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

[buon_giorno]

“At the festival.” He paused, anxiety suddenly rising in his throat. “That is, if you still wanted to go together.”

[julibahana]

"Of course!"

[buon_giorno]

Giorno let his relief seep through. “I’ll be back on my feet by then. I promise.”

[julibahana]

"You'd better!"

[youre_the_sunflower]

~~

Not long after Caesar had set out from his shared dorm (with promises to be gone for a bit) was he returning.

“Nevermind. I’ll visit Giorno later.” Caesar signed as he closed the door behind him.

[nohardwork]

Joseph nodded his head in Caesar's direction, his arms folded over his chest. "Oi, what are you doing?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

“I was going to check on him but…it seemed to be a bad time.” Caesar was wincing as he said it.

[nohardwork]

"Oh? What was going on, Caesarino?" He gave Caesar a nudge in the side with his elbow.

[youre_the_sunflower]

“Signorina Juli got to him first. She wasn’t happy.”

[nohardwork]

"Oh! A lovers' quarrel?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

“Unless he spun some excruciatingly sweet words it didn’t sound like they’ll be lovers for long.” Caesar blew a rush of air through his teeth. “I suppose he wasn’t forthcoming about the toll that miracle took.”

[nohardwork]

"No good, no good," Joseph said in English. "We should help them make up!"

[youre_the_sunflower]

“I agree.” He wouldn’t have, usually, but this felt like the absolute bare minimum to do—even if it was just helping to plead his case. “We should try taking to her…together.”

[nohardwork]

"You think so?" Joseph tapped a finger against his lower lip. "I was thinking we should trick them into going on a date." Joseph grinned.

[youre_the_sunflower]

Ah. Of course he’d be devious about it. “How do you propose we do that?”

[nohardwork]

"Put together a picnic somewhere! Then, trick both of them into going there without them knowing the other will be there!" Joseph spoke with such confidence that it was clear he believed in no uncertain terms they could pull it off.

[youre_the_sunflower]

“Will a picnic be enough to set the mood?”

[nohardwork]

"Oh! Do you have an idea, Caesarino?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

"I'm merely saying...she was very unhappy." The kind of anger that wouldn't be resolved with a few sandwiches and a glass of wine. Even if the stunt Giorno pulled hadn't been his idea and they had been short on time, he still felt responsible.

His green eyes focused back onto Joseph, looking him up and down. "...How are you feeling?" Caesar tapped his chest.

[nohardwork]

"Waaaay better! I could hardly sleep knowing that thing was inside of me!" Joseph trembled for dramatic effect. "I don't think I've slept better!"

[youre_the_sunflower]

"You better have. You took my bed, after all." Caesar huffed. He had ended up just stealing Joseph's bed in return.

[nohardwork]

"So sassy," Joseph said, giving Caesar a friendly pat on the cheek. "I don't need your bed anymore. Unless..."

[youre_the_sunflower]

"Let me guess...your next line will be 'unless you wanted to share.'"

[nohardwork]

"Bingo!"

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar didn't reply. His expression was thoughtful--far off, even. He mirrored Joseph's gesture as he put a hand to the other young man's cheek to give it a slow caress. His fingers made their way around to the back of his neck, light at first, and then rough as he pulled him down for a kiss.