Chapter Text
In a pack everyone had their own roles, their own place where they fit in and worked best either deemed by their dynamic, the pack, or themselves. Bruno as an alpha had no real interest in determining how the members of his pack would fit into it. He trusted that each would be able to figure out and carve out their own place in their little family that worked best for them and everyone else. Plus it was a primitive idea that a head alpha had a right to cow their pack into behaving how they deemed fit. As far as he was concerned that sort of exertion of control never truly worked and the few times people found peace with that kind of set up did not outweigh the general consensus that it made for a tense, unhappy, and resentful pack.
So when he first picked up Pannacotta he had actually been a bit worried. Worried that this young man who came from a rich and strict family might have been taught to be respectful of the old traditions of pack building. While he absolutely would not have had a problem with helping him unlearn the more upsetting behaviors and ideas he may have been taught. It didn’t necessarily mean he was looking forward to how long that could potentially take. So learning that Pannacotta had grown up without pack training or traditional behavior classes had been a relief on one level. Concerning on another after realizing he wasn’t taught about social dynamics and packs because his parents deemed it unimportant when compared to his scholastic lessons. He had absolutely no idea what those people had been thinking. Did they assume he would focus on achievement his whole life? To never “distract” himself with such “frivolous” things like friends and having a social group?
So he had hoped that when Pannacotta joined, that it would be easy to teach him about a more modern pack life. That he would surprise him and be a natural at pack life, surprisingly social, and would find his place in a pack easily when it started to form. He was definitely pleased by how easily Pannacotta talked to him, but there was still too much of an air of formality to him. Too many “sir”s and “alpha”s to make it really feel like they were forming a pack. And while he spoke out easily…it was only about work, about missions and tasks. Making it clear he wasn’t sure how to just have casual conversation that wasn’t about his job and Bruno wanted more for him than just that! But it was so hard to break Pannacotta out of his shell, a long arduous process that took so much effort for minimal results. He didn’t want to think about him like this, after all he was just a child who had been socially and emotionally neglected by his family. But it was hard, yes any progress was rewarding but it was HARD.
So when the young beta walked into Bruno’s favorite restaurant under their protection, dragging behind him a rough looking young boy fresh off the streets. He had been surprised, and something more than surprised when he had walked up and claimed he had wanted to buy the boy a meal. Was this Pannacotta’s first voluntary interaction with someone they didn’t have business with? Without hesitation Bruno held out his plate of pasta and offered it to him. The boy in question was so small, and not just in height it was in his stature. The way he held himself was hunched over, arms tucked in, and head barely raised. But he didn’t act skittish, anxious, or nervous. He didn’t stand like that because he was trying to make himself disappear… He was standing like that because he didn’t care if he disappeared.
After glancing between the two mafiosos, the boy quietly took the seat across from Bruno, but he didn’t take the plate from him. He waited for the plate to be set before him, like he didn’t really believe in the offer and wouldn’t be made a fool. But even then he still paused and stared blankly at Bruno, giving him a chance to change his mind, throw in a condition for the meal. To just do something! But he could never even imagine being so cruel as to keep a starving child from food when he had absolutely no reason to do so.
Once he was sure it was fine the boy reached down and started to pick up the pasta with his fingers. Pulling them up to his mouth and using his three fingers to shove the food into his mouth. He got in the one bite before suddenly his eyes widened as he was smacked on the back of his head. Bruno’s eyes also widened after seeing Pannacotta having just stricken the boy he brought in with a particular look of irritation that Bruno hadn’t seen before. He had seen him blow his fuse before, completely lose it and look like he was ready to murder someone if Bruno would let him. But this was different… he acted like it was the most irritating thing he had ever seen and it brought him to violence. But his fuse wasn’t blown. He wasn’t ready to kill, he did look like he could go in for another smack but he held himself back.
Instead he chose to pull up a chair right next to the boy and slammed himself down into it as he glared at him. “Do you have no manners or common sense at all!?” He barked. Grabbing the ignored fork the young blonde slammed his fist down onto the table, prong side up to pull the other boy's attention to it. “The fork either goes into the pasta or into your flesh you choose.” Pannacotta threatened in a tone that just screamed ‘professional mafioso’. But the boy didn’t flinch. He just stared at the fork before yanking it out of Pannacotta’s hand with a huff. He was completely unphased by the blonde's aggression and started eating with the fork. His slight irritation at Pannacotta’s outburst seemed to be quickly overridden by the relief of having food in his stomach.
Bruno didn’t even want to think about how long it’s been since the boy had a decent meal. He looked underweight for someone so young, which was even more concerning considering how it could potentially affect his growth. There’s a reason people made such a fuss about giving food to growing boys. But the worry started to fade away as he noticed the boy had started to mumble something under his breath. Once again Pannacottas temper flared up. “What was that?? Are you trying to say something about me!? Say it to my face.” “Hmph, I said you’re stuck up.” Oh no Bruno felt like he just watched the boy smack a hornets nest with a baseball bat as Pannacotta’s face turned red. “What did you just say to me you ungrateful brat!? Do you think it’s polite to talk like that to someone who’s feeding you!?” “I said you’re stuck up. Anyone who cares that much about how another person eats is either obsessive or stuck up. I’m just betting on the second one. Aaaand you’re not feeding me. That guy is.” The boy said pointing at Bruno and he was smacked in the back of the head again. “Stop hitting me you jerk!” The boy yelled at Fugo and Fugo responded in kind by getting in his face. “Pointing is also rude! Who cares about being stuck up? At least I’m not some mannerless messy slob!” “Hey who cares if it’s messy! Eating with your hands is better! It gets more food to your mouth faster which is better so I win.” The boy emphasized his win by sticking his tongue out at Pannacotta who just turned more red. “Who CARES about getting more food faster if you’re just going to make a mess! That’s just the thinking of a dirty mongrel who’s just fine being a blight on society like the bottom feeder you are!” “FUGO!”
That was it, he finally had to step in and stop this bickering match. He could appreciate that these boys had two very different ideas about the necessity of table manners thanks to their upbringing. But he couldn’t sit by and let Pannacotta, let one of his men let his tongue go and insult someone like that. He would have had no problem stepping in if the boy had started to get out of line too, he couldn’t let someone under his wing be completely insulted without standing up for them. But it was clear Fugo had gone too far, especially with the way the boy's face quickly hardened. The brief flash of light that had popped into his eyes when he argued with Pannacotta was instantly gone and it barely had gotten the chance to exist in the first place. It made his heart twist.
Turning his attention back to Pannacotta he saw the way he looked at him in disbelief with a slight twinge of hurt that he would never admit existed. Bruno could only sigh. He knew Pannacotta only looked at him like that because he felt like he truly was right and one of the few people he genuinely trusted was publicly reprimanding him. “Fugo I know you have strong feelings but you have to understand. Not everyone was raised with proper manners being as emphasized as with your upbringing, and things are just different when you live on the streets. I’m sure that if he-” “No…he’s right…” The boy said in a soft tone that caught both of them off guard and instantly had their eyes on him. “I left home…felt like there was nothing for me there so I chose the streets…it was my choice. And I haven’t bothered trying to do anything about it, no job, no shelters, stopped trying to find anything but garbage to eat. Because what’s the point in doing all that when I’m gonna die? Why waste the energy?”
He felt like the wind had just been knocked out of him. Die? This young boy was already resigned to his death? Was there some sort of target on him? Was he in the wrong kind of crowd? Was he in danger? “Why…why are you going to die? Can’t we…maybe there’s something…” Pannacotta asked in a quiet tone, almost shyly as he hesitantly reached out and touched the boy's arm who took in a sharp breath as he flinched away from the contact. Pannacotta’s hand instantly recoiled as if he had been the one who was hurt by the touch. “...sorry…but, you don’t need to do that. Neither of you have to look at me like that. I just…it feels…I guess I’ve just sort of always knew it was gonna happen? I’ve just been ignoring it. But when my eye got infected, just like my mom’s…it’s gonna happen any day now, I don’t really care anymore. Just kinda sucks to know you’re gonna die alone.”
As the boy went in for another bite Bruno couldn’t help it he swore to do what he could to save kids from horrible lives ruined by the indiscriminate flood of drugs on the streets. He never wanted to see a kid suffer like that, when they’re too young to know any better, too young to throw away their lives like that before they even started. It might not be drugs that brought this kid to his low but his anger and sadness still ran through his heart all the same. To see someone so young. So small. Resigned to dying before he’s even lived. Suddenly his name was being called by Pannacotta and there was a surprised noise from the boy. He hadn’t even realized he had gotten up from the table, and yet here he was dragging the boy behind him out of the restaurant with Pannacotta panickedly following behind them. Having no idea where his boss was dragging this boy he found and why. Well he was fully committed now.
He led the two boys out on to the street and straight to his car, leaving the boys on the passenger's side of the car while he crossed to the driver's door and unlocked the car. “Get in.” He said in a tone that he hoped left no room for objection as he climbed inside. It took the boys a moment but eventually they climbed in, the nameless boy giving him a slightly wary look as he climbed into the passenger's seat and buckled up.
The drive didn’t take as long as it normally did from the cafe, he may have been speeding. But who cares. After parking the car he got out and instructed the boys to do the same. Without hesitating he once again grabbed the small boys hand and marched him straight into the emergency room. “Excuse me! I have a boy here with a serious eye infection that has been left untreated for too long and he needs to be treated immediately!” “Yes sir. We’ll have him looked at immediately.”
As the boy was taken into one of the exam rooms, looking back at Bruno the entire time as if he didn’t believe what was happening, Pannacotta came up to stand next to him. “Will he be alright?” “I think he will be…do you think he’ll be alright?” Bruno asked, looking down at the young blonde, curious as to what he thought about this. “...I think he’s scared.”