#have u ever just been in desperate need for an infiltration mission where shanks needs to dress up and drap himself over Benn because wow

[thehoardofthegreatdragon]

this bennshanks wip is eating me alive and unlikely to escape the docs soon so plz to eat

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The day started like this: all the early crew gathered around a table, kicking their ideas against its legs. Bolted down as it was, it didn’t budge. Neither did their problem. 

“I still say we hire a whore,” Yasopp gave, leaning back into a tired chair. 

“No,” Shanks shot down, with the finality it needed. Benn found himself glad, as a whore alone was one hell of a poor idea. “This mission… it’s too risky. We’d put whoever we hired in danger, and risk the information getting loose.”

Yasopp scrubbed at his face. “What if Beckman went with them?”

“Come again?”

“Look at him, boss. He could pass as one of this crowd easily. If we hire a whore to help him blend, it’s a sure fire way in.”

Shanks frowned, eyes catching at Benn’s before flicking down at their map. The map that had far too little information, without some good old fashioned stealing. There wasn’t much for Shanks to be looking at. If Benn was a weaker man, he’d have said Shanks looked jealous. 

Benn tapped a finger across the table. 

“It’s not a bad idea, boss,” he offered, cigarette gone thoughtful on his fingers. “I can keep the hire safe.” 

“It’s not a bad plan, but bringing someone else still doesn’t sit right with me,” Shanks began, and then nearly steady came, “so I’ll play the whore.”

Benn’s cigarette paused, caught in his surprise. 

“Then I’ll be your cover,” Benn said, long before his brain caught up to his tongue, and his cigarette broke the surprise. 

“You always are,” Shanks said, wry enough to be a complaint. His eyes burned just like they had six years ago, when he’d given that first order. Unsure, too. Shanks looked unsure. 

Benn was perilously close to noticing how pretty his captain was.