Memories - Bruno Buccellati x Fem!Reader
"Hey, everyone, it's so nice to see you! This is Giorno Giovanna, our newest team member...Well, more like our new little brother, anyway. So please, treat him well since he's one of us now." I smile kindly at the 4 boys seated at our usual round table at the restaurant, as I help the blond boy in a protective side hug.
"Mr. Buccellati, Miss Fiore, there's an old lady looking for you." the waiter got our attention.
"Thank you for telling us, Mr. Lorenzo! Now, boys, please play nice and make sure you don't make trouble for anyone, okay? Also, Fugo, dear, thank you for having the patience to help Narancia with his homework, I really appreciate you doing it in my stead!" I clap my hands together in appreciation and hook my hand to Bruno's arm, going outside.
~~~
"Man...I don't get how she can be so kind to everyone." Mista sighed, leaning on the table.
"She's always been like that, right? I mean, has anyone seen her angry? At all? Even a bit?" Narancia asked, ruffling his hair.
"You can't tell when she's angry, can you? I mean, she hides it incredibly well...But I gotta tell you, the ones who hide their anger so well are actually the scariest. And yeah, I mean scarier than Fugo when he has one of his episodes." Abbacchio shrugged, looking away from the new kid.
"I...I don't think I want to see Miss Katrina angry again. Remember that day, Abbacchio? I can't even remember why she was so angry, but she destroyed the whole house." Fugo could feel a drop of sweat run down his face, remembering that time.
“Or the time when someone hurt Bruno so badly that she thought he died, and went berserk and burnt the whole forest?” Mista shuddered softly, remembering that accident.
“Or the time when she was super tired and we wouldn’t shut up and she started throwing knives at us...Urgh, that really hurt.” Narancia bit his lip, looking down.
"If you want to find something out, either ask her directly, or Buccellati, though I doubt he'd actually disclose any personal information on her. They've been together for a long time. They're very protective of each other...And it doesn't help that they act like everyone's parents." Abbacchio rolled his eyes, but the ghost of a smile betrayed his true feelings.
"Come to think of it, Buccellati mentioned that she is very fragile, right? And to be careful when around her, so we won’t hurt her, right? Something to do with her past and how unstable she used to be. Well...It's not like I can say anything about that, considering how I am. Or the fact that she's always been patient with me despite everything." Fugo put his hand to his face, pondering.
"Yeah...Same here...Hey, why don't we ask Bruno tonight? I mean, we’ve got a new kid here, we can just say that he wants to find out more about us, right?” Narancia got up from his chair with a victorious fist-pump.
“That’s...Actually not the worst idea you’ve had so far, Narancia. What do you guy say?” Mista snapped his fingers in realisation.
“Hmm...I suppose it could work. Well then, new kid, this will be our first mission as a team. Are you in?” Abbacchio smirked at Giorno, who merely nodded.
“If it won’t hurt anyone from the team, then I’m in, yes.” he declared simply.
“Then, it’s settled! And even better, we have a team gathering tonight anyway. This should go well!” Mista smirked in victory.
~~~
“Can you believe it, Bruno? Hitting your own mother...Honestly...I’d have killed him with my own hands if that were my child. Poor woman...” I sighed, looking down, sad at what I had witnessed.
“It’s all because of drugs...Honestly...It just never ends...” Bruno’s distress was obvious on his face.
“Bruno...Look at me.” I stop abruptly, putting my hands on his tanned visage, making him look down at me. “We WILL do the right thing. Give it time, I’m sure things will turn out the way we want them to, okay? I promise.” I kiss his lips softly, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear.
“Yeah...We will...Thank you, amore. I was blinded by rage for a second, but you have opened my eyes. Let’s go to the others, we need to have a meeting tonight at our base.” he put his arm around my waist, kissing my temple before we went inside the restaurant, where surprisingly, everyone was behaving...Normally.
“Hope we didn’t make you wait for too long. Come on, we should head to the base. Hope you enjoyed the food here.” I smiled at the gently, signing for them to follow us.
It didn’t take long for us to get to the headquarters and make ourselves at home in the living room, everyone taking the spot they were so used to, except for Giorno, who was rather awkward.
“Giorno, dear, why don’t you stay in the armchair there? It’s pretty comfy, I promise.” I pat his shoulder, offering him my spot. “I’ll go make some tea and coffee, okay? You go on without me, I promise I won’t be too long!” I winked at them, before going to the kitchen and making everything.
~~~
“I can sense that you’re restless, for some reason. Did anything happen?” Bruno asked, intertwining his fingers together, putting them under his chin.
“Well...You see, Buccellati...The new kid said he kinda wants to know more about us, since Kat keeps saying we’re a family and all, and he says he wants to be part of it. Y’know, since she acts so much like everyone’s mum, I guess it’s no surprise. We were all like that, huh?” Mista was the first one to speak, putting poor Giorno ahead to take the blame.
“Hmmm...I see...Well, I guess it can’t be helped. It is what she would want, after all. What do you want to know?” Bruno asked, leaning back on his armchair.
“That’s...Actually quite the question, Buccellati. We don’t know anything about her, do we? She’s the only one who kept evading the question.” Abbacchio pointed out, making the brunet man sigh.
“...Under normal circumstances, I’d say that it’s her story to tell, not mine. However, there are some particular things that you all should be aware of when dealing with her, so we don’t end up with another burnt-base situation. This is especially for you, Giorno, who has only witnessed her mother-like side. The only reason I’m aware of everything is because I’ve known her for a very long time and I’ve witnessed things.” Bruno cleared his throat, looking behind him, making sure the red haired girl wasn’t anywhere near hearing-length.
“This already sounds pretty serious.” Giorno commented, looking at his superior attentively.
~~~
“Buccellati, you’re going to be assigned a partner for your future missions. She is a new recruit, her name is Katrina Fiore, but goes by La Volpina. You will see why once you set your eyes on her, but don’t let yourself be charmed. She hardly ever speaks and she’s very reserved, so you shouldn’t have any problem with her. She’s incredibly efficient, but make sure she understand what truly means to be part of our group.” the capo instructed Buccellati firmly, as he went to a door, opening it, letting a girl walk through.
“You must be Katrina Fiore, our new member. My name is Bruno Buccellati, your new partner. It’s nice to meet you, miss.” Bruno tried his best to be court with the girl in front of him, who seemed about the same age.
“I know.” he voice was low and firm, yet held the same emotionless vibe as her jade eyes did.
“Now, now, Katrina, be a good girl and follow Buccellati’s instructions for the next missions. I’m sure I’ll only hear praises, anyway.” the capo’s easy going chuckle irritated the girl, but she said nothing, her eyes boring into his sapphire ones.
“Let’s go.” she muttered, walking past him, out of the building, as if she owned the place.
“Where are you going?” he asked, rushing after her.
“Kill.” she answered, not bothering to walk any slower.
“The target is in the opposite direction.” he informed, yet she merely shook her head.
“Not anymore.” her voice turned even darker, as she strode towards the brothel nearby.
“What are you doing?!” he whisper-yelled, his eyes widening in shock.
“Watch and learn.” she crouched and waited behind a wall, until she noticed the target get out of the brothel.
She kept following him for a few blocks, until he went to walk through a shadowy alley, where she was able to easily pounce on him like a cheetah, plunging her knife into his neck, while keeping her hand over his mouth so there will be no commotion.
By the end of it, she carried him to the docks nearby, throwing him in the lake, with a heavy rock attacked to his leg.
“How did you know he was here, and not at his home, as we were informed?” Burno asked, completely bewildered.
“Magic.” she cleaned her knife in the ocean, before putting it back in his sleeve and walking away nonchalantly.
“May I escort you home?” he asked, not sure what to say anymore, completely shocked at what he had just witnessed.
“No.” she looked at him with a deadpan expression, before taking off and getting lost in the shadows.
~~~
“I found out later on that she went home, only to get food and go feed a mother dog with her pups. She’d been doing that daily, as she says.” Bruno chuckled softly, remembering the shock he felt at that time.
“No way...! Kat? That cold? No way!” Narancia gasped dramatically in shock, getting up from the ground.
“That’s...Quite a radical change of behaviour, if you ask me.” Fugo tapped the side of his face, looking curiously at Bruno.
“I believe there’s more to this story than that, correct, Buccellati?” Giorno asked, completely absorbed by the brunet’s story.
“It’s only a month later that I found out that she isn’t as heartless as she wanted to make me, and everyone else around her, believe...But her violence was no joke.” Bruno continued his story.
~~~
“If the map is correct, we have to go through this alley to the left, and then straight ahead, and we’ll be close to the enemy’s house.” Buccellati informed, looking at the map.
“...We’ll take a shortcut.” Katrina muttered, looking away from her partner.
“Hm? But it says this is the shortest route.” Bruno raised his eyebrow in confusion, not realising first how he angered the girl.
“SHORTCUT!” she yelled at him, her eye twitching, before she heard the yelp of pain from a dog, which made her widen her eyes and run to the alley Bruno was talking about.
“Katrina, wait!” he ran after her, only to find her trembling on the ground, with a littler of puppies and a small dog-mother in her arms, standing over them protectively.
“You...You...You fucking monster...What have these poor animals done to you to deserve this...? They are innocent from this world...They’ve done nothing wrong...So...Why...?” her voice was, by this time, much softer and dripping with hurt and sorrow, not lifting her head from the ground.
“To hurt you, La Volpina! You think I don’t know that you killed my boss?! A whore like you, with red hair like that, doesn’t realise how easily noticeable she is?! You think I didn’t realise how you’d come here every day, taking care of those mutts? Honestly, when I realised my boss was killed, I thought it was some ugly brute, full of muscles and whatever...But it was just some frail bitch! Haahahaha! How ridiculous!” the bastard who kicked the puppies laughed at her condescendingly, making her growl in annoyance.
“Buccellati...I know you’re there...Get out here right now.” her voice became harsher gradually, as she slowly got up, looking back at her partner. “Make sure I don’t accidentally hurt them while I kill this fuckass, got it?” she sneered, whipping her head forward, her long, red hair, like a bloody ocean, waving around her.
“You?! Kill ME?! Are you insane, woman?! Pahahaha! As if you could!” the man spoke patronising to her, not even taking out his weapon, which made her smirk in victory.
“Die.” she muttered, as she raised her hands towards him.
Before he could blink another time, the whole alley was engulfed in a raging inferno of fire, shocking both her partner and the enemy, who screamed bloody murder, cursing with no stopping, feeling his flesh being melted from his bones, yet having nowhere to run to save himself.
Soon, the Hell stopped, and walking towards him, she took the humerus, femur, radius, ulna and tibia bones, waved them around a bit, so they wouldn’t be scorching hot, and crouched next to the dogs, giving them the bones to chew on them.
“You’re so cute...You’re all okay...Here, let me heal you. Yes, baby, you’re okay now, don’t worry...It’s okay, nothing’s gonna hurt you while I’m around...I promise...” she cooed at them, with a soft a soft smile on her pale face, as the puppies kept climbing all over her, licking her face, while the mother was licking her hand, as a thank you for saving them.
“That was a nice thing you did there for the dogs.” a forgotten voice called out in a gentle voice, which made the girl turn stiff with shock.
“I-I-I...W-Well...I-It’s nothing.” her cheeks flared up from embarrassment, not being used to letting her vulnerable side to be seen by others.
“You are a good person, Katrina. You shouldn’t have to hide that from the world.” he crouched down next to her, petting the mother dog, smiling at her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” the girl looked away from her partner, much too embarrassed to say anything anymore.
“I’m glad to see I’m not the only Stand User around. You are very powerful, Katrina.” he patted her shoulder gently, but the girl whipped around, catching his wrist and clenched her hand around it tightly, making his widen his eyes in confusion.
“Don’t. Touch. Me.” this threat, however, she made without looking at him in the eyes.
~~~
“Aha! I knew it! She’s always been motherly!” Narancia fist-pumped the air, but was quickly shushed by the rest.
“Shut up, you dead-brain fuckass! If you yell any louder, she’ll hear you, and we won’t hear anything anymore!” Fugo scolded the boy, shaking him violently.
“You’re no better either, Fugo...” Abbacchio facepalmed in annoyance.
“The good thing is that she’s not done with the beverages, at least.” Mista pointed out, earning a nod from everyone.
“The next part is a bit more delicate. It happened about half a year after everything I just told you about. I have to point out that by that time, she almost broke my arm a few times for having this habit of patting her shoulder or back.” Bruno chuckled in amusement, remembering how hostile she’d be.
“That sounds so hard to imagine now that you’re together, you know?” Mista smirked slightly, leaning back on the couch.
“It won’t be so hard to believe anymore.” he proceeded with the next story.
~~~
“Great, another successful mission. The Capo sure rewarded us nicely, don’t you think?” Bruno tried to create a conversation, but it was obvious that the girl was thinking far away. “Are you okay, Katrina?” he asked, in a gentler voice.
“Hmm? Did you say something?” she asked absent-minded, still not paying attention.
“Nothing important, I was jus-” he began, but a muffled scream seemed to disturb the quiet of the road.
“What...?” the red haired girl rushed to the place where she heard the scream, only to see a man chocking a woman that he pinned on the wall, her clothes disheveled, her face smeared with make up from crying. “You, godamn brute...!” she growled in anger, striding towards him and socking him right in the jaw, the sound of something breaking crackling through the alley, not sure if it was her fingers or his mandible.
“What the fuck...?! A woman?! Wha’ the hell?!” the man spoke in a drunken voice, barely keeping his balance.
“Get away from that woman. Right. Now.” her jade eyes were sparkling with abyssal rage.
“No way! Get yo’ own bitch!” the drunkard was walking towards her, but the girl crouched low on the ground, kicking her leg out to swipe him off his feet, then straddled his torso, punching him in the face repeatedly.
“You! Don’t! Fucking! Touch! Women! Like! That!” she kept punching left and right, until his face was bloody and broken, which is when she got off and slammed his head on the stone pavement, finally managing to bash his skull in, killing him. “Godamn it...Men are so godamn disgusting...” she muttered, as she got up and went to keen in front of the woman.
“Katrina, are you okay?!” Bruno called out as he stepped closer, but the girl stopped him.
“Buccellati, get out of this alley for now. This woman is scared after what happened.” she instructed, and with one look at the trembling woman, he gulped and nodded his head.
“I’ll be keeping watch outside.” he spoke, letting the girls by themselves, while listening in.
“It’s okay, darling, he’s dead now. I’m sorry that I let you see something so gruesome...I was very angry...I know what you’ve been through, but I’m glad I managed to stop it before things got worse.” the fox girl spoke in a soft voice, letting the woman cry in her shoulder, stroking her hair gently.
“I-I-I was so scared! I just got home from work, and went to buy some food for my husband to cook at home, and this...This hobo jumped me into the alley! Th-Thank you so much for saving me...My God, I can’t stop shaking, I can’t believe something like that happened to me...!” she sobbed desperately, as the girl kept trying to coo at her softly.
“Hey, your shirt is damaged. Here, take my blouse. I know we’re not the same body type, but it should look okay on you until I get you home.” Katrina took off her blouse, helping the girl discard the damaged shirt, and they exchanged tops.
“B-But what about you...? Won’t it be risky for you to walk like this?!” her voice, shaky and concerned, as she gripped the red haired girl’s shoulders.
“Don’t worry about me. As you can see, I can manage myself. Besides...I’m...Not alone.” despite all her embarrassment, the fox girl managed to admit that.
“Was that man your boyfriend? He seemed very gentle...I hope he’s treating you right, like my husband is treating me.” the girl finally managed to give her saviour a tearful smile, while the red haired girl could only gasp and stutter, her face becoming redder than her hair.
“We-We-We’re not t-t-t-together! We’re just working together! B-But that’s besides the point! Uh....Can you walk?! Here, let me help you!” Katrina helped her up, but noticed that her legs were wobbly - not because of the trembling, but because her heel got broken.
“Oh no, it seems I broke my heel in all the commotion...I’ll just have to walk barefoot.” she sighed, but Katrina merely shook her head.
“No. Take my shoes. They’re sneakers, so I think they’ll fit you well enough.” the girl took off her shoes, handing them to the victim.
“N-No! I-I couldn’t possibly let you walk without shoes on!” the blonde girl tried to protest, but it was in vain, and by the time she realised, she already had sneakers on.
“Come on, let’s get you home. Guide the way.” Kat helped her up, her arm protectively around her, and walked her out of the alley, where she stole a quick glance at he partner, but didn’t dare share eye contact, because of the shameful situation she was in.
“It’s very close! Down the road, to the right, and my house will be up ahead.” the blonde guided the red haired girl, and soon enough, they arrived in front of a cozy looking small house, and through the window, she could see the husband preparing a romantic dinner for the two of them.
“Well then, take care of yourself...And treasure the wonderful man that you found. It’s...Rare to find men like him. Believe me, I would know.” she chuckled dryly, patting her head.
“Why don’t you come in? I need to give you a change of clothes and thank you properly and-” the woman’s eyes widened as she was refused.
“Enjoy your romantic dinner. You won’t see me again anyway...But I’m glad you’re okay. Go on, don’t shy out.” Katrina pushed her inside the house, before shutting close the door and listening closely to the couple.
Inside, the woman jumped into the man’s arms, and told him everything that happened. The man, in turn, was angry that something so horrible had to happen to his wife, but held her tightly and reassured her, trying his best to make sure she’s okay now.
The scene melted the fox girl’s heart, and taking a leaf from the tree nearby, she carved a smile and sent it from the gap under the door, so the girl would know she had no reason to be scared anymore.
“You truly are an angel...” a voice startled her, letting out a surprised yelp, turning towards the voice, guarding her torso with her arms.
“Oh, it was just you...Honestly, don’t scare me like that.” she muttered, quickly adverting her gaze away from him.
“Here, take this. I couldn’t possibly let a woman walk like this.” he said, taking off his top and putting it on the girl, who stood petrified, looking at him.
“Wh-Why...?” she was barely able to ask.
“Why? Because I respect women, and more, I respect you. Good people aren’t as often found...And yet...Here you are, in front of me. Your kind heart moved me, Katrina.” he spoke, as he gently kissed her forehead.
“D-D-Don’t d-do that...” her voice, barely above a whisper, called out, like a little mouse.
“Do you hate me, Katrina?” Bruno asked, putting his fingers under her chin, raising her head up to look at him.
“N-No...Not that...” she bit her lip, looking away, feeling her heart beat a thousand miles per minute.
“Then what is it? Why can’t you look at me?” Bruno spoke in an even gentler voice.
“Because...Because...Because...I’m afraid that I will fall in love with you...” her voice trembled, as she hid her face with her hands, hanging her head down.
~~~
“Why did you stop?! What happened after?! I want to know!” Narancia’s voice was loud and obnoxious.
“He hugged me and we became a couple, that’s what happened.” my voice called out as I was leaning on the doorframe, holding the tray.
“A-Amore...!” Bruno gulped, not daring to look back at his beloved, who heard him tell some of her story.
“Honestly...Did you really think I wouldn’t hear you from the kitchen?” I chuckled, shaking my head and putting the tray on the table.
“W-Well...You see...” Bruno was left speechless, and he was, for some reason only known to him, more afraid now than when he fought anyone before.
“Please forgive us, Katrina. We merely wanted to know more about you. I wanted to become part of your family.” Giorno tried to rescue the gang.
“Aww...Giorno, you’re adorable. You blended in so well already...But don’t let these suckers use you for their schemes, okay? You’re too pure and kind for their idiocy.” I chuckled, leaning on the arm rest on Bruno’s armchair, patting Giorno’s head.
“Do you forgive us, Kat? Please? Please?” Narancia pleaded, doing his famous puppy eyes.
“I have nothing to forgive. I’m not mad, idiots. But maybe next time just ask me, okay? Now then, what else would you like to know?” I asked, looking at them with an amusement smirk.
“How did you and Buccellati get to have such a strong bond?” Fugo asked, looking at us with curiosity.
“Hmmm...Was it that time where you almost died and I lost control, then used all my energy to heal you, and I wouldn’t wake up?” I blinked down at my paramour, who smiled and intertwined his fingers with mine.
“I think yes, that time is when we truly started trusting each other. We were one, not two different people anymore.” he kissed the back of my hand, which made me chuckle.
“So? What happened?” Abbacchio cleared his throat, raising his eyebrow.
“I can’t remember who exactly we were fighting, but he was a very powerful Stand User. I was alone and I started fighting him, but before I knew, Bruno came and told me to complete the mission, while he would stall him. By the time I came back, he was on the floor and he wasn’t breathing anymore. Next thing I know, the whole place was on fire, the enemy was dead, and I held him in my arms as I used my Healing Water to cure his wounds. After that...I can’t remember much, actually.” I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“You fainted from using your energy too much, so I got you home and tended to you wounds. You were in a coma for about a week or so. You have no idea how panicked I was.” Bruno sweatdropped, sighing at the memory.
“Oh yes, the best sleep I’ve ever had.” I laughed, raking my fingers through my hair. “And after that, I remember that I could barely move, but I kept cursing that my hair was super sticky with blood, right? And I cursed you until you agreed to help me wash it.” my chuckles carried on with the story.
“I’ve...Heard more curses at that time than I’ve heard in my entire life, and I still stand by that.” he smirked, shaking his head in amusement.
“Uhm, hello?! Do you KNOW how awful it is to have your LONG hair super gross and sticky?! Come on, Abbacchio, back me up here, I’m sure you know how annoying it is! Fugo? Giorno? Don’t leave me alone here!” I gasped dramatically, looking at all of them.
“Well, Buccellati, La Volpina is right here. So? What did you do?” Leone smirked in amusement, resting his jaw on his fist.
“Found a way to wash only her hair, so her wounds won’t get infected or hurt from the shampoo. I put her in the bath tub, with her hair draping down where you’d hold your head, and I’d wash it...You liked it so much that you fell asleep.” the brunet man sighed, looking dead inside, while the others laughed at the sight.
“Can you blame me? It was super relaxing! And my hair was so soft after that!” I grinned at him brightly.
“Yeah...So much that you made me wash your hair all the time after that.” he shrugged, yet he was still smiling.
“You’re still doing that?!” Mista gasped in shock.
“Why do you think my hair looks so great? I can relax, have nice little scented candles around, listen to music and sing, while he washes my hair for me. It’s really nice, you know? You should get someone to do that for you. It’s SO much better than any saloon treatment! And while at it, a little facial massage is always welcomed!” I winked at the boys in front of me, who were looking at me in shock.
“Well...Now I kinda want that, to be fair...” Fugo muttered with a sigh.
That night, we continued gossiping about random things, until night came and we all went to sleep.
While at it, I and Bruno lay cuddled in bed, him stroking my hair soothingly.
“Do you remember what I said, that time? In the bath tub?” I asked, in a soft voice.
“If I recall correctly, you said my eyes were beautiful, correct?” Bruno asked, a tender smile on his face.
“Yeah...And then you blushed and couldn’t stop looking in my eyes. And then you said the same about mine, and I looked away, because I used to hate them for so long. But then...I said that I loved you.” my grip on his hand tightened slightly.
“I remember. And you put your hands on my face and put me down in a kiss. I was rather surprised, but it was a lovely surprise, to be fair.” he chuckled, kissing my forehead.
“It was my dad.” I say my answer which confused him.
“Hmm? What do you mean?” he leaned on his arm, looking down at me.
“I have the same eyes as my dad. When I was 7, he left us, which made mum heart broken. After that, she couldn’t look at me anymore...She managed to survive 2 more years, before she took her own life, saying that she can’t live with the same person that reminds her of the one who broke her. That’s why...I’ve always hated my green eyes. I and my dad...We both became thieves. We both looked like foxes. Traitors. Deceivers. Liars. Foxes were always seen as nothing good...And yet...When I met you...I managed to change how I see myself. And it’s all thanks to you, Bruno. I was so afraid that I’d end up like him, that I didn’t allow myself to feel anything. So...Thank you. For making me realise that I’m not my father.” I confess my heart out to him, after so many years of keeping that to myself.
“I see...So this is what managed to darken your heart so much. But, amore, you are my everything, and I promise you, I will never let you walk down that dark and lonely road again. You have me, and I will stay by your side forever. I promise. I love you, Katrina. I love your emerald eyes, and your red hair like a beautiful bed of Dahlias and Azaleas. Your golden heart that shines brighter than the Sun is what made me fall in love with you, but you are beautiful inside and outside, my dear.” he brushed my cheek with his hand softly, before leaning down and kissing me tenderly, making my heart beat faster than ever.
“And you always know how to make me feel alive, caro mio.” I kiss him back with just as much passion, holding him close to me.
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