ringsofpersonti - Tumblr blog

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

Honor | sick!reader x sanji

In which you feel like your devil fruit makes you owe something to the world, and Sanji cannot bear the sight of you tiring yourself out for others.

✧ gn reader; established relationship, hurt/comfort, caretaker!sanji; 1.2k words

Once upon a time, a tall man in fully black attire observed the moon by your side.

“You are an angel” he told you; “Protecting your people has never been a choice for you, but an honour.”

And there you are now, a lifetime later, on a galleon overflowing with those who need your help. Your captain — or, better, the captain of the crew you are tagging along with — has only asked the little reindeer to assist them as much as possible; he as not even thought of making you worry with their affairs, and yet, you cannot just stay there as newly freed ex-slaves bleed to death.

You kneel before a woman whose shaking arms almost make her look like a withered leaf, and your divine smile lets her breathe a little easier. “Please, let me see your injuries.”

One after another, the wounded line up in front of you; the miracles briefly shine in white halos as the cuts close on their own; before you know it, almost every member of the needing crew can stand up on their own, and you let out a sigh of relief, finally allowing yourself to take a minute and breathe. You let your head rest on the main mast and a black figure is quickly by your side — you would jump away if your numb limbs were responding.

“My love, are you okay? Your face is too pale.” It's just Sanji, not the ghost from your memory. He doesn't realize he has frightened you, since your breathing is too heavy to reply. “Lean on me, I got you.”

You wish to raise your head and smile, but the wooden support is taken away from your nape and it only feels as if your lover has stolen your pillow, replacing it with the much softer one that was his chest. Your eyelashes flutter against your will — or maybe with your consent, as numbness has eventually reached your eyes and your sclera is filled with small and acidic dots, and your new nest unwillingly lulls you into oblivion.

You only hear the faint vibration of his voice over your ear; then, the silence.

.・゜✧﹒☁﹒✧゜・．

Two round pupils shine in the pitch black of your room, and this time you can actually bolt away from them, ignoring the painful spin of your head. “What do you want?!”

But their owner's big hat turns around and Chopper gasps at you, too happy to pry. “You woke up! Sanji—” His hoof presses on him. “Sanji, wake up!”

It's horror, the feeling that distorts your face. He has fallen asleep against your bed, arms crossed on the sheets and his golden head lazily dangles up.

“What... Ah!” And his eyes look for yours, sighing in relief even though your gazes do not meet. “How are you feeling?”

“I...” you try, failing to pile your words into a sentence. Adrenaline finally wears down, and your arms fall back to where they originally lied. “I don't know.”

Chopper listens to your heartbeat, and thus he shakes his head. Everything seems okay now; you just overdid your powers, and the only medicine you need is food. The reindeer leaves you two alone, and Sanji asks if you are hungry. As you nod, he stands up. “Wait for me.” Not even five minutes later, he is back with a warm bowl of seafood spaghetti, and he sits by your side.

“Iron and iodine, proteins and sodium for a quick recovery.” He introduces the dish with a smile too soft for your heart, and guilt feasts before you do. You swallow within an arid throat, and your eyes lower on the hands that have brought you to safety.

“How long have I slept?”

“Several hours, less than I feared for” he replies. “The sun has just started rising. I can open the curtains for you to see, if you wish.” But your approval comes too quickly.

“Please do” you urge, and you know he has noticed; a small crumble of the bread of your past, and if Thumbling begins following the rests, he can trace his way back to you. He doesn't need to, his vision a witness to the relief of your features as you glance back at the sea. “Thank you” you whisper, and as he sits back by your side, one of his hands looks for yours, his lips brushing against your knuckles.

“Please, never scare me like that again.” It's not the first time you tire yourself out in front of him — but, usually, it never goes beyond a brief lighthead.

“I'm sorry.”

“Do not apologize, either.” His lips have yet to leave the back of your pale hand. It looks so fragile, intertwined with his; a false diamond, so beautiful and yet unworthy. “I just want you to know that you don't have to risk your life for others. The pain of the world is not yours to bear.” There's a glint of a tear in his irises, and you feel small. Not in age or size, but in soul.

“It is, though. I am an angel—”

“You are also my angel, my love.” It does not matter if he has interrupted you; not now, when his eyes so desperately look for yours. “I could not forgive myself if anything happened to you.”

“It's an honour” a man has told you so many moons before. It was the Strawhats who saved you from him, and yet you seem unable to let go of the words he has repeated to you for two decades. You have told Sanji many times before that he can be selfish with you; then why can't you?

“I love you” you whisper, still unable to put more strength in your body. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

“But I want you to be selfish, my dear.” It's gorgeous, the way your golden boy reads your mind. The prince of your heart, of your soul as a whole.

“I will try.” This time, you achieve in sketching a smile on your lips, and he leans to leave a kiss on them. “I think I will require your aid, but I will try my best.”

“You know I will follow you until death rips the breath of life out of this cursed body.” He's himself again; you can breathe, now. “Speaking of which... Do you need help with eating?”

“Truth be told, I think I do.” You know he would have hoped for this answer even if your arms had the strength to rise; a smile paints itself on your face as he curls the pasta around the fork, and the savory flavour reignites your mouth. “It's delicious, truly the work of a master... Thank you for cooking for me at this ungodly hour.”

“It's an honour to be cooking for you, my love.”

He's too focused on patting over the small droplet of oil that is peeking out of your lips to notice the tearful eyes of yours; when he realizes what he has done, his face dies in guilt. “Wait, no, don't cry! What did I say wrong?”

“Nothing” you simply reply, and this time you truly mean it. Even when you think that you don't deserve him, your golden prince finds a way to make you love yourself. “You did not say anything wrong.”

304 notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

Flirting with fire (pt.1)

OPLA! Sanji x Reader

A/n: I’ve never really been a Sanji girl but ever since the live action came out, I’m starting to love Sanji more and more XD also! The gif is from @adragonswhimsy. They have nice gifs so do check them out!

The kitchen at the Baratie was a hive of activity, but amidst the clattering pots and pans, you were in your own world, meticulously chopping and prepping ingredients for the next day's meals. It was a role you took seriously, a way to contribute your skills to the Baratie and help Zeff, who had been like a father to you. As the evening wore on, the day's rush finally subsided. It was now nighttime, and you were still engrossed in your work, the rhythmic chopping of vegetables the only sound in the kitchen. That is until the door swung open, and a familiar voice greeted you.

"Hey there, Y/N" Sanji's voice was like music, smooth and warm. You turned to see him standing there, a pile of dirty plates in his arms, his trademark cigarette perched between his lips. "Hey, Sanji," you replied, smiling warmly. You and Sanji had known each other for years, having become close friends while growing up together on the Baratie. Your bond was special, different from his usual interactions with women. It was more like that of close siblings.

Sanji set the dirty plates down, his eyes never leaving you. He leaned casually against the counter, watching your skilled hands work the knife. "What's cookin'?" he asked, a playful grin on his face. You chuckled, glancing up at him. "Just prepping for tomorrow. You know how it is," you replied, a hint of pride in your voice. Cooking was your passion, and you were good at it.

As you explained the dish you were preparing, something unexpected happened. In a fleeting moment of distraction, the knife nicked your finger, and you winced, withdrawing your hand. Sanji's reaction was immediate. He abandoned his casual posture, moving swiftly to your side. Taking your injured hand gently, he examined the cut with concern in his eyes. "Careful now; You know that knives aren’t something to be frivolous with." he scolded, though his voice held a note of genuine worry.

Your heart fluttered at his touch and his worry. "I know, I know," you said, attempting to brush it off. "Just a little slip." But Sanji was focused on tending to your wound. He fetched a small first-aid kit and carefully cleaned and bandaged your finger. His hands were surprisingly gentle, a far cry from his usual intense demeanor.

As he worked, you couldn't help but notice the sudden tension in the air. It was different from your usual interactions. The closeness, the intimacy of the moment—it felt charged with unspoken emotions. Sanji finished bandaging your finger and looked up at you, his face a shade pinker than usual. "There," he said softly. "All better."

Your heart raced as you met his gaze. With a playful grin, you couldn't resist teasing him a little. "Thanks, Sanji," you said, your voice low and sultry. "You always take such good care of me.” Sanji's eyes widened, and he blinked in surprise. It was clear your comment had caught him off guard, and his cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. It was a rare sight to see the ever-confident Sanji flustered.

You couldn't help but giggle at his reaction, feeling a newfound sense of closeness between you two. The playful banter continued late into the night, the tension gradually giving way to a comfortable warmth that only seemed to grow stronger with time. As the kitchen lights dimmed, you and Sanji found yourselves sitting at a quiet corner of the restaurant, sharing stories and laughter. It was a night unlike any other, and it left both of you with a lingering sense of something unspoken—a connection that went beyond friendship.

The night eventually came to an end, and you realized just how late it had become. You stretched, feeling the exhaustion of a long day's work catching up to you. "I should get some rest," you said, stifling a yawn. Sanji nodded in agreement, though there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. It's been a busy day."

As you both made your way to your respective rooms, you couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between you and Sanji. It was as if a door had been opened, revealing a deeper layer of your relationship—one that held the promise of something more than friendship. Little did you know that this night would be the beginning of a journey filled with laughter, shared dreams, and the blossoming of a love that had always been there, waiting for the right moment to ignite.

PART TWO

©𝐘𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐈— Any sign/evidence of plagiarism made from outside this name will be dealt with by whatever means necessary. Legal action may occur if non fanfiction works are plagiarized.

2K notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

{Unwanted Soul} Masterlist

(it got too long in my Masterlist, so I had to open a new one...)

Pairing: [Yandere!Alastor x Owner of his Soul!Reader]

Main Story:

Part 1 — The Beginning of It All

Part 2 — Welcome Back

Part 2.5 (ask) — Knowing about the contract & Your scenes in Hazbin

Part 3 — Time Away From Home

Part 4 — Realizing & Accepting

Part 5 — Confession From The Heart

Part 6 — The Giver's Perspective

Part 7 — Reveal the Storm

Part 8 — Technological Dealings

Part 9 — The Cat Makes Its Appearance

Part 10 — Clean Up & Reveals

Trivia Asks:

— Songs vibing with the story

— What if Alastor's soul is returned?

— Hotel crew's reaction to finding out about the relationship + What if more yanderes?

— What if you gave Alastor your soul? Alastor's perception of it

— Short!Alastor imagine

— What if you die? Alastor's reaction

— Short!Alastor imagine II

— What if you were redeemed for saving Alastor from Adam?

— Dating Lucifer and Alastor?? (very very short)

— Alastor's reaction to you being flirted/harassed

— Musical Hell and Music lover you

— Reader's romantic view on Alastor? & Toying with feelings?

— Kisses in public for Alastor!??!!

— Declaration of love from you

— Slow to warm you & Alastor's reaction

— A date with Alastor

— Hotel members questioning your and Alastor's relationship

— Small rivalry with Cursed Cat Alastor

— Hotel members & Mimzy's reaction to you dating Alastor

— Continuation of redeemed you back in Hell

— Lucifer tells Alastor you're more powerful than you look + Demon design

— Redeemed Alastor after saving you from Adam

— You and a little visitor named KeeKee

— Angel snatching you away from Alasto

— You saved Cursed Cat Alastor, now you have two!

— Additional outfit inspiration for your demon design

— Cursed Cat Alastor VS Alastor: "Cat or me?!"

— Appreciate Alastor please

— Lore before your quill + Redeemed!Alastor Part 2

— Costume dress-up suggestions / theme

— What if you're physically clingy to Alastor?

— Accidentally hurting you while throwing Angel

— No cuddles while you binge-watch anime?

— Your interest in Black Butler | Alastor VS Sebastian??

— Alastor acts the way your favourite characters do

— Your past and career? + Powers & abilities lore

— Do you remember? Redeemed Alastor

— You and Alastor dancing

— You get hurt by some demon

— No angst for redeemed you & battling Adam

— Bambi shows favouritism to only you

— Anniversary with you and Alastor

— "Pokemon Alastor, I choose you!"

— Birthday celebrations?

— Someone broke Alastor's precious radio gift from you

— What if redeemed you got Alastor out of that insane phase?

— You dress up like a princess or evening gown

— Your interest in historical anime/manga

— Are you, by chance, a songwriter as well when alive? + Weakness

— Summoning Cursed Cat Alastor?! + Limitation to power

— How did the hotel crew learn not to disturb your dates?

— You and learning French to one-up Alastor

— What if redeemed you forgave Alastor

Polls:

1: Alastor's battle with Adam (ended)

2: Next Storyline of the Story (ended)

410 notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

{Collection of Overlords} Masterlist

(it got too long in my Masterlist, so I had to open a new one...)

Pairing: [Alastor x Soul Owner of All Overlords!Reader]

Possible Pairing: Zestial, Carmilla, Rosie, Zeezi, Vox, Velvette

Main Story:

Part 1 — The Collector Returns

Part 1.5 — Intermission (The Collector’s presence in the show)

Part 2 — Elite’s Invitation

Part 3 — Reunion of Collected Souls

Part 4 — Rewards and Respectless

Part 5 — Show of Real Power

Part 6 — Interest

Part 7 — Entertainment

Part 8 — Incoming Changes

Part 9 — Souls You Care For

Part 10 — (to be posted)

Character Design: (applicable after Part 7)

Reader's Design — Trick's Design

Trivia Asks:

— Your background + relationship with Lucifer

— You know a lot more than you let on

— Are you a seraphim?

— Your dynamic with Lucifer and Lilith (not set)

— Your reaction to Alastor using his mother's last name

— The missing flame/skull Overlord

— Who's Frederick?

— New pet: Cursed Cat Alastor

— [after part 4] Valentino's f**ked

— Cages Lore + A bit of power/ability reveal

— Other Overlords ask Alastor why he’s favoured

— Are you an ace or some form of it? + Another related one

— [after part 6] Does Alastor have stockholm syndrome? (think of this as part 6.5)

— You and the 7 Sins

— What if Charlie accidentally hurt you?

— What happens if you meet Adam or anyone else in Heaven? Will you help the extermination battle?

— About the deal made in Episode 7

— Are you capable of feeling romance?

— The Sins & Hellborns’ reaction to you

— Have you pulled on someone’s leash and why?

— More love to Carmilla

— Roo The Root of All Evil as your sibling?

— You with wings and Alastor’s reaction

— What if you cuddle Alastor as a reward?

— Your other pets?

— Cult leader you?

— Overlords’ reaction to your disappearance (before Hazbin Hotel & this series)

305 notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

Starfire and raven :D

137 notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

I complain a lot about the One Piece reddit fandom, but it's kinda draining to see all these popular theory posts that so many seem to love or think plausible when they don't ever seem like anything Oda would actually do. It's fine to have theories, but when people only focus on what they personally think is cool or has to do with powerscaling (always the powerscaling 🙄) then they get upset with what Oda actually does and call it bad writing even when it isn't. Like I'm sorry, but Oda is way more likely to do something silly and absurd than bleak and dark and badass. He's said time & time again that he doesn't want his series to be muddled down with bleakness and always strives to put a silly and hopefully twist on his stories. So yea, while One Piece is very emotional and can get dark real quick it's always going to go back to it's roots of being a world full of comedy inspired by classic western cartoon gimmicks. It's always going to be Camp. Nika isn't bad writing. Sanji's big victory in wci being baking a cake isn't lame. No, Wana isn't when it's "starting to get good" wtf. You just don't think the same way Oda does or share his sense of humor. One Piece Is about finding reasons to be silly in the midst of all the pain and I think that's beautiful.

60 notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

NSFW THOUGHTS WHILE I WORK ON MY FICS <3

i think luffy has months without remembering sex even exists, then gets into phases for like a few days to a week where he wants to cum w/ you like 24/7 and is so obnoxiously needy about it

i will combine very asexual luffy headcanons with horny out of his mind luffy headcanons. because there are no rules

207 notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

3K notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

𝑇𝐴𝐿𝐾 𝑇𝑂 𝑀𝐸 𝑩𝑨𝑩𝒀 ＃︎！︎

❤︎ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒) + 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭, 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦, 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤, 𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐞, 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲, 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐝𝐨𝐦!𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐛!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐭

❤︎ 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨, 𝐚𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐚, + 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐤𝐮 𝐤𝐲𝐨𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐨

𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐡𝐦 <𝟑

「︎ nanami 」︎♡︎

⥅︎ his grunts rest so comfortably in your ears as nanami fucks into you, his chest pressed against yours. his breath tickles your neck while his lips ghost the skin of your ear.

“you alright baby? still with me?” nanami asks, his hand gently patting your damp cheek.

a lazy nod is all you give while whimpers tumble past your lips. nanami kissed his teeth and cooed teasingly, squeezing your cheeks together for your lips to form a pout.

“i need words angel. talk to daddy, baby.”

tears collected at your lash line again, a lust-filled gaze in your eyes as you looked at where nanami’s cock plunged into your cunt.

“feel you here, daddy.” you whined, finding the strength to caress your lower belly where you could feel his cock driving into you.

nanami smirked before leaning up to pull you up and on his lap. “lets see where else you can feel me. yeah?”

「︎ rengoku 」︎ ♡︎

⥅︎ rengoku is so excited to fuck you. he loves having you underneath him, your legs pressed all the way back into a mating press as he fucks his second load of cum into you. you’re a trembling mess as you feel another orgasm nearing.

“that’sss it. gonna cum for me again beautiful?” rengoku inquires softly, his lips pressing kisses all over your face.

a moan was stuck in your throat when rengoku dug his dick deeper into your pussy. “kyo, i feel—i feel like i gotta pee kyo!” you squeaked, a shiver running through your body when his thick fingers rubbed your clit.

the flame hashira smiles down at you with that dazzling smile of his right before he pulls his hips back, the head of his cock caught right at your entrance, and slams back into you.

body locked, you squirt all over him and his cock, triggering his own orgasm as he moans sweetly in your ear.

“so good baby. such a good job. shittt!” rengoku moaned, his own legs starting to tremble slightly.

a breath of relief went through you as fatigue blanketed your bones. “hey, hey, hey. stay with me princess. wanna go one more time.”

「︎ aizawa 」︎♡︎

⥅︎ he looked devastatingly handsome watching you struggle to take his cock. all he wanted to do was take a nap before patrol but you were so goddamn needy. now you have to work for it.

“daddy please! i—i can’t!” you cried, trying to slow down. aizawa smacked your ass roughly, glaring at you.

“did i say you could stop?”

a broken sob came out in response to his harshness. “no sir.”

“i won’t help you til you make yourself cum on my cock.” he speaks tiredly, as if he couldn’t be bothered by your needy behavior.

but you knew that to be false by the way his cock twitches inside of you every time you lift your hips to sink back down. truthfully, aizawa wanted to take you and fuck you until you couldn’t think. but sluts like you had to learn.

your hips desperately bucked in an erratic way as your hands dug tiny crescent moons into the pro-hero’s lower stomach. aizawa grunted in response and his hands flew to your hips tightly.

“gonna c-cum shota!” you moaned loudly, your pussy clenching tightly around him as your orgasm washed over you.

aizawa was just as dazed as you, watching the tremors of a good release tickle your body. your pussy was sucking him in so tight, he couldn’t help but cum with you.

“take it. fuck! take it all.” he hissed, his hands gripping your flesh tightly.

tiredly, you slumped forward and rested your face in aizawa’s neck. his hands soothing the skin he grabbed and speaking softly in your ear. you felt him shift around and next thing you knew, you were laid on your stomach, ass in the air.

a tired whine escaped you as aizawa lined his still hard cock at your entrance once again. “gotta keep my promise, don’t i baby?”

𝐛𝐫𝐛. 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛 𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒. @kennyackermanswhore @chaoticevilbakugo @indiecursor @gabzlovesu @desiray562 @brownmochii @knjkitten @sweeneyblue1 @namjoonswifeyy @nyxeclipse @rubinocore @somerandompipzsxh @dabilovesme @histarean @hannas16 @caribbeanwifey19 @emonaculate @po3ticb3auty @waka-umm @wilsonsbuck @ctrlstar @jealousfuckingcunt @savagemickey03 @dukina @saintblk @sisnot @littlemochi @hoohoohope @ruubric

13K notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

5K notes · View notes

ringsofpersonti · 1 year ago

Text

Tender Love and Care - Hair Care (Buggy x Reader)

Art by Capitanpoops (link keeps expiring QnQ)

A/N: Ah yes, another 'taking care of Buggy's head' fic to take up space on the internet. Just gotta indulge in giving this man some tlc. Did I write four thousand words of simping for the cringefail pirate clown's hair? Yes. And I'd do it again >:p

Word Count: ~4 k

Warnings: feminine leaning afab!reader (no pronouns or gendered titles), Lots of Feelings, yearning, possibly angst?, probably hurt/comfort?, waxing very poetic, Buggy being a prickly bitch who doesn't know how to receive affection, Buggy also being a delusional bitch who immediately latches on to that affection

amab!Version

Next ->

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

“Touch the makeup and I’ll bite your fingers off!”

“I’m quaking.”

“...I’ll spit in your face.” His eyes narrowed while you blanched. “I’ve got damn good aim too so you better watch those big ol’ eyes.” Almost a compliment? Progress.

“To save us both from catastrophe, I’ll let you keep your grease-face,” you promised. After a few more seconds of giving you the stink eye (really, you should be taking notes because his form is exemplary), Buggy finally settled back into your hold. His stubble scratched lightly at your palms and you allowed your thumbs a scant few passes from his cheek bones to the back of his jaw. That was easy enough to play off as mindless movements while you examined him for the coming wash. Hopefully. You were at least putting in the effort to keep the affection in your chest from blooming into a wide smile on your face, lest he begin spitting like a wet cat again.

After placing him down on your clothes chest, you began gathering together the things you’d need to clean him up. You had already prepared a large basin of steaming water before you had grabbed Buggy from Zoro for your night shift with him. If he had truly protested against you then you’d just have extra water to pamper yourself with for your nightly routine. What a loss. While you flitted around grabbing a cup, a pile of towels, and care products, Buggy took to commenting about whatever his eyes fell on around your room. Your half-assed replies did nothing to discourage his gentle roast of your safe space. He only shut up when you picked him back up and brought him over to the basin.

You were taken by surprise when you took off his bandana. You had guessed that his hair was thick from the pieces that framed his face, but you hadn’t expected long locks to be wrapped up in there. They slipped and fell down like silk despite being in clear need of a wash, and you started to become a bit excited to see how they would come to shine under your care.

“What’s wrong with you? Never seen hair before?” There was a bit more bite to him all of a sudden and it hit you that he may be self-conscious from your staring.

“Never seen yours before, duh,” you teased. “You should wear your hair out as a power move against all the scrangly ass men in these waters.”

Buggy took a blank-faced moment to process your words. Probably weighing your sincerity against the backlog of insults he’s heard in his life. Unfortunately, one joking compliment never stood a chance.

“Whatever, just do your job.” His bitter tone made you keep your mouth shut and drop the topic. For now.

Seeing how he had a lot more hair than anticipated, you got up again to grab yet another towel so that you could use it as a cushion. Finally settled, you grabbed Buggy in one hand, the cup in the other, and got to work. You had laid a small board across the basin so you could rest Buggy on it instead of having to hold him up the whole time. You may have gotten strong in this life, but you were not masochistic enough to try holding him up throughout this process. You made sure to be extra gentle when you put him to rest on the back of his head, mindful that the hard plank wasn’t the most comfortable.

Wetting his hairline was taking longer than you thought. The soft noises from the pouring water hitting his scalp and trickling through his hair into the basin below felt loud in the stillness of the room. Everything had a languid air like you could breathe freely without thought or time to measure the passing of each exhale. Wanting to check in, you looked down from your task and into Buggy’s face. Despite all his past showboating, Buggy was having difficulty keeping his gaze anywhere near your face. You decided to take pity on him in his discomfort but not too much. “So how’d you get your damn good aim?”

Silence.

You’re beginning to think that him looking at you like you’re stupid is his comfort zone.

“You know, that ‘damn good aim’ that makes my ‘big ol’ eyes’ easy targets?” you supplied. At first, you thought he would roll his eyes and make more digs at you, but he finally caught you off guard.

“It’s a trade secret,” he said with a growing smile and a glint in his eyes. His face grew even more pleased when you smiled mischievously back at him.

“Clown trade?”

He hummed out an affirmative. You saturated the last of his hair at the front and sides and now needed to dunk the rest in the basin. The sheer amount of long blue locks that this pretty, pretty man had may cause it to overflow, but you supposed that’s just a workplace hazard when becoming a glamor clown’s hairdresser. You paused in lowering him to look around quite dramatically (squinty eyes, pursed lips, and all) before leaning slightly closer to stage whisper, “You can tell me; I ain’t no snitch.”

You barely caught the laugh that he choked short in order to keep up his serious facade. He let his eyes wander the room to double check your surveying and pretended to be in thought. He let out a heaving sigh and said, “Okay, okay, but you have to lean in close. Can’t have this getting out.”

Ever obliging, you turned your head and leaned until you felt his warm breath on your skin and the roundness of his nose tickling to top of your ear. You were thankful he couldn’t see the little shiver down your spine or the goosebumps spreading down your neck. He was thankful you couldn’t see him close his eyes to savor the scent of your perfume. All was still for a few breaths too long.

“The secret?” you prompted, thinking he was waiting for your urging or that he was just trying to make you squirm. You didn’t see his eyes flutter open while he forced thoughts other than your closeness back into that head of his. Okay, he really needed to do something to reel himself back in and get some control of the situation. Easier said than done when he’s only a head.

You felt as much as you heard him take a deliberate inhale… only for a loud raspberry to be blown right next to your ear.

Nearly dropping him in shock, you quickly pulled your head back and held him at arm’s length like a misbehaved puppy. Through his canting cackles, Buggy met your wide eyes with a proud grin. It didn’t even need the help of his makeup to split his face. Damn, you could stare at that forever. He had just the prettiest eyes you think you’d ever seen. The way they shifted color under the low lights and sparkled with his smile had you feeling entranced. It had the same commanding presence and addicting warmth as flames with their own swirling colors and sparking embers. You thought your poetic idioms for him would always center around the sea, especially for his blue-green eyes, but here we are.

The corner of his smile started to twitch downward under your stare until wild and cheerful giggles burst from your lips. They were the kind to shake your shoulders and scrunch your cheeks up into your eyes and he’s now certain that he has fucked right up. Buggy felt alarms blaring in his mind as he took in your joy and was certain he would make an absolute fool of himself in any and all ways possible to keep getting hits of it. Between your settling laughter, you managed to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring that wisdom with me to my grave.”

Readjusting your grip, you moved forward and dunked the back of Buggy’s head fully into the water. He sighed out at the sensation, but he fully melted when one of your hands went to support the back of his skull and the other flowed through his tresses to make sure all of them were wet. You let yourself take your time, both to make sure you were thorough and to indulge yourself in the comfort of the moment. A tenderness spread through you when you saw that this was also indulging Buggy. His breath was slow and steady, and his eyes were resting closed to better focus on the sensations coming to him. You truly were a people pleaser at heart and seeing someone so bedraggled and affection-starved accept your care made your heart and head feel fuzzy.

You slowly leaned him more upright and used your other hand to wipe out some of the excess water. Buggy felt you shuffling around, and his eyes opened to see what you were up to. After you moved him to rest on the flat bottom of his neck on top of the softest towel that he’s felt in ages, he realized that you went through the trouble to try to make even that wooden board comfortable for his sake. He was starting to feel even more uncertain and out of his element.

Careful fingers carded through and spread out his hair behind him while an equally careful gaze watched over their work. After lathering your hands with a shampoo bar scented by vanilla and spices, you set to work giving him the scalp massage of a lifetime.

While focusing on doing the best job possible and maybe also the beautiful color of his hair was keeping you from thinking about anything else, Buggy had no such luxury. He had nothing to direct his nervous energy at - didn’t even have fingers to fidget with! - so he closed his eyes and tried to keep his face neutral. Everyone enjoys a good scalp massage or at least some kind of pampering so it wouldn’t have been weird for him to visibly enjoy it, but something watery and vulnerable was pressing at his throat under your tender care. His mind and body (well… head) were at odds. While his train of thought spun every which way only to be tethered back to the word ‘why’, his muscles melted until they were soft and pleasantly limp. Has his brow ever been so smooth? His jaw so loose? His lips so softly set? Oh God, you must have noticed the stubborn stiffness in his neck because your fingers abandoned his hair to firmly rub from the base of his skull to where he met the towel and that was truly his undoing.

With a rumbly hum, Buggy finally gave in to temptation and tied his mind to your movements. He let himself imagine affection there - imagine that this was special and just for him. You’ve never tended to anyone else like this. You offered because you simply had to know what his hair felt like. You just wanted to touch him. You wanted it much more than you ever wanted to touch anyone else. If he opened his eyes and looked up at yours, he would see them pouring with love, just like your hands were, and you would look sweetly down at him with your pretty eyes and pretty smile and say lovely things and you’d love him-

You’d love him.

Fuck.

You noticed Buggy suddenly flinch under your hands and you tensed up.

“Are you okay? Did I snag your hair?” You hadn’t felt anything tug but you supposed you could’ve missed it.

Buggy cleared his throat before stiffly responding, “No. Keep going.”

Something thick in his tone caught your attention and you looked to see his expression was tense instead of the blissed out one you had admired not too long ago. That won’t do. You went back to the tried and true pressure points on the scalp that you knew from experience eased anyone up. Checking his face again, you noticed it was more relaxed but still too guarded for your tastes. Deciding he must be getting antsy, you switched to working the shampoo down his hair after getting a touch more product on your hands. The time it took to get it properly sudsed and rinsed was calm, despite the fact that there was some undercurrent to the air that felt charged. Maybe it was just from seeing the talkative and bratty clown be so subdued. As you began spreading conditioner through his hair, you decided that it was time to engage him again.

“This bar is my favorite; nothing makes my hair softer,” you said. Already, his hair was relaxing to glide even more smoothly between your fingers. You weren’t ready to give the feeling up, so you spent the entire time that the conditioner was setting to run your fingers through his hair.

Buggy couldn’t do anything at the moment to judge your claim, but the smell alone made him understand why it was your favorite. It matched that of the shampoo bar, but the richer ingredients in the conditioner highlighted the comforting tones of the vanilla and the sensuality of warm spices and wood. He relished in it on every inhale, hoping to unravel and memorize its every undertone. Was that a touch of orchid in there? A little pink peppercorn? Maybe some incense and amber at the base? Buggy suddenly felt ridiculous. He was never one to give much thought to fancy perfumes, yet here he was trying to dissect your scent like a sommelier tasting a new wine.

You made quick work of rinsing his hair this final time and gently pushing and squeezing any excess water out. You set Buggy back on a towel, this time one that was spread on the floor. It was the one that you had just been sitting on. Buggy was embarrassed that he noticed and enjoyed the fact that he could still feel your body heat on it.

“How many of those things do you have?” Buggy scoffed as you pulled yet another towel over to dry his hair. You bopped his forehead with a finger in warning against further sass.

“You can never have too many. It’s something that you use daily and they come in handy during emergencies,” you explained.

“Oh yeah like what?”

“Well, I was thinking of situations like having to soak up a spill or blood, but the state of your hair definitely qualifies.”

The outburst was immediate.

“I KNEW YOU WERE MAKING FUN OF ME YOU DAMN LIAR! HOW DA-”

Good thing you were prepared for this and stuffed some of yet another towel into his screaming mouth. He bit down on it harshly and glared at you with all his might. Snarls and grumbles still made their way through the cloth, letting you know just how displeased he was. You were a little shocked to find that despite being gagged and despite just being a head that his glare still actually intimidated you. The time spent with the crew treating him like a harmless little pest had helped you forget that, when push came to shove, he could back up his talk with violence.

The brief glimpse of fear in your eyes gave him a twinge of satisfaction but mostly felt a lot more hollow than he’d expected. Wasn’t this what he wanted?

When you reached back out to continue drying his hair, you were more tentative than he had ever seen you and his mood dropped even further. Even with your caution, the way that you moved the towel over his hair and gently squeezed more water out of it was filled with care. The whole thing felt very foreign to him. Buggy usually rubbed his towel through his hair chaotically like the more forceful he was the sooner he could get done with the bothersome task. You were working over him like any undue force would be an insult. Like he was something precious. That watery feeling started pressing on him again.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you started quietly. “I just meant to poke fun, not make you actually feel insulted.” After a few more soft pats with the towel, you slowly removed his makeshift gag. He took a moment to wiggle around his jaw and get the dry feeling out of his mouth.

“Yeah, well good job, dumbass,” he bit. You winced at the hurt in his tone. “Just finish up.”

You took a moment to recenter yourself while you grabbed your comb and brush. This was not how you wanted this to go. One wrong comment had sent this whole interaction spiraling and it made you sad. Sensitivity like that was usually built up from years of feeling the same hurts over and over again, and you didn’t ever want to be someone to aggravate an already festering wound, especially not on someone who you genuinely enjoyed. Not on someone who you were increasingly craving affection from. This needed to be fixed. Steeling yourself for the resistance you were about to meet, you began combing the ends of his hair and spoke, “The blue color is so pretty.”

He ignored you. As expected.

“It was one of the first things I noticed about you.” He still wouldn’t even glance up at you. “Also how it brings out the color of your eyes.”

He snorted dismissively in a way that very clearly told you he wasn’t believing a word you said. Also expected. You’re just going to have to soldier on until this eventually worked… maybe worked… hopefully worked?

Just as in the rest of the process, you were slow and thorough when combing his hair. You murmured compliments to him about how soft it is; how thick and how beautiful. By the time that you had switched to using your brush, he was showing signs of being worn down by your flattery. His face was more relaxed and he let himself look around instead of trying to burn a hole through the floor. All you could focus on, though, was how downcast and tired his eyes looked.

“Alright, I’m all finished up,” you told him. “I’m going to put you in the hammock for a minute while I get ready for bed.”

After placing him in the middle of your bedding, you disappeared behind a dressing screen. The routine of bathing yourself with a washcloth and bowl of soapy water eased you. Since you had taken so much time tending to Buggy, the last bowl of fresh water had become lukewarm. Despite this, the final wipe down had you feeling refreshed and ready to jump into bed. It was no soak in the tub, but still left you feeling much better after a long day of helping work around the ship.

You had set about your routine briskly so that you didn’t leave Buggy waiting too long. Little did you know, he didn’t mind the time of having nothing to do besides enjoy the soft blankets you curled up in every night. He was trying to soak it in before you inevitably put him back down on the floor. If the night had taught him anything, you’d at least put him on one of those fluffy towels instead of throwing him back in the bag like the others did.

You came over to him on the hammock and he admired how you looked, now clean and fresh in a modest slip. When you picked him back up, your face and body language were as placid as he had ever seen them and he was surprised at how content that made him feel. He readied himself to be moved away, left cold and forgotten, but he was astonished when you plopped yourself in your bedding instead with him still in your hands. The shock must have shown on his face because you giggled at him and gave him a bright smile. Even with the bumpy road that the night had been, your smile made him soft and content. He was realizing with more and more resignation that your smile and laugh would let you get away with anything when it came to him.

“So no floor? Trying to bribe me with favors?” His voice was mostly back to that sarcastic lilt you’ve come to adore.

Content that he was feeling better, you answered, “Nah, just using you so I can have a teddy bear. Haven’t had a good one in ages.”

Making good on that promise, you made sure that he was securely nestled into your neck and shoulder. You used both of your arms to cradle him there and both hands to continue your worship of his hair. It was just barely damp and the coolness felt nice on your hands, especially in contrast to the cozy heat emanating from his head. His long eyelashes tickled at your neck every time he blinked, just like the light scruff on his jaw teased at your chest. His big nose felt cozy rested on your clavicle, and you had to resist the urge to reach down and trail your fingers on it. A giddy and victorious feeling flushed through you when you felt him close his eyes a final time and sink into your embrace.

Buggy should have known that he was doomed from the start. He was having a hell of a time trying not to moan at your fingers scratching and massaging his scalp, both during the hair care and now, when he was held in your arms. He couldn’t stop his little movements to nestle into you and get just that much more of your warmth and touch. If he thought that he loved the smell of you before, he was absolutely intoxicated now that he knew what it was like when it floated over the two of you while wrapped in body-warmed sheets.

He wanted to ask you why you were doing all of this, but he didn’t want to know the answer. Not right now. Right now he was going to let himself go back into that place in his head where you lo- cared about him. A place where each night he would crawl into bed with you and, no matter how the day went, you would be there to empty his mind of anything but the two of you. You’d greet him with a kiss or a laugh or an embrace and you would shine with so much joy because he’s next to you again. He’d know what your love felt like, how your body felt under his hands, how your skin felt under his lips. All these daydreams swirling in his head started to make him sick with want, and he needed to know at least one of them. He couldn’t handle all of them staying forever in his mind.

The tiniest increase of pressure from his lips brought your attention to where they rested below your collarbone. The almost kiss was so heartbreakingly shaky and hesitant that you felt your eyes burn with the threat of tears. To reassure him, you dragged your cheek across his temple before turning to leave a deliberate kiss there. Buggy relished the contact, the satisfied sigh you let out afterward, and the gentle weight of your cheek as you snuggled back into him. Your reward came in the form of a grinning cheek pushing into you.

All his humor and posturing certainly caught your attention in the best way and even his explosive temper was something you couldn’t say turned you away. This gentleness, though, this uncertain and wounded place, had you bursting with affection and you were hoping to keep experiencing it. You’d meet it each time with steady affection until it turned into something he embodied with the same surety that he had in his beloved spotlight.

Both of you slipped more sweetly into dreams, curled up together as you were, and with more peace and ease than the years before had allowed. Neither of you would let the years to come be absent of this sweet treasure, either.

Next->

2K notes · View notes