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]

"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."

[buon_giorno]

“Maybe.” Giorno’s hand lowered. “…I’ve disowned my family. I’ve never had any worth knowing. He’s the first…the first I’ve met to be kind. I couldn’t let him die.”

His heart wouldn’t have been able to take it.

[julibahana]

"I understand why you did it, even if I don't approve of how you did it."

[buon_giorno]

He wasn’t selfless at all, was he?

Giorno moved to step back, ready to ask her if she’d prefer to sit, but his knees went out from beneath him with the small movement instead.

[julibahana]

The handkerchief fell from her hand as Juli fell to her knees to hold him upright.

"You don't need to push yourself. You need to rest."

[buon_giorno]

“You’re…probably right…” Giorno tittered. This happened every so often since he’d ingested the poison—he got all giggly for a few minutes. It was like the best part of drinking.

Oh, that was right. He could do that again now, couldn’t he? If he had a tail it would have begun wagging.

“Ah…can you help me to my bed? I can’t really feel my legs.”

[julibahana]

"Sure." Juli gently tugged Giorno's arm over her shoulder and placed her arm at her waist, then guided him to his bed.

[buon_giorno]

“Caesar…he’s been helping me bounce back. He’s capable of some pretty amazing things.” What was it called? He couldn’t remember the name at the moment, but he could recall the technique. Giorno took a few steady breaths, feeling the life return to his limbs as he did.

“…He’s extremely handsome, isn’t he? I thought he was trying too hard at first, but I’ve been charmed.” There was no buried resentment in his words, just pure unfiltered honesty brought on by a poison beyond his understanding.

[julibahana]

Giorno was being uncharacteristically open. Was he taking what she said further than he would normally?

"You could use a few more friends," Juli said, not unkind. She was relieved that he might have more people to confide in.

[buon_giorno]

When they finally made it to his bed he all but collapsed into it. After a few moments of lying face-down he rolled onto his side so he could see her.

“I did….of course, none of them are here.” Giorno’s eyes grew distant as he thought. “Well…maybe friends isn’t the right word. I was only part of their gang for a few days when I…”

[julibahana]

"When you wound up here," Juli supplied. "But you have new friends here. Real friends. Not just a gang."

[buon_giorno]

Giorno hummed appreciatively for the help in thinking. The euphoria was evening out into relaxation.

"...What about you? Before all this...did you have anyone?"

[julibahana]

"Well, I had the rest of the Zwei. And my parents, too."

[buon_giorno]

“Do you consider the Zwei friends?”

[julibahana]

"Well, not all of them. But some of them, yes."

[buon_giorno]

Giorno hummed and pillowed his head on his arm. Questions arose and floated freely through his brain that, if it were any other time, would have quickly been drowned out.

How often did he and Juli speak about something that wasn’t strictly work related?

“The ones you miss the most…what are they like?”

[julibahana]

"Well, there's Ginny. She's probably the one I'm closest to. She sometimes panics during really intense situations, but she's a great communications officer and really kind. She even helped me to take care of Pat until Lucson started taking care of him for us. She's also a really talented seamstress. She doesn't just patch up stuff, she can also make new things entirely."

Juli felt a sudden pang in her chest. Now that she talked about Ginny, she realized now how much she missed her.

"What was the person you were closest to like?"

[buon_giorno]

A talented seamstress would have been welcome. They got by at the villa and had a few clever hands able to fashion decent garments, but Giorno missed the unique fit of his school outfit. It had sat unworn in the many months since he ended up at the villa.

“Someone I miss…”

Did he miss anyone from Bucciarati’s team? Long for any of them? He had only just met them before he was pulled away.

“…There’s a man who runs a gelato stand a few blocks from my school. He’s been in that spot for 20 years. Ever since I was little he’d always give me a cone for free on my birthday and or on a holiday. He’d add my favorite shaved chocolate to it for no extra charge. His name is Marco. He never smiled much or spoke about himself, but…he always saved some of that chocolate for me. Whenever I drove tourists around on the hot days…he was the first person I recommended they visit.”

[julibahana]

"I wish I could visit where you live," Juli mused wistfully. "I'd really like to meet him and try his gelato."