Sowing Seeds

[buon_giorno]

"Come here...isn't your paw hurt?"

Giorno had full intentions of stealing a mid-day nap, but Croccante was high on one of the broken pillars beside the door to his room. The white cat eyed him but didn't come down. Giorno sighed and rubbed his head. Just looking up for too long was hard when he had been on his feet for longer than an hour or two.

It had been just two days since he cured Joseph. He had slept almost the rest of the day through and that was all he was allowing himself after making himself so scarce for a whole week. At some point doubt would creep into the community gossip and that was the last thing he needed to manage.

Giorno leaned against the pillar and put some of his energy into the ivy vines that crept up it. The flowers burst open, surprising the small cat, and urging her to leap down--right onto his head. He quickly pried her out of his now-mussed curls and inspected her paw. A little splinter poked out of the pink pad, and he squinted to pluck it out--and missed. And tried again--and missed. His hands were shaking. Croccante's tail was swishing in irritation. He summoned all his focus and managed to fix his fingers around it to pull it out, and the fluffy cat bolted out of his arms not a moment later.

"Yes, yes...you're welcome." Giorno watched her take off down the hall.

Comments

[julibahana]

"Feeling better?" Juli appeared just in time for Croccante to sprint past her.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno heard her before he saw her but he stood a little straighter right away at the sound of her voice, his plans for a nap forgotten.

“Oh. Yes. Thank you.” He loosely folded his arms for lack of anything else to do with them to keep them steady.

[julibahana]

"It doesn't look like it." Juli hadn't missed how Giorno made himself scarce or how tired he looked even after he had rested for the better part of the day.

[buon_giorno]

“I’m not at one hundred-percent,” he conceded, “but it’s getting easier.”

Giorno felt like he should have added something more, but he wasn’t sure what. He didn’t want to concern her but he didn’t want to lie, either.

[julibahana]

"Liar." He hadn't outright lied with his words, but he might as well have with what he didn't. Giorno had hidden so many things from them. Even now, he was continuing to do so.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno blinked, taken aback. “Juli.”

[julibahana]

"If you expect me to be okay with hiding things, I'm not! What if something had happened to you? What did you expect the rest of us to do?!"

[buon_giorno]

Giorno said nothing. There was nothing he could think to say. After all, he hadn’t prepared for this conversation. He hasn’t seen it coming. Icy mortification sunk into his stomach at the realization.

That was because, throughout this, he hadn’t thought about anyone else at the villa at all. He had only thought about one thing—keeping Joseph Joestar alive at all costs.

But even so, she deserved something out of him, didn’t she?

“…I’m sorry.”

[julibahana]

Juli felt her throat constricting.

"You can't just say I'm sorry and expect it to be better. How are we supposed to count on you when you don't tell anyone anything?"

[buon_giorno]

“I don’t expect it to be better with apologies alone.” He looked up and felt like withering when he saw the hurt in her expression. “You’re completely right. I wasn’t forthcoming. I should have been.”

[julibahana]

"How are you just realizing it now?" Juli had to do everything she could to bite back the tears. "Don't you value yourself?"

[buon_giorno]

“I…”

He had been known to be secretive all his life. But that was something no one had ever asked him. His careful control over his words was slipping, fast.

“It…wasn’t the first time I’ve done something like that.”

[julibahana]

"It's not the first time?" Juli had to make a real effort not to sound as angry as she felt. Doing it once was bad enough, but twice?!

[buon_giorno]

‘Merda!’ Giorno’s hands flew up. The panic overrode the tiredness in his limbs. “That was before I was ever here. Please don’t misunderstand. It was to cure myself. The story is a little long…”

[julibahana]

"I don't want excuses, Giorno. I don't understand how you would do this twice! I thought you would know better after the first time!"

[buon_giorno]

"Joseph would have died if I hadn't."

[julibahana]

"You could have told us! Maybe there was something we could have done to help!"

Juli's hands, balled up at her sides trembled.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno took a tentative step forward despite the chill setting in. He wanted to touch her, reassure her, but he didn't. He stopped a few feet short. "...I know words alone won't fix anything, but...there's something I want to tell you."

[julibahana]

"What?" It was all Juli could do to stem the tide of her emotions. She could feel the tears on the verge of coming now; the nails she had dug into her palms could no longer distract her from it.

[buon_giorno]

“I should have asked for help. I should have said more. I should have told you more.” Giorno’s fingers were trembling again. He massaged them as he worked to find the right words. “You’ve given me more support and friendship than anyone. From the day we met, I felt peace with you around. And in return…I’ve hurt you this badly. Juli…I’m so sorry.”

[julibahana]

That was it. Juli's balled fists jerked up to her face to hide the tears slipping down her cheeks. Juli hated to cry in front of others, and here she was, doing it in front of Giorno. After screaming at him. She probably seemed hysterical.

"Please... just don't do it again."

[buon_giorno]

Unable to help himself, he closed the distance to put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. In his other hand was a handkerchief with his initials sewn in—one his favorite gifts he’d received since arriving. He raised it in offering. Even if he couldn’t do anything else now, he could make sure she wasn’t crying alone.

[julibahana]

Juli looked up briefly at the flash of movement and took the handkerchief. Just as quickly, she let her head hang down as she dabbed at her eyes.

"Thank you."

[buon_giorno]

Giorno’s hand moved to gently brush her hair stuck to her cheek away. “I’m sure if the tables were turned I’d be reacting the same way. When you fell through the floorboards after that fire in the cafeteria I was upset for the rest of the day.” Even if she hadn’t fallen far and suffered no more than a sprained ankle.

[julibahana]

"Yeah, I guess so." That made Juli feel better. "What you did for Joseph... it was really selfless."