Blood Ties

[buon_giorno]

Giorno had saved his business for the council meeting that evening for last. Everything had gone more or less now he’d expected after that.

Chilchuck had questions. While he didn’t raise an objection of any kind, he had spent the rest of the meeting watching Giorno’s face.

Zelda had questions but they were all centered around the technicalities and how she could assist.

Evandor kept it simple, as always. “Giorno has never lead anyone astray.” He said nothing more.

And Juli…she was supportive but he knew she had questions of her own. He offered to walk the scenic route with her back to her room.

“We may not see each other much over the next week.” There was an apology and a lament in there.

Comments

[julibahana]

"You're really good with animals," Juli observed. "They all seem to be attracted to you. I guess that's why I can see Joseph being drawn to you."

A beat.

"Not that I'm saying he's an animal," she said quickly, shaking her hands in front of her to signal he should perish the thought. "It's just easier for me to believe someone might be drawn to you than the other way around. That's all."

[buon_giorno]

Giorno laughed—it was clear and from the bottom of his stomach.

“Those are kind words, but…that butterfly chose you. Croccante too. She only comes to visit when you’re there.”

[julibahana]

"Really? I guess I thought you were the reason they were around. I just happen to be there. And a convenient place to land." Juli smiled.

[buon_giorno]

“You’re far more than that.”

[julibahana]

"This isn't going to be one of those things where we argue who is better, are we?" There was genuine mirth in Juli's voice. When Giorno was happy, she found it hard not to feel happy herself.

[buon_giorno]

Juli was finally smiling again and Giorno felt like he could breathe again.

He felt like he was always taking from her, somehow. Even as he professed that her being there kept him calm, he’d plagued her with worry in return. The old him would have found it a foolish thing to feel bad about—he had never felt bad about taking before. The old him had only one thing on his mind. Now…

Before he could think of how to reply, the butterfly returned to land on her cheek.

“…Shall we call that a point in your favor?”

[julibahana]

Juli laughed, sending the butterfly back on its way. "Okay, okay. I give up."

[buon_giorno]

Satisfied, Giorno wandered to the edge of the balcony to watch the courtyard below. Things had transformed rapidly since they discovered the abyss, and all for the better—but the simple beauty of nature had remained preserved.

“…A lot of good things have happened, haven’t they? But it’s as if we’ve been in a dead sprint lately.” He looked back at her. “After I’ve cured Mister Joestar…let’s slow down a little. Just for a few days. We should hold a celebration.”

[julibahana]

Juli's gaze met his own. "Sure. I should be able to arrange that."

[buon_giorno]

“You have enough to do,” Giorno said quickly in a tone that broached no argument. “There are plenty of others down there that would leap to take the reins on this.”

[julibahana]

"You think?" Juli frowned. "I'm sure everyone else has a lot to do, too."

[buon_giorno]

"Trust. I have a few people in mind. Not every request must be a burden." He approached Juli once again to put a hand on her shoulder. "So...I hope not to hear about how you piled more onto your plate while I was occupied."

[julibahana]

"I promise I won't give you anything else to worry about." A smile.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno felt a pang of guilt when he realized he couldn't say the same thing back, but...

"Good. Now, let's go. I'll walk you back."

[youre_the_sunflower]

~~

"...What were you talking about earlier?"

Caesar looked to Joseph who had made himself comfortable on what was to be his bed. Caesar didn't care about the other man making use of his things like he once did--he was too busy pacing the length of the room. And it was a lovely enough room. Though, even if there were familiar elements mixed in with the unfamiliar--Roman architecture blended with strange technology that lit the room that produced no heat--it only made things more surreal.

He desperately needed another cigarette.

"The 'pull.'"

[nohardwork]

"I don't know," Joseph admitted. "It was different from anything I felt before."

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar paused his pacing to think. He had put his trust in Joseph to get them out of the desert for them to be lead all this way…

“…It was uncanny.” Caesar took out his box of cigarettes just to look at it. He’d need to ration what was left carefully. “That kid…I felt like I was talking to a camorrista.”

[nohardwork]

"Camorrista?" Joseph's Italian was pretty good, but he wasn't fluent enough to be familiar with the term.

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar opened the carton and counted how many were left. “A gangster.”

[nohardwork]

Joseph let out a long ohhhh.

"You know a lot of gangsters?" he teased.

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar rolled his eyes. “You could say that…and before you ask, no, I wasn’t. Call it a mutual enmity.”

That’s why it was so hard for him to believe Giorno wasn’t about to hold it over Joseph’s head no matter what he said—you didn’t get something for nothing. That was just the way of the world. He was clearly after something. And if that something was just an answer to whatever gravity they both felt…

“Mi voglio rovinare!” Caesar fell into a sit on the bed with a harsh sigh and ruffled Joseph’s hair. “You’re not allowed to die here, understand!?”

[nohardwork]

Joseph let out a devious laugh. "Do I look like the kind of guy who's going to lay down dying?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar’s hand stilled in his hair. “Of course not. But yelling at you is all I can do.”

[nohardwork]

"Really? You can't think of one thing you'd do instead?"

Joseph attempted to look stern, disappointed, but his smile was breaking through.

[youre_the_sunflower]

Without hesitation, Caesar offered his carton of smokes to Joseph to partake. He really was going to break at this rate.