Work Text:
All Bruno could do was stare at the scene that was drawn out in front of him after the rest of the gang continued on with the mission. How. . . How could he let this happen? Why did he let this happen? He willingly let this happen.
Leone Abbacchio was dead. The love of Bruno Bucciarati’s life was dead.
The body that he once idolized and used to touch so tenderly was now nothing but an empty husk, devoid of any love and warmth. The air that once was filled with their sweet whispered nothings and loving banter was now filled with deafening silence and the furious crashing of waves hitting the sand of the beach. How can it be so quiet yet so loud at the same time?
Thoughts already started to plague and cloud up Bruno’s mind, breaking the silence that he was so fixated on. It was so hard to focus on just one idea. His mind continued to spiral out of control like a ship with no captain. That was until Bruno finally settled on one singular thought, “What else could he do?”
What could Bruno do?
Bring him back to life like Giorno did? No, it’s too late for that. Giorno already said his wound was too fatal.
Lie down by his side and hold him for one hour more? You can’t, wasting that much time on a mission is dangerous.
. . . Join him? Don’t even think about it. Your team needs you, Bucciarati. Doing that would be a deathwish for the others.
Nothing.
There was absolutely nothing Bruno could do besides leave him behind. But he didn’t want to. He couldn’t. Not now, not ever. How could anybody just leave their lover to rot? Someone you cared about with all of your heart, someone who means the world to you, just tossed to the side like nothing. Bruno couldn’t do that, he wouldn’t even consider it an option. . . but he had to.
More restless thoughts flood his mind like a raging sea.
“Why did you let this happen, Bruno? You knew he would be vulnerable out there by himself. He was all alone out there. He was counting on you. He trusted you. He loved you. This is all your fault. He’s dead because of you. Leone Abbacchio is dead.”
Bruno could already imagine what Leone would tell him at this very moment. It would be about how he amounted to nothing or that Bruno should put himself before some “worthless pawn” like him. Leone would have wanted Bruno to let go of him already, even though they both knew he wouldn’t.
As more of Leone’s words jumped about Bruno’s head, he started to recall a memory from the past. Perhaps his mind was calling out to these past fantasies to distract him from the horrible reality he had to face from the rest of his life. Each second replayed until it had fully engulfed Bruno’s thoughts.
He heard his voice. . . That deep and rich voice that he loved and dreamt about. The voice that used to say his name so tenderly. The one that used to whisper pretty little words into his ear that would rattle in his brain for days and drove him wild with love.
It was Leone’s.
“Bruno. . . I don’t know what you even see in me. No one ever wanted me, so what makes you any different? I’m just used and left behind. Replaceable. For all I know, I might just be an easy fuck for you until you finally get bored of me. Aren’t you at least embarrassed that you chose me? Out of everyone else that could be falling for you, you chose me. You chose a nobody.”
Bruno could still remember what he said that day. That was the day that he knew that Leone meant the absolute world to him and deserved the world in return.
“But you’re not a nobody. You’re Leone Abbacchio. You’re your own person. You’ve shown me love like no one else has… You’ve given me purpose in my life. If you didn’t come into my life, then I don’t know what I would be doing right now. I would be miserable… repeating the same thing everyday. You’re one of the only good things in my life, and I’m so thankful that I’m able to hold you in my arms and know that you love me. You should know I’m not ashamed to have loved you. I never have been. I love you so much, Leone.”
Bruno jumped back into reality, still gazing upon his lover.
“Lover”
Leone was Bruno’s lover. Not friend, not work partner, His Lover.
He loved this man. He loved this man more than life itself.
How can he look so beautiful in this very moment?
His platinum hair splayed out on the rock his body resided, framing his perfectly sculpted face. Porcelain skin that was lightly dusted with freckles across the bridge of his nose and spread to soft cheeks. The lips that Bruno used to pursue were painted a shade of lilac that both he and Leone loved, as if they were waiting to touch Bruno’s skin like they always do. And his eyes. . . oh his eyes. . .
Leone’s lilac and gold rimmed eyes were fixated on the shore in front of him, just like he was relaxing in the middle of a mission in peace.
. . .
Just like he was supposed to be there. As if this was all supposed to happen. All of this happening to him all alone. With no one to help him or at least give him comfort.
. . .
Alone. . . Alone with no one to comfort him.
You left him alone, Bucciarati. Now, you deserve to share the same fate as he did. Maybe you’ll see just how he felt as he died here. Left all alone with no one that loves them.
You’re alone, Bruno Bucciarati.
You’re alone with no one to love you.
The ex-capo felt like he had to apologize. It was his fault, wasn’t it? There was nothing else he could do, so the best he could do is an apology to the man he loved.
“In our profession, our love stays unexpressed. It’s dangerous to fall for someone when someone is out to kill you. Either one of us can be taken away at any moment, but I. . . I never thought. . .”
Bruno silently choked on his words as he tried to piece his thoughts together. He could feel a pit in his stomach, as if he shared the wound that Leone bared.
“I never thought it would be you.”
Bruno knew he was strong, but Leone was always quick to tell him otherwise. That man was so much stronger than he led out to be. Leone reached out for help when he was in his darkest of moments. That’s one of the strongest things a person can do.
. . . It’s something that Bruno never learned how to do himself. . .
Maybe that’s one of the reasons why he loved Leone so much. He saw someone that could do something that he could never muster himself to do.
To keep himself from reaching out and touching his lover, Bruno shoved his hands deep into his pockets to restrain himself. . . which in turn made him feel worse.
Bruno’s heart sank as he felt a familiar object from inside his pocket graze his knuckles.
The smooth, curved surface with what felt like a small rigid stone. . .
He rubbed it with his fingers before he worked up the courage to withdraw the object from his pocket. His breath hitched as he finally glanced upon the item in what felt like forever.
It was a ring.
An engagement ring that was accented with a beautiful piece of garnet.
And it was supposed to reside on Leone’s left hand.
Bruno was going to propose to Leone after they had taken care of delivering Trish to the Boss. Of course, that didn’t go as planned, seeing as they were now on the run from the Boss and his underlings.
After all of this was over and they no longer had to run away from any threats, Bruno was finally going to pop the question and tie the knot.
And now he can never do that. He can never achieve the dream of settling down with Leone and spending the rest of his life with him.
Biting his lip, Bruno could feel his hands shake the more he looked at the dreaded ring.
He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve to keep the one thing that would finally bind him and Leone together.
If there was anyone that did deserve to have it. . . it was Leone.
. . . Bruno could finally do what he wanted.
He approached his lover and kneeled down to meet his body, holding the ring out before him.
“Leone. . . Everyday I dream about a life with you, just the two of us, maybe even having our own little family. I know some days you feel like you don’t deserve me, the team, or even your own life. But you do deserve it. You deserve to have every single drop of happiness that comes your way. You deserve to live your life. You deserve to have a team that looks up to you. You deserve my love. You deserve a future with someone who loves you with all of their heart. . . And I want to help you achieve that. . .”
Bruno could feel hot tears leaking from his eyes, streaming down his cheeks and dripping onto the sand where he stood. His throat tightened as he tried to hold back his urge to sob.
“I never wanted ‘til death do we two part. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. . . whether it’s in our own little paradise beyond the sea or if it's spent running for our lives. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, I want to spend every living moment with you and you only.”
Finally grabbing his lover’s hand, Bruno began to place the ring on Leone’s left hand.
“I want you to marry me, Leone. I want to be yours. . . heh, I can already hear you saying ‘yes’ over and over again. . . you’d pick me up in your arms and twirl me around until you finally dip down to kiss me. . . and you’d say that you love me. . . I can see it as clear as day.”
The garnet that sat upon the ring shined beautifully in the light of the day. Bruno lied Leone’s hand back atop his chest, now with the ring that always should have been there.
“I. . . I hope that you can forgive me for what I put you through. . . I wish I was here right beside you. . . I never wanted to love you. . . no- I never meant to love you, maybe this wouldn’t have happened to you if I didn’t. . .No, goddamnit, I didn’t mean that I-. . .I. . .”
Choking on his words, Bruno finally let out a loud and almost deafening sob. Much like a banshee, he wailed out his cries alongside Leone’s name before lying his head against his lover’s chest.
“I love you so much. You are the moon to my sun. The light to my darkness. . . I love you more with each passing day. I. . . I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. . . I’m lost without you.”
He brought Leone’s hand up against his cheek, rubbing against it and giving him a gentle kiss upon his knuckles.
“I love you. . . May we meet soon, my love. . ”
Finally rising back up to his feet, he looked at his lover one last time.
No, not lover. . . husband.
He looked at peace, resting amongst the dandelions that surrounded him, bearing the ring that binded Bruno and himself for the rest of their lives.
A small smile grew on Bruno’s face.
“Arrivederci, Leone. I love you.”
And with his final goodbye, he finally walked away, joining the rest of the team and whatever danger they had to face next.