**A/N**

Hey guys! Hope you're all enjoying the holiday season. I'm so sorry it's taken a while to get this out, I really appreciate your patience. For those of you who've been waiting for some 🌶️🌶️ then I'm hoping you enjoy the bit of spice in this update. It's just a warm-up for what's to come in the next chapter! 😜

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*Buggy's POV*

Buggy woke feeling all kinds of off. The incessant pounding in his head was one of the main symptoms, along with a slight churning in his guts. But the other - far more noticeable - sensations, was the heaviness on his chest, as well as a surplus of inches; all of which were straining against his leather style pants.

Ok, that in itself wasn't particularly alarming. He was a red blooded man after all, and waking with that certain part of his anatomy engorged was a natural, common occurrence.

But as he peeled a sleepy eyelid open it had soon become pretty damn obvious that it was due to the semi-naked warm body of Amby, plastered against his own, that was the cause.

.........well that explained his chest feeling physically heavier also.

And just like that, he was suddenly very wide awake. All traces of sleepiness having been chased away by the startling position he found himself in. He needed his mind to clear, to regain his wits in order to figure out what in the name of fucking Neptune was happening here.

Or rather....what had happened.

And the fact it felt like a couple of ball bearings had been deposited and were now rattling around in his skull wasn't exactly helping matters; it was distracting and slowing him down.

Detaching his good hand, he scrunched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge - the only "normal" part - of his large red nose.

Shit.

As each blurred memory from the night before returned, piece by piece like some kind of surreal jigsaw puzzle, the throbbing in his head only increased as he reluctantly slotted the pieces into place.

Damn him. Damn his stupidity. To be fair, it took an awful lot for him to admit he was guilty of having behaved stupidly. Flashy fool was one of his chosen moniker's, but behaving stupidly wasn't something he made a habit of. But last night.....he had been so close. So close to having diverted from the danger of doing something that was undoubtedly dumb.

But no.

After having successfully avoided  a potentially hazardous situation, he'd gone right ahead and done something monumentally dumb anyway. So dumb in fact, he wanted to detach a leg so he could literally kick his own ass!

"I think I'd rather focus on you kissing me tonight" she had proclaimed boldly, whilst slinking her arms around his neck.

And holy shit, it had taken enormous effort of restraint on his part to think clearly through the fog of lust that had clouded his brain and to deny his all-too-willing body the absolute pleasure it would've been to simply just.....give in.

He'd even found himself reflexively leaning-in closer, his painted lips mere millimeters from hers, and yet he'd managed to regain some semblance of control. Because as much as he'd longed to devour her lips with his own, the blinding realization had clubbed him over the head; dousing his fevered ardor as effectively as an ice cold bucket of water.

She was drunk.

Now, Buggy was a lot of things, a gambler, trickster, brawler and downright villain. But he drew the line at taking advantage of drunken women. He himself at that point had still been sober enough to come to the conclusion she was only hitting on him because she was wasted. If not completely, she was well on the way to being.

"....now why would you want me to do that?" He'd managed in response, which was a pointless question all things considered. Even in spite of the headache-inducing conversation they'd been engaged in at the time.

Her reply had only served to confirm his suspicions.

"You're handsome" she had blurted; her fawn eyes bleary as they settled on his face.

"You're drunk!" He'd snorted derisively.

"I am not....well...maybe just a little, but that's got nothing to do with this—"

"It has everything to do with this. Even if you do find me attractive, you'd never admit to it if you were sober. You're way too stubborn and argumentative" having successfully disentangled himself from her arms, he spoke to her in a firm yet friendly tone "Now, come on, sweetheart. We're taking a walk. You need to sober up a bit"

He had then forced her shirt into her hands and stepped past her so he could reach for his own shirt and......breathe. Frankly he hadn't even realized that he'd been holding his breath.

Yeah, some black coffee and fresh air should do it. She'd thank him for it the following day, he'd been certain of that. After all, they would have a long day ahead of them and an early start. Not to mention how she would appreciate still having some dignity in tact. A little humiliation was nothing in comparison to a drunken mistake that couldn't be undone.

And for some reason he just couldn't bear the thought of her hating him in the morning.

Of course, Amby had responded accordingly. She'd squared her shoulders, refusing to crumple as a result of his rejection, and he admired her for that. Although her embarrassment had been etched all over her face. Her pretty little face that was tinged a deep shade of pink.

Fuck, he found her blushing worryingly cute, as well as attractive. It betrayed a shyness, an air of innocence that appealed to the inner beast in him. The part of him that mostly lay dormant, the part that he kept on a tight leash. Why? Because it was the dark part of him that would love to explore her more closely and see if she blushed all over. The part of him that would secretly enjoy corrupting her and ruining her for all other men. Not that he would ever, ever, admit that to her.

"........a walk sounds nice" Amby had finally said, once her shirt was safely back on, "once I've redressed your hand....I'd like to go down to the harbor. You can see it from the window, it's all twinkling and pretty"

Twinkling and pretty? Jesus, it was amazing how a few fairy lights could be so impressive after too much alcohol.

Nonetheless, she had redressed his wounded hand using the first aid kit she'd acquired for him earlier, and it didn't escape his notice how she made a neat job of it in spite of swaying slightly on her feet. Nor had it escaped his notice the tension that had made the air thick and heavy between them.

But, all tension aside, they had walked down to the harbor, he was now remembering that. Her face, her expression, was burned into his memory. As she gazed in awe, smiling at the somewhat elaborately decorated harbor, she had never seemed so radiant and beautiful to him than she had in that moment.

"See what I mean, captain? Don't they remind you of treasure?" She beamed at the fairy lights, comparing and describing them as "jewels on chains"

To his utter chagrin, he could see what she meant. He saw the beauty in it. He saw the beauty in her. She was like the rarest treasure, so radiant, playful and full of life. She was a treasure that he wanted as badly as he wanted the one piece.

As ashamed as he was to admit it, the night and her had the most bizarre effect on him. The moonlight, the music, the fucking fairy lights, Amby, and......more alcohol.....had bedazzled him.

Yes. He had filled his hip flask with rum before they left the hotel. Just because Amby needed to sober up didn't mean he had to be sober. After the day he'd had he needed a drink. And by the time they'd reached the harbor he felt he needed to be tipsy in order to tolerate her unrelenting, childlike giddiness.

She hadn't appeared to have been sobering any as she talked endlessly about everything and anything, until at some point he found himself paying more attention to what she was saying, and engaging with her frivolity.

At that point, he must've also been tipsy; it not having taken much due to him also having had some champagne earlier.

They'd found themselves in a picturesque little bar by the harbor, where they'd talked and laughed easily, and.....wait, had they even danced  at one point? Not that he wanted to remember the details of that. He'd much rather forget it ever happened.

But he could not forget the other events that occurred and didn't particularly want to either. Like the way Amby had initially been sat opposite him, then she'd somehow wound up sitting beside him, until eventually he'd just hauled her right onto his lap. As usual he'd used "keeping up the pretense" as an excuse, having insisted he wasn't sure if some of the fellow revellers in the bar were part of Alvida's crew. Amby hadn't bothered to hide her skepticism; having seen right through his flimsy excuse.

But she hadn't protested.

No, she settled into his lap as easy as a cat; curling herself into him as though she belonged there.

"Uh, excuse you, Captain...." she had remarked at one point when his wandering hand had drifted down from her waist to the curve of her ass, ".....hands in places they shouldn't be!"

Buggy had chuckled devilishly as he'd begrudgingly allowed her to swat away the offending hand, "Well, maybe that's exactly where my hand belongs.....we are newlyweds after all"

She had giggled girlishly at that, which only served to encourage him further. Shit. Try as he might, Buggy could not even begin to fathom what it was with this damn girl that got him like it did. Nothing amused him more these days than provoking a response from her; preferably a response he could work with - he thrived on the banter, but he also enjoyed vexing her too. That hidden feistiness was surfacing more and more frequently, and he was loathed to admit that he relished it. Now it was becoming apparent that he secretly delighted in the sound of her laughter too. It seemed to reverberate along his skin, penetrating the darkest depths of his chest; filling him with a kind of joy and warmth, breathing fresh life into his very soul. At the risk of sounding too soft and whimsical.....he enjoyed making her laugh. Knowing he was responsible for making her look and sound so happy, filled him with a contentment that bordered on genuine delight.

He was navigating new, very dangerous waters, he knew that now. His instincts warned him and yet he chose to ignore the warning, opting instead to feign denial and continue goading and flirting the night away.

After much bantering back and forth about their phony "marriage" the conversation had inevitably turned towards the topic of marriage in general. Buggy had taunted her about her long lost love, the one whose name he had no problems remembering but always said it wrong deliberately just to antagonize Amby. Buggy had pondered aloud over how the absent object of her affections was probably married with a child or two by now. Amby of course had bristled at the very suggestion, and argued to the contrary. He would be keeping himself for her, she believed.

"But how do you know that?" Buggy had countered, taking another gulp of his spiced rum, "Life changes people, and you never know who you might meet along the way"

"Meaning what? Are you saying he would've met someone.....better....someone who he'd rather be with?" Her tone had been challenging, but her insecurities made her visibly falter and recoil at the prospect.

Buggy's sidelong glance gave way to him turning his head so he could snare her directly with his ice-green gaze, "No that isn't exactly what I'm saying but....take a look at yourself, sweetheart. I mean, you're attracted to me, right?"

The deep blush that stained her cheeks made his body respond in a way that was beyond unsettling. He found her blushing so goddamn adorable and attractive these days, it almost made him hard.

But he had to ignore that and focus on her response...

"S-so? Finding someone attractive is hardly marrying them"

"You'd be surprised, baby. It can so often lead to marriage. It's a slippery slope, attraction"

"Is this your idea of a proposal, captain? Is that what you're getting at?" She'd fired back with stone-cold sarcasm, openly snickering at the way he couldn't sputter out a denial quickly enough.

"See! You're not able to pass comment because you'll never be brave enough for marriage, captain Buggy. You're too afraid of commitment."

"Am not! The genius jester isn't afraid of anything! You actually didn't do your homework that well, did you, you cheeky little shit!" He blustered, feeling the strong compulsion to prove her wrong "I'm afraid of nothing. Least of all getting married. It's no big deal to me because no woman will ever tame or change me"

He was pretty sure that he'd playfully slapped her ass then, and once she'd recovered from the shock of his actions she'd riposted by daring him to back his claims by reminding him that actions speak louder than words, and when he'd stood.....she'd slapped him right back. Yeah, right on the ass.

And goddamn him for it, but he revelled in her audacity.

And that was it. That was all it had taken. That stupid chain of events which culminated in them taking a walk back down to the harbor....where they'd found the captain of a schooner and bribed him with a stupid amount of berry. Bribed him to perform one of the most ancient and well-practiced traditions - a marriage at sea - well, aboard his vessel at least - not for love, but to settle a debate. Perplexed but happy with his easy earnings, the captain had proceeded to recite some basic vows, which they repeated to one another, then they'd exchanged rings and signed a paper which served as a makeshift certificate.

Fighting to control his breathing now, Buggy detached his left hand and raised it to eye level in order to inspect his ring finger. Then promptly wished that he hadn't. Seeing Amby's thumb ring on that finger almost induced a full-blown panic attack.

He recalled the way they had scrabbled around looking for something - anything - to use as their wedding bands. Amby had struggled to slide the ring past his knuckle, so he'd detached his finger, enabling her to get it on.

And her ring? A spare hoop earring that he had in his pocket. One that he'd never worn as it was a little too big for his tastes.

Letting out an audible groan caused Amby to stir slightly against him. Her loose hair tickled his bare chest, and he groaned again as he realized that the "wedding" wasn't even the full extent of the bad situation.

They'd stumbled back to the hotel arm in arm; laughing and singing bawdy sea shanties comprised of risqué lyrics. Then they'd reached the room and wound up not only sharing the bed, but engaging in some questionable amorous activities. He couldn't recall who had made the first move, but it had been pretty instantaneous from the moment he'd kicked the door shut, the pair of them had flung themselves at each other. Drawn to one another like two magnets; powerless to the pull. Amby had fisted her hands into his shirt and tugged him nearer as he'd gripped her shoulders; hauling her closer.

Shidiot! How could he have been so stupid? Buggy had never allowed himself to be a slave to his desires, other than when it involved revenge and coveting the possession of his map of the grand line. Maybe that was part of the problem. Amby possessed his map. It was inked into her skin. Her soft skin that felt like velvet beneath his fingertips. Had he subconsciously wanted to possess her because of the map? Or perhaps it was nothing more than a drunken mistake; fueled merely by strong alcohol and good old fashioned lust.

Again, he'd never made a habit of surrendering himself to his baser urges. Yet their kisses had quickly turned so deep and hard; transforming longing into hunger. He suppressed the need to groan again, but this time for very different reasons. He couldn't be sure if he wished he could remember every delicious sordid detail, or whether he'd prefer to be blissfully ignorant. At least if his mind was a complete blank then he wouldn't be tormented by the memory of them making out like a couple of real newlyweds.

Well. They actually were real newlyweds

She'd willingly lifted her arms; enabling him to pull her shirt over her head and toss it into a far corner of the room. Likewise he had allowed her to unfasten his shirt and slip it off his shoulders. They'd collapsed onto the bed, side by side, facing one another as they'd continued to kiss. Her breaths had been hot and jagged, and she'd moaned into his mouth when his hands had traced over the contours of her breasts, hips and ass. Her hands slid leisurely over his chest and up his neck; gently scratching his skin with her fingernails before tangling  them in the loose strands of his hair.

And then he'd dragged his painted lips down her neck; nipping then licking the sting away, as he possessively marked her skin as his territory.

Thankfully.........they hadn't gone all the way. Holy shit he had been tempted though, as he'd hooked his arm beneath her thigh so that it lay across his; fusing them together, groin to groin. The exquisite friction; the relief of the press of her eager body against his, made him shudder with pleasure. Amby had panted, melting into him, having needily pushed her body against the hard part of his anatomy that throbbed in rhythm with his pulse.

She was eager and willing, and obviously just as drunk as him, which either luckily or unluckily, is what called a halt to proceedings.
The alcohol and late hour had inevitably taken its toll. Their fevered kisses grew more sensuously slow and sleepy, until finally Amby had stilled, passing out cold. He hadn't been as frustrated as he would've expected himself to be. He had felt admittedly woozy too, and it hadn't taken him long to slip into a deep drunken slumber of his own.

And now, now he was stone cold sober and wishing he wasn't. This was all too much to deal with.

Just then a deep gurgling sound began emanating from his nightstand; the repetitive dulcet tone pounding in his head. It took him a moment to realize it was the alarm call sounding on the snail Flinching due to the ungodly noise, Buggy's detatched hand quickly silenced it. Amby then stirred again, shifting against him in a way that inadvertently grazed his already too-hard dick.

He couldn't take it anymore. He gently shoved her off him and hastily sat up, the sudden motion making his head throb even more aggressively.

"Mhmm" Amby sighed sleepily, and then he felt the mattress shift when she sat bolt upright - apparently having opened her pretty little eyes.

"W-what the hell?!"

"Yeah, welcome! I've been here a while" he deadpanned, "hell that is"

A curios glance over his shoulder confirmed that she was registering the fact she was shirtless, and she let out a shriek when she noticed he was now looking her way.

What was her problem? She was wearing a bra, Geez, she'd stripped out of her shirt for him for fucks sake.

"Sheesh, volume! Dial it down, Blue" he flinched again, bringing the tips of his gloveless fingers up to massage his temples, "my head is feeling a little delicate"

She stared at him incredulously; haphazardly fumbling to pull the sheets up to cover her chest.

He rolled his eyes

"Save