Chapter Text
Bruno listened to the crickets chirping outside his window as he silently gazed at the white ceiling. He had been questioning the way he viewed Kars. He was attractive for sure, definitely one of the most handsome guys he’s seen. But that doesn’t mean anything, right? You could think someone is good-looking and not be attracted to them. He’s a capo, he shouldn’t be in a relationship with another person on his team. The others will think he’s playing favorites. Bruno treats everyone fairly and it’ll stay that way!
...Alright, he’s over thinking this. Maybe he should get a glass of water. The others are usually asleep at this hour. As long as he’s quiet, he won’t risk waking them up. Slowly, he got out of bed. Bruno walked towards his door and opened it. He made his way to the kitchen, freezing whenever he stepped on a creaky floorboard. It’s not like it’ll wake someone up, but you can never be too careful.
The kitchen lights were already on. Did Narancia leave them on when he decided to get some snacks? Or was someone already there? Bruno’s questions were soon answered.
Kars sat on a chair, several books were piled neatly on top of each other next to the one he was currently reading. From what the capo could see, it was about animals and other forms of life. The pictures on the pages made it obvious.
“Hello Bruno,” Kars said without looking up. “I knew it was you. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
“Oh - um - ” He awkwardly stuttered out a reply. “I was just thirsty. What are you doing here?”
“Whenever I read, it usually distracts Giorno from getting his rest, so I decided to move here,” He turned a page.
Bruno stared at him, admiring the way he focused on the book. There were a few wavy strands of hair that Kars would normally fix and move out of the way. To be honest, Bruno was tempted to reach over and fix it himself.
“Didn’t you say you were thirsty? Go get yourself a drink, unless you meant it in a different way?”
He jolted at the Pillar Man’s voice and felt his cheeks heat up. The man quickly turned away to hide his red face. He heard Kars snicker at his reaction, making him feel more embarrassed. He quickly got a glass of water and hurried to his room. Bruno wasn’t thirsty anymore.
He buried his face into his pillow, wanting to scream.
Okay, maybe he did like Kars, only a little bit. I mean, how could you not? You don’t have to look at him for long to realize what an absolutely gorgeous being he is. Seriously, no wonder he calls himself the ultimate lifeform.
Bruno knew about his crush on Kars for a while, he just denied those feelings. He tried to convince himself that he didn’t find Giorno’s incredibly tall non-human pal literally the sexiest guy in Italy. He wondered how many people felt the same about him. He can’t be the only one.
He eventually fell asleep. It was difficult because his brain didn’t stop reminding him that he embarrassed himself by gawking at Kars for a little too long.
~~~
The cup of water that was on Bruno’s nightstand was no longer cold and now at room temperature. He could hear the others loudly chattering in the kitchen while a movie played in the living room. Maybe he’s the last one to wake up.
He left the comfortable bed and got dressed. He brushed and braided his hair before adding those two iconic hair clips. The capo left to go greet the others.
“Finally, I was wondering when you’ll show up,” Mista laughed. “Hope you didn’t plan to sleep all day.”
In the kitchen, Abbaccio, Giorno, Fugo, and Narancia were sitting at the table. The oldest at the table listened to music distanced himself from a certain blond teen with a scowl, Narancia was doing his math lessons with you-know-who, and Giorno was having some breakfast. Once Bruno showed up his expression softened. The group greeted him and went back to whatever they were doing. So far, the morning was alright. Not particularly exciting but everything was calm. Of course, nothing lasts forever.
“Buongiorno, Bruno,” All the muscles in his body tensed. That voice sounded a lot like the one from last night…
He turned around and was met with Kars’s chest. His face flushed as he gazed up at him. The events from last night came back to him. It made things awkward for him.
Before Bruno could greet him, the Pillar Man began speaking, “I’ve been thinking about the events from last night and I wonder… was there something on my face?” A small smirk appeared on his face. He knew what he was doing. “I checked this morning and I didn’t see a thing! But just in case, why don’t you take a closer look for me?”
Kars leaned down and tilted Bruno’s chin up. Their noses were centimeters away from touching. The closeness made the capo’s face burn a bright shade of red. If the Pillar Man tilted his just a little more and brought his face closer then-
“Hey! Quit bothering Bucciarati!” Abbacchio shouted, his headphones were resting around his neck. Kars backed away with a frown and mumbled “whatever.” He left the kitchen without another word. Bruno was having mixed feelings. If Abbacchio didn’t intervene he might’ve fainted. Yet, he sort of wished the teasing continued.
He was lucky he was facing away from the others or else they’d see the blush on his face. Narancia would definitely poke fun at him. Mista might join as well. Both Abbacchio and Fugo would disapprove of their actions but that won’t stop them.
“A-Ah, I should get going,” Bruno mumbled, rushing out of the house. The group gave their capo a confused stare.
~~~
A walk was probably all he needed. It helped clear his head. He greeted the people who passed him with a smile. Bruno found a bench and sat on it. He looked up at the blue sky, thinking about what all the clouds seem to resemble. The birds chirped and sang and flew to wherever.
A person sat next to him, but Bruno has yet to notice. He was in a little reverie. People chatting and laughing, dogs barking, car horns beeping and everything around him was just background noise. He was simply existing.
“Bucciarati,” The person called out to him. He turned his head and stared into Giorno’s bright green irises.
“Oh, Giorno. Hello,” Bruno said, his eyebrows raised.
“I have to ask you something,” The teen’s brows furrowed with worry as the corners of his mouth curled into a frown. “Is Kars bothering you? I could ask him to stop. If he were to listen to anybody, it’d might be me.”
He shook his head and laughed, not realizing that a light strawberry pink dusted his cheeks. “No, no, it’s alright!”
Giorno’s expression didn’t change. “Are you sure? I mean, you looked a little-”
“It’s fine!” Bruno interrupted, forcing a grin on his face as if he’s trying to convince not only Giorno but himself as well.
The young teen was puzzled, staring at his capo blankly. The older man started getting nervous, scratching the back of his head and focusing his gaze on literally anything around him. A few seconds passed as the blond was figuring out why Bruno is acting this way.
Then he realized it.
“Bucciarati, do you… um, like Kars?”
“Oh! Uh, of course I do! He’s a very reliable team member-”
“You know what I mean.”
Bruno opened his mouth only to close it right after. He was speechless. He wanted to deny it, he really did, but his voice was caught in his throat and words refused to spill out. The blond teen waited patiently for him to respond.
Eventually, he nodded, “Alright, alright! Yes, I… I think I do,” He sighed. “Don’t tell the others.”
“My lips are sealed,” Giorno replied. “Now if you don’t mind me asking, how did you find out that you liked him?”
“I-I don’t know. Not until now I suppose. I’ve been in denial for a while,”
“Okay. Now what do you like about him?”
“He’s just so… powerful. And incredibly gorgeous as well. It’s just so hard not to stare!”
Bruno rambled about Kars, talking about how muscular and elegant he was. He sort of envied it. He brought up how the Pillar Man usually never sat in chairs. He just squatted next to it and stayed there for a while. It looked like he didn’t know what to do and Bruno found it oddly adorable. He loved watching his interactions with Giorno, it appeared that he was like some sort of father figure, he did the same with the other young members. He was willing to train Trish, helped Fugo gain a bit more control over his Stand, and there were times he joined Narancia with his silly antics. Plus, Bruno caught him allowing the teen to ride his shoulders.
Unfortunately, there were some times when Kars wasn’t exactly pleasant…
Abbacchio sometimes struggles getting along with the ultimate lifeform, especially when he gets just a bit too close to Bruno. Did he not trust him around his capo or is it something else?
Giorno listened and nodded. He took note of his blush which increasingly got redder.
“I think you should ask him on a date if this is how you feel about him,” He told him.
“What?!” Bruno quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. A few passing strangers gave him a strange look. He took a moment to regain his composure. “I can’t do that! I’m a capo, it wouldn’t be right-”
“Bucciarati, he’s literally the closest thing to a god. It’s not that big of a deal,” The blond teen told him.
“...Are you sure?”
“Yes. I don’t think anyone would care. Besides, you don’t have to bring it up.”
Bruno groaned and shook his head. “You’re acting as if he’d want to be in a relationship with me.”
“Doesn’t he? It seemed pretty obvious,” He said, tilting his head.
“It feels more like he’s toying with me, and didn’t you say that he was the closest thing to a god? I feel like I have no chance with him.”
“Well… You don’t know if you don’t try.”
~~~
Bruno was in his room pondering over Kars once again. His eyes were fixated on a blank sheet of paper. He wasn’t ready to confess, not yet. He resorted to sending anonymous love letters and seeing how he reacts. If he’s curious, he’ll just act oblivious, unless the feelings are mutual.
He held the pencil and started writing.
But the beginning wasn’t right.
Would he recognize his handwriting? No, he’s never seen it. At least that’s what he thinks.
Frustrated, he stood up and left his room. Alright, maybe he just needed some advice. Obviously he can’t ask Kars for any, he’ll probably just end up teasing him again. Abbacchio and Fugo have no experience in romance and would be uncomfortable with the entire thing, Mista could be helpful, but he might just make things more embarrassing, Narancia would just beg him to know who his crush was and end up spreading it to the rest of the team, and Giorno has already gave him as much help as he could. Now there’s only one person left.
Trish.
She was the best option. If she can’t help then he’s on his own.
Bruno went towards her room and knocked on the door. He heard a bit of shuffling and the girl opened the door.
“What do you need, Bucciarati?” She asked.
“If you don’t mind, I need a bit of advice…” He awkwardly scratched his heck. “It’s a bit… personal. May I come in?”
She nodded and moved back. When he entered, he closed the door behind him. Trish sat on her bed and allowed him to sit next to her.
“This might be a little strange but do you, um, have any relationship advice? Ah, I’m just writing a note for now, and I’m not sure what else to do…”
“Bring the paper here, I’ll help you.”
Bruno did what she said. She told him what to write and what not to write. She double checked his letter for spelling mistakes and see what he should add and/or remove. He got nervous every time she read the letter. He twiddled his thumbs and waited for her to return the paper to him.
“Looks good,” She told him. “I think you should buy a gift as well. Do you know what they like? You could always go for chocolate and flowers, just make sure they don’t have any allergies. If you want, we could go shopping tomorrow.”
Bruno nodded at her words. “Yes, thank you Trish. I should get going now,”
“Just one moment!” She stopped him and whispered. “Can you tell me who you have a crush on?”
“...It’s Kars.”
“The one that lives with us?”
“Maybe…”