the infirmary door was in sight. Roger just grunted and ushered Shanks inside. Once Shanks caught sight of the infirmary’s cot he dropped onto it. Roger let the infirmary door shut and started to search for some burn cream and bandages, going through drawers and thinking everything over. Shanks had realized on his own that he’d forgotten Buggy’s birthday and was already remorseful. It comforted Roger some to know his son was taking responsibility for his mistake. His sons were maturing fast and they’d make fearsome devils of the sea on day. For now though they were only boys and he would guide them with what little time he had left with them. “I’m angry with you, disappointed in you Shanks.” Roger spoke as he found some aloe vera and bandages in a cabinet. Shanks trembled more, his boy was fidgeting, curled up on himself tight like a wound up spring. “Can we hurry up Captain? I have to find Buggy.” Shanks whispered. Roger sighed, “He’s in my room Buddy. Let’s get care of your burns first.” Shanks settled down a bit after Roger’s disclosure. Roger walked to the bed and sat next to the redhead, grabbing left Shanks’s arm gently he squirted some aloe vera onto the blisters and gently massaged it on. “I can do it myself, Captain. I’m not a baby.” Shanks grumbled lightly, a flush coming to his face. Roger paused for a minute before reaching up and lightly flicking Shanks' forehead “I’ll do what I want boy.” He replied and Shanks grumbled a bit more, rubbing his head but relenting. Shanks was the same as Buggy, growing up too fast but still a lad. 

“When you apologize to Buggy, bring him his present and maybe some flowers. Tell Rayleigh to bring you to shore.” Roger advised. They should still be anchored near the nameless island they had restocked at. Shanks nodded, his sons determination letting Roger know that at least everything would work out for his boys. That this was just a little hiccup in their long road together. 

🐻🐻🐻

After Roger let Shanks leave he took the aloe vera and a couple water bottles that Crocus kept in a cabinet back to his room. He admittedly did detour back to the bathrooms to do his business, ignoring the sill glittering jewelry on the cold tile. But after that he beelined straight back to his room. He didn’t run into any of his crew, he had a feeling almost all of them had gone ashore with Shanks and Rayleigh while the remaining crew watched the ship. Roger could feel The Oro herselfs dejection. He finally made it back to his room and Buggy was still thankfully asleep. The candles had burned low since he’d forgotten to blow them out which made the shadows across the room appear longer. His son's breathing was even and slow where he laid on his stomach. His blue hair was splayed all over the bed which Roger chuckled at. It had gotten so long that all the crew would playfully tug at it sometimes to mess with the boy or get his attention. His son had kicked the blankets off into the floor but he looked comfortable sprawled out as he was. Buggy always did say that Roger had the best bed. 

Still he needed to wake Buggy up and talk to him. Leaning over his bed he could see the ratty t-shirt his son wore had scrunched up and exposed the mass of blisters going down from his shoulders to his lower back. Roger took the cold aloe vera and pulling Buggy’s shirt up to his neck, smeared it all over his back. He probably should have had more tact because Buggy immediately shot up with a cry. “Sorry Bugs should have warned you.” He laughed lightly, trying to give his son a soft look. The impending conversation made it hard. The quick shot of adrenaline wore off and Buggy settled down again with a sleepy pout. “What’s that for Captain?” Buggy asked with a small happy sigh, now clearly pleased with the cool sensation on his skin. Roger kept rubbing the aloe in his son's skin till he was satisfied. He stayed silent till he was happy with the job and Buggy just kept watching him half asleep but still curious. “You’re hurt Bugs.”

Buggy just blinked at him. “Am I? When did that happen?” 

“At dinner last night when Shanks ripped your hair out and you slammed into a hot pot of meat.”

Buggy was fully alert and his eyes were as wide as plates when Roger finished. His small hands clenched at Roger’s pillow and his whole body when still. Before Roger could continue, Buggy buried his head into Roger’s pillow and curled up as tight as he could. Roger winced as he saw Buggy’s blistered skin pull uncomfortably. He let out a long sigh and reached out to put his hand on Buggy’s head. Buggy flinched at the contact but didn’t do much else after that Roger curled a couple strands of hair around his fingers and tugged gently. He could hear a wet laugh come muffled from the pillow. “Why did you lie to me Buggy?” He asked as calmly as he could. Buggy stayed silent, curling in on himself more. Roger just tugged his hair a bit again “common Bugger I’m not upset with you and I already handled it with everyone else. They are going to be groveling at your feet for the next month I know it. So just let me know why you lied to me.” Maybe it was a little unfair to mention the groveling but Roger knew Buggy liked people bedding to his will for any reason. Buggy finally turned his head from the pillow, only half way and at an awkward angle. His visible eye was pink and his nose was running, teeth worrying his lip in a frown and cheeks flushed. It hurt Rogers heart to know that his youngest looked so miserable because of his nakama. “You’ve been so sick lately. I knew if I told you it had been horrible and that they’d all forgotten then you would have gotten worked up. And You Did!” Buggy’s lips trembled as he spoke and a choked sob slipped past his lips. 

Roger felt so guilty. He knew his illness was affecting everyone around him. He felt so defeated by something he couldn’t control and the way it was hurting his nakama. It was another reason he wanted to be with Rouge in his final years. “Buggy your still young. That’s not for you to worry about.” That was the wrong thing to say because Buggy sprung up. Sitting back on his heels he grabbed the pillow and started hitting Roger with it. “STOP THAT! It’s Not Fair! Of Course I’m Going To Worry About You! You’re Dying And Nobody Wants To Admit It! It’s Too Much Trouble To Care About Someone Like Me When Someone Like You Is Dying! ” As Buggy drew back to hit him again Roger reached up and grabbed both of Buggy’s wrists in one hand. They both looked at each other and the anger slid from Buggy’s features and a look of shock replaced it. The young boy startled at his own boldness. Buggy’s body went limp and if Roger wasn’t holding him up Buggy would have fallen off the bed. “It’s not fair! It’s n..not fair!” Buggy just wept over and over again. Roger was at a loss for words. How long had Buggy felt like this? He could see his youngest front fully in the candlelight and he doesn’t know how he missed the long scratches going down Buggy’s throat that were scabbing in some places. 

Roger felt tears prick at his own eyes but he held them back. Instead he released his son's wrists and wrapped his crying boy in as fierce a hug he could manage. Shamefully fatigue was setting in. Buggy was right; all the running around being a detective had left him exhausted. He flopped down on his side to make sure he didn’t crush Buggy with his lessened weight and let his son cry and cry. His youngest was gripping his shirt just as hard as Shanks had and his shoulder was getting drenched with Buggy’s tears. It was a while but he felt Buggy gently push him away and the blue haired boy rolled over to wipe his eyes with a little privacy. Roger reached over and tugged his hair and Buggy giggled. “You're not less important than anyone on this crew Bugger, definitely not to me. I love you so much bluebell.” He said gently. Buggy sniffled a little “Ok…ok dad.” Roger smiled and laughed. 

“Let's rest, Bugger.” He sighed and pulled himself fully onto the bed. Buggy rolled back over and crawled back to the head of the bed, grabbing his previous weapon of feathers on the way. Roger let Buggy get comfortable first before him. He watched as Buggy snuggled into the soft and plush material and he saw the blisters looking greasy with the aloe on them. He lied back and Buggy scooted to his side. He could feel his son's breathing begin to even out but his own thoughts ran wild. He had to leave soon so he could stop being a burden to his nakama. If his illness was causing stuff like this to happen he should go be with Rouge sooner than he thought. 

It took about an hour for either him or Buggy to truly drift off again but as Roger closed his eyes he had a feeling everything would be ok. 

Chapter Text

Blinking awake from his restful slumber Buggy let himself bask in the memory turned dream. It was bittersweet to remember but a welcomed thing none the less. His last real birthday with his old crew even if it had gone horribly wrong he will always cherish that his captain was on his side. 

Flopping from his stomach to his back he let himself relax for a few more moments before finally getting up. Sliding his feet into his slippers he yawned, scratching his stomach. Shuffling over to his vanity and sitting down he shivered as his bare behind met cold stool. He already missed his warm bed but he knew if he didn’t get ready for the busy day ahead now Crocodile would have his hide. Applying his usual flashy flair he let his mind wander, his routine so familiar it didn’t require much concentration. His dream was clinging to his brain like a barnacle on a pier’s legs. Almost seeming to whisper to him like a ghost urging him to remember something. Then again there was a reason he called it bittersweet. Since his fifteenth his life just kept going downhill. The crew disbanding, Roger getting executed, his fight with Shanks, His Rose Dying. 

Coming back to reality he realized he had accidentally snapped one of his makeup brushes in half. Swearing under his breath he checked his face in his vanity mirror to see where he was in his process and was relieved to see he was almost done, only the lipstick left. Sighing he placed the broken brush aside to deal with later and grabbed his everyday. Making sure to make the smile extra wide. He needed to stop dwelling and focus on his life now. He and Crossguild were going after the one piece and even he and his two "subordinates" had been getting along better. Not just better

Dating.

They were dating.

It still felt weird to say. It had been years since he dated seriously. Much less years since someone he’d previously been in a rocky relationship apologized to him of their own choice. Now he had not one but two boyfriends and a circle of people he could trust. Truly trust. Standing he looked for some boxers and his onesie so he could finally head out for the day. He grabbed what he assumed were clean boxers with a silly little ducky pattern on them and wiggled them up his hips. His onesie was hanging off the back of his bedroom door which he slipped on quickly. His shoes and gloves were still by his bed so he got them too and left his tent to start the day.

As he walked through Buggy Town he made sure to greet everyone he passed with a wave and a smile. Every single one of his followers giddy at his attention. Feeling light as a feather he glided on his morning high all the way down to the docks. Crocodile had requested he and Mihawk come help with a shipment coming in full of very delicate and perishable supplies. The ship pulled in just as he made it and the resulting hustle and bustle to help the crew dock was a welcome energy. Looking around he caught sight of an expensive fur coat and massive hat feather and quickly made his way to his boyfriends sides. “Morning Croccy, Hawky!<3”

“I told you to stop doing that.” Crocodile greeted him dryly. “What? This <3?” He replied back smugly, cuddling up to Crocodiles' left side. “Yes.” Crocodile sighed and patted his head with his hook, Mihawk just looked at them amused, a small quirk on the corner of his lips. “Good morning my dear. Did you sleep well?” The swordsman asked. “Very well Hawky, even had a good dream.” He beamed. “That's good my dear.” Mihawk responded “My sleep was fruitful too. I’ve dreamt of a new recipe to try for dinner tonight.” Buggy shook off Crocodile's petting and jumped over to Mihawk’s side “Really!? I can’t wait to taste it!” Buggy could feel the sparkles in his eyes. He always enjoyed Mihawk’s cooking. Even when life was still rocky the other would share his delicious meals which he was always grateful for. “Yes, a subversion of hamburger helper, I know how much you like your greasy foods.”. Buggy tapped his feet excitedly cozzying his way into Mihawks’ space. “Yum.” he hums in response and lets himself melt when Crocodile reaches up to begin playing with his loose hair. “Decided not to tie your hair today?” Crocodile did love his hair, said so many times. Even admitted that when they were still tormenting him, part of the reason he pulled Buggy’s hair so much is because his attraction pissed him off. “Yeah just felt/”

“Captain Buggy! Can you sign this for me really quick?” Galdino called to him, approaching quickly across the docks with a clipboard. Pulling away from his two subordinates' sides, missing the glare they sent the wax man. “You got it partner, where do I sign?” He took the clipboard and the pen Galdino handed him, flipping the pages and writing his signature quickly on each offending page. “And the date here Buggy.” The wax man pointed at the bottom of the final page. “Oh, and what's the date today?” He paused his pen scratching. “Friday, August 8th.”

“Oh neat! It’s my birthday! Wow 40, can you believe it?!” 

Humming cheerily at the turn of events he finished signing off the papers and moved to hand Galdino his clipboard back but the man was just staring at him, shocked, Blinking in surprise he realized everyone on the dock had stopped moving. Puzzled, he turned to look at his two righthand men but Crocodile and Mihawk were also staring at him wide eyed. Panic starting to swell at the silence he trampled it down and spread his arms wide, a large grin splitting his face “Come now everyone the work isn’t going to complete itself. Get back to it!”. His gesturing seemed to snap most of the docks’ masses out of their stupor, those who were moved, shook others back to their tasks. Satisfied that the weirdness was mostly put to rest he snapped his fingers twice in Galdino's face. “Hey! Is that all you needed or what?” Galdino broke out of his own stupor and scowled, gently pushing Buggy's hand away from his face. “Yeah I’m done.” The wax man's face softened though and he gave Buggy a searching look. Galdino opened his mouth, seemed to think whatever he wanted to say over, sighed, and then “Happy Birthday Buggy.”. Galdino clapped him on the shoulder, turning around after and disappearing back to wherever he came from. “Thanks partner!” He waved at his friends back and went back to his boyfriends. “Sorry about that boys, what were we talking about?”

“Did you seriously not know it was your birthday?” They asked him in unison, looking seriously troubled. “Oh that. Yeah but it's fine I haven’t really celebrated it since my 15th. Small parties here and there but mostly it's been meh.” The only other times he celebrated were his 20th and 30th. Those were also more just celebrating surviving another decade than actually being born. Huh. Maybe that's why he dreamed about his birthday last night. “Thats insane, I thought someone as flashy who throws parties almost nightly would host a big bash for your own birth.” Crocodile was getting up in his space and beginning to lean over him, studying him as if looking for something wrong. Yet nothing was wrong. “It’s true my dear. Have you really not celebrated since you were a boy?” Mihawk had also stalked into his space to peer at him. “No I haven’t. It’s not that big a deal is it? I’m not that special in that aspect since everyone's got a birthday anyways. I kinda just coast off my crew's birthday celebration highs anyways.” He was starting to feel defensive with the more prying they did. So what if Buggy hadn’t celebrated his birthday in decades? His last attempted party was a bust that had tainted a lot of his relationships for life. If he just wanted to be told happy birthday without much fuss why was that such an issue? 

As if seeming to predict the oncoming tantrum both men backed away, giving him room to breathe. “Alright my dear we won’t push the issue anymore. Come darling, we have errands to run.” Mihawk turned swiftly on his heels and Crocodile lumbered after him. Leaving Buggy's stomach to churn sticky and dark on the docks. 

🎪🦅🐊

As the day passed Buggy let the bubbly feeling of unease inside him die down. Word of what happened at the docks spread like wildfire and everyone else he came across wished him happy birthday and talked about how they should throw a party tonight. All Buggy did was thank them and agree to plan the party for later that week. Which he would throw but he wouldn’t be attending long. The sun was setting in the sky as he finally made it back to his tent. Alvida insisting on taking over so he could relax for the rest of his birthday. He pushed through his tents’ flap with a sigh expecting to come back from his busy day to quiet darkness.

And he did.

His tent was just as he left it and he let out a content sigh, immediately stripping off his onesie and throwing it down. Chopping his body in half he let his upper half float up to his stained glass chandelier and sliding the box of matches he kept in his wrist to his hand began lighting its candles. The soft multicolor glow easy on his eyes and making it easier for him to maneuver his bottom half across the floor. Coming down from the ceiling he reconnected his body and flopped onto his bed. Reaching across it to grab one of his pillows and cuddling it close, pressing the cool surface against his face. He felt his consciousness begin to drift in and out as his body relaxed and was nearly asleep when he heard his tents’ flap flutter open. Now Buggy was usually a pretty chill guy but he didn’t like it when anybody interrupted his lounging. Refusing to open his eyes he yelled so his voice wouldn’t be too muffled by the pillow. “Who the hell is it?! Coming in without knocking, who taught you manners, The Marines?!”

 “It’s us Buggy. We brought dinner and a gift.” It was Crocodile. Springing up he saw his boyfriends standing inside at the entrance of his tent. Mihawk pushing a cart of hotdogs and Crocodile holding what looked like a box for a watch. “Oh…” he said softly, his mind whirling with surprise. His body felt frozen as he watched them come closer till they were sitting right beside him on his bed. Both of Buggy’s boyfriends looked nervous, the last time he’d seen them look like that was when they had first apologized for beating him. It was Crocodile who broke the tension first “Happy Birthday Buggy.” the sandman spoke, glancing away as he shoved the box into Buggy's chest. Scrambling to take the parcel he nearly dropped it. It was a small, rectangular box, dark blue with little yellow stars covering it. Opening it slowly with shaking hands Buggy gasped when he saw what was inside. “I’ve actually been meaning to give this to you but didn’t know when so the fact it’s your birthday is a good excuse.” Crocodile said, turning pink “There is a new batch of Carambola-wani’s and I thought you might like one.”. Buggy could feel his mouth opening and closing at a loss for words. Nothing would come to mind as he inspected the pet collar. Hot pink with a lime green bow it was wonderfully flashy and charming. 

“You’re actually letting me claim a wani.” his voice felt thick with emotion and his eyes stung with tears. “Like actually. He… hehe…. Ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” he burst into laughter and flopped back onto his side. Hugging his stomach and cradling the collar he watched Crocodile's bashful pink go to full embarrassed red. “What's so funny, brat?! I’ll take it back if you want to be ungrateful!” Crocodile growled, poking him in the head with his finger. “N..no! I pro..promise I really like it! It’s just like wh..when guys usually give their partners a pu..pu..puppy ! Except I'm getting a wani!” Buggy crooned, still shaking with giggles. His rose had given him a pup once. A albino hyena cub he’d found in miserable conditions from an illegal animal trafficking ring back in the day. It had been a couple years since the passing of his beloved Calla Lily and he missed her terribly all the time but…. He couldn’t help but think that maybe this was a good sign. “I didn’t have a gift prepared but I know you do love my cooking.” Mihawk said, mirth dripping from his voice. He waved his hand over to the cart resting by his bed reminding Buggy of the mouthwatering food waiting for him. Placing the collar back into its box he tossed it into his pillows and dove into Mihawk’s lap to reach across him. Mihawk let him settle there as Buggy began to pile his hotdog with toppings. 

Munching away as his boyfriend began rubbing his back he felt like he was melting in a puddle of happiness. Taking a break between bites he expressed so “Thank you both. When your birthdays come around we’ll celebrate however you want.”. Kicking his feet he happily preened when Crocodile reached over to put his hook on his back as well. “As long as you let us celebrate yours as well.” Buggy hummed but he couldn’t help himself from getting giddier. He felt like moving forward it would actually be…

“That would be…. Wonderful.”