Stirring awake I kept my eyes closed and let out a yawn as I stretched. Today's the day, uh? I thought sourly as I rolled to the side, only to find it was empty. Prying my eyes open I squinted at the spot on my right, Bruno was indeed not there. Sitting up quickly, I patted the covers to see if he was around and I was just not awake enough to notice he was there, but he was not. "Bruno?" I called; my voice was hoarse which meant I probably slept with my mouth open, how charming. The door of the bathroom opened slowly and his head peeked at the entry, his toothbrush in mouth. I chuckled at the sight then shook my head, "Nothing I- you just... weren't there" I said quietly.
Throwing my legs to the side of the bed I got up and stretched some more, at least I wasn't not going to feel sore anymore since there won't be any training. Bruno was now leaning on the door frame, but he had finished brushing his teeth and was now just looking at me with a smile. Feeling shy under his gaze I pulled at my shirt a bit and furrowed my brows at him, "What?" he smirked and shook his head lightly before speaking, "Nothing, you're just cute." He affirmed before turning back to the bathroom and closing the door. I stared at the door for a moment, surprised. Opening my mouth to speak, I closed it quickly. Scoffing in surprise I left the room with warmth on my face, is he fucking aware of how cute he is?
Closing the door behind me I fully leaned on it and let out a long sigh. "It's going to be alright. How bad can it be? I can act fake around mafiosos, I can play the role of his plus one. I can do that." I breathed, hyping myself, if I keep telling myself that I'll believe it and it's going to go smoothly, no problem. Nope, none. Pushing myself off the door, I went to my suitcase and saw it wasn't where I had left it. Frowning, I looked around the room, under my bed, in the bathroom and finally inside the wardrobe. That's where I found it, empty. At the sight of what was inside I let out a shaky breath, I felt my heart squeeze then beat rapidly. The content of my suitcase was perfectly stored inside the wardrobe, there was no note or anything but, "Shit, I'm not going to cry for that but fuck." I sniffed, a smile on my face while I took what I needed to shower.
The shower in itself wasn't that long, what took time was when I had to take care of my body once dried. Lotion, brushing my hair properly so that it'd look at least a bit sophisticated tonight. I didn't put on makeup yet since I had no idea what color the dress was, and I'll admit I believe I did not have what was necessary to paint a professional look on my face. I hardly had any makeup to begin with, but I'll make do, I had to. Once that was done, I was about to put on my shirt when I stopped midair. There's no way I'm messing up my hair by putting on that shirt, nope. I folded it and put it on the counter then grabbed the bathrobe I had used last time. He had said I could use it, so why not, right? Wrapping it around myself, I tied the knot tight so that it won't open anytime soon and left the bathroom.
When I joined Bruno downstairs, I noticed he was cooking, as usual but it seemed the quantity was bigger than usual. Standing by his side, he looked at me from the corner of his eyes with a smile, I reciprocated it and looked down bashfully, "Thank you." I said with a nudge in his side. Chuckling, he brought my head to his chest and kissed the top of it before letting go, "You've grown on me, I didn't want to let you go home just yet." He said gingerly before continuing what he was doing. Looking around I spoke again, I was curious, "Do you plan on feeding an army?" I asked while pointing at the pastas he was cooking.
Laughing sweetly, he shook his head. "Fugo was supposed to come and drop off your dress, but Narancia suggested to come too." Nodding I was about to make a remark but he continued, "Mista heard, so he thought he'd come and invited Trish. Long story short, everyone's coming over. We'll all get ready here." My mouth shaped in O, I pondered a moment. On the bright side, the dress is ready on time, but I didn't think they'd all come here before the ball. It sounds promising and wild. "That... I did not expect." I stated with an incredulous scoff. Rolling my sleeves up I looked up at Bruno with a grin, "Well how can I help you?" I asked as I grabbed an apron. He stopped me by telling me he was almost done with everything, but I could help set the table.
While setting the table, I heard a few energetic knocks on the door. "I'll get it." I called out to Bruno as I put everything down, rushed to the door and opened it with one swift movement. There stood Narancia and Fugo, both had long zipped plastic bag slung over their shoulder, probably where they kept their suit, I thought. "Hi! Come in, come in." I said in a hospitable tone as I stepped out of the way. Fugo gave me a small smile and a nod then shuffled inside while Narancia stayed behind, giddy. I stood there a moment, waiting for the younger man to get in but he stared at me with a grin. "Yeah?" I drawled out questioningly. In a few seconds he threw an arm around me, while the other held his suit, and hugged me quickly before stepping back. "It's going to be fun!!" he said excitedly before catching up with Fugo.
They both placed the bags on the couch, surprisingly very delicately, then they sat at the table and started chatting with Bucciarati. I was very curious as of what the dress looked like but I could wait, yet I tried to peek as I passed it but saw nothing. "Do we have any idea if they're arriving soon?" I asked Bruno while pulling a chair to sit in next to Fugo at the table. Joining us, the raven-haired man sat to my right and told us they'd probably be arriving soon. In the meantime, we chatted idly, they did not seem stressed one bit while, I was a wreck. I had that weird gut feelings, the same one like when you're a child and you're about to have your first representation in front of every parents, and you've probably rehearsed a month or so and only during breaks. You know it's not going to be great but that's all you got, and there's no going back. Kind of like stage fright.
I was brought back to reality when Narancia waved a hand in front of my face, blinking a few times I looked at him with an apologetic smile. "Ah sorry, I was lost in my thoughts." He leaned on his knuckles with a grin before leaning forward a bit, "Where you thinking about Bucciarati?" where the fuck did that come from, looking to my right to see if Bruno had heard anything, I noticed he was gone. The rumble of multiple voices echoed in the hall which made me raised my head and recognize the four people we were expecting. Getting up quickly, I glared at Narancia and told him I didn't know what he was talking about but I had to welcome people, he laughed loudly in response.
The first person that came my way was Mista who hugged me very, very tight. Patting his back with a bit a force I told him he was choking me, he quickly pulled away but kept his hands on my arms, a twinkle in his eyes. "Bella, I haven't seen you in so long! Are you ready for the ball? Isn't it exciting? Your first mission with us! Oh it's going to be so fu-" he was interrupted by Trish pulling him away from me, he complained loudly but let her do as she pleased. It was weird meeting her in person for the first time, I knew I didn't have to feel awkward because we've practically been talking every day since this whole thing started but I couldn't help it, nor could I help the nervous chuckle that left my lips.
"Oh girl, come on, get here." She said as she opened her arms wide, I stepped in her embrace and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when I felt her arms wrap around me. "You make your move tonight, right?" she whispered in my ears before pulling away with mischievous grin. I bit the inside of mouth but nodded slightly, I could see she was holding back her squeal of joy when instead of doing so she hit Mista's shoulder. "The hell was that for Trish?" he asked, rubbing his biceps. She told him I was going to confess tonight, but he didn't have the subtlety Trish had. He grabbed me by the arms and shook me vigorously. "That's so awesome oh my god, finally." He exclaimed, although he had the sensibility of doing that in a lower tone.
Putting my hands on his arms so he'd let go of me I chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. At least if it goes wrong, I'll find one of you and we'll try to avoid him." I said with a laugh, people started taking their seat in the background. The pink-haired girl frowned lightly, "Well, I won't be there, you know that, right?" she said with her arms crossed over her chest. I tilted my head to the side, it was my time to frown, "What do you mean you won't be there?" I asked in confusion. I thought we would all go, and even maybe hang out at the ball together. I had no idea what the plan was but I was a bit saddened that she wasn't coming.
"It would look weird for someone like me to go a shady place like that." She explained as a matter of fact, which only deepened my frown, "Because you're a girl? Come on-" she interrupted me with her gracious laugh as she put a hand on my shoulder, "You have no idea who I am?" she asked incredulously, I mean the first time we facetimed her face reminded me of someone but I never knew whom. I never tried to figure out either, it was probably just a déjà vu or something. I shook my head in response. Mista, who had been silent the whole exchange, threw an arm around Trish's shoulders and ruffled her hair a bit, "She's a famous singer!" he said proudly before pulling out his phone and showing me that she was, indeed, what he said she was.
My eyes widened, I contemplated hitting my head on the wall with how oblivious I had been, but I didn't. Looking at them both, I crossed my arms across my chest, "Well?" I started, "Was anyone going to tell me she was a singer or was I supposed to find out like this, and it's super embarrassing and I feel dumb?" I said quickly before laughing joyously. They both followed and laughed along, but not without muttering small 'sorry's as they did. Taking a deep breath to calm down, we looked at each other a moment before nodding and going to our respective places. By the time our conversation was done, everyone had taken their seat.
As I sat down, I didn't have this ominous feeling nor did I feel this threatening atmosphere. It was very relaxed and almost, pleasant? It was a huge contrast with the first time we met when they had their stand out, along a knife and death glares. Everyone was chatting, maybe a bit too loudly, but it gave off a warmth, a familiarity. I didn't realize I was smiling until I felt a nudge at my side, it was Fugo, "What are you smiling about?" it was rare for us to talk together, most of the time he had Narancia next to him, and boy did he need the attention. "I just really like you guys" I told him softly, a genuine smile on my face. It earned me a bright blush coming from the blond in front of me whom turned away in an instant. Ah, did I say something wrong? I thought, waiting for him to face me again.
Once he had composed himself, he turned around and mumbled, "I think I speak for everyone when I say we like you too." Then he cleared his throat and joined a heated conversation between Narancia and Mista, Trish was in the middle, an exasperated expression on her face. Sending her and encouraging smile she chuckled, quipping in their debate from times to times. Looking down, I smiled happily before getting up and helping Bruno serve everyone their plates. "This is nice, as loud as they are, it's relaxing." I told Bruno as I joined his side, taking the plates from his hands. Looking amused he agreed, "It's like a family reunion, wouldn't you say?" he asked as he followed me to the table. I let a dry scoff leave my lips, "Definitely, I'll be the estranged cousin that is kind of awkward, though." I said jokingly, earning a scoff from Bruno. We stopped talking as we put the plates down, then went back again for the last plates.
Sitting back down, everyone thanked Bruno for the meal before digging in. It was silent for a moment, since they all had food in their mouth but that didn't last, they were fast to go back to their conversation, not minding the food in their mouth. "For fuck sake Narancia, finish what you have in mouth before fucking talking, it's gross." Abbacchio grunted. The younger black-haired man who was leaning on the table, sat back with a huff. He was fiery but it was fun to see how he reacted with Abbacchio, he respected him enough to listen to him even though he hated doing so, or at least he was begrudging. Their dynamic was very father/son like, but maybe I was wrong and they were just always like that without second thoughts. "What are you thinking about, amore?" I felt Bruno's breath on the shell of my ear and almost dropped my fork, looking at him in surprise. "Nothing, just- observing." I whispered back with a small smile, he smiled fondly in return but didn't look away. Neither did I.
We stared at each other a moment, and, fuck, his eyes were the prettiest thing I have ever seen. I could stare at them forever, unfortunately my daydream was interrupted by Mista voice "Hey you two, stop that! No flirting when we eat!". I turned my head quickly to face him, ready to tell him off but I didn't want to make a scene, I closed my mouth then threw him a death glare before angrily shoving food in my mouth. It earned me a few chuckles at the table. "Now I lost my appetite," Narancia said, pushing his plate away, I almost choked, come on we didn't do anything, I thought. I then felt Bruno's hand on my thigh, but he was looking at the energetic boy, "No you haven't, eat" the capo said with a chuckle, giving Narancia a gaze he couldn't ignore. With a pout he resumed eating.
The buzz of everyone chatting calmly at the table could be heard, but all I was aware of was Bruno's hand on my thigh. It didn't stop me from eating nor discussing with everyone at the table, but I was very conscious of the weight on my leg and how he'd brush his thumb absent-mindedly on it. Clearing my throat once I was finished eating, I stood up with my plate in hand, Bruno's hand sliding off. Noticing that I was not the only one who was done, I grabbed the other empty plates from the table. "I'll help-" Bucciarati started but was quickly interrupted by Giorno as he stood up calmly, with his natural charming smile, "Don't Bruno, you've already cooked. I'll help out." He said softly as he followed my actions and grabbed the rest of the plates, trailing behind me as I entered the kitchen.
I masked my shock when Giorno suggested to help me, but I didn't complain. Instead I let him help, the more the merrier, righ?. His presence was very disturbing, my mind was still stuck on the fact that he was a mafia don but I had to get past that. As I started putting the plates in the dishwasher, I was about to ask him if he had an ulterior motive for helping me clear the table but he spoke first. "You're part of the family," he started with that. There was a lump in my throat the moment I heard his words, for a mere instant I wondered where this was going, but I didn't have time to dwell. "With that in mind, I'd also like to say that you're welcome in the Passione famiglia anytime." He continued with a gentle smile as he handed me the plate to put them in the dishwasher. I could only nod, telling him to continue.
"I wouldn't wish on anyone to join this world, it's bad, it's violent but it's..." he paused, shaking his head, "It is what it is, I'll change it. But that's not what I meant to say." He chuckled, looking down an instant before setting his gaze on mine. "While I know Bruno will oppose this; It's probably better, considering your relationship, if you were fully part of the famiglia." Was he inviting me to... join the mafia? At this point he was looking to the side at the table, a fond smile on his face. "Maybe I'm selfish and I want my friend to have what he deserves, but my offer still stands. Ah maybe it's a lot to take in right now, so I'll wait for you answer." He finished with a reassuring expression on his face.
I had no idea what to say. It's not every day you got invited to join the mafia. I had no idea what it entailed to join their family; I had no idea what I'd get myself into. I was at loss. And he seemed to understand that by my lack of answer. But I had to talk, "I... I'll think about it? It's still intimidating, I'll admit but I'll think about it for sure. I..." looking at him with a shy expression, I closed the door of the dishwasher with my foot then extended my hand forward for him to shake. He laughed but took it before pulling me in a warm hug. I exhaled in relief, "Thank you for doing this, I really like him you know." I was shocked with myself for telling him but he patted my back and told me he knew and that he was also rooting for me to confess soon.
Pulling away from him, suddenly it was less intimidating to stand by him. With a clasp of his hands, he grinned at me, "Now, I was told Abbacchio was a bit rough with you." He said jokingly, I had forgotten he had to 'heal' me, I had gotten used to the pain on my back and basically everywhere, along with seeing every burn on my back. Laughing I nodded, "Yeah, he means well so I don't blame him. But I'd be grateful if you," I pointed to my back with my thumb, then made a movement of closing my fists and opening them wide, "woosh, you know... do your magic." I said with a sheepish smile. Giorno snorted, a grin on his lips, he nodded and gestured to the stairs. "It's not magic, it's a stand." He explained lightly as we made our way upstairs, at the dining table I heard a few confused mumbles but they died out when Bruno's voice piped in.
I was definitely nervous. Did I want to be in my underwear in front of him? No. Did I have a choice? No. But I was going to have to bear with it. Once again, it's only awkward if you make it awkward, right? If I act casual, the whole ordeal is casual. Entering my room, I stood there a moment, looking at him, "So how... how do we proceed?" I asked, because last time I saw him use that thing on someone, it was on Bruno and he tore his shirt apart. As he rolled his sleeves up, he gave me a reassuring smile then turned around. "I'll need to have access to the damaged areas, so I'll suggest you remove what's in the way of your back and then lay on the bed. Let's say it's like a massage session, I'm not going to do anything inappropriate." I wanted to laugh, it seemed I was not the only one embarrassed by the situation.
Wrapping the bathrobe around my waist, I took off my top and slumped on the bed, shoving a pillow under my chest to be sure he wouldn't see anything. "Ok, I'm good!" Sitting next to me, he started putting the little beads on my bad, soon after I had a tingling feeling all over my body and I had a hard time not moving. I held the pillow tight to stop myself from shifting, "The first time I fixed Mista he reacted the same way you did, but he was moving a lot more." He recounted as he continued taking care of my back, I laughed at the mental image of Mista struggling and complaining while Giorno healed him. "Are you telling me other people don't react like that?" I asked with a chuckle, I wondered how could one not shuffle on the spot with this silk-like sensation coursing all over your skin.
"I believe it's because he's ticklish, with that there was the excruciating pain of bullets holes too, I guess." He told me, deep in thoughts as his hands pressed on my shoulder blades. I snorted at his words; pain could definitely be a reason. Half an hour later, he was done with treating everything. We had talked a bit about his stand and his relationship with the gang, the most surprising was how open he was with my every question. At some point we brushed over the subject of taking down the old boss, he tried to be vague but not too much that I wouldn't understand. I understood his hesitancy in talking about it, I was not yet fully part of their family and it was probably too much information to share. But once he was done, he stood up and turned around, telling me he'd sent in Trish and Abbacchio.
I frowned as I put the bathrobe back on, "What? Why?" I asked him in confusion. Looking at his wristwatch he told me, "Well it's already half past two, we should all probably start to get ready." Yeah that didn't help, "I don't... see what Trish and Abbacchio have to do with that." I said with a nervous smile, he beamed and explained that they were going to help me get ready then left without letting me shoot any more questions. Isn't it a bit early to start getting ready? I don't even know what time we're supposed to get there but, it definitely seems too early. God, I had forgotten about it for a while, but now I was fully conscious of how close the ball was. I had a knot in my stomach, the stress was very present.
The loud noise of my door slamming open interrupted my thoughts, it was Abbacchio. He had the bag with the dress over his shoulder while Trish was hidden behind his large figure, they both stepped in and I noticed the large bag Trish had in her hands along with the bright smile on her face. "Wait, Trish I can understand but don't you have to get ready too Abbacchio?" I asked as I stepped out of their way, letting them put everything on the bed. Gazing down at me with his usual frown, he told me, "I hate that kind of events, I'll be staying in the car in case something goes wrong." He shrugged off his light jacket, it's a shame I'm sure he would've looked good in a full suit but I could understand his distaste for boring gatherings with fake people.
With a small 'ok' I watched them sit down on the bed and look at me expectantly. I stared back, and after a moment of silence, Abbacchio grabbed the dress bag and threw it at me, I caught it quickly. "Try the dress for fuck's sake, do you think we're here to just watch your pretty face?" he grunted before laying down on the bed, his hands behind his head. I looked at Trish with a confused expression and she just told me to go try it on, adding that she was very curious of what it'd look like. "Okay okay, give me a second." I said before scurrying to the bathroom. I was carefully to not be in front of the hole Yesterday had made, since it was still not fixed.
Hanging the bag on the wall, I opened it and gasped at the dress. It was a nice beige, golden color with a simple flower pattern. It wasn't heavy on the eye, and simply elegant. The fact that there wasn't a trail made me sigh in relief, I had hoped it'd be that length not too short that I'd look like a prom dress but not too long to make it unpractical. It was almost sleeveless if not for the thin fabric on it, up to the elbow. It seemed to be tight on the upper half and then a bit looser on the bottom half. It wasn't puffy in any way, giving it a few once over I was really in awe. But could I pull this off? Yeah, fuck yeah I could, I shouldn't doubt myself. Undressing, I put on the dress without a struggle, except the zipper on the back. Looking myself in the mirror I had no words, it was so gorgeous.
My eyes widened when I look at my chest, you're shitting me. "Trish?" I called out, peeking behind the door, she was waiting excitedly and quirked a brow upon seeing my head. She told me to step out but I told her no then that she had to come inside. Furrowing her brows, she stood up and joined me in the bathroom. "What is it?" she asked, confused. Staring at her I gestured to the dress, "Don't you see?" I asked a bit more insistent. She shook her head, telling me it suited me very well, but I stepped closer to her, and whispered, "It's fucking transparent." I gave her a deadpanned look, only having her laugh at my face, a hand on her stomach. "I can barely see anything, come on it's nothing!" she said with a bright smile, taking a closer look.
I put my hands on my chest, "Hey, don't look. I'll just put bras underneath" I said, my face reddening. Stepping away, she tilted her head to the side, a mischievous expression painted on her flawless face. "That won't do, we need something strapless." She started, opening the door to step out, I stopped at the door ajar, trying to understand what she was doing. Opening my wardrobe, she rummaged a moment, then pulled out what she and Mista had bought me. "Something like this, you know, strapless." She said with a smirk, throwing it to me. Why was it with them and throwing things at my face today? Catching it, I shook my head, "Girl, no." smiling widely, she answered, "Girl, yes. Come on." She pushed me back inside the bathroom, closed the door and waited outside.
Giving a long look at the black laced lingerie I was very hesitant. "Fuck it." Putting it on quickly, I then slipped inside the dress again and opened the door wide. At least we don't see through but it's still embarrassing. I was probably the only one, with Trish and maybe Abbacchio, who knew what I had underneath but it still felt odd. "There. Happy?" Trish nodded, then grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bed. "Drop dead gorgeous, he'll definitely be speechless." She assured me, before leaving the bed, "I need a chair, I'm going to do your hair." She explained before leaving the room in a hurry.
Turning towards Abbacchio who was still laying on the bed, with his eyes closed I poked his shin. "Hey, are you sure you're not coming?" I asked with a small smile. Sitting back up he grunted, a lazy look on his face. There a was a rapid change of expression on his face when he saw me but it returned to its former bored one quickly. "I'm not coming, stop asking." Nodding, I didn't feel attacked by his blunt way of telling me, he did not mean to be brute. He just spoke like that, all the time. "It's a shame, I like you Abbacchio, you're nice." I said with a genuine smile, "You're like a grumpy uncle or an overprotective brother you know?" why was I telling him that, he didn't care. But with all the time we spent training together, I got used to him and I felt relaxed in his presence even though he was constantly brusque in his words.
Taken aback, I think his face got a bit more colorful than usual, but he looked away so I couldn't be sure. "Fucking call me Leone already." He grumbled before laying back on the bed with a huff. "But I guess you're not that bad." He mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Chuckling, I knew it meant more when coming from him, "Well, Leone. You can call me Alda." I told him in a light tone. He didn't respond but there was a smile in the corner of his lips, and that was enough for me to know he had heard me. "There, got the chair. It's a disaster downstairs, Fugo is trying to teach Narancia how to tie a bow tie." She laughed before patting the chair for me to sat on. Doing so, I commented, "They should have opted for a clip-on bow tie, I think it would have been better." Trish agreed as she wrapped a towel around my neck, telling me she'd rather not put spray on my dress.
"You know I've never had anyone do my hair, it's weird." I told her as she started brushing my hair, humming as she did so. "What for real? We should have more girl's night then." She said as she put the brush down. She had her hands all over my scalp, trying different hairstyles. As she did so, she walked in front of me to check how it looked then shook her head and tried something else. I knew she was very focused because she wasn't very talkative, she would sometimes mutter under her breath to herself. I couldn't understand much with the pins in her mouth, but she was very involved with this. It was funny to see her like that, I was not really the type of person to put that much effort in my hair but if she wanted to, I gladly welcomed her help.
After about twenty tries, and almost an hour later she had settled for something. "There! See it's not too fancy, but it's not in the way either." She said as she brought a hand mirror in front of my face. She had put a few white hair clips and about two dozen pins to make it hold together but it looked good, she knew what she was doing. "Damn, that looks good. Thank you!" I told her excited, putting the mirror down before bringing her in a quick embrace. She laughed and hugged back, "You're in the mood for hugs today, aren't you?" she asked as she pulled away. Chuckling nervously, I shrugged, "I think it's the stress. I mean it's better than hitting things, right?" I told her awkwardly, looking down at the towel and fiddling with it.
Putting everything away, she told me I shouldn't worry. "You're not alone in this. I think as much as the mission is important, everyone has your safety as their priority." She explained with a kind smile before adding, smirking, "I'm sure someone else's priority is to shove you against a wall and-" Standing up from the chair I covered her mouth quickly and shook my flushing head, "Shut up, don't even think of finishing that sentence." I told her in a threatening way, but the stupid smile on my face gave away the fact that I was more embarrassed than angry.
"If you're done cooing over Bruno, I got shit to do." Abbacchio said as he got off the bed and started digging in the bag Trish had brought earlier. While she moved to the bed, I stood there with crimson cheeks, did he have to say his name, now I'm a fucking mess, I thought. Sitting on the edge of the bed, the silver-haired man pulled the chair towards him and I was now very close to him as he loomed over me. The bed being higher than the seat, Abbacchio leaned my head backwards so that he had access to it, under the light. "What are you doing?" I asked, confused. Now that I could see his face from up close, I couldn't mistake any of his reactions. "What does it fucking look like I'm doing? I'm doing your makeup." He grunted, lifting my chin a bit higher.
Quirking a brow, he wiped my face clean in one swift motion then started doing his work. "Your thumb is kind hurting my chin, could you...?" his hold on my chin lessened as he mumbled a sorry. Unlike Trish, he didn't talk. At all. No muttering, no remark, no thinking out loud. Just an intense stare on my face alongside a deep furrow of his brows that came with focusing. Trying to look around, I wanted to fill the silence. Trish was on her phone, since she couldn't do much except busy herself which I understood. "Do you often... paint people's faces?" I asked him, but he quickly shut me down once he started putting lipstick on my lips, "Stop talking." I hummed and kept my mouth shut, a thin line. There was the silence again.
"Don't you ever put lipstick? Fuck, just open your mouth like this," he said as he showed on his face, I mimicked and he grunted in satisfaction. He muttered that it was better and applied the lipstick properly, he then asked me to stick my lips together then open my mouth a few times to even the color. "Is it good?" I asked. He grunted in approval before leaning backwards to grab other stuff from the bag, "I'm going to put some mascara, don't you fucking dare blinking, ok?" laughing I nodded, telling him I'd try my best. I enjoyed this. While I knew him for being a bit rough, here he was very gentle and without noticing his gaze had softened, his mouth opened just a little bit as he applied the liquid on my eyelashes. My gaze was focused on his, and the moment he met my eyes his grumpy expression came back. "What are you looking at?" he asked in a gruffy tone as he moved to the other eye, "You told me to keep my eyes open, I'm trying to do that by focusing on something. That something is you." I explained in a light tone as I played with the hem of the towel since I couldn't move my head.
He rolled his eyes and didn't reply, instead he continued his activity without a word. Once he was done with the mascara, I was allowed to close my eyes since he had to put the eyeshadow. I did not think it'd take that much time to just put a bit of powder on my eyelids, after around ten minutes of working on my eyes he told me to open them. "Fuck, there's like this weight on my eyelids." I mumbled as I opened my eyes, blinked a few times, meeting Abbacchio's violet ones. He observed a moment, then nudged Trish. "Oh that looks so good!! You're good at this, Abbacchio." She said genuinely as she took a closer look in awe. My gaze traveled from one to another, before asking if I could have a mirror to see what I looked like. Abbacchio shook his head, "No I think we're missing something. Wait." He leaned back and took a little paintbrush before powdering my nose some more. "Wait- god-" pushing his hand away quickly I sneezed then raised my face slowly, grinning sheepishly.
Apologizing, my grin slowly left my face when Abbacchio didn't say anything and just moved his hand back to my nose, finishing his work. "Now it's done." He announced, throwing what he had on his knees, back in the makeup bag. As I started to ask if I could see, he shoved the hand mirror in my hand and stood up to wipe the powder from his pants. Upon seeing my reflection, I was shocked. It felt bizarre to have makeup on my face, I feared he'd make it too much but it was just perfect. Lowering the mirror, I met his expectant gaze, "Thank you Leone, I loved it." I said with a broad smile. Shrugging, he pulled something from his pocket, "Whatever, here. Giorno said I should give you this, he said he'd look good with your dress." He said before leaving the room, his hands in his pockets.
Looking down at what he had given me, there was a simple golden necklace and pair of long earrings. Shifting my gaze to Trish in confusion she chuckled, and told me to just put it on without asking any question. Getting up I entered the bathroom to put on the jewelry in front of the mirror, letting my hands drop to my side on I had put them on and looked at myself. I had never dressed so chic, nor had I ever done my hair and my face like this. It was all new to me, but I didn't mind, it felt nice to treat myself with that much care. I think I looked pretty good. Well, now I just need my heels, I thought as I made my way out of the bathroom and to the wardrobe. After putting on my beige heels, I straighten my back while giving Trish a smile, "It's really sad you're not coming, we should definitely have a girl's day out." I told her in all honesty.
I never spent time with Trish, now I knew it was not only because I spent all my time training but also because she had the life filled with plans and interviews. I guess it will be hard for us to meet as much as I'd like but I'm sure, no, I hoped she'd make some time for me because I really liked her. "For sure, yeah. We will, how else am I going to know all about your feelings for our capo?" she asked with a mischievous grin as she walked to the door and opened it. There were a lot less emotion when we'd text so seeing her so playful, so at ease and honestly, just great on the whole, I kind of saw her differently. But not in a bad way, it made me glad to have met her through Mista, they pushed me to act on my feelings which I hardly think I'd ever do if they weren't there. Because of that I rushed to my night table I wrote something quickly on a paper, sticking it discretely inside my dress to avoid losing it.
Following Trish down the stairs without a noise, I held onto the railing tight to not fall down. Shit I'm so not used to those heels, if I had known I would have worn them a lot more, I thought desperately, finally reaching the last step. Looking up, I felt out of place upon seeing their vibrant colored suits, Giorno had a gorgeous pink suit, with a golden belt wrapped around its waist. He had unbuttoned a few buttons of his shirt; with that I was pretty sure they were not planning on laying low. Mista had a blue turtle neck with a tiger striped orange suit, it was a bold choice but shockingly he pulled it off pretty well. I could see him fidget with the hem of his shirt, not used to wearing any thing but crop tops but unfortunately, he'd have to get used to it.
Looking to the constant buzzing of complaints, I saw Fugo trying to stop Narancia from taking off his bowtie. He was whining and asking why only the two of them wore ties when the other didn't, but Fugo said that it didn't matter. The strawberry blond man had a full velour dark green suit, he had left the jacket open and had a white shirt underneath, a red tie tied neatly around his neck. The younger black-haired man had a white shirt tucked inside black suit pants with suspenders and an orange bow tie. They both looked neat and it suited their person so well, I wondered if Giorno was the one who had chosen their outfit, or maybe Victoria?
Abbacchio had changed his outfit too, he was now wearing tight black leather pants in which he had tucked a dark purple, almost black, long sleeved shirt that opened at the neck up to the middle of his chest, a few strings holding it together. I was surprised to see his change of outfit, but it suited him perfectly, it was an effortless style. The silver-haired man was talking with Bruno, and, maybe it was because I was biased but, damn he looked so good. Just like most of them, his shirt was wide open, it was a white elbow-length sleeved shirt tucked in dark blue velour pants, with a brown leather belt wrapped tight around his waist. In his hands was a black coat, that I couldn't quite fully see but the most surprising was the golden rings on his hands along a simple golden chain on his neck. And fuck, is that dark blue nail polish on his fingers? Fortunately, I was holding onto the railing, or else my legs would have given up.
I had no idea where too look, the entirety of him was magnetic, it drew me in. I wanted to roam my hands all over his body and, while his outfit looked great, I'd definitely love to see him without it- wow, wild thoughts, no. Shaking those thoughts away, I made my way towards them with Trish in front of me. "We're finished!" she called out as she stepped to the side to show the final look, I didn't know what to do to I just stood there with my hands intertwined in front of me. How intense could their stare get? Meeting Bruno's, I gave him a shy smile. "I knew you'd look good, that's why I had to take all that time to try and match up." I told him with a chuckle, pink dust covering my cheeks, and it wasn't makeup.
As he looked up at her, his heart stopped. He had never seen her in a ball gown before, and she was just perfect, he couldn't wait to call her his but he had to wait for her to be ready. He had to wait, even though it was getting difficult to hold back his feelings for her. Part of him knew it was risky to love someone out of the mafia, but he wanted to be selfish. Just for this once. As the capo felt a nudge to his side, he heard Mista whisper smugly, 'Why are you so thirsty?' that's what brought him back from his daydream. The raven-haired man scoffed with a small smile, 'I'm not thirsty, she's just.' He paused, 'Breathtaking.' He replied before moving forward towards the one person he wanted more than anything. Behind, he heard the fake gagging noise coming from the brunette, but he didn't care.
As Bruno stepped in front of me, he took my hands in his, "You're like a piece of art." He breathed out with a look I couldn't describe, it held so much emotion, so much passion. I didn't know what to say, it was maybe too much to say that, right? "That's maybe over exaggerating, don't you think?" I asked with a nervous chuckle. Bruno shook his head in response and never looked away once, neither did I. Once again, we stared at each other a moment, not caring about the world around us. It was like we were in our own bubble. Pulling something out of his pocket, Bruno let go of one of my hand and slipped something on my finger. A ring? It was a beautiful, maybe expensive even, ring with a pale green stone on it. There seemed to be two little ears on the ring, that made it looked like a cat.
Confused I looked at it, then at him with a quirked brow. His cheeks slightly red, he looked to the ring to find his words then looked back at me with a tender smile. "You once told me I was like a cat." He paused, was he embarrassed? "Silent, unapproachable, deadly but everyone wants one," he continued repeating my own words as he observed my reactions. I nodded with a smile, remembering very well that moment. It was at the beginning of this whole situation, when he was staying at my apartment. I didn't think he'd remember; I recall he even asked me if that meant I wanted him and I almost died that day. "You approached me nonetheless, I'll never thank you enough for that." He whispered, squeezing my hand tighter. Looking up at him, I was smiling stupidly as he continued "All this to say that, if you still want a cat, I'm yours." He said with an embarrassed smile as he looked at me, his cheeks had reddened.
Staring at him with wide eyes, I was at loss of words. My grin widened but I didn't know what to say. Putting my head on his torso to hide my expression, I mumbled "It was a metaphor but- fuck..." I paused, looking at our feet to compose myself, then muttered, "Yeah I'll take it. I'll take the cat." I didn't know if he heard me since barely 10 seconds after I spoke Trish yelled at me from her spot, "Lift your head! I didn't spend all that time on your hair just for you to mess it up!" quickly straightening my back I met Bruno's eyes again, a giddy smile on my lips. I'm sure if there wasn't all this make up on my face, my face would have been redder than Fugo's tie. Whispering a soft 'thank you', the capo put his hands on my cheeks and brought me closer, kissing my forehead. As he did so, I moved and kissed his cheek before stepping away, noticing the widening of his eyes.
Moving around him to join the others, they quickly looked away as if to act casual. As if to act like they weren't staring. I felt my body burst aflame at the thought of them watching this... awkward interaction with Bruno. But I ignored that and everyone split up. Abbacchio, Bruno and Giorno moved to the couch while Fugo, Narancia, Trish and Mista sat at the table, and started playing card games. We still had at least an hour before departure and I was agitated. Every time I felt stressed or nervous, I would start pacing or moving my leg a lot. I knew I wouldn't be focused enough to follow the card game since my mind was elsewhere and I was on edge. How could I not? We were getting closer and closer; it was now only a matter of hours. Pacing I would walk from the living room to the kitchen, rubbing my hands together and twisting the ring on my finger. Maybe I shouldn't move so much, my feet are already starting to hurt from those stupid heels, I thought. But that didn't stop me from walking around.
As I was about to turn around once I reached the living room for the umpteenth time, I felt an arm wrap itself around myself and pull me down. That brought me back from the turmoil that was going on in my brain. Letting out a surprised gasp, I quickly noticed it was Bruno who had pulled me onto his lap, that cut off his discussion with the two men in front of him but instead of being annoyed, Giorno chuckled and smiled at us, waiting. Abbacchio, however, let out an exasperated sigh yet he waited. "Amore, calmati." He told me in a hushed ton, I couldn't see his face but I could feel his breath against my skin and it sent chills down my spine. I didn't respond, instead I tried to get off of his lap, but he tightened his hold. "I understand that you're nervous, but you're making me nervous too with all your pacing, my love." He told me with a small chuckle. Hearing that I relaxed my body and tried to look at him as I turned my head. "Sorry, I'll stop. It's the nerves." I said with a nervous laugh.
Feeling his hand sliding in mine, I held it tight and stayed put. As if nothing happened, they resumed their conversation and talked more about the plan. It seemed everyone was already aware of the plan; I was meant to be told about it during the ride to the ball. This being said, focusing on their conversation I had almost forgotten about my stress. It was also reassuring to know we weren't going there to freestyle; we had an attack plan; we had a strategy. There were other people involved, although they were not here right now, they knew about what was going, I think Giorno called them La Squadra Esecuzioni? If I remember from my long study nights with Bruno, they were technically traitors during the whole 'taking the old boss' event, but Giorno had convinced them to work with him.
There were lots of team of two. Mista was to stay with Giorno, while Fugo and Narancia worked together. I was obviously teamed up with Bruno, considering I was only able to go to that event because I was Bruno's plus one. The idea was simple. We had to mingle with the crowd, act natural but if anyone saw anything strange, we had to make sure Giorno was informed before doing anything. They suggested that once we got there, I was to find a recluse spot to use my stand and see if there was anyone suspicious, someone on their own or somewhere they shouldn't be. I agreed, of course. If I could be helpful, there is no way I'd refuse.
Talking with them, time went by in a rush. Without realizing it, it was already time to go. Everyone joined their team's car, wishing each other good luck and telling one another to have at least have fun. Mista gripped my shoulder as he walked by and told me it'll be alright before following Giorno outside, sending me a wink with his signature grin. Trish had come with her own bodyguard who stayed outside in the car, as she left, she wished me luck, she didn't say what for but I knew very well what I needed luck for. I told her to text me anytime, she grinned in response and told me she will have to because she will definitely want to know how everything went. Once everyone was out, Bruno draped his coat over his shoulder and took my hand in his. "Let's go." He told me softly, a reassuring smile on his face. Tightening my hand around his I nodded, and we left the house without another word.
Entering the car, Abbacchio wasn't there. He was probably the one driving Giorno's car. Sitting in he back of the car, with Bruno right next to me, the chauffeur didn't waste time before starting the car and driving off. Moving my head, I noticed it was Pascual, the same chauffeur that drove us to the pub and greeted him. He chuckled and greeted back before focusing on the road without another word. "So, this is it?" I asked Bruno as I let out a sigh. Squeezing my thigh, he looked my way, the gentlest smile adorning his lips, "This is it. Remember to not leave my side." He whispered lightly as he brushed his thumb on my thigh. Humming, our eyes met and I spoke, "I will stick to you like glue, I swear to god." He snorted but then nodded, telling me he wouldn't wish it any other way which earned him a crimson blush from me.
We didn't speak for the rest of the ride; I didn't know how long it lasted but after a while the car pulled up in a fancy and giant place. It looked like a palace. As he drove up the long alley, I felt my heart beat faster and faster. As if he felt it, Bruno told me again that it will be alright, I just had to stay by his side. As the car parked in front of the entry, everything was happening in slow motion, stepping out of the car, holding onto Bruno's arm I let out a shaky breath. Taking a deep breath, I composed myself. I was not going to mess this up, I just had to act like I knew what I was doing. Holding Bucciarati's arm tighter, I put on a casual smile that exuded confidence. "Let's get those bastards." I told him in a sweet voice as we entered the palace.