*Amby's POV*

Only one way to find out?!

What could he possibly mean by that, you wondered.

Pfft. You were fooling yourself.

Your female intuition made you well aware of his meaning. You were just struggling with denial, refusing to accept the blatantly obvious. Why? Because your senses were not so much whispering words of warning, but rather screaming them. The way his eyes dipped to your lips before slowly scaling back up your face, conveyed what he was implying without needing any further clarification.

Seriously though?

Your throat tightened with anxiety at the thought. How far were you willing to go in order to prove a point? Not as far as he was expecting, that was for sure. That would be crossing all kinds of boundaries. And yet, deep down you felt a niggling curiosity. The idea of doing something so daring was exhilarating, it both thrilled and terrified you, and there was something inexplicable pulling you towards the manic, flamboyant pirate like an invisible force.

When you finally trusted yourself to speak, shattering the loaded silence, your voice betrayed your nervousness, "......a-and what exactly did you have in mind?"

The mischievous clown lowered his head, his breath cool against your burning cheek, "oh come on, Amby, use your imagination a little. Impress me!" He flashed a wicked smile; looking every bit the devil he was.

The long pause that ensued seemed to last an eternity, feeling like the longest few moments of your entire life. His face was only mere millimeters from yours but he remained infuriatingly still though, and your mind quickly registered three things. One, he was so close you could hardly think clearly. Frankly you were not thinking clearly.The second was, did he really want this? And the other, more infinitely dangerous, .....you could just make the move and kiss him. You sensed that was what he was angling for, you to be bold enough. He was challenging you.

"But........you said I wasn't your type.....and it would just complicate things, I mean, you're my captain, it wouldn't be very professional—"

"BORING!" He bellowed, making you physically flinch, "excuses excuses. You just don't have the guts. How very........ disappointing"

You felt your temper flare dangerously to a whole new level that you'd never experienced before. His accusatory glare and derisive tone incensed you even more. The worst part was the smug grin that adorned his painted features. The bastard had known that you'd respond to his "challenge" this way.

He straightened and made to turn away, chuckling softly to himself. As if reflexively, you raised your hand, maybe to push him away, maybe you even intended to hit him, but instead of administering a slap you grasped his face.

Alarmed, Buggy halted as suddenly as if his boots had been nailed to the wooden floor. His mesmerizing eyes were swimming with confusion; drowning in bewilderment. Funny how he made a habit of grasping your face, but when you did the same he looked comically stunned. If the situation hadn't been so intense, you might even have laughed. But any amusement you felt was overridden as you found yourself gazing up into his indisputably handsome face.

Overcome with some form of intense madness, you used the element of surprise to your advantage, and before he realized your intentions you swooped-up, catching his mouth with your own.

Oh holy shit.

Buggy went as rigid as a statue; the tension coiling in his body to the point where you even felt his jaw tighten in your palm. He was unresponsive, but just having your lips pressed against his created a kind of sweet, electrifying vibration throughout your entire body, making every nerve stand on end.

It unsettled you greatly, but you somehow became lost in the moment. You could feel the dusting of stubble on his face; rough and scratchy under your fingers as you absently slid your hand along his strong jawline. Several furious heartbeats passed before he suddenly pulled back abruptly, gently shoving you away.

"........wha-what are you doing?!" He demanded, his breathing noticeably uneven.

"What you wanted me to do!"

".......but I didn't expect you to actually do it!" His actions grew more animated due to his apparent agitation; becoming a tornado of hands and arms as he flailed around on the spot.

Despite your embarrassment and irritation, you had to suppress a smile of satisfaction. This was the first time you'd seen the clown pirate look this unsettled. Your actions had unarguably ruffled his feathers.

"If you didn't expect me to do it then you shouldn't have goaded me into it" you leveled at him evenly.

"......" he opened his mouth to protest but then snapped it shut again with a click of his teeth, for once seemingly lost for words.

"You see.....this has made things weird between us now" you lamented, regret now setting in.

"Uh, no!" He raised a finger in order to emphasize his point, "I was just messing with you, and you were just trying to prove your point. It doesn't make anything weird! It's...it's no big deal. Just forget about it, shit, I already have!"

"Ok...." you pressed your hands to each side of your burning face, trying desperately not to freak out, "but....can you at least please stop with the mind games now?"

"Hey, I'm your captain, you little shit. You don't tell me what to do" he sulkily folded his arms across his chest in the manner of a petulant child.

"I wasn't telling you. I'm asking you....nicely"

"Ok well maybe, just maybe, I'll lay off my game playing......but only if you knock off the act, sweetheart!"

"What act? I don't think you're a freak! For gods sake, I don't know what else I can do in order to convince you!"

"Ok enough already! Let's dispense with the theatrics. You're going to tell me...right now.... why you want to go to cactus island, and why you chose me, of aaaaaaallllll the others, to take you there"

Buggy was on to something, to some extent. You'd had ample opportunities to propose a deal to other mariners and seafarers. But from what you'd come to learn over the years it seemed like regular seafarers had little interest in the Grand Line. Pirates on the other hand, now they coveted Gold Roger's hidden treasure, therefor you had realized long ago that they would be more open to your proposition.

Of course there was more to it than that, much more, and you figured now might be the time to lay all your cards on the table. After all, perhaps Buggy would even appreciate your honesty - with any luck.

"I know you think I'm naive, captain, and in some ways I am, but not all. I've been warned since childhood how this damn thing on my back makes me vulnerable. So it's always been kept hidden, and I knew I'd have to choose wisely who to show it to"

"Wait a second, back up a little....you mean to say you've had that tattoo since you were a kid?"

Shifting uneasily you wrapped your arms around yourself, seeking some form of comfort as you began to open up about your past and the truth regarding the tattoo.

"I was.........born with it. You see....it was actually a birthmark. Nobody knew why or how it was possible, until my mother admitted to eating an Angel fruit when she was pregnant"

The clown pirate's jaw visibly slackened in surprise, causing his mouth to literally fall open. As his jade green eyes rounded in awe, you felt all kinds of....things....as he now appeared to regard you in a whole new light.

"An Angel fruit" he breathed the words into a sentence, exhaling as if he'd been winded "Your mom ate an Angel fruit when she was pregnant with you.....and that map, MY map, is a birthmark you were born with?!"

"I know how it sounds, but because Angel fruits are so rare—"

"As rare as rocking horse shit!"

"Yes exactly, I know, and the problem is they're so damn rare no one really knows how they work, or how they affect you. So my parents always assumed that's what caused my birthmark"

"Any powers? I've heard Angel fruits don't have adverse affects like the Devil fruits, they usually have the opposite affect so it's said"

You nodded reluctantly. Feeling a twinge of guilt (however misplaced it might be) for having to admit to the pirate captain who was unable to swim, weakened by sea water in fact, that you'd been blessed with the natural ability to swim just as well as any siren.

"......uh, yes it's made me a very...strong...swimmer. Sea water doesn't make me weak, in fact I can even hold my breath under water for........well, quite a long while"

A myriad of different emotions skittered across his face, making it nigh on impossible to determine what exactly he was feeling, but resentment and fascination definitely featured amidst the plethora of emotions he seemed to be experiencing. Silence settled over the cabin once more, whilst Buggy processed the dramatic bombshells you had dropped. When at last he finally did respond, it was only to mutter a quiet, seemingly heartfelt ".....wow"

Clearing your throat nervously, you ploughed on, "....yeah, so I guess....i'm a freak too. Even though I really dislike that word. I've come to learn over the years what it's like to be treated differently, my parents were so paranoid and overprotective about it I couldn't even go out and play with the other kids. And then once I turned eleven, they sent me away to stay with friends of theirs"

"Where to? The Canomi islands?"

"Yes. They thought I'd be safer there. It was quieter at the time and there was less piracy going on. Ironic how that changed once Arlong took control. But still, I was safe and I knew better than to let anyone outside the family know about the birthmark"

"So, where exactly do I figure into all of this. I mean, what made you want to take a chance on me?"

".......honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I guess, being told to steer clear of pirates my whole life made me kind of curious about them. So I would listen to the stories the townsfolk and fishermen would tell. And out of them all, I found you the most intriguing"

"So that's it, I was just an eccentric curiosity to you"

"No it's not like that, captain, you're oversimplifying it"

"Oversimplify! Me? Baby, that's one thing I never do"

Feeling more than just a little exasperated, you sucked in a deep, calming breath and silently prayed to whichever god might be listening to grant you the patience required in order to try and explain without having to physically grab the clown and shake him. You needed to make him listen and - more importantly - to make him understand.

"Captain Buggy, I admired the way you only exclusively accept fellow social misfits into your crew. So you were my first choice when it came to asking for help. Plus I meant what I said about wanting to serve you. I guess you're kind of an idol to me, in some respects"

He blinked rapidly; those long lashes of his sweeping the high arc of his cheekbones. Then he carefully schooled his features into one of stoic indifference, as if unmoved by your heartfelt declaration.

"A birthmark on the back can be hidden, darling. You and I aren't exactly in the same boat, no pun intended. I can't exactly hide this" he pointed to his bulbous red nose, "but I can see why you'd feel some kind of affinity towards a fellow freak"

"To be fair, it's not your average birthmark, captain. It took a lot on my part to trust you. I've only ever shown it to one other person, besides my parents and adoptive family—"

"Who's the other person?"

You hesitated, for some reason reluctant to divulge this next part of your past. Perhaps you were afraid of being judged, but what the hell. You'd come this far now.

"....his name was Narvi. My adoptive parents took him in as a child too. He was found washed up in the cove, after a shipwreck—"

"Oh I could've laid odds on a boy being involved somewhere along the line" he interrupted, rolling his eyes rudely, "so let me guess....you showed your childhood sweetheart the map, how boringly predictable of you. I think we can skip over his backstory, I get the idea"

Incensed, you took a step towards Buggy. If only you didn't have to tilt your head back to meet his eyes. It really took the edge off squaring up to him when the top of your head only drew level with the middle of his chest.

"You don't get the idea. We were in love. Are in love"

"Sweetheart, it's so cliched you're making me cringe"

"Oh really. Well it's thanks to Narvi that you're still able to read your precious map. He was the one who tattooed over the birthmark when I was fourteen, to stop it from fading or stretching as I grew up!"

Buggy narrowed his aquamarine orbs in suspicion. You might've known he'd respond with skepticism.

"And why did he concern himself so much over your birthmark? To preserve it, so he could benefit from it!"

"You mean like how you're benefitting from it?" You hurled back at him, defensively.

"Oh please, that's MY map—"

"But it was MY birthmark!"

"I don't give a shit! It's still MINE! And we have a deal, so there's a mutual benefit, remember! This kid, Narfi or whatever the hell his name is, probably spun you a bunch of lies just so you'd let him ink you—"

"Ink me, he's not an octopus, Buggy!"

"Aaagggh you know what I mean! Don't be so fuckin' facetious!" He blustered, flouncing away like an unruly toddler throwing a tantrum, "he probably just used you. He sweet-talked his way in to your panties, heart, whatever, and you let him COPY my map, didn't you?!"

"........h-he needed it"

"Yeah. Sure he did. Needed it to get to the grand line, to search for the one piece!"

"No! Believe it or not not everyone is obsessed with finding Gold Roger's treasure. Narvi wasn't a pirate, he just wanted to find his real parents. They were back on cactus island"

"If you were fourteen how old was this loser when he tattooed you?" his one visible eye remained narrowed as he threw you a disdainful glance over his shoulder. And you found talking to his back no easier than talking to his face when he was being so impossible.

"He was sixteen"

"And when did he split?"

"Three years later. See? He didn't leave immediately afterwards, if that's what you were thinking. And he told me to come find him out there, once I felt ready to leave"

"So what took you so long? Oh wait, silly me, it's kinda hard to read a microscopic map that's tattooed between your goddamn shoulder blades, I can imagine"

Anger was now rising within you like a volcano, and you were helpless to control it. His cynicism was really pissing you off. You'd heard the term "salty sea dog" before, but where this clown was concerned he took being salty to a whole other level.

"I've already explained all of that, it wasn't safe once Arlong came to the Canomi isles. I was biding my time, waiting for someone to come along who I could trust"

Buggy scoffed, focusing now on getting ready for bed. He kicked off his boots; one of which landed on the opposite side of the cabin, and he even made a big show of unbuckling his numerous belts with an angry flair.

"He could've come back for you during that time, or at least dropped you a message, if it was such a big, genuine love. Just saying" he added for good measure, as he flopped down onto the narrow bed, "....unless he didn't survive the voyage. As excuses go, being dead is the only one that would be valid in my opinion"

At that your chin begian to quiver, and to your utter horror you felt tears pool behind your eyes.

No. No, no, no. You refused to let him see you cry. So you hastily turned out the light, an unwise move, as you tripped over one of Buggy's rogue boots, making your way over to the hammock in pitch darkness.

"I didn't ask for your fucking opinion" you seethed quietly, under your breath.

What was it with this bastard clown? The way he was able to provoke such extreme reactions from you. There had been a moment - a fleeting moment, but still a moment nonetheless - when you'd kissed him you had felt your pulse misbehaving; your heart beating wildly for those brief few moments. Now your heart was thundering in your ears due to the rush of adrenaline coursing its way through your bloodstream, as a result of him having riled you up so much!

Seriously? One minute you felt as if you'd been almost practically swooning over him, the next, you wanted to smack that damn derisive grin right off his annoyingly attractive clown face!

At this rate, he was bound to be the end of you.