Work With Me -Bruno Buccellati x Reader-

10- Beach break

You awoke on the sofa, soft, milky sunlight paying on your eyelids. It was a cool morning, and the familiar scents and sounds of Bruno cooking came from the kitchen. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, blinking harshly as you adjusted to the light. You stretched and and wandered into the kitchen, trying to decipher what was being made by just the smell.

"You're awake," Bruno smiled at you, "Sleep well?"

"Alright," That was partly true. You had slept really well, in all honesty. You hadn't really dreamt, only thought of yourself as floating through a black void. You couldn't really remember it all, but you must have stirred a couple times in the very least- hearing Bruno's heartbeat as you continued to drift through nothingness. It lulled you every-time you stirred, it made you feel safe  and his warmth was more comforting than any blanket. Even in the dead of night, when you would usually feel chilled to your core, Bruno had been holding you to him, and the fire in his soul kept you burning. 

"I'm glad, now go and get ready, breakfast will be ready any minute." 

You hurried upstairs and dressed, it was a beautiful day, and you spent a minute on the balcony before heading back downstairs. The air was still full of the early morning chill, but the sun was slowly yellowing, and soon the heat of summer would be upon you. It was a Sunday, and you had no plans. Maybe you would spend the whole day outside, on the balcony, watching the day pass by you as you basked in the nice weather. 

As you ate, you mentioned the plan to Bruno, who seemed eager,

"A nice, quiet day is exactly what we need. But I was thinking, maybe you'd like to go to the beach?" He set down his coffee, watching your expression.

The beach? You wanted to, but you weren't sure if you'd be able to control yourself. The beach brought bad memories, and you didn't want another outburst. But looking at Bruno, you trusted him, even if you did get upset, he would be there to help you. You nodded slowly,

"I'd like that," Your voice was almost a whisper, but you were certain. 

~~~~~~~~

The sand beneath you was hot to the touch. You flinched when your bare feet landed in the burning yellow grains. The tide was on its way out, and you toed your way along the wet sand, where the sand was cooler. Bruno was just behind you, but he kept his shoes on, unlike you, who was holding them in one of your hands. Hey seemed less eager to feel the sea with his own skin, but he did point out the shells along the seashore, noting any particularly beautiful or unique ones. He had an eye for art and beauty, and he saw it in everything, from the sun above to the sea below. A few times, he even picked some up to show you, letting you feel the bumps and edges with your fingers, holding the colours up to the sun, knowing exactly which way to angle them so that they shone in the best way. 

"I've always loved the beach," He admits, "But I normally have to go on my own."

"Me too, I used to go with my team all the time..." You brushed some sand off of the cuff of his sleeve, 

Bruno looked down at your movements, and then back up at you, "I promise I'll find out who did that to you, you deserve to know." 

"I suppose it doesn't matter that much, it was probably just some kid who wanted the Boss's attention."

"What if it wasn't?" Bruno turned and looked out into the ocean, "I have a feeling, who ever did that to you... I have a feeling they weren't just some idiota." 

You hummed. It was nice that he was taking an interest, but you were never one for talking about the incident in depth. You never told Buccellati the whole story, about what happened to them really. It was more than jus dying, it was more than just rumours. You wandered over to the water, letting the white foam wash over your feet, chilling them pleasantly. 

"I thought about leaving once or twice," You confessed, "Leaving Italy forever, never returning."

"Why didn't you?"

"This is my home, I've never left it, and I'm not even sure a world exists outside of here. It feels like I'm confined to this nation, like the rest of world is locked away." You waded further into the ocean, not caring how far up your legs the water went. This ocean, it was shared with other places, other people had touched the very same water you were now. It had cycled from the sea to the sky for millennia, and now you were feeling it. For the first time? Maybe, or maybe you had waded in this very same water before, with your team, with your long forgotten family. You looked to Bruno, he was sparkling in the sun. His hair was slightly astray thanks to the sea breeze, but still he looked as if he were a renaissance painting come to life. 

He reached out for your hand, and you didn't hesitate. His hand was soft, well manicured, but it held the callouses and scars of years of fighting. Its skin wasn't smooth, it was bumpy with experience, but strikingly warm in yours. His thumb stroked the back of your hand, and you smiled, feeling the strain in your jaw to try and stop it. Bruno laughed,

"You don't have to hide from me."

You shook your head,

"There are a lot of things I'm hiding from you."