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[colordrifter.livejournal.com]

Title: Try to Forget
Prompt: The Morning After
Rating: T (for one little word)
Pairings/Characters: Shanks and Buggy
Word Count: 300
Media: fic



Shanks wakes up.

His eyes snap open and he sits up abruptly. For a second, he's confused. This isn't his bed, or even his cabin on the Oro Jackson. The room is quiet except for the sound of gentle breathing. Then his memories catch up and he remembers the day before.

Roaring crowds, a fearless grin, an earth-shaking proclamation, and the swish of the swords as they swing down, down, down...

Shanks still can't believe that his captain is gone, even after watching it happen with  his own eyes.

He turns and sees Buggy asleep on the bed across the room, curled up like a ball. The night before, Buggy had insisted that the tow of them share a room after seeing how crowded the inn was. Shanks suspected that the other boy had other reasons too, but he agreed, grateful for the company but only wanting silence.

Now, the silence feels painful.

Shanks slips out of bed and crosses the room. "Hey, wake up," he says, shaking Buggy gently.

The other boy groans and uncurls himself. "Another minute, Rayleigh..."

The shaking grows more insistent. "Buggy, wake up!"

Buggy sits up groggily. "Huh...?" He sees Shanks "Oh...it's you. What do you want?"

Shanks opens his mouth and finds that he doesn't know what to say. So he goes for the next best thing.

"You look horrible."

And it's true. Buggy's eyes are as red and puffy as his nose.

Buggy glares at him. Shanks fully expects a barrage if insults to come his way, but Buggy only mutters "Bastard" before turning away.

More silence. Then,

"This isn't a dream, is it?"

Shanks starts in surprise. Buggy studies his quilt.

"No," admits Shanks. "It's not."

Buggy finally looks at Shanks. 'Then it's a nightmare."

And Shanks can only agree.

Comments

[xarciel.livejournal.com]

*wibbles* What a powerful ending. I really enjoyed this, the tone was sombre and the use of present tense kept the pacing slow and dramatic.

A very melancholy piece for a stressful morning after. <3

[colordrifter.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! For some reason, I immediately thought of writing something angsty when I saw this prompt. Weird. ._.