#‘Will can’t play piano it probably just came with the house!’ WRONG. HE SHREDS ON THE PIANO

[hellonoblesky]

That piano in Will’s house is actually there because he was the piano boy at church for 9 years running. Trust me he told me himself

[yourlocalfictionalenthusiast]

IN LIFE, IN DEATH...

PART FOUR

Pt1, Pt2, Pt3

Warnings: fighting with parents and some swearing

---

The bright sunlight hit your eyes and you squinted a little as your feet hit the driveway.

Julie’s song was still playing through your head, and so was your conversation with her last night. The passion in her voice when she sang was the same as when she talked about her mom.

You wanted to run in and comfort her somehow, but Luke seemed insistent on staying outside, making Alex grumble next to you.

“Dude, why did you stop me? Julie needs a hug.”

“A ghost hug is not the feel-good moment you think it is. Trust me.” Luke said. What Julie needs is some privacy.”

“I think you poofed us out because you can’t handle when other people cry.” Alex waved his finger in Luke’s face, making you frown at his words.

It wasn’t a secret that Luke wasn’t the best with feelings, but he had always been there for you. Last night in the darkroom, and again at the diner, and countless other times.

“I should know,” Alex continued, gesturing between Luke and Reggie. “I cried in a room for 25 years, and I didn’t get a single hug from either of you.”

Reggie sighed, opening his arms. “Bring it in.”

“Don’t touch me!”

“This is why no one but (Y/n) hugs you.” Reggie mumbled as you rubbed Alex’s arm.

“Okay.” Luke interrupted. “So, once we get the courage to go in there, we should ask Julie why she lied about playing the piano.”

Alex shrugged. “And maybe tell her how amazing she is?”

You nodded and Reggie exclaimed. “She’s legit! I got ghost-bumps.”

Just then, the gate leading to the house swung open and a girl made her way down the pavement. As she got closer, you could hear her sobbing quietly.

“Oh no, was she crying too?” You asked as the girl entered the garage.

“Yes!” Luke shivered. “We definitely can’t go in there.”

“No, but we can listen.” Reggie ran towards the door, standing on his tip-toes to peek through the window.

“Guys! We can’t eavesdrop, that’s creepy!” You whispered, but the boys ignored you and crowded the door.

Seconds later, they all ducked to avoid being seen and you couldn’t help but be curious. So you ran over and squeezed yourself between Luke and Alex.

“I’m not okay!” The other girl shouted. “You got kicked out of music! I’ve been up all night thinking about what I was gonna say, and I might’ve had seven sodas but I need to get this out.”

“Flynn-” Julie started but Flynn shook her head and started ranting.

“Jules, if you leave the music program, we’ll be apart forever. Sure, we’ll see each other in the hallway sometimes but we’ll make new friends.”

“That’s not true.” Julie said.

“You’re right, I won’t make any new friends. The only time we’ll contact each other is by liking each other’s posts on Instagram. Every time I hit that little heart, mine will be breaking because my best friend left me.”

“What’s Instagram?“ Alex whispered to you. You shrugged, making a mental note to ask Julie later.

Julie sighed. “I just played piano and sang again.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was trying but then your seven sodas kicked in.” Julie laughed.

Flynn squealed. “I’m so happy for you! Look at you, looking all alive again. What made you play again?”

Julie slid her mom’s song across the piano to show Flynn and you couldn’t help but smile. You obviously hadn’t known Julie for long, but you were so happy that she reconnected with her mom and music.

“I was so scared to play it, cause everything having to do with music reminds me of her. But I woke up this morning, realizing that’s exactly why I should play it. To keep her memory alive.”

“We need to tell Mrs. Harrison that you can play so you can stay in the music program. My girl’s back! Double Trouble lives again.”

“Not our band name.” Julie laughed as the girls started walking out of the garage.

“Shit, she’s coming!” You whispered. “Act natural.”

You and Reggie sank to the floor, Luke leaned on his arm and Alex pretended to inspect the light hanging above you. Julie made eye contact with you and smiled.

“Oh, hey!”

Flynn turned around and watched Julie expectantly. Julie laughed awkwardly and started skipping down the driveway.

“Let’s hustle!” She grabbed Flynn’s arm and started walking up the stairs, waving goodbye.

“We weren’t listening!” Reggie said, earning a pinch on the arm from you and a kick to the ankle from Luke. Julie started swatting the air, trying to play it off like there was a bug, and pushed Flynn up the stairs.

As soon as she was gone, you made your way back into the garage. You sat at the piano bench, mindlessly playing the few chords you knew.

“I wonder why Julie didn’t tell us she could shred on the piano.” Reggie said.

“It probably has something to do with her mom.” You guessed, your fingers gliding across the keys.

“Yeah, that must’ve been hard.” Alex added before climbing up to the loft. “I really feel for her.”

“Yeah, but now she’s got music back in her life. Just like us.” Luke said, reaching over and hitting the note next to your finger.

“Yeah, I’m not sure you can call what we have a life.” Alex said and you snorted. “Hey, I think some of our old clothes are up here.”

He threw down a black trash bag filled with clothes and you sighed in relief. The night you died, you wore a plain pair of jeans, and your favorite old t-shirt of your dad’s. You usually wore one when you played a gig, so that a part of him could be with you in some way and of course; Luke’s jacket.

And as much as you loved your outfit, being in the same clothes for 25 years was not exactly sanitary, even by ghost standards.

“Sweet!” Luke exclaimed, taking off his shirt.

Shit!

You tried as subtly as possible to look away before anyone saw the blush on your cheeks, and you thought you had gotten away with it until Reggie laughed from across the room.

You sent him a glare, but that only made him laugh harder.

Suddenly, the studio doors opened again and Julie’s dad came in. He had a sad look on his face and a camera in his hands. It had ‘Ray Molina’ engraved on the handle so you figured that was his name.

The man walked right through Reggie, making him shudder. “That was weird. But somehow I can tell this man has a kind heart.”

“So, how have you been?” Ray asked, his voice heavy.

“Honestly, not that good.” Reggie said and you rolled your eyes. “See, we ate these hotdogs and-”

“Julie sang for the first time again this morning.” Ray took a picture of the room. “She hasn’t done that in almost a year. You would’ve loved it.”

“Yeah, we heard cause we-.” Reggie wiggled his fingers in front of Ray’s face. “Oh, I get it. He's not talking to us."

"Dude, you are so lucky you play bass." Luke said.

"I think he's talking to Julie's mom." Alex sighed.

Ray started walking towards the piano. "She's such an amazing young woman."

He started running his hands on the keys so you slid off the bench. You knew you definitely shouldn't be listening, this was definitely not something you weren't meant to hear but you couldn't help your curiosity. "Everyday she reminds me more and more of you."

"Called it!" Alex cheered.

Ray shifted the camera between his hands. "I'm taking pictures for the real estate website. I don't really wanna move, but...it's what's best for Julie."

Alex came down from the loft and you all crowded around the piano. Luke stared at Ray with wide eyes. "Move?"

Ray gently played a few notes of a ballad before he spoke again. "There's so many memories out here. Like, Julie sitting next to you and Carlos trying to sing with his missing front teeth."

Luke let out a shaky breath and you realized he was crying. It wasn’t until a tear rolled down your cheek that you realized that you were too. You frantically wiped your eyes, doing your best not to break down.

Ray was exactly what you always pictured your dad used to be like, and his love for Julie was exactly the same kind you knew he would've had for you. Thinking about your dad made you think about your mom, and that made trying to stop crying a whole lot harder.

"Come on guys, not you too." Reggie said.

"It's just...he's talking about moving but the poor guy doesn't wanna move." Luke sniffled.

Ray stood up and took a picture of right where you were all standing. "It's like they grew up out here."

Reggie fanned his face. "Now he's got me too."

Alex scoffed. "Okay, how am I the emotional one?"

"Can we go see my family? See how they're doing?" Reggie asked, his voice shaking a little.

You nodded. “Yeah, listening to this doesn’t feel right.”

Just as you go to leave, Ray laughs. "Remember when the kids were at your sisters and we came out here on our anniversary..."

"Yeah, no! " Luke cringed. "Definitely wrong.”

-

The beach was where you spent a lot of your free time when you were alive.

Usually after a long day when you just needed a place to work on new lyrics in peace. But sometimes after playing all day at the pier, the boys would drag you down to the water and you would all stay there as long as possible. Away from parents and responsibilities.

But just like everything else, it had changed so much.

"A bike shack," Reggie sighed. "Right where my house used to be."

"I'm sorry, Reg." You rested your head on Reggie’s shoulder.

"Why couldn't they at least have turned it into something cool like a pizzeria or something?"

"They tore down the whole neighborhood." Alex said.

"I guess my folks are gone."

Alex kicked his foot into the sand. "Everyone's gone. Twenty-five years, gone. Friends, family, Bobby, everyone."

That was another person you hadn't wanted to let yourself think about. Even though you and Bobby weren't super close, he was still a part of Sunset Curve. He could be a little bit of an asshole sometimes but he was still your friend.

"Bobby, that's right." Reggie said. "Guess that vegetarian lucked out. Wonder what happened to him?"

"He probably just got old like everyone else and moved on." Luke grumbled.

"Dude, how are you so chill about all of this?”

“Yeah, don’t you want to figure out what happened?” You asked.

“Let’s be real for a second.” Luke exhaled, clearly getting worked up. “It’s not like any of us were close to our families. My parents always regretted buying me that guitar. Reggie, your parents were literally a fight away from divorce.” 

Luke ran a hand through his hair as he ranted, talking with his hands the way he always did when he was upset. “Alex, I- Your parents were never cool again after you told them you were gay.”

His eyes landed on you and he seemed to ease up a little. “(Y/n), you practically raised yourself since your mom was gone all the time.”

“Yeah, okay.” You said. “None of us had it great.”

“But at least we had something! What do we have now?” Alex shouted. “And before you say cool teleportation, I’m not cool with that either. It tingles. In weird places.”

Luke sprang to his feet. “I’ll tell you what he had. It’s what we’ve had since the day we came together. Guys, we have us. We’re the only family we’re ever gonna need. You wanna know what else we got?”

“I’m gonna guess death breath?” Reggie said.

“Our music, you dork.” Luke laughed. “People can hear us play again! They can’t see us, whatever, but they can feel us. I wish I had my guitar.”

Suddenly, the air around you made a sharp ‘whoosh’ sound and Luke’s six-string appeared in his hands.

“Whoa.” You said.

“How did you do that?” Reggie asked.

“I-I don’t know. I mean I wished for it and then...” Luke played a few chords and beamed.

Reggie jumped in place with his arms open, trying to wish for random things before he eventually gave up and slumped into the sand.

“I think I know what will cheer you up.” Luke said. He played the opening of ‘This Band Is Back’ and you couldn’t help but smile. Out of all the Sunset Curve songs, this was one of your favorites.

“Come on, Reginald.” Alex said as he started hitting his legs and chest to make a beat.

You offered Reggie your hand and pulled him up as Luke started the countdown. Reggie took it and twirled you around, effectively getting sand in your shoes. You laughed and spun him around before dragging him up to the tables in front of the restaurants as he sang.

The people around you seemed confused by the sudden music, but they danced around anyway. You forgot how much you loved seeing people react to your music. Watching them dance and smile made all your worries float away, even if it was just for now.

And for the first time since the Orpheum,

It really did feel like the band was back.

August 1994

It was just after sunset when you called the Patterson house.

The sound of your mom slamming the front door was still fresh in your mind and before you could stop yourself, your fingers were flying across the buttons. Luke was the only person who knew about your relationship with your mom. 

You didn’t want to worry Cece, or Alex, or anyone else. But hiding things from Luke wasn’t easy, especially with how stubborn he was. So you told him everything, and he told you,

‘Call me next time, okay?’

The line only rang twice before someone picked up. “Hello?” 

It was Emily, Luke’s mom.

You took a deep breath, trying to keep from crying. “Hi, Mrs. Patterson.”

Emily laughed and you could practically hear her roll her eyes fondly. “(Y/n), sweetie, what did I tell you about calling me that?”

Even though you and Luke had been friends most of your lives, you had only met Emily a handful of times. Luke didn’t really like hanging out at his house, especially when he started fighting with them regularly. Still, Emily always treated you like her own kid whenever you were around.

“Sorry, Emily.” You said. “Is Luke around?”

You heard some shuffling as she called out for him and after a few minutes, Luke picked up the phone. “Hey.”

“Hi, are you busy?” 

“No, why?” He asked.

“Well, I made enough cookies to feed a small country and my mom’s gonna be gone for the night so I thought we could hang out.” You rambled. “Maybe finish ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark?”

Luke laughed excitedly. “Yeah, sure! Give me like 20 minutes.”

Luke’s laugh was so infectious that you had to fight through a giggle. “Okay, see you soon.”

As you went to hang up, you hear Emily’s voice again. She was teasing Luke about something but all you caught was the word ‘Girlfriend’, making you turn bright red.

You put the phone back on the hook just as the oven beeped to signal that it was ready to bake the cookies. You put them in the oven and turned your attention to the huge bowl of cake batter in front of you. At this point, there wasn’t anything left in the kitchen you hadn’t baked.

There was no way you would be able to eat all of it, even with Luke’s help. But you needed something to distract yourself to keep your mind from overloading.

True to his word, Luke arrived twenty minutes later, bursting through your front door and screaming the Indiana Jones theme song at the top of his lungs. He skipped his way into the kitchen, immediately sensing something was wrong when you didn’t join him or even acknowledge his presence. 

“(Y/n)?” Luke approached you slowly.

“Hey.” You tried to sound as casual as possible, not looking up from the bowl. “So, you ready to finally finish this movie?”

Luke didn’t say anything as he scanned the kitchen. There were piles of cookies and cooking utensils all over the counter, and you had flour in your hair. You could see the realization flash across his face through your eyelashes.

“Okay, you’re baking everything in the house, which can only mean one of two things,” Luke said, his voice becoming more serious as he jumped up on the counter. “You either watched Sixteen Candles unsupervised again or…”

You stayed quiet as you slowly stirred the batter. It was ready to put in the pan ten minutes ago but you needed something to do to distract yourself.

Luke’s hand gently gripped yours before taking the spoon from you and letting it fall into the bowl. You looked up at him to find him already staring at you with a furrowed brow.

Damn it.

You should’ve known he would see through your thinly veiled excuses and promise of cookies. Luke was more observant than people gave him credit for.

“C’mere,” Luke said, opening his arms. You moved between his legs and buried your head in his chest, covering his shirt in tears, flour, and batter. But he didn’t seem to mind as he rubbed circles into your arm with one hand while the other cradled your head.

“She hates me.” You said through a deep, shuddering breath.

“She doesn’t hate you,” Luke reasoned. “It’s impossible for anyone to hate you.”

One of the things you loved about Luke was his protective streak when it came to his friends, and the way that no matter what, he could only see the best in them.

And as his best friend, you were pretty much perfect in his eyes. Which meant that when you didn't immediately agree, Luke launched into a rant.

"First of all, you're like the smartest person in the world. You manage to get good grades while also working at the diner three days a week which is nuts.

Secondly, your voice is insane! And your lyrics, (Y/n), we wouldn't even have half the Sunset Curve songs without your killer songwriting skills!"

"You done, Lu?" You joked as you pulled away just enough to look up at him, trying not to blush. No matter how hard you tried to play it cool when he complimented you, it always made you melt inside.

"I'm just saying," Luke laughed softly. “You are literally the best person I know, Squeaks.”

You let out a watery laugh at the mention of your childhood nickname. It was one that Luke had given to you in 4th grade after he put a bug on your arm and you had squeaked in fear.

“And just think,” Luke whispered, his voice sounding a little wistful. “One day, we’ll get signed to a label and end up somewhere far away from here.”

“We barely started making our demo.” You said, making Luke scrunch his nose in the way that always made you giggle. "Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself?"

“Nope.” He smirked. “Okay, I gotta ask, were you planning on baking this or is this a new look you’re going for? ‘Cause I gotta be honest, it’s not your best.” Luke said teasingly as he swiped some batter from your cheek.

“Oh, really?” You asked, dipping your finger in the bowl and smearing the batter across Luke’s face, making him gasp. Then you took a slight step back and hummed thoughtfully. “Definitely looks better on me.”

“You know what?” Luke scoffed, trying to hold back a smile and before you could blink, he reached into the bowl and flung the spoon at you, splattering your shirt. “I think you’re right.”

“Jerk!” You laughed, wiping off your shirt as Luke tried to lick the batter off his chin but he only managed to make an ever bigger mess.

“Did I get it?” He asked, making you giggle.

“Not quite.” You reached forward and carefully wiped it off, desperately trying to focus on anything other than how close your faces were. But it was impossible when you could feel Luke’s breath on the tip of your nose. “There.”

Luke’s face was unreadable as he looked down at you. The playfulness had evaporated in the air and was replaced with something else that you couldn’t really read either. Just when you thought the moment would last forever, the timer for the second batch of cookies rang through the kitchen, and you practically bolted to the oven.

You pulled them out and put them on a plate. “So, you know that we have to watch Sixteen Candles now, right?”

Luke groaned, pretending to be annoyed. Even though he would never admit it, you knew he secretly loved romance movies. “Fine, but Raiders of the Lost Ark after?”

“Deal.”

As Luke went into the living room to start the movie, you sighed to yourself. Maybe you would never have a normal relationship with your mom.

But you had your band, your friends, and even if it wasn’t exactly in the way you wanted; 

You had Luke.

-

In Life, In Death Taglist:

@ifilwtmfc @instabull @wanniiieeee @tenaciousperfectionunknown @nxacomposts @merceret @itismeasmolpotato @lilostif16

JATP Taglist:

@caitsymichelle13

Let me know if you wanted to be added!

[purplecraze]

Fugo how do you think your life would be if you date each member of your little group you have like in different timelines

“uh...mmm. It's a bit weird to think of it like that. I love them a lot, but not in the way how I'd want to date them, I think... doubt any of them would really be up for it, either. Mun has-....” He stares at Umi for a while, looking like he could have known she'd go haywhire over romance talk. “....-a lot. To say about it, though. The floor is yours...”

(ooooooohhhhh!!!! *screams of the rooftops* OOOOOOOOHHHH!!! welcome to golden territory!! FugoXeveryone, oh hell yeah!! (just doing the canons for now))

Bucciarati Bucciarati and Fugo would be an absolute power team, they’d be communicating in a way that’s bringing up speculations on whether they’re actually telepathic. They just naturally feel what the other needs at the moment. Long private strategy sessions, spinning around each other and closing in, that end up in shy hand-holding and kissing. Bucciarati always waits for Fugo to initiate it, to be sure he's fine and ready for it. He's very careful with him. Bucciarati knows how to handle Fugo’s self-destructive tendencies well, without making him feel less or like he’s a trouble to his elder. The problem with them though, is that Fugo would put Bucciarati on too much of a pedestal and would lose sight of Bucciarati’s weaknesses. And that’s not a topic Bucciarati would address. But it would take a toll on their relationship without a doubt. In turn, Fugo would brood in silence over how super social Bucciarati is. He’d easily feel neglected. And there’s the hurdle of transferring from high admiration to equal lovers. will there ever come a time where they’ll be on first name basis? probably not... The one time, Fugo muttered ‘Bruno’ in a small voice and Bucciarati replied with ‘yes, Pannacotta?’ it was just so horribly awkward, it never happened again, EVER. Would it last? Yes. But only in the sense that neither would admit on giving up. they both would be running into complications on it, it wouldn’t make them very happy, but they'd be content enough.

Abbacchio This would work well. Fugo is one of the few Abba can hold a decent conversation with. Fugo wouldn’t condemn him for the saltmine coming loose once they get to deep conversations. Abbacchio isn’t exactly booksmart, so he can’t always keep up with ‘what’s this brat spewing on about now?’, but he loves to just sit and listen to Fugo going on and on about this tidbit of historical knowledge he found. Abbacchio is the best person to handle Fugo’s tantrums. ‘no, not now, think with your head *slap against the back of Fugo’s head*’, his tactic is diversion. just force Fugo to completely focus on something different and the topic of his anger will evaporate. Fugo would bring out the caring side of Abbacchio, without it turning absolutely one sided. Fugo would hear Abbacchio out on his troubles too, without getting pushy on it. he does, however, tend to say a bit too much. he won’t catch on to the moments where he’s supposed to just shut up and hold the other. Would it last? no, not at all. the very instant the both of them get too comfortable, they’ll be like ‘okay, this lasted long enough, let’s not.’ because why would you NOT destroy happiness with your own two hands, in stead of waiting for it to crash and burn??

Mista Oh geez, this would be one hot mess of a dumpster fire! It’s a ride Fugo NEVER AGREED to be in, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. Mista just drags him along like a puppy, saying ‘c’mon, we’re going to have a great time!’ Mista would show him off. everyone needs to know this beauty is his ✨boyfriend✨. even though Mista tends to be flirty, he is super loyal to him. the moment Fugo would as much as make a sound over Mista talking to someone, he’d be like ‘don’t be mad Pannacotta, you know I only have eyes for you~’ It’s wild and intense and overwhelming. Fugo would not quite come to his right in it and it would get kind of suffocating for him on the long run. Guido doesn’t know how to respect boundaries either. Fugo would start fights, one-sidedly, a lot. both in words and fists. Mista wouldn’t easily be taken aback on any of it, though. Almost patronizing, he’d reply like ‘okay well, you do you...’ and take very little of the criticism. Then there’s the entire tetraphobia matter. Fugo would often lose his patience on it. But he’d also try his hardest to be helpful on it. He would look up on the phobia, it’s origin and how to deal with it. He would tell him it’s not an uncommon superstition and throw the theory behind it. Mista doesn’t usually get it. But when Mista’s having anxiety over it, Fugo doesn’t question its bizarrity and searches for ways to snap him out of it by making the topic either 3 or 5. usually 3. because destroying stuff is easy. Would it last? not a chance. Fugo gets mean on break-up. in particularly heated arguments, he’d be the kind of petty asshole who would take every book, text, dictionary around the house and HIGHLIGHT 4 letter words. ALL OF THEM They’re in the type of relationship that goes horribly wrong after a month, but they forgot that happened like half a year later and try again, failing miserably once, twice, 10 times more.

Giorno His relationship with Giorno is a strange one. The events of Man in the Mirror had Fugo starstruck and he thought very fondly of him since. But it came to crash and burn down when he found that he was the mastermind behind usurping the boss. Fugo loathes himself for the decision he made at that day, but a large part of that hate is to prevent himself from blaming either Bucciarati or Giorno. Because he knows Giorno is dangerous if he wants to. All the more as his new boss. At the end of Purple Haze Feedback, they have a very beautiful conversation and Fugo swears loyalty to him. It was the only way for him to move on after everything that happened. But they were also very sincere and shared memories that others wouldn't understand. He's also the only one who ever called him Giogio. They connect well and Fugo is very reliable. Giorno trusts him blindly and appreciates his criticism. Over time Fugo will grow bolder and says what's on his mind, knowing Giogio will take his shit and filter it well enough. Any initiative will have to come from Giorno's side, though. Fugo often feels like it's not his place to do so. But I don't think Fugo would ever forget that it had been Giorno who initiated the plan that had led to his friends' deaths. Forgive, yes absolutely. But not forget. Would it last? 50/50. there are 2 outcomes: they either spend the rest of their lives together, or Fugo ends up killing him. And I think Giorno would have peace with that.

Narancia Oh geez, where do I even start? They're not perfect, not at all. They fight and argue and it's led to many MANY bruises on both sides. But that's just how they are and if you'd ask either of them, they would be ready to die for the other without a shred of doubt at any given time. As much as they fight, there's also a lot of adoration from both sides. Fugo doesn't even have to try, to see stars of admiration in Narancia's eyes. It fills him with pride and makes him feel so good about himself. Narancia needs to work hard for Fugo's approval. but because of that, it makes actually getting it so much worth it. Both of them get horribly giddy on impressing the other.  A new dance, a fun date plan, a mastermind prank. The most important part for both of them is their honesty. Narancia knows that Fugo would never lie to him or hide the truth, like how his father and old friends had. And Fugo can trust that he can say whatever he want, even without filter. They can both rest assured that no matter how big their fights are, the day ends with kissing either way. A part of Fugo wants to better himself for the other's sake, but it weights him down as well, thinking he's not good enough. Narancia isn't the brightest, but his abundance of empathy and sincerity knows how to hit Fugo just right into believing he's good as he is for today. And if not that, Nara reminds him that he's not a saint either. They’d find happiness in a lot of little things. getting to snuggle for 5 more minutes, welcoming the other home, cooking for the other, singing along to the radio, doing the dishes. all those mundane moments are really precious to them. Would it last? Definitely. They'd have some bumpy rides, but neither of them could ever get bored of the other.

Trish The start of their relationship would be so incredibly AWKWARD. They both have no clue what to say and Fugo feels hella uncomfortable. But bit by bit, they start to warm up to one another. Fugo wouldn't want to involve her in any more mafia business. But for Trish, that week together is a fond and priceless memory. She'd want to know what went through his mind when he was left behind. And both of them would want to apologize. Want to start anew. And would want to get to really REALLY know one another. Fugo's anger is just..... it doesn't exist around Trish. She is super calm and soothing and just knows how to convey a certain energy to him which puts him at ease. Both of them don't like to be touched, so they're very careful with one another, asking permission, asking if the other is alright. They both really love music and share their favorite songs. She sings them as he plays the piano. And when the shyness slowly melts away, they both find that the other is super fun to be with. Dumb jokes, running jokes, ironic quoting, shitty puns. They both hadn't ever expected the other to be so entertaining. They learn new things on one another every day. And they try to improve, learn new skills. Trish would want to pick up on baking, Fugo would pick up on girls' fashion, doing her hair or her nails. Would it last? Yes, I think it would. They need time to heal and feel at ease, but I think they could really find peace and a new life in one another. I think Fugo could even come to love her enough to pop the question~)

[plagueofsquid]

Day 1 - Flowers - FuGio

I’d like to thank European time zones for letting me post this early.

Crossposted on Ao3. Minor warning for Purple Haze-related gore.

“Sorry I almost killed you.”

“What?” Giorno said, looking up from his book. He waved his hand dismissively and returned to reading about Victorian poetry or Gothic cathedrals or whatever else someone like Giorno read about. “Oh, that. No problem.”

Fugo was having none of that. Not after how much Narancia had bugged him to apologize. Gotta be nice to the new guy ‘cause we’re stuck with him, at least until this mission’s over. Fugo was shit at apologies even when it came to minor stuff, didn’t really know how, but Narancia had gotten Buccellati involved and then, well, Buccellati was involved. Whole different ball game arguing with the capo, and not one Fugo dared to play. And so while Buccellati and Mista planned out their route to the Neapolis train station, Fugo had wandered the country house that served as their temporary hideout, looking for Giorno. He’d found him in the study.

“Hey!” he said, his voice a little louder than he wanted. “Pay attention!”

Giorno closed the book with a snap and laid it on the table. The gold lettering on the spine was worn, but Fugo could make out Foucault, because of course Giorno would read Foucault. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, in the same polite tone as always. “You were simply trying to defend yourself.”

He really was an oddity. If Fugo had nearly killed Narancia or Mista or Abbacchio, he wouldn’t have been having this conversation. They would have called him a reckless fucking bastard, maybe taken a swing or two at him, but definitely not just sit there like they hadn’t almost been the victim of very painful manslaughter. And strangely enough, this was worse. At least with the others it was over quickly.

At least Fugo wouldn’t feel like he’d almost broken some priceless work of art.

Giorno was pretty. That was the word for him. Not handsome, not dashing, not rugged, pretty like a slender little flower. Something delicate and curled in on itself, fragile and beautiful in its fragility.

Fugo had never been good with fragile things. He had been the sort of kid who dropped a minimum of one glass a week, who thought nothing of trampling his parents’ garden while playing outside or picking at a loose thread on a sweater until it unraveled. Sitting, thinking, and one by one tearing the petals off a flower, idly shredding the beautiful thing into little strips.

In his life, Fugo had tried to be good at many different things. He could play piano, not anything spectacular, but well enough. Math came easily to him, unlike a certain boy he knew, and he’d gone to university to study it at an age when most people were only beginning to learn algebra. He could speak English, write a solid essay, debate philosophy, whatever a teacher asked of him. But he’d never been truly good at any of it. To be good at something you had to be exceptional. That’s what his parents had told him.

There was only one thing Fugo was good at. Destruction. Even before Purple Haze, he had been a force to be reckoned with in fights. He got angry and the next thing he knew, he was beating some kid’s face into the dirt. And it felt good. His fist colliding with the solid ridge of a cheekbone and sliding down, scraping loose flesh against teeth and glancing off into the valley between chin and shoulder. The warmth of fresh blood, red, far more red than it had any right to be, and spilling like water from a broken faucet.

And now, with his Stand, Fugo was dangerous. The others knew it; they feared Purple Haze as much as their enemies did, maybe even more, and Fugo didn’t blame them. The Stand was uncontrollable, as furious and violent as Fugo himself. Normally, it was manageable, a calculated risk. But with Giorno thrown into the mix, it became unimaginable to risk hurting him. Nothing that beautiful should ever be destroyed.

And yet Fugo had taken that risk. He hadn’t thought about it at the time because he hadn’t been thinking about much of anything other than basic survival, but in retrospect it seemed so horribly irresponsible.

First, the color would fade, the little highlights of pink on Giorno’s cheeks and the quiet glow of life. His skin would bubble and run and along with it would drip his flesh and his soft golden hair. Drip, drip, until only bones were left, and then they too would liquify and boil away into nothing.

“Fugo,” Giorno said. “You’re staring.”

And he was right. Fugo blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind of the image. “Sorry for that too, I guess.”

Giorno frowned and stood up. “Is something wrong? You keep apologizing.”

They were close. Fugo had been standing close to Giorno’s chair, but now that they were both standing the vertical distance had been elapsed and they were almost touching.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Fugo answered, and in his head the flower petals drifted down and landed on the grass, ripped into pieces by his own hands.

“You’re lying.”

Fugo laughed nervously. “Learn that trick from Buccellati?”

“I don’t have to,” Giorno answered. “It’s obvious.”

Fugo would have looked away, had Giorno not chosen that moment to wrap his arms around Fugo’s neck and pull him down, pressing their lips together. Giorno tasted like strawberry chapstick and smelled like some kind of expensive rose perfume. Perfect for the flower he was.

The kiss hung in the air for a few tantalizing seconds before Giorno let go. Fugo could do nothing but marvel, at the boldness of his friend, at how good it had felt, at the absurdity of the entire situation. Sure, he’d figured Giorno was probably not straight, his was not the wardrobe of a straight man, but he’d never thought Giorno might be interested in him. Hoped, but never believed.

Fugo shook his head. “No. We can’t.” The torn petals in his mind danced as they fell, taunting him.

“You don’t want to?” Giorno asked, and his face was the saddest thing Fugo had ever seen, worse than the time Mista had forced him to see Titanic and spent the rest of the evening crying because they were just meant for each other, you know?

“I want to,” Fugo said. “But we can’t.”

“What’s stopping us? I can keep a secret. The others don’t have to know.” Giorno went in for a second kiss, but this time Fugo’s hand stopped him.

“You said it yourself.” Fugo took a step back, looking at the ceiling, at the bookshelf on the wall, anywhere but Giorno. “You were lucky to survive Purple Haze.” He stole a look at Giorno’s face and fuck, he was adorable.

“You don’t treat Narancia like that.”

“Narancia isn’t- You’re-“ Fugo wasn’t sure how he planned to finish that sentence, but whatever the words were his mouth wouldn’t say them.

“I’m what?” Giorno closed the distance between them, snaking one arm around Fugo’s waist. He was proving to be very forward, but Fugo liked forward.

“You’re-“ The petals tore easily, practically falling apart in his hands. “You’re-“ The leaves were next, and the green bled onto his fingertips. “You’re beautiful. And I don’t want to hurt you.”

Giorno reached out, gently caressing Fugo’s face, trailing his fingers down onto his throat, where they were replaced with another, much stronger set of fingers. Fugo didn’t have time to react. His feet left the ground, kicking uselessly in the air as he was lifted up by his throat.

Gold Experience held Fugo aloft and drew its fist back, readying one hell of a punch.

“Fugo,” Giorno said, and his eyes glinted with gold. “You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.”

Fugo was set down with care, like flower petals settling on the grass, and Giorno was in his arms almost immediately. He held him close, breathing in the rose scent, for what felt like forever.

[lovemesomesurveys]

1) Have you ever heard of the singer Edith Piaf? I had to Google her, but I recognize one of her songs from a commercial.

2) Do you enjoy singing? Sure, when I’m by myself.

3) How far would you go to pursue the career of your dreams? If I had something I was passionate about pursuing and had the drive and motivation to do so, I’m sure I’d go as far as I could.

4) Would you ever cut friends out of your life it meant succeeding in that career? No.

5) Would you ever consider performing in a circus? No.

6) Have you/would you ever sing on the streets? No. Just because I said I like to sing that doesn’t mean I can sing well because I can’t. At all.

7) Is one of your parents in the military? No.

8) Have you ever been to a brothel? No.

9) Are you very religious at all? Yes.

10) If you’ve prayed before, has your prayer been answered? Yes.

11) Would you ever be interested in learning how to breathe fire? I’d be way too scared to ever come close. I don’t even like lighting candles.

12) Have you ever had an eye infection so bad that you went temporarily blind? No.

13) Do you know anyone who’s an alcoholic? No.

14) Have you ever injected any drugs? Just the IV kind while in the hospital.

15) Where’s the best place you’ve ever been on a road trip? The road trip to Idaho with my family and extended family a few years ago was a lot of fun.

16) Have you ever collapsed at any point before? No.

17) Do you ever get any excruciating back problems? I suffer from chronic back pain.

18) Do you know anyone who’s been killed in a plane crash? No.

19) Are you interested in boxing at all? Nope.

20) Is there any kind of meat that you absolutey despise? I’m very picky with meat, actually. I like beef, chicken, and pork, but only certain ways. What I mean by that is, I like hamburgers but not steak. I like chicken tenders and boneless wings, but not chicken on the bone or like rotisserie chicken. I like shredded pork and sausage, but not bacon or pork chops. I won’t even touch like lamb or any other kind of meat.

21) What’s the poshest restaurant you’ve ever been to? This one restaurant in a nearby touristy town.

22) Has someone ever brought you breakfast in bed before? Yeah.

23) Do you know anyone who has gotten into a serious car crash? Yes.

24) Have you ever knowingly been the “other woman”? No.

25) Has someone ever covered your bed in rose petals? Would you find something like that romantic? Nope. Yes, I’d like something like that.

26) Did you move around a lot growing up? Nope. I lived in the same house for a great chunk of my life up until about 5 years ago.

27) Have you ever gone to a restaurant and then realised you didn’t have enough money to pay? No. Gah that would be so awkward I would die.

28) Have you ever slept rough? Slept rough?

29) Are you flexible enough to become a contortionist? Uh, no. I’m not flexible at all.

30) Do you have any regrets or have you come to terms with your life so far? I have many regrets. :/

1) Do you know anyone who’s a veteran from WWII or from an even earlier war? No.

2) What’s been your worst experience staying in a hotel? I haven’t had any bad hotel experiences, actually.

3) Have you ever had an ingrowing toenail before? Did you have it taken out? Yes.

4) Do you like things like moose heads as decorations or not? No.

5) What’s your favourite dish in the world to cook? I’m not a cook.

6) Do you/does someone you know make extra money from selling paintings? My uncle, actually. He’s quite good.

7) Do you live anywhere near a beach? Yes.

8) Have you ever had any problems with getting building work done? I don’t do any building work?

9) Do you enjoy playing golf? If you’ve never played, would you be interested? Nah, it doesn’t look interesting to me.

10) Would you ever consider wearing a wig? Actually, I was talking to my brother about that last night. It started out as something Halloween related, but then I was like, man I wish I could afford the nice wigs or extensions so that I wouldn’t have to feel self-conscious about my hair and worry up the upkeep of the color, which I’ve slacked off majorly on for months. It needs to be dyed again so bad as well as a trim. I just don’t really like my hair, so if I could wear wigs or extensions it’d be nice.

11) Have you ever sent food back in a restaurant because it was just so bad? I’ve never had any bad experience like that, but my dad has. Once he ordered breakfast from this restaurant we often go to for breakfast and got what he normally did. However, this particular time the pancakes were burnt, the syrup was like watery, and there was something just off about the texture of the Canadian bacon that came with it. It was so bad that the manager actually tried it and agreed it was horrible!

12) Do you always seem to put your foot in it? Is this like the saying, “putting your foot in your mouth?”

13) Do you always make mistakes even when you try really hard not to? I’m great at that.

14) Have you ever been conned or scammed before? What happened? Back in the day when I actually fell for the stupid pop up ads that said my computer had a virus and I needed to get this virus protection program, which of course was in fact the virus. I was so naive back then.

15) Do you enjoy classical music? Some, yes. I have an appreciation for it. Especially piano pieces.

16) Are you one of those people who puts things off until the last minute? I’m a big procrastinator.

19) Do you enjoy a drink every evening, or do you not drink alcohol that much? I don’t drink alcohol at all.

20) Where would you like to go on your honeymoon? I doubt I’ll ever have a honeymoon cause I doubt I’ll ever get married, so.

21) Have you ever had concussion before? No.

22) Do you often find yourself yelling at inanimate objects when they won’t work? Yeppp.

23) Have you ever had a pet which has escaped? Did you find it? No, thankfully.

24) Does it annoy you when people dress their dogs up? Do you/would you do that? No. We do that with our dog sometimes. We don’t leave it on for a long time, and if she hates it we take it off.

25) Are you friends with someone whose first language is different from yours? No.

26) Would you be interested in becoming a chef? No. I’m not a cook at all.

27) Have you ever been drunk at work/at school? Did you get caught? No.

28) Does it annoy you when you see customers in hotels or restaurants being extremely rude? I hate when I see that anywhere. It’s just so unnecessary and uncalled for. Why don’t they understand that it gets them nowhere, and maybe talking like a rational person might get a lot more done. When they act like that it makes the person on the receiving end not even want to hear what they have to say anymore and are probably less accommodating and helpful in return. Had the person spoke calmly and respectfully, maybe they could get their point across better and something could be done. I get being frustrated, but it’s often misguided and handled in the wrong way.

29) Do you know anyone who is really hard of hearing? Does it annoy you much? Yes, and I feel bad because I know it’s something they can’t help but at the same time they kind of can because they could get hearing aids. Or in my papa’s case, actually use the ones he has.

30) Do you have trouble sleeping when it’s too hot, or can you cope? Ugh, yes. I absolutely cannot deal with it being too hot. I sleep with my ceiling fan and a desk fan, and it still gets hot sometimes.