One Piece Drabble
Jun. 9th, 2008 06:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dethoratsPrompt: Crossword Puzzle
Pairing: Shanks and Ben
Rating: PG-10
Word Count: 500
“Hey Ben?”
Reluctantly the first mate of the Red-Haired Pirates looked up from his book. It was raining, steady but gentle, and they were three days from a port call for re-supply. Shanks, being dangerously low on alcohol and cooped up in his cabin, was bored. He’d spent several hours teasing and tormenting the older man until Ben had gotten fed up and told him off. Sulking had lasted until guilt set in and the first mate traded the newspaper for the book currently in his hands. That had kept the captain quiet for a good twenty minutes but it looked like Ben’s luck had run out again.
“Yes?”
Bright hazel eyes peeked at him from over the top of the newspaper, no doubt trying to gauge his mood. “What’s a six letter word for ‘intercourse’?”
The crossword was normally sacrosanct but for once Ben didn’t mind that the redhead was filling it out. Anything to stop ticklish poking fingers and inane questions. “Mmm, ‘gossip’?”
Shanks looked back at his page. “Nope.”
“How about ‘banter’?”
“Uh-uh. Try again?”
Ben frowned in thought. “Maybe ‘advise,’” he muttered, more to himself than to the captain. “Hey, do you have any letters yet?”
“Not yet,” came the sing-songed reply.
“Then how do you know ‘gossip’ or ‘banter’ won’t work?”
“Just do.”
“Shanks,” Ben said, voice dropping a bit in warning.
“C’mon, humor me. Got anything else?”
“Fine. Try ‘asides’ or ‘parley’ or ‘speech.’ And don’t ask me for more if those don’t work until you have at least one letter.”
“Hmmph. Be that way then.” Shanks crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue and it was very hard for Ben not to do the same before he resolutely returned to his book. The cabin was quiet again but for the sound of raindrops and the occasional scratch of Shanks’ pen. Five blissfully silent minutes passed while Ben stared at the same page and thought of synonyms.
“Second letter’s an ‘o.’”
“Ah ha! Then it’s got to be ‘confer.’”
Shanks shook his head. “You didn’t let me finish,” he chided, the stern tone belied by the twinkle in his eyes. “The last two letters are a ‘u’ and an ‘s.’”
A ‘u’ and an ‘s’…Ben wracked his brain, absently setting aside his book as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the bed, fingers steepling as he thought.
“What was that clue again?”
“Intercourse.”
If Ben had been paying attention, the broad grin on the captain’s face would have served as a warning. But he was too busy working out the puzzle to notice Shanks stealthily straightening the newspaper and moving it out of the way. Maybe, Ben considered, he was thinking of the wrong meaning. Maybe the clue was for…
“Coitus!”
“Sounds good to me!” Shanks pounced, catching himself a fistful of grey hair and a bit of scarred cheek as he plundered Ben’s mouth.
A good hour later Ben picked up the newspaper and filled in that last answer himself.
Pairing: Shanks and Ben
Rating: PG-10
Word Count: 500
“Hey Ben?”
Reluctantly the first mate of the Red-Haired Pirates looked up from his book. It was raining, steady but gentle, and they were three days from a port call for re-supply. Shanks, being dangerously low on alcohol and cooped up in his cabin, was bored. He’d spent several hours teasing and tormenting the older man until Ben had gotten fed up and told him off. Sulking had lasted until guilt set in and the first mate traded the newspaper for the book currently in his hands. That had kept the captain quiet for a good twenty minutes but it looked like Ben’s luck had run out again.
“Yes?”
Bright hazel eyes peeked at him from over the top of the newspaper, no doubt trying to gauge his mood. “What’s a six letter word for ‘intercourse’?”
The crossword was normally sacrosanct but for once Ben didn’t mind that the redhead was filling it out. Anything to stop ticklish poking fingers and inane questions. “Mmm, ‘gossip’?”
Shanks looked back at his page. “Nope.”
“How about ‘banter’?”
“Uh-uh. Try again?”
Ben frowned in thought. “Maybe ‘advise,’” he muttered, more to himself than to the captain. “Hey, do you have any letters yet?”
“Not yet,” came the sing-songed reply.
“Then how do you know ‘gossip’ or ‘banter’ won’t work?”
“Just do.”
“Shanks,” Ben said, voice dropping a bit in warning.
“C’mon, humor me. Got anything else?”
“Fine. Try ‘asides’ or ‘parley’ or ‘speech.’ And don’t ask me for more if those don’t work until you have at least one letter.”
“Hmmph. Be that way then.” Shanks crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue and it was very hard for Ben not to do the same before he resolutely returned to his book. The cabin was quiet again but for the sound of raindrops and the occasional scratch of Shanks’ pen. Five blissfully silent minutes passed while Ben stared at the same page and thought of synonyms.
“Second letter’s an ‘o.’”
“Ah ha! Then it’s got to be ‘confer.’”
Shanks shook his head. “You didn’t let me finish,” he chided, the stern tone belied by the twinkle in his eyes. “The last two letters are a ‘u’ and an ‘s.’”
A ‘u’ and an ‘s’…Ben wracked his brain, absently setting aside his book as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the bed, fingers steepling as he thought.
“What was that clue again?”
“Intercourse.”
If Ben had been paying attention, the broad grin on the captain’s face would have served as a warning. But he was too busy working out the puzzle to notice Shanks stealthily straightening the newspaper and moving it out of the way. Maybe, Ben considered, he was thinking of the wrong meaning. Maybe the clue was for…
“Coitus!”
“Sounds good to me!” Shanks pounced, catching himself a fistful of grey hair and a bit of scarred cheek as he plundered Ben’s mouth.
A good hour later Ben picked up the newspaper and filled in that last answer himself.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-09 01:59 pm (UTC)Also, your drabble made me giggle. XD
no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 06:46 am (UTC)And hey, if you're still looking for temp options, check for hotel desk positions especially for nights. Might not pay amazing but it's easy and at night at least you don't have to deal with human beings.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 01:26 pm (UTC)I shall totally look into it. Any income is good income! :D
no subject
Date: 2008-06-09 07:10 pm (UTC)I love those two old men, so much.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 06:46 am (UTC)Me Too
no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 03:44 pm (UTC)Oh my god, what do I spy?! TWO POSTS?! 8D 8D 8D *runs to reply*
no subject
Date: 2008-06-09 07:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-09 07:53 pm (UTC)Oh, this made me grin like anything. And so fitting, too, I just got my Shanks today. ^___^
no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 06:48 am (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed it! And isn't that figure gorgeous?! I'm so happy (despite it making me sound a little like an amputee freak) that they did the arm and went with the older/present version of him.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-10 10:42 am (UTC)princess bride
Date: 2008-07-23 03:43 am (UTC)Oh and abotu the fic, why was Ben even thinking of less naughty meanings? this is shanks after all.