#protective Bruno

[coolunspokenforname]

The most interesting part of the FrankenStan au, at least in my opinion, is the aftermath, and its absolutely heartbreaking that so few people talk about it.

Imagine you're Stan. Your brother, that you thought hated you (and in some cases literally killed you), brought you back to life. Now you have to live with the knowledge that you died. You may not even be entirely you anymore, depending on how damaged your body was by the time he started piecing you back together. Imagine waking up with skin and organs and bones that aren't your own, and now you have a good idea about what happens after death, more so than even those who had near death experiences. You were cold. Your heart stopped pumping for weeks, months, maybe even years.

And now imagine you're Ford. You've spent all your time since your brother's death trying to bring him back to life. The man you thought ruined your life. The man who always was there for you, ever since you shared the womb. Your best friend. Your other half. His blood is on your hands figuratively and literally. You have all the time in the world to consider every mistake you've made, every choice that's led to him laying there on the metal table of your lab, cold as your heart on the day he was kicked out. But, after putting your blood, sweat, and tears into bringing him back to life, he's there. He's alive. There's so much you want to say. So many apologies you want to make.

And then you realize. He's alive, but the world is dangerous. It took your brother away once, whose to say it won't do it again? You've seen his blood, his organs. You know first hand how fragile his body is. The world isn't safe for him. You couldn't protect him once. That's not going to happen again.

[42wv]

FFXIV x Yu-Gi-Oh! 5DS Signer Dragons (and bonus)

[jollmaster]

they don't dance with you fuck off

[rebouks]

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a helicopter parent.. 🚁

[beardisable]

- Bruno Is Orange by Hop Along

[meepxii]

Mirabel liked to play with her cousin Camilo, but sometimes he was very rude to Bruno

[snezus-christ-risen]

[jacarandaaaas]

broke: bruno is an incompetent tío who lets the kids do whatever

woke: bruno is a protective tío who is trying his best even if he doesn’t know what to do in certain situations he’s always looking out for those damn kids!

[fashion4standusers]

Christy Turlington for Versace, Harper's Bazaar 1992. Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier

[disneynerdpumpkin]

Bruno Madrigal my beloved 💚

He's so precious 🥰😭

Bonus!

[gamerbearmira]

Here's an AU idea I had. Took some inspo from your Protective AU and ReikoMizutani's 'Whatever it Takes' fic. Mama Julieta is pissed and takes matters into her own hands.

Julieta stood in the courtyard of Casita, it was the dead of night and everyone else was asleep, and the only light came from the glowing candle that sat in the windowsill. Julieta looked up at the candle with pure disdain, she didn't understand, everyone had been given a special gift, everyone except little Mirabel, her gift ceremony was a few weeks ago, and the poor girl had been inconsolable ever since, she's convinced there's something wrong with her or she did something bad to not get a gift, but Julieta refuses to believe that, her Mirabel is the sweetest girl in the world, she deserves a gift more than anyone. As if being denied her birthright wasn't enough, people had begun to treat her differently, the townspeople gave her weird looks and whispered behind her back, Isabela had begun to distance herself from Mirabel, and Alma practically avoided her like the plague, shooing her away whenever she sought her out. To top it all off, Bruno had disappeared the night of Mirabel's ceremony, Julieta didn't know what to think about that, sure she was worried sick for her hermanito, but she had a horrible feeling that Bruno's disappearance was tied to Mirabel's ceremony in some way, if her brother had left simply because he was freaked out Mirabel didn't get a gift she would personally strangle him. It made her blood boil, Mirabel was crying herself to sleep each night in a nursery she had been promised she would move out of by now and was being ostracized by her own town and family for something she couldn't control, and it was all that stupid candle's fault!

Julieta seethed silently in anger until a clatter of tiles at her feet pulled her away from her thoughts, "what is it Casita?" She asked, unable to hide the anger in her voice, the house rumbled as it rearranged itself, forming a staircase up past the second floor and to the windowsill that held the candle. Julieta was confused but climbed the staircase nonetheless, she peeked through the window into the candle room to make sure her mother wasn't there before staring down at the candle like it was a piece of trash. "Why?" she asked angrily, "why did you do this to her? You were supposed to protect this family, how is ostracizing Mirabel protecting the family? All the other children got gifts, how is that fair? How does making Mirabel feel like she did something wrong, or isn't good enough for your miracle, help anyone?!" Julieta took deep breaths to keep herself from raising her voice further, the last thing she needed was to wake someone up. "Why?" She asked again, "doesn't she at least deserve an explanation?" The candle seemed to spark in response, was the candle mocking her? Julieta's anger came to a boiling point and she grabbed the candle in frustration, having half a mind to just throw it to the ground or snuff it out right then and there, but before she could do either of those things, the candle flared up and Julieta felt a burst of magic course through her.

The miracle answered, and everything became clear, of course, how could she have not seen it before? It wasn't the candle, or the miracle, it was Alma, she had always put so much pressure on the family, to use their gifts to serve the community, to earn their miracle, she demanded nothing less than perfection, Pepa was never allowed to just let her emotions be, she always had to bottle everything up and force moods on herself to make whatever weather was convenient, Julieta was practically chained to the kitchen since the day she turned five, seriously, who makes a five year old cook food for an entire town? And how many times have people come to her stand with minor injuries that would heal on their own within a week? It was ridiculous, poor Dolores had to hear so many uncomfortable things, invading other people's privacy just for the sake of 'keeping an eye on things' like she was little more than a walking surveillance system, and little Luisa, she had just gotten her gift a few years ago, but she was already saddled with so much work, just last week she had moved an entire house just so the owner wouldn't have to deal with their noisy neighbor, Julieta had tried to protest this, saying Luisa was too young to lift something that heavy, even with her super strength, but Alma had brushed her off, saying Luisa was 'just doing her part to help the community' why hadn't she objected more? She could see her daughter struggling under the weight, why hadn't she done more to stop it? It's no wonder Bruno left, Alma had always insisted he do visions to foresee potential danger and then chastise him when he gave a vision someone didn't like, as if he controlled the future. Bruno had already cracked under the pressure, how much longer until the rest of the family followed suit? Well no more.

Julieta held the candle close as she descended the staircase back to the ground floor, "thank you, Casita" she said as the home once again rearranged itself, the staircase now leading to a blank space on the wall of the second floor. Julieta smiled as she reached the second floor, she knew her daughter wasn't to blame for the failed ceremony, and she had been right, it was Alma's fault, Alma had put the gifts and serving the community over the well being of her family, in trying to 'earn' their miracle she had actually weakened it, to the point where the magic wasn't strong enough to give Mirabel a gift, Julieta would make sure the town knew who was to blame for the failed ceremony, she had heard far too many rumors about that regarding her daughter, but first she had to right her mother's wrong. Julieta put her hand on the wall, and the candle once again glowed brighter, the wall swirled with magic until it eventually formed a blank door, complete with an intricately carved doorknob engraved with an 'M', Mirabel's door was back, Julieta couldn't wait to see the look on her little girl's face, and she would make sure it works this time, Alma won't take anything else from this family ever again.

Bruno was startled from his sleep as Casita threw him off of the chair, "what was that for Casita?" He asked, Casita pointed towards the door of his makeshift room, urging him to look beyond it, Bruno shrugged and opened the door to see whatever it was Casita wanted him to see, in the darkness, it took Bruno a moment to see what it was Casita had woken him for, the cracks, which had laced the walls since long before Bruno took up residency there, were gone, some smaller cracks still remained, but the bigger ones that Bruno had tried desperately to patch had disappeared, as of they were never there. Bruno could only stare in shock as he thought back to his final vision, the one that drove him to hide within the walls:

Mirabel, standing in front of a cracked Casita, with Alma looming over her, holding the snuffed out candle and giving a stern look Bruno had come to expect from her, but shifting the tablet showed a different image, Mirabel in front of a now intact Casita, and instead of Alma, it was his sister Julieta, holding the burning candle as she smiled down at her daughter.

WHATEVER ITS TAKES MENTIONED RAHHHH 🦅🦅🦅

You i finished reading the rewrite. Amazing. Love the writing and the writer is so nice, y'all should check it out, its so good.

ANYWAY THIS IS SO RAD. I honestly need to do more protective content, its been a while (then again I need to revisit ALL my older aus tbh). Candle holder Julieta...I'm so down with it. Like who she is the most caring and she always has her family's beat interest in mind. Especially Mirabel. Imagine how heartbroken Julieta is whenever she's sees Mirabel mopping around. And she even noticed the other family members at their struggles. Like she wasn't having it anymore, and she is so real for that.

Also, random asf, but I love it when. They bully the candle. Like why bully each other, GET THAT CANDLE❗❓ anyway shout to candle for helping Julieta see who's REALLY at fault (Alma I still love you <///3).

Shameless plug to give fanart for whatever it takes and this snippet Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ

ALAO BRUNO!!! COME OUT THE WALLS!!! Or like. Something. Hopefully he sees Julieta taking a stand 😭

THIS IS SO GOOD I LOVED READING IT (twice) AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE (if you have it and want to share with the class <333)

'Whatever It Takes" is by @reikomizuao3 on AO3 <3333

[sadiecoocoo]

Bruno is Orange is definitely Rick and Morty coded with the “it’s too dangerous to walk out there so I had to save you” bit

Am I crazy?

[foreveranevilregal]

Encantober Day 20: Vision

*trigger warning for pregnancy mentions and brief description*

Voices floated through the kitchen.

“Ay, I can feel her kicking.” Pepa laughed.

What? Bruno didn’t understand what was going on. Usually he tried not to eavesdrop (he said tried; he didn’t always succeed), but he had to know what was going on here. Shifting his position, he was able to peer through the small crack in the wall.

Pepa was in the kitchen with Félix, her hands resting on…her belly? Was she pregnant again? Now Bruno didn’t claim to be an expert in math, but if they were still the same age, and he was pretty sure they were, wouldn’t that be impossible?

“How do you know it’s a girl?” Félix teased, wrapping his arms around Pepa from behind.

“A mother can tell,” Pepa said smugly.

“Well what if it’s a boy?”

Pepa scoffed. “There’s no way the baby is a boy.”

“You know this for sure?”

Pepa glared at him. “I can’t know for sure. Not the way we did with Lola and Milo. But…I have a feeling she’s a girl.”

Félix held up his hands in defeat. “If you say so, mi vida.”

“I do say so.” Pepa bustled around the kitchen, putting away groceries. She must not be very far along, Bruno observed. She’d gotten huge with the other two. In fact, Bruno had actually wondered if she was having twins when she had Camilo. Looking back, he deserved that slap.

His cheek smarted from the memory. As much as it had hurt, at least he was still part of the family then. Almost five years had passed since his…unceremonious departure…and not a day went by that he didn’t miss them.

“I know it might be a bit early to think about this, but do you have any ideas about names?” Félix had caught Pepa in his arms, swaying her from side to side.

She hummed contentedly. “I have a few. But my favorite is- what about Antonia? After your mother?”

Félix beamed. “I love it. And I’m sure mamá would be honored.”

Pepa smiled at him brightly. “All right, I’ll be right back. Your daughter is playing fútbol with my internal organs.”

Félix chuckled. “Bet she’ll be a hell of a player one day.”

“She better be, with all the practice she’s getting!”

Their voices petered off as they left the kitchen, still basking in the glow of their happiness.

Bruno sat there, stunned. He couldn’t believe it. Pepa was having another baby- he’d have another niece or nephew! -and he wasn’t around for it. When she’d been pregnant with Dolores and Camilo, Pepa had consulted him for a vision to learn the sex of the baby, so she could pick out a proper name. Aside from his sisters, Bruno refused to have this kind of vision for anyone else. Four nieces and a nephew later, and babies still freaked him out. But he loved his family.

The thoughts plagued him for the rest of the afternoon. Pepa had been so sure she was having a girl. Was she right? In Bruno’s experience, her predictions were as good as the weather forecast: only right about half the time. So was he getting a fifth niece? Or would there finally be another Madrigal boy?

He couldn’t help it. He must have been focusing too hard on the question. His eyes flew open, glowing green, as he froze, watching the vision unfold before him.

There was a little boy. He looked about five, Bruno would guess. He had dark skin and eyes, and a mess of curls sticking out all over his head. Was this Félix as a kid? Why would he see that in a vision? No, that wasn’t quite right…his eyes were big, and they sparkled like Pepa’s when he smiled. And he smiled a lot. He was standing…in front of their casita, playing with…if Bruno didn’t know any better, he’d say it was a teenaged Julieta. But Julieta didn’t wear glasses. It had to be Mirabel, who even at five had been the spitting image of her mother.

She looked so beautiful and grown up. Bruno almost choked up seeing it. So if that was Mirabel, this had to be the new baby.

Bruno let out a laugh. Ha. He knew it wasn’t a girl. Pepa only said that because she didn’t want to deal with another baby boy. She’d always said that girls were easier to raise, pointing out their nieces and Dolores. But Bruno wasn’t sure if that was true. Camilo just had a lot of energy and hadn’t learned how to channel it yet. This new kid seemed…calmer somehow.

Suddenly, the vision changed. Cracks appeared on casita, spreading the way they had in that fateful vision that led to his banishment. To Bruno’s surprise, the kid transformed into a toucan, taking flight. Mirabel clung to his feet as he flew around the house. Wherever they passed, the cracks were mended. Finally, he set Mirabel down and landed, instantly turning into a jaguar. Jaguar-kid stalked proudly in front of casita with Mirabel on his back.

The image dissolved into a blur. Bruno blinked repeatedly, shaking his head rapidly. That had been…bizarre, to say the least. His question had been answered- Pepa would be having a boy. But so many new questions sprang up in his head. What was that whole bit where the kid turned into animals and took Mirabel for a ride? And the cracks on the house…was this vision somehow connected to the last one he’d had as a rightful inhabitant of la casa Madrigal?

Bruno shook his head, nonplussed. He guessed this was the kid’s gift. Pepa’s third kid would be able to turn into animals. Sure. Why not? Pepa already had one shapeshifting kid. What was another? Aside from an enormous headache for Pepa, that is. It was bad enough keeping track of a kid that could look like anyone. Imagine having another that could look like anything.

Well, he thought with a pang, that would be Pepa’s problem, not his. Since he hadn’t had any visions predicting his triumphant return from disgraceful exile, he figured he’d be in the walls for the rest of his life; watching his family go through life without him.

Pepa would be so crushed to find out she was wrong. But, on the bright side, Antonio would also be a great name.

[stupidsexygrizzop]

wherever mike and mw are. they have bruno with them

[lady-wallace]

Whumptober Alt Prompt #7 - "All Safe and Sound" (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Using a @whumptober alt prompt for today. A bit of a different twist on a Giorno scar reveal fic for today with some misunderstandings and protective papa bears Bruno and Abbacchio

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Prompts Used: Alt. #7: Examination Fandoms: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5 Character: Giorno

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Read on Ao3

Read on FF.net

~~~~~~~

Abbacchio hurried through the doors of the emergency room with the bundle of blankets and blond teen in his arms.

"Hey!" he called sharply to the nurse working the reception desk. "I'm gonna need some help here. The kid's fever spiked and he's currently unresponsive."

The nurse moved far too calmly for Abbacchio's liking. "Do you know the reason for the fever?"

"He's sick," Abbacchio snapped. "Flu or something—I don't know, I'm not a doctor. He came down with it a few days ago." Even now he could feel Giorno shivering in his arms, soft whimpers escaping every once in a while. Abbacchio readjusted him so that his head wasn't lolling uncomfortably over his arm, but instead tucked against his chest.

"Any other symptoms?"

"Regular coughing and congestion, vomiting—can we please get him some help?"

"Calm down, sir, we'll get him to an examination room shortly."

The nurse picked up the phone and called someone as Abbacchio was practically grinding his teeth, standing there with Giorno still in his arms.

A doctor finally showed up and she beckoned to Abbacchio. "Follow me, I'll see to him."

Abbacchio gratefully followed her down the hall and lowered Giorno onto the exam bed.

"How long has he been like this?" the doctor asked.

"He's only been unresponsive for about an hour, once I saw his fever had gone up near 105, I decided to bring him in. He hasn't been able to keep anything down, not even liquids so he's severely dehydrated."

The doctor was silent as she began unwrapping Giorno from the blanket, giving him a cursory examination.

"You said he had flu symptoms?"

"Yes, as far as we know, it started out like a head cold and then he got the fever and vomiting," Abbacchio replied, folding his arms tightly across his chest as he watched the doctor peel Giorno's eyelids back and look in his ears and nose before taking his temperature.

"Anything in his medical history that I need to know about?"

Abbacchio sighed in exasperation, throwing his hands up. "I don't know."

"I assume you're not his parent," the doctor said, eyeing him up and down.

"No," Abbacchio replied.

"Guardian, then? Or some other family member?"

"I…no, I guess guardian?"

"Sir, I'm going to need a definitive answer on that."

"What the hell does it matter what I am to him? Can't you do your damn job either way? He's a sick kid, help him!"

"What is his name and age?" the doctor asked stiffly as she checked Giorno's temperature.

"Giorno Giovanna, he's sixteen."

The doctor continued silently, putting her stethoscope in her ears and slipping it under Giorno's shirt to listen to his heart. She then rolled him onto his side presumably to listen to his lungs, but as she started to roll his shirt up his back she stopped, freezing slightly before she tugged it back down and turned to Abbacchio with a stony look.

"Sir, I need you to leave the room."

"What? No way, I'm not leaving until I know he's gonna be okay!" Abbacchio protested. "He'll freak out if he wakes up here without anyone he knows."

"I'm afraid I will not allow any argument on this issue," the doctor said and simply marched over, grabbing Abbacchio's arm roughly and pulling him toward the door. "Unless you want me to call security. I'll be out to discuss things with you soon."

Abbacchio was so stunned that he allowed her to shove him out the door and close it behind him. He stood there for a long moment, confusion and worry crashing through him before he finally forced himself to go back to the waiting room, slumping in one of the chairs and bouncing his leg anxiously.

He felt awful, honestly. Bruno had only left for one freaking day and Abbacchio hadn't even been able to watch over a sick kid. Trish and Narancia, who were the only other ones home had been helpful with Giorno's tending but they hadn't known any more than he did. They'd all thought it was just a flu. But then when Giorno's fever spiked so much he turned delirious and now with the doctor's reaction…what if something genuinely serious was wrong with the kid and none of them had noticed? Abbacchio had just thought it was because Giorno had the habit of running himself into the ground so when a bug got to him it hit him really hard—Bruno was the same way. But what if it wasn't something so simple as the yearly flu?

He finally plucked up the courage to call Bruno. He'd promised to call Trish and Narancia too but wanted to wait until he got any news.

"Abbacchio?" Bruno picked up after a couple rings.

"Hey," Abbacchio rubbed a hand over his face. "Giorno…he got worse, so I took him to the emergency room. His fever spiked and I didn't know what else to do."

"God," Bruno murmured. "Okay, no, you did what you should have, Leone. I'm back in the city and I'll make my way over there after dropping the others off. Did they say anything else?"

"No," Abbacchio didn't want to alarm Bruno before he got here in person, especially if he was just reading the situation wrong. "The doctor's still looking at him."

"Okay. Thank you for looking after him, Leone. I'm sure he'll be okay."

Abbacchio wasn't entirely sure, but he ended the call.

He waited a little bit longer, but finally got impatient and stood, heading back toward the room he'd left Giorno in.

He was surprised to see the doctor and a couple nurses standing in the open doorway, talking quietly. Abbacchio could see past them to Giorno lying in the bed, covered in a blanket with an IV drip attached to his arm, hopefully giving him some much needed hydration.

When the doctor spotted him coming their way, she pointed to him with a couple murmured words to the others before stepping up as if to confront him.

"Sir, I asked you to wait in the waiting room."

"All I wanted was an answer as to whether the kid would be okay or not," Abbacchio snapped.

"He's going to be fine," the doctor said shortly. "We're giving him some intravenous fluids right now and some strong medicine to bring the fever down."

"Great," Abbacchio replied, still uneasy. "So can I sit with him, then?"

"We think it's best that you stay away from Giorno until we can ask him a few questions."

Abbacchio frowned, genuinely confused. "Why? He contagious or something? More so than a normal flu?"

"This isn't about him being sick," one of the other doctors spoke up. "This is about your relationship to the young man."

Abbacchio felt like he was about to tear his hair out. "What the hell does that have to do with it?"

"Normally, nothing," the doctor said. "But when a patient shows such clear signs of abuse, it's our job to ask. Especially when they come in with an obviously aggressive 'guardian'." The last word was spoken very pointedly with a cocked eyebrow but Abbacchio was still hooked on 'clear signs of abuse'.

"What do you mean signs of abuse?" he demanded, voice raised quite a bit now.

"Sir, calm down—"

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!" Abbacchio snapped. "You refuse to give me Giorno's diagnosis, kick me out of the room, and then accuse me of abusing him? Just because I waited an hour to see if his fever would go down by itself instead of taking him here at the first sign of a sniffle?"

"Stop deflecting," the doctor said sternly. "This isn't about him being sick, this about the scars that are literally covering his back."

That information was like a slap to Abbacchio's face. He stood there with his mouth hanging open. "The what?!"

"For you to even enter this room, we're going to need both proof of guardianship and Giorno's express approval—after it has been given in private to one of our staff with the promise of security should he refuse."

"What the fuck kind of bastard do you think I am to beat a kid?" Abbacchio demanded, furious.

"Call security," the doctor told one of the nurses firmly. "Sir, I'll give you one more chance to leave before you're escorted off the premises."

"I'm not leaving the kid here alone!" Abbacchio shouted.

"What exactly is going on here?"

The authoritative voice stopped everyone, and Abbacchio spun in relief to see Bucciarati striding up.

"Bruno, thank god," Abbacchio growled. "The doctor here refuses to let me see Giorno because she's convinced I've abused him."

"Excuse me?" Bruno demanded, eyebrow raised.

The doctor folded her arms over her chest. "Are you Signore Giovanna's guardian?"

"Yes, I am," Bruno replied firmly. "What is the problem here? Why can't Abbacchio sit with him? I assume a badly sick minor is reason enough to forgo usual visiting hours?"

"It's policy that if we expect a patient of being the victim of abuse we cannot allow any potential abusers near them."

"What abuse are we talking about here?" Bruno demanded.

"She says he has scars on his back," Abbacchio said, feeling sick to his stomach at the thought. "Do you know anything about that?"

"What?" Bruno asked incredulously. "Are you accusing Abbacchio of beating him?"

"Well, sir, someone clearly has," the doctor said firmly. "And unless I get some answers out of you two, neither of you are going to be allowed in that room."

"Now see here, Doctor," Bucciarati said, voice low and dangerous. Abbacchio could see his Stand aura wavering around him, Sticky Fingers' hands turning into fists over his own. "Whatever abuse happened to that boy it was not done under my roof, and I resent—"

"Please…stop."

Everyone froze, turning to the open door of the room to see Giorno, propping himself up weakly, looking toward them.

"Giorno," Bruno murmured stepping forward before the doctor held her arm across the door. Abbacchio was sure for a second that Bruno was going to zip it off her body, but Giorno's voice carried weakly to them again.

"They didn't do it. Please let them in," he said.

The doctor didn't relent. "Are you just saying that because you're scared of what they'll do?" she asked kindly. "I promise, no one will hurt you here. We'll have them taken away if that's what you want."

"No!" Giorno pleaded, reaching out and the sight made Abbacchio's heart ache, furious at the doctor. "Don't do that!"

Bruno moved forward. "This has gone far enough, I'm going in to see him."

"Call security!" the doctor snapped, making a move to grab at Bruno's arm, as the other nurses stepped forward.

"Is that you, Bucciarati?" A new voice called as footsteps came down the hall. "What's going on here?"

Abbacchio turned to see a middle-aged man in scrubs and a lab coat walking down the hall, brow pinched in confusion.

Bruno turned and let out a relived sigh. "Ah, Dr. Folliero, I'm so glad you're on duty tonight. One of your doctors seems to have gotten the wrong idea about one of my men."

"What's going on, Marzia?" the doctor asked.

The woman folded her arms. "Doctor, this man brought in a very sick young man with signs of abuse and neither of them have done anything to convince me that one of them was not the one responsible."

"They're not!" Giorno's weak voice came again before he coughed, one of the nurses pushed inside to go see to him.

"This man is with you, Bucciarati?" Dr. Folliero asked, motioning to Abbacchio.

"Yes," both Bruno and Abbacchio said at the same time as the doctor nodded.

"Normally, I would say your dedication is admirable, Marzia," Dr. Folliero said calmly. "However, in this case you're quite mistaken." He reached out to squeeze Bruno's arm fondly. "I've known Bruno Bucciarati since he was little more than a boy coming to visit his ailing father. And since then he has brought me many children off the streets and paid for their treatment out of pocket. He is the last person you should be accusing of abuse to anyone other than the abusers themselves."

"And I assure you that Abbacchio does not beat children either," Bruno said firmly. "He just doesn't take kindly to people keeping information from him when it involves family." Abbacchio flushed, somewhat embarrassed by his conduct, but he would still stand by his principles.

The doctor Marzia looked thoroughly deflated. "I apologize, Signore. I made a mistake."

"This time, yes," Bruno told her. "But do not let that keep you from doing the same in the future. It could save someone's life."

"Well said," Dr. Folliero nodded, giving his protégé a fond look. "I'll see to the boy myself."

Bruno instantly flew into the room with Abbacchio quick to follow.

"How are you doing, kid?" he asked Giorno softly. "Sorry for the trouble."

Bruno took a seat beside him, taking his hand and squeezing in reassurance.

Giorno looked awful, lying there, pale, except for his flushed cheeks, the IV drip leading to a taped needle in the crook of his arm.

"Feel a little better," he murmured.

Dr. Folliero checked him over briefly. "Your fever is down to a manageable 102.5. If you keep this up and are able to keep something in your stomach by tomorrow, then we'll see about getting you out of here."

Giorno nodded tiredly, before his eyes slid shut again, clasping Bruno's hand firmly.

"He'll be all right?" Abbacchio asked the doctor.

The old man smiled at him kindly. "Yes. It's just a bad flu. I would simply recommend he get lots of rest in order to recuperate once you get him back home."

"That's all I wanted to know before," Abbacchio muttered.

Folliero's face sobered them. "I take it from the conversation you didn't know about his scars?"

Bruno's face turned pained as he shook his head. "No, I didn't. Giorno's only been with us for about six months and he hasn't told me much about his past yet."

The doctor nodded. "Well, I'm glad he found you, Bucciarati, wherever he might have been before." He squeezed Bruno's shoulder and shook Abbacchio's hand before he left. "I'll be here all night. Don't hesitate to ask for me if he needs anything."

"Thank you," Bruno said, tiredly.

Abbacchio stood there for a long second before he pulled out his phone. "I'm gonna go call the others real quick. Give them an update."

Bruno nodded, still focused on Giorno.

By the time he got back, someone had brought two hot coffees and Abbacchio gratefully took one as he pulled another chair over to the side of the bed.

"Hey," Abbacchio said, nudging Bruno's knee. "Try not to interrogate him about it. I'm sure he didn't want us to find out like this."

Bruno's look was stricken but he nodded reluctantly, reaching out to push some stray bangs from Giorno's sweaty forehead. "I know. Just…the thought that the bastard who did it might still be out there somewhere…"

"I know," Abbacchio replied darkly. "But ultimately it's up to Giorno."

They sat mostly in silence all night. Abbacchio dozed off, but woke as the shift nurse came in around dawn to check on Giorno.

"He's doing well," she said kindly. "Fever's down to 100 now. We'll let him try eating someone when he wakes up."

Bruno nodded gratefully and the nurse left. Abbacchio stood, stretching with a yawn. "I'll go grab some more coffee."

When he came back, Giorno was awake, and allowing Bruno to prop him up, holding a cup for him to drink from.

"Hey, you're looking a little better," Abbacchio told him, setting Bruno's coffee on the beside table.

"I feel a little better," Giorno admitted. "Just…tired."

"Yes, and you'll be resting up for quite a while," Bruno insisted. Abbacchio wished he could get a recording to play back the next time Bruno got sick.

Giorno looked down at his lap, hands clenched in the blanket. "I…owe you an explanation."

"No, Giorno," Bruno said quietly. "You don't owe us anything, especially not until you're well."

Giorno fidgeted. "if I don't tell you now, I'll just be thinking of it the whole time," he said tiredly, hands clutching the blankets tighter. "The scars…they're from my stepfather. He used to beat me. Usually when he was drunk, but not always. I…I didn't tell you about them before because I just wanted to put that part of my life behind me, but I couldn't let them kick you out, and I couldn't stand to hear them accuse you of doing it because you're…" His eyes filled and his breath hitched. He cringed, knuckles going white as he clenched his fists tighter in the blankets. "You've all been so good to me and I didn't think I'd ever know what it felt like to be part of a family."

"Oh, Giorno," Bruno whispered, looking on the verge of tears himself. He was already standing before he asked. "May I hug you?"

Giorno nodded, choking back a sob, and clung to Bruno as he pulled him into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he sniffled. "I didn't mean to get like this."

"It's the fever talking," Abbacchio said, having mercy on the kid as he sat on the other side of the bed and opened his arms to hug Giorno next. "But you don't need to apologize either. I'm sorry you had shit parents and I promise that all you have to do is say the word and if they're still breathing, they won't be for long."

Giorno squeezed him weakly. "Thanks, Abba," he murmured into his chest.

Abbacchio met Bucciarati's eyes over Giorno's head with a silent nod. They would definitely be looking into information about Giorno's stepfather, keeping tabs on him.

Abbacchio pulled away and Bruno leaned in, pressing a firm kiss to the side of Giorno's head. "Best get some more rest. You should be able to go home by tonight."

Giorno nodded and passed out almost instantly as Bruno pulled the blanket over him again.

"You know, Leone," Bruno said quietly. "I used to wonder if it was worth it, worth all the blood and pain and filthy deeds this life brings. But being able to have the power to protect the ones who need it—it makes it all worth it in the end, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Abbacchio replied sincerely. "It does."

~~~~~~~

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[ladychandraofthemoone]

Arlesburgh Harbor Company #1: Rosaura “Rosie” 🌹🥀

First time drawing her in my new sketchbook, based off of wildnorwester and Jasperpie take of her for my au version of Rosie, was brought in to help Fort Sudrian during wartimes before hopping about on BR before officially being purchased to shunt the harbour and yard at Arlesburgh, she’s also worked at Bigg City and is old friends with Bruno